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Nuance Announces Second Quarter Fiscal 2013 Results
Nuance Announces Second Quarter Fiscal 2013 Results
Board of Directors Authorizes $500 Million Stock Repurchase Plan
BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nuance Communications, Inc. (NAS: NUAN) today announced financial results for its second quarter fiscal 2013, ended March 31, 2013.
Nuance reported GAAP revenue of $451.0 million in the second quarter fiscal 2013, a 15.6% increase over GAAP revenue of $390.3 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2012. Nuance reported non-GAAP revenue of $484.0 million, which includes $33.0 million in revenue lost to accounting treatment in conjunction with acquisitions. Second quarter fiscal 2013 non-GAAP revenue grew 15.9% over non-GAAP revenue of $417.7 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2012.
In the second quarter of fiscal 2013, Nuance reported GAAP net loss of ($25.8) million, or ($0.08) per share, compared with GAAP net income of $0.9 million, or $0.00 per diluted share, in the second quarter of fiscal 2012. In the second quarter of fiscal 2013, Nuance reported non-GAAP net income of $110.4 million, or $0.34 per diluted share, compared to non-GAAP net income of $138.8 million, or $0.43 per diluted share, in the second quarter of fiscal 2012. Nuance's second quarter fiscal 2013 non-GAAP operating margin was 29.1%, down from 36.8% in the second quarter of fiscal 2012. Nuance reported cash flow from operations of $93.1 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2013, down from $100.5 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2012. Nuance ended the second quarter of fiscal 2013 with a balance of cash and cash equivalents of $1,005.3 million.
Please refer to the "Discussion of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and to the "GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations," included elsewhere in this release, for more information regarding the company's use of non-GAAP measures.
"We are disappointed with our results for the second quarter, which were driven by a combination of execution issues and external factors. We have taken immediate corrective actions to improve the performance of our business and revised our operating plan accordingly," said Paul Ricci, Nuance Chairman and CEO. "Despite short-term setbacks, we continued to make advancements in the quarter, earning design wins and new bookings in new strategic product areas including our automotive business and Nina solutions for customer care. Our share buyback program announced today underscores our confidence in the business and our focus on shareholder value as we expect growth to accelerate in fiscal 2014."
Highlights from the quarter include:
- Healthcare - For Nuance's healthcare solutions, second quarter fiscal 2013 non-GAAP revenue was $229.3 million, up 53.0% from the second quarter of fiscal 2012. We secured new business with key healthcare customers including Adventist Health System, Alberta Health Services, Alexian Brothers Medical Center, Memphis Baptist Memorial Hospital, Meridian Health, Morristown Medical Center, Orlando Health, Pomona Valley Medical Center, Sacred Heart Hospital, St. Joseph Health, St. Luke's Hospital, University of New Mexico and WellSpan Health.
- Mobile & Consumer - ForNuance's mobile and consumer solutions, second quarter fiscal 2013 non-GAAP revenue was $116.2 million, up 1.0% from the second quarter of fiscal 2012. We secured new business or design wins with key mobile customers including Apple, Asus, Blackberry, DoCoMo, Ford, Fujitsu, GM, Honda, Kyocera, LG, Samsung and TPV.
- Enterprise - For Nuance's enterprise solutions, second quarter fiscal 2013 non-GAAP revenue was $74.5 million, down 18.5% from the second quarter of fiscal 2012. We secured new business with key enterprise customers including Caremark, Eastern Bank, E*Trade, Geico, HM Revenue & Customs, KTIM, MetroPCS, QBE, USAA, US Bank, US Social Security Administration and Wells Fargo.
- Imaging - For Nuance's document imaging solutions, second quarter fiscal 2013 non-GAAP revenue was $64.0 million, up 4.4% from the second quarter of fiscal 2012. We secured new business with key imaging customers including Ericsson, Hong Kong Jockey Club, IBM, P&G, Ricoh, Sharp, Southwick Council, StoraEnso and UPM.
Nuance Authorizes $500 Million Stock Repurchase Plan
Under the plan, Nuance intends to repurchase up to $500 million of its outstanding shares of common stock.
Stock repurchases may be made through a variety of methods, which may include open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions, block trades, accelerated stock repurchase transactions, or any combination of such methods. The timing and the amount of any purchases will be determined by the Company's management based on its evaluation of market conditions, capital allocation alternatives, and other factors. The share repurchase plan does not require the Company to acquire any specific number of shares and may be modified suspended, extended or terminated by the Company at any time without prior notice. The share repurchase plan is designed to comply with U.S. securities laws, rules and safe harbors for purchases that do not constitute tender offers. These restrictions can lengthen the time it may take for Nuance to acquire its shares under this repurchase plan.
Conference Call and Prepared Remarks
Nuance is providing a copy of prepared remarks in combination with this press release. These remarks are offered to provide shareholders and analysts with additional time and detail for analyzing results in advance of the company's quarterly conference call. The remarks will be available at http://www.nuance.com/earnings-results/ in conjunction with this press release.
The conference call will begin today, April 30, 2013 at 8:00 am EDT and will include only brief comments followed by questions and answers. The prepared remarks will not be read on the call. To access the live broadcast, please visit the Investor Relations section of Nuance's Website at www.nuance.com. The call can also be heard by dialing (800) 288-8968 or (612) 332-0630 at least five minutes prior to the call and referencing code 291523. A replay will be available within 24 hours of the announcement by dialing (800) 475-6701 or (320) 365-3844 and using the access code 291523.
About Nuance Communications, Inc.
Nuance Communications, Inc. (NAS: NUAN) is a leading provider of voice and language solutions for businesses and consumers around the world. Its technologies, applications and services make the user experience more compelling by transforming the way people interact with devices and systems. Every day, millions of users and thousands of businesses experience Nuance's proven applications. For more information, please visit www.nuance.com.
Trademark reference: Nuance, the Nuance logo, Dragon Medical and eScription are registered trademarks or trademarks of Nuance Communications, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.
Safe Harbor and Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this document regarding Nuance's growth expectations, Nuance's share repurchase program, and Nuance management's future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans or prospects constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," or "estimates" or similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including: fluctuations in demand for Nuance's existing and future products; economic conditions in the United States and abroad; Nuance's ability to control and successfully manage its expenses and cash position; the effects of competition, including pricing pressure; possible defects in Nuance's products and technologies; the ability of Nuance to successfully integrate operations and employees of acquired businesses; the ability to realize anticipated synergies from acquired businesses; and the other factors described in Nuance's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2012 and quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2012 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Nuance disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this document.
The information included in this press release should not be viewed as a substitute for full GAAP financial statements.
Discussion of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Management utilizes a number of different financial measures, both GAAP and non-GAAP, in analyzing and assessing the overall performance of the business, for making operating decisions and for forecasting and planning for future periods. Our annual financial plan is prepared both on a GAAP and non-GAAP basis, and the non-GAAP annual financial plan is approved by our board of directors. Continuous budgeting and forecasting for revenue and expenses are conducted on a consistent non-GAAP basis (in addition to GAAP) and actual results on a non-GAAP basis are assessed against the annual financial plan. The board of directors and management utilize these non-GAAP measures and results (in addition to the GAAP results) to determine our allocation of resources. In addition and as a consequence of the importance of these measures in managing the business, we use non-GAAP measures and results in the evaluation process to establish management's compensation. For example, our annual bonus program payments are based upon the achievement of consolidated non-GAAP revenue and consolidated non-GAAP earnings per share financial targets. We consider the use of non-GAAP revenue helpful in understanding the performance of our business, as it excludes the purchase accounting impact on acquired deferred revenue and other acquisition-related adjustments to revenue. We also consider the use of non-GAAP earnings per share helpful in assessing the organic performance of the continuing operations of our business. By organic performance we mean performance as if we had owned an acquired business in the same period a year ago. By continuing operations we mean the ongoing results of the business excluding certain unplanned costs. While our management uses these non-GAAP financial measures as a tool to enhance their understanding of certain aspects of our financial performance, our management does not consider these measures to be a substitute for, or superior to, the information provided by GAAP revenue and earnings per share. Consistent with this approach, we believe that disclosing non-GAAP revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share to the readers of our financial statements provides such readers with useful supplemental data that, while not a substitute for GAAP revenue and earnings per share, allows for greater transparency in the review of our financial and operational performance. In assessing the overall health of the business during the three and six months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, and, in particular, in evaluating our revenue and earnings per share, our management has either included or excluded items in six general categories, each of which is described below.
Acquisition-Related Revenue and Cost of Revenue.
The Company provides supplementary non-GAAP financial measures of revenue, which include revenue related to acquisitions, primarily from SafeCom, Quantim and J.A. Thomas for the three and six months ended March 31, 2013, that would otherwise have been recognized but for the purchase accounting treatment of these transactions. Non-GAAP revenue also includes revenue that the Company would have otherwise recognized had the Company not acquired intellectual property and other assets from the same customer. Because GAAP accounting requires the elimination of this revenue, GAAP results alone do not fully capture all of the Company's economic activities. These non-GAAP adjustments are intended to reflect the full amount of such revenue. The Company includes non-GAAP revenue and cost of revenue to allow for more complete comparisons to the financial results of historical operations, forward-looking guidance and the financial results of peer companies. The Company believes these adjustments are useful to management and investors as a measure of the ongoing performance of the business because, although we cannot be certain that customers will renew their contracts, the Company historically has experienced high renewal rates on maintenance and support agreements and other customer contracts. Additionally, although acquisition-related revenue adjustments are non-recurring with respect to past acquisitions, the Company generally will incur these adjustments in connection with any future acquisitions.
Acquisition-Related Costs, Net.
In recent years, the Company has completed a number of acquisitions, which result in operating expenses which would not otherwise have been incurred. The Company provides supplementary non-GAAP financial measures, which exclude certain transition, integration and other acquisition-related expense items resulting from acquisitions, to allow more accurate comparisons of the financial results to historical operations, forward-looking guidance and the financial results of less acquisitive peer companies. The Company considers these types of costs and adjustments, to a great extent, to be unpredictable and dependent on a significant number of factors that are outside of the control of the Company. Furthermore, the Company does not consider these acquisition-related costs and adjustments to be related to the organic continuing operations of the acquired businesses and are generally not relevant to assessing or estimating the long-term performance of the acquired assets. In addition, the size, complexity and/or volume of past acquisitions, which often drives the magnitude of acquisition-related costs, may not be indicative of the size, complexity and/or volume of future acquisitions. By excluding acquisition-related costs and adjustments from our non-GAAP measures, management is better able to evaluate the Company's ability to utilize its existing assets and estimate the long-term value that acquired assets will generate for the Company. The Company believes that providing a supplemental non-GAAP measure which excludes these items allows management and investors to consider the ongoing operations of the business both with, and without, such expenses.
These acquisition-related costs are included in the following categories: (i) transition and integration costs; (ii) professional service fees; and (iii) acquisition-related adjustments. Although these expenses are not recurring with respect to past acquisitions, the Company generally will incur these expenses in connection with any future acquisitions. These categories are further discussed as follows:
(i) Transition and integration costs. Transition and integration costs include retention payments, transitional employee costs, earn-out payments treated as compensation expense, as well as the costs of integration-related services, including services provided by third parties.
(ii) Professional service fees. Professional service fees include third party costs related to the acquisition, and legal and other professional service fees associated with disputes and regulatory matters related to acquired entities.
(iii) Acquisition-related adjustments. Acquisition-related adjustments include adjustments to acquisition-related items that are required to be marked to fair value each reporting period, such as contingent consideration, and other items related to acquisitions for which the measurement period has ended, such as gains or losses on settlements of pre-acquisition contingencies.
Amortization of Acquired Intangible Assets.
The Company excludes the amortization of acquired intangible assets from non-GAAP expense and income measures. These amounts are inconsistent in amount and frequency and are significantly impacted by the timing and size of acquisitions. Providing a supplemental measure which excludes these charges allows management and investors to evaluate results "as-if" the acquired intangible assets had been developed internally rather than acquired and, therefore, provides a supplemental measure of performance in which the Company's acquired intellectual property is treated in a comparable manner to its internally developed intellectual property. Although the Company excludes amortization of acquired intangible assets from its non-GAAP expenses, the Company believes that it is important for investors to understand that such intangible assets contribute to revenue generation. Amortization of intangible assets that relate to past acquisitions will recur in future periods until such intangible assets have been fully amortized. Future acquisitions may result in the amortization of additional intangible assets.
Costs Associated with IP Collaboration Agreement.
In order to gain access to a third party's extensive speech recognition technology and natural language and semantic processing technology, Nuance has entered into IP collaboration agreements, with terms ranging between five and six years. Depending on the agreement, some or all intellectual property derived from these collaborations will be jointly owned by the two parties. For the majority of the developed intellectual property, Nuance will have sole rights to commercialize such intellectual property for periods ranging between two to six years, depending on the agreement. For non-GAAP purposes, Nuance considers these long-term contracts and the resulting acquisitions of intellectual property from this third-party over the agreements' terms to be an investing activity, outside of its normal, organic, continuing operating activities, and is therefore presenting this supplemental information to show the results excluding these expenses. Nuance does not exclude from its non-GAAP results the corresponding revenue, if any, generated from these collaboration efforts. Although the Company's bonus program and other performance-based incentives for executives are based on the non-GAAP results that exclude these costs, certain engineering senior management are responsible for execution and results of these collaboration agreements and have incentives based on those results.
Non-Cash Expenses.
The Company provides non-GAAP information relative to the following non-cash expenses: (i) stock-based compensation; (ii) certain accrued interest; and (iii) certain accrued income taxes. These items are further discussed as follows:
(i) Stock-based compensation. Because of varying available valuation methodologies, subjective assumptions and the variety of award types, the Company believes that the exclusion of stock-based compensation allows for more accurate comparisons of operating results to peer companies, as well as to times in the Company's history when stock-based compensation was more or less significant as a portion of overall compensation than in the current period. The Company evaluates performance both with and without these measures because compensation expense related to stock-based compensation is non-cash and the options and restricted awards granted are influenced by the Company's stock price and other factors such as volatility that are beyond the Company's control. The expense related to stock-based awards is generally not controllable in the short-term and can vary significantly based on the timing, size and nature of awards granted. As such, the Company does not include such charges in operating plans. Stock-based compensation will continue in future periods.
(ii and iii) Certain accrued interest and income taxes. The Company also excludes certain accrued interest and certain accrued income taxes because the Company believes that excluding these non-cash expenses provides senior management, as well as other users of the financial statements, with a valuable perspective on the cash-based performance and health of the business, including the current near-term projected liquidity. These non-cash expenses will continue in future periods.
Other Expenses.
The Company excludes certain other expenses that are the result of unplanned events to measure operating performance and current and future liquidity both with and without these expenses; and therefore, by providing this information, the Company believes management and the users of the financial statements are better able to understand the financial results of what the Company considers to be its organic, continuing operations. Included in these expenses are items such as restructuring charges, asset impairments and other charges (credits), net. These events are unplanned and arise outside of the ordinary course of continuing operations. These items also include adjustments from changes in fair value of share-based instruments relating to the issuance of our common stock with security price guarantees payable in cash, and gains or losses on non-controlling strategic equity interests.
The Company believes that providing non-GAAP information to investors, in addition to the GAAP presentation, allows investors to view the financial results in the way management views the operating results. The Company further believes that providing this information allows investors to not only better understand the Company's financial performance, but more importantly, to evaluate the efficacy of the methodology and information used by management to evaluate and measure such performance.
Financial Tables Follow
|Nuance Communications, Inc.
|Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
|(in thousands, except per share amounts)
|Three months ended
|Six months ended
|March 31,
|March 31,
|Product and licensing
|Professional services and hosting
|Maintenance and support
|Total revenues
|Cost of revenues:
|Product and licensing
|Professional services and hosting
|Maintenance and support
|Amortization of intangible assets
|Total cost of revenues
|Gross profit
|Operating expenses:
|Research and development
|Sales and marketing
|General and administrative
|Amortization of intangible assets
|Acquisition-related costs, net
|Restructuring and other charges, net
|Total operating expenses
|Income from operations
|Other expense, net
|(Loss) income before income taxes
|Provision (benefit) from income taxes
|Net (loss) income
|Net (loss) income per share:
|Weighted average common shares outstanding:
|Nuance Communications, Inc.
|Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
|(in thousands)
|March 31, 2013
|September 30, 2012
|Current assets:
|Cash and cash equivalents
|Accounts receivable, net
|Prepaid expenses and other current assets
|Total current assets
|Land, building and equipment, net
|Intangible assets, net
|Other assets
|Total assets
|Read Full Story


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The head of Societe Generale's Russian unit Rosbank faced up to seven years in jail for bribery on Thursday after Russian investigators released a film of him with cash piled on his desk in what several bankers said may have been a set up.
The case could increase alarm among international investors and sheds a damaging light on business practices in Russia, where SocGen is one of the few Western banks left in a market dominated by homegrown state players.
Continue Reading Below
Investigators said on Thursday they had opened an official criminal investigation against Vladimir Golubkov, who was detained on Wednesday, and his senior vice president, Tamara Polyanitsyna - a final step before formally charging them.
Golubkov, 47, worked through the ranks at Rosbank to take the helm in 2008 with the task of steering the bank into profit.
"I know him to be a good man," Garegin Tosunyan, president of the Association of Russian Banks, told Reuters. "The accusations simply don't fit - although the law enforcement authorities are entitled to their version and to investigate.
"If you ask me, it is unlikely that he would stoop to such commercial bribery. I hope that investigators will consider the possibility that he was deliberately set up."
The Interior Ministry took the increasingly common practice in high-profile cases of releasing video footage of a police raid. It showed officers with automatic weapons barging past security guards into Rosbank's headquarters in central Moscow.
The film then cut to a scene which showed Golubkov standing behind his desk, which had several wads of 5,000 rouble ($150) notes on it. The cash was said by investigators to total 5 million roubles ($160,000). Golubkov, wearing a light grey suit, looked into the camera but did not speak in the footage.
"Golubkov demanded, via his subordinate Polyanitsyna, more than $1 million from a businessman to extend the maturity and reduce the interest rate on a multi-million dollar loan," the Investigative Committee said.
Golubkov's lawyer, Dmitry Kharitonov, told Reuters he denied committing the crime. "He is being held for 48 hours by the Investigative Committee and faces up to seven years if convicted," Kharitonov said.
He said he did not know who was representing Polyanitsyna. Officials at Rosbank declined to comment on her behalf.
Rosbank moved swiftly to try to limit damage from the case, saying it was cooperating with the investigation and that First Deputy CEO Igor Antonov would replace Golubkov on an interim basis. Operations and client service continue, it said.
"We are disturbed and upset about what has happened," Antonov told the state owned Rossiya 24 news channel.
He described the arrest of Golubkov as a "raid" on Rosbank that was reminiscent of the chaotic years following the collapse of the Soviet Union. "It reminds me of the good old 1990s - we haven't seen anything like it for ages," he said.
The charges are likely to lead to soul-searching at SocGen headquarters in Paris, which has reaffirmed its commitment to Russia, a market it first entered at a high price in 2006 but where it has struggled to turn a profit.
Golubkov was in charge of a turnaround strategy at Rosbank, into which SocGen's other Russian banking interests were folded in 2011. But, plagued by high costs and declining market share, Russia's ninth-largest bank lost money last year.
Socgen has declined to comment.
"From SocGen's point of view, this is an affair that concerns only individuals, not Rosbank or its risk controls," a banking source said.
Western and Russian bankers say that loan 'facilitation' payments are commonplace in Russian banking, but they rarely come to light unless someone seeking to settle a score turns to the law enforcement authorities.
According to media reports on Thursday, an executive at a car dealership informed on Golubkov after paying several instalments of a bribe to restructure an $80 million loan.
The Kommersant financial daily, which often has detailed accounts of law-enforcement operations, said Polyanitsyna had been arrested the day before and agreed to cooperate with investigators in handing over the final tranche of the bribe.
A former Rosbank executive, who recently left the bank, told Reuters it could help the French bank in the long run, by helping to resolve longstanding disagreements between Paris and the local staff.
"This is such a scandal - though I must say it might help reinforce SocGen within this big Russian organization if Golubkov steps down," said the executive, who declined to be named.
($1 = 31.3252 Russian roubles)
(Additional reporting by Lionel Laurent in Paris; editing by Elizabeth Piper and Philippa Fletcher)

subset: commoncrawl


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From ambulances bringing in gravely injured patients to constant dealings with insurance providers in a changing health coverage landscape, there are numerous sources of stress in every hospital.
Add Boulder Community Health's impending October mega-migration from its longtime Broadway digs to its Foothills Parkway campus, and things have the potential to get overwhelming for some employees.
Enter the 30-day mindfulness challenge.
The challenge, being led by Denver-based "personal balance" coach Diane Sieg and brought to BCH by chief nursing officer Jackie Attlesey-Pries, asks participants to spend at least five minutes each day performing instructor-taught deep breathing, meditative or movement practices to help themselves live more in the moment, focus on their own well-being and reduce stress.
"It's just about being present in your experience," Sieg, a longtime emergency room nurse, said of mindfulness. "Because when we're busy and chaotic and interrupted and stressed, we're never in the moment."
Come October, BCH will move the emergency, surgery, acute care and other main services now housed at Broadway to its newly expanded and remodeled campus off Foothills Highway and Arapahoe Avenue in east Boulder.
The move is part of a 10-year, $125 million comprehensive plan unveiled in 2010 to create a state-of-the art hospital facility.
Attlesey-Pries, also BCH's vice president of patient care services, said she contacted Sieg this spring after hearing about the mindfulness challenge she debuted at Wheat Ridge's Lutheran Medical Center last fall.
The challenge was launched in Boulder on Aug. 13, and 577 of the hospital's roughly 2,400 employees signed up, according to Sieg.
"We've had a great response," said Attlesey-Pries. "We really felt that if we could help people deal with stress ... we would help people move through this big-time change at the hospital in a more positive way."
Sieg spent two days at BCH teaching 30-minute classes during which she demonstrated five different exercises participants can do in five-minute increments.
She has also created a page on her website, yourmindfulyear.com, especially for BCH participants where they can access guided videos.
Sieg said she has found that the "letting-go meditation" and deep breathing exercises are particularly popular at BCH.
The letting-go exercises involve saying "let" to oneself while inhaling deeply and saying "go" during the exhale. The person should think of something — an event, an argument, even a person — that upsets them and imagine that thing floating farther and farther away with each breath, Sieg said.
Cindy Parsons, a nurse in the hospital's pre-operative and post-operative section, tasked with prepping patients for surgery and helping them recover after, said she has enjoyed the simple meditative exercise taught by Sieg.
"You just kind of go to your own meditative place. I always go to the water," she said. "Sometimes when you're having a stressful day, it's nice knowing I can go away for five minutes and it's not about work. If I'm not stressed, that does float over to other people, and they become less stressed."
Wanda Boyd is an administrative assistant who works for five different BCH nursing directors, including two who are heavily involved in the upcoming move. Boyd, 62, said before the challenge started she already had a note on her computer monitor that read "breathe."
She said she has really felt the benefits of the "let go" exercise.
"I really appreciate the opportunity that the hospital gave us, bringing in this program, because it just reminds you every day to take five minutes and do some deep breaths or close your eyes and let go," she said. "It's helped me a lot."
Contact Camera Staff Writer Joe Rubino at 303-473-1328 or email@example.com.


text:
A term in poker, describing the relation between the cost of calling another bet and the potential profit should you hit something big. Suited connectors and low pairs often are justified to play because of pot odds.
"I will probably not hit and have to fold, but it only costs 1$, and the potential profit should my straight draw hit is 50$. This is an easy call"
by Krisse July 17, 2005
buy the domain for your pet site


text:
Away from the lively tourist crowds of Munnar, the rusting bridge over the dam ushers one into a sinuous journey of an ever contrasting topography of sunny tea gardens and shadowy cardamom plantations till the road gets narrower and the habitation sparse. Almost carefully tucked away from the road is this homestay, a welcoming venture by three friends â Anees, Sajan & Jins. With a credible hospitality experience for years, the trio and their families are now running this charming homestay for the last two years.
This non-polluted area gives you tremendous view of greenery from the balcony. The surroundings are considered as an ideal place for bird watching and the adventurous activities like rock climbing, trekking, etc.Â
CheersBye © 2019


text:
The League of Women Voters of Glendale/Burbank will host a forum Wednesday featuring the candidates running in the upcoming Feb. 26 primary election in Burbank.
Candidates running for City Clerk, City Council and the Burbank Unified school board will answer questions– in that order – starting 6 p.m. in the Burbank City Council Chambers, 275 E. Olive Ave.
With the community still "burnt-out" from the November election, Joan Hardie, the league's president, said she hopes the forum inspires Burbank residents to vote.
"People need an opportunity to meet these new people and revisit the incumbents," she said.
Hardie will be accepting questions from residents for the forum via email and at the event. Email questions to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Feb. 11 is the last day to register to vote.
--Alene Tchekmedyian, Times Community News
Follow Alene Tchekmedyian on Google+ and on Twitter: @atchek.


text:
Reposting of a blog entry from The Mumpsimus:
10 July 2005
Readercon: Day 3Today was the end of Readercon, and everyone looked a bit dazed and even bedraggled, though happy. Corrections to my earlier posts have already begun to appear in the comments -- please feel free to correct anything you think I mistyped, misperceived, or missed. (Thanks to Kathryn Cramer for doing so already.)
First, the Rhysling Awards have been posted and the winners announced to all the world, not just Readercon attendees. Congratulations all around.
Now to today: I arrived in the morning to see Greer Gilman read from the third story in her series begun with "Jack Daw's Pack" and the World Fantasy Award-winning "A Crowd of Bone". I'd heard Greer read other pieces of the story last year, and it's as vivid and unique an artifact of language as the other two, so I wasn't about to miss another sneak-peak. Her writing can seem, on the page, almost opaque, but when she reads it doesn't feel the least bit difficult or obscure to me. I told her this, and she said the stories really should be read aloud, they're designed that way. There were only a few of us at the reading, but it was 10am on a Sunday morning, and it didn't really matter, because it was an appreciative group, and engagement matters more than numbers. ("The average literacy in that room," Greer said to me, "was thrillingly high." Indeed. But that's been my experience of the whole convention, and one of the things that has made it so much fun.)
I dashed from the reading to the only panel I went to today: "Experiencing Sense of Wonder for College Credit: Teaching SF in the Classroom", where the panelists were: Fred Lerner (moderator), Samuel Delany, Theodora Goss, Leigh Grossman, and Suzy McKee Charnas. The participants gave their backgrounds first -- all teach or have taught science fiction and/or fantasy classes at universities, though in various ways and forms. Things got off to a lively start when Samuel Delany said he's against teaching a historical overview of science fiction, that such an overview is impossible and a waste of time, and that he's also against trying to define "science fiction" (he explained the reasons for the latter briefly, but I'd recommend reading his comments on defining SF and the various histories of SF in Silent Interviews, because this idea wasn't really picked up and discussed much during the panel.)
Suzy McKee Charnas said she always starts with a historical overview of SF, because most students' notions of what science fiction and fantasy are comes from movies. She said she starts with Alfred Bester's The Demolished Man, because it's old, but full of energy and invention, which many students don't think old things can have. Delany replied that he often does exactly the same thing, and usually starts with Bester, too, but he just doesn't call it history.
Leigh Grossman said he often starts a course with definitions provided by students answering the question "What is science fiction?" or "What is fantasy?" (he teaches separate courses on each). The responses can be illuminating and good ways to begin discussion, and without doing it the students would become frustrated because so much of what they encounter in his courses defies their expectations of what SF is and does. He said he draws across all majors, even though it's an upper-level English course with 6,000+ pages of reading per semester and 150 pages of writing (although summer class participants can get out of one paper if they go to an SF convention).
Theodora Goss said that her university is fairly conservative, and that she teaches mostly 19th century fantasy literature, because, alas, that's what easiest to convince the administrators is worthwhile for study.
There followed a lot of discussion of the lack of respect that SF gets from the academy, though most of the panelists said they've experienced more hostility from creative writing teachers and programs than from academic ones. Suzy McKee Charnas suggested the condemnatory attitude derives from ignorance of the SF field, and therefore a feeling that it's impossible to assess student work related to SF. Theodora Goss said that people in academic programs are looking for new territory to explore, since so much has been written about so many of the major literary figures. Leigh Grossman said that even though his classes aren't exactly creative writing classes, he gets refugees from other creative writing classes where the instructors pretended The Iowa Review is the only respectable market for stories.
Samuel Delany said he uses a series of single-author modules in courses, rather than a historical overview, with eight modules per semester. By using a couple of novels and some short stories by one writer, students get to see what specific writers do, rather than becoming confused by all the paradoxes and conflicts in the history of SF.
Leigh Grossman said he likes to destroy the Norton Anthology view of writing as "this writer followed that one" by talking about how writers work, their worries about money and contracts, their friendships and animosities across generations. This can illuminate and humanize past writers, writers who we think of as godlike, but who were probably just trying to figure out how to pay the rent or get an audience.
Theodora Goss said she tends to teach thematically, for instance with the theme of "the double", to show how writers take central ideas and play with them, for instance "Beauty and the Beast" as seen through Angela Carter's "The Tiger's Bride".
Leigh Grossman said he often has to spend the first day scaring away people who signed up for the course because it said "science fiction" and so they assumed it would be an easy A. Theodora Goss said that happens to her, too, but there are also plenty of students who already are interested in fantasy and science fiction, truly want to be there, and are passionate about the work -- something a bit rarer in a class on Emerson.
Samuel Delany said that bringing science fiction into a creative writing class is no more difficult than bringing people of diverse backgrounds, nationalities, ethnicities, etc. At the beginning, he says that all genres of writing are welcome and taken seriously. After all, eventually most writers want to try their hand at SF, as did Hawthorne, Poe, and Twain. It's part of the American traiditon. On the subject of preconceptions, he said he asks students who haven't read SF to list its themes (the students who have read SF are told to be quiet). These prejudicial myths -- utopias, space battles, etc. -- are written on the board, and inevitably turn out to be a fairly accurate description of a lot of SF. He said that he then bans any talk about these subjects in general, forcing the students to focus on the actual texts without their preconceptions.
Someone made a comment about many administrators saying students won't read more than a few pages for any class, and Delany pounced on this, proclaiming the idea of "teachability" as something that has made classes of all sorts meaningless and boring. If teachers get too caught up in trying to convert people to reading, science fiction, etc., this tends to control the canon in the humanities, and not in a good way. He said he prefers teaching graduate seminars for this reason.
From the audience, John Crowley asked what some of the modules Delany uses are, and he said Alfred Bester (the famous works, plus things like "Hell is Forever"), Theodore Sturgeon, Thomas Disch, Joanna Russ, Barry Malzberg, and he's even putting together a John Crowley module. He went on to say that he avoids writers that the students would encounter if they develop any sort of interest in SF -- no need for Isaac Asimov, for instance -- and that one of the best things teachers can do is introduce students to superb writers they might not otherwise encounter. He said his selection is based entirely on his own conflicting ideas of "quality", and that he lays these ideas out for the students to discuss and argue about.
Suzy McKee Charnas said one of the reasons she likes teaching SF is that she likes to talk about the edges of ideas, the edges of culture, and that SF is very good at doing that.
Theodora Goss said that SF of various sorts often investigates and represents things realism doesn't -- for instance, 19th century fantasy could often be seen as a discussion of the fallout from Darwin's ideas, with things like Dracula raising questions about the relationship between humans and animals.
And then time ran out.
I was going to go to another panel, but got caught up talking with a few people, because rumors that publisher Byron Preiss had just died in a car accident were, sadly, confirmed.
At one o'clock, though, I went to hear Samuel Delany read an assessment of the tenth volume of The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon, an essay that has just come out in The New York Review of Science Fiction. If I'd been thinking well, I would have picked up a copy of the new NYRSF, but the dealer's room closed after Delany's reading. I'm just going to have to finally break down and subscribe, because it's an excellent, insightful essay. In it, Delany compares Sturgeon to Chekhov, and an audience member afterward asked him to elaborate on the comparison. He said there is a similarly large range of characters in Sturgeon's work as in Chekhov's, though Sturgeon tends to focus more on the working class, while Chekhov had peasants and aristocrats (because that's what existed at that time). Both writers have a strong connection to landscape in their stories, and, a real humanity to their perspectives. Someone asked him what his favorite Sturgeon story is, and he said that he couldn't answer that any more than his favorite Chekhov story, because he likes their sensibilities, and, as with any writer who is of great quality, their work as a whole creates a sensibility that he likes being immersed in.
After that, I went to hear Kelly Link read part of "Magic for Beginners", the title story of her new collection, and then Dora Goss read a magnificent story that will be appearing on Strange Horizons soon, as well as some poems.
And so ended Readercon. If I find more reports from the convention, I'll post links to them. Please keep corrections, emendations, different interpretations, etc. coming in the comments sections. If you're more visually oriented, check out Kathryn Cramer's photos from the convention. She even got me, though the camera exploded immediately after. (That's Sonya Taaffe behind me, by the way. I was walking toward Kathryn to introduce her to Sonya, because David Hartwell had asked to meet Sonya, and Sonya didn't know either of the Hartwell-Cramer duo of fabulousity.)
On my way out of the convention, I picked up a registration form for next year, because it announced the guests of honor for 2006: James Morrow and China Mieville.


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Apple released the new iPad ("iPad 3") on Friday, March 16, 2012. Unfortunately, new iPad buyers quickly discovered that their iPad's Smart Cover sleep/wake feature is not working properly with some third-party cases. More perplexing, the problem isn't always consistent from case to case within the same model line.
On Smart Cover compatible cases, the iPad's sleep/wake feature is triggered by a small magnet embedded in the case's cover. Most of the speculation regarding the possible cause of the sleep/wake problem has centered around the placement or location of the little magnet within the lid of the case. Apple is rumored to have moved the location of the magnetic sensor in the iPad 3 and, thus, the magnet in some cases doesn't line up properly. While that might be the problem with some case designs, that's certainly not the problem with the Maroo Moko II case that I purchased for one of our new iPads!
It's all About Polarity!
It appears Apple is using a new design of sleep/wake sensor in the new iPad. A sleep/wake sensor that is sensitive to polarity. I shot some video to demonstrate.
(For the best viewing experience, click in the lower right corner to expand the video and then click on "HD".)
By the way, the most recent genuine Apple Smart Covers are compatible with the new iPad 3!
A case manufacturer in the UK has tested my discovery. The magnetically-activated sleep/wake function on one of his case designs was working with the iPad 2 but not working with the iPad 3. He disassembling the first panel of the case's smart cover and reversed the entire panel—thus reversing the polarity of the magnet embedded in the panel—and held the panel in place with clear packaging tape.
Then he tested the modified case cover on both the iPad 2 and the iPad 3. Success! With the reversed panel, the case cover works perfectly with both the iPad 2 and iPad 3!
This manufactuer's test proves that the magnetic sensor switch in the iPad 2 is not sensitive to polarity! Apple has switched to a different type of sensor switch for use in the iPad 3.
Update 2
I've learned why Apple decided to use a polarity sensitive switch in the new iPad 3. Some iPad 2 customers were having issues with their iPads entering sleep mode when they flipped Apple's Smart Cover around flat behind their iPad 2. Since the iPad 2's sleep/wake sensor wasn't polarity specific, it could sometimes be triggered from the magnet being positioned at the rear of the iPad. By changing to a sensor that requires the correct polarity, the problem is eliminated.
Update 3
I've learned that some of the original genuine Apple Smart Covers do not work properly with the iPad 3. Sometime in 2011, Apple apparently modified the design specifications of the Smart Covers in preparation for the release of the iPad 3. According to reports on Apple's support forums, the model numbers for the Smart Covers changed at the same time. Apple is reportedly exchanging these older Apple Smart Covers for the newer models at your favorite Apple Store.
Thumbs up for the folks at Maroo! Today they sent out an email to all of their customers to apologize for the inconvenience with iPad 3 sleep/wake incompatibilities. They are offering free replacements and letting customers keep the "magnetically challenged" cases too. A great product and excellent customer service! Bravo!


text:
Alert 2005-9
Subject: Counterfeit Cashier's Checks
Date: April 13, 2005
Description: Bankers Trust Company, N.A., Des Moines, Iowa
Counterfeit Cashier's Checks of Bankers Trust Company, N.A., Des Moines, Iowa
To: Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks; All State Banking Authorities; Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Conference of State Bank Supervisors; Deputy Comptrollers (districts); Assistant Deputy Comptrollers; District Counsel, and All Examining Personnel
Bankers Trust Company, N.A. has reported that counterfeit cashier's checks issued in the bank's name and drawn on closed account #800317 are being presented for payment. Any cashier's check drawn against this account and dated after 12/15/2004, should be considered counterfeit. The checks appear to be in the 66000 sequence and usually show both the remitter and authorized signature as Dennis Pallwitz. They are light aqua in color with a faded Bankers Trust logo (including city, state, zip, and Web site address) printed at the top center. The checks are perforated on one side but appear ragged or uneven on all other sides. These checks contain a box around the check amount.
Authentic cashier's checks issued by the bank are also light aqua in color and include the Bankers Trust logo (including city, state, zip and Web site address) at the top center. The remitter will not be the same as the authorized signer, and the dollar amount is not enclosed in a box.
You can verify the authenticity of Bankers Trust Company, N.A. cashier's checks by contacting Jodi Paardekooper, VP Corporate Security, via telephone at (515) 245-5228; fax at (515) 247-2160; or [firstname.lastname@example.com].
Any additional information concerning this matter that you believe should be brought to the attention of the OCC, may be forwarded to:
Brian C. McCormally


text:
After discovering how difficult it was to find nut-free desserts for their children, Brian and Sonia Walker decided to whip up their own solution in the form of an allergy-safe cupcake business. As they expand into other kinds of treats, the Walkers work to bring awareness to food allergies and hope to satiate the appetites of those with and without peanut allergies.
Name of owners: Brian and Sonia Walker
Hometown: Elk Grove (Brian) and Des Plaines (Sonia)
Name of business: Nutphree's Cupcakes
Describe what you do/sell/serve:
We offer fresh-baked desserts that are peanut- and tree nut-free. Currently we are offering a variety of nut-free cupcakes, cakes, cookies and cake pops. We also sell a variety of nut-free candies. We're also in the process of prepping a room that can be rented for cupcake parties.
When did you open your business?
We have been in business for approximately 18 months, starting out of our home and, as of August 2012, opened a storefront to accommodate the increasing demand of our nut-free cupcakes.
What sets you apart from similar businesses?
Our facility and products are peanut- and tree nut-free. Our treats are liked by people with or without a nut allergy. Sadly, there is a continuous increase in food allergies and we know firsthand how difficult it is to find a bakery that can offer nut-free treats.
What qualities or characteristics make you a successful business owner?
Passion, drive and motivation. We believe in what we're doing and understand firsthand how it feels to have a loved one suffering from a nut allergy. We're the parents of three children, two of which are allergic to peanuts and trees nuts, so we understand the difficulty in finding products that are truly nut-free. Every holiday or celebration is surrounded by desserts and we understand the need for a nut-free treat.
Why did you decide to open your business in Mount Prospect?
We wanted our business to be close to home and in an area with easy access to major expressways.
Why did you pick this specific location/storefront?
We liked that it was located on Rand Road and had plenty of parking. This location had the electric and plumbing that we needed to create our kitchen space.
What obstacles did you find when you started? How did you overcome them?
One of the major obstacles we've found is just getting our name out there, letting people know we exist. We have been able to overcome in some capacity due to the help of social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and also some great food allergy awareness partners and blogs/websites.
If you could offer local officials one piece of advice to make their town more attractive to entrepreneurs, what would it be?
Help new businesses out by working with them. Help them answer questions they have with regards to permits, signage, etc. Make the entrepreneurs feel as if you want them to start a business in your town by providing guidance.
What mistakes did you make? What have you learned throughout the years?
This is our first venture into the food industry so every day is learning experience. We've had to learn everything from choosing the right equipment to finding new ways to promote our business.
What did you do right?
Starting the business. Having the courage to create something that solves a problem. Every time we see a child come into our bakery that can pick anything out for the first time assures us that we're doing the right thing.
What advice would you give to someone else looking to open a business in Mount Prospect?
Do your research and know what the various permits, zoning, restrictions, etc. that come with opening a business. It will help you get up and running a bit faster.
What do you love most about your job?
We love that we're making a difference. We're providing nut-free products and we're also promoting food allergy awareness. Some people just don't understand the need for nut-free products and it's such a great feeling when you know you're an advocate for something so important.
What is the most rewarding part of owning your business?
The customers. We continue to receive a great deal of support and feedback from our customers, which include kids, parents, grandparents, teachers, doctors; all who know the importance of providing a safe product for individuals living with nut allergies.
To what do you attribute your success?
Our passion for providing a product that helps those with nut allergies feel they can enjoy the same thing everyone else is enjoying. On top of that, we make an excellent product that can be enjoyed by those with and without nut allergies.
What is your favorite thing you sell and why?
Our cupcakes. We are constantly coming up with new flavors and decorating ideas.
Nutphree's Cupcakes
259 E. Rand Rd., Mount Prospect
Phone: 847-754-4320
Website: nutphrees.com
Store hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Wednesday; Thursday, Friday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. Pickup and delivery available; call for details.
Profile edited by Lauren Comitor. Local businesses who would like to be featured in TribLocal should email firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Ideal barn door is a professional barn doors and barn door hardware brand in Australia, Ideal barn door supply the largest selection of barn door hardware and accessories in Australia.
Standard length:
1.25M; 1.5M; 1.6M; 1.8M; 2M; 2.4M; 2.8M;(single rail)
3M; 3.2M; 3.6M; 4M(double rails)
We still can custom made any length and Configuration for our customers,
Need help? Have questions?
Please call us or contact us via Email : email@example.com
Shopping Cart Software by Ashop


text: > I'm sure posing this may raise more questions than answer but which > high-speed interconnect would offer the best 'bang for the buck': > > 1) myrinet > 2) quardics qsnet > 3) mellanox infiniband at least in the last cluster I bought, Myrinet and IB had similar overall costs and MPI latency. so far at least, I haven't found any users who are bandwidth-limited, and so no reason there to prefer IB. (Myri can match the others in bandwidth if you go dual-port; that approximately doubles the Myri cost, though, making it clearly more expensive than IB.) quadrics is more expensive, but also much faster in latency, and competitive with IB in bandwidth. (there are only three interconnects that can claim <2 us latency: quadrics elan4, SGI's numalink and the cray xd1/octigabay.) IB vendors swear up and down that they're cheaper than Myri, lower-latency, higher bandwidth and taste great with iced cream. I must admit to some skepticism in spite of lacking any IB experience ;) it does seem clear that upcoming PCI-e systems will let IB vendors drop a few more chips off their nic, and theoretically come down to the $2-300/nic range. as far as I know, switches are staying more or less at the same price. and it's worth remembering that IB still doesn't have *that* much field-proof (questions regarding whether IB will continue to be a sole-source ecosystem, issues of integrating with Linux, rumors of sticking points regarding pinned memory, qpair scaling in large clusters, handling congestion, etc.) > Currently, our 30 node dual Opteron (MSI K8D Master-FT boards) cluster > uses Gig/E and are looking to upgrade to a faster network. why? how have you evaluated your need for faster networking? do you know whether by "faster" you mean latency or bandwidth? offhand, I'd be a little surprised if a 30-node cluster made a lot of sense with quadrics, since you're unlikley to *need* the superior latency. (ie, it seems like people jones for low-lat mainly when they have frequent, large collective operations. where large means "hundreds" of MPI workers...) > As well, what are the components would one need for each setup? The > reason I ask is for example the Myrinet switches accept different line > cards and am not sure which one to use. Sorry if this a bit of a newbie > question but I have no experience with any of this kind of hardware. I > am reading the docs for each but thought your feedback would be good. hmm, myrinet's pages aren't stunningly clear, but also not *that* hard, since they do describe some sample configs. for instance, you can see the "small switches" section of http://www.myrinet.com/myrinet/product_list.html and notice that it's all based on a single 3U enclosure, one or two 8-way cards (M3-SW16-8F) and an optional monitoring card (M3-M). for a 32-node cluster, you'd need 32 nics, a 5-slot cab, 4x M3-SW16-8F's, either a monitoring card or a blanking panel, and 32 cables. if you have fairly firm and short-term plans for adding more nodes, consider getting a bigger chassis. if you have any reason to do IO over myrinet (speed!), consider giving the fileserver(s) dual-port access... configuring other networks is not drastically different, though they often have different terminology, etc. for instance, quadrics switches can be configured with "slim" fat-trees (partially populated with spine/switching cards.) configuration beyond a single switch cab also tends to be interesting ;) regards, mark hahn.


text:
d'Urban: Cities leading at COP17
I learned this week that Durban got its name in 1835 from Sir Benjamin d'Urban, the first governor of the Cape Colony. His name seemed particularly apt as COP17's urban-in-Durban yielded important contributions. During the first weekend at Durban City Hall, just next to the COP17 venue, 114 local governments signed the Durban Adaptation Charter, committing signatory cities to accelerate local adaptation efforts, including conducting risk assessments and more city-to-city cooperation. An impressive complement to last year's Mexico City Pact that calls for similar efforts to measure and promote mitigation in participating cities. More than 200 cities have now signed on to the Mexico City Pact.
The following Monday at the COP venue, an important partnership was announced. All five multi-lateral development banks (MDBs) launched an unprecedented partnership committing all of the world's development banks to particularly cooperate on cities and climate change efforts. The MDBs – that provide about $8.4 billion of basic services support to cities annually – will work toward common tools and metrics for GHG emissions and urban risk.
During COP17 itself, cities that were leading this effort shared their experiences: Rio de Janeiro presented their revised GHG emissions inventory, an important leadership contribution; Tokyo outlined the impressive first year operation of its first-ever city-based emissions trading system; Mexico City issued the first Annual Report of the Mexico City Pact; Mayor Parks Tau of Johannesburg chaired a well attended C40 event. By my count, in just seven days, there were at least 100 events highlighting the critical role for cities to lead the world's mitigation efforts, and better prepare to adapt to changing climate.


text:
Russ Edwards needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 41 designs submitted by 15 freelance designers.
LocalBuzz ( http://www.localbuzz.us)
LocalBuzz is the local expert, and a great online resource for finding information and insights on businesses and retailers. Every month we help many thousands of consumers find valuable local business information from driving directions and hours of operation to Web links and customer reviews.
We aim to be relevant & helpful for our users, enabling local businesses and consumers to find each other and connect.
We are a small, hard working team and we enjoy what we do and have fun doing it.
Our target market is mainly the US, but we would like a design which can work equally well in other English speaking jurisdictions (UK, Australia ).
In terms of user profile it is fairly broad as you would expect for local search - typically this means adult users, male or female from various demographics and age groups but we're keen to focus on the 20 - 40 age bracket
The current site is due for a design revamp. Please use the existing design just as a reference point for functionality , nothing else. No pre-requisities in terms of company logo or colors, all elements of the design can be modified from the current version whilst maintaining the functionality as it is now (same functional elements such as search, maps etc. but their order / location on the page can be changed)
Feel free to be creative with the design, we want a fresh, new look in keeping with web 2.0 developments - simple to use, uncluttered, attractive, professional but at the same time modern (young & fresh)
Design needs to be pleasing on the eye (harmonic) , be intuitive and have a good balance between pictures & features
Technical Details:
-- Need all PSD as well as TTF font files delivered
-- Optimize images for load time
-- Template/Design has to be CMS agnostic (can be used with ANY content management systems)
-- Navigational elements should NOT be images
-- Adhere to Usability and Accessibility standards (text navigation, optimized images, cross-browser compatible, etc.)
-- Standard elements like Footer, Header, Side Navigation should be:
-- In text, styled with CSS
-- Arranged in an easy to navigate experience
-- We understand CSS code not provided
So we are looking for DESIGN ONLY - No HTML
Generally we like the following sites
groupon.com (not really local search but its a clean, fresh & nice looking design)
http://local.yahoo.com - This looks OK but it is borderline a little too corporate / traditional perhaps ?
1. Homepage, including templates for About Us, How it Works and Contact Us
2. Search results page
for example:
3. Detailed Results Page
Existing site is quite basic / spartan
local.com - like the style & colors, quite clean
superpages.com - these guys are the market leaders


text:
Advanced Search
Microsoft releases exam for business process management experts after a successful beta test last month.
According to the exam guide, Exam 70-235 TS: Developing Business Process and Integration Solutions Using Microsoft BizTalk Server, is aimed at candidates whose job roles encompass designing and developing distributed applications using BizTalk Server 2006. Those who pass the exam will earn the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist on BizTalk Server 2006 title.
The exam guide further explains that candidates who plan on taking the exam 70-235 to have at least a year experience in creating business process and application integration using BizTalk Server 2004 or 2006. It also points to several self-paced learning resources for the exam, including an E-Learning clinic, First Look: Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 for Developers, which is available for free for a limited time.
BizTalk Server 2006 itself made its official debut last November, being piggybacked on the debuts of SQL Server 2005 and Visual Studio 2005 during a launch event, although BizTalk was still in beta 2 release at the time. BizTalk gold code was only recently made available at the end of March this year (see official announcement here).
About the Author
Michael Domingo has held several positions at 1105 Media, and is currently the editor in chief of Visual Studio Magazine.
Printable Format
More White Papers


text:
Men's Sandals & Flip Flops
Product Compare
Product Compare
Product Compare
Learn More About Men's Sandals & Flip Flops
Athletic Essentials: Men's Sandals
The right pair of men's sandals offers comfort, protection and durability—from poolside to the locker room and beyond.
Men's sandals are a wardrobe staple. Pair them with your board shorts for casual summer style or sport them in the locker room post-game. Slide-on sandals and flip flops are great for weekend outings or days at the beach. Hiking sandals, meanwhile offer sure-footed fit and traction for daily wear. Choose from a variety of looks, colors and feature for the men's sandal that's right for you.
Shop popular brands, including Oakley®, KEEN® and Crocs®.
Expert Advice
Learn more about the different types of men's sandals available at DICK'S Sporting Goods:
- Men's Flip Flops: Slip these ultra-casual sandals on at the boardwalk for instant surf style. Look for a texturized midsole and treaded outsole for traction on slick surfaces. Choose from a variety of styles, colors and patterns.
- Trail Sandals: These sandals are a comfortable alternative to hiking shoes. A covered toe box and metatarsal ridge deliver the support and protection you need for extended wear. A secure fit and abrasion-resistant materials help keep you in-step.
- Men's Slide Sandals: These locker room staples offer quick on and off-great for the showers or when you need quick relief from your game-day cleats.
The best men's sandals feature plush foam padding or midsole cushioning to keep you feeling great on your feet. Deep treads, flexible grooves and multi-directional patterns offer traction on wet or slippery surfaces.
Men's sandals treated to be antimicrobial prevent the growth of odor-causing bacteria. Many sandals even come with moisture-wicking technology to minimize the build-up of perspiration.
Shop the entire collection of men's shoes at DICK'S Sporting Goods for more.


text:
Back in March, Brian Westbrook was interviewed and said he'd love to return to Philly to play for Andy Reid and the Eagles.
The interest didn't appear to be mutual as the Birds went in a different direction at the backup spot, signing Ronnie Brown to a deal on Tuesday.
Brown's here at Lehigh and met with reporters after the morning practice. At the time, he was in street clothes - a white T, jeans and a Phillies hat.
In the afternoon, he came out with a jersey. But not just any jersey, No. 36, Westbrook's old number.
It looked a little strange, even though Westbrook has not played with the Eagles since 2009.
But an Eagles spokesman said No. 36 is temporary. The Eagles have 90 guys on their roster and seven retired numbers. That doesn't leave many other options right now.
However, the question will be brought up at some point in the future. Should the Eagles give out No. 36?
And really, it's a discussion you can't have without bringing up Nos. 5 and 20 also.
Brian Dawkins spent 13 seasons in Philadelphia, started 182 games, was an eight-time Pro Bowler and four-time All Pro. Owner Jeffrey Lurie has said no one will wear No. 20 as long as he's in charge.
McNabb holds many of the team's passing records, including yards and touchdowns. He started 142 games for the Birds, and the Eagles won over 65 percent of the games he started. McNabb helped get the Eagles to five NFC championship games and one Super Bowl. He was a six-time Pro Bowler.
Should anyone be allowed to wear No. 5?
And finally, Westbrook. He's the franchise's all-time leader in yards from scrimmage and is second to Wilbert Montgomery in rushing yards. Westbrook also has the third-most touchdowns in franchise history, behind Harold Carmichael and Steve Van Buren. He started 85 games with the Eagles and was a two-time Pro Bowler.
Should anyone be allowed to wear No. 36?
Keep in mind the exclusive group of players who have had their numbers retired here: Steve Van Buren (15), Tom Brookshier (40), Pete Retzlaff (40), Chuck Bednarik (60), Al Wistert (70), Reggie White (92) and Jerome Brown (99).
Do Westbrook, Dawkins or McNabb belong in that group?
This is one of those where I let you tee off in the comments section, so have at it. Based on the response I received via Twitter, there will be some strong opinions on this topic.
You can follow me on Twitter or become a fan of Moving the Chains on Facebook.


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Sunday, 2 November 2008
ODI Series - Loading Essbase Metadata
If you have not read my blog on extracting essbase metadata then I advise you have a read through it if you are not familiar with ODI as I am going to assume you are. I am also going to use some of the same models and configurations I have used in the past.
I am going to be using the Data Server and Physical schema I have set up previously connecting to the Sample.Basic database.
The basic database has five attribute dimensions.
The first thing to do is to create a model to hold the reversed essbase database; if you already have a model you can use the same one and run the reverse again, the important difference this time is that we are going to set an additional option for the RKM.
If you set EXTRACT_ATTRIBUTE_MEMBERS to "Yes" when the reverse is initiated it creates extra columns in the dimensions which are associated with attributes, e.g Product will have columns for Caffeinated, Intro Date, Ounces, Pkg Type.
So now we have our reversed model we need some source metadata to try and load into the essbase outline.
I created a CSV file that will load a new branch to the hierarchy and set an attribute for each new level 0 member, the file was saved into the location where the file technology is pointing to (in my case E:\FileStore)
A DataStore was created using the flat file model, the file format was set to Delimited, heading set to 1 and field seperator set to comma.
The DataStore was then reversed to create the column information for the flat file.
So that's the source and target done, time to create the interface.
The interface was names and the staging area set as "SUNOPSIS MEMORY ENGINE'.
In the diagram area the flat file DataStore was dragged on to the source and the essbase DataStore dragged onto the target, most of the columns were automapped except for the columns with spaces in such as "Pkg Type" and "Intro Date" so these were manually set up.
In the flow area, the LKM was set to "LKM File to SQL" as we are loading from a flat file.
The IKM was set to "IKM SQL to Hyperion Essbase (MetaData)"
There are a few options to be aware of which have not appeared in previous ODI blogs
RESTRUCTURE_DATABASE has four settings and is very much the same options you have when you make changes to an outline in EAS, most of the time I would think this is likely to stay as the default : KEEP_ALL_DATA.
PRE_LOAD_MAXL_SCRIPT & POST_LOAD_MAXL_SCRIPT gives you the ability to run maxl scripts before and after executing the interface.
At this point you may think that it is alright to execute the interface, unfortunately not so fast, the current IKM is not aware of many options for loading metadata such as your dimension build properties Allow Moves, Allow property changes to name a few, this means you have to create a load rule the same as you would if you were loading metadata into essbase.
I can understand some people saying well what's the point of using ODI if I need to use a load rule, well ODI is all about integrations and not just doing one thing like a metadata load, saying that though I do hope that in future IKMs for essbase they start to add in more options and have the choice of using a load rule or not.
A load rule was created and the name added to the options of the interface, if the load rule exists in the essbase app directory then the name is only required, if the rule file is elsewhere you need to enter the full path details to it)
No problems executing the interface.
In the essbase outline all the new members were added and the attribute information correctly associated.
Well that's metadata loading and extracting now covered off so next I will be moving on to data, until then enjoy.
8 comments:
- paolo said...
Did you try to load metadata also from an rdbms source?
- 7 November 2008 at 06:10
- Briareus said...
thanx for the blog at first. it's very informative blog.
i want to ask something. is it possible to create an Essbase database by using ODI ? I mean, at the examples we have an existing database. what if, we create a new app and database(just as a name.no outlines or others...) and try to load metadata and data? Can we do that or we must have a defined database at essbase? if it is possible can u make an example?
thanx a lot...
- 10 November 2008 at 06:09
- John Goodwin said...
It is not possible to create an essbase database, ODI is more of an ELT tool. The only way you could do it would be to write some JAVA or maybe maxl and then run that from a package.
- 11 November 2008 at 00:30
- Briareus said...
Hi again John,
I have another question if you don't mind...
i am practicing loading metadata and data via odi to essbase. i use Sample-Basic database that comes with essbase. What I want to do is laoding metadata and data to a new database as my previous question. The new outline is empty. So i cant reverse anything for target. I create datastores manually. To load outline i need a rules files. to create rules file i try to use essbase but when i try to "validate" them it says "outline is empty u cant validate". but i am trying to fill the outline. To fill outline i need rules file but to create a rules file i need a complete outline. Where am i doing wrong?
I hope i can make it clear
Thank you
- 12 November 2008 at 00:40
- John Goodwin said...
Hi Briareus,
Sorry for the delay I did not notice your comment.
As I said previously ODI is not intended to create new dimensions, the dimensions need to exist and ODI will be able to populate them.
You could use maxl or an API to create the dimensions first and then run an integration to populate them with metadata.
- 21 November 2008 at 01:22
First of all, I would like to thank you John, I have been learned a lot with your blog. Regarding Attribute dimension using Hyperion Planning Adapter, I cannot see inside the RKM Model options to define extract my attributes dimensions. Do you know these options are available only to Essbase adapter or also to Planning one?
Wallace Galvao
- 18 February 2009 at 07:21
I have a problem that I hope you can help me with.
I have a project structure which holds different amount of children, e.g
Main Level Project
Level Projcect
Sub level project
Main Level Project
Level Project
I use two different rules for this, the first one rejects those that have Sub level project put as none, and the latter the ones where sub level is none, hence no sub level.
Addning the attributes to the sub level projects is not an issue. However, adding the attributes to the project level, on the ones where no sub project level exists is not working. Is there something I should think extra about when loading on different generations? I use level 0, so it shouldn't be a problem?
I'd be so grateful if you could help me with this!
Kristin, Sweden
- 29 June 2009 at 10:40
- Albert said...
Thank you so much for your blog. I have a question. Could I have a legal issue or warranty with Oracle for decompile a jar?.
- 2 February 2012 at 16:22