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CLAREMONT, Calif. — When Maria Klawe became president of Harvey Mudd College in 2006, she was dismayed — but not surprised — at how few women were majoring in computer science.
A mathematician and computer scientist herself, she arrived at Harvey Mudd (the smallest of the five so-called Claremont Colleges) in the midst of a nationwide downturn for women in computer science. As recently as 1985, 37 percent of graduates in the field were women; by 2005 it was down to 22 percent, and sinking.
And the situation at Mudd was even grimmer. Of the college's 750 students, about a third were women (the figure is now closer to half), but for years the percentage of computer science graduates had been hovering around the single digits.
How Dr. Klawe (pronounced KLAH-vay) and her faculty turned things around — this year, nearly 40 percent of Harvey Mudd's computer science degrees will go to women — sheds light on a gender gap that elsewhere remains stubbornly resistant to changing times.
Thanks in part to companies like Facebook, Yelp and Zynga and in part to cultural sensations like the movie "The Social Network," coders are hip and computer science is hot. Departments across the nation are brimming with students.
But those students are overwhelmingly male. In 2010, just 18.2 percent of undergraduates in the field were women, according to the National Center for Education Statistics — in spite of gains in chemistry, biomechanical engineering and other so-called STEM fields (the acronym stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
"It must be the unique area of science and technology where women have made negative progress," said Nicholas Pippenger, a mathematics professor at Harvey Mudd, who is married to Dr. Klawe.
Dr. Klawe and others say the underrepresentation of women in the field is detrimental in a larger sense. Computer science, they say, is as vital to propelling society forward in the digital era as mechanical engineering was in the industrial age.
"If we're not getting more women to be part of that, it's just nuts," Dr. Klawe said. At Mudd, she continued, "we're graduating 20 female computer science majors a year, and every one of them is a gem." In 2005, the year before Dr. Klawe arrived, a group of faculty members embarked on a full makeover of the introductory computer science course, a requirement at Mudd.
Known as CS 5, the course focused on hard-core programming, appealing to a particular kind of student — young men, already seasoned programmers, who dominated the class. This only reinforced the women's sense that computer science was for geeky know-it-alls.
"Most of the female students were unwilling to go on in computer science because of the stereotypes they had grown up with," said Zachary Dodds, a computer scientist at Mudd. "We realized we were helping perpetuate that by teaching such a standard course."
To reduce the intimidation factor, the course was divided into two sections — "gold," for those with no prior experience, and "black" for everyone else. Java, a notoriously opaque programming language, was replaced by a more accessible language called Python. And the focus of the course changed to computational approaches to solving problems across science.
"We realized that we needed to show students computer science is not all about programming," said Ran Libeskind-Hadas, chairman of the department. "It has intellectual depth and connections to other disciplines."
Dr. Klawe supported the cause wholeheartedly, and provided money from the college for every female freshman to travel to the annual Grace Hopper conference, named after a pioneering programmer. The conference, where freshmen are surrounded by female role models, has inspired many a first-year "Mudder" to explore computer science more seriously.
Firsthand Experience
The topic of women in computing was a preoccupation for Dr. Klawe well before she took over at Harvey Mudd, in part because when she chose her profession, women in male-dominated fields were especially rare.
"She was consistently told by teachers in adolescence, then later by colleagues, that the things she was interested in were things women didn't do, and that there were no good female mathematicians," Dr. Pippenger said.
Dr. Klawe persevered. A native Canadian, she received her Ph.D. in mathematics in 1977 from the University of Alberta. She started a second Ph.D., in computer science, at the University of Toronto, but was offered a faculty position there before completing the degree.
In 1980, she married Dr. Pippenger, a highly regarded theoretical computer scientist, and for the first decade of their marriage Dr. Klawe was the professional afterthought. In the 1980s, they both worked at the I.B.M. Almaden Research Center in San Jose, Calif. "They only hired me so they wouldn't lose Nick," Dr. Klawe said.
They moved to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver in 1988, and Dr. Klawe's talents as an administrator began to blossom. In 2002, she was recruited to Princeton University as dean of engineering and applied sciences.
"By the time we went to Princeton," Dr. Pippenger said, "it was clear they were hiring me because they really wanted to get Maria." Dr. Klawe, a slight and sprightly woman, had not been at Princeton long before she began receiving recruiting inquiries. "If you're a female administrator at a place like Princeton, you'll get a request to be president or provost twice a week," she said. "A lot of times it's not that they care about you, but they need a credible female candidate."
She seldom read beyond the first few lines. "I had this automatic message saying I was honored to be nominated, but had no intention of leaving Princeton in the near future," she said.
Then one day in 2005, an announcement about the search for a president at Harvey Mudd floated into her in-box. She knew about the college and couldn't resist opening the attachment.
"I read it and thought, 'Oh, my God, the person they're talking about for this job is exactly me,' " she said.
Soon after arriving at Mudd, she gathered the school's extended community to help formulate a long-term strategic vision. "She shut down the school for four days," said Robert Cave, vice president for academic affairs. "She said, 'I want the entire community to be involved in charting the course of Harvey Mudd for the next 10 years.' "
In her third year on the job, Dr. Klawe landed the largest single contribution in the college's 57-year history — $25 million from R. Michael Shanahan, a financier and the former chairman of Mudd's board, who has since given an additional $6 million.
Now 60, Dr. Klawe is most often seen on campus in jeans — even, sometimes, on a skateboard, a skill she taught herself in just the last few years. ("We would all really worry if she didn't wear her protective gear," Dr. Cave said.)
Her leadership style is equally informal, and it has taken some of the faculty by surprise. Professor Libeskind-Hadas recalled that at one of the first full faculty meetings, she spoke while sitting on a table in front of the room.
In a nod to Mudd's very personal character, Dr. Klawe said, every summer she uses a flash card program to memorize the names of the nearly 200 incoming freshmen. On campus, she greets each student she passes by name. When the occasional prankster tries to stump her by presenting her with a non-Mudder, "usually I can figure it out," she said, "but not always."
She is an inveterate booster and recruiter for Harvey Mudd. On planes and ski lifts, at conferences and in far-flung restaurants, she often wears a T-shirt reading, "The Most Amazing School You've Never Heard Of." (The answer is on the back. Harvey Mudd, by the way, was a mining magnate in the first half of the 20th century.)
Finding Success
Efforts like these are bearing fruit. More high school seniors than ever are applying to Harvey Mudd. The college now accepts just 17 percent of applicants, and routinely snatches high school seniors who might otherwise choose better-known institutions like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon.
Dr. Klawe sometimes does the recruiting herself, sending personal messages to fence-sitters. "You tell her about a kid you really want and within four seconds, she's sent an e-mail," said Thyra Briggs, Mudd's vice president for admission and financial aid.
Dr. Klawe and others speak of "converting" female students to computer science. The idea, they say, is to make the introductory course enjoyable and interesting enough that women who were thinking of other majors choose computer science instead.
Bridgette Eichelberger, a sophomore, is one such convert. She entered Mudd interested in engineering, only to switch computer science after taking CS 5.
"I'm in my required engineering course now, and it's fun," she said. "But it's nothing like the happiness I've been getting from C.S. courses." She has a job lined up for the summer, working for Microsoft.
"If she had missed computer science, it would have been a missed opportunity for both sides," Professor Dodds said.
Whether Mudd's success can be replicated on a broad scale is unclear. Only a handful of colleges make computer science a requirement, which creates built-in exposure to the subject. And with fewer than 100 female freshmen, Mudd can afford to send all of them to the Hopper conference.
Still, signs of progress dot the higher education landscape.
At Carnegie Mellon, the percentage of incoming women enrolled in the computer science program has been rising since 2008, and is at 32 percent. M.I.T.'s figure is 30 percent. "Close to 50 percent of our undergraduates are women," said Barbara Liskov, a computer scientist there. "So having 30 percent is nice, and better than it used to be, but not as good as you might hope for."
The University of California, Berkeley, and a few other universities have also redesigned their computer science courses to be less intimidating. The Berkeley course aimed at nonmajors is called "The Beauty and Joy of Computing." Brian Harvey, a computer scientist there, said half the students who finish the course go on to take the course for majors. "We are 150 students per semester and climbing," he said, adding that half the students are women and women do as well as the men.
Bucknell University, in Lewisburg, Pa., recently adopted the "gold" version of Mudd's CS 5 course in its entirety.
Stanford is also working to make computer science more attractive to women. "What Harvey Mudd has done is super," said Stephen Cooper, a computer scientist there. "What other schools need to do is take a serious look at what works for their own environment."
Despite the success at her own campus, Dr. Klawe continues her crusade to lift the numbers. She visits other universities and corporations to give advice on recruiting women to STEM careers — and retaining them. Often she reminds her audience that for much of her career she felt like an impostor.
Jennifer Tour Chayes, a friend of Dr. Klawe's who is managing director of Microsoft Research New England, in Cambridge, Mass., says that is an important lesson.
"Women are often questioned, and then they take the impostor syndrome as their inner voice, as proof they shouldn't go on," she said. "What they need to know is that women like Maria also had that inner voice, and luckily they went on, and look how they're doing."
In spite of unequivocal evidence to the contrary, Dr. Klawe still has moments when she is convinced she is an impostor.
"If you're constantly pushing yourself, and putting yourself in new environments, you'll feel it over and over again," she said. "So the only really important thing is not to let it stop you."


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Osseo Adult Basic Education partners with Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) to offer family literacy classes. Parents study English, participate in a parenting education class, and have learning time with their children. Children must be between 6 months to 5 years old.
Watch a short video about our Family Literacy program.
To register or for more information, call 763.566.5452.

subset: commoncrawl


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Reflecting on My American Experience this Thanksgiving
While my son's ancestors didn't come to America on the Mayflower, they did arrive in Rhode Island in 1633. They survived cold New England winters, disease, and deprivation. They later fought in the American Revolution and as the old saying goes saw the whites of the Red Coat's eyes at Bunker Hill, and after the colonies won their independence, settled along the Mohawk River Valley in New York where they farmed the land for the next two hundred years. As time progressed they watched Scots Irish immigrants come into the area to help construct the the Erie Canal with mule teams and watched factories spring up in the towns and cities that dotted the length of the Mohawk River.
Other ancestors populated Acadia, or Nova Scotia, during the seventeenth century until they were forcibly removed by the British during the Seven Years War or what Americans call the French and Indian War. Some of the ancestors expelled from Acadia eventually ended up in Louisiana, others managed to find their way back to French speaking Canada to resettle in Quebec. During the mid-nineteenth century some made their way to California to seek their fortune during the Gold Rush. Ancestors fought, were wounded, or died of disease during the Civil War. They participated in the battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor. After the Civil War ancestors joined the great migration of immigrants from Canada to New England to work in the lumber camps of the Green Mountains and the mills of Massachusetts.
At the end of the nineteenth century another set of ancestors left their homeland in Europe. They left their families--mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters--behind and set off in search of a better life in America. They endured difficult conditions on ship and arrived at Ellis Island with the rest of the "yearning masses" also hoping for a better life in their new land. Immigrant ancestors found their way to the Midwest, to Chicago to work in low wage jobs in the steel industry. When they lost their home due to fire they made their way to Massachusetts to join other family members, also immigrants, in the steel mills. They worked long hours in difficult conditions to pursue the American dream.
During the twentieth century ancestors fought in World War I, World War II, and Korea. When both parents in one family died within two days of one another during the great flu pandemic of 1918, their children were adopted by family to become part of an extended family. Ancestors were affected by the crash of the stock market in 1929 and struggled with varying levels of success through the Great Depression. They participated in the Civilian Conservation Corps and joined the military.
One ancestor served his time in the military in the late 1930s and early 1940s, only to be discharged in November of 1941, eighteen days before the attack on Pearl Harbor. He reenlisted in February of 1942, served in the Pacific theatre, and participated in the battles of Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, the Marshall Islands, and Okinawa. He survived. Another family member fought with Patton's army in the European theatre. He witnessed the liberation of Buchenwald. After World War II family displaced by the chaos of the war in Europe, lingered in a DP camp for years until they were finally able to make their way to a new life in the United States.
Our ancestors survived war, deprivation, and hardship. They survived childbirth when health care was rudimentary or nonexistent, and during times when mothers knew death from childbirth was an ever-present possibility. They suffered from small pox, rheumatic fever, whooping cough, flu, measles, mumps, and a host of diseases our children, thankfully, will never know. There were bad times, but there were of good times as well. They lived life the best they could given their circumstances. That's four hundred years of history in my son's ancestry. He IS my American experience. That's a lot of weight to carry on those little shoulders.
When you sit down to dinner with your family this Thanksgiving, think about the people that came before you. It doesn't matter if they were French, Irish, Polish, Italian, or African American. It's doesn't matter if they came on the Mayflower or not. They were the ultimate survivors. We are here because of them, and our lives are better because of them. I know I have a lot to be thankful for.
What's your American experience? Take some time to write about it over the next week, and then share it with your family over Thanksgiving dinner. Almost four hundred years of history should give you something to talk about. Now, please pass the gravy...
Other Posts You Might Like:
Meditation: The Strength of Ordinary Women
Tombstone Tuesday: Francois Chenette, Civil War Soldier
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 1 of 4)
Madness Monday: The Stuff We Throw Away, and...
4 comments:
- Susan Clark said...
You write so beautifully, Cynthia. I'm sorely tempted to simply print this, pass it around and say, "What she said!" But you've got me thinking...
- November 18, 2010 at 12:17 PM
- Carol said...
Fabulous post!
Pass the dressing with that gravy!
- November 18, 2010 at 12:50 PM
- Barbara Poole said...
Cynthia, Excellent post and thanks for thinking of the topic, then writing this. It shows your knowledge of your son's ancestry, migration patterns and history in general. Very nice indeed.
- November 18, 2010 at 3:09 PM
- Cynthia Shenette said...
Thank you ladies all for all your kind comments!
Our collective family histories are pretty impressive when you step back and look at the big picture. I would love to start a trend over the next week where everyone who reads this writes a post, short or long, summing up their family history. Now THAT would be awesome. We've all accomplished a lot over the last four hundred years.
- November 19, 2010 at 9:30 AM


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Seaward KD1E 1-11 kV HV Systems
The Seaward KD1E is a highly robust, portable AC/DC voltage indicator. This HV potential indicator provides a means of confirming the presence of voltage on earthed neutral electrical circuits. Conforming in design lengths to recommended, creepage and safety standards, the KDIE series features high grade PVC tubing and incorporates totally encapsulated resistor chains.
Seaward KD1E HV Voltage Indicator Features:
- Duplicate neon indicators within shock resistant sleeves.
- Permanently connected earth cable
- Hand guard.
- Direct access possible to practically every type of vertical or horizontal metal clad switch gear.
- UK Electricity Council Approval list G9
We also recommend purchasing Seaward's PH3 Proving Unit with the KD1E Potential Indicator.
Seaward KD1E Comparison Table
Neon Indicators Digital Indicators KD1E KD1E/19 KD1E/19S KD1E/22 KD1E/33 KD1E/15D KD1E/33D Maximum System Voltage 11kV 19kV 19kV 22kV 33kV 15kV 33kV Maximum Voltage to Earth 6.6kV 11kV 11kV 12.5kV 19kV 8.6kV 19kV Threshold Voltage 300V 300V 300V 300V 300V Measuring Range 0.00kV-8.6kV 0.00kV-19.0kV Resolution 10V 100V Sensitivity AC/DC AC/DC AC Only AC/DC AC/DC AC/DC AC/DC Circuit Current
2.3mA nominal
@ 6.6kV
0.7mA nominal
@ 11kV
0.9mA nominal
@ 11kV
3.5mA nominal
@ 12.5kV
1.1mA nominal
@ 19kV
0.5mA nominal
@ 8.6kV
1.1mA nominal
@ 19kV
Dielectric Leakage Current
7µA nominal
@ 13.8kV
11µA nominal
@ 22.8kV
12µA nominal
@ 22.8kV
12µA nominal
@ 26.4k
17µA nominal
@ 40kV
9µA nominal
@ 18kV
17µA nomina
@ 40kV
Length (mm) 330 330 330 665 670 600 600 Diameter (mm) 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 Handle Length (mm) 105 105 105 90 250 235 235 Hand Guard Height (mm) 105 105 105 90 250 235 235 Contact Electrode Type Domed Flat Flat Domed Flat Domed Domed
- Maximum System voltage 1kV
- Maximum Voltage to earth 6.6kV
- Threshold voltage 300V
- Measuring Range N/A
- Resolution N/A
- Sensitivity AC/DC
- Circuit current 2.3mA nominal @6.6kV - (IEC 61234-2)
- Dielectric leakage current 7uA nominal @ 13.8kV - (IEC 61234-2)
- Length (mm) 330
- Diameter (mm) 25
- Handle length (mm) 105
- Hand guard height (mm) 23.5
- Contact Electrode Type Domed
For a more detailed specification please see the following pdf
Supplied Accessories
- Seaward KDIE High Voltage Indicator - 113A916
- Carry Case
- Calibration Certificate
- Instructions
- PH3 Proving Unit (Optional)
Product Documents
Product Attachments
Product Questions
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EarthSky tees are back! A percentage of the proceeds donated to selected causes.
Are you familiar with the constellation Cassiopeia the Queen? If so, then you know it is one of the easiest-to-recognize constellations, having the shape of an M or W, depending on the time of night, time of year, and your perspective. The alpha star of Cassiopeia is called Schedar. This star marks either the righthand vertex of the W – or the lefthand vertex of the M – in this well known star pattern. Follow the links below to learn more about Schedar aka Alpha Cassiopeiae.
Schedar in the lore of the sky
Schedar in the lore of the sky. As the brightest star in the constellation Cassiopeia the Queen, Alpha Cassiopeiae doesn't have any fantastic stories behind it. But, like all stars, it has its own interesting history. The star's name, Schedar, derives from the Arabic word for breast.
On old star maps, such as the one above drawn by the Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1551, Schedar or Alpha Cass is depicted as being near the heart of the celestial queen. On this globe, he represents Cassiopeia as the Queen of Ethiopia, whose vanity was legendary. As punishment, it's said, she is chained to a chair and hangs upside-down.
How to find Schedar. And indeed the sky bears out the upside-down-ness of Cassiopeia the Queen – some of the time. From mid-northern latitudes, Cassiopeia is circumpolar, meaning that it circles endlessly around the north celestial pole, never (or rarely, depending on your latitude) dipping below your horizon.
The Northern Hemisphere autumn months are a good time to see Cassiopeia and its brightest star Schedar, or Alpha Cass. That is when the constellation rides highest in the sky during the evening hours.
Science of Schedar. The star Schedar lies about 230 light-years away and shines steadily at magnitude 2.2. Despite skywatchers a couple of centuries ago suggesting that the star varied in brightness, modern astronomers have discerned no fluctuations.
The star is about five times the mass of our sun, but it is cooler. It is an orange giant star, and, like all giants, it rotates slowly on its axis. It's believed that Schedar takes approximately 102 days to rotate once, in contrast to about 25 days for our sun.
Schedar also has three stellar companions, all of which are too close to the star to be easily seen. Although these three stars have been listed with Alpha Cass in the Washington Double Star Catalog, it now appears that all of them may be unrelated and only lie near Alpha Cass along our line of sight from Earth.
The EarthSky team has a blast bringing you daily updates on your cosmos and world. We love your photos and welcome your news tips. Earth, Space, Human World, Tonight.


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Naturally Mizzou goes and loses to spoil the day. But what a great day of disc golf. Glad we started this tradition. This is a tourney that should last. EAST SIDE!!
Thanks Tracy for being the brainchild of this very cool event. Cooper and Jake Bowen for stepping up and being team Captains and a well deserved hats off to the East side for ruling the day. The real winners are KC disc golfers and our courses!!! Glad to be apart of a seriously fun event!!! BTW, Those Team shirts were P-I-M-P!!!!! Nice work Kansas City Area golfers, I'm proud to call KC, home!!!
BTW, Those Team shirts were P-I-M-P!!!!!
EW ch2012 DSC_1277 by vividkrista, on FlickrBwahahahahahahahah
In Jack's defense... Here is the story of his second round David vs. Goliath trial...Hole One... He sucked that up pretty bad. I didn't. Jack's down 1 after 1. Jack says, "FUC..!!!"Hole Two... He parks it but has to settle for the par, and I bogey... Even after 2. Jack says, "COME ON JACK!"Hole Three... Push... Even after 3. Jack is silent after making a thirty foot putt.Hole Four... He parks it again, I bogey... JACK IS UP 1 after 4!!! Jack is still silent. Hole Five... He shanks his drive into the ground directly off the tee pad. It miraculously kicks up into the air and rolls half way to the hole. He misses the putt. Even again after 5. Jack says, "FUC... COME ON JACK!!"Hole Six... We push. Even after 6. Jack says nothing.Hole Seven... Jack's wheels come off. He throws one hard right into the trees and it sails down to Middle Earth. I park mine. Mercy killing. Jack down 1 after 7. Jack says nothing.Hole Eight... Jack goes OB on his second shot. I park it. Jack down 2 after 8. Jack says, "FUUUUUCCC.... COME ON, GOD DAM... IT.." Hole Nine. Push. Jack down 2 after 9. Jack medicates and says nothing.Hole Ten. Jack parks his drive. Jack down 1 after 10. Jack says "EAST SIDE!"Hole Eleven. While attempting to drive, Jack comes up lame. It's his calf. He can't make the drive so he rolls it on purpose. Jack down 2 after 11. Jack says, "FUC... SHI... GOD DAM... IT."Hole Twelve. I miss my putt and we push. Jack down 2 after 12. Jack says, "Are you two or three up on me?"Hole Thirteen. Jack salvages a bad drive and we push. Jack down 2 after 13. Jack is silent.Hole Fourteen. Push. Jack down 2 after 14. Jack medicates.Hole Fifteen. Jack goes back to Middle Earth, but we push after he makes a huge save. Jack down 2 after 15. Jack says "EAST SIDE" as news of more Missouri victories come in.Hole Sixteen. Jack overshoots his upshot and misses his putt. He loses 3 and 2. Jack cannot hold it in any longer and he says a lot of bad words... Jack says, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. FUC... SHI... " Gracious, even in death, Jack's team wins despite his loss. Jack made it very competitive, until some stranger with a lead pipe ran up and hit in the shins while he was on pad 11.
E vs W
I didn;t participate in the qualifiers because I'm considering goung to Hays. I'll decide if i'm goung to Hays by next Tuesday. If I don't go to Hays, and there are still spots on the Jayhawk roster, I'd like to particpate in the massacre.


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"Simple Yogurt Facial Recipe"
Remember, for all facials, start with freshly cleansed skin. Then, apply a very warm, moist cloth to the face for a few minutes to open the pores. Apply the facial mixture and leave on for 10-20 minutes. Wash off gently with a warm, wet cloth. Finally, rinse with cool water to close the pores and help retain the nourishing benefits of the facial ingredients.
Goat Yogurt Facial Recipe
Cucumber makes this recipe cool and refreshing, and leaves skin feeling smooth, clean and toned. Blend all ingredients thoroughly with a food processor or blender to ensure a smooth mixture.
- 1/2 of a small cucumber, seeded
- 1/2 cup goat yogurt
- 1-2 tsp. goat milk powder to thicken
More Ideas
Experimenting with homemade facials is a lot of fun, and no doubt you will find original combination that are even better than these. So, get off the beaten path, and make your own recipes! Here are a few more ideas to fuel your thoughts.
- Sour cream can usually be substituted for yogurt. When trying this, reduce the amount of thickeners, such as corn starch or powdered milk, as the sour cream is usually a good bit thicker than yogurt.
- Most fruits make great additions to facials. Pineapple, papaya, bananas and grapes are commonly used. Orange juice and lemon juice contain vitamin C, but use carefully, as these may irritate some skin types.
- Add in crushed fresh herbs, like peppermint, catnip, or chamomile, or use tea from the herbs as the liquid portion of the facial.
And, remember that skin needs to be nourished from the inside too.
Hence, in addition to using your homemade facials, drink your goat milk every day to give your skin and the rest of your body the protein and other nutrients it needs to look and feel great!


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To produce a value-added Talent Management program you need to understand – and avoid the pitfalls of – five popular myths about talents:
1) Talents are easy to identify. Talent are rarely in the position they ought to be in or in a position which reflects their potential. Identifying an organization's talents require a rigorous assessment processes. Although this requires a great del of effort studies show that it is better to invest in assessment than development of talents.
2) You cannot measure the value of talent management. Wrong. It is possible to measure the ROI on talent programs and the impact on Shareholder Value. By measuring how much value a program adds (or destroys) it is possible to optimize and continuously deliver effective talent solutions.
3) Talent Management is an issue for the HR department. Talent Management must be owned by the top management. They must see it as their most important job to attract talent to the organization. HR is a natural project team for the talent program and will be instrumental in implementing a successful program. But if the ownership is not firmly with the top management it has no chance of making an impact.
4) If we treat our talents well they will be loyal to our organization. Loyalty towards organizations is scarce these days. Talents must all the time feel that your organization is furthering their career and is developing them in a personal and professional way – otherwise they will leave.
5) We always attract talents. Many companies do not believe that Talent Management is an urgent matter because it has not been a major issues in the past. This is wrong. Attracting talents is a burning platform for all organizations today and all studies show that organizations in the Western World will struggle to find the talents they require.
These myths often stand in the way of a successful talent management program. Studies show that only 7% of American companies believe today that they have a Strategic Talent Management program today despite identifying it as being one of the three most important things for the company right now. Lets' bust those myths.


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Detailed needlework that's durable and withstands repeat washing. High-quality look and feel.
Decoration Care Instructions: Do not iron on decorated areas.
Please review item for specific product care instructions.
An enduring favorite, our comfortable classic polo is anything but ordinary. With superior wrinkle and shrink resistance, a silky soft hand and an incredible range of styles, sizes and colors, it's a first-rate choice uniform for just about any group.


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Sermon delivered February 8, 2009.
We talk a lot about humility but sometimes we have difficulty realizing what it truly is and how to practice it. Someone once said, "Humility is a strange thing; the moment you think you have it, you have lost it." Today's gospel reading, the 16th Sunday of Luke 18:10-14 gives us a glimpse into the reality of humility. In the passage Jesus tells the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, comparing and contrasting the sinful tax collector with the highly respected observer and teacher of the Mosaic Law.
Psychologists teach that if you want to change, you must start with behaviors. How we act in certain situations is actually the easiest thing to change about ourselves. Remember when we were children and the school teacher said get in line for recess or lunch? Then some kids would butt in line in order to go sooner. Often a tussle would ensue as kids jostled for a better position telling each other, "I was here first" or "no butts." Unfortunately, this still happens with adults who line up early in the morning for storewide sales or to buy tickets for a concert. Approaching it from the other perspective, do we give up our hard-earned spot in line to someone else? Now that's one example of humility, taking what is rightfully ours and giving it to someone else, especially someone who does not deserve it, with no strings attached, and be happy about it.
Jesus gives specific instructions on this matter in Luke 14:
So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.' Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
A Walmart employee and an unborn baby of a pregnant mother would still be alive if some people practiced a little humility on Black Friday last year. If this Pharisee was like the others of Jesus' time, he probably went right up to the first or best seat in the temple and started praying. He probably did it so that others would see him praying and praise him for his piety. On the other hand, the Publican stays in the back of the temple with his head bowed (v.13). This is one of the reasons the priest/deacon says many times during the worship services, "Let us bow our heads to the Lord." It's a physical expression of humility before God. Practically, it prevents us from looking around at others to see what they're doing. It keeps the focus on us and God. A more dramatic expression is kneeling during the consecration and prostrating (kneeling and touching the head to the ground) ourselves during Lent.
While simultaneously trying to express humility in our deeds, we must also express humility in our words, the sounds that come out of our mouths as we communicate with others. Whenever we criticize others there is always a tinge of "I'm better or I know better than this other person." God forbid we should make fun of others, their disabilities and imperfections, both physical or in their character. Sometimes we are exactly like the Pharisee in this parable when we tell others, including God in our prayers, "I thank you that I am not a homeless person. I thank you I am not a poor person who shops at XYZ store. I thank you I am not a starving person somewhere in the third world."
In the Vespers of the Feast, we chanted the first Stichera Hymn, "Brethren, let us not pray like the Pharisee, for he who exalts himself shall be humbled. Let us humble ourselves before God, and with fasting cry out like the Publican's "God, be merciful to me a sinner" (v.13). His prayer is the foundation of the Jesus Prayer, "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner and cleanse me" which is to be repeated constantly throughout the day. The Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee marks the beginning of the Triodion, the three week period preceding and including Great and Holy Lent. It highlights the theme of humility as an absolute essential attitude in order to enter into the season of the Fast in order to journey towards Pascha and the Resurrection of our Lord. In other words, if we wish to be resurrected from our life of sin, then we must start with humility. So instead of criticizing others, seek to compliment them directly and to other people. Pray for the homeless, poor and hungry, thanking God for bringing them into your life so you have the opportunity to help them and show your love for them.
Remember the opening to the original television series "Star Trek" where Captain Kirk says, "Space is the final frontier"? We also have a final frontier in the spiritual life. It's called the 'nous' and it refers to our soul, it's gateway is our heart and mind. Like space it is an infinite journey of light years towards God-likeness. In the chapter preceding today's reading, Jesus highlights this dynamic by telling the Pharisees that the kingdom of God is within you (Lk.17:21). The kingdom of God is within us. Therefore, to continue on our journey of humility we must cleanse our thoughts of all expressions of pride.
The Pharisee's prayer has some implication of being a thought for it says he prayed with himself (v.11). So, even if we fast and give tithes, even if outward actions and words are humble, our inward thoughts can be very prideful. Our thoughts can be like one piece of rotten fruit that can sour the whole basket. Jesus repeatedly teaches that thoughts are extremely important for our salvation. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matt.5) Jesus points to a deeper spiritual maturity beyond words and actions when He says that anger (Mt.5:22) and lust (v.28) can be just as perilous to our soul as murder and adultery. In the 7th Ode of today's canon a hymn says, "You have warned Your disciples O Master, teaching them not to think proud thoughts but to be numbered with the humble." Later in the 9th Ode it says, "Let us cast out from our soul foolish pride and learn to think with truth and humility; let us not try to justify ourselves, but let us hate the delusion of vainglory and so obtain God's mercy with the Publican."
Certainly there are many other examples to express humility and overcome pride through our actions, words and thoughts. However, do not be fooled that the Pharisee's pride somehow diminishes the importance of fasting and tithes. In other words, we must avoid being taken by the false logic that if we are angry with someone then we are guilty of murder and why even bother attaining to any form of righteousness. Repentance and forgiveness are a never-ending dynamic cycle of growth and spiritual maturity. Our actions, words and thoughts are all inter-dependent, affecting one another. A hymn from the 1st Ode of the Canon for this Sunday says, "Every good deed is made of no effect through foolish pride, while every evil is cleansed by humility." In the 5th Ode it says, "Let us make hast to follow the Pharisee in his virtues and to emulate the Publican in his humility and let us hate what is wrong in each of them: foolish pride and the defilement of transgression." So, we must keep working at bringing all of them under discipline through continual attempts at humility, reinforced by the ascetical disciplines of fasting, almsgiving and prayer. This is the only way God's Holy Spirit can grow within us as we seek to become more Christ-like. Amen.
Fr. Richard Demetrius Andrews is the pastor of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Fr. Andrews is the past president of Minnesota Eastern Orthodox Christian Clergy Association (MEOCCA), and a volunteer chaplain with the St. Paul Police Department.


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Daffodil International University
Science & Information Technology => Science Discussion Forum => Solar => Topic started by: mustafiz on November 21, 2013, 02:22:03 PM
Best places to see the Northern Lights
Post by:
November 21, 2013, 02:22:03 PM
(CNN) -- Last year's Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) show wasn't bad but the greatest natural light display in a decade is coming this December, according to NASA.
Solar activity will hit the peak of an 11-year cycle at the end of the year -- and the more intense the solar flares, the more magnificent the aurora display.
"The vast majority of auroras occur in a band known as the Auroral Zone," says Alistair McLean, founder of a similarly named tour agency -- the Aurora Zone -- that specializes in Northern Lights trips.
"This band can expand when solar activity is high."
The best chance to see the Northern Lights will be somewhere between 66 to 69 degrees north -- a sliver of the world that includes northern Alaska and Canada and bits of Greenland, northern Scandinavia and northern Russia.
Before venturing into any of these freezing wildernesses, it's worth checking out the kp index, a measure of electromagnetic activity in the atmosphere. A reading of two or higher is considered good for Northern Lights spotting.
You can also head south, for the Aurora Australis (Southern Lights), lighting up from around March 2014 onwards.
Here are some of the places the auroras will be showing up.
Water is a Northern Lights photographer\'s best friend.
Water is a Northern Lights photographer's best friend.
Jokulsarlon, Iceland
Best spot: By the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon.
"You can see the Aurora everywhere in Iceland," says Moyan Brenn, who's spent the past year photographing the Northern Lights.
"You just need to stay within the boundaries of the Arctic circle, find a clear sky and check for electromagnetic activity on the kp index."
For him, the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, on the southeast coast of Iceland about 250 kilometers from Reykjavik, makes for a perfect shot.
The iceberg-filled lagoon reflects the lights, making the experience all the more awesome.
On a boat tour of the lagoon ($31 per person) you can concentrate on looking upwards and marveling.
Brenn recommends checking the weather forecast before setting off. Rain or snow -- both common in Iceland -- tend to dampen the experience.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Best spot: In a hot spring.
Two major challenges when hunting the Northern Lights are the cold and fatigue. Watching them in a hot spring asolleviates both.
The city of Fairbanks, in Alaska, is often cited as the best place to see the Northern Lights in the United States. It's home to the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, which issues forecasts on Aurora viewing conditions.
If you fancy soaking while you watch, Geophysical Institute researchers recommend Chena Resort and Manley Springs.
Chena is better equipped and better connected with Fairbanks's airport.
The resort also provides an aurora alarm service, alerting guests if the lights "switch on" in the middle of night.
Chena Resort, Chena Hot Springs Road, Fairbanks; +1 907 451 8104; rooms from $189 per night; return bus tickets from the airport to the resort cost $150.
The resort in the tiny village of Manley Hot Springs went bust but you can watch the lights for a small fee from spring-fed hot tubs provided by a local couple. More information from the Fairbanks-Alaska.com website.
More: CNNGo in Reykjavik -- Thermal pools and comfy sweaters
Paatsjoki, Finnish Lapland
Best spot: From the Paatsjoki Bridge, Nellim, near the Finnish-Russian border.
"Paatsjoki Bridge provides unparalleled Aurora sightings," says McLean.
"The chances of success here are at least 90%," writes Markku Inkila, an Aurora photographer and guide, on the Aurora Zone blog.
Aurora Zone's four-night Nellim Aurora Quest tour runs from December to the end of March; from $2,700 for two people.
Lighting up Lapland.
Lighting up Lapland.
Muonio and Kilpisjarvi, Finnish Lapland
Best spot: A cabin in the Lapland wilderness.
Aurora viewing is so good around these two Finnish towns that one of the best aurora photographers and guides in the world -- by McLean's estimation -- Antti Pietikainen, is based here.
Aurora Zone runs a trip between the two towns, following the lights.
Adventurous options on the tour include a snowmobile safari to the shared border of Sweden, Finland and Norway, husky-sledding with a stay in a cabin in the wilderness, snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing.
"Sometimes, the dogs start howling when the aurora appears here," Mclean says.
"It's so primeval, it sends shivers down your spine."
The seven-night Muonio to Kilpisjarvi tour is available in 2014 from Feb 23, March 2 and March 23; prices from $3,540 for two people.
For families, McLean suggests tours around the reindeer-herding village of Menesjarvi and the ski resort of Luosto, both run by the company Activities Abroad.
More: Not just for Christmas -- 10 reasons to hit Finnish Lapland
Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
Best spot: On a dog-sledding expedition.
With the only international airport in Greenland, Kangerlussuaq is the gateway to the rest of the country.
With an average 300 clear-sky days per year, it's also another top location for aurora hunters.
World of Greenland -- Arctic Circle (Wogac) offers short Northern Lights tours from October to April, but from February to April it also has a three-day dog-sledding expedition to the west coast town of Sisimiut.
Hotel Kangerlussuaq (rooms from $290), at the airport, is a convenient place to stay. Keep your curtains open and you may even see the Northern Lights from your room.
The hotel also organizes an ice cap tour nearby.
Wogac's short Northern Lights tour costs $65 per person, the dog-sledding expedition $1,445.
Slicing through the Yellowknife sky.
Slicing through the Yellowknife sky.
Yellowknife, Canada
Best spot: On a heated viewing chair.
Not only do you have a great chance of seeing the Northern Lights around the city of Yellowknife, but the surroundings -- and seating -- are especially congenial.
A 25-minute drive from the city center, Aurora Village is a teepee campground where you lounge in specially designed, heated viewing chairs, with guides offering background in various languages on the lights.
You'll need your warm seat -- it can hit 40 C below zero here.
Aurora Village also has daytime activities such as dogsled riding and snowmobiling.
Follow the village's activities on Twitter or visit astronomynorth.com for Aurora updates.
More: 27 sights that remind you how incredible Earth is
Tromsø, Norway
Best spot: On the deck of a traditional steamer ship.
Sometimes called the "Paris of the North," the city of Tromsø is a beautiful and accessible location for catching the Northern Lights.
The Norwegian tourism board recommends a voyage on the Norwegian Coastal Steamer Hurtigruten to see the lights along a fjord.
An Astronomy Voyage runs from September to March, following the Aurora Borealis, with astronomy lectures on board. The trip also includes a visit to the Northern Lights Planetarium, in Tromsø.
Another option is the village of Ersfjorden, 40 minutes from Tromsø, in the countryside between towering snow mountains and a fjord. A bus service between Tromsø and Ersfjorden runs until midnight.
Or you could join a Northern Lights chase with knowledgeable bus drivers.
The Astronomy Voyage costs from $1,900 per person. More information about Northern Lights viewing can be found on Tromsø's official site.
Aurora at Abisko: Goes down well dinner.
Aurora at Abisko: Goes down well dinner.
Abisko, Sweden
Best spot: While tucking into a four-course Swedish dinner.
Cloud cover -- the aurora hunter's arch enemy -- shouldn't trouble you around the village of Abisko, in northern Sweden.
"Mountains and favorable prevailing winds combine to create some of northern Scandinavia's most cloud-free skies," McLean says.
Aurora Zone's tour there includes a night's stay at an Ice Hotel.
Travelers can also spend a night at the Aurora Sky Station, arriving by chair-lift and having a four-course dinner before stepping out to view the Aurora.
The Abisko Aurora and IceHotel four-night tour, running from December to March, costs $2,811 for two people.
A night visit to Aurora Sky Station costs $95 or from $260 including dinner.
Gallery: How to build a Swedish ice hotel
Southern hemisphere
Best spot: At the end of a continent.
Antarctica's the best spot to view the Aurora Australis -- the Southern Lights -- but it's also the most inaccessible, unless you're a scientist or a supporting person (cook, doctor, pilot, etc) on a research expedition.
However, you can still see the lights from the southern tips of South America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
New Zealand's Stewart Island ("Rakiura" in Maori, meaning the land of glowing skies) is a good option. It has only 400 inhabitants and is covered with great wildlife and natural scenery.
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Vegan Deodorant Breakdown #2
- Tom's: This one worked for a while, but after a few weeks of use, my underarm skin started to peel off. This also happened to my guy friend after using it for a while–a different scent too, so it must just be the formula.
- Nature's Gate: It Smells great going on, but doesn't work as a deodorant for me…
- …same goes for Alba—smells good, but doesn't work.
- Jason: Same deal as the NG and Alba.
- Dessert Essence Tea Tree Deodorant: It works at keeping me smelling good, but makes my underarms break out… ugh!
- I have also tried Burt's Bee's Deodorant Spray, and it smelled nice, very herby and natural, but really super burned my pits after shaving. A guy friend of mine uses it and it doesn't irritate his skin, but he has to apply it at least twice a day to keep from stinking.
- In Love with Body Care: This one burned going on and irritated my skin. It was also the type that you have to heat, or breathe on to get it soft enough to glide on. It does prevent odor though.
- Weleda Rose Spray Deodorant: This got really good reviews but gave me the worst rash ever. It smelled lovely, just so amazing. My nose loved it, my underarms hated it. It is also pretty pricey. Luckily, I showed the people at Whole Foods my rash and they refunded me immediately.
- LaVanila Lavender-Vanilla Deodorant: I am LOVING it. It was seriously worth the money. No breakouts, no irritation, it works, and it's white! Hooray!
I just want something that a.) works as a deodorant b.) doesn't make my skin irritated—especially after shaving c.) doesn't clog my pores, and of course, d) is vegan and natural. Haha, sounds like I'm asking for a lot!
About Sunny (Sunny's Profile)Longtime vegan, hardcore compassionate beauty junkie, serious cake aficionado, and lover of all things floofy and sparkly! If there's something in particular you'd like me to review, drop me a line at firstname.lastname@example.com. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Google +.
Filed in: vegan personal items
Comments (177)
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In Love with Body Care vegan deodorant is actually the best deodorant I have ever used! It stops odor better than antiperspirant and the unscented one works the best. I don't know what deodorant you used for the review but this goes on as smooth as cream and soothes rather than burns for me….I just ordered 8 sticks from them!
I have many favorite Skin Gym products- but I would absolutely love to use the Fujian Peony body butter on a regular basis. I love the smell and you can't beat the texture- it's perfect!
I just posted comments about the Deodomom cream that is 100% safe and vegan to another page – and I'm glad to repeat myself because I think we've found the perfect product: it has no aluminum, alcohol, parabens, fragrance and dye, AND it actually WORKS! I use the cream (comes in a jar) and my husband uses the roll-on. We highly recommend it.
I really wanted to try LaVanila, until I googled it ;(
"One of the main ingredients in The Healthy Deodorant is propanediol which is "corn-derived." In fact, 1,3-propanediol is a shameless petrochemical with a chemical name trimethylene glycol. It is used in the production of paints, plastics, and antifreeze liquids, same as propylene glycol"- From: thegreenbeautyguide.com
So what do y'all think?
About a couple months ago I started using the Solay Salt Crystal Deodorant Stone and I LOVE it! I have very sensitive skin and haven't had any problems using this product. I use it everyday when I take a shower. Sometimes I experience a little tingling but I know that means that the salt is disinfecting the germs and bacteria. If using a salt stone isn't your thing they also carry deodorant powder. Both are made from 100% fair trade Himalayan salt crystal.
You can find the stone here:
In Love deodorant is defiantly the best i have ever tried. There old formula used to burn because the ingredients weren't ground up enough, but they fixed that problem and now it applies really easily and works for the whole day!
I bought LaVanila Grapefruit Vanilla last week after reading about it in your last deodorant round-up and I LOVE it. Tom's and Alba smell great but don't have any staying power. I have a full Lush's The Greeench that I don't really like the smell of and it doesn't cover up my stank. I like Lush's T'eo deodorant bar and it works really well for me, but it's not really convenient for throwing in your bag and it really irritates my armpits if I just shaved. Like so bad they got bloody dots all over them once. Gross. LaVanila isn't irritating at all even if I just shaved (and I have really sensitive allergy-prone skin), it smells delightful, and it fends off the stank after a 13 hour bartending shift. It is expensive, but totally worth it. Considering I'll spend $18 on a couple drinks at the bar, it's not that much money for a product that will last me a month or two. I'd prefer if it was clear and didn't leave marks on clothes, but just rub the mark on the shirt against another part of the shirt and it comes right off. Love it!
The best "formula" I have found for myself so far, is using Crystal Essence mineral spray (Lavender & White Tea scent), waiting 'til it dries, and then applying body powder – I used to use LUSH's Karma powder, but now use Silky Underwear powder since they discontinued Karma 🙁 🙁 Anyway, that seems to work.
If I'm having an extra active day, I will add yet *another* layer: either more powder, or LUSH's aromarant. Oddly, aromarant does not irritate my skin, yet aromaco, which is supposed to be for sensitive skin, did.
Anyway, as I said, this is just what works for me. For now. I really want to try that LaVanilla stuff everyone is raving about! It'd be much simpler…
Hey, I use Queen Helene Vitamin E stick, and I have been for years. It works amazing and doesn't irritate my sensitive skin at all! It's also pretty cheap
PS. I really can't say enough good things about the LaVanila. It's the best I've tried, by far. I've had it on since 9am and it is now 11p and I smell good and never have to reapply. Plus my skin is totally clear and irritation free!
Cupcake, I use these deodorants as deodorants. None of them are really meant to be an antiperspirant. So, basically, I sweat with all of them. Some of them can even be sweated off and then can leave you with b.o. if you don't reapply them. Such was my experience with Nature's Gate (Chamomile), Alba (Lavender), Jason (Lavender). I know there are natural deodorants that come in the powder form, and I think those are supposed to work better at absorbing sweat, but they don't stop sweat.
girl least likely to, glad to hear your review of Lush. I always look at their deodorants and wonder about them.
I'm wondering if anyone knows if any of these options are successful on a "clinical strength" level? I have horrible sweating problems, cold sweats, hot sweats, nervous sweats, every kind you can think of. And standard deodorants just don't do it for me any more 🙁
i can only speak for myself, but i don't use any of these deodorants for sweating problems. 🙂 i use certain-dri for sweating, and these other products for odor. after using certain-dri for awhile, my underarms stopped sweating altogether. now i just use it a few times a year as a 'refresher' and just use a plain ol' deodorant for daily use.
Oh interesting! I only started having this problem a little over a year ago so addressing it still baffles me. Thank you very much for the information! I look forward to trying that method 🙂
i have to say, i agree with the JASON review–i love the lavender one, but i only use it for short-term things, like going to the gym in the morning or freshening up for whatever reason.
my husband has been using tom's for years with no bad effects, so i wonder if this is one of those 'depends on what you're sensitive to' kinds of things?
others i have tried, to add to the pile:
earth science liken plant – totally love this one. it smells nice and it works all day.
the crystal – i just use the one in the purplish container, the one that says CRYSTAL on it. heh. i was super skeptical at first, but that thing is pure wizardry. i adore it, and as soon as i started using it i abandoned my previous favorite (the earth science liken).
LUSH aromarant – meh. i have friends who really love that thing, but i just get so-so results from it. it smells nice, it seems gentle enough, but it doesn't measure up to the crystal for me.
…and one i haven't tried, but i've heard great things about, especially from people who have sensitive skin: florere.


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ETON-DORNEY — Darcy Marquardt invested a decade of her life in pursuit of an Olympic medal and Thursday, as she sported one around her neck, she wasn't particularly interested in analyzing the bigger picture around it.
"I had so much trust in the work we've done," said the Richmond rower. "We've been so consistent day after day in training and racing this season. We laid it all on the lane today and that's an Olympic silver. We can't be upset with that."
No, on this day the women's eight had their own story to tell. They rowed splendidly at Lake Dorney, mounting a late charge on the monster American crew, then came up a second and a half short of their sports' biggest prize.
But, before the race, they also met and pledged that if they maintained their trust in each other, if they worked together as a team and if they invested every last joule of energy in the race, they would be satisfied with their performance.
The silver medal? That was just a happy by-product of that pledge.
"That's what we trained for," said Port Moody's Krista Guloien. "We trained to get as close to perfection as we possibly could. That was our perfection today."
That, at least, was the story of the women's eight on Thursday and they'll always have that moment, and that medal, from the Olympic rowing regatta.
• Photos: Canada's women's eight take silver
But there's been another story at Lake Dorney, and it isn't so happy.
It's about a Canadian team that has under-performed, a team that was supposed to deliver results and position Canada to move near the top of the rowing world. The women's crew won their silver on Thursday. The men's eight won silver on Wednesday. But Rowing Canada placed just one other boat in a final, the heavyweight men's pair of Dave Calder and Scott Frandsen who row on Friday.
That's three finalists out of seven boats — and that falls far short of the goals Rowing Canada set at these Olympics.
"We had a team goal of three to five medals and we're on track for the three," said Peter Cookson, Rowing Canada's high-performance director. "Clearly we were looking for golds. Are we totally satisfied? I'd say no. We wanted to be better than what we showed here. We're going to have to regroup and look toward 2016 and 2020."
But first they have to determine what went wrong in London.
On Thursday, the lightweight women's pair of Lindsay Jennerich and Patricia Obee and the men's heavyweight four failed to qualify for their finals, underscoring the theme of Canadian disappointment. The four was considered a dark horse and the hope was they'd sneak into the final and surprise. Instead, they finished a distant fifth in their semifinal.
Jennerich and Obee, meanwhile, were thought to have gold-medal potential but — after a chaotic run-up to the Olympics in which Jennerich's partner Tracy Cameron suddenly retired seven weeks before London — they finished fourth in their heat and were relegated to the B final.
Afterwards, the emotion of the day was painfully apparent.
"It's the worst feeling in the entire world," said Derek O'Farrell of the men's four, his voice breaking. "I imagine it's the same feeling as finding out a family member has been shot. We just trained so long and so hard for this."
"I'm talking about it now and realizing a lot of things," said Jennerich, who was in tears. "I said to Obee, there's seven minutes of your life that suddenly takes you out of a shot at an Olympic medal."
But beyond the crushing individual disappointment, Rowing Canada faces some big decisions. The contract of Mike Spracklen, the coach of the men's eight, expires after London and the feud between the 74-year-old coach and Rowing Canada has been well documented in and around the Olympics. Spracklen is a polarizing figure but he delivers results on a consistent basis.
It's hard to see where Rowing Canada can ignore those results over what amounts to a clash in personalities.
A number of veteran leaders also are likely in their last Olympic cycle. To be sure there are rising stars within the program: North Vancouver's Lauren Wilkinson and Conlin McCabe in the eights, Obee in the lightweight sculls. But, as London demonstrated, there are also gaping holes to fill.
Cookson, for his part, talked optimistically about Rowing Canada's recruitment program and its efforts to develop a new generation of world-class rowers. But, in the next breath, he said the Canadian program was in its second year and it's a decade behind countries like Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
"It's working here but it takes time," said Cookson. "We'll be able to match those countries, if not beat them."
Hopefully, it won't take 10 years.


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Proving the saying "All good things must come to an end," Carol Lawrence is retiring after 19 years at Stanford Libraries, and 45 years of outstanding service in the library community.
After earning her library degree, Carol's career began in Pittsburgh, PA. She has worked across the country, for public, corporate, and academic libraries, in roles as diverse as cataloging, reference, and management of technical services groups. I am very grateful that after her self-described "checkered past," Carol came to SUL's Library Systems department in the spring of 1996, and found her niche for the next 19 years.
Carol's official title is Systems Analyst. In real life this means she knows the Symphony ILS inside and out, and puts this knowledge to excellent use in a million different ways. She has helped to develop web-based circulation statistics and fund management reports for selectors, she has helped Systems set up automatic loading of bibliographic records and invoice data from multiple vendors (building quality relationships with these vendors along with way), and she even knows the details of getting all the Symphony payments out to University Accounts Payable! She is our go to expert for all things Acquisitions in Symphony.
More than any list of accomplishments, Carol always brought enthusiasm, professionalism, and a sense of humor with her every day. (Not to mention a meticulous attention to detail that may never be equaled.)
Please join me in wishing Carol a wonderful retirement. She will be sorely missed.


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Orphan Photo #152
No idea who she is, but I gather she was from Canton, Ohio. Even though the photographer's imprint is damaged, I can make out a C and then an O followed by a period. Since I have other photos from Canton, Ohio, this was my immediate thought.
Searching on the name Vignos in the US censuses, I found an Augustus Vignos in Canton, Ohio, although the occupation had nothing to do with photography, nor did that of his son Alfred. But, apparently, the business they ran, although it dealt with cutlery, also included photography (see the following PDF document that someone put together about Augustus, his business, and photography).
And of course, once I'd already written this post and went to set my tags, I saw that I already had one for a photographer "A Vignos." And wouldn't you know, it was from Canton, Ohio.
Now that I look at that I take a look at the other photo, I wonder if they are the same person, #152 being a younger Theodosia Currier. Hmmm. What do you think?


text: Delegates from each of the Delegations around the world gathered in Naples for a General Chapter at the end of June. Utmost on the agenda was the process to select a new Superior General. Fr. Luigi Toscano, M.SS.CC. was elected as Superior General and a new General Council was also elected for a six year term. Fr. Toscano had previously served as Superior General and was the Postulator for the cause for sainthood of St. Gaetano Errico, Founder of the Congregation. With trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we pray for Fr. Toscano as he undertakes this new office.


text:
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Home > Accessories > Tie Tacks and Cuff Links > Bowling Angel 3D Pin
Keep this bowling angel with you all the time and see how you score a turkey.
Gold tone angel with a black bowling ball ready to hit a strike.
Clutch back pin for easy attachment.
Approximately 1" tall pin.


text:
Boys discover man's body while walking home from school
Body found in drainage ditch along Fifth Avenue in Coraopolis
Two boys walking home from school Friday afternoon discovered a man's body in a drainage ditch.
The boys spotted the body after peering over a concrete barrier along Fifth Avenue, near Arch Street.
Photos: Boys find body while walking home from school
"Me and my friend were just walking home from school, and we looked down the creek like we usually do and he was dead," one of the boys, age 13, told Channel 4 Action News' Kelly Brennan.
The boys then went home and told an adult, who called 911.
Allegheny County investigators identified the man as 38-year-old Christopher Cumpston, from Coraopolis. They said he was wearing shorts and tennis shoes.
Police said the man's injuries were consistent with the 15-foot drop from the sidewalk. His death is being treated as suspicious, although investigators suspect it was accidental.
An autopsy is scheduled Saturday, police said.


text:
From stone chips to crack damage
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Join me for a webinar where I discuss how the recent changes and trends in big data management effect the enterprise. This event is sponsored by Red Rock and RockSolid.
It is an exciting and interesting time to be involved in data. More change of influence has occurred in the database management in the last 18 months than has occurred in the last 18 years. New technologies such as NoSQL & Hadoop and radical redesigns of existing technologies, like NewSQL , will change dramatically how we manage data moving forward.
These technologies bring with them possibilities both in terms of the scale of data retained but also in how this data can be utilized as an information asset. The ability to leverage Big Data to drive deep insights will become a key competitive advantage for many organisations in the future.
Join Tony Bain as he takes us through both the high level drivers for the changes in technology, how these are relevant to the enterprise and an overview of the possibilities a Big Data strategy can start to unlock.


text:
White LED Strip Light
White LED lighting is one of the most commonly used products that we sell. Its versatility and wide range of color temperatures make it a reliable customer favorite. Whether you are lighting retail displays, TV studios, casinos, bars, restaurants or trade show exhibits, white LED strip will be sure to delight your visitors.
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text:
£7.95 £14.95
A unique case made from real wood sustainably sourced from around the world.
Inside the case is a sturdy rubberised matt holder to keep your phone safe and scratch free.
As wood is a natural material, each case is completely unique which adds to the beauty of this product. (This means there may be slight variations between the case you receive and the listing photographs, including the colour and markings on the wood. These variations in the grain and colour of the wood are to be expected, but do not affect the fit of the case).
The case gives your phone a smart and stylish finish whilst still allowing full access to all the phone functions and sockets.
Buy today to give your phone a stylish and unique case - and stand out from the crowd.
FREE First Class UK Delivery on all products.
We pride ourselves on our customer service and all orders received before 4pm Monday to Friday are processed and mailed the same day.
All items are posted first class with Royal Mail. For our international customers we deliver around the world and the shipping cost is quoted in the shopping cart once you have selected an item.
Any queries on postage or delivery please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com .
For your peace of mind we offer a no quibble money back guarantee on all unwanted items returned to us within 30 days of purchase in an unused condition*.
Please contact us at email@example.com if you have any questions or wish to return or exchange an item.
All our products are covered under a 12 month manufacturer's warranty against any defects when the product has been used under normal conditions.
*Excludes tempered glass and screen protectors. For more information, please visit our returns page here.


text:
• tendentious •
ten-den-chês • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Strongly prejudiced or partisan, didactic, drastically promoting a single point of view.
Notes: Any perspective reflecting a noticeable tendency is tendential but to be tendentious, it must be strongly, even didactically supporting a tendency or cause. We may speak tendentiously (the adverb), though we do not recommend it; tendentiousness (the noun) is generally frowned upon.
In Play: The closer the conversation approaches politics, the more tendentious it tends to become: "I just can't stand the tendentious way Marshall Arzt argues that national health is part of a socialist conspiracy." However, we find tendentiousness on all levels of our lives: "Mom, given the fact that you promised your friends to play mahjong tonight, I think your claim that it's my turn to clean up the house is a bit tendentious."
Word History: Today's Good Word is the adjective of tendency, which is the noun from the verb tend "to be inclined or prejudiced". The English verb is a knock-off of Latin tendere with the same meaning. Latin converted this verb from the Proto-Indo-European root ten- "to stretch", which came down to English on its own as thin. In Greek the same root emerges as tonos "string", which English also borrowed as tone. If you stretch something, it becomes tight and rigid, in Greek tetanos. You guessed it, the source of English tetanus, otherwise known as 'lockjaw'. (Our gratitude to the mysterious JBR for suggesting this word may be a bit tendentious since suggestions like this do tend to prejudice us.)
P.S. - Register for the Daily Good Word E-Mail! - You can get our daily Good Word sent directly to you via e-mail in either HTML or Text format. Go to our Registration Page to sign up today!
Come visit our website at <http://www.alphadictionary.com> for more Good Words and other language resources!


text:
San Diego Search Engine For Free Help Resources:
Website designed for small screens and laptops. Domains does not record that you were here. Contact info at right. Most pages (right margin below) have sub-pages that are not shown unless you click on that page, and then scroll back down the margin to the page you clicked on. Quick Links: Google • Hotmail • Yahoo ----------------------------- News Update Feb. 11: NZ9F.com/SDHNpreview
San Diego Homeless News:
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Feb. 25, 2019 http://nz9f.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/02-25-2019_SDHN.56144859.pdf
Jan. 29, 2019 http://nz9f.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/01-29-2019_SDHN.31125747.pdf
Dec. 29, 2018 http://nz9f.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/12-26-2018_SDHN.362140510.pdf
Nov. 20, 2018 http://nz9f.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/11-20-2018_SDHN.326113418.pdf
Oct. 16, 2018 http://nz9f.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/10-16-2018_SDHN.287112559.pdf
Sept. 10, 2018 . http://nz9f.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/09-10-2018_SDHN.253140559.pdf
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text:
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This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
I love you and am so proud of you both!ReplyDelete
Congratulations to you guys, you make a cute couple, God bless you for a lot more years together.ReplyDelete
I follow you at you tube and I consider you as my friend.
Happy 3 year anniversary to you both, Hope you have a wonderful day.ReplyDelete
Many more happy years to come xx
Aww, what a beautiful post Emily.ReplyDelete
Happy Anniversary to you guys!! Hope you have an awesome day. It's our anniversary tomorrow, so now I will always remember your anniversary (and we've been together since 2001 as well, but got married before you, in 2004).
I've been following you on youtube pretty much since you started and it definitely feels like you're a friend, even though we never met. I enjoy your videos and blog very much and have learned a lot from you. Please keep doing what you do!!
aww thanks so much! love you guys! You all feel like friends to me!ReplyDelete
Happy Anniversary for you guys and God bless you!!! :DReplyDelete
I hope you have many more wonderful years together! Happy Anniversary to both of you! :)ReplyDelete
Aww :) Happy anniversary!!ReplyDelete
Happy Anniversary, Emily. It's funny that the journal part has become my favorite - to know you better and listen to your story and all :-) Thanks for sharingReplyDelete
That was a beautiful blog...more of a mini story! It was so nice to read :) Happy 3rd Anniversary to you both and to many more happy years together,the flowers are gorgeous! and you two are def. soulmates you can just tell it from your writing and when he's in the videos with you! hehe...have a wonderful nite and enjoy!ReplyDelete
Happy 3rd year anniversary!!!! That is very sweet of your hubby and I am sure there will be more anniversaries to come!!! :DReplyDelete
Happy 3rd Wedding Anniversary!ReplyDelete
And thank you for bringing a tear to my eye with those kind words of endeavoring and triumph.
May you be blessed with many more anniversaries with him! You certainly are lucky!
Happy anniversary! You two are so cute together. How thoughtful of him to leave those for you. Those Lindor truffles? Are the shit lol. Love 'em.ReplyDelete
Happy Anniversary Tyler and Emily!ReplyDelete
Happy Anniversary! I've been married for 26 years to a wonderful guy! I can get emotional sometimes and he still loves me. He doesn't go for all those "old lady" jokes. I wish a long and happy marriage for you and Tyler.ReplyDelete
I really enjoy the journal part of your blog!
So sweet. Congratulations!ReplyDelete
Happy Anniversary! Beautiful flowers and yummy chocolate!ReplyDelete
Congratulations on all your accomplishments!! You're a pleasure to watch!! I wish you were my morning anchor!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 6, 2009 at 9:54 AM
so sweet^.^ReplyDelete
May God binds your love always and forever
still have the sweetness with the two of you...
love it<3
Congrats to both you and Tyler. Boy that's working it, roses and truffles. Seriously though, although I don't know you both personally I am proud of what you both have accomplished, and pray you continue to soar. You truly are an inspiration, Emily and I wish you both all the happiness and love your hearts and hands can hold.ReplyDelete
aww!! Congratulations! u guys need BABIES!!!! I would love to see you all glowing and round.. but i know you will devote a lot more time to babies and not youtube...so i'd miss you!! But i'd still love to see ur babies.. you guys will have GORGEOUS kids! Congratulations again!!!!ReplyDelete
Congradulations! You two are so cute together. I love the videos with both you and Tyler. The flowers were so pretty. :] Many more amazing years to come.ReplyDelete
congrats! And thanks for sharing some info on your relationship. It´s so cute that you guys have been together since high school!!!ReplyDelete
Congratulations to you both!! Best wishes!ReplyDelete
It is so nice to see a relationship full of love and affection!
I am also married for a short time and passed through difficult moments (exams, job search, distance from family) and I found comfort in this blog's and youtube's world!
Sorry for my english, but I'm from brazil!! eehehe
That is so nice ms. Emily. It seems like you and Tyler balance out each other. Happy 3rd Year Anniversary and, i know you guys will be togethere forever.ReplyDelete
love it! u guys and u are such a wonderful inspiration :D
i really really hope Tyler passed his Bar Exam!!
your entry made me teary eyed.
Loved it :)
Congratulations Emily :)ReplyDelete
Happy anniversary to both of you!ReplyDelete
Congrats! i love anniversaries. Me and my boyfriend will celebrate our 3 years this month. and I cant wait :)ReplyDelete
their little surprises are the sweetest.
- AnonymousJanuary 26, 2012 at 11:52 PM
I don't see a need to celebrate my wedding anniversary.I don't know if it's because I'm not that type of person or because I was married twice by the time I was 21.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 5, 2013 at 12:01 PM
Happy Anniversary! <3ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 5, 2013 at 12:01 PM
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
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Live Mouth Smart
Good oral hygiene habits, avoiding risk factors and having a regular dental check-up from early in life can help maintain optimal oral health into old age.
There are many ways you can Live Mouth Smart and make sure you have set yourself up for a healthy future.
Make smart decisions when you:
Adopt good oral hygiene habits
from early in life and have regular dental check-ups. This helps you maintain optimal oral health into old age and ensures you live not only a longer life, but also one free from the physical pain and often emotional suffering caused by oral disease.
Safeguard your oral health,
which has a positive impact on your general health and well-being, helping you live a better quality of life into old age.
Avoid risk factors
such as tobacco, harmful use of alcohol and unhealthy diets – especially those rich in sugar – which helps protect your oral health and prevent other conditions such as heart disease and stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.
Understand good oral health is much more than a nice smile
and oral disease can impact every aspect of your life – including your ability to perform basic functions.
Get involved with World Oral Health Day activities on 20 March,
and demonstrate your commitment to protect your own and your family's oral health.
'Live Mouth Smart' empowers people to take control of their oral health – throughout life – so they can enjoy a healthy, functional mouth from childhood into old age.
Oral health means the health of the mouth. A healthy mouth allows you to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow and convey a range of emotions with confidence and without pain, discomfort and disease. No matter what your age – 5, 25, 65 or 85 years – oral health is vital to your general health and well-being.


text:
First Published: 25 May 2018
Become a gender champion to advance gender equality in the workplace. Here's how.
First Published: 23 Mar 2018
This report looks at the effectiveness of unconscious bias training and makes recommendations for employers, policymakers and human resource professionals
First Published: 08 Mar 2016
A Statutory Code of Practice on equal pay to ensure women and men receive the same pay and benefits.
First Published: 01 Oct 2014
This guidance has been developed primarily for those responsible for implementing the Wales specific equality duties, particularly those at senior and operational level who are responsible for policy and decision-making regarding pay difference information and staff training.
First Published: 09 Jun 2014
This briefing paper seeks to present within a single, short, document the best available, and publicly accessible, recent statistical data in the United Kingdom (UK) relating to gender pay gaps.
First Published: 01 Mar 2014
This publication provides summary guidance on gender-neutral job evaluation schemes and their use as a defence against equal pay claims.
This publication provides an introduction to the key principles of the law and outlines cases that illustrate the standards job evaluation schemes must meet to provide an employer with a defence to an equal pay claim.
First Published: 23 Apr 2011
First Published: 01 Apr 2010
This report examines what employers in the private and voluntary sectors are doing to measure and report on gender pay gaps and why.
First Published: 01 Apr 2009
This report gives background information on the finance sector to help the Commission's inquiry into sex discrimination in the finance industry.


text:
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Ordering fewer tests and prescribing fewer antibiotics will not only curb healthcare spending but also improve the quality of primary care, a large group of U.S. doctors said Monday.
After soliciting input from more than 250 members, the National Physicians Alliance (NPA) came up with 15 recommendations it believes will help doctors practice medicine more efficiently.
The group's report, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, follows concerns over the growing use of new technologies, such as CT scans, that in many cases don't have a clear medical value.
The report lists five evidence-based recommendations in three areas: family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics.
The gist of the advice? Leave well enough alone.
For instance, the group discourages the use of blood and urine tests in healthy people, because they will probably yield few results and end up costing a lot. (See Reuters Health story of May 16, 2011).
It also cautions against heart tests such as ECGs or CT scans in symptom-free, low-risk individuals, because there is scant evidence that spotting cholesterol buildups provides any benefit in these people.
In fact, people may end up with side effect from the expensive tests, including kidney problems, anxiety and a slightly increased cancer risk.
The NPA also recommends against imaging tests for lower back pain in the first six months, noting that such tests do not lead to better results.
For kids, the group urges doctors to hold off on antibiotics for a sore throat, unless the strep test comes back positive.
Most sore throats are caused by viruses, which don't respond to antibiotics, and using the drugs unnecessarily may fuel the spread of drug-resistant bacteria and expose patients to side effects.
And according to the NPA, kids should not use over-the-counter cough or cold medicines, because there is little evidence that they work. Despite this, more than 10 percent of kids use these drugs.
The NPA plans to distribute its recommendations to its 22,000 members across the U.S. and hopes to gain support from consumer and patient safety groups.
According to the report, "Having such endorsements will help dispel the misconception that these clinical recommendations represent rationing and support the idea that often less is truly more."
SOURCE: bit.ly/m79pZ1 Archives of Internal Medicine, online May 23, 2011.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.