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Chidanand Rajghatta,TNN | Dec 29, 2013, 05.46 AM IST
Devyani Khobragade case on backburner, US poised to irretrievably lose unilateral privileges
What is emerging clearly from Devyani Khobragade episode is that US diplomatic corps is poised to irretrievably lose many of the unilateral privileges it had in India.
WASHINGTON: In the annals of diplomatic exchanges across the world, it has long been understood that the United States will get more consular and protocol privileges than it will give to other countries. After all, the argument went, the US has the world's largest diplomatic corps, does more outreach, and its personnel face greater danger abroad than those from any other country. So if Americans demand greater security, easier access, more privileges in New Delhi or Islamabad or Kabul than it would give to diplomatic counterparts from these countries in Washington or New York, it was accepted without question — because it was reasoned that US diplomats faced more dangers and difficulties abroad than foreign diplomats did in the United States.
Someone in the US diplomatic service didn't apparently get this memo, and didn't quite understand and appreciate this aspect of foreign policy engagement. Their "foolish" overreach and "law and order" approach in the case of Devyani Khobragade, the Indian diplomat who is in the dock in New York for allegedly stiffing her housekeeper, will result in a drastic and "unfortunate" reassessment of US privileges that the American diplomatic corps will find unpleasant, going by conversations with Indian diplomats and officials who have stood up in anger at what they see as a vindictive singling out of their colleague in New York.
The officials, all of who spoke only on background, refuted the US suggestion that they were being vengeful towards the US diplomatic corps and endangering the US embassy by explaining the context behind the removal of traffic barriers around the US embassy in New Delhi, ostensibly in retaliation for the treatment meted out their colleague in New York. The barriers, they said, had been installed several years back in the teeth of opposition from several other embassies nearby (notably the French and Swedish) which complained it constrained them. They were done as a special consideration for the Americans, despite the fact that the US side had turned down similar reciprocal requests from the Indian side. A decision to remove the barriers was taken several weeks back when the US side removed a diplomatic parking lane in front of the Indian embassy in Washington DC (that also served as security perimeter) and turned it into public parking.
While the action to remove traffic barriers in New Delhi coincided with the diplomatic spat, Indian officials made no secret of their desire to see a level playing field in what many of them see as an iniquitous distribution of privileges. One aspect that has caused much rancor, besides the larger issue of diplomatic immunity to consular officials, is the treatment of Indian diplomats at US airports (some of whom have been subjected to special pat downs because of their attire) compared to their US counterparts in India who breeze through with special security clearance. It's another matter - and one the Indian diplomatic corps chooses to gloss over - that the prevalent VIP culture in India is an enabler of such special treatment, which the US side says they does not insist on, except where there are security considerations.
It is the same culture that the US side believes has resulted in the Khobragade imbroglio. They see in the episode a sense of entitlement on part of the elite Indian Foreign Service. But the Indian diplomatic corps believe the issue is much larger — it is the sense of US entitlement that its diplomats be treated differently abroad than it would treat foreign diplomats in the US. The Khobragade case, one official explained, is illustrative of a larger malaise, reeling off instances where the US insisted on full diplomatic immunity to its personnel involved in egregious offenses, while in the Khobragade case "elevating what was a simple wage dispute to a human trafficking case." Also at stake in the case is the primacy of each country's legal-judicial system. Since the judicial process in the dispute between the diplomat and the housekeeper had already ticked off in India, US authorities should have respected the process.
So some two weeks after the two sides got embroiled in a diplomatic spat involving Khobragade and her troubles with a disgruntled housekeeper, the stand-off is no closer to resolution. On one side there is unabated rancor, resentment, and dismay. On the other side: surprise, stony silence, and indifference. In fact, the matter has gone off the boil with many US officials central to resolving the crisis going off on vacation in the holiday season even as the Indian embassy in Washington is having a changeover with the arrival of the new ambassador S Jaishankar.
The new envoy had initial meetings with the State Department soon after he reached Washington DC but the only thing that has emerged after the first engagement is that there is a yawning gap in perception between the two sides that will not be easily or quickly bridged. The US side is said to be mystified by the Indian "over-reaction" and would like the episode to be move out of the headlines before any attempt can be made to disentangle the issue from the legal and judicial quagmire where it has been thrown into. The Indian side is equally astonished at the bureaucratic approach and political indifference to the matter, which they say has thrown sand in the bilateral relationship which may be hard to remove.
What is emerging clearly from the episode is that the United States diplomatic corps is poised to irretrievably lose many of the unilateral privileges it had in India, a special dispensation that the Indian side had accepted quietly because they had been instituted for historical reasons - such as the commissary that sold duty-free western goods to embassy personnel and the American school attached to the mission. Stung by the Khobragade episode, the Indian side has made it clear everything will now come under the lens.


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Institute for Astronomy Open House 2007 set for April 29University of Hawaiʻi
Gareth Wynn-Williams, (808) 956-8807
Karen Rehbock, (808) 956-6829
Institute for Astronomy
Karen Rehbock, (808) 956-6829
Institute for Astronomy
Posted: Apr 23, 2007How do you take a star's temperature?
What happens when galaxies collide?
How high can you launch a rocket?
For answers to these questions, head for the annual UH Institute for Astronomy Open House on Sunday, April 29, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at IfA's Manoa headquarters on Woodlawn Drive.
New this year will be an "Astronomy School" where visitors can learn how to measure the speed of a galaxy, analyze the light from a star, and track the gyrations of Jupiter's moons.
There will also be tours of the IfA's research laboratories, where the world's largest digital camera is being constructed, and family lectures on topics such as Pluto, dark matter and traditional Hawaiian astronomy.
Children will have the opportunity to play Astro-Jeopardy, simulate a Mars landing using raw eggs, and travel through space in our Starlab planetarium. There will be telescopes available to view Venus and the Sun, as well as practical advice for novice amateur astronomers on how to buy and use telescopes and astronomy software.
Other Oahu astronomy groups that will be represented at the open house will include the Hawaiian Astronomical Society, Ironwood Observatory and the Bishop Museum. Hawaii's budding astronomers will be represented by several schoolchildren who will be exhibiting their displays from the recent Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair.
Admission and parking are free.
For more information, go to http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/open-house.
For more information, visit: http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/open-house.

subset: commoncrawl


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Elegant & beautiful latin and ballroom dance shoes.
Our range of elegant and beautiful latin and ballroom dance shoes is sure to tempt you. Available in Silver, black, tan and dark tan with and without diamante. Bloch ballroom and latin shoes are designed with flexible soles to give a greater ability to pointe and flex during your routine. Suede outsoles are perfect for spins, slides and turns on many floor types. A luxurious padded insole offers extra cushioning for extended latin and ballroom dance sessions. We use various strap types in our ballroom dance shoes range, and t-bar or cross-over ankle straps to keep the latin shoe firmly attached to the dancer's foot. The cross over straps give a closer fit to the arch of the foot creating a beautiful foot line. Bloch ballroom and latin dance shoe heel heights are: 2 inches, 2.5 inches and 3 inches.


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Love him.
Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow are currently promoting Funny People. Seth was on Howard Stern this morning and was asked about working with Katherine Heigl.
Let's backtrack because I received an email today from Natasha W who told me I was too harsh for calling Heigl a bitch and for laughing about putting her face on a piñata at Lara's stag last weekend and punting over the balcony.
Knocked Up made Katherine Heigl a legitimate movie star. How did she repay Judd Apatow? How did she show her gratitude? She did so by telling Vanity Fair that she wasn't happy with the movie, that she did not feel proud of it, that it was "hard to love" because it was demeaned women.
AssTalk then went on to attack Grey's Anatomy last year by withdrawing her name from consideration at the Emmys because she felt that the writers did not provide her with the material worthy of an Emmy. She also recently, on Letterman, told the audience that the folks at Grey's were "mean" because they made her work a 17 hour day. Her supporters claim this was a joke. But it was eventually revealed by another writer and producer close to the Grey's writing staff that the schedule was only set up that way to accommodate HER promotion commitments on The Ugly Truth which means she was complaining for something that was put in place for HER benefit. Click here for all the details.
Is she a bitch?
F-ck yes she's a bitch. An asstalking bitch.
And Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow won't let her get away with it. Especially since The Ugly Truth isn't exactly a film women can be proud of.
Said Seth: "That [movie] looks like it really puts women on a pedestal in a beautiful way."
Added Apatow, "I hear there's a scene where she's wearing ... Underwear ...with a vibrator in it, so I'd have to see if that was uplifting for women."
When asked if it was a good excuse, that she's in press for hours and hours at a time and probably at some point loses track of what she's saying, Seth quickly shot back:
"I didn't slip and I was doing f*cking interviews all day too ... I didn't say sh*t!"
Seth does put it in perspective though. They weren't the only targets of her asstalking:
"I gotta say it's not like we're the only people she said some bat sh-t crazy things about. That's kind of her bag now."
Needless to say, they haven't spoken since Knocked Up came out.
For more of what Rogen and Apatow said on Howard Stern click here.
File photo from Wenn.com
Seth Rogen calls out Princess AssTalk
Love him.


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Sigma has updated its DP-series of high-end, APS-C sensor cameras with the introduction of the DP3 Merrill. Pocket-lint was able to extract the latest compact from behind its display on the Sigma stand at this year's Consumer Electronics Show to have a play.
While its spec is similar to the DP2 Merrill, in that it shares the same Foveon X3 APS-C sensor, it's the lens that's the DP3's main calling card.
The DP3, left, has a longer 50mm lens than the DP2's, right
The 50mm f/2.8 macro lens is the equivalent of a 75mm in full-frame terms, which makes it considerably longer than the DP2 Merrill's 24mm optical offering. Indeed it makes the DP3 a whole different camera, less an "upgrade".
The camera's sensor is unusual. While it calls itself a "46-megapixel" sensor, it's actually three lots of 15.3-megapixel sensors stacked on top of one another, hence the "X3" Foveon name. Each layer captures different colour information which makes for excellent colour reproduction unlike any other camera out there.
However the sensor is the very same as that of the DP2, so don't expect high ISO shots to come out all clean and shiny because that won't be the case. Despite merit in its spec, the DP3 isn't exactly a hot performer.
Boxy by design, and slow to autofocus, there are few surprises to revel in here. But the DP3 will attract a specific user base, albeit a niche one, just for that specialised sensor - although we do wish Sigma would give the DP-series a performance kick up the behind to truly take it to the next level.
Certainly not one for all, but interesting nonetheless...


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Paper scraps, bits of string, crumbs and stray Cheerios — as a stay-at-home mom who homeschools two active girls, I spend a fair amount of time sweeping up random stuff that happens to fall to the floor.
On one particular day, I found myself making yet another trip to the broom closet. I will admit, I was frustrated. Certainly, I was lacking cheerfulness and grace.
With an exasperated sigh, I grabbed the broom and went to work corralling another pile of debris that had accumulated beneath our dining-room table.
Later that same day, we received a letter from Precious in Ghana, our first sponsored child. I tore into the envelope and eagerly pulled out the letter.
With the help of her center coordinator, Precious sent greetings in the name of Jesus Christ and told us she was doing very well in school and at home. She shared that she had recently been promoted to Kindergarten 2 and that her school had re-opened for another term.
The next sentence jolted me to my very core.
Precious wrote that she had been sweeping and, when she sweeps, it brings her joy and happiness.
Help Families Affected BY COVID-19
Families in poverty have no safety net in times of crisis. Help provide food, medical care and support during this pandemic.
Those words went straight to my heart. Tears instantly came to my eyes. One sentence from a little girl an ocean away immediately and forever changed my perspective.
In our first letter from Precious, we had learned that she lives with her family in a one-room home made of clay.
Yet, despite her living conditions and the fact that her floor is made of dirt, she not only finds joy in sweeping — but she also took the time to share that fact with me.
I don't doubt for a minute that the timing of the delivery of her message was divine intervention.
After reading the rest of her letter, I went straight to the broom closet with a permanent marker in hand. Along the top of the head of the broom, I wrote Precious.
I wanted to be reminded of her every time I swept.
Ever since, anytime I pick up the broom, I cannot help but smile and think of our sweet girl in Ghana.
Whether I am sweeping for the first or 15th time that day, I no longer feel frustrated or annoyed. Instead, I take that time to thank God for putting Precious in our lives and I pray for all aspects of her life.
I am eternally grateful for the change in attitude that I received from that one simple sentence. Thanks to Precious, now I, too, find joy and happiness in sweeping.
As you have gotten to know your sponsored children, have they changed your perspective on anything?


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The news broke that President Obama had accepted General McChrystal's offer of resignation an hour before I was scheduled to do a live interview on CNN about Mountain2Mountain and our work to create education and opportunity for the women and children of Afghanistan . We watched the news all morning, waiting to hear if the interview would be bumped and engaged in a discussion about how NGOs relate to the US military presence in Afghanistan. We wondered about how the change in leadership will affect us and talked about the important relationship between the military and aid organizations.
While we do not work with the military directly, President Obama's decisions about military leadership and strategies in Afghanistan do have a direct impact on us. We follow the news closely, knowing that our relationship with the military is a symbiotic one; the success of one mission is tied to progress toward the other. Our work with women and children in Afghanistan would be almost impossible without the presence of international security forces.
And we believe that our work, and the work of other NGOs in Afghanistan is a direct deterrent to the insurgency. If a family starts to thrive, the village begins to thrive, and that ripples through an entire tribal area and province. Healthy communities are more likely to stand up to threats from the Taliban than those that are teetering on the edge of survival. Today, many are easily manipulated, bullied and coerced into supporting the insurgency. But if we work to provide healthcare, plant crops, repair roads, educate children, and create jobs, local communities will have something valuable to protect from the Taliban.
As a non-profit aid organization, we work independently of the military and the government. Our goal is to implement programs and projects that are focused on education, training, and job creation in Afghanistan. We believe that women and girls are world's most underutilized resource and can be significant agents of change in conflict regions across the globe. But our task is not easy in a country entering its fourth decade of conflict with one of the worst records on the planet for women's rights and gender equity.
It is incredibly difficult to operate safely inside Afghanistan. If the array of countries providing security, training Afghan soldiers and fighting the Taliban insurgency weren't there, our ability to educate women and girls, train rural midwives, build schools or even travel the country would be severely impaired. Many aid organizations rely on the military to travel safely through Taliban-controlled areas by helicopter or convoy.
But the safety of aid workers isn't the only issue. In many cases, the international forces work directly with the locals to develop leadership from within communities and provide mentorship. One example is at a prison in Maimana in the northern Jawzjan province. Here the Norwegian military has a presence and their local Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) helped with the women's prison we are working with today.
In many prisons we've visited, women are jailed with their young. The treatment cannot be described as humane. There are not enough clothes or food, and all too often the female prisoners are raped by the prison guards paid to watch over them. Remarkably, the Norwegian PRT came in and worked with the prison commander to address these and other concerns. They built a separate prison building for the women with a small courtyard and separate, clean sleeping facilities. They flew the prison commander and his staff to Norway to visit the open-air prisons and to the United States to learn how other prisons are run and how prisoners could be treated humanely despite being jailed.
This work paved the way for our visit. We were received warmly by the Afghan commander and given full access to talk with the women, take photos. Eventually, we were able to set up a kindergarten for the children and a vocational training program for the women. Contrast that with prisons that haven't had that sort of mentorship the PRT provided. Access is denied, commanders are cagey, and we are often not allowed to speak privately with the women.
The relationship is reciprocated as aid organizations help rebuild and create sustainable, functioning communities on the heels of the military. In an article written for Joint Force Quarterly, a military publication, Admiral Mike Mullen said that US efforts in Afghanistan to send a positive message about US military action and development efforts hurt US credibility when they do not coincide with what the populace sees on the ground. He went on to say that the gap between promised and actual improvements harms the credibility of the US message.
Aid organizations work to ensure that communities in Afghanistan can see the value of the internationals forces. They help change perceptions based on decades of conflict. Instead of occupier it is possible to become a collaborator, community builder and vital service provider. We can go from enemy to ally. If communities in the areas worst hit by the ravages of war and poverty are given support through health care, education, agricultural development, and reconstruction of roads, bridges and buildings, the Afghan people see a partner with a willingness to help them claw their way back and build healthy, thriving communities.
Large development agencies can repair roads, build clinics, and make sweeping structural changes. Small, grassroots organizations like Mountain2Mountain are limited by funding, but tend to operate in a more person-to-person, village-to-village approach. We focus on bringing training to local women to deliver babies, building girls schools, training teachers and creating women's co-ops that allow widowed women an opportunity at survival in a male-dominated culture.
A change in military leadership always presents a few unknowns, but with General Petraeus at the helm it is bound to be a relatively smooth transition. He has overseen the Afghanistan blueprint and is intimately familiar with the region. In Iraq, Gen. Petraeus implemented rules of engagement that reduced civilian casualties, which increased local support. At the same time, these new rules of engagement gave more latitude to local commanders than the current rules in Afghanistan. This allows for faster decision-making on the ground. It is widely viewed that the General's experience in Iraq will be invaluable in addressing the current strategy in Afghanistan.
As an article in the Vancouver Sun stated last weekend, women will be the first casualties of any surrender in Afghanistan. I agree. Our work depends on the international forces not surrendering, not turning their backs on the women and children of Afghanistan. This has happened once already. We must persevere from all sides and work together to make the sustainable, lasting, generational changes that ensure a stable future for both Afghanistan and our own country.
Published on HuffingtonPost June 25, 2010


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| 9.4°C Dublin
Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has died from an "apparent drug overdose" in his New York City apartment, an NYPD spokesman said.
The 46-year-old was found dead in the bathroom of his apartment at 11.30am local time (4.30pm GMT) today.
Awarded a best actor Oscar for his role in the 2005 film Capote, Seymour Hoffman checked into rehab in May for heroin use.
"He was found dead in his bathroom of an apparent drug overdose," an NYPD spokesman said.
Police were called to 35 Bethune Street in the West Village area of Manhattan by a friend of the actor, the spokesman said.
The Office of Chief Medical Examiner will investigate the exact cause of death.
Seymour Hoffman had admitted to struggling with drug addiction in the past but had reportedly been clean for 23 years before a relapse last year.
"I went to rehab, I got sober when I was 22-years-old," he said in a 2006 interview. "You get panicked... and I got panicked for my life."
Tributes quickly poured in for the actor, who was working on the last instalment of the dystopian adventure franchise The Hunger Games, in which he played the role of head game maker Plutarch Heavensbee.
Actress Mia Farrow wrote on Twitter: "OH NO!!!!! Philip Seymour Hoffman has died. A truly kind, wonderful man and one of our greatest actors - ever."
She added: "Rest in peace Philip Seymour Hoffman. We who marvelled at each of your performances are grateful and very very sad."
John Hurt - who starred with Seymour Hoffman in 2003 film Owning Mahowny - was among the celebrities left shocked by the news on the red carpet at tonight's London Critics' Circle Film Awards in central London.
"It's a devastating loss. His contribution was massive," he said.
12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen commented: "I'm a huge admirer. How sad and tragic. I feel for his family."
Steve Coogan said: "He did some tremendous work. Everything he was in he raised the quality of his film just by his presence.
"People have different opinions about actors but you wouldn't find anybody who would have a bad word to say about any of his performances, they were all incredibly nuanced."
Skyfall actress Naomie Harris said: "That's a huge loss for everyone.
"He was an extraordinary and intelligent man, so it's incredibly sad, and it makes the evening all a bit more sombre now, having heard."
Comedian and actor Ricky Gervais posted on Twitter: "Such shocking & sad news. RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman. One of the greatest actors of a generation and a sweet, funny & humble man."
US actress Whoopi Goldberg wrote: "A truly great actor... Gone.. I hope someone says hey whoop it's a hoax.. R.I.P."
A spokesman for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts said: "We're shocked and deeply saddened to learn that Philip Seymour Hoffman has died."
The news of Seymour Hoffman's death came after claims that his representatives had denied a death hoax spread earlier in the week.
Born in Fairport, New York, in 1967, Seymour Hoffman got his first acting role in a 1991 episode of long-running police show Law and Order.
He went on to play memorable characters in films such as The Big Lebowski, Boogie Nights and Magnolia and also had a distinguished career in the theatre.
The actor leaves behind his long-standing partner and costume designer Mimi O'Donnell and their two daughters and son.
Seymour Hoffman's family said in a statement: "We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Phil and appreciate the outpouring of love and support we have received from everyone.
"This is a tragic and sudden loss and we ask that you respect our privacy during this time of grieving. Please keep Phil in your thoughts and prayers."
PA Media


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The Skills to MatchBy Susan Nunziata
Dell CIO: Delivering on the BYOD Promise
Adriana Karaboutis is in the IT driver's seat as Dell works to evolve from a being a hardware vendor to being a provider of end-to-end solutions for companies of all sizes. As the company's Global CIO, Karaboutis is working to transform the company's foundation, based on fulfillment of hardware orders, to one capable of handling software and Software-as-a-Service offerings.
Her goal: To create a highly mobile, efficient information environment for the company's 103,300 employees. Karaboutis joined Dell two and half years ago and was named global CIO in November 2011. Karaboutis was previously VP of IT at Dell supporting product groups, manufacturing, procurement and supply chain operations. In her experience at Dell, she has led a transformation of Dell's manufacturing operations, rolling out a new manufacturing execution system globally. She also led the roll out of Dell's consolidated product offering system, which simplified the supply chain by reducing the number of product configurations, a critical part of the company's cost-reduction efforts. In addition, she has helped Dell's newly acquired companies transition quickly and smoothly to Dell's operations.
Prior to joining Dell, Karaboutis spent 21 years in leadership roles in IT, production and supply chain in the automotive industry, working for Ford and General Motors. At GM, she oversaw a transformational move to outsource manufacturing and supply chain IT to multiple integrators, led migrations from complex legacy systems to service-oriented architectures, and defined and enabled an innovative global model of systems. At Ford, she helped achieve significant efficiency gains through the use of Six Sigma methodologies.
Karaboutis spoke with Susan Nunziata, formerly of CIO Insight, revealing her business-enabling IT perspective, which is built on what she describes as three pillars: innovation, value creation and driving efficiencies. While her position at a leading technology vendor provides access to experiment with tools and solutions that may not be so readily available to one of her counterparts in, say, a financial, government or healthcare organization, her experiences in a IT business environment, and her efforts to implement bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies companywide, offer valuable lessons for any enterprise CIO.
CIO Insight: Let's talk about the "innovation" portion of your approach. What does that mean for you and your team?
Karaboutis: We've focused on bring-your-own-device (BYOD) for mobility. What are the end user devices that our employees want to use and how do we deliver those things to them with highest security at the best cost to company with the best protections and access to data. (See The Evolving Workforce.)
[As a technology company] we're at the forefront of an appetite. My internal customers are technologists. They know what tools exist, they look at our internal portfolio and say 'We have Wyse and SonicWall and all these things to provide a good consumerization experience.' The business side is developing these tools for external users and we're trying to work together to provide the same options for our internal customers.
For example, we rolled out the connected workplace for employees some time ago. We've gone from a facilities perspective to a mobile, work-from-home environment. Our employees want mobility devices, they want consumerization, they want to have just as good an experience in the work environment as they do at home.
The Path to Innovation
Innovation is easier said than done for many IT organizations. What were your first steps?
First, we took the pulse of the company. We asked: What are the things that we as the IT organization can do to drive efficiency, drive innovation, and drive value creation? We talked to our business partners, and said 'What is it that we can do to make people more efficient, more productive and have higher morale?'
The subject of tools kept coming up. Work is no longer nine-to-five. I call it '9 a.m. to 9 a.m.' because we're a global company. When we asked our users 'What alleviates the stress and challenge?' the answer was 'Give me the best tools I can get. When I'm in work environment I want to be able to get on YouTube, get my email, surf the Net for ideas.'
Those are all consumerization experiences. The challenge for us became: How do we satisfy the client, satisfy the organization and business, and keep our environment protected and our data secure?
Then what we did is we came in and said how do we do this and start with 'Yes.' Everybody is always very quick to tell you why you can't do something. We shifted the mindset. We said, let's start with 'yes.'
What was the effect of taking this approach? Did it succeed?
Among the successes we've seen so far is the fact that we have a BYOD policy for smartphones. To date, 10,000 employees have brought in their own devices. We support iOS, Android and Windows, We're now moving into BYOD on laptops and tablets. It all starts with asking 'what does the consumer want?' For example, inside sales people who are constantly on queues and calls have a much higher demand for network bandwidth and reliability versus the casual programmer who is working at home. We classified all our users to make sure we're satisfying mobility and bandwidth requirements based on their needs.
Once we identified the classes of users we put out policies and procedures appropriate to each group. The effort is very focused. That's all for very good reasons: The security of the company, and controls on what happens to our information. People want freedom of selection and the lines between business and IT are blurring, so how do we enable this and still protect data and security.
There was a cultural shift we had to take in IT. It wasn't hard. People in IT wanted consumerization and mobility. So we had to do the shift in how we were operating.
You have to be really savvy about tools available that enable you to provide consumerization and mobility while still providing security. Things such as mobile device management, the cloud for storing data, and integration tools like our Boomi [integration cloud solution], which allows us to protect SaaS in line with internal operations.
The Skills to Match
What did these changes mean to the skillset you needed in your IT department?
We created an incubation team. This group has all our use cases and is aware of what all our mobile and consumer users want. Right now, we have an incubation in the works around an internal cloud. We're building mobile apps for our travel and expense system. We're also looking to make our time-keeping system mobile for smartphones, tablets or PCs.
So, you need people who understand mobile apps, you need people who understand cloud, but we want to incubate those things internally for internal employees. We had to either bring in those skills or take employees who were interested in these areas and apply them to those projects.
Our IT organizations will many times focus on the business roadmap: We need apps that will enable us to go from being hardware-selling company to business solutions-selling company. But, we also have another side of the shop that we've strengthened, and that's our infrastructure. How do we take all these ideas we're incubating, and turn them into part of our infrastructure?
With all the tools we have [as a technology company], everything we do we try to use our company's products to leverage these capabilities. Our IT org is about 4,000 strong. We've taken 3,500 of those people and they are now in our Dell Services organization, which is the engine that powers Dell IT. I have about 500 people doing enterprise architecture, strategy, governance, program management and the like. We work very closely with the business to help transform Dell. This goes very much along with the blurring lines between IT and business. This approach lets our IT Services team do development, testing, provide infrastructure support and data center support. It's an internal outsourced model.
What results have you seen to date?
We just finished the final transition to that structure in the first quarter of this year, and we're already seeing a lot of efficiencies.
The BYOD model is also bringing results. Employees love having the choice to bring whichever smartphone device they like to work and we expect as strong a reaction when we rollout tablet and laptop options.
Ed. Note: Susan Nunziata was the editor in chief of CIO Insight until September 2012.


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Mother Goose Day
May 1st is Mother Goose Day. The Mother Goose Society website examines the identity of Mother Goose and discusses the origin of Mother Goose Day (1987). In addition, the website includes rhymes and recipes, fingerplays, and costume suggestions for anyone wishing to portray Mother Goose.
Rhymes in Full Text
The Real Mother Goose is one of the larger collections of rhymes for children. It was originally published in 1916 and has pen and watercolor illustrations. Project Gutenberg provides the complete book in HTML and plain text and access to individual rhymes by title and by first line.
Rhymes Recited on Video
In 1958, Cyril Ritchard, Boris Karloff, and Celeste Holm recorded Mother Goose for Caedmon Records. The sometimes creepy voice performances (Boris Karloff played Dr. Frankenstein's monster and voiced the Grinch in How The Grinch Stole Christmas) are accompanied by music and illustrations.
- Mother Goose (48:09)
In 1957, Walt Disney released The Truth About Mother Goose. Selected rhymes are recited and then a story explaining their origin follows:
In 1984 the popular children's entertainers Sharon, Lois and Bram released an LP titled Mainly Mother Goose. The CD may be available in local libraries; a track list can be found Wikipedia. Many of these songs can be found on YouTube. Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show also aired a program devoted, in part, to Mother Goose:


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Architect of the Capitol (AOC) gardeners care for the grounds of the Capitol Building, the Congressional Office Buildings, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Library of Congress and the U.S. Botanic Garden.
More than 90 acres of turf-grass and over 30 acres in landscape beds are under the AOC's care across Capitol Hill. The year round care and cultivation of these grounds and landscape beds falls to AOC's gardeners.
Every year, this team of gardeners plants between 50,000–70,000 annual flowers and 70,000 tulips and spring bulbs, and spread more than 3,000 yards of mulch.
In addition, their work involves learning such trade practices and skills such as proper usage of tools and equipment; how to read blueprints, sketches, and technical manuals to understand the use of equipment and the proper placement of plants and trees; and how to plan and lay out work.
They also plant, transplant, water, prune and trim a variety of plants, seeds and plant materials using knowledge of seasonal schedules, project plans, weather suitability, soil moisture and plant growth stages to make decisions. The AOC gardeners plan and execute small scale landscaping operations.
AOC gardeners are knowledgeable in how to prepare seeds, plants and transplants by adding amendments, cultivating and grading using knowledge of correct conditions such as chemical composition, depth, moisture, temperature, humidity and ventilation requirements to encourage germination and growth.
These individuals are responsible for fertilizing and watering as needed. They use equipment to mow, seed, fertilize, lime and spray lawn areas. They also select, measure, mixes, and apply fertilizers and chemical control agents to control common plant diseases, insects and weeds.


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Source: National Institutes of Health
4 small pears
¾ cup 100% orange juice
4 teaspoons sugar
Peel the pears and steam in a double boiler for 15 minutes.
Mix sugar and orange juice and cook over low flame for 5 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.
Place steamed pears on individual plates. Pour ¼ juice mixture over each and serve.
Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: 1 pear
Calories: 69
Total Fat: 0 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 3 mg
Total Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 18 g
Potassium: 142 mg
*DISCLAIMER*: The information contained in or provided through this site section is intended for general consumer understanding and education only and is not intended to be and is not a substitute for professional advice. Use of this site section and any information contained on or provided through this site section is at your own risk and any information contained on or provided through this site section is provided on an "as is" basis without any representations or warranties.


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For immediate help or advice call +44 (0)114 269 3322
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On February 1st, 2003 the Space Shuttle Columbia, NASA OV-102, disintegrated upon re-entry at the end of its 28th mission to space. The tragedy killed the seven brave crew members, in a moment of national sadness we'll never forget.
Space travel has always been a feat of pride for humans. It shows how awesome we can be. We might be small in the universe but we're capable of feats much bigger than us. It makes the moments of our successes in space more triumphant and the moments of failure intensely sad. I'll never forget where I was when I heard about the Columbia disaster—I was working at a Starbucks in the Chevy Chase Pavilion.
May they rest in peace and forever be remembered for what they accomplished.


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"There's a big world out there. Bigger than prom, bigger than high school, and it won't matter if you were the prom queen or the quarterback of the football team or the biggest nerd. Find out who you are and try not to be afraid of it." – The Breakfast Club
If you remember these words from that famous 80s movie – we know it's true. Our employees are in the big world now but for just one day, wouldn't it be fun for them to kick it up a notch and tap into the excitement of what prom was all about all those years ago?
Our Toronto Telesales Team sure thought so! Today, all showing up to work in their finest prom-wear. It was all part of our monthly theme days at our Toronto location to boost the excitement and energy on the Telesales floor! Our Customer Service Reps, Inside Sales Account Managers and Territory Sales Reps all joined in on the fun to get dressed up, have a laugh and enjoy a team lunch. Past themes have also included "baseball day" and "everyone's birthday day".
Do you have some ideas or sure fire ways to add fun and energy in your office? If yes, then share your ideas with us – we may just use them!


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This week, we learned all about bugs and pond life as part of our unit on Spring. This is such a fun unit to teach~there are so many great books, songs and activities to do with the unit. One of the hardest things is figuring out which great ideas to use. There are so many and there just isn't time to do them all!
This week, I set out a variety of art materials and asked my friends to make a bug using whatever materials they chose. I expected the friends to use the pipe cleaners as one material, but many made bug sculptures made solely from the pipe cleaners. Coffee filters and tissue paper were particularly popular, as well.
I have this really cool book, "Learn to Draw DoodleBugs" that has a little story and step by step diagrams of how to draw each bug. Each morning, I posted the steps on one of our whiteboards. Yesterday afternoon, we bound each child's bug drawings in a little book for them to take home.
Our name caterpillars turned out really cute, I think, and were great for learning left to right patterns of writing, learning the letters of our names and fine motor practice. I laid out different sized plastic lids for the friends to trace around and cut out. Once cut, the friends put one letter of their name on each circle to form the name caterpillar.
As we studied life cycles, we made paper plate representations of the life cycle of a caterpillar in small groups. Some of the groups used art materials and others used pasta. I'm not sure which ones I like better!
Late this fall, some of my students found a cocoon on our playground. After some research, we discovered that some species "overwinter", which means thay are in the cocoon state for an extended period of time. We are waiting and watching to see if anything will come out. About 2 weeks ago, the friends found another cocoon, so weadded that to our butterfly pavilion as well. As I was trying to take a picture, I took the cocoon out to get a better shot. It was rocking a little on the paper I used as a background. I figured it was probably due to the uneven stem, but as I held it in my hand, I could fell lots of movement in the cocoon. I have to say it really freaked me out for just a minute! I hope this means we'll have transformation soon!
We also learned about the cocoon,chrysalis and pupa debate. I've done a little research and will be writing a post soon about this.
We read some fantastic books with this unit. Here are a few of our favorites:
We sang lots of songs~there are so many good children's songs like the "Eensy Weensy Spider", "I'm Bringing Home A Baby Bumblebee" that are traditionally sung in preschools everywhere. As an added bonus, I received Deborah Stewart's new CD, "Simple Songs for Preschool" in the mail this week. I was thrilled to discover "There's an Ant" on the CD. It became an instant favorite. Check it out:
I highly recommend the CD. The songs are simple, easy to sing and just downright fun. My students love them! You can check out "Simple Songs for Preschool" and order from the "Little Fingers That Play" site.
I'd love to hear what you are doing in your bug unit!


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7.2-Channel Network Ready AV Receiver
- WiFi Ready with AirPlay® & PC Music Streaming
- FREE Advanced Remote Control App for Apple & Select AndroidTM Devices, "iControlAV2012"
- Multi-Zone AirPlay, Pandora®, SiriusXM®, DLNA® Streaming, and vTuner®
Finely tuned, breathtaking home theater performance. Introducing the Pioneer Elite 7.2-Channel VSX-60 AV Receiver.
The new VSX-60 receiver is the answer to a home theater enthusiast's prayers. Delivering remarkable performance in an elegant package, it's designed with advanced technology that performs exquisitely in the moment, while at the same time never taking its eyes off the future.
Made for You--And your iPad®, iPhone® and iPod®
Thanks to Made for iPod touch, iPhone, and iPad certification, Apple devices are easily connected with the included USB/video cable - so there's no need to buy a separate dock to store all your music, videos, streaming content. Plus, since your iPhone, iPod and now your iPad charge automatically when connected, it's the ultimate plug-and-play integration with your home theater. You can enjoy music with iTunes® album art, share videos and movies, downloaded TV shows from iTunes, photos, web content from YouTube® and much more. Got a call? The iPhone will mute movies and music so you can take it. Use the iPhone directly, or push a single button on the VSX-60's front panel to switch control to the included preset remote and an intuitive, full-color GUI.
And new for 2012, the USB port has been upgraded to handle uncompressed 192KHz/24-bit FLAC and WAV music files from your PC or memory storage device for true audiophile level performance.
With AirPlay, stream music from iTunes to the VSX-60 and play it through your home theater system without docks or cables. Simply connect the receiver to your home network via Ethernet, and it instantly becomes the hub for playback of your iTunes music from your connected Apple® device or networked computer.
You can stream your music straight from your PC or Mac®, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to the VSX-60 at the touch of a button. Listen to your favorite song in your car using your iPhone, leave your car mid song and walk into your home. Using the AirPlay App on your iPhone, select the VSX-60. When you do, it'll power up automatically and continue your favorite song right where you left off.
You can even view song information including song title, artist, and track time as well as album art on a connected display. Not only that, the VSX-60's supports network audio sources in Zone 2, allowing you to send music to another room. With AirPlay, there's really no reason why your iTunes music has to be restricted to your computer.
Connect to Your PC Music Files or Internet Radio
The VSX-60's networking ability opens up an entirely new world of possibilities. A rear panel Ethernet port allows full integration into your home network, with Windows® 7 and DLNA® 1.5 certification, a whole new level of entertainment options are at your fingertips. With 192kHz / 24-bit WAV and FLAC file compatibility, network streaming audio playback is now ready for the true audiophile. Stream your MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV and FLAC music files from your PC, laptop or smartphone to your home theater system.
With vTuner®, the VSX-60 lets you enjoy thousands of Internet radio stations from around the world. You can also access Pandora® and SiriusXM (subscription needed) radio services complete with on-screen album art and music information. An optional AS-WL300 wireless adapter is also available for your wireless network convenience.
Unleash Your Smartphone's Music with Bluetooth®
The VSX-60 is fully ready for wireless Bluetooth audio from virtually any A2DP profile Bluetooth device. With the Pioneer AS-BT200 Bluetooth adapter, you can untether yourself from cables and inputs. Plus you'll enjoy enriched quality with Sound Retriever AIR technology, created specifically to enhance Bluetooth audio.
Ultimate Sound Control
The VSX-60 supports formats like Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD® Master Audio to give your Blu-ray Disc™ soundtracks unsurpassed audio quality. Pioneer also includes all of the Dolby and DTS surround formats best suited for the wide variety of entertainment sources, including the newest Dolby Pro Logic® IIz height channel.
Like a musical instrument, your home theater system needs to be tuned. Pioneer's Advanced Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration system (MCACC) provides an optimized, multi-channel listening experience calibrated and customized specifically to your room by measuring every speaker's connection, and noting size and distance from the listening point, sound levels and timbre.
To eliminate the distortion caused by jitter during conversion, Pioneer's PQLS technology allows the VSX-60 to use its own high precision clock and adjust the transmission rate of bitstream sound data from a compatible Blu-Ray player, insuring every note and nuance is faithfully reproduced.
The VSX-60 takes the multi-channel audio experience to a whole new level with four advanced, sound-enhancing virtual speaker modes. Virtual Depth is designed to complement 3D movies. Virtual Height creates sound effects from above your main front speakers, creating virtual height speakers ideal for gaming enthusiasts. Virtual Wide creates a seamless blend between your front and back speakers. Virtual Surround Back replaces your back surround speakers, freeing you to use the surround amplifier to drive a second zone, or bi-amp the front speakers. Virtual speaker modes can be applied together or separately.
Filling in areas where minute details were left out during the compression process, even compressed audio like WMA, MP3 and AAC is enhanced with another Pioneer exclusive, Advanced Sound Retriever.
Advanced Qdeo™ Video Processing. Picture Perfect Whatever the Source
Using Qdeo™ processing technology and Pioneer's extensive video know-how makes home theater a truly immersive experience. The VSX-60 provides video conversion from composite and component video to HDMI for a single-wire high-definition audio and video solution as well as up to 1080p video scaling for an exceptional picture regardless of the source, creating natural and noise-free video for maximum performance and flexibility.
Get Ready for 3D with the Latest HDMI® Technology
All of Pioneer's newest receivers support the latest HDMI specifications. So not only do you get the most out of your existing movies and music, with the VSX-60 you're prepared for the new generation of 3D video content. With 7 HDMI inputs, you've got plenty of connectivity options for the growing number of high-definition sources available. The VSX-60 also offers advanced HDMI conveniences like Audio Return Channel and Power Save HDMI Standby Through.
BD Link for Blu-Ray Disc Playback That Excels
The built-in BD Link technology of the VSX-60 maximizes the fidelity of high-bandwidth, high-definition Blu-Ray Disc playback from a compatible Pioneer or Elite Blu-Ray Player. BD Link Sound Retriever and BD Link Stream Smoother work together to ensure total fidelity from the original source, with no visual artifacts or out-of-sync audio at full HD resolutions, even in the fastest action scenes.
Transform your Apple Device into a Powerful Remote Control
Communicating with the VSX-60 wirelessly through your home network, Pioneer's free iControlAV2012 app turns your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad device or select Android™ devices into a powerful remote control for your receiver. The all new iControlAV2012 is fully redesigned, incorporating everything from basic volume and input selection to advanced features like EQ adjustments and Internet Radio control. iControlAV2012 for iPad includes enhanced features like vertical and horizontal orientation, intuitive control of music from networked PCs as well as Internet radio control, and a super- cool finger EQ adjust screen; simply draw the EQ curve to your desired sound preference. New Sound Explorer gives you easy access to experiment with the many powerful sound enhancements the VSX-60 offers, like Hi-Bit 24, Auto Phase Control Plus, and Virtual Speaker modes.
Know How and Show How with AVNavigator
Imagine an owner's manual that actually communicates with your receiver. Or that asks you what sources you'd like to connect and how you'd like to configure your speakers – then walks you through the process as you do it.
An industry-first, Pioneer's AVNavigator truly is an interactive owner's manual that takes all the guesswork out of setting up your receiver. AV Navigator uses your networked PC or iPad to communicate directly with the VSX-60, walking you through speaker set-up, Advanced MCACC room calibration, sound optimization, firmware updates and more.
Full-Color On-Screen Graphical User Interface
All of the VSX-60's advanced control and connectivity options are made even better with a full-color user interface via HDMI on your connected TV. Effortlessly navigate through the VSX-60's menu and enjoy iTunes album art from a connected Apple device. This is one well-rounded AV receiver.
Ideal for Custom Home Theater Installation
The Elite series was designed with an eye toward custom-installed home theater solutions, with features to match. Multi-zone capability with support for Zone2 outputs allows you to watch movies or listen to music in two rooms at once. An RS-232 bus connection allows custom installers access into the "control brain" of the VSX-60, for customized remote control development. The VSX-60 is compatible with popular "whole-house" entertainment systems such as Crestron, AMX, Control 4, Universal, Savant, and RTI, and its IP capabilities allow users to control their entertainment system via a home network.
All this plus support for Pioneer Apps, 3rd party control devices, custom-ready detachable power cord, and IR in/out for universal remotes make the Elite series the ultimate answer for a custom home entertainment solution.
- Direct Energy
- 7.2
- 90 x 7 (20 Hz - 20 kHz)
- 550 Watts
Handheld and Internet
- iPod/iPhone/iPad
- 4th gen Nano and above / iPhone, 3G, 3GS, 4 / iPad, iPad2
- iControlAV2012 (iPad, iPhone, Android)
- vTuner
- w/ subscription
- Yes
- MP3, WMA, iPod Digital, WAV 192kHz, FLAC 192kHz, JPEG
- LPCM, WAV 192kHz, MP3, ACC, WMA, FLAC 192kHz
Decoders & Formats
- TI Aureus
- Yes
Soundfield Calibration
- Auto / Plus
- Advanced
- 9
- 6
- 1/2 Inch
Listening Modes
- Multi-Channel
- Direct / Pure Direct
- 15 + Headphone Surround
- Yes (Focus/Wide)
Audio Features
- Hi-bit24
- Multi-Channel
- HDMI Bitstream/ Multi
- Multi-Channel / Auto with ARC
- 2 Channel
- 10-Frames
- Front Channel
Video Processing
- Marvell Qdeo up to 1080p / 24fps
- Advanced Video Adjust - HD Sources Progressive Motion - YNR, CNR, BNR, MNR, Detail, Brightness, Contrast, Hue, Chroma, Black level
- 7 In / 1 Out
- AS-BT200 / Air Jam App
- 2 In / 1 Out
- Front USB / Composite Video
- Yes (MP3 / WMA / WAV 192kHz / FLAC 192kHz, JPEG)
- 3 In / 1 Out
- 1 In
- 4 In
- .2 (Subs)
- HDMI / USB / Composite Video
- 63
- GUI with Album Art
- 2 Zone Audio
- DVD, Sat/CBL, DVR/BDR, Internet radio, SiriusXM, Pandora, Media Server, Favorites, iPod/USB, TV, CD, Tuner, Adapter Port
- 1 (50mA)
- 1 In / 1 Out
- Yes
- Ethernet / USB
- Bi-Amp / Zone 2 / B-Speaker / Surround Back / Front Height / Front Width
- Learning
- Hairline
- All
- 3 Years
- 17.13 x 6.61 x 14.27
- 22.04 lbs
- VSX-60 Firmware Change History
- VSX-60 Important Information about HTC Connect
- VSX-60 Firmware Update Instructions
- VSX-60 Firmware Update
NOTE: This firmware update cannot be performed via the Internet. It must be performed using a USB memory device
This firmware update includes the following:
- Adds HTC Connect feature for compatible Android® phones.
- Resolves an issue with connecting to Pandora's server.
Please note that all network settings, including the your Pandora account information, will be reset to the factory default after the update. Write down these settings before the update as they will be needed to set up the network again.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Updated 12/10/2012
Specifications and design subject to modification without notice.
PIONEER and the Pioneer logo, MCACC and Advanced Sound Retriever are registered trademarks of Pioneer Corporation.
The impedances indicated are actual values that speakers can present to an amplifier while playing back
music. They do not refer to the nominal rated impedances of speakers you use.
HDMI connection may not allow transmission of copyright protected material, depending on the capability
of the signal source.
Microsoft, Windows Media, and the Windows logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft
SIRIUS and related marks are trademarks of Sirius XM Radio Inc.
DTS and the DTS Symbol are registered trademarks of DTS, Inc.
Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.
"Made for iPod," "Made for iPhone," and "Made for iPad" mean that an electronic accessory has been
designed to connect specifically to iPod, iPhone, or iPad, respectively, and has been certified by the
developer to meet Apple performance standards. Apple is not responsible for the operation of this device or
its compliance with safety and regulatory standards. Please note that the use of this accessory with iPod,
iPhone, or iPad may affect wireless performance.
Apple, AirPlay, the AirPlay logo, iPhone, iPad, iPod and iPod touch are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.,
registered in the U.S. and other countries. AirPlay works with iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch
(4th, 3rd and 2nd generations), iPad 2, iPad with iOS 4.2 or later, and iTunes 10.1 (Mac and PC) or later.
DLNA, the DLNA Logo and DLNA Certified are trademarks, service marks, or certification marks of the Digital
Living Network Alliance.
Pandora INTERNET Radio is a registered trademark of Pandora Media, Inc.
Blu-ray Disc is a registered trademark of the Blu-ray Disc Association.
"x.v.Color" is a trademark of Sony Corporation.
Qdeo is a trademark of Marvell World Trade, Ltd.
vTuner is a registered trademark of Noting Else Matters Software, Ltd.
Phase Control is a trademark placed on a product with Pioneer's Phase Control Technology concept. The
technology enables high-grade sound reproduction environment by improving the phase matching for each
of the components.
For details on iPod compatibility, visit http://pioneer.jp/homeav/support/ios/na/


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Beer in Olympia!? Good Bets to Find a Good Beer
We just got back from an amazing trip to Portland over the weekend. The goal of our Portland trip was to venture out to venues which we still had yet to visit. We did just that – hitting places like Saraveza, Amnesia Brewing, Apex, Widmer Gasthaus, and even House Spirits (a distiller).
But, on our travel home, we decided that we had no reason to be home at any particular hour. With horrendous traffic ahead, we decided to venture off the highway and check out some venues in Olympia, WA and Tacoma, WA.
Though we have resided in the Seattle area for over three years, none of our members have visited Olympia or Tacoma for beer trips. With the exception of one brief visit to Tacoma's Red Hot, none of us had even visited these towns!
So, we whipped out our handy iPhones and perused the 'Places' tab at Ratebeer.com. We decided on the two most intriguing options that we could find in each city. For Olympia: Fish Tales Brew Pub and Eastside Club Tavern. For Tacoma: Jake's Bistro & Bar and Parkway Tavern.
We hope to have some more extensive reviews of some of these venues in our 52 Weeks column, but for now lets shed some light on these establishments. Today we discuss Olympia – tomorrow, Tacoma.
Fish Tales Brew Pub (Fish Brewing & Leavenworth Ales)
Fish Brewing has always been on my target list. The organic ales produced by the Olympia brewer have never disappointed. But the most impressive beers comes from the brewer's "reel ale" collection, which includes beers like Leviathan Barleywine and 10 Squared Imperial IPA.
Fish's facilities are right across the street from its brewpub. The brewpub is located right down the block from Olympia's east side row of bars and taverns.
The beer list contains each of Fish's regular rotation beers, as well as one "reel ale" at a time. It also includes the brewery's Leavenworth Ales and Spire Mountain Ciders.
During our visit, there were no "reel ale" options available – Boo. But we were able to grab a few different IPAs to enjoy with our lunch.
Fish Tales has a fairly impressive menu. Filled with several seafood options, at a reasonable price, there is something for everyone. My favorite item from the table: the Oyster Po Boy with Seafood Stew. The po boy was stuffed with about 8 lightly fried hama hama oysters, topped with mayo and all the fixins. The stew was made with the Trout Stout, filled with clams and shrimp.
All in all, Fish Tales is worth the visit. I sincerely hope you can get a chance to grab one their "reel ales." They are all worth a try.
Eastside Club Tavern
I did not know what to expect from this place. Its located in the short string of bars located on 4th St in downtown Olympia. Outside, there was a suspect group meandering amongst the alleys. But, the beer is always worth it and so we jumped on in.
Eastside is a massive place. It spans more than 3,000 square feet (guess), including a large "game" room filled with several pool tables, ping pong and foosball.
The bar area sprawls across the side of the bar. There are no food options (besides small snacks) and I do not recollect any liquor being served. But, the beer selection was amazing.
Eastside showcases 36 taps at one time, including cask and nitro taps. On tap during our time at the bar: Russian River Pliny the Elder, Anderson Valley Imperial IPA, Lagunitas Little Sumpin Wild, Double Mountain IRA, Lagunitas Undercover Shutdown and various others.
Beers are reasonably priced at $3.50 per 16oz pour. Rare beers, such as Pliny the Elder, were only $5.00 per 16oz pour. Happy Hour (4-7 PM) showcases $3 beers.
A few bonuses, include an amazing jukebox and growler fills. The bar back has a few TVs. Don't forget to check out their bottle list, which houses several $5 22oz bombers!
Eastside is a must visit if in Olympia. Certainly, an excellent place to grab a good beer.


text: Hello every one I am new to this site and just wanted to share my most recent build that I'm working on to unveil at Sacramentos 2012 Cyclefest. This will be a board track inspired build with a twist and is not a replica of any other style but of my own design. It will have a little bit of rat style like if someone found a late 1900 motorcycle/boardtrack racer in the 60's n 70's and did it up to be a showrod/hotrod. Pictures will be added little by little as I get further into the build.


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651 Highway 1 W
Iowa City, IA 52246-4219
Enter your registered email address to request a password reset link.
Here at Deery Brothers of Iowa City, Inc., we know that the search for a new car begins in your living room, on your computer. That's why we've amassed our entire lineup from our lot and digitized it, so that you can peruse our selection of new Chrysler 200, Dodge Grand Caravan, Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Grand Cherokee and RAM 1500 models from the comfort of your home. So sit back, relax and enjoy giving our Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM inventory a once or twice-over; and when you find the model that's right for you, come visit us for a test drive. Get a great deal on the remaining new 2018 inventory before they disappear!
If you ask us, the best way to get to know your next car is, and always will be, taking it for a test drive. Nothing gives you the same level of insight as getting behind the wheel, and really feeling every knob, dial and pedal. Plus, there's nothing like exploring Iowa City from the driver's seat of a new Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM. It's quite a unique experience. Of course, when you're done, we'll be happy to discuss auto loan and lease options with you as well.
* MSRP is the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of the vehicle. It does not include any taxes, fees or other charges. Pricing and availability may vary based on a variety of factors, including options, dealer, specials, fees, and financing qualifications. Consult your dealer for actual price and complete details. Vehicles shown may have optional equipment at additional cost.
* The estimated selling price that appears after calculating dealer offers is for informational purposes, only. You may not qualify for the offers, incentives, discounts, or financing. Offers, incentives, discounts, or financing are subject to expiration and other restrictions. See dealer for qualifications and complete details.
* Images, prices, and options shown, including vehicle color, trim, options, pricing and other specifications are subject to availability, incentive offerings, current pricing and credit worthiness.
* In transit means that vehicles have been built, but have not yet arrived at your dealer. Images shown may not necessarily represent identical vehicles in transit to your dealership. See your dealer for actual price, payments and complete details.


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Oprah Winfrey isn't too big for her britches.
In fact, the media mogul was caught by her BFF Gayle King fixing a toilet--proving yet again that Oprah can do anything.
King, who serves as the Editor at Large for Oprah's O magazine, snapped the candid photo on her Instagram.
U.S. & World
"Stars they are just like us @Oprah at her other job plumber ....who knows how to fix the toilet," she captioned the hilarious pic.
Ms. Winfrey was seen tinkering around the toilet's water tank dressed in a sweatshirt, pair of yoga pants and a brown fedora.
Clearly, Oprah is busy putting out fires and solving problems during her off time as well!
VIDEO: Oprah Winfrey and her costars reflect on "The Butler"
The 59-year-old was missing from Sunday night's Golden Globes festivities.
The "Butler" actress was nominated for a SAG award, however, and will most likely be in attendance for the awards show.
E! News recently caught up with her to hear how she was handling the nomination for her performance in the Lee Daniels film.
"For someone who was trying not to embarrass myself, it is amazing," she exclusively told E! at the Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Breakfast in Beverly Hills.
"The best part is it is a jury of your peers," she added. "It's people who do this for a living--don't make me cry now!
"It's people who do this for a living saying we're going to give you a vote. We think what you did deserves this."


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The dead will rise from the grave ... a witch hunt will decide the fates of three people ... a once glorious institution will face the wrecking ball...and a classic literary character will take his case to court.
Of course, these kinds of occurrences don't happen every day. At the University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance, however, such events are just samples of the amazing things on tap for its 2011 - 2012 performance season.
Among the season's highlights are Lanford Wilson's award-winning "Hot l Baltimore" (Sept. 30 - Oct. 9), Arthur Miller's classic "The Crucible" (Feb. 24 - March 4), horror-comedy musical "Zombie Prom" and a new look at Dickens' classic characters in "The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge."
Season subscriptions go on sale April 22, and tickets for individual plays will be available in September. For additional details, call 713-743-2929 or visit the box office website.
Performances are either in the Lyndall Finley Wortham Theatre or Jose Quintero Lab Theatre. Both are located in the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts (Entrance 16 off Cullen Boulevard).
The following five plays are included in the school's subscription series.
- Sept. 30 - Oct. 9: "Hot l Baltimore" by Lanford Wilson
Eavesdrop on the comings and goings of the eccentric, motley residents of the Hotel Baltimore as they discover their once elegant home is slated for the wrecking ball. Slices of private and public conversations reveal the fears, longings and hilarious foibles of these lost souls as they face an uncertain future. This ensemble comedy sings a tragic lament for the lost values of the "American Dream," fracturing stability while celebrating hope and progress. "Hot l Baltimore" received the Obie Award for Best New Play.
- Oct. 14 - 23: "Our Lady of 121st Street" by Stephen Adly Guirgis
The Ortiz Funeral Room is in big trouble. The body of beloved community activist Sister Rose has been stolen from the viewing room. While awaiting its proper return, colorful neighborhood citizens try to confront their grief, checkered pasts and uncertain futures. You'll meet Rooftop, a chronically unfaithful but otherwise popular Los Angeles DJ; Pinky and Edwin, two brothers tragically linked forever; and the outrageously angry Norca, who slept with her best friend Inez's husband. These characters and others are on a collision course with each other that's motivated by rage, pain and a scary desire to come clean - perhaps for the first time.
- Feb. 24 - March 4: "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller's Tony Award-winning play was widely acclaimed as a metaphor for the recklessness of Joseph McCarthy and his spurious crusade against communism. This story of the Puritan purge of witchcraft in old Salem is both a gripping historical drama and a timely parable of our contemporary society. Abigail accuses her lover John Proctor's wife of witchcraft. Proctor brings his wife Elizabeth to court to confront the lie, and it is here that the monstrous course of bigotry and deceit is terrifyingly depicted.
- April 20 - 29: "The Cripple of Inishmaan" by Martin McDanagh
Set on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland in 1934, "The Cripple of Inishmaan" is a touching comic tale. Word arrives on Inishmaan that the Hollywood director Robert Flaherty is coming to the neighboring island of Inishmore to film "Man of Aran." The one person who wants to be in the movie more than anybody is "Cripple" Billy Claven, who needs a break from the bitter tedium of his daily life.
- April 27 - 29, 2012: Spring Dance Concert
This annual show features contemporary works by faculty and guest artists with pre-professional dance company, the UH Dance Ensemble.
Additional productions
- Oct. 28 - Nov. 6: "Zombie Prom"
Set in the 1950s, this is the musical tale of sweet Toffee and her rebellious boyfriend Jonny. After they break up, Jonny drives his motorcycle to the nearby power plant and flings himself into a nuclear cooling tower. He returns from the dead as a radioactive zombie to profess his love to Toffee. He plans to clean up his act, finish school and take her to the senior prom - if she'll have him.
- Dec. 2 - 3: "Emerging Choreographers"
The creative energies of up-and-coming choreographers are showcased in this annual concert that has become a favorite among dance enthusiasts.
- November 18 - 20, December 2 - 3: "The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge"
A year after his miraculous transformation, Ebenezer Scrooge is back to his old ways. He sues Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future for breaking and entering, kidnapping, slander, pain and suffering, attempted murder and the intentional infliction of emotional distress. As Scrooge represents himself, witness after witness takes the stand to testify about the night in question. In a staggering turn of events, Scrooge makes the spirits an offer they can't refuse - spread the spirit of caring and giving every day instead of once a year!
About UH School of Theatre and Dance
The UH School of Theatre and Dance produces professional plays, dance concerts, studio productions, a new play festival, and school shows through the Theatre for Young Audiences program. The school performs in the Wortham Theatre and the Quintero Theatre. The Houston Shakespeare Festival is a professional project of the school, which is produced each summer at Miller Outdoor Theatre. The UH School of Theatre & Dance offers bachelor's and master's degrees in theater and teacher certifications in dance. Its graduate program consists of a master of arts in theatre and master of fine arts in theatre with specializations in acting, directing and design. Faculty includes Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Edward Albee, Tony Award-winning playwright Mark Medoff, Tony Award-winning producer Stuart Ostrow, Tony nominated designer Kevin Rigdon and veteran dramaturg Mark Bly. Among the greats who have taught at the school in previous years are Lanford Wilson, Sir Peter Hall and Jose Quintero. For details on UH's School of Theatre & Dance, visit www.theatredance.uh.edu.


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We delivered the fourth new Liebherr telescopic crawler crane to company M-Construct at Hamme.
The LTR 1100 combines the advantages of a telescopic crane with those of a crawler crane. The crawler travel gear delivers excellent off-road handling and manoeuvrability. In addition, the crane can move loads with great precision. The Advantages of a telescopic crane include its shorter set-up times, simpler transport and the variability of its boom system.
| Max. load capacity
| 100 t
|Telescopic boom
| 52 m
| Max. hoist height
|83 m
|Max. radius
| 60 m


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The European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) is a European Space Agency establishment located in Darmstadt, Germany.
ESOC hosts the general-purpose ESA Operations Control Centre (OCC) which provides all required functions for spacecraft- & ground-segment control, orbit & attitude determination, and data acquisition & processing. Within the OCC, individual functions are handled from within separate, dedicated rooms. The Main Control Room (MCR) is used for preparation of new missions (in the testing and simulation phase) and during critical mission control phases such as the Launch and Early Operations Phase (LEOP). It is also used for deep-space missions as well as for emergency or contingency operations (which normally require a larger flight control team). The Flight Dynamics Room (FDR) is used during critical mission phases for orbit and attitude calculations and for routine operations at other times. The control, monitoring, and supervision of the ESTRACK network of ground stations is conducted from the Ground Configuration Control Room. This room is occupied 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. During a mission's routine phase, spacecraft monitoring and control functions are carried out from a Dedicated Control Room (DCR). Generally, control is conducted from workstations at which satellite data can be displayed in various formats and from which commands can be sent. The primary tool for mission control and data processing is the Dedicated Mission Support System (DMSS).


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To the EDN:
This past week as we celebrated National FFA week, our community should take pride and note the great accomplishments our local FFA chapter has made. Two years ago the Estherville FFA Chapter and Agricultural Education program was on the list of cuts to be made to solve district budget problems. With much debate, the program was allowed to continue. A new instructor was hired and new life came to the program. The Ag. Ed. Program saw increases of 55-125 percent in every high school class. With some proper planning the Administration can get a schedule worked out that continues allowing more students to enroll in Ms. Lichty's Agricultural courses. The scheduling needs to be so that upper level courses are not always in competition with upper level Ag Educational courses. A great way to continue increasing the numbers at ELC's Ag. Ed. Program is to start offering Ag Education as an exploratory course offered to our 7th and/or 8th grade students. If those students were to get a glimpse into all that is possible in Agriculture today, and their opportunities through the FFA, we would have a full time program once again. The Ag Ed courses and the FFA program are so much more than production agriculture today.
ELC went from 16 FFA members to 32 FFA members who are active and not only competing but doing very well. Last month the Estherville FFA competed at the Sub-District level and received 2nd place in Job Interview, tied for 1st place in Agricultural Sales, and both placed 1st in Prepared Public Speaking and FFA Creed Speaking. The Estherville FFA also has two balloted District Officer Candidates! Congratulations to Ms. Lichty and all the students competing. Good luck in Akron at Districts!
The Chapter's upcoming Parent-Member banquet is a fantastic way for the community to witness firsthand the great accomplishments of these students. This year's banquet will be held Monday, March 21 at 6 p.m. with a Work Auction to follow. Witnessing first hand the students going through proper parliamentary procedures to conduct their business that night is impressive. Many of us could take note of this practice for our own meetings that we are involved in. It has become somewhat of a lost art.
Ms. Lichty has made it easier for local supporters to keep up with their program. You can check out the Estherville FFA Chapter website at esthervilleffa.shutterfly.com or the ELC Ag. Ed. Program at elcaged.shutterfly.com. It is great for dropping the chapter a note of encouragement before competition or checking out their pictures from a recent FFA or Ag Ed. event.
A new way for our community to support our FFA Chapter is to join the Estherville FFA Alumni Chapter that is re-activating. Annual membership is just $15; lifetime membership is $200; corporate membership is $300 (annual). Membership forms can be picked up and dropped off at the ELC high school ag room. This is a fantastic way to show these young men and women, Ms. Lichty, the Administration and the ELC School Board, that we stand behind them and support their continued growth. In case you were wondering, you didn't have to wear the corduroy to support the blue! Anyone can become a member and get involved. It is a very small way to show some really big support to a great bunch of youth in our local FFA Chapter!
Congratulations to the Estherville FFA Chapter on a great year! The community looks forward to hearing all about the great achievements in the coming years. If you are a parent, local business owner, or just a supporter of our youth, I challenge you to find a way to support this great program. Please tell our ELC Administration and School Board how important our local FFA Chapter and Ag. Ed. Programs are to the Estherville area! I just did!
Stacy Herum
ELC Ag Advisory Council
Parent of 6th, 4th, and PK students


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County give thumbs up to geothermal plant expansion
The Mono County Board of Supervisors soundly rejected an appeal of a plan to expand the Casa Diablo geothermal plant Tuesday, after two out of area (mostly) union advocacy groups appealed the project during an almost five-hour public hearing.
It's the second time the groups have been in Mono County in the past few months. On Oct. 22, the county planning commission approved the project and recommended it to the county supervisors for approval.
The groups filed an appeal shortly after and on Tuesday, they came armed for a fight.
They got one.
The supervisors and county staff, one after the other, threw water on the groups' claims that the environmental analysis done by the county was not adequate.
"It's illuminating to me that the air district didn't have a problem with this, yet you do," said Supervisor Larry Johnston, when one group, called Californians For Reliable Energy, or CURE, said the expansion of the plant would create hazardous ozone pollution.
"We've heard all this before when we did this same process years ago," said Supervisor Duane "Hap" Hazard.
"We heard it would be like Bhopal, we heard it would destroy Hot Creek, we heard it all in 1984 (when the original plant was developed) and now, we know. This plant has been a good neighbor."
County counsel Stacey Simon was clear that she believed the county had done an excellent job doing the environmental analysis required by the state.
"When it comes to our CEQA work (California Environmental Quality Act) we've had excellent consultants who have done excellent work," Simon said.
"The problem with CEQA is it's subjective," she said. "Could someone poke holes in the work, even if we feel it was fully adequate? Yes. But have we done due diligence? Yes."
At stake is an expansion of the plant that will increase efficiency and add another several megawatts of capacity to the big, Ormat Pacific plant located on the east side of U.S. 395 on Casa Diablo Road.
It was supposed to have been a routine expansion, and it moved through the past several years with very little controversy—until several non-local groups, claiming to be unionized renewable energy plant workers, objected.
These out-of-area groups claimed they were concerned for the environment and dumping hundreds of pages of said objections into the mandated state environmental review document process.
But research by the county and the MT shows the groups have used the same techniques before at other planned renewable energy power facilities, with the seeming intent to pressure applicants into using unionized workers, and they didn't, they'd face more costly delays.
According to a Feb. 5 article in the Los Angeles Times, CURE's tactic of challenging and/or appealing such renewable energy projects is common in the region.
"Since 2000, CURE has participated in environmental hearings for all 12 renewable energy projects proposed for the Southern California desert, filing more than 1,300 requests for data about water, air pollution, and endangered animal species, according to the California Energy Commission," the article stated.
"To date, the building trades council has signed contracts to build one geothermal project and seven solar projects, and CURE has dropped objections to those plants. CURE has suits pending against two developers that did not sign labor agreements, and it is no longer pursuing claims on two other projects."
Other newspaper articles have stated that the same groups also tried the same tactic with a proposed geothermal plant in Imperial County this week—and were blocked by the county supervisors.
But with a 30-day timeframe with which to file a lawsuit (after the county files a "notice of determination" within five days of Tuesday's decision), it's now a waiting game to see what the two groups will do, if anything.
"They've been after Ormat long before this project," said Simon. "It's not Mammoth's 20 or so workers, it's the hundred of workers they are trying to unionize."
Calls to CURE were not returned before press time.


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Steve Birge is a Technical Writer 2 on the Microsoft Visio team.
Using a touch device like a tablet or phone? You can still work with Visio, doing the same actions on the drawing page that you can do with a mouse.
This video shows how touch gestures let you do common Visio tasks, such as move, size or rotate shapes, enter text, use Autoconnect, or make changes to multiple shapes.
Can't view this video? You can also watch it on YouTube.
There's more information on Office.com about using touch in Visio and other Office programs:
–Steve Birge, Technical Writer 2


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I've tried to find the answer to this on several occasions, and haven't been able to. I really want to consider SO a useful tool, and to contribute to the community, but the system is rigged against me.
My first exposure to SO was google searching for an answer to a problem. There were 3 answers (with votes > 0) given for the same question I had... the highest rated (>15 votes) was subtly wrong, the middle one (~10 votes) wasn't really applicable (along the lines of telling someone to buy a new car when they asked how to change the oil), and an unloved +2 voted answer at the bottom was spot on correct and far better than the highest rated solution. I wanted to vote that answer up, so I created an account to do so... only to learn that I couldn't do anything that advanced yet. OK, fine, I'll leave a comment on that better answer saying that it was much better than the top voted answer and solved the particular cases that it failed in. Oh, I can't do that either? WTF?!
So it seems the only way I can participate is to write yet another 0 vote answer that's just a duplicate of, or a pointer to, the better answer. Which is never going to be seen because the better answer has managed to get 2 votes already. Or the next time I have a question I can ask it, and wait for someone to post a snarky answer saying "that was already answered you idiot" maybe with a link to the previous occurrence. Either way seems like a silly exercise in gaming the system just to get enough rep to say that an answer that already existed was a good one.
So I walked away from SO with my problem solved, and some doubts about the community. Repeat a similar experience a few months later. And again a few months after that. And now you're moving into an area I care about, photography, so I'm going to try once more to understand how this system works.
I'm not going to ask you to change the system... I just want to understand the mentality behind this. Can anyone shed some light on why the system is so newb-hostile?


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Hot Flashes
Every so often a player will come along in any sport, and set the world on fire. Big plays, clutch performances and wild finishes typically define these players, as they become the talk of the town upon emerging.
The latest player to set the world ablaze: New York Knicks' point guard Jeremy Lin.
The 23-year-old phenom is a classic feel-good story. Lin was a nobody; just days away from being cut. When the Knicks were scuffling he was given a chance to play – and it's safe to say he made the most of that opportunity.
Among some of his accomplishments, "Super Lin-tendo" outscored basketball god Kobe Bryant on Friday, netted the game-winning 3-point field goal vs. the Toronto Raptors last night, was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, and became the first player in NBA history to score at least 20 points and record seven assists through his first four starts.
"Linsanity" has swept the nation. Even I have caught the fever. I bought this the other day:
Lin is on a roll, but keep in mind, he has only dominated a small number of games – six to be exact. He has certainly shown what he can do, seeing as how the Knicks are undefeated in the so-called "Lin Era." The question has to be raised however:
Will Lin be a mainstay or just a flash in the pan?
After last night's dramatics, Lin has me sold. I truly feel he will be a great player for a long time, as he has demonstrated remarkable ability to elevate his team. The Knicks were getting their faces rubbed in the dirt. Lin came along, picked them up, dusted them off, and made them relevant again.
This whole "Lin-credible" craze got me thinking about the Yankees: which Bombers came out of nowhere, made an immediate impact, and lifted the team?
Here are a few names that came to mind…
Kevin Maas
Never heard of Kevin Maas? Neither did I, until I began my research for this blog entry.
According to what I read, Maas was a first baseman who played for the Yankees from 1990-93. He crushed 10 homers in just 77 at-bats and finished his first season with 24 homers, playing in only 79 games.
A lot of people even went as far as saying Maas was going to be Don Mattingly's heir.
But it all declined for him. His numbers slowly but surely decreased as the time passed. Despite clubbing 23 homers in '91, he hit just .220 in 148 games. He only hit 11 homers the following year and nine the year after.
Maas eventually went to the Minnesota Twins in 1995 and was cut after only 22 games. I suppose he will just remain an anomaly; a one-hit wonder who set the baseball world aglow literally right before I started following the Yankees.
I'm actually very surprised I didn't know about him until today.
Shane Spencer
In September of 1998, a 26-year-old outfielder who tore apart the minor leagues was called up to the show. Shane Spencer, who in 1997 hit 30 homers and knocked in 86 runs for the Columbus Clippers (the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate at the time), took New York by storm.
Unexpectedly, Spencer smacked 10 home runs in the month of September, in only 67 at-bats. Of those 10 homers, three of them came with the bases loaded. A lot of the veteran Yankee players and fans were right behind Spencer, on the edge of their seats every time he stepped up to the plate.
Much like the barrage of Lin nicknames, fans in the crowd held signs that read,
"Shane Brings da Pain!" Not to mention even the Sports Illustrated recognized his outburst.
Unfortunately for Spencer, in a lot of ways, he was just a one-hit wonder. Aside from his spectacular "September to Remember" he didn't accomplish much else of note, save for a few accolades. Spencer did collect three World Series rings, being with the Yanks from '98-00, and hit two home runs in the '98 ALDS vs. Texas.
He also smacked a home run in the 2001 Fall Classic vs. Arizona, while only securing a .222 batting average in eight postseason series.
It's kind of sad what happened to him after the hype vanished. Spencer got in some off-the-field trouble for drunk driving and reports surfaced that he had problems with the Florida police around Spring Training, 2004.
Nevertheless, his late-season spark of the '98 Yankees may never be forgotten by the most devout pinstripe faithful.
Aaron Small
In 2005 the Yankees were coming off arguably the worst time in their franchise history. The 2004 Boston Red Sox rallied back from an 0-3 ALCS deficit to not only beat them, but also embarrass them.
Boston made history. The Yankees became history.
The following season however, the Bombers re-tooled by signing the overpowering southpaw Randy Johnson, as a lack of solid starting pitching was cited as their 2004 playoff downfall.
But the Big Unit couldn't do it all by himself. Other starters had to step up.
Cue Aaron Small, a 34-year-old right-handed journeyman. Small had stints with six other ball clubs before finding his way to the Bronx. He emerged at just the right time, filling a hole in an injury-ravaged starting rotation. He made his first start on July 20, 2005, beating the Texas Rangers.
Small would go on to win 10 games in 2005 – without ever losing. In fact, he became the first Yankee to win his first nine decisions since Tommy John (1979) and just the fourth player in MLB history to win 10 games without recording a loss.
He turned Yankee Stadium into "Smallville," I guess you could say.
The Yankees began the '05 season with a lopsided 11-19 record through their first 30 games. Considering where they were, it's not crazy to say Small played a huge role in terms of getting his team back into the playoff hunt.
Much like Spencer, Small's success didn't last. He recorded the loss in Game 3 of the 2005 ALDS vs. the Los Angeles Angels, and went on to go 0-3 in three starts for the Yanks in 2006. Small was designated for assignment on June 17, 2006 and signed a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners prior to the 2007 season.
He was released by the Mariners in May and shortly after called it a career.
Small's contribution in '05 was remembered by the Yankee brass, as he has been honored at two Old Timer's Days (2008, 2011). Before his appearance at Old Timer's Day '08, Small won a battle with encephalitis, which had put him in a coma for eight days.
To me, Small will always be remembered as a winner; a player who stepped up when everyone else was struggling. If you ask me, by no means is that a bad way to be remembered.
Shawn Chacon
Much like Small, Shawn Chacon emerged at the right time. The Yanks' starting rotation in '05 was in disarray and the starters needed to step it up. The 28-year-old righty was having a rough go of it in Colorado, going 1-7 for the Rockies before being dealt to the Yanks for minor leaguers Ramon Ramirez and Eduardo Sierra.
He came to the Yankees with low expectations, but went above and beyond what anyone could have hoped for. Right from the get-go Chacon made a splash, tossing six innings without surrendering a run to the Angels in his first start in pinstripes. Although he didn't get the decision, the Yanks beat the Halos behind Chacon, 8-7.
Chacon ended 2005 with a 7-3 record for New York while notching a 2.85 ERA. He also picked up Small, winning Game 4 of the ALDS vs. the Angels. The Yanks went on to lose the ALDS, yet many baseball analysts felt Chacon was going to continue to pitch well in 2006, and become a key member of the Yankee rotation.
Not so much.
He started '06 off slowly, though he began to pick up the pace in late April. Chacon started the infamous "Crazy Tuesday vs. Texas" game, giving up seven runs to the Rangers – a game Jorge Posada eventually won in dramatic fashion for New York. He eventually landed himself on the disabled list, and after a brutal game vs. the Cleveland Indians on July 4, was sent to the bullpen.
By the 2006 trade deadline Chacon was swapped for Pirates' left-handed bat Craig Wilson, thus ending his Yankee tenure. He was last seen pitching for the Houston Astros in 2008 and to my knowledge is not currently signed by any MLB team.
My best memory of Chacon actually came in virtual reality. I was throwing a perfect game with him in MLB 2006 for PlayStation 2. It didn't end well. You can read more about that sad story here, if you'd like.
Shelley Duncan
The 2007 baseball season was mostly known for one thing: the unrealistic, clutch season that belonged to third baseman Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod put the Yankee team on his back and carried them to win after win, hitting unfathomably long home runs that would have probably left Mickey Mantle in disbelief.
But midway through the year a career minor leaguer came up by the name of Shelley Duncan. At the time his father Dave was the pitching coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. His brother Chris was an outfielder, also with the Cards.
A second generation player, Duncan was called to the show on July 20, 2007 and ignited the Yankees. In his first game, he recorded his first hit and his first RBI against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The next day he crushed his first home run, and then followed with a multi-home run performance the day after.
Duncan became such a fan-favorite for his enthusiasm. He would give hard high-fives to his teammates and even injured clubhouse reporter Kim Jones, smacking her hand as hard as he could in celebration of a Yankee win during a postgame interview.
A website even surfaced: Shelley Duncan Facts, a play off the famous "Chuck Norris Facts" site.
At the end of '07, Duncan had 19 hits in 34 at-bats, including seven home runs on his ledger. He registered 17 RBIs while securing a .257 batting average and an on-base percentage of .329.
Did "Duncan-Mania" survive? No, it didn't.
In 2008 Duncan had just one homer in 57 at-bats for the Yanks and batted a measly .175 through 23 games. He was reassigned to the minors and never really became what the Yankees might have hoped for; never made the same amount of noise he made throughout the second half of 2007.
Before 2010 Duncan signed with the Cleveland Indians, where he is today.
Joba Chamberlain
Unlike the other players on the list, Joba Chamberlain still has a chance to shed his status as a flash in the pan. The 26-year-old right-handed hurler has life left in him, but only time will tell if he can go back to what he was when he was first called up.
Go back to August of 2007 for a second. Chamberlain made his MLB debut in a game the Yanks played vs. the Toronto Blue Jays, fanning the first batter he faced. He went on to throw two scoreless frames in a Yankee win.
But the brass didn't want to ruin his arm at such a young age. Being only 22 years old at the time, the Yankees put him on the "Joba Rules" – a system which didn't allow Chamberlain to pitch on consecutive days, and if he pitched in multiple innings, he would have that many days off.
For example, if he tossed two innings, he wouldn't be available pitch again for another two days.
Chamberlain finished the '07 regular season with a tiny ERA of 0.38 out of the 'pen, getting all of the Yankee fans behind him. Whenever he raced in from the bullpen, the crowd would go absolutely bananas.
And he was just as fired up.
After every strikeout, Chamberlain would aggressively pump his fists, charged up by the emotion of the moment. Unfortunately he was the victim of a vicious attack by midges in Cleveland during the '07 ALDS vs. the Indians, a series the Yanks went on to lose.
From there, it's extremely difficult to describe what happened to Chamberlain. Under new manager Joe Girardi in 2008, he began the season in a relief role then was made into a starter. He only made one noteworthy start in '08, a brilliant nine-strikeout performance in Boston, outdueling Josh Beckett in a 1-0 Yankee win.
Not long after that game, Chamberlain injured his shoulder, and was placed on the 15-day DL. When he came back he was a reliever again. His role was just never defined – and it got even more confusing in 2009.
Beginning the season as one of the starting five, the "Joba Rules" were rewritten to accommodate the rotation. Girardi would only pitch Chamberlain for a few innings, and then when applicable, would use him on six days rest. It seemed to disrupt his mental balance, to say the least.
The Yanks thought about demoting him to the minors and leaving him off the postseason roster, but ultimately decided to keep him. During the playoffs he took on the role of reliever yet again, and captured a Game 4 victory over the Phillies in the '09 Fall Classic.
A good end to a rather turbulent season.
Since then Chamberlain has not made a start. In 2010 he went 3-4 out of the bullpen with a 4.40 ERA, and opponents hit .429 off him. On a light note, his strikeout total went up, as he K'd 77 batters in 71 2/3 innings pitched.
Despite a 2-0 record with a 2.83 ERA this past year, 2011 marked another setback period for Chamberlain. He was sidelined with a torn ligament in his throwing arm in June, ending his season and forcing him to undergo Tommy John Surgery.
This off-season the Yankees and Chamberlain agreed on a one-year contract worth $1.675 million. With that in mind, this could be his last chance to keep wearing the pinstripes. If he continues to scuffle and his arm problems draw on, I don't see the Yankees holding onto him beyond 2012.
However, if he can rekindle that spark – the spark he lit in 2007 – he will be fine.
To Chamberlain, I can only say good luck and I hope it works out for him. To the rest of the players on this list, I guess I can only say one thing:
It was fun while it lasted.


text: I've decided that I want to get into computer security and learn all about it. I've looked through all of the tutorials and such and they are very helpfull. But what I really need to know right now is where do I begin? I need a starting point, which types of security i should start with, what I need to know before I begin this venture, and any other help would be appreciated.