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It certainly isn't a silhouette for the every-woman, but it's sneaking its way past your local spin class and straight onto the runway nonetheless. Bicycle shorts: they're not just for cyclists any longer. Shown as an element of monochromatic ensembles at Mugler, Tom Ford and Prada (left to right), the slim mid-thigh length style has a certain 1950s appeal for the girl who has been doing her duty at those aforementioned fitness classes.
It's hardly a well-kept secret any longer, designers in Paris have developed a soft spot for the 80s (check out the latest Jean Paul Gaultier show). As a result, some of the most controversial trends of that time have reappeared. Enter: oversized shoulder pads.
Stella McCartney's collection included relaxed and boxy jackets, paired with cropped pants. McCartney's Working Girl blazer conjures a forgotten symbol of the 80s women's power movement. The silhouette that Olivier Rousteing showed for Balmain was more fitted with exaggerated sleeves and dramatic, almost avant-garde shoulder detail. Albert Elbaz offered a lesson in tailoring with his color-blocked blazers, adding even more volume to padded shoulders with an angular construction of the sleeve.
It's nostalgia and kitsch and Disney rolled into one incomprehensible, but nonetheless fun(!) fashion moment. Who could have expected Mickey to stage a comeback for Spring, not that the lovable mouse ever truly fell out of favor. On the London runway of Meadham Kirchhoff (left), the designer's use of the cartoon fits his whimsical, color-wonderful approach to design. At Marc Jacobs (right), the designer took a more sophisticated turn with Mr. Mickey, using his old school black and white persona on a cropped top on a noir look. When the mouse at hand was spotted on the street, it was all about the red, white and blue in Paris — with a statement necklace accompaniment, of course.
"Why bother with two shoulders, when one works just as well?" seems to be the question on designer minds for Spring. The idea seems to be similar at Isabel Marant (left) Christian Dior (middle) and Lanvin (right): deploy expert draping while leaving a little something extra for an over-the-shoulder flourish. But each designer made the approach their own. See: a Polynesian boheme print at Marant, an icy green ballroom-inspired top at Dior and a moody noir jumpsuit at Lanvin — each begging a girl to brush her shoulder off.
It's a bit of a misnomer for the naturally light and airy Spring season to go to such dark and dare we say, "disciplined" places. At Nina Ricci (left), Barbara Bui (middle), and Ann Demeulemeester (right) harnesses were the S&M influenced word of the day. High on drama with the right undercurrent of sex appeal, it's all about crossing over to the dark side.
The poppy is a loaded sort of flower — highly symbolic and aesthetically pleasing all at once. It's been known to represent sleep, peace and death, to produce opiates and cause wars. It's also emerging as the standout floral of Spring 2013, appearing on the runways of Erdem, Prada and Dries van Noten (pictured left to right). Both Erdem and Prada showed the poppy in its classical red, while Dries went neutral, pairing his with standout plaid. We can't promise it can lend an instant sense of euphoria — outside of what a pretty print can provide, of course.
Alexander Wang, Moschino and Jeremy Scott (pictured left to right) are all interested in chic headgear for Spring. Whether you're getting an equestrian vibe or something more along the lines of motocross, the trick, it seems, is to match your helmet to your ensemble for a steamlined safety girl look — all the better for fending off your most zealous fans.
Perhaps it's a reasonable approach to adding order to the could-be dizzying art of the print. Milan's designers are embracing florals, digitals and other colorful patterns and putting them in a mirrored manner. It lends a cool graphic edge to well-worn territory at Moschino, Etro and Just Cavalli and just a begs a girl to take a good look at herself.
New York's Spring 2013's runways showed a strong predilection towards lacy numbers that seek to bring the bedroom to the streets. As we make our way over to Europe things are getting even more risqué. In Milan and London, although not yet France, it's all about showing off, for lack of a better word, a girl's underpants. Not since Carrie Bradshaw took a runway tumble in sparkling Dolce & Gabbana panties have underthings-as-pants enjoyed such a moment. At Burberry (left), a green high-waisted version was shown with a chic belted cropped trench, while Miuccia showed hers with a flower accented sweater at Prada (middle) and Felder Felder (right) went for a Saint Tropez vibe with a sheer belted cover-up.
Part 70s disco queen, part Latin influence, the dramatic ruffle is making quite an entrance on Spring runways. The trick, of course, is in keeping it modern. At J.W. Anderson, a white cropped version was paired with coordinating shorts, while Emilio de la Morena took a flamenco flair to tailored places with high-waisted pants and a cropped jacket. On the bright side — and the most successful take on evening — Gucci's yellow gown is playful, but still streamlined.
Balenciga got space age for Fall 2012 and the resulting comic-inspired sweatshirts featuring words like "Have a Weird Trip" have started a veritable street style revolution. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it appears girls still want to use their shirts to add in a few more — and recent designs on Spring's London runways are more than happy to oblige. At Acne and Markus Lupfer, the messages were terse yet bohemian in nature — read: "music" and "chill" respectively. At Ashish, things got a bit more stern with sweatshirts that read "I'm serious" with model expressions to match. Outside of their textual nature, the laidback tops serve as a balancing act for more dressed up pieces like flowing skirts, metallic trousers and sequined shorts. So what is it they're really saying?
The peekaboo nature of sheer fabric has an inherent sex appeal in theory and can be difficult to navigate in reality. Three London looks so far basically allow for the best sheer has to offer without any of the complicated layering headache. At David Koma (left) and Erdem (right), two adept designers imbued 60s inspired looks with sheer panels to expose the midriff area without, shall we say, overexposing the midriff. A slightly different take, with a similar, if not a bit sultrier outcome, came down the runway at Christopher Kane, where a strategic bow on a sheer top kept all the right parts covered.
The words "striped suit" can conjure images of lawyers, bankers and other sectarian, historically stuffy occupations with the wardrobes to match. In a case of redefining expectations, Spring's lined suits in graphic, mod black and white bring a certain winking appeal that's more evening than office. On the far left, above, Michael Kors showed a shorts suit with a cropped top for a playful take on tailored separates. Looking to the middle, one of Marc Jacobs's Polly Magoos sported a 60s influenced skirt and jacket combo with unexpected low-rise detail for a more sensuous take than its buttoned up inspiration. While Oscar de la Renta's slim pinstripes were shown without a distracting blouse underneath, allowing the suit to speak for itself.
Once relegated to the elliptical, sweatshirts are solidifying their luxe status on the Spring runways. Fashion girls on the street were embracing branded versions, but we love the sleek white take, paired with an opulent gilded skirt, at Derek Lam. On the wilder side, 3.1. Phillip Lim mixed his up with leopard print sleeves and major denim, while the most casual of the lot was another leopard print at Pierre Balmain. Any fashion turn that takes our coziest couch-ware outdoors has our vote.
Nothing modernizes an all-American heritage staple like doing it up in white. Three designers, so far, took note and made the jacket of fisherman and college kids minimal and sleek in all blanc — including, from left, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang and DKNY. Its sheer versatility proves itself on the runway, shown with dark separates at Lim, matching architectural white pieces on Wang and simple denim from Karan.
Designers take different paths to find inspiration, but three brands took a similar psychedelic journey to colorful chevron prints for Spring. Tommy Hilfiger is back to his original color palette of red, white and blue to offer bathing suits and shirt dresses in an elegant, patriotically shaded zig zag print. Band of Outsiders, inspired by the Japanese dyeing techniques of shibori, took a more relaxed and wavy approach to the magic eye version of herringbone. Meanwhile, designers Alan Eckstein and Timo Weiland, inspired by graffiti artist Keith Harring, showed halter dresses and short blazers in a pink and red take on the playful pattern.
Spring is bound to debut LWDs of every shift, bodycon and maxi a warm-weather closet calls for, but the runways of SS13 are looking to up the vamp factor with strategically placed laser cut-outs. Cushnie et Ochs' subtle peek-a-boo detail at the abdomen adds a sultry vibe while maintaining mystery. At Alexander Wang, architectural slits create an interesting pattern, while Victoria Beckham imbues her geometric shapes with fine netting to preserve a lady's integrity. It's a chic game of show and tell that three designers expertly navigated.
Leather continues to be the fabrication of choice for Spring — regardless of rising temperatures, designers are embracing all things hide — blame it on the increasingly erratic weather. Although leather shorts are hardly new, longer lengths and decidedly slouchy silhouettes at BCBG (the longest of the lot), Rag & Bone (in turquoise) and Alexander Wang (with laser cut-outs) feel fresh. Although black was the shade of choice for many, expect to see vibrant iterations and white as well.
For some it's a guilty pleasure, others a veritable obsession — we're talking the endless cycle of celeb gossip — and it has come to life at New York Fashion Week. First up, ex-Mr. Kim Kardashian, Kris Humphries sat front row at Lacoste. The newly engaged — to weekly darling Jennifer Aniston — Justin Theroux has been making the rounds at the catwalks, most recently cocking an expert brow for photogs at Alexander Wang. The most buzzy appearance to date, however, happened on the runway at Wang, when model Liberty Ross, now most well-known for being the wife of Kristen Stewart's director lover, walked in one of the designer's sportif all-white looks. All begging the question, should we be getting our fashion news from WWD or US Magazine?
In a demure retro turn, the Spring catwalks are topping pretty model pouts with webbed veils. Peter Som's girls got colorful with sorbet hued hair and eye shadow, topped off with embellished versions, while Chadwick Bell imbued his visors with the fine netting and Jason Wu reinforced his Old Hollywood lingerie vibe with voluminous veils. Only time and street style shots will tell if the bridal look gone mainstream will catch on.
It seems that an emerging trend on the Spring catwalk is sharing the love with other designers. Peter Som paired with Earnest Sewn on pastel, printed denim skinnies, while Prabal Gurung worked with Casadei on a line of what the footwear brand does so well — chic pumps — and Jason Wu looked to the French ones who know boudoir in a covetable lingerie collaboration with LaPerla. We just love it when the talented ones unite.
One does not normally associate the super chic with South American cowboys from the 19th Century. Alas, pants named in their honor, gauchos, are enjoying a renaissance. The wide-leg cropped trousers aren't paired with ponchos, but rather with tailored pieces for Resort 2013. Phoebe Philo's pair at Céline (left) came printed and styled with striped leather and an oversized jacket for a modern take on workwear. Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton (middle) looked back to a past gaucho moment — namely the 1970s — for a vested suit in a retro color pairing of brown and pink — ruffled tuxedo shirt included. And Acne's Jonny Johansson (right) kept the new pant classic in khaki, but upped the cool factor with a patterened blazer and lace-up open-toe boots. No matter how they're worn, it seems girls may be saddling up in gauchos come late fall.
Never mind that visors are most associated with '70s tennis players and hip hop stars, in the hands of illustrious labels Lanvin, Louis Vuitton and The Row, they're a burgeoning accessory to note. Alber Elbaz explored a clear tinted version at Lanvin (left) that may not completely block the sun's rays, but looks very glam when paired with a jumpsuit. At Vuitton by Marc Jacobs (middle) a scarf-accented head piece was paired with a sequin one-shoulder dress, proving the visor may just become an evening option. And embracing the resort idea that everything is better in leather, The Row's Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen went for an unstructured version in a soft black hide. Are you game for the ad-visor-y board?
Perhaps it's all of the fairtale remakes of late or simply that the world is in need of a touch of the fantastical — but Resort 2013 is taking fashion on a whimsical turn. With playful bunny details at Carolina Herrera (left), ethereal butterflies from Nina Ricci by Peter Copping (middle) and Snow White-worthy birds at L'Wren Scott (right), this season feels like a languid stroll through an enchanted forest — we can just hear the tweeting sparrows and the oncoming gallop of Prince Charming. We may be getting our Grimm's mixed up, but either way, this much cute is completely welcome.
The resort season has its fair share of coats and work-ready trousers, but given its moniker, it's also the season for embracing vacation wear. And for 2013 designers are ready to ship fashionable ladies off to a laidback island oasis in looks that can only be described as haute hippie. Think prints borrowed from Indian, African or Native American cultures reworked in fresh colors at Prabal Gurung (left), in rich silks at Chloé (middle) and in a cool graphic take at Givenchy (right). We're suddenly feeling the urge to go boho.
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October 16, 2009 - by ASTD Staff
So you're sitting around the bar at the Think and Drink Tavern with five of your co-workers. You make some decisions that involve drinking more than you should, and suddenly you find that you have overconsumed. What do you do? Call a cab? Insist to your friends that you... More »

subset: commoncrawl


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posted 31 Jan 2007 in Volume 10 Issue 5
Case study: Department of Treasury and Finance, Victoria
From theory to practice
Capturing tacit knowledge as part of a broader KM strategy can be challenging, but videoing key sessions can help.
By Linda Page
That initiative is now quite mature and the tools and techniques have become well embedded, thanks in no small part to the support of the states leadership from the very top down. Furthermore, much has been learnt in the process.
Implementation preparation
One size does not fit all is an all-too-frequent piece of advice passed down to knowledge managers but it is true. KM can be very complex depending on the needs of an organisation. So, this complexity needs to be broken down into categories in order to differentiate between the IT tools that can support KM (but are no substitute for it), information management and KM behaviours when considering a KM strategy.
Also frequently stressed but true is the need for support from senior executives, from the CEO down to more junior executives. Working with them from an early stage can provide a very clear picture of how KM can help an organisation improve.
An essential ingredient is for senior executives themselves to have a good understanding of KM what it can and cannot facilitate so that their expectations of what the programme will deliver remain reasonable. But they must also know enough to understand the time it can take to implement and embed a successful programme. It has to be a long-term commitment from the organisation.
Quick wins early on are essential to gain the interest of staff, particularly business leaders. However, the programmes that have the greatest impact and provide longer-term benefit require long-term time frames and therefore patience.
If you are starting a KM programme you must first conduct a knowledge audit across the organisation to identify staff requirements (see Inside Knowledge, December 2006/January 2007). Having a list of possible activities is only part of it. From your list of possibilities, there may only be one or two behaviours that you need to address together with the IT tools that will support the organisations information-management needs. Just do it. Re-assess the KM climate often. As the organisation changes and grows, its KM needs will also change.
Be patient implementing KM behaviours involves a major change-management exercise. To be successful you need to ensure that the approach is soft, well-planned and takes into consideration other competing priorities. Therefore, make your approach fun, be consistent, reward positive endeavour and recognise effort and keep on going.
Have KM theories lost practical meaning?
Thinking comes before doing Take Nikes famous advertising slogan Just Do It!. There had to be thought behind that call to action. This thought encompasses the business perspective. While not being privy to the brief that was given to the advertising team responsible for that long-running slogan, it is obvious that their perspective included a motivation to attract customers to the brand. The marketing campaign was very clever because it linked the potential need for customers to buy their products, by presenting a challenge in customers minds, and the whats in it for me? drive. Think about it!
From customers perspective, imagine them cruising along through life when suddenly they see the commercial. Fit, athletic people are running, jumping and skipping. They are fit and healthy. The models in the advertisement are wearing this particular brand of sports gear, naturally. The commercial appeals to viewers (potential customers) desire for long-lasting health, eagerness to win or to be successful, their sense of achievement and their desire to look good (vanity) when they are doing all of these physical things.
This example demonstrates how valuable it can be to think carefully about ideas and the best way to apply them not to mention marketing them. However, the process can be more difficult than it sounds. There are people who are good at coming up with ideas, but cannot implement them. Conversely, there are people who can implement an idea, but would not have come up with it in a million years and there are people who can do both. These people will help an organisation transform the theory into practice, if you can identify them.
Etienne Wenger, the famous educational theorist behind Communities of Practice (CoPs), visited
A practical KM programme always requires some KM theory to guide it. However, it is important that theorists understand that their theories are also there to be challenged. By this I mean that you have to try them out and challenge them even as you put them into practice. If the theoretical outcome doesnt match the actual outcome then the challenge is to model or reshape the theory to fit your requirements.
In the next section of this article I will demonstrate how a particular theory on knowledge capture has been challenged and how the outcome was most successful. Certain theories will work in some organisations and not in others. Sometimes you need to be prepared for a theory to fail in practice.
An example of this could be the theory of designing an online ideas bank for your organisation. In theory, this type of tool provides an accessible space for staff to register innovative or money-saving ideas that could benefit other staff in the organisation and, ultimately, the organisation itself.
The ideas may help to trigger further opportunities to create good policies. Depending on the line of business of your organisation, the ideas can be around problem-solving techniques, production solutions, staff needs or an innovative approach to a new product, just to name a few. Once an idea is registered, it needs to be acknowledged, categorised and, where possible, taken to the business to assess its viability for implementation.
A tool like this can have an interactive component that enables other staff to make comments about the ideas and to vote on them. Problems with this theory start to arise as the capability of the organisation to implement the theory is challenged. Constant monitoring is required by someone in the organisation and that someone may require help if they are unable to provide feedback on an idea, or to move the idea along the chain of command.
All of a sudden the ideas bank can start to become more of a burden than an asset. I have seen ideas banks successfully implemented in some organisations, but the success is often short lived. The theory behind this KM idea is sound, but the practicality often falls short.
Creating and capturing meaningful experience with KM
One of the obvious ways of unlocking tacit knowledge from your staff is to set up communities of practice where the members openly discuss and pour forth the knowledge they have in their heads, according to doctor John Henry, an associate professor in the School of Social and Cultural Studies at Victoria States Deakin University.
This is certainly good advice, and advice that we have fully supported in our organisation of 500+ staff within the Department of Treasury and Finance in
However, the issue of how to capture the tacit knowledge that flows during CoP gatherings has yet to be addressed. If we reflect on the practical functioning of CoPs, the notion of shoving a tape recorder in the middle of the table and asking everyone to speak up so that their words can be recorded by the microphone, or having a video camera capturing their every word, move, grunt, scratch and guffaw seems counter-productive to capturing tacit knowledge flow.
Recently, a discussion that our KM unit was having was heading towards a stalemate and it was important that we continued to think laterally and creatively. We called upon our de Bono training techniques (based upon the 'thinking' techniques of Dr Edward de Bono, of course) to try and start generating ideas again.
When analysing our business behaviours (which meant we also needed to look at our culture) several opportunities became obvious to us concerning how, when and why, together with who and what, we could do. It was decided that inundating CoPs with high-tech recording equipment was not the way to go. But from such little ideas, big ones grow.
One of the big issues in the knowledge-management arena is how to capture tacit knowledge from staff, particularly those individuals in an organisation who have exceptional experience, foresight and know-how about the business and more. What happens when these people leave the organisation and take their knowledge with them? If we look at how these people share their knowledge it becomes obvious to us that they talk, they mentor, they give presentations and they attend meetings where they provide advice, and opinions because they are highly regarded and sought after.
By looking into the practices of current staff, such as key employees presenting to other staff who wish to attend, the Secretary of States Quarterly All-Staff Address, and the Economic and Financial Policy
Briefing Sessions, we came up with the concept of videotaping as many of these major presentations as were deemed appropriate (some presentations or briefing sessions are based around work in progress and therefore deemed to be unsuitable to film until the work is completed). Another idea was to tap into the know-how of longer-serving staff who would soon be considering retirement or moving on and taking with them their highly valuable tacit knowledge.
It is impossible for the human brain to absorb and remember everything that a presenter shares at a forum, meeting or presentation. Each person present at these events will take away different pieces of information. I call this information the what they need to know now information.
At the most, it equates to about one-tenth of all the information presented. So how do we capture this tacit knowledge? It is important to note here that tacit knowledge is very different from the knowledge that we write on paper or in books because it has the human element to it. It involves not just the expressed intentions, but gut feelings the presenter has about their subject and the insights that are more easily expressed verbally colloquially, even because they are being recalled spontaneously from the mind of the presenter. So it is also the way they express tacit knowledge.
It may help to digress a little to illustrate this point.
How good is it to be able to look back at footage of a speech made by, for example, the CEO of your organisation? Let us say it was from five years ago the day that he announced the companys grand, new strategic plan and how this plan and its implementation was going to happen.
An opportunity exists in this scenario to create future access to a past event. Here we are considering tacit knowledge in different formats. Alternatively, what about when you sat in front of your television at the end of the year and watched one of those many summaries of the biggest news events that shaped the year that has just gone by? While past events are not technically tacit knowledge when they are captured and re-visited, the viewers mind is nevertheless transported back in time and can recall their tacit knowledge of what was happening then. Some may argue that this is simply memory recall. Regardless, looking back brings forward the tacit knowledge that your mind stored away for a later time.
Strategic videoing of key presentations and forums, and creating other opportunities to film, became the obvious solution to us for this issue. For example, having anecdotal interviews with key staff who worked closely with departing staff to discuss what legacy would be left behind, or what specific advice they would want to impart to new staff in the organisation.
Vision and passion
We had the great misfortune of losing our leader, Ian Little, the Secretary of the Department of Treasury and Finance in
Only days before his death, he had made the time to join us on a filming session that was to be an address to the staff of our strategic-management division, which was to be shown at the Quarterly Forum. He agreed to be filmed because, he said, he would not able to attend in person. It is quite disconcerting to realise how uncanny those words were and, afterwards, the reason why we were making the tape.
While Ians message was directed at the Strategic Management Division, there were also messages that were directly relevant to all the staff throughout the organisation. These messages are still relevant today, even though we have a new leader. He spoke from his heart and he expressed to us his inner thoughts and feelings about specific issues his tacit knowledge.
The videos that are produced are viewed by many staff in our organisation as an ideal opportunity to hear from colleagues that they may not get the opportunity to speak to face-to-face. Our graduates view the relevant videos that relate to the work they will be undertaking when they start their term with us. The videos are used for training purposes, communications and for assisting staff who are making live presentations and wish to refer to past forum presentations.
These are just some of the ways in which the videos are used. This programme has been so successful that another department has asked us to support them with the video concept (for more information on this subject you can contact the author directly via the e-mail address below).
When undertaking a KM programme you need to be clear about your business needs regarding KM. Apply the theories and tools in a practical manner suitable to your organisations environment. Get in there and just do it! But be patient with the results.
You must also be prepared to look at the financial and non-financial rewards and appreciate that when measuring KM some results are intangible and always will be. Finally, ensure that you acknowledge and reward the efforts of the staff who take part in the KM activities and remember that when your staff dont realise that they are actually doing KM your programme has reached a level of maturity that is ready to embed in your organisation.
Linda Page is project director, knowledge management, in the strategic management division of the Department of Treasury and Finance in the Australian state of
The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Treasury and Finance or the Victorian Government.


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I have just returned from spending this years Easter weekend at Eildon Guest House. I can highly recommend it as a place to stay if you are going to Inverness and you are looking for quiet but very central location. The owner Jacqueline is very friendly, helpful and makes amazing breakfast! Our room was very comfortable and clean. 5 stars... More
- Also Known As:
- Eildon Guest House Inverness, Scotland
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- 3 Star Inverness guest house in a quiet city centre location. All rooms en-suite with complimentary wi-fi and full cooked or continental breakfast. ... more less


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There's nothing cute about desperately clinging to the finer nits of adverb use and misuse, and there's nothing noble about publicly shaming people for grammatical gaffes and typos.
If grammar never changed, English speakers would still be kicking it Shakespeare style. FORSOOTH, that would probs suck. Plus, a coupla tips from me to you.
damn the man
As any editor can tell you, writers are willful and mercurial creatures who rarely, if ever, pay any attention to editorial mandates.


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i find this extremely interesting
Spring Practice Presser Transcript 4-5-12: Al Borges
Al Borges
Opening remarks:
"I can sing, but I'm sure you don't want to hear that."
Have there been things that have surprised you since the last time you spoke to us?
"Uh, let me think about that question. No major surprises. I think things have followed suit pretty well. We've had a couple kids perform pretty well, maybe better than they have been. Joe Burzynski would be one. Joe's had a nice spring. He's done a good job. Elliott Mealer. The two of them are competing for the job, so that's good. Those two come to mind right away. I'm sure there are others who would be subtle surprises, but those two have done a good job battling each other for that spot."
How has Brandon Moore looked?
"Brandon Moore is playing right now better than he's played since he's been here. He is. He's still got a little ways to go, but when he is technically sound, takes the right steps and comes off the ball with a little bit of an attitude, he's a pretty good player. Brandon's got some talent, but his consistency of play is a little erratic. In terms of understanding what we do, I don't think there's any issues there. He's a smart kid. Now that he understands it, the paralysis through analysis should be gone and pretty much is. He's as aggressive as I've seen him and has demonstrated a certain degree of consistency that's shown improvement."
What about the guys behind him?
"Ricardo Miller and Mike Kwiatkowski. Ricardo's more kind of an H-back or what we call the U position. All of those guys still practice playing on the line of scrimmage, but Ricardo's a pretty athletic kid. Runs better than any of our tight ends. Still has a ways to go as a blocker. And then Mike Kwiatkowski, if I had another surprise, he would probably be the next one that I mention. Mike's always been a very good receiver. His only issue has been his ability to play on the line of scrimmage because of the bigger guys, but he's improved that. He's a strong kid, he has good power, but he's done a pretty nice job. Those three are probably in the fold as much as anyone.
If you had to start today, how comfortable would you be with what you have at that position?
"Well I think we'd be fine. Yeah I think we'd be okay. We still need to improve. I'm not comfortable at any position right now game-ready wise. We will use our personnel accordingly. If we feel like that position isn't as strong as other positions, we'll find a way to play other positions. If that position gets up to speed and up to snuff, then we'll let them play a little more. It's up to them. It's really not up to us. It's up to them. We will totally evaluate and assess every player on the team. Playing time will be dictated by their productivity and nothing else.
Who's stepping up at wide receiver this spring?
"The same cast of characters, you know, save Jerald Robinson, who's really proven some toughness because he's been a little banged up, but he's not bad. He's done a very nice job. I've been happy with Jerald. Jeremy and Roy are doing a nice job. They know what to do. That's what's really nice about it. Not just that position -- every position. But they know what to do. We get very few missed assignments now whereas last spring it would be a carnival of missed assignments. And it always is, it's not their fault -- new system, that's going to happen. But we just don't get it anymore from those players that have played significantly. Drew Dileo, again, is consistent, smart, tough. Jeremy Jackson -- Jeremy's been healthy, and because he's been healthy, his game has taken another step. It's good to have him because he gives us some range at the position that we lost in junior. I think those are the guys that have been the most prominent."
How has the learning curve for the offensive line been like?
"They're in the same situation, I think, as the receivers or anybody else. They've got a much better feel for what to do. You know what's a significant advantage, and it's an advantage that you gain -- and that's playing in a bowl game. When you play in a bowl game and particularly a bowl game that's in January, you get extra practices and that helps everybody and not least of which is the offensive linemen, particularly the kids that aren't playing much. You don't want to beat up the kids that are. That bowl practice was invaluable to some of those young players."
Is that why Mealer and Burzynski have had a chance to step up this spring?
"You bet. Yes. Absolutely. Darrell had a chance to work with those kids. The issues we had during the season are preparing X amount of players -- usually around 18 guys -- the rest of the team was the scout team. Well other than individual drills, you just don't get a lot of practical application of the offense, whereas when you get into bowl practices, you've got enough time now to go back and look at those kids run your offense, not running an offense off cards. Those reps running our offense for those kids are very valuable. It's almost like having a second spring football."
Are you feeling like the chemistry is developing well?
"Yeah, it's starting to come. A lot of that now, you have to understand, is dictated by the center's ability to be confident in his position. Ricky is a work in progress still, but as Ricky becomes more and more comfortable in there, it has an infectious effect on the rest of the players. They all kind of take his lead a little bit. Like I told you before, he kind of quarterbacks the offensive line. If he's on the same page with everybody else, that chemistry tends to take."
How has Fitz looked?
"He's been good. Really good. Really good. We're trying to be careful with him, because he's kind of proven himself. Not that we're ever -- a guy's always going to work. We're not going to give him an easy way out, but by the same token when we go live and such, he's going to carry the ball so he keeps well oiled, but we're not going to run him into the ground and get him banged up, but he's had an outstanding spring."
What areas specifically?
"Run the football, his blocking has improved, his receiving -- every area has improved. He's become more complete, and that was our goal coming in. He's still not a finished product, no, and I don't think any of them are, but he's a kid where as a coach, you're always looking for a group of kids who you have complete confidence in their ability to do what you want them to do in a game. And I tell them, 'If we don't, we're not going to put you in a game.' But he's probably reached that point."
How much better is he at blocking?
"His biggest issue, and I've said it before, was his vision a year ago, but that's gone away. I see no signs of that being around anymore. It's just running the ball and seeing the holes and knowing where your help's coming from, but that's really it. He had to improve his protection -- no issues with toughness, just understanding how to position yourself so you can get good leverage to throw the block. He's done that. We're throwing him more balls than we have. He's a prideful kid, and football's important to him, so those types of kids tend to get better, especially if they have a lot of skill."
What have you seen from Thomas Rawls this spring?
"Thomas is a different kind of back. He's more of a power back. He brings a load now, because he's a thick, strong, solid player with good speed. He's going to generally fall forward when he hits you, and there's going to be some impact when he hits you. Whoever's trying to tackle him, particuarly in the open field, is going to feel him. But he's got some of the same issues that Fitz had last spring, but they're starting to go away I've noticed, too. He's starting to see the line of scrimmage better and make better cuts and not run into bodies. Thomas, when he came in coming out of high school, and a lot of the guys do this -- the power backs just tend to want to run straight ahead and run over guys because they can't tackle them, and the scat backs tend to want to juke everybody and never get up the field. Well the perfect back is somewhere in between. They understand when to use their power and understand when to use their stop and go ability, and Thomas is now gotten to a point where he's not simply trying to run over everybody every time he gets the ball."
Do you think it helped that he watched Fitz's development last season?
"I don't think it hurt him any. I think those are good mental reps, I call them, where you can steal repetition from a guy who may not have done it right, and then not have to bull it yourself. Have the coach critique it. There's nothing like doing. I'm a big believer in body learning. Body learning means physically going through the trial and error part of it so that you can fix the mistake yourself. Mental reps are great. You have to take them, but the body learning is even more important. I talk in coaching about two things really that are important for players: one is body learning, and that's reptition and such, and functional intelligence. Functional intelligence simply is the ability to transfer what you learn in the film room or on the chalkboard or in the locker rooms and practically apply it to the game. The progression, of course, is practice first. But it's really irrelevant what your IQ is when you take a test when in fact when it comes time to execute the responsibility you're not able to do it. Those two things, being able to body learn it and being intelligent enough to execute it when it's time to execute it."
How do you like Rawls' functional intelligence?
"Good, because he understands better. He is still going through a few growing pains with our protection, but it's not because he doesn't know it. He just needs to body learn it a bit more."
What's your philosophy on the spring game? What do you hope to get out of it?
"Same thing as everything else -- evaluation, system, that's usually what spring's all about. See if we can find another playmaker. See if somebody jumps to the forefront when everybody's watching. That's when it's really the most critical is when the lights go on. Sometimes guys in practice are better than they are when it really counts. Freddie J has a name for it -- State Street players or Main Street players. We're going to find out who the Main Street players are. Or at least, we hope to."
With Devin, how much have you experimented with his role?
"A little bit here and there. A little bit. Part of spring is experimentation, but it's not really the emphasis. What we want to do as coaches is install our offense, refine our offense. Because we're constantly evolving and trying to professionally enrich ourselves, we take little bits and pieces that we've learned in the offseason and try to apply them in spring football and test them a little bit, but that's a small percentage of what we're doing. That's basically testing schemes. We're much more interested in seeing to it that these kids are developed within our system and we can evaluate their skill level so when it comes time to play we can decide who deserves to."
Do you feel like you've found a role for Devin?
"Yeah, I think so. I think right now it's quarterback. I think he's going to be the No. 2 quarterback and we'll see how things go. Our approach to Devin hasn't changed much. We're going to find a way to get him on the field because he's got skills that go over and above your average quarterback.
Is he far and above Bellomy as the No. 2 QB?
"No. No. No one is far and above anybody right now that I can think of. Russ Bellomy's made a -- he has people's attention. Russ is another kid that's really athletic, can throw the ball. Good functional intelligence. He's a kid that needed more body learning, more reps, but he's had a pretty good spring, too. He probably doesn't get mentioned as much as he should, but he's a good player."
Have you had the opportunity to identify any spots where you might have to play freshmen?
"Yeah, well first of all, the guys coming in, we have no idea who's going to help us. Neither does anybody in the entire country regardles of what you told them in recruiting. No one does, because sometimes guys come in and simply -- they're just not as good or they're not ready. Either one of the two. I have no idea what going to happen with that. We recruit every kid assuming they're going to play for us, and we'll just go from there. But this isn't about that. This is about trying to get a team ready in 15 days and find out do they know your system and who has got the best chance to play at that point. Now when we get into the first weekend in fall, we start all over again. You install your system, evaluate what you have, and see who's got the best chance to play at that point. You have a new batch of players."
Could you see yourself doing some tailback by committee this fall?
"No. I see no reason for that. Not at this point. Fitz is clearly our tailback. If he isn't, I'm not very smart. We're going to spell him occasionally. He's not going to be in there every play, but our last five or six games, you saw what our appraoch wanted to be, and that's pretty much how it's going to stay until it isn't productive."
MGoQuestion: Speaking of experimentation, it looked like there may have been a couple bubble screens in the highlight videos from spring practice. Are you --
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Next question."
MGo =(
Yes that is from today.
He is going to kick Heiko out of a press conference someday.
Best part of the interview.
Yep, that's Simba made out of a pineapple.
Best part was;
a carnival of missed assignments
5 4 3 2 1 Touchdown!
Touchdown Billy Taylor!
Touchdown Billy Taylor!
Heiko is such a smartass. That's why he belongs here.
Special Teams means special times!
The bubble screen question gets me every time.
I love how nobody has the cojones to follow Heiko's question. Or maybe poor Heiko was so demoralized he stopped transcribing....
Suggestion: don't use the word bubble. Call it a WR screen and see if he doesn't laser you to death.
Wanting something to be true does not make it true.
He must be thinking "what is it with this guy and the bubble screen?" it is hilarious.
What was it like when gorgeous responded to your question that way?
So hot. Milk was a bad choice.
Do you think it helped that he watched Fitz's development last spring?
Substitute season for spring?
Eating is murder.
What is "functional intelligence," and was it funcationally intelligent to ask Borges about bubble screens?
any word on Vincent Smith at all lately?
2013 resolution - make it onto the 2014 favorite MGoPosters post, not ironically
Gorgeous Borges is going to come out wearing a Mr. Bubble t-shirt.
ALWAYS remember the golden rule: He who has the gold, makes the rules
Someone needs to start pumping out a Bubble Screen t-shirt. Something like "Bubble Screens are Tremendous." I'd buy one, and I'm extremely cheap.
Disgruntled former moderator. I got a lot of problems with you people!
"I can sing, but I'm sure you don't want to hear that."
Is there any context for this? It seems pretty funny that he would just open his press conference with that.
"I love him, he's a great coach, he's a great mentor, he's a great friend. He's every single thing you want a college coach to be, and he does it flawlessly." -David Molk
misreading the "Video: Borges and Mattison" thread as "Victor Borge and Mattison"
I love that you went there, I just hope it doesn't mean he won't call on you in the future!
if Heiko has a rappor going with Borges. Al seems like the type that likes to mess with you now and then, and the best way to earn his respect is to mess with him back. Given the history, brazenly asking him about bubble screens at the press conference is a perfect way to do that.
..does one not just walk into Mordor, it seems that one does not just ask Borges about bubble screens.
Or is "Don't ask Borges about bubble screens" the fourth rule of fight club?
/ nerdfest
No radio. Nothing of value.
Its like I tell people at work, no one likes me because my role entails asking tough questions that no one wants to address. But someone has to raise the issues or the ship will sink! Keep up the great work, Heiko.
Disgruntled former moderator. I got a lot of problems with you people!
Al Borges makes Kate Upton look like a steaming pile of monkey shit that was shat by a sick monkey that hadn't taken a monkey shit in a long time.
He's gorgeous.
Sent From My Commodore 64
Hahaha, I want some video of the bubble screen question. No question that's your moniker now at the press conferences, and I bet that Borges has a good laugh about it in private.
"It would be a travesty, it would be ridiculous to all of a sudden come back and get the feeling back, get the health back, feel good again and then all of a sudden go throw some other colors on my shirt and go coach."
I think Heiko and Borges are just putting together a comedy act together. Their timing is priceless.
So much for all the DEVIN IS GOING TO BE A RECEIVER!!! talk.
And the expectation is for the position, and the best man will win the spot, yadda yadda yadda...but I'm rooting for Mealer to win a starting spot in his senior year and have a good season to cap off his career.
"I love him, he's a great coach, he's a great mentor, he's a great friend. He's every single thing you want a college coach to be, and he does it flawlessly." -David Molk
Shhhhhh... it's all a ruse. Gorgeous Borges put the kibash on DG at WR because the media jumped all over it too quick. So now they're keeping it under wraps... until kickoff of the Bama game. And then... BOOM!
"going", after the " How has Fitz looked?" question , 4th line.
I didn't know that "spelled" was a maiden . I thought she was married . . .
Disgruntled former moderator. I got a lot of problems with you people!


text:
Scotland County native Earl "Third World Earl" Swindell has recorded a tribute to his mentor and friend the late James Brown.
The cd, which has two tracks, is called "Bring Back the Funk."
The 60-year-old Swindell calls the music a tribute to the sound of the "Godfather of Soul."
Swindell first meet Brown in 1971 after graduating from high school here. He eventually became Brown's valet and friend. Swindell would eventually work as promotion man for Polydor Records. He served as a pallbearer at Brown's funeral in 2006.
"He called me his son and his nephew," Swindell said. "He was my idol growing up so it was great to actually meet him and eventually become friends."
Swindell, who sings on the album, said fans of Brown will like the music. The title track — Bring Back the Funk — runs about 4:42. There is a instrumental version that runs the same length.
"It is going to be fantastic," Swindell said. "As of last week, the people that run the Grammys have it. The president of the Grammys wanted to know who was Third World Earl."
Information about the cd and Swindell can be found at thirdworldearl@yahoo.


text:
Every day thousands of professionals take the time to apply to a job opportunity online. The vast majority never receive a personal response, only an automated email confirming the application.
My impression is that, whether you apply to a company directly, a contingency agency, or an executive search firm, the experience is fairly similar. Having said that, my expertise is predominantly limited to search firms, so hopefully this entry will shed some light on what I have learned and why things are the way they are in executive search.
Professionally speaking, the turn of the century was a wondrous time for me. As a recruiter in a mid-size search firm, I had just earned (i.e. been the only one interested in) the opportunity to take over all of our e-recruitment activities, as long as it didn't take away from my ACTUAL job of making calls.
Bear in mind, the concept of using the Internet to apply for a job was still in its infancy. Databases were used sporadically and industry titans were still saying things like "this will always be a paper industry". Locked desk drawers were teeming with hidden resumes.
The whole world was just starting to change, and I was getting paid to break new ground without being burdened by the shackles of knowledge or historical precedent. Soon, we were assured, the technological advances of the online application would wipe out our whole industry. In the meantime, I got to be on the Internet while I was at work. That made me pretty cool.
I could spend much longer rambling on about the various decisions we made at that time and the lessons we learned, but at the end of the day there was one aspect in particular of that job that truly interested me: Statistics. In a changing world, new and deeply relevant data is your best friend.
Over the decade, even as my focus moved on, our firm meticulously tracked things like:
What percentage of applicants actually gets called for the jobs that they applied for?
What is the specific breakdown of every hire we made? Where did the person come from? What day did we call them on?
What job sites produced the most applications? The most finalists? The most hires?
Much time has passed and it still amazes me to think about just how much the recruitment world has changed in 15 years, and how much change it is still undergoing. A lot of the data we used then is no longer very relevant, but I do think there are a few points that remain of interest to everyone:
1) The percentage of hired candidates found through direct applications has been trending down for several years
In the time of new and exciting job boards our firm could expect up to one third of our hires from this strategy, but we always knew that this wouldn't last. The majority of clients don't need us to place ads for them, and in the world of aggregate job boards the process is simplified. New technologies are game changers, allowing everyone to more efficiently find the person they are looking for, not limiting themselves to an applicant pool. Job boards remain relevant, but they are not a standalone solution.
2) When applying to search firms, only a small percentage of applicants are called for the job that they apply for. In my experience, the number is consistently under 5%
Why? When a company decides to invest in external help (bear in mind we really aren't all that cheap) it is paying for the prerogative to narrow the specs and increase the expectations. More importantly, every job is an island unto itself. No matter how much candidates see their own skill sets in a vague job description, there is always a lot more going on behind the scenes. Search firms like ours routinely call a hundred or more people with the same basic skill sets to try and find the perfect match for both parties. We are still thrilled to receive each application, but we have a lot of other work to do.
3) Previous applicants are much more likely to be contacted later for roles that they did not actually apply for, but are better qualified for
Just when you thought the whole thing was a waste of time, it turns out there is still a reasonable expectation of return on the applicant's investment. At the firm I worked for we took a consistent approach in capturing data that applicants filled in on their online forms: we limited ourselves to simple and searchable information that mirrored our own internal processes. Very quickly we became amazed at how amassing talented resumes, driven by candidate applications, led to very happy coincidences. People with extremely specific skill sets would suddenly get a call out of the blue from us on behalf a company looking for someone just like them. In my experience, even coupled with aggressive fresh research on every search, this can generate 40% of hires for a generalist firm. I expect it would be higher for specialist firms.
As a co-owner of a business, I am painfully aware that every day many qualified professionals, future hires and potential future clients alike, take the time to apply to my firm. It is a leap of faith on their part, leaving themselves open to frustration and feelings of rejection. Firms can receive tens of thousands of resumes each year, and I regret that we don't have a better formula for showing that it is appreciated, and that it is worthwhile.
For what it is worth, here are my tips to jobseekers:
1) It is better to take the time and fill out an application form than to email your application. An online form usually goes to a shared database where you can be found later by a specific search. An email is more likely to disappear into a resume graveyard.
2) While recruiters will prioritize their own database and their applications, most are also making use of new technologies like LinkedIn, associations, professional groups, etc. These days, having a full online profile will do a lot of the work for you
3) I am a strong believer that it is better to target organizations and proactively contact them (using your network wherever possible) rather than waiting for the perfect job posting. Job postings are an open competition with a scoring system you can't even see. Whenever possible, make your strengths the focus even if there is no immediate opening.
4) As has always been the case, networking is the most successful strategy. If you are applying to an online posting, see if your network has any helpful connections to separate you from the pack.
Very interesting facts, thanks for sharing. I did not know a lot of this. I will save this in order to share it with friends that are looking.
Elise Reynolds
Thanks Elise,
I appreciate the kind words.
I appreciate this article. I'm glad you got it out in the world. I have observed for several years very little response from the online job applications of my job-seeking customers (I run a job search assistance service; I'm not a recruiter per se.) I figured they were not being looked at. (In fact, when I get a new customer, I have them apply to jobs immediately to get it out of their system so we can move onto new ways of connecting with recruiters.) What you say is unfortunate, However. Given all the people I directly work with, as well as the job seekers I work with as a volunteer at a nonprofit that offers job seeking services, I can tell you there is a lot of time and effort being devoted to online job applications in good faith. Getting into the database for future jobs is a small comfort to a person who has spent countless hours applying to jobs with no response and has a family to support.
But part of this article does not reflect my experience. You basically suggest the social medias are new ways for job seekers to connect. I don't see it. If I were to create a pie chart of sourcing, I would say:
95% recruiter inquiries based on database searches
3% online applications
2% social media contacts
Randall Scasny
Thanks Randall,
I understand it is quite different depending on the service. On the search side we are also selling the market research component, so we spend extensive time mapping out markets and companies. LinkedIn (which I am counting under social media) has represented a major change in this process and we use it extensively to connect with new people who were not in our database, though we still do a lot of fresh work with no direct Internet or social media support.
Having an up to date and searchable LinkedIn profile is critical in my mind for job seekers. We look at thousands of profiles every month.
Great article this helps expalin why Recruiting Software vendors like myself put so much emphasis on parsing resumes and what we do with them after they are parsed.
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There are currently no results to display for your search. As Britain from Above is an ongoing project more images will be added to the site over the coming years. Please conduct your search again in the near future to see if any new images are relevant.
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Hai Kitsuyeo and welcome to RPG! if you need anything or just chat let me know or RP let me know.
Hi... I'm Kitsuyeo(315) and my OCs are : Denki Yoona Utadenwa, Lim SooHyo
I love to RPG and I hope we can all get along well ^-^
Hai Kitsuyeo and welcome to RPG! if you need anything or just chat let me know or RP let me know.
Signature by me!
Song of the week.
........('(...´...´.... ¯~/'...')
..........''...\.......... _.·´
Welcome to the Guild, Kitsuyeo.
You should check out out Character Sheet section, where you can add all of your OC's information in an easy to manage spot.
Since you're new here, also check out The Guide. It just goes through all of the basics.
If you need any help at all, don't hesitate to PM me or Ask a Comrade, we are the people with the italic usernames.
We are pretty nice around here, so don't be shy.
Hope to see you around!
Email me if you want to RP or something: email@example.com
Proof that I am the AntiChrist
Genesis [OOC & Sign-Ups] -- Accepting
Check out UnfortunateTeammates if you enjoy watching videogames!


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This article was originally distributed via PRWeb. PRWeb, WorldNow and this Site make no warranties or representations in connection therewith.
SOURCE: NorthStar SEO, LLC.
Discover the power Jerry Gordon Real Estate's new blog has in negotiating your next real estate transaction.
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Found on the firm's website JerryGordonRealEstate.com, consult the blog when considering buying, selling or financing a real estate venture in the Indianapolis, area. Trust that Jerry's viewpoints are thoughtful, and operate with the best intent for you.
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Learn about the careful attention and expertise the firm possesses in achieving optimum results in this seminal transaction. Read testimonials from satisfied clients that Jerry guided from start to finish.
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What sets Jerry Gordon aside is his desire to put his clients in the drivers' seat, allowing them to be as hands-on or off as they would like. He mixes the tried and true methods of home buying and selling with a modern style to find you the home that is right for you, and ensures that when this happens – you feel comfortable that you are settling in, not settling for.
Contact Information:
Jerry Gordon
9111 Allisonville Road
Suite A
Indianapolis, IN 46250
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/12/prweb10276282.htm


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Articles by Jannette Pippin
Dredging to begin along coast
The heavy equipment began arriving Friday in preparation for a beach nourishment project set to begin in a few days along Bogue Banks. READ MORE
Carteret County plans a series of New Year's celebrations
A New Year's celebration returns to Carteret County with a new name and an expanded lineup of activities intended to bring out an off-season crowd. READ MORE
Beach hotel under new ownership
A Carteret County hotel that has been closed since September 2011 is officially under new ownership. READ MORE
N.C. Supreme Court hears case involving 2010 Big Rock fishing tourney
The wait is on for an opinion by the state's highest court in a legal dispute stemming from the 2010 Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. READ MORE
Former legislator Preston dies in Connecticut hospital
A longtime state legislator from Carteret County died early Thursday morning at a Connecticut hospital where she had been in intensive care following a serious fall. READ MORE
Former legislator Preston remembered at memorial service
The late N.C. Sen. Jean Preston was remembered Saturday for her tireless work for Eastern North Carolina and her friendship to all she met. READ MORE
Legislators could review new ferry tolls
Newly approved changes in tolling for the state's ferries haven't likely put an end to the issue. READ MORE
How high will gas prices go?
If you paid a bit more at the pump with your last fill up, you noticed the latest trend in gasoline prices. READ MORE
Apparent road rage results in charges
A Lenoir County couple faces charges in Carteret County in connection with an alleged case of road rage that led to shots fired over the weekend. READ MORE
Man charged in apparent road rage shooting has bond changed
A Lenoir County man charged in a weekend road rage incident in Carteret County left the courtroom Wednesday with modifications to his bond. READ MORE


text:
Title: | Head Coach |
Phone: | 860-444-8590 |
Email: | email@example.com |
Ethan begins his fifth season as head coach of Coast Guard
Academy women's cross country team and his third season as
head coach of both the men's and women's track team.
He had brief cross country and track coaching stints at Babson
College (2006-2008) and Springfield College (2003-2005) where he
coached several athletes to All-American and All-New England
He holds a Master's of Education in Sports Management from
Springfield College and professional certifications including;
Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist from the NSCA and
USA Track & Field (USATF) Level I certified coach.
Brown was a standout at Springfield College, where he was a
two-time All-New England high jumper. He finished 12th in the high
jump at the 2001 NCAA Division III Outdoor National


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The services that sex workers provide varies. A minority of working girls are specialists in fetish services, also known as Dominatrixes. Every "mistress" has her own rules, and many of these fetish specialists do not offer sex as part of their services. Equally, a lot of men seeking fetish services are not seeking sex. Personally, I am 'normal' service provider most of the time, which means I have conventional sex with men. But occasionally, I perform fetishes for clients.
I have beaten men with leather straps/whips. I have punished men. I have spat on their face. I have made them worship my feet, high-heels, boots, bottom, breasts, or stockings (of course, this was their request). Do I enjoy it? Well, depending on the circumstances it can turn me on sexually with clients. For instance, I love men to worship my body. In terms of giving physical punishment, I more enjoy it in my personal life. Initially when I first started this work, I thought fetish clients were weird and strange, and I couldn't do it. Now, I often wish I could be a fetish specialist.
From my observations, a lot of fetish clients are powerful men. In their daily lives, they are accustomed to giving orders and telling people what to do. So, when they visit an escort they behave the exact opposite: they want to be totally helpless. They want to kneel at a woman's feet and be vulnerable and submit to her desires. In other words, it's all about her pleasure (or at least that's the idea).
One of my clients overseas was memorable. He was a young guy who usually made a 2 hour appointment. Sex was not his goal. He always brought beautiful lingerie, designer high heels and stockings with him. He wanted me, the escort, to dress him in women's lingerie and high heels. After dressing, he wanted me to torture him mildly. He wanted to please me too. I tried analyzing his bizarre fetish, yet the concept of a man dressed in women's lingerie wanting to be humiliated by beautiful woman boggled my mind. Gender constructions of masculinity place a lot of pressure on men to behave in certain ways — a lot of men reject these ideals placed upon them, yet sadly it often has to remain secret as Modern societies are not so welcoming to feminine heterosexual men.
In my personal life, I enjoy fetishes. I like to mix mild pain with pleasure with men I love. I must emphasize that this is strictly limited to someone I love. I'm dominant in the sense that I get what I desire, and my lover caters to my needs (not that I take control physically per say). I equally like inflicting mild pain, while receiving it depending on my mood. I'm what is known as a femdom, because my lovers know my pleasure and satisfaction is paramount over their own…, and I love the idea of them serving me. The idea of him putting my manicure feet in his mouth drives me wild…I love to be spoiled. Or, like with my ex used to love, sitting on his face. However, I love to spoil my love too, and take him to the edge….to the point where our bodies are shivering.
If I had to reveal one fantasy of mine…it would be a young guy (younger than me) who wants to be told what to do. I am not dominating him physically, but I am giving commands. Thus, he is submitting to my desires and pleasing me. If he succeeds, he will be rewarded royally.
As the Kama Sutra says: there must be variety in love sport…


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G23 - Unsolicited Customer Letter | 05/15/13 |
Rarely a day passes that I do not hear from someone who wants to tell me how much they love their Nautique. Whether stopping me to talk at an event, sending an email or a Facebook message, or calling, people love to talk about their Nautique boats!
Recently I received the below email from the owner of a new Super Air Nautique G23:
"Hi Bill,
I've returned from my first day using my new G23….and honestly, I'm pretty speechless.
Bill I've owned a lot of boats over the past three decades….but nothing…repeat NOTHING compares to what I was in today. We had about 10 people out with us….all our gear / boards / vests / towels got stowed / no clutter, no sacks, pumps, weights. I grabbed a surfer….hit the Surf button….and was off. Ridiculous wake…but one that could be fine-tuned further depending on the shape / length / size we wanted. Want to pull a wakeboarder…one button. By the time he got his board on…the G was ready. No shifting of people… no sacs to fill… no adjusting at all. The wake… impeccable… no white wash… great shape… perfect. Double ups…other boats wakes….no problem…no slamming / jarring impact…smooth / comfortable….awesome. Novice wakeboard up next… no problem… one button and a 16 mph clean wake was there. Simply blown away how versatile a boat can be…and so easy to use.
I think the best thing that summed up our experience today was this…....one of the riders who went with us today rode in the morning behind his new (competitor's boat name deleted). His comment to me after getting behind the G was…"I don't know why I go and ride behind the (competitor's boat name deleted).... the wake is so inconsistent and rollie and I struggle with my tricks" ....."I come here…with a boat with no extra weight, with people all over the boat and the wake is perfect… the Nautique is perfect".
But beyond this from my personal perspective….I had 2 families, and about 5 others on our boat today who all had an amazing time on the water, in total comfort with a world class wake to ride….simply awesome!! How anyone who was looking for a new wake boat in this category, that got in the G23, drove it and used it, could select another boat simply baffles my mind. This boat is a masterpiece! I can't wait to use it again! Congratulations on a job WELL DONE!"
The best part of this letter? These comments are not unusual, I hear them often…
The world's best wake boat; the world's best ski boat; and, a company that cares!
Enjoy the Nautique life!
*All prices found on this website are based on standard MSRP in U.S. dollars and do not include freight, dealer prep, or international cost factors. Prices, materials, standard equipment and options are subject to change without notice.
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This was my first marathon, and I enjoyed it so much. The course was really nice with some single track, stream crossings, smooth dirt roads, and beautiful views. The aid stations were well stocked with all sorts of yummy snacks and super friendly people. I will definitely participate in this event again.
Against previously posted advice (because of its '9' rating), this was my first 50K. Everything said before about its sandy, climbing, descending toughness is correct. Luckily, my GPS malfunctioned early and I ran the course with restraint instead of with the pacing mania that comes with road marathons. It is a spectacular course, with down home friendly people supporting it, and they double as great spectators. I finished the 31 mi running not walking and now I think I can run just about any 50K.
This was my second trail marathon and I really enjoyed the scenery and the challenging terrain. People should know that the trail is mostly sand, which will slow you down a little. There was also some extra mileage, which added an entire 1/2-hour to my time; the race organizers blamed the runners for that, even though we followed markers. Anyway, we had a great breeze and finished before it got too hot. Awesome!!
This is a race that people should hate, but love. What's to hate? How about this: 15-minute splits to START the race; sandy, uphill stretches that never end; potential to spend an hour on the course without another runner in sight (with doubt creeping in about whether you're on course until you get to the next aid station); 7-mile, quad-busting, downhill stretches. What's to love? See above. It's a different type of person who runs this race. The type of person who runs this race thinks someone finishing the Badwater ultra is a rock star. They think there is something special about running at the foothills of the Sierras. They want beer at an aid station. They appreciate the warmth of a small town. This race will be my first that I've ever repeated for any distance, and May can't get here fast enough! I marked Fans as a two to be fair to events like Boston, where the streets are lined with fans from start to finish. Although spectators and volunteers are wonderful in this race, the remoteness keeps them out of sight for 95% of the race.
My first time for this run. I did the marathon, and as one previous writer mentioned, you should add one hour to your overall worst time. That about sums it up. First, the altitude did play a role in this run. Windy, cold - later warming up quite a bit. Scenery was great - if you're sightseeing. But the fresh air and beautiful surroundings certainly help. It really makes it difficult to go back to a big-city road marathon. Lone Pine is a great, small town with nothing but friendly folks, and the runners who came are all great. This is not a great first-time marathon - too difficult for many. But at least try the 10-miler. Also, watch out for the course markers (Dan), otherwise you could end up going the wrong way and drinking "pond water." I believe I'll be back. The only reason I did not give it a 5-star rating is because the last few miles were fairly boring and they reminded me too much of those "big city" marathons. Just being a bit too picky! Otherwise, it's one of the best out there.
Five of us from western Canada made the pilgrimage down to Lone Pine for the Wild Wild West 50K. The race was wonderful. Since we've been running on snow all winter, the loose sand wasn't a problem, although I would highly recommend light gaiters to keep it out of your shoes! The first couple hills were a nice grade and easily runnable - all of us found the uphills a pleasure. However, after mile 7 or 8, there is a 6-mile quad-killer downhill; this is where we all found that the Californians had the advantage, as they opened up speed and we were left behind... temporarily! The scenery did not disappoint. The aid stations and the people were unparalleled. Wonderful, positive people every 2 miles - I've never experienced a race that was so well supported. And special thanks to the aid station on Whitney Portal Road that fed me beer at mile 23!!! The only complaint amongst the bunch of us was we wished that there had been a narrower single track. But that's a very minor complaint. Of the five of us, we all placed in our age categories. How cool it was to come to a new place and to do so well. The prize for placing in our age categories was a handmade, green, pottery beer mug. The beer after the race tasted all the better in our victory mugs! EH! Thank you to Lone Pine for such an amazing weekend.
I ran the Wild Wild West 50K in 2005. It was fabulous. The 6 a.m. start was cold but beautiful, and not crowded. If you view running as a meditation, this 50K or marathon will be right up your alley. You can dress in extra layers at the start and peel some off, leaving your outerwear (sweatshirt, etc.) at an aid station along the course. They will have it at the finish line for you to pick it up. The only problem I encountered was a poorly marked turn when the 5.5-mile loop for the 50K rejoined the 26.2-mile marathon course for the last few miles into town. I, and another runner, did not see the turn and went about 6-8 minutes the wrong way, until we ran into some of the marathon runners who pointed out our mistake to us. The race organizers really should position a person right at that juncture in the race so the 50K folks make the right turn. I pointed this out to the organizers, but I am not sure if they have corrected that problem. There were one or two creek crossings early on in the race, and at one point in the middle of the race you had to go through a little gate area on a dirt road where it was not exactly apparent that that was the thing to do. Other than that, the arrows marking the course were pretty good. The pre-race meal the night before was tasty spaghetti and garlic bread, with salad. The repeat runners and race organizers really are friendly and accept you willingly into their little fraternity. I, and the guy who took the wrong turn, finished 5th and 7th in the 50K. The first 8 of us who finished the 50K took pride in the fact that had any one of us run the marathon, instead we would have won it. I ran a 3:14:31 in the LA Marathon 2 months before, and came in at 4:59 for the 50K race, in 7th place, even with the wrong turn. It took basically my LA marathon time, plus 1 hour, plus 35 additional minutes for the additional miles of the 50K versus a 26.2-mile marathon. The long-sleeve shirt with the race course and elevation on the back was great. The race medal was made of a hard clay, hung on a leather strap, and really was very special. I treasure it to this day. Staying in Lone Pine was great, too. My wife and I loved the little town. You have to drive from the town to the start several miles away in the morning. I do not recall there being any parking at the start. Your significant other or a friend has to drop you off at the start and the race finishes up back in town. The 6 a.m. start was the best. I wish more races started that early, to beat the heat. After the first 15-30 minutes of running, you are already warm, and in a hot year you will especially appreciate this early start. It was a fabulous race for any in-shape marathoner or ultra marathoner. Not sure I'd recommend this for a beginning or out of shape runner. I gave 5 stars for the spectator score because there WERE no spectators! Except at the start and the finish. If you run this scenic back country race and love it, you may never run a city marathon again! They just do not compare. Have not run this race since 2005, since my wife and I had two kids and I have had less time to train. But I will be back in 2009 or 2010, having gotten back into long-distance training again. I can't wait to run the course again. It was a beautiful, even spiritual, experience. Great people, too.
My first WWW Marathon brought me my PWR (Personal Worst Record). Simply speaking, I was not prepared for the steep hills and deep sand and gravel. However, I was awarded with the unparalleled beauty of the snowy Sierra Nevada and rocky Alabama Hills throughout the course. I also won in my own category of Canadian runners. The volunteers at the watering stations delivered world-class service. There was a wide selection of fruits and energy snacks, and the most important things: a variety of ice cold drinks and moral support. The promised free camping on the grounds of Tuttle Creek was not acknowledged by the camp host, which obviously was a minor miscommunication between WWW and BLM. For the future I would recommend a loop course, which might remove any inconveniences of shuttling between the finish and the start and taking care of runners' bags with change cloths. The course vertical profile should be published on the WWW website, not only on the high quality T-shirts. The course was colorful and the almost 3D map was a piece of cartographic art. Overall I liked the event and its unique atmosphere among local community and the runners, who did it many times in the past. My word of advice to first-time WWW runners: take your worst time and add 1 hour. Thank you, Lone Pine, for a great, tough run.
Awesome views. The marathon was about one-half mile too long, verified by three Garmins. Watch out for miles 20 to 24: absolutely quad-killing and knee jerking. The long downhill, from miles 7 to 14, was superb. No extra water is really needed until the last 10 miles.
I've done the 10-miler 10+ times. I love the race for its scenery, organization, other runners, fond memories - and let's not forget the pasta dinner with many old ultra friends. I always go up early to acclimate and to enjoy the area. Lots to see - Whitney Portal, Manzanar, art galleries, Hop-A-Long Cassidy ranch, etc.
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1. | what the hell | ||
What happen?, What is this stupid thing? I see a crowd who focus on a person in the road. So i ask my friend who is in there: "What the hell in here"
2. | what the hell | ||
when someone say something weird and you say what the hell???? See What the fuck Person1: walking "all of a sudden" im gay
bystander; WHAT THE HELL?? |
3. | WHat the hell | ||
Phrase meaning what on earth is going on or i can't believe any body can do something that stupid Jack one day said to me Don't argue logic with me I'll win i immedetly thought WHat the hell and started to laugh obsessively at him.
4. | what the hell | ||
expression of surprise. incregulous. shocked. Eqivalent to saying "what on earth" or "What Gives".
Considered a swear in some backward remote religious communities, like Texass. man sees car crash: What the hell.
or wife: 10% off ?! i'll get 2. husband: what the hell. |
5. | what the hell | ||
not believing. shocked. stupidperson: hilary duff rox!
me: what the hell?! are u drunk? she sux! |
6. | What The Hell | ||
feeling surprised.....or pissed.. Boy :Man....a typhoon is coming up..
Man :What the hell did you say just now? (surprised) |


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Jay Stevens anchors afternoon updates on X-Rock 103.9 from Northwest Indiana's Newsroom. Jay gives the information you need to know with local newscasts that focus on the region. X-Rock 103.9 listeners count on Jay to update them on current traffic conditions during the Region Road Reports. He has worked at great radio stations all across the country and is glad to use that experience to inform listeners in Northwest Indiana.
Traffic tipsters are reporting that a vehicle reportedly struck a building near 31st St. and Commercial Ave. in South Chicago Heights.
SoJourner Truth House represents hope and help for homeless and at-risk women and their children in the Gary community. Named after an escaped/freed slave who became an abolitionist, preacher, speaker, singer and champion of women's rights, SoJourner Truth even helped president Abraham Lincoln recruit black troops for the Union Army during the war between the states. The facility also operates a food pantry that serves around 1,500 persons each month.
SoJourner Truth with Abraham Lincoln
(photo in public domain)
Thanks to the baby boom generation, the most amount of workers ever, will be retiring over the next five to ten years. Bill Leavitt a technical writer from Valparaiso, who retired early himself, says when it comes to the mental aspect of retirement a lot retirees will be venturing into uncharted waters. This is one of the reasons Leavitt says he wrote a new book titled, "Retirement--Life's Greatest Adventure, A Retiree's Guide to a Happy, Fulfilling Life." The book is being self-published and can be ordered online from the author's web site (listed below), Suzy's Cafe in Valparaiso, South Shore Visitors and Convention Center in Hammond and also at the Holidaze Arts and Crafts Show to be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday November 16th, 17th and 18th at the Porter County Expo Center in Valparaiso. Be sure to tune in to hear exclusive reports featuring author Bill Levitt during our Region News Updates or hear all the reports on demand under my audio link on my blog page.
The Author's link: http://www.retirementlifesgreatestadventure.com/
# # #


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David Ivers
Our Mission
The Maurice & Jane Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice is a national nonprofit public-interest law center, dedicated to defending the rights of working people and their communities. When people anywhere in the US face workplace or social injustice, the Sugar Law Center and its broad network of cooperating attorneys provide representation to enforce their legal rights.
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Moderator: Flannel Jesus
His concerns match trends within medicine itself where they are questioning the overuse of various drugs including antiobiotics. Over the counter medications, even, are involved in a rather large number of deaths each year. Prescription drugs also. I don't think it is hurtful to raise the issues here in the way Abstract has.Xunzian wrote:Seems to me like you are fearmongering. You are promoting fear of a thing you don't really understand.
That is bad. You are engaging in an activity which is bad and hurtful.
Xunzian wrote:Seems to me like you are fearmongering. You are promoting fear of a thing you don't really understand.
That is bad. You are engaging in an activity which is bad and hurtful.
Xunzian wrote:Doctors aren't afraid of over prescribing antibioitics because they weaken the immune system. So, no, he isn't doing what doctors do. He is engaging in Jenny McCarthy level medical fearmongering.
Actually at least some doctors are:Xunzian wrote:Doctors aren't afraid of over prescribing antibioitics because they weaken the immune system. So, no, he isn't doing what doctors do. He is engaging in Jenny McCarthy level medical fearmongering.
Note they specifically mention immune suppression.
5. Immune Suppression. This may sound odd, as the purpose of antibiotics is presumably to help the immune response. However, evidence indicates that people treated with antibiotics have more repeat infections than those who are not treated. This is especially true of children whose ear infections are treated with antibiotics. Vitamin A and C and the use of simple herbs such as echinacea and astragalus, for example, are much safer and often equally effective.
In fact, antibiotics do not aid the immune system. They replace one of its functions. Antibiotics act by inhibiting certain enzymatic processes of bacteria, and by changing mineral balances. Normal cells, however, are also affected. This may be one reason why antibiotics weaken the immune response. Other toxic effects of antibiotics, such as the effect upon the normal bowel flora, may also be a cause.
AIDS research indicates that a risk factor for AIDS is an impaired immune response. This can be due to a history of repeated antibiotic use. Perhaps it is no accident the same group with the highest incidence of AIDS, male homosexuals as of 2009, is also a group that uses more antibiotics than other groups in America.
Xunzian wrote:Did Glen Beck murder and rape a girl in 1990?
Xunzian wrote:It is an old internet meme. Check it out.
Xunzian wrote:Right.
And it is possible that Glen Beck did rape and murder a girl in 1990. I'm not saying that Glen Beck did rape and murder a girl in 1990, I just want to start a discussion as to whether or not Glen Beck murdered and raped a girl in 1990. If Glen Beck didn't rape and murder a girl in 1990, then Glen Beck has nothing to worry about. The very fact that there is so little discussion about whether or not Glen Beck did, in fact, rape and murder a girl in 1990 says something, don't you agree? I'm just asking questions, you know?
Just to be clear i am not only discussing epigenetics as that applies to things that are not also of alterations to the DNA, i would think both occur in my examples as changes to the environment and body over time alter the DNA and thus thus later it is the DNA that informs the difference...Xunzian wrote:So . . .
I mean, I didn't think you were actually doing it. What with epigenetics, people are able to have all sorts of poorly considered opinions . . .
Xunzian wrote:But . . .Xunzian wrote:Are you seriously arguing LaMarckianism? Did you seriously just do that?
Xunzian wrote:So . . .
You are a LaMarckian. I believe we are done here.
Xunzian wrote:I'll give you a hint:
Your definition of genetics is wrong.
Xunzian wrote:"is the idea that an organism can pass on characteristics that it acquired during its lifetime to its offspring"
That was your definition.
But genotype doesn't change (significantly) within an organisms lifetime, more to the point, the genotype of an individual organism doesn't change in response to environmental pressures.
Xunzian wrote:Epigenetics is pretty new and so invoking it is pretty suspect in this case. I will agree that medicine is removing selective pressures, I talked about that earlier. But I'd argue that the removal of selective pressures is a good thing. Most people dying before they can reproduce represents a fantastic mechanism for selection, we could breed people with super immune systems if we did that. But I'll take a removal of selective pressures and longer life.
Look at glasses. Have glasses been a boon or a bane to humans? They removed selective pressures but in so doing allowed more people to live longer and live more fulfilling lives. I'll take that.
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Europe Tours
- Barcelona (Spain)
- Mont Blanc (France)
- Greek Islands (Greece)
- Athens (Greece)
- Dingle Peninsula (Ireland)
- Pompeii (Italy)
- Rome (Italy)
- Lisbon (Portugal)
- Seville (Spain)
Europe has always been the destination of choice for those seeking a connection with the history of western culture. Beyond the capital cities and museums hides another Europe vacation opportunity, studded with incredible scenery, quaint villages, quiet coastlines, friendly people and adventurous activities. Europe travel options include some of the world?s greatest treks, walks, bike rides and leisurely sightseeing excursions, which run through landscapes as grand as the Alps, yet as subtle as Tuscany. How about a winter experience in Scandinavia? Or an epic 80+ day tour through a dozen countries? From the turquoise coast of Turkey and medieval capitals of Eastern Europe to Spanish Andalucia, discover the real Europe with the Great Adventure People!
Best of Spain & Portugal (ESSP)
Dynamic culture, compelling history, to-die-for cuisine—the Iberian Peninsula really is an embarrassment of riches for every sense and interest. On this adventure, you'll soak up the history of Moorish history of Lisbon and Cordoba, be treated to a lively flamenco performance in Seville, explore the astounding red-clay fortress of the Alhambra and witness Gaudí's Barcelona with your own eyes. If that sounds like a lot, be prepared; we've only just begun.
Highlights: Exploring Moorish palaces and the great Iberian cities, feeling the rhythm of flamenco, capturing photos of stunning countryside and age-old cathedrals, discovering the tapas lifestyle, relaxing on the Algarve coast.
Costa Blanca Active Adventure (ESPA)
Stunning to look at, a thrill to explore and easily accessible to virtually all of Europe's major hubs, the Costa Blanca is an all-natural outdoor theme park for adventure-minded travellers. Steel yourself for eight days out and about in the wilderness, canyoning along rivers, crawling along inside caves, cycling through mountain passes and ambling through picturesque fields, valleys and meadows. You've never tasted mountain air as clean and crisp as they breathe up here. Convenient, economical, exciting… hits all the basics, doesn't it? Come discover what you've been missing. Bring your friends.
Highlights: Cycling through glorious countryside, learning about local culture and customs, savouring tapas and local wines.
- Trip Style:
- Active
- Trip Type:
- Small Group
- Service Level:
- Basic
- Physical Grading:
- 4
Marrakech Express (EEME)
There's so much to see in Europe; don't settle for a cramped bus tour. Head south for an adventure as unique as you are. Beginning in London—traveller central—you'll cross the channel for some French culture before hitting Spain for Moorish history, architecture in Barcelona and a tapas culture that will set you up for the endless nightlife. Best of all, this trip doesn't fade out—you'll finish up in Morocco with its mosques, medinas and kasbahs. It's a European tour with a southern kiss of the exotic.
Highlights: Meeting the ghost of Moorish Spain at the Alhambra, sampling small plates on a tapas bar crawl, dining on a picnic lunch at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, exploring the medinas and kasbahs of Morocco, dodging snake charmers, keeping it real with a small group of like-minded travellers.
Moorish Spain (ESMS)
Al-Andalus was a Muslim state that ignited Europe for centuries. It's now more commonly known as Spain. Discover the romance and intrigue for yourself on an 8-day tour that offers expert guidance but leaves plenty of free time to unravel the mysteries on your own. You'll explore Madrid's museums, walk Toledo's streets and embrace Andalucia's Moorish spirit in converted mosques, Seville's cathedral and the Alhambra of Granada. From gypsy culture to flamenco passion, encounter a culture a thousand years in the making.
Highlights: Exploring the ancient Moorish city of Toledo, Capturing the perfect sunset photo of the Alhambra in Granada, Walking along spectacular El Tajo Gorge in Ronda, Visiting the magnificent Mezquita in Cordoba, Losing yourself in the colourful alleyways of Seville.
Northern Spain by Bike (ESSB)
Encounter the beauty of Catalunya's countryside and its rustic towns on this compact and active bike tour. Designed for the weekend cyclist, this itinerary is challenging enough to get the heart pumping but comfortable enough that you can still appreciate the crystal-clear streams, ancient walled cities and stunning Mediterranean coastlines of the Pyrenees. Journey across volcanic landscape to ancient towns where you can recharge with culinary delicacies before winding down on the beaches of the Costa Brava. Experience the beauty of Catalunya and cycle through its heart!
Highlights: Cycling through glorious countryside, Learning about Catalan culture and customs, Savouring tapas and local wines.
- Trip Style:
- Active
- Trip Type:
- Small Group
- Service Level:
- Standard
- Physical Grading:
- 3
Trip | Length | Style | Service Level | Starting Price |
Best of Spain & Portugal (ESSP) | 15 days | Classic | Standard |
Costa Blanca Active Adventure (ESPA) | 8 days | Active | Basic |
Promotions Available!
Marrakech Express (EEME) | 15 days | Yolo | Basic |
Moorish Spain (ESMS) | 8 days | G-Plus | Comfort |
Northern Spain by Bike (ESSB) | 8 days | Active | Standard |
Promotions Available!