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It's painful for U.S. soldiers to hear discussions and watch movies about modern wars when the dialogue is full of obsolete slang, like "chopper" and "GI."
Slang changes with the times, and the military is no different. Soldiers fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have developed an expansive new military vocabulary, taking elements from popular culture as well as the doublespeak of the military industrial complex.
The U.S. military drawdown in Afghanistan — which is underway but still awaiting the outcome of a proposed bilateral security agreement — is often referred to by soldiers as "the retrograde," which is an old military euphemism for retreat. Of course the U.S. military never "retreats" — rather it conducts a "tactical retrograde."
This list is by no means exhaustive (a few phrases were too salty for publishing). And some of the terms originated prior to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. But these terms are critical to speaking the current language of soldiers, and understanding it when they speak to others.
Big Voice: On military bases, loudspeakers broadcast urgent messages. When incoming rocket or mortar fire is detected by radar systems, the Big Voice automatically broadcasts a siren and instructions to take cover. The Big Voice will also warn of scheduled explosions, usually to destroy captured weapons.
Bird: Helicopter. "Chopper" is rarely used, except in movies, where it is always used. A chopper is a kind of motorcycle, not an aircraft.
Black (on ammo, fuel, water, etc.): Almost out.
Blowed up: Hit by an IED. Example: "I been blowed up six times this year."
Bone: The B-1 bomber.
CHU: (pronounced choo) Containerized Housing Unit. These small, climate-controlled trailers usually sleep between two and eight soldiers and is the primary unit of housing on larger bases. A CHU Farm is a large number of CHUs together. A Wet CHU is a CHU that has its own bathroom, usually reserved for generals and other high-ranking individuals. CHUs are unarmored and very vulnerable to rocket attacks.
COP: Combat Outpost. A small base, usually housing between 40 and 150 soldiers, often in a particularly hostile area. Life at a COP is often austere and demanding, with every soldier responsible for both guard duty and patrolling.
DFAC: (pronounced dee-fack) Dining Facility, aka Chow Hall. Where soldiers eat. At larger bases the meals are served by contracted employees, often from Bangladesh or India. These employees are called TCNs, or Third-Country Nationals.
Dustoff: Medical evacuation by helicopter. For example, "dustoff inbound" means that a medevac helicopter is on the way.
Embed: A reporter who is accommodated by the military command to observe operations firsthand. Security, food, shelter and transportation are provided by the military for the embed.
Fast Mover: Fighter jet.
Fitty: The M2 .50 caliber machine gun.
FOB: Forward Operating Base. Bigger than a COP, smaller than a superbase. A FOB can be austere and dangerous, but is more commonly provisioned with hot, varied meals, hot water for showers and laundry, as well as recreational facilities.
Fobbit: Combination of FOB and Hobbit. Derogatory term for soldiers who do not patrol outside the FOB.
Geardo: (rhymes with weirdo) A soldier who spends an inordinate amount of their personal money to buy fancy military gear, such as weapon lights, GPS watches, custom rucksacks, etc. Generally refers to a soldier with little tactical need for such equipment. See: Fobbit.
Green Bean: A civilian-run coffee shop common on larger bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, often the locus of the base social scene, such as it is.
Green Zone: In Iraq, the heavily fortified area of central Baghdad where most government facilities are located. In southern Afghanistan, refers to the lush, densely vegetated areas following rivers that Taliban fighters defend vigorously. As opposed to the Brown Zone, which refers to the more barren mountains.
Groundhog Day: From the Bill Murray movie, the phrase is used to describe deployments where every day proceeds the same way, no matter how the individual tries to change it.
Gun: A mortar tube or artillery piece. Never used to refer to a rifle or pistol. Military-issued pistols are usually called 9-mils.
Hajji: A derogatory term for Iraqis, used widely during the Iraq War. A Hajii Shop was an Iraqi-run shop on the base, often selling pirated DVDs, or Hajii Discs. Rarely used to describe Afghans.
IED: Improvised Explosive Device. The signature weapon of the insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan, IEDs are low-cost bombs that can be modified to exploit specific vulnerabilities of an enemy. They range in size from a soda can to a tractor trailer and are initiated by anything from a pressure sensor to a suicidal attacker.
IDF: Indirect Fire, or simply Indirect. Mortars, rockets and artillery. Term generally used to describe enemy action.
Inside/Outside The Wire: Describes whether you are on or off a base.
JDAM: (pronounced jay-damn) A bomb dropped from a U.S. aircraft, ranging from 500 to 2,000 pounds.
Joe: Soldier. Replacement term for GI.
Kinetic: Violent. Example: The Pech Valley is one of the most kinetic areas in Afghanistan.
Mark: The Mk-19 40mm grenade launcher.
Meat Eater: Usually refers to Special Forces soldiers whose mission focuses on violence, as opposed to those whose mission focuses on stability and training.
Medevac: Medical evacuation of wounded personnel by helicopter.
Moon Dust: The powdery, flour-like dust that covers everything in southern Afghanistan and much of Iraq.
MRE: Meal, Ready to Eat. Vacuum-sealed meals eaten by soldiers when no DFAC or local alternative exists. Shelf life is approximately seven years.
OPTEMPO: Operational Tempo, high or low. Describes the pace at which a soldier works, whether that work is combat patrols, making PowerPoint slides or training.
Oxygen Thief: A useless soldier, or one who loves to hear himself or herself talk.
Pink Mist: Produced by certain gunshot wounds.
Plant Eater: See: Fobbit.
POG: (pronounced pogue) Person Other Than Grunt. Derogatory term for a soldier lacking combat experience. See: Fobbit.
POO: Point Of Origin. The site from which a rocket or mortar was launched at U.S. forces. Most easily calculated by tracking the projectile's trajectory with radar. Example: "We're going out POO hunting."
Powerpoint Ranger: A soldier who is tasked primarily with building PowerPoint presentations for commanders' briefings.
Rack Out: Go to sleep.
Ranger Pudding: A field-expedient Nilla Wafer made from MRE ingredients. Mix a paste of creamer, sugar and water, apply to a cracker. A chocolate version is possible if cocoa powder is available.
Rumint: A combination of rumor and intelligence. Gossip, scuttlebutt.
Sandbox: Usually refers to Iraq, sometimes Kuwait.
Secret Squirrel: Highly classified, top secret. Secrecy confers tremendous status upon soldiers — the most classified missions are often the most prestigious in soldiers' eyes.
Self-Licking Ice Cream Cone: A military doctrine or political process that appears to exist in order to justify its own existence, often producing irrelevant indicators of its own success. For example, continually releasing figures on the amount of Taliban weapons seized, as if there were a finite supply of such weapons. While seizing the weapons, soldiers raid Afghan villages, enraging the residents and legitimizing the Taliban's cause.
Speedball: A body bag filled with supplies, usually ammunition and bottled water, dropped from a plane or helicopter to resupply soldiers far afield or in dire need.
Squirter: A person, assumed to be an enemy, running away from a military attack.
Superbase: The only bases that fall into this category right now are Kandahar Airfield and Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. They are built around supporting the regional military commands, and are logistical hubs for forces in the area. Soldiers stationed at these bases have access to the most comfortable living quarters, the most variety in food, shopping and socializing. For example, Kandahar Airfield has a weekly "Salsa Night" dance party near the TGI Friday's.
T-Man: Taliban.
Tango Mike: Thanks Much.
Terp: An interpreter, usually a local Afghan or Iraqi hired by the military to translate for military personnel when they are communicating with a local. This abbreviation is considered somewhat rude.
TIC: (pronounced tick) Troops In Contact. Usually means a firefight, but can refer to an IED or suicide attack.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: What The F#@&, Over.
Willy Pete: White Phosphorus. Delivered by mortar or artillery, this substance burns extremely hot and generates a lot of light. It is only supposed to be used for illumination, as it should be considered a chemical weapon if used against people.
Woobie: Properly called a poncho liner, this lightly insulated blanket is usually issued to soldiers in basic training. The name references the attachment a baby forms with its blanket.
Copyright 2021 GlobalPost. To see more, visit .


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Tynong Chauffeur Service
Tynong & Surroundings a proudly Luxury Chauffeur Hire Service with Chauffeur Melbourne, Airport Transfers, Wine Tours, Private Driver, our chauffeured driven cars can drive you to any destination, as locally chauffeur car service offers great & affordable service most importantly you can count on being on time.
Melbourne Airport Transfers
Getting to Tynong is easy with your driver, your chauffeured driver from will track all Melbourne Airport transfers flights.
Once your flight arrive your driver will be waiting for you inside at Melbourne Airport terminal.
Chauffeur Melbourne Proud it's self for being accredited with Melbourne Airport. You can always count on Chauffeur Melbourne to make your Airport Transfers with ease and stress free.
Reliable Tynong Chauffeur Service
We take pride on our drivers & booking team, to track each booking is made by our clients for all type of transfers, we monitor & value your time, we have only handpicked chauffeur drivers who are Reliable. Try our Online Booking System now!! or Call us on 1300 972 066
Van Transfers with Driver
Booking a Van Transfer with Driver is very Simple, Just let us know how many bags or how many people you have you we will get, perfect vehicle for your transfers, Our mini bus hire with driver is perfect for Wine-tours to Yarra Valley or Redhill, we can even arrange to pick-up large groups for after the concert Rochford a day on the green.
Our fleet has 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 seaters. You can "Rely" on Chauffeur Melbourne with all types of Van Transfers.
Private Car Service in Tynong
Did you know chauffeured cars service is very popular and also known as Private Car Service. From going out on nice dinner in our fancy cars, you can impress some-one, having your private driver to chauffeured your around, imagine the class and your very own luxury cars, to choose from, you will get use to the private car service.
Wedding Car Hire in Tynong
Getting Married ? You will need Chauffeured Car Hire, your answer is Chauffeur Melbourne, Our Luxury Chauffeur Driven Cars makes highlights, Our Chauffeur Wedding car hire in Tynong can cater all types of Wedding Transfers.
Our fleet has many options and packages to choose from. You can hire us for late night after wedding transfers, guests pick-up's, you can even hire us for winery wedding transfers, call us to inquire on 1300 972 066
How to Book Your Chauffeur Car Service From Tynong?
Making a booking is very simple, just let us know your pick-up address, if you need an SUV or Sedan, we will endeavour to cater everything, you either book online or you simply Call us on 1300 972 066

subset: commoncrawl


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for iPhone 13 Case Laser Watercolour Case Cover with Strap Chain
1 x iPhone 13 Case
iPhone 13
We ship to all over New Zealand by CourierPost service or Fastway.
You can also pick up in our store(Search salelink in google map)
Northside Business Park, Unit 7, 9 northside Drive, Westgate, Auckland. Business & Pick Up Hours: Mon to Fri 10AM to 5PM (Closed on weekends and public holidays)
For CourierPost shipping, you could also track your order here.
For Fastway shipping, you could track your order here.
For more shipping information, you could contact us by leaving a message. We will get back to you in 24 hours.
Combine Shipping
We can combine shipping on all auctions as long as deposited by one payment; you paid the highest shipping rate on the first item and 50% of shipping on further auctions.
Courier Deliveries:
We generally dispatch order the same or next working day once payment has been confirmed and not prior. Delays can occur during peak times, dependent on courier schedule. If you will not be home between 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, please provide your work address, otherwise you will chase up the courier. Track number will be emailed to you after order has been dispatched.
Please ensure that your address is correct before paying, we have no responsibility for lost times that are sent to a wrong address you provide. However, we are happy to help you to chase up parcel. Any fee occurred will be paid by buyer.
Please also Make sure you pay the rural delivery if you in. We will put extra ticket for RD delivery; courier will refuse to delivery to rural area without ticket and return the item back. If that happens, customer may have to pay for the delivery cost again.


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Evidence-based recommendations on natalizumab (Tysabri) for treating highly active relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis in adults.
The recommendations also apply to natalizumab biosimilar products that have a marketing authorisation allowing the use of the biosimilar for the same indication.
Guidance development process
How we develop NICE technology appraisal guidance
Your responsibility
The recommendations in this guidance represent the view of NICE, arrived at after careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, health professionals are expected to take this guidance fully into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences and values of their patients. The application of the recommendations in this guidance is at the discretion of health professionals and their individual patients and do not override the responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or their carer or guardian.
All problems (adverse events) related to a medicine or medical device used for treatment or in a procedure should be reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency using the Yellow Card Scheme.
Commissioners and/or providers have a responsibility to provide the funding required to enable the guidance to be applied when individual health professionals and their patients wish to use it, in accordance with the NHS Constitution. They should do so in light of their duties to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, to advance equality of opportunity and to reduce health inequalities.
Commissioners and providers have a responsibility to promote an environmentally sustainable health and care system and should assess and reduce the environmental impact of implementing NICE recommendations wherever possible.


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The ATB Frame Fit Pumps 380MM is available at the following locations.
The item will be transferred to the location you choose during checkout.
If the item is not currently available to view at your desired location, please call your nearest store to arrange for it to be transferred.
Flexible Connection: Allows inflation from further away and prevents damage to the valve stem.Mounting: 2 mounting clips 105 XL (reference 1059)* Barrel: PVC* Handle: Technopolymer resin* Connection: Flexible Schrader + Presta adapter* Length: 380mm / 300mm* Weight: 130g / 110g
Our delivery charges are based on delivery to mainland Britain. For Northern Ireland, Northern Scotland and all offshore UK islands there is an additional charge. Orders placed after 1pm will be classed as the next working day.
FREE (0-5 working days)
Choose to collect your bike from one of our four stores in Devon.
If paying by finance your order must be delivered to your home address, alternatively, you can apply in-store and take your bike home the same day.
*Paying by finance online and collecting in-store is currently not possible.
Bikes under £500 - £35 (1-7 working days)
Kids Bikes - £19.99 (1-7 working days)
Bikes over £500 - FREE (1-7 working days)
Please note: a delivery fee may be applicable if you are purchasing a bike on sale or via a Cycle to Work scheme.
£25 (1-5 Working Days)
Standard Delivery over £75 - FREE (1-5 Working Days)
Standard Delivery under £75 - £4.95 (1-5 Working Days)
Delivery depends on which store the item you are purchasing is located in.
If you're unsure get in touch on Live Chat or call 01363 460 360
Bikes £100
Turbo Trainers £100
Please allow 7-10 working days for your order to arrive.
NOTE: Due to worldwide parts availability issues and increased demand occasionally delivery times may exceed this. If this is the case we will contact you and offer you the option to wait, swap to an alternative product or receive a full refund.
We're excited to introduce our Premier Bike Delivery service, featuring doorstep delivery with a personal touch from a qualified mechanic. This premium service includes:
Please note, there will be a workshop lead time to complete the pre-delivery inspection of your bike.
After placing your order, a representative from our Customer Care team will reach out to arrange a delivery date that suits you.
This service costs £149
If you are unavailable to take delivery of your order at your address we may be able to arrange for the courier to leave your goods in a safe place or with a neighbour. Please be aware that we can take no responsibility for lost or damaged goods that you have chosen not to sign for. We regret that we can accept no responsibility for subsequent damage that may occur, once the order has been left at the delivery address.
If at a first attempt the courier fails to deliver the order then they will leave a card and it will be up to the recipient to make arrangements to receive the order from them. The courier will try to deliver the order once more free of charge, after this they will charge out at their standard rate, this will be advised by the courier at the time of arranging any subsequent deliveries.
We can usually arrange for couriers to deliver between 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday. You will be contacted to arrange a convenient time once your order has been processed.
All bikes are fully built and setup by a professional mechanic before being boxed up and sent out. If you require your bike not to be built please request this at the time of purchase.
Bike delivery times can vary between 1 - 5 working days to allow time for your bike to be built and setup before we send it out.
We do not currently offer delivery outside of the UK.
Bike Returns: If you desire to return your bike, you must keep it in the box and call us on 01363 774773 to arrange a collection.
Please note the following:
Damaged Goods: If order(s) are broken or spoiled when it is delivered then you must notify us as within 24 hours of delivery, otherwise the returns policy becomes invalid. You will have the option of returning the whole order or just the affected items. You can notify us by phone on 01363 774773, email on firstname.lastname@example.com or by post by writing to The BikeShed, Union Road, Crediton, Devon, EX17 3AN. All refunds under this returns policy will be paid within 30 days of you notifying us, providing that the merchandise has been collected by our courier. Any items being returned must be in their original packaging to prevent any further damage.
Cancellations: You can cancel an order at any time up to 7 days from the date of delivery as long as the items remain unopened and intact by calling us on 01363 774773, contacting us via email on email@example.com or by post by writing to The BikeShed, Union Road, Crediton, Devon, EX17 3AN. You will have responsibility for looking after the items until we collect it, we will reimburse the price of the items within 30 days from the date of which you inform us that wish to cancel the order, provided that the order has been collected by the courier. Unfortunately we are not able to reimburse you the delivery cost of sending unwanted items back to us.
Unfortunately from time to time items may become unavailable, we will do our best to minimise this occurrence however if it should happen then we will contact you to suggest an appropriate alternative.
Here at the Bike Shed we always strive to offer value for money and offer friendly expert advice on the best quality products we can source.
We are great supporters of shopping locally due to the benefits it has on our local economy, employment, and community. However, we do not want to see you disadvantaged by choosing to shop with us and we, therefore, will match any UK based competitors' prices on the following conditions:
• The product must be available with the UK supplier even if discontinued or an older model.
• If assembly is required there may be an additional charge for this.
Please note: If the Bike Shed assembles your bike not only will your warranty be more robust you also qualify for a free first service with us.
• We reserve the right to contact the seller to verify the price/availability/accuracy etc.
• Used, ex-demo, ex-display, returns, and all online auction sites do not qualify.
Where the item does not match the above, we still attempt to be competitive in terms of price, quality, and service.
We reserve the right to decline the price promise at our own discretion
Trust our 14 years of experience in the bicycle insurance industry. Our comprehensive, customisable, and competitively priced coverage includes easy online quotes, fast claims handling, and expert customer service.
We offer 10 days free cover with all new bikes purchased, provided by our insurance partner VeloLife. You will be covered for the first 10 days of ownership against theft and accidental damage, so you can purchase with confidence.
Give yourself the comfort of no obligation free insurance, make sure you have peace of mind from the moment you leave the store. If anything happens to the bike in the first 10 days of ownership, know you are covered!


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Terms of Use
Please review these terms and conditions of use carefully before using our websites, including, without limitation, the following websites:
This document states the terms and conditions ("Terms") upon which MP3Juice ("we" or "us") will provide service to you on its websites, including, without limitation, the above listed websites (collectively, the "Website"). These Terms constitute a contractual agreement between you and us. By visiting, accessing, using, and/or joining (collectively "using") the Website, you express your understanding and acceptance of these Terms. As used in this document, the terms "you" or "your" refers to you, any entity you represent, your or its representatives, successors, assigns and affiliates, and any of your or their devices. If you do not agree to be bound by these Terms, navigate away from the Website and cease using it.
1. Eligibility
- You must be at least eighteen (18) years of age to use the Website, unless the age of majority in your jurisdiction is greater than eighteen (18) years of age, in which case you must be at least the age of majority in your jurisdiction. Use of the Website is not permitted where prohibited by law.
- The consideration for your acceptance of these Terms is that we are providing you the Grant of Use to use the Website pursuant to Section 2 hereof. You acknowledge and agree that this consideration is adequate and that you have received the consideration.
2. Grant of Use
- We grant you a non-exclusive, non-transferable and limited right to access, non-publicly display, and use the Website, including all content available therein (the "Content") (subject to the restrictions of the Website) on your computer or mobile device consistent with these Terms. You may only access and use the Website for your personal and noncommercial use.
- This grant is terminable by us at will for any reason and at our sole discretion, with or without prior notice. Upon termination, we may, but shall not be obligated to: (i) delete or deactivate your account, (ii) block your e-mail and/or IP addresses or otherwise terminate your use of and ability to use the Website, and/or (iii) remove and/or delete any of your User Submissions (defined below). You agree not to use or attempt to use the Website after said termination. Upon termination, the grant of your right to use the Website shall terminate, but all other portions of these Terms shall survive. You acknowledge that we are not responsible to you or any third party for the termination of your grant of use.
3. Intellectual Property
- The Content on the Website, excluding User Submissions and Third Party Content (defined below), but including other text, graphical images, photographs, music, video, software, scripts and trademarks, service marks and logos contained therein (collectively "Proprietary Materials"), are owned by and/or licensed to us. All Proprietary Materials are subject to copyright, trademark and/or other rights under the laws of applicable jurisdictions, including domestic laws, foreign laws, and international conventions. We reserve all our rights over our Proprietary Materials.
- Except as otherwise explicitly permitted, you agree not to copy, modify, publish, transmit, distribute, participate in the transfer or sale of, create derivative works of, or in any other way exploit, in whole or in part, any Content.
4. User Submissions
- You are entirely responsible for any and all materials you upload, submit, transmit, create, modify or otherwise make available via the Website, including any sound files that you create, modify, transmit or download through the Website (collectively, "User Submissions"). User Submissions cannot always be withdrawn. You acknowledge that any disclosure of personal information in User Submissions may make you personally identifiable and that we do not guarantee any confidentiality with respect to User Submissions.
- You shall be solely responsible for any and all of your own User Submissions and any and all consequences of uploading, submitting, modifying, transmitting, creating or otherwise making available the User Submissions. For any and all of your User Submissions, you affirm, represent and warrant that:
- You own or have the necessary licenses, permissions, rights or consents to use and authorize us to use all trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets or other proprietary rights in and to User Submissions for any and all uses contemplated by the Website and these Terms;
- You will not post, or allow anyone else to post, any material that depicts any sexually explicit acts; and
- You have written consent, release, and/or permission from each and every identifiable individual in the User Submission to use the name and/or likeness of each and every such identifiable individual to enable use of the User Submission for any and all uses contemplated by the Websites and these Terms.
- You further agree that you shall not upload, submit, create, transmit, modify or otherwise make available material that:
- Is copyrighted, protected by trade secret or trademark laws, or otherwise subject to third party proprietary rights, including privacy and publicity rights, unless you are the owner of such rights or have explicit permission from the rightful owner to submit the material and to grant us all of the license rights granted herein;
- Is obscene, vulgar, illegal, unlawful, defamatory, fraudulent, libelous, harmful, harassing, abusive, threatening, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, hateful, racially or ethnically offensive, inflammatory, or otherwise inappropriate as decided by us in our sole discretion;
- Depicts illegal activities, promotes or depicts physical harm or injury against any group or individual, or promotes or depicts any act of cruelty to animals;
- Impersonates any person or entity or otherwise misrepresents you in any way, including creating a false identity;
- Would constitute, encourage or provide instructions for a criminal offense, a violation of the rights of any party, or that would otherwise create liability or violate any local, state, national or international law; or
- Is unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotion, "spam" or any other form of solicitation.
- We claim no ownership or control over User Submissions or Third Party Content. You or a third-party licensor, as appropriate, retain all copyrights to User Submissions and you are responsible for protecting those rights as appropriate. You irrevocably grant us a world-wide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, non-cancelable, sub-licenseable license to reproduce, publicly perform, publicly display, distribute, adapt, modify, publish, translate, create derivative works of and otherwise exploit User Submissions for any purpose, including without limitation any purpose contemplated by the Website and these Terms. You also irrevocably waive and cause to be waived against us and any of our users any claims and assertions of moral rights or attribution with respect to User Submissions.
- You represent and warrant that you have all the rights, power and authority necessary to grant the rights granted herein to User Submissions. Specifically, you represent and warrant that you own the title to the User Submissions, that you have the right to upload, modify, access, transmit, create or otherwise make available the User Submissions on the Website, and that uploading the User Submissions will not infringe upon any other party's rights or your contractual obligations to other parties.
- You acknowledge that we may at our sole discretion refuse to publish, remove, or block access to any User Submission for any reason, or for no reason at all, with or without notice.
- Without limiting the other indemnification provisions herein, you agree to defend us against any claim, demand, suit or proceeding made or brought against us by a third-party alleging that your User Submissions or your use of the Website in violation of these Terms infringes or misappropriates the intellectual property rights of any third-party or violates applicable law and you shall indemnify us for any and all damages against us and for reasonable attorney's fees and other costs incurred by us in connection with any such claim, demand, suit or proceeding.
5. Content on the Website
- You understand and acknowledge that, when using the Website, you will be exposed to content from a variety of sources including content made available on the Website by other users, services, parties and through automated or other means (collectively, "Third Party Content") and that we do not control and are not responsible for any Third Party Content. You understand and acknowledge that you may be exposed to content that is inaccurate, offensive, indecent or otherwise objectionable or may cause harm to your computer systems and, without limiting the other limitation of liability provisions herein, you agree to waive, and hereby do waive, any legal or equitable rights or remedies you may have against us with respect thereto.
- We claim no ownership or control over Third Party Content. Third parties retain all rights to Third Party Content and they are responsible for protecting their rights as appropriate.
- You understand and acknowledge that we assume no responsibility whatsoever for monitoring the Website for inappropriate content or conduct. If at any time we choose, in our sole discretion, to monitor such content, we assume no responsibility for such content, have no obligation to modify or remove any such content (including User Submissions and Third Party Content), and assume no responsibility for the conduct of others submitting any such content (including User Submissions and Third Party Content).
- Without limiting the provisions below on limitations of liability and disclaimers of warranties, all Content (including User Submissions and Third Party Content) on the Website is provided to you "AS-IS" for your information and personal use only and you shall not use, copy, reproduce, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license or otherwise exploit for any other purpose whatsoever the Content without the prior written consent of the respective owners/licensors of the Content.
- You acknowledge that we may at our sole discretion refuse to publish, remove, or block access to any Content for any reason, or for no reason at all, with or without notice.
6. User Conduct
- You represent and warrant that all the information and content provided by you to us is accurate and current and that you have all necessary rights, power and authority to (i) agree to these Terms, (ii) provide the User Submissions to us, and (iii) perform the acts required of you under these Terms.
- You hereby expressly authorize us to monitor, record and log any of your activities on the Website.
- As a condition of your use of the Website:
- You agree not to use the Website for any unlawful purpose or in any way that is prohibited by these Terms;
- You agree to abide by all applicable local, state, national and international laws and regulations;
- You agree not to use the Website in any way that exposes us to criminal or civil liability;
- You agree that you are solely responsible for all acts and omissions that occur as a result of your use of the Website;
- You agree that all your User Submissions belong to you and that you have the right and authority to provide them to us and make use of them on or through the Website;
- You agree not to use any automated means, including robots, crawlers or data mining tools, to download, monitor or use data or Content from the Website;
- You agree not to take any action that imposes, or may impose, in our sole discretion, an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on our technology infrastructure or otherwise make excessive demands on it;
- You agree not to "stalk" or otherwise harass anyone on or through the Website;
- You agree not to forge headers or otherwise manipulate identifiers in order to disguise the origin of any information you transmit;
- You agree not to disable, circumvent, or otherwise interfere with security related features of the Website or features that prevent or restrict use or copying of any content or which enforce limitations on the use of the Website or the content therein;
- You agree not to post, link to, or otherwise make available on the Website any material that contains software viruses or any computer code, file or program designed to interrupt, destroy, limit or monitor the functionality of any computer software or hardware or any telecommunications equipment;
- You agree not to license, sublicense, sell, resell, transfer, assign, distribute or otherwise in any way commercially exploit or make available the Website or any Content to any third party;
- You agree not to "frame" or "mirror" the Website; and
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text:
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Stating The Obvious...
Disney is still in the buying mood it appears...
In a conference call with investors for the Walt Disney Company the other day, Bob Iger mentioned that the Mouse was looking at the opportunity to buy other characters. Now, I know that people will complain about a lack of creativity, but the Maestro himself purchased the rights to several characters he didn't own(101 Dalmatians, Winnie the Pooh, ect.). Many of those characters today are thought of as being as Disney as Mickey Mouse. But I'll take this opportunity to stand up on my soapbox once again:
Star Wars/Indiana Jones/Lucasfilm.
These characters have been inside Disney Parks for two decades and most guests, particularly young boys, identify them as Disney characters to begin with. To inform them that they aren't owned by Disney would be a surprise to most if not all. If Iger is true to this statement then it's time to purchase them from Lucas and make it happen. I can only cross my fingers that this is what has been happening in back channels. I dream of Iger having meetings with George Lucas up in Marin County, discussing a transaction similar to the Marvel deal over a nice lunch at Skywalker Ranch.
If there is any company that Lucas could/would/should leave his characters in the hands of, it's the Walt Disney Company. It represents a strong collection of characters that Iger can utilize across all sectors of the company. From merchandise, television, film, theme parks, the brands represent an opportunity for the company to expand earnings and generate content with a very recognizable list of characters.
If George doesn't want to continue the films beyond Episode VI then you could have adventures like "Knights of the Old Republic," or that "Boba Fett" film that Joe Johnston wants to make. How about a Star Wars animated film from Pixar or Walt Disney Animated Studios under the guidance of John Lasseter? Or even a possible reboot/reinterpretation of the films the way J.J. Abrams did with "Star Trek."
Television offers opportunities as well, with the Clone Wars series being such a success on the Cartoon Network, shows made for Disney XD would be a given. And lets not forget to mention my long dream of an "Indiana Jones" animated series from Paul Dini. How about an animated series focusing on "The Adventures of Han & Chewie?" And if ABC can have a network show coming that stars the Hulk, could you not see one staring Republic Commandos?
Then there is the possibility of expanding the Lucasfilm brand in the parks. Could you see an entire section in the Hollywood Studios dedicated to Star Wars? Or even better: A Fifth Gate that is nothing but that? The opportunities are endless and as big as the universe the Bearded One created. So, I think Bob Iger should take the advise of one of Star Wars wisest characters:
Do, or do not, there is no try...
Hat Tip to The Disney Blog.
40 comments:
- jeffk said...
Man, that Indiana Jones animated series sounds like it would be amazing. I could see it spinning off into its own Hellboy-like universe.
Also, I didn't realize until just now how much I'd like to see an Indy-Hellboy crossover event.
I like it! Make it happen, Disney! - August 11, 2011 at 3:54 PM
I would LOVE to see a live-action series focusing on Republic Commando! That would we amazing, mind blowing stuff if done right.
- August 11, 2011 at 4:13 PM
A Star Wars film made by Pixar with John Lasseter directing????!!!!
I'd be in heaven. May the Force make that happen! - August 11, 2011 at 5:01 PM
The whole idea of a park based on Star Wars is too good an idea for them to make. It'll never happen simply because it's such a great idea. Bean counters would get in the way.
- August 11, 2011 at 5:14 PM
- B-mask said...
I think it's great that Disney would be willing to take the reigns up on these characters (especially as George doesn't know how to use them anymore in his old age) but I wouldn't make the comparison that the characters Disney bought up for its animated features is anything like this. They were bought up to express new ideas and storytelling possibilities that transformed them into entirely new creations. A boba fett movie would be canonically linked to the boba fett of the originals, but the little mermaid is not the same subject of the original hans christian anderson story-the entire movie is its own standalone beast. That's the kind of ingenuity I think we're going to see in the future.
It's like roy said about making sequels to the love bug- 'you can only go so far down that road before the public begins to catch on.' - August 11, 2011 at 5:33 PM
Are there really kids who think that Star Wars is a Disney product? I am at Disneyland frequently and constantly hear people asking why Star Tours is there- "It's not Disney is it?". Granted these must be people who have not been to Disneyland since Star Tours debuted 20 some years ago, but I don't think that Disney and Star Wars are by any means synonymous. But I guess ther are those people, kids whose families have been Annual pass holders their whole life who might be under that impression.
- August 11, 2011 at 6:13 PM
The "kids" that have shown up to Disneyland over the past decade or two don't know a Disneyland park without Star Wars.
I've talked to plenty of them in line and if you were to tell them it wasn't Disney they'd look at you with a question mark above their head.
The reason Star Tours is in the park is that it's the kind of thing Disney used to make and wasn't back in the 70's. That's why they made the deal with Lucas. It's also why they should make the deal with Lucas again to buy his company. Honor's hope is mine as well. Having them brought into the Disney family is the perfect home for them. It's also the perfect opportunity to have a new Star Wars film that doesn't suck. Here's a suggestion: Brad Bird directing a Star Wars film. Now THAT would be something that would make up for the Prequels. - August 11, 2011 at 7:08 PM
The Adventures of Han & Chewie?
Done in the Nelvana style from the Star Wars Holiday Special? BRING IT ON! - August 11, 2011 at 9:12 PM
- Doopey said...
Disney could have had "Clone Wars" as an anchor for DisneyXD and they didn't get it. I know this is one of your die hard fantasies, Honor, but it will never happen. I do really hope that Lucas and Disney find new ways to collaborate, though.
- August 11, 2011 at 9:19 PM
Just another idication that while forward tech savy. Igor is not interested and stumped to expand on what Disney already has, so looks to buy new just for profit. While Walt and previous CEOS bought project it was all abought growing what you already had not look for new because you had no in sight.
- August 11, 2011 at 9:25 PM
- B-mask said...
@Biggs- But I'd rather Brad Bird worked on something either he really wanted to do or something new. I mean it's easy assigning people who did good stuff to other projects, but paul dinis dialogue in arkham asylum wasn't exactly the shakespeare that was 'Batman: TAS', was it?
I mean there's selling products and then there's stifling creativity. - August 11, 2011 at 9:57 PM
- Allan said...
I am not sure there is a lot of big money FUTURE left in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, after all they have made all the best films already out of them.
- August 11, 2011 at 10:05 PM
No one thought Disney would buy Pixar. They hoped a deal could be cut with them, but Iger went beyond it.
- August 11, 2011 at 10:15 PM
I think this makes a good strategic fit. If George is not ready to part with it, why not let him run the company with Disney owning it - like Marvel and Pixar. There are endless possibilities across all platforms. I would make me personally happy to see Star Tours and Indiana Jones Adventure as Disney owned characters and properties inside Disneyland and the other parks instead of outside properties licensed by Disney. That always bugged me.
Movies, TV, Games, Theme Parks, Consumer Products, Animation, Spin offs. Yon name it, the sky's the limit. - August 11, 2011 at 11:13 PM
- Cory Gross said...
Meh, why not? I'm still of the opinion that I would rather see DC in Disney's hands than Marvel, and that Star Tours was a Star Trek ride rather than a Star Wars one... those just seem like better fits all 'round... but I live in a fantasy world where those wouldn't happen. So, meh, why not?
- August 12, 2011 at 7:02 AM
It would be awesome for Disney to have creative freedom over Star Wars and Indiana Jones. As long as Disney didn't flog the franchises to death, then I'd be happy.
Another company could be Rovio - the makers of Angry Birds. They have voiced the desire to be "Disney 2.0" and with movies and merchandise already in the works it could be a key company on Disney's radar. - August 12, 2011 at 8:02 AM
How about a Star Wars animated film from Pixar or Walt Disney Animated Studios under the guidance of John Lasseter? Or even a possible reboot/reinterpretation of the films the way J.J. Abrams did with "Star Trek." - a horrible, horrible idea. Regardless of who owns what and what 10 year olds know or don´t know, Star Wars is *not* Disney. And Abrams´ Star Trek "reinterpretation" is quite possibly the worst movie of the last 20 years (well, at least since M:I 3)
- August 12, 2011 at 8:50 AM
Anonymous #1, you're completely wrong and you know it!
- August 12, 2011 at 10:36 AM
Considering that the only good Mission: Impossible film is M:I3, it shows your lack of taste. And Star Trek being the worst movie in the last 20 years??? You obviously don't get out to the movie theaters very much.
Hehe. - August 12, 2011 at 11:49 AM
Uh, yeah, Walt purchased the rights to characters the studio didn't create, but then he RECREATED them into the Disney version, thus making those versions the honestly-owned artistic property of Disney. There's Collodi's Pinocchio and there's Disney's Pinocchio. There's Felix Salten's Bambi and Disney's Bambi. And the reason the Disney versions are more memorable than the originals is because the Disney versions are so freaking awesome. And there was more than just money involved in making them awesome. It was something called CREATIVITY. That's what Disney used to be known for. What is so frigging hard to understand about that? Why can't some people get the distinction between acquisition and artistry?
We've got theme parks in disrepair (including the infamous broken Yeti in WDW's Expedition Everest) and yet Iger's talking about spending another buttload of money on characters whose expiration date is long past. Clone Wars is garbage. Indiana Jones is dated as hell. (In fact, that show at WDW needs to leave. Last time I saw it, the audience was bored out of their minds). What Iger would do if he wasn't a two-bit bean-counter is invest in TALENT to create NEW characters and properties. But he won't, and it's just great, Honor, that so-called Disney fans like you are cheering him on.
And a Fifth Gate focused on Star Wars would flop resoundingly. The interest just isn't there. If people are still so enamoured of Lucas' universe, why isn't a new Star Wars movie getting greenlit? The Smurfs and the Chipmunks have been revived, why not Chewbacca?
Why not? Because Star Wars has shot its wad, and most people in the biz are smart enough to know it. - August 12, 2011 at 11:53 AM
Ah, it's nice to fantasize, Honor....This is some good stuff the "fans" are smoking, and a fun way for them to entertain themselves until D23.
- August 12, 2011 at 4:25 PM
- Cory Gross said...
And the reason the Disney versions are more memorable than the originals is because the Disney versions are so freaking awesome.
Also, the originals are books. Old books. Nobody reads old books, no matter how good they are. - August 12, 2011 at 5:09 PM
- Ned Land said...
Yeah, books like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea suck. Hack authors like Jules Verne don't compare to someone of high class we find today, say Michael Bay?
- August 12, 2011 at 7:06 PM
Forget Cory,
He's proven his stripes by declaring his enjoyment of Cowboys versus Aliens, while demeaning Captain America before even seeing it.
His judgement is misplaced and his taste are in question. - August 12, 2011 at 7:09 PM
This most likely will not happen. Iger is quoted as saying he won't over pay for anything, and that they already have a lot of characters and franchises already.
Plus do you really think Lucas will let it go?
He doesn't need Disney. What would he do without his baby(s). - August 12, 2011 at 9:12 PM
- Cory Gross said...
Yeah, books like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea suck. Hack authors like Jules Verne don't compare to someone of high class we find today, say Michael Bay?
Please go back and reread my comment without pretending like I'm insulting you personally.
The fact that you make a reference to that particular book is kind of hysterical, for reasons that might become apparent if you go look at my own blog.
As for the Assumptioneer: yes, I did enjoy Cowboys & Aliens as a paint-by-numbers Wird Western action film and heard enough bad reviews and enough questionable good ones to avoid Captain America. It's just too bad you're not grown up enough to accept that people might have different tastes. Maybe put down the keyboard until you get out of high school. - August 13, 2011 at 8:40 AM
I don't want Disneyland or any of the other parks, turning into Star Wars central. It would be nice for Disney to develop new characters.
If you listed all the characters in the parks that Disney did not really develop, it would be a really long list. Even the Pixar Characters aren't really Disney.
Stitch is a Disney developed character, some of the fun sidekicks in movies, such as Mulan and Rapunzel are unique to Disney even though the main characters are not.
Just seems the newer developed characters flop, Chicken Little anyone? While the borrowed, licensed ones, Alice in Wonderland, Rapunzel, Snow White ect.. really catch on and are popular. Hmmmm??
Anyway, that's my soapbox. - August 13, 2011 at 11:28 AM
You know you're wrong, so please do us all a huge favor and SHUT UP!!!! - August 13, 2011 at 6:00 PM
I don't know if anyone has seen it, but Alain over at Disney & More has posted a small review of Captain America. And for what it's worth, he's even more in love with it than Honor is.
I don't know if Cory respects Alain more than he does Honor, but if he likes Alain's taste then perhaps it'll make him at least give it a look. - August 13, 2011 at 10:17 PM
What the hell is a gigglesock?
- August 13, 2011 at 10:22 PM
^Beats me. Why is that deranged person babbling about it?
- August 14, 2011 at 9:46 AM
- Brian said...
The deal would have to work out for both sides.
I don;t think Lucas is ready to sell quite yet. - August 14, 2011 at 2:35 PM
Cory Gross, you said that you heard enough bad reviews and enough questionable good ones to avoid Captain America. And you enjoyed Cowboys & Aliens.
Captain America's score on RT is 79%. C&A's score? 45%. (In other words, ROTTEN.) I'm a little bit surprised at you. Oh wait, I shouldn't be I guess considering how you overdo your life as a critic. If there's one little flaw from your POV (which is rather different from most), you automatically hate a movie.
Captain America was great; I think Thor was even better, but this one was great. Cowboys & Aliens was meh, the combination of western and sci-fi was rather weird. Worth watching however. - August 15, 2011 at 6:55 AM
How about a nice Star Wars Christmas show for ABC?
- August 15, 2011 at 9:25 AM
- Cory Gross said...
If there's one little flaw from your POV (which is rather different from most), you automatically hate a movie.
That is incorrect. I did get asked in that other thread what movies I think are good (which was part of the amusement with the other comment about my taste... I guess Walt Disney, Studio Ghibli, James Whale, Paul Grimault, Darren Arronofsky, Jean Cocteau, and Orson Welles are bad now because I like them). Nobody asked me what movies I like that are bad and why I would like them anyways. A really interesting exercise is finding all the faults in movies that one likes. I can tell you exactly what they are for my favorites.
If I have a little flaw as a critic, it's that I trust the trailers too much. That's because, moreso than a critic, I am a consumer, a member of the movie-going public. I don't want to waste my time or money on a terrible movie. Sometimes trailers are deceptive (oh The Fountain...) but if it makes a movie look bad, then I won't bother seeing it. Originally I wanted to see On Stranger Tides, Green Lantern, Jonah Hex, and Captain America, but then I saw the trailers. And then I read the reviews. I'm baffled by Cap's RT rating, since even positive reviews mention the same faults as the negative reviews.
I gues maybe it's a matter of taste. Which, if I may venture, is your guys' flaw. In some ways I share Honor's exasperation that it has become some mission amongst you guys to convince me to see some bad movie you happen to like. I don't like Pixar or Lord of the Rings either, so harangue me about that for a change. It's as though you take my not wanting to see it as some kind of personal insult. It's even reached the level of a grudge now, where people bring it up in entirely different posts just to try digging at me.
Jeez, get over it. - August 16, 2011 at 7:03 AM
"you guys to convince me to see some bad movie you happen to like"
It's not a bad movie Cory. For the last time, it's a very classic, sweet and very well written movie. The kind you don't find much anymore. That's what I think people are trying to get through to you. Did you read Alain's review over at Disney and More? He loved it as well as Honor. What everyone might be upset for, is why you judge it before even seeing it. They're asking you to at least see it and judge for yourself. - August 16, 2011 at 7:49 AM
Cory, it's rather sad to see you looking for faults in the movies that you *do* like. Although it may be interesting, it'll eventually lead to the point where you hate movies in general. I just try to enjoy the movie; I don't look for faults unless they come up and beat my face (like with Transformers 2). Green Lantern's flaws came up and beat me around the face for pretty much the whole thing; so you haven't missed anything by not seeing that one.
"What everyone might be upset for, is why you judge it before even seeing it."
That is a very accurate statement indeed. I almost never judge a movie on whether it's good or bad without seeing it for myself.
If you insist on not seeing Captain America in the theater, then at least see it once it's out on DVD. And if you're a diehard POTC fan, you should also do On Stranger Tides once it's out. It's better than At World's End (although not as good as the original or even Dead Man's Chest). - August 16, 2011 at 8:37 AM
- Cory Gross said...
On the contrary, being able to articulate the faults, as well as the qualities, of a movie you happen to like is a very positive thing. It disentangles matters of personal taste from a film's objective quality and, consequently, acts as either a curative to fanboyism or enables honest ownership of it. It allows you to step back and say "yeah, okay, this movie isn't very good but I like it for X, Y and Z... I wonder why that is?" or to say "yes, this is a good movie and it's not just because it has dinosaurs in it, and this is why..." You guys, in your life's mission to prove to me that my tastes are wrong, evidently didn't notice that I even stated what the faults of Cowboys and Aliens were. A critical mind - not a negative disposition, but a thinking intellect - is never, ever a waste.
As for judging... I judge every movie before I decide whether or not to go see it. So do you guys. The primary judgement anyone makes is whether or not they are going to see it at all. Giving something a chance is making an implicit judgement that it might be worth giving a chance to. Yeah, I'm judgemental. I didn't see The Zookeeper or Fast Five either. If you have enough money and time to go see every movie in the theatre simply because it exists and you don't want to be "judgemental", more power to you. I don't.
As for On Stranger Tides, I may go see it now that it's in the cheap theatres, despite the fact that friends explicitly told me not to see it, knowing how intensely I disliked PotC 2 and 3. PotC 1, by the way, is one of my favorite films and, in my opinion, probably the best Disney live-action film of the last 30 years. - August 16, 2011 at 2:12 PM
Couldn't you like Captain America just like Cowboys & Aliens despite its faults? That presumes that you go see it, of course.
- August 16, 2011 at 3:53 PM
You raise a fair point, Cory. I don't mind being able to articulate *some* faults--but if I were to end up looking for every single little "oopsie!" in a favorite movie of my mine, then I might end up not wanting to see it at all. Like, "I can't believe they made these dumb mistakes in the movie! I hate this movie now! Wait, what'd I just say?!!"
You can see my point. Perhaps I'm taking yours a little too literally.
Yes, we all judge whether we want to see a movie or not. In one respect, that might be judging that a certain movie will be good or bad. But what I'm referring to is how--before even seeing it--you already think Captain America is bad.
I certainly don't have the time or money to see *every* movie in the theater--which is why I skipped Zookeeper too--but I have enough to go quite frequently. That perhaps puts us at a sort of understanding level in one respect; if I were in a similar situation, I wouldn't have seen Fast Five, Green Lantern, Super 8, or Cowboys & Aliens in the theater.
But I would've still seen Captain America; which brings us back to our original argument. But I'm not gonna go there. The fact that you want to be careful about which movies you see--because you don't want to end up walking out disappointed--is respectable. I think that leaves this whole argument settled in my case (whatever the other commenters might still have to say). - August 17, 2011 at 6:54 AM


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Hackers are getting creative nowadays with their illicit activities, which means the onus is on computer users to take steps to protect their computers. The first step to staying ahead of the game is by learning more about cyberattacks. Here are some pointers to help you deal with oneway criminals steal data: watering hole attacks.
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But how does a hacker choose which websites to hack? With internet tracking tools, hackers find out which websites companies and individual users visit the most. They then attempt to find vulnerabilities in those websites and embed them with malicious software.
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Update your software
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French Spices III
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Research and development has risen sharply on the corporate agenda in the wake of the global economic crisis, a McKinsey survey finds.1 Four in ten respondents report that both R&D budgets and activity levels are up this year relative to 2009. What's more, executives are remarkably optimistic that the R&D moves their companies made during the downturn will serve them well in the coming three to five years.
These are among the findings of a survey that examined how senior executives view the current state of R&D, as well as how their companies' R&D groups responded to, learned from, and were affected by the recent economic turmoil.
The survey suggests that some optimism is warranted: a sizable number of respondents say their companies will retain the usually beneficial changes made during 2009 to R&D organizations, infrastructure, or processes and will abandon fixes that likely helped in the crisis but aren't needed in the longer term. Nonetheless, some executives worry that the cost-cutting moves their companies made in R&D during 2009 will have painful consequences, including a weaker talent pool and a loss of market share resulting from shriveled new-product pipelines.
By contrast, the most optimistic picture emerges among companies that get the greatest benefit from innovation. These high performers were much less likely to scale back activity during the height of the downturn; indeed, they appear to have used it as an opportunity to maintain—or even increase—their long-term superiority just as global economic prospects are brightening.
R&D bounces back
The strategic importance of R&D appears to be growing as economic conditions improve. Nearly 60 percent of executives say R&D will be either the top priority or among the top three priorities this year—significantly higher than the 47 percent of executives who said the same one year ago.
Forty percent of executives say their companies' R&D budgets will be higher or much higher in 2010 than they were in 2009. A comparable question in 2009 found that only 20 percent of executives expected R&D budgets to increase that year. What's more, respondents to this year's survey are twice as likely to say that their companies are expanding R&D activities (44 percent versus 22 percent).
Despite the increased levels of spending and activity, companies are taking a wait-and-see approach to R&D hiring. Relatively few respondents say their companies are hiring or firing; the most common approach is a focus on retention (Exhibit 1).
Attention to retention
Weathering the storm
Executives recognize that delaying, reducing, and eliminating R&D projects can limit long-term competitiveness. Still, 42 percent of respondents say their organizations cut R&D costs in 2009, perhaps reflecting the lengths to which some companies needed to go in order to survive the recent economic turmoil. Further, when we compare the moves companies had made in spring 2009 (when our first R&D survey was conducted) with the moves they made by year's end, it becomes clear that for many R&D organizations, conditions worsened steadily. Far more companies eliminated projects, delayed spending, and instituted hiring freezes as the year progressed (Exhibit 2).
These actions may well haunt some companies for years to come. A significant share of executives whose companies cut costs expect that these moves will have adverse effects in the coming three to five years. The problems respondents are most likely to expect include reduced market share, a loss of technological ground to competitors, a weaker R&D talent pool, a loss of institutional knowledge, and damage to morale (Exhibit 3).
Deep cost cutting
Repercussions of 2009 actions
Meanwhile, a significant number of companies appear to have used the downturn as an opportunity to add a measure of discipline to their R&D organizations, infrastructure, or processes. Among the most frequent changes in 2009 were increased accountability for performance and spending, increased collaboration with outside R&D groups, increased use of global R&D resources, and the streamlining of core R&D processes. All these moves should help companies innovate more effectively over the long term (Exhibit 4).
How R&D changes will fare in the near future
What's next for R&D?
Encouragingly, most respondents whose companies made these forward-looking changes in 2009 expect to maintain them in the coming five years. By contrast, changes that appear to be purely about cost cutting—most notably, shifts toward extensions of existing product lines and short-term projects—appear less likely to stick. This finding likely reflects the high degree of pressure to prioritize short-term performance that many companies experienced during the height of the downturn.
Regardless of the actions the respondents' companies took in 2009, they are quite optimistic today—perhaps excessively so. Fully two-thirds of executives believe their companies will be better off than the competition over the next three to five years because of the R&D actions they took in 2009. Most bullish are executives who say their companies didn't cut R&D spending last year. Eighty-one percent of these respondents say that their companies will be better off than the competition because of the R&D actions they took in 2009, versus 52 percent of respondents at companies that cut R&D costs.
When we asked the executives about their companies' goals for R&D in 2010, they cited longer-term objectives, such as creating or modifying products or services to meet changes in customer needs or in the competitive landscape (Exhibit 5).
R&D in 2010
The strong get stronger
Just as we did for last year's survey, we closely observed the responses of executives at the high-performing innovators that get the greatest benefit from R&D. We define this group as companies that, according to the executives, have had higher rates of organic growth than competitors and realized more than 30 percent of that growth through new products developed in house.
The different pattern reflected in the actions of these companies is striking. For example, while high-performing innovators are no more likely than other companies to be expanding R&D activities this year, they are one and a half times more likely than the others to be making long-term bets to capitalize on growth opportunities. We find a similar gap between the high performers and the others in the likelihood that companies are shifting product portfolios toward completely new products (26 percent of high performers versus 15 percent of other companies). This finding suggests that the high performers have a greater tolerance for risk than do average companies.
Meanwhile, the high performers in our survey appear more attuned to the "softer" aspects of R&D than other companies are. Executives at high-performing companies, for instance, are significantly more likely to say their organizations are focusing on retention of key employees (40 percent versus 29 percent). And while the majority of high-performing companies didn't cut R&D costs in 2009—63 percent of high performers didn't, versus 56 percent of the others—those that did are far more likely than other companies to fear weaker R&D talent pools, a loss of institutional knowledge, and damage to company morale.
Finally, high-performing companies appear to be markedly more proactive than the others in two operational areas that represent significant long-term investments: the streamlining of core R&D processes and the expansion of R&D infrastructure (Exhibit 6).
Top performers are streamlining processes
Looking ahead
The 30 percent of companies paying more attention to existing employees are making a smart move, according to our experience. Too often, companies lose focus and struggle to retain key people just as economic conditions improve. Indeed, forward-looking companies should consider near-term opportunities to poach talent from competitors that have become distracted.
The findings that companies plan to retain increased accountability for R&D spending and greater collaboration with outside R&D groups are positive. The former invariably leads to the termination of unfavorable projects, thus liberating resources to generate new ideas. Furthermore, ideas developed in collaboration with customers and other outside parties are, in our experience, better ideas.
Average companies should take note of the emphasis that high performers place on streamlining processes and expanding R&D infrastructure. While lean processes and good infrastructure generally help any company innovate more successfully, these approaches will be particularly important for companies in Europe, the United States, and other high-cost areas as they face new low-cost competition from Asia and elsewhere.