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Small business owners' concerns about government policies that affect their businesses have intensified after the deep recession and a recovery that doesn't feel much better.
Karen Kerrigan serves the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council as president, and Raymond Keating is the group's chief economist. The SBEC, an 18-year-old group with 100,000 members, takes a stand similar to other groups: Small businesses are struggling because they have to contend with too many taxes and regulations. And taxes and regulations are words that are coming up a lot in presidential campaign speeches, videos and commercials.
Both are worried about what they are hearing from small manufacturers and are unhappy about regulations that some agencies are creating that are bad for small business. Still, they can identify pockets of the country that are experiencing some improvement and can name government agencies that are doing a good job helping small businesses win contracts.
Kerrigan, whose background includes work at nonprofit groups, founded the SBEC in 1994 out of the remnants of a group called the Small Business Tax Action Committee. Five years ago, the group took on its current name.
Keating came to the SBEC a year after its founding. He had worked as an analyst for the investment firm Kidder, Peabody in the 1980s and then headed a nonprofit group, New York Citizens for a Sound Economy.
Both spoke to The Associated Press recently about issues facing small businesses, and the upcoming elections. Here are excerpts from the conversation, edited for clarity and brevity:
Q Is small business a bigger factor in this election than in past elections?
KERRIGAN: I do think it's a key issue, a top issue and small business is getting more attention and is the focus from both campaigns. And I think primarily this is because of economic conditions and the weak economy over the past four years — and this growing understanding within the public and certainly elected officials and those running for office that we do need robust job creation in the small business sector if we're going to get back to strong levels of hiring and robust levels of economic growth. Over the last four years I think both parties have been hitting on this. There's been certainly a lot of legislation and policies directed toward this sector on the Republican side, certainly a lot of legislation that the House passed over the year or so. And then in the White House the president has had his startup initiative. The JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) Act was a huge piece of legislation that both parties agreed to and it passed with wide bipartisan support. .... The other issue is the type of policies that were pushed at the beginning of the Obama administration, and I think specifically as it relates to the health care law. A lot of small businesses to this day are very much opposed to the health care law and it continues to get a lot of publicity in terms of its costs, its unintended consequences and whether it's really going to lower the cost for business owners and their employees. ...
Recently, obviously, the president's comments about, "you didn't build that," that again has put small business front and center. A lot of business owners get offended by that, even though the president said, well, gee, that was taken out of context. Again, I think it just heightens small business and the role that small business play in this economy to even greater levels.
KEATING: The key here is the fact that the economy has done so poorly for over four and a-half years. That's going to bring even greater focus in a political campaign on small business because I think most people understand that small business are the engines of economic growth of job creation and innovation. Small businesses are always mentioned in campaigns and always favorably, no matter which side of the political aisle you're looking at. But just the reality of the current economic situation amplifies this tremendously. And you can tell when you listen to both sides out on the campaign trail, you can see that small businesses just keep getting mentioned. ... The intensity level is much higher than in the past.
Q What are the biggest issues in this campaign for your members?
KERRIGAN: They're very concerned about the economic outlook and the financial stability of their firms and their competitiveness moving forward. That's not at all being helped in terms of government policies. ... They're concerned about the expiring tax measures and what's going to happen with the tax code. It didn't start when everyone else started talking about the fiscal cliff. It's been on their mind for a longer period of time because they do long-term planning in terms of their of their businesses and what kind of resources they're going to have for investment, pay down debt etc. ... We've talked about uncertainty so much. Now I think intensity is the new word. The intensity of their concerns has definitely picked up not only now because of this looming (tax) deadline and the threat that poses from an economic perspective on their firms. But also you have a host of other issues. ... We have the new health care law. Many continue to see their costs go up, not down. They don't believe this is going to be good for their businesses. You have rising prices when it comes to energy and gas. Supplies, raw materials. So they're being squeezed from an economic perspective. ...
They've been operating in four and a-half or five years of economic instability. ... They have very little confidence in terms of their political leaders and their ability to get things done. And unfortunately that's having an impact on their confidence.
KEATING: Across the board, uncertainty is still a word that needs to be used. When you look on the policy front, there's a great deal of questions in general. The health care law. There's a whole host of questions on the tax cliff, and what might happen there, with the Congressional Budget Office making clear that if current tax law stands, you're going to see us back into recession in the first half of 2013. So that just adds to the uncertainties, the doubts of small business. If you factor in the presidential election, no matter which side you happen to be on, who knows how that's going to turn out. I think the only thing that people are sure of is that it's going to be a late night.
Q What parts of the economy or the country look stronger or weaker?
KEATING: Stronger? That question is a real challenge. It's just very difficult when you look at the extended period that we're in with such a deep recession and such a poor recovery that some people think we're still in a recession. ... It's very difficult to pick out a good place. One of the things about this recovery is, not only has it been so poor, but you get those little bits of hope, maybe a jobs number that comes in OK, some profit numbers that are all right for a while. But then they fade away very quickly. I think when you bring that down to the small business level, it's just very difficult to pick out an area where things are just rocking. ... Even the ones that are doing well in this environment have worries and concerns.
KERRIGAN: We live in a bubble here in the Washington, D.C., area. It has been able to withstand the recession and economic downturn. You see that in the health of the real estate sector and the housing market. It's not reality here compared with the rest of the country. You do have a wide array of businesses in northern Virginia, D.C., Maryland, that are doing OK.
But even in this area, with the whole threat of (defense budget cuts), talk with government contractors and they're like, wow, we're in the same boat now as a lot of these other businesses, not knowing what's going to happen. ... You also have small and mid-sized businesses that subcontract with these contractors.
One of the sectors that has done better than most industries are the small and mid-size firms in the tech sector because there continues to be innovation and investment. That's developed whole other industries — the mobile app industry. ... But while access to growth capital has not been a major concern with that industry, we along with the Financial Services Roundtable put out a survey in November that broke down the different industries within the tech sector, and their No. 1 concern at that point was access to growth capital. So even that sector too is beginning to feel the heat and feel a lot more uncertain.
KEATING: One other area that has been mentioned as a positive is North Dakota. They've become a tremendous energy producer with the change in technology, with fracking. They've become the No. 2 oil producer. So things have been rocking and rolling in one state, the unemployment rate is 3 percent in North Dakota.
KERRIGAN: The shale region as well — pockets of Pennsylvania and Ohio. There's a lot of activity with fracking, and different types of small business have benefited from that. Your typical retail mom and pop and many small businesses that operate in that industry. ... But we're hearing a lot of bad news from manufacturers in terms of their orders. One of my members just told me I got a month worth of work on the books, where it was four or five months out. He's got large customers starting to hold orders. That's not good news.
Q What's your sense of how the housing market is doing? We saw some improvement earlier this year.
KEATING: It has nowhere to go but up. The question with housing has been for some time is, when we a (better) number here or there, is it actually the sign of an upturn, or is it bouncing along the bottom? This has basically been a depression in housing, really starting in late '05, so this has been an astounding extended period. So beyond that, the whole question is ... are we done bouncing along the bottom and are we now going to start moving in a positive direction? Housing goes back to the overall state of the economy. Are businesses creating jobs and do people therefore feel secure? Do they feel like they're going to remain employed, do they feel like their incomes are going to go up or are they still facing stagnant or declining income? So all those questions along with a whole host of others come into the housing mix and again, I don't see any clarity on it.
Q What parts of the federal government do you think are doing a good job for small business?
KERRIGAN: Certainly, the SBA is obviously there to serve small businesses and I think a lot of their core programs do help, like the Small Business Development Centers, and it provides funding to SCORE (the organization that offers free advice to small businesses). They provide funding to the Women's Business Centers. I think the SBA is doing a good job in terms of variety of its different training programs. The technical training that it provides on its website. Resources for how to go global, how to do business with the federal government. They do provide the small business some good material to help them navigate those two markets.
I would say within the SBA itself, there is the Office of Advocacy, which is the voice of small business within government and holds the federal government accountable.


text: Double G Sportsman Adventures is a shooting preserve located just an hour and a half East of downtown Dallas. We offer a wide range of services with your personal satisfaction as our number one priority! We have pheasant and quail hunts available from September 1st until April 1st and our hog hunts are available year round. We also offer a full service kennel with our focus on retriever training and pointing dog training.

subset: commoncrawl


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There has been a lot of chatter about the Peter Buffett opinion piece in the New York Times this week. As son of Warren Buffett he indeed has a unique perspective on what he's labeled the "Charitable Industrial Complex."
The younger Buffett sees what we have been tracking at Giving Strong, Inc.: a trend of donations that are well meaning but that don't really move the needle socially. The trend toward giving back has led to a proliferation of non profits competing for limited dollars – an emphasis on the more hands-off-but-it- still-feels-good-to-give kind of "checkbook charity."
Here's another idea. Impact investing. It requires collaboration, structure, patience and creativity to evolve a "donor" into a "doer." The Social Impact Exchange just profiled seven exciting new initiatives designed to move the needle. At the top is the Healthy Futures $100 Million Investment Fund – a collaboration led by Morgan Stanley, The Kresge Foundation and LISC to build affordable housing with integrated health services in low income neighborhoods.
For those wealth managers and financial planners who feel threatened by their clients' philanthropic inclinations (more than one has told us: "when clients give that money away to causes, they take away from the firm's assets under management," or "we see community foundations as competition") we encourage you to take a fresh look at Impact Investing where they have a creative vehicle that provides a meaningful way to "give back" while still managing those assets under the financial firm's umbrella.


text:
Posts Tagged 'Sante Fe Burrito'
Ode to the Philly Soft Pretzel
This past Labor Day weekend I ventured home to Philadelphia to embark on a weekend of catching up with friends, swimming, damaging my liver, and of course, seeing my family. I hadn't been back home in nearly 4 months and was experiencing some serious Illadelph withdrawal. It's a shame that I couldn't spend more time back […]
Filed under: Opinions, Restaurants | 8 Comments
Tags: Amoroso's Rolls, cheesesteak, Chicken Mole, chops, Philly Soft Pretzel, Philly Soft Pretzel Factory, Sante Fe Burrito, Wawa


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It appears not everyone loves Matt Bomer as much as we do.
Or at least, not when he's belting out a subpar version of your Top 40 tune. Which is apparently what happened when the White Collar star recently appeared on Glee and, along with Darren Criss, performed Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know."
So what was the Australian singer's review of the cover? Be warned: it ain't pretty!
"They did such a faithful arrangement of the instrumentals but the vocals were that pop Glee style, ultra-dry, sounded pretty tuned and the rock has no real sense," Gotye (real name Wally de Backer) admitted to the Sunday Mail. "Like it's playing to you from a cardboard box."
But that wasn't all. As the Sunday Herald Sun reports, he went on to say the cover "made it sound dinky and wrong."
Double yikes. Especially seeing as the song skyrocketed on the Billboard charts after Glee's fan favorite Blaine (Criss) performed the duet with his brother, Cooper Anderson (played by Bomer).
So maybe it wasn't all wrong, eh Gotye?
Whatever, here's what we really want to know: Has anyone heard from Michael Bay about Matt's Transformers audition?


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PONTIAC – One man is dead after his vehicle hit a garbage truck head-on in Pontiac.
According to the Oakland County Sheriff's Department, the accident happened just before 3 Friday afternoon.
Witnesses say a black Jeep was speeding northbound on Joslyn Avenue near Brooks Avenue. The Jeep lost control and entered the southbound lanes where it collided head-on with a garbage truck.
The driver of the Jeep, a 25-year-old male resident of Maybee was transported to the hospital where he died. The driver of the garbage truck, a 41-year-old male resident of New Haven is recovering from non-life threatening injuries.
The names of the victims have not been released.


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Ann Patchett, Run: 1/21/10
"I was disappointed in Run. I didn't find it particularly compelling. None of the characters drew me in. It's nice that the book takes place in Boston, but so what?"
"I thought the book was sappy. I did not finish. Mount Auburn Street is not Mount Auburn Drive. I thought the book was poorly written and the vocabulary was elementary."
"This is mush…People will come out of this book thinking that Catholics worship statues. Kenya and her mother, Tennessee, touched me. I was sorry when the mother died."
"I can't believe that this is the same person who wrote Bel Canto.
"I liked this book. This may be because, after finishing 1,000 Splendid Suns, anything is better. I did not like the conversation with the dead friend."
"I found the book very boring and only finished it because the book club was coming up."
"I loved Bel Canto. It was one of my favorite books. I eagerly went to Run and was extremely disappointed."
"I have a degree in English. I was wondering what compelled her to write this book. Was the fish theme related to Jesus and the loaves and fishes? The book seemed to try to achieve depths that it never quite managed".
"Maybe this book was meant for a high school audience. It seemed to be aimed more at women then at men. Men want to see a central character and a central theme. Tip's accident seemed contrived. Why would he go out into that weather when he was already injured?"
"I liked this book. I wasn't looking for fine literature. I found myself liking the characters. When Doyle gave Kenya the statue, I was horrified."
"I thought Doyle held up well when Bernadette died. The wife was the one who wanted more kids but he took his responsibilities as a father seriously."
"If you have a priest it's like God Almighty is in your house."
"I was offended by the attempt to write about Harvard and not check your facts. I thought it was lightweight."
"Tip was a cold fish."


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Tips: You are welcome to book Suzhou Marriott Hotel Taihu Lake rooms online. The above price is net price. It does not contain 15% service fees and tax. It will automatically add 15% when the order is submitte


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MOVIE REVIEW- Failed satire: Spare your kids (and yourself) from<i> Kick Ass </i>
Shall I have feelings, or should I pretend to be cool? Will I seem hopelessly square if I find Kick-Ass morally reprehensible, and will I appear to have missed the point?
Let's say you're a big fan of the original comic book, and you think the movie does it justice. You know what? You inhabit a world I am so very not interested in. A motion picture camera makes a record of whatever is placed in front of it, and in this case it shows deadly carnage dished out by an 11-year-old girl, after which an adult man brutally hammers her to within an inch of her life. Blood everywhere. Now tell me all about the context... [full review]
1 comment
When you run out of story, use sex, special effects or violence...or, all three. We've exhausted the use of sex in our stories, or at least it's been regulated. Special effects are expensive, so all we have left is violence, and it has yet to be regulated.
Our society doesn't have context for death, like our agrarian counterparts.
We don't kill our own food, we don't see the family horse get old and pass away, we're sequestered from death. Our need to understand it hasn't diminished one wit however and neither has it for our children.
So we sensationalize death and allow our story-tellers, (ie. Hollywood) to teach our children. The movie industry is just that, an industry, void of any real responsibility, so it's our responsibility to limit their reach to our children.
Kids have a natural curiosity about death, talk about it, and for the love of Pete, visit a farm.


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Commenter Bipolar.Bear.Disorder is missing the good old days of World War II in today's installment of Speak-Up On Kotaku.
Am I the only one left in the gaming community that misses World War II games? With everyone's intense focus on modern and future warfare, I feel as if World War II video games, my favorite genre, have fallen a bit by the wayside. Of course, World War II games are still being released, but not on the constant scale that used to be the norm. I understood that some people had begun to feel as if the era had been overdone and cliché, but I must admit, I really miss FPS games where aim was more important than perks, and headshots didn't have to come from sniper rifles.
With this sudden influx of contemporary war games set in the present and future, I feel like we as gamers lose an important facet that was prominent in the more well-made productions. I can't really explain what I mean by it, though. To me, it just feels like games like Modern Warfare and Medal of Honor miss some important element that was in their earlier iteration. It isn't the scope of the war, or even the actual combat itself. I just don't think that war games set in a modern period have the same "magic," for lack of a better term; that games like Call of Duty 2, Brothers in Arms, and Company of Heroes had. Maybe it's a sense of righteousness, with a clear sense of who the enemy is and what our goals are. Maybe since it took place "so many years ago," it seems as if it's another time in another place.
I just don't understand why gamers and developers had begun to ignore World War II. Maybe it was being overdone, but I'm pretty sure developers hadn't used the era to its fullest potential. There are so much other stories left to tell. There's so much things developers hadn't done yet. This current batch of modern-combat games cannot match the ones that took us up Normandy Beach, fighting through once-pristine French streets, to reach the city of Berlin.
Maybe that's what's missing in these games set in modern conflicts. In this day and age, undoubtedly fueled by countless government scandals and corruption, any war taking place seems wrong and, well, stupid. Not getting into any specifics here, but the general populace had developed distaste for war and bloodshed. For patriotism and pride. That's where World War II games came in. They weren't meant to trivialize the war, neither making it bearable and "cutesy," or making in into the Hollywood-style action-paced machismo slugfest that dominate the current shooting galleries. They were a sort of remembrance, in a way, for the countless men and women who have died in such a tragic war. In World War II, that was both humanities highest point and lowest point in history. It'd be a shame to forget it in such a quickly growing medium.
About Speak-Up on Kotaku: Our readers have a lot to say, and sometimes what they have to say has nothing to do with the stories we run. That's why we have that little box on the front page of Kotaku. You know, the one with "Got something to say?" written in it? That's the place to post anecdotes, photos, game tips and hints, and anything you want to share with Kotaku at large. Just make sure to include #speakup in your comment so we can find it. Every weekday we'll pull one of the best #speakup posts we can find and highlight it here.


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Slimmons Studio
*Slimmons Closed November 19, 2016. Click the links below for Richard's comments.*
The year was 1974. My dream was to open up an exercise studio that was fun. I had taken classes all over the city of Los Angeles. Most of the classes were very serious. Everyone looked like they were pouting while they worked out. That is when I decided that I needed to open up a place where people smiled when they sweat and danced to the music. So in the summer of 1974 I opened my doors to Slimmons.
And from the time I opened it, people came. Yes the word spread about this little , kind studio that was filled with unconditional love and happiness. The studio is where my whole career started. I began doing local shows in the city. And then I got my big break to play myself on General Hospital.
From there I got several of my own shows and so many of my dreams have come true over the years. But one of my biggest joys is Slimmons. I love to teach there when I am in town. I spend time gathering up my music that will motivate and stimulate everyone to move like they have never moved before. My class starts out with a rhythmic warm up for the heart, then upper and lower body stretches before we dance to the hottest current songs and the great oldies that put a beat in your soul. Teenagers come to Slimmons, people in their 70's and 80's and everyone in between. Everyone in the room tries their best to get their hearts a pumping and burn quite a few calories.
After all the cardio we again stretch our upper and lower body. Oh but we are not done yet. We pick up weights and do our toning for our chest, back, our arms and shoulders. Toning is followed by pushups and sit ups. And when you leave Slimmons you feel happier, younger and filled with so much energy you won't know how to use it all.
On Saturdays I teach a class called Project Me which is a weight loss and motivation class that I have been teaching for the last 36 years. So many success stories have come out of my studio. People who lost 50 pounds, 80 pounds, 100 pounds or 200 pounds and more. And when I do a new DVD I have an audition and all my students come to try out. I have a wonderful staff and teachers who have been with me so many years and love Slimmons as much as I do. So when is the last time you had fun working out? If you live in Los Angeles or are coming to visit, stop by Slimmons and take a class.


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Ahead of inauguration, NH volunteers participate in National Day of Service
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) � Volunteers across New Hampshire will be taking part in the National Day of Service ahead of President Barack Obama's second inauguration.
More than 100 activities are planned for around the state on Saturday, with volunteers pitching in to do everything from stocking the shelves at an Exeter food pantry to chopping firewood for needy families in Peterborough.
The Obamas started the National Day of Service four years ago, calling on all Americans to join in service to honor the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.


text:
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My brother Steve lives near Brands Hatch in Kent. This is quite appropriate really. He's always been a bit of a thrill-seeker. After his motorbike accident a few years back, he seems to have decided to treat the wheelchair as merely a transfer from two wheels to four.
"I've got a new Nissan" he told me the other day. "It'll probably go round Brands Hatch quite slowly".
What's this ? Has the daredevil spirit suddenly disappeared and been replaced by a Nissan Micra ?
Steve's latest mode of transport is a Nissan GT-R. It looks like it's breaking the speed limit, even when it's parked on the drive.
Steve assures me that hitting the throttle is not so much a means of increasing speed as a command to engage warp drive.
All of which speed-freakery brings me to the point of this post, namely sizing the SGA_TARGET so that your database will be just that bit faster.
The Problem
The database in question is running with a single block-size (8K). Automated memory management is enabled.
The DB_CACHE_ADVICE parameter is set to ON. This means that Oracle gathers information to enable it to predict the effect of changing the memory configuration of the database.
There are no objects using the RECYCLE or KEEP caches.
We know from monitoring that the application is waiting on buffer cache availability.
We want to increase the buffer cache without impacting negatively on other SGA components that are also being dynamically managed.
These include :
- Shared Pool
- Large Pool
- Java Pool
- Streams Poo
The server we're running on is 32-bit. Having accounted for OS requirements and all other processes on the server, we know that we have physical memory available in which to expand the SGA. We also know, as it's 32-bit, that the total memory avaialble to the database will not be able to exceed 4GB.
We know that dynamic memory management is enabled because the SGA_TARGET is set to a non-zero value ( in this case 584M).
If you want to check what memory is allocated to the SGA components in the database you can use:
SELECT component, current_size/1024/1024 as size_mb, min_size/1024/1024 as min_size_mb FROM v$sga_dynamic_components WHERE current_size > 0 ORDER BY component;
The results in our example are something like :
|Min Size(MB)
|DEFAULT buffer cache
|java pool
|large pool
|shared pool
Obviously, this is a dynamic view and the results are not immutable as memory will be allocated between the various SGA components as and when Oracle thinks necessary. Having taken samples over a period of time and various workloads, the results above are fairly representative of the memory allocation overall.
However the memory is allocated, this query should return the same result –
SELECT SUM(current_size)/1024/1024 FROM v$sga_dynamic_components /
In our case, 584 MB.
What will happen if I press this button ?
DBAs are by nature a cautious breed, especially when it comes to fiddling around with database settings. "Suck it and see" may be a useful approach in many walks of life, but does tend to accelerate the ageing process when vital production databases are concerned.
Fortunately, Oracle is on-hand to give us a hint as to the effects of various settings of the SGA_TARGET will have on performance. It does this by means of the V$SGA_TARGET_ADVICE view.
What we're interested in here is, if we change the amount of memory available to the SGA, what will be the performance impact ?
There are three columns here that are particularly relevant, SGA_SIZE ( the size in MB); SGA_SIZE_FACTOR (the size relative to the current size); and ESTD_DB_TIME_FACTOR.
It does take a bit of digging around to establish exactly what DB_TIME is. The 10.2 documentation is a bit vague to say the least. However the 11.2 docs are a bit more specific.
In short, it's probably easiest to think of the ESTD_DB_TIME_FACTOR as the amount of time required to process an operation which takes 1 second in the current configuration.
Let's have a look at what it's telling us at the moment :
SELECT sga_size, sga_size_factor, estd_db_time_factor FROM v$sga_target_advice ORDER BY sga_size ASC;
The results are :
From this, we can see that increasing the SGA size to 730MB will reduce the DB_TIME by over half. Increases above this mark will have a lesser impact to the point where Oracle predicts that there will be no difference in terms of performance, between having an SGA size of 1022MB and 1168 MB.
In summary, Oracle's advice is to increase to 730MB at least, and 1022MB if you have the memory available to do it.
By contrast, I can guess Steve's advice…
Just press the Loud pedal!
Given that Oracle is saying that increasing to 1168MB will have the same effect as increasing to 1022MB, and that I have the physical memory available to do the former, I'll go with the Steve's approach.
If you're using an SPFILE in your database all you need to do to make the change is :
ALTER SYSTEM SET sga_target=1168M SCOPE=BOTH;
If you are just using an init.ora, then you need to change the sga_target setting there and re-start the database for the change to take effect.
You'll notice at this point that I have not changed the SGA_TARGET_MAX_SIZE parameter.
This is because I want to see the effect of an SGA limited to the size we've set. If the SGA_TARGET_MAX_SIZE is set to a value lower than SGA_TARGET then Oracle will ignore it.
Another consideration at this point, especially if you're running on a Windows server – if at all practical, then it's probably worth re-booting the server itself, just to minimize the chances of it getting confused and leaking memory everywhere !
To check that the change has taken effect …
SELECT SUM(current_size)/1024/1024 FROM v$sga_dynamic_components;
This should now return the new SGA_TARGET size – in our case, 1168.
A little while later…
Fast forward a week and the database has been running the new configuration. The performance improvement has been noticed by end-users (always a good sign) and the batch runs are running that bit faster.
At this point, it's probably worth checking what Oracle's current advice is in terms of SGA size and whether it was in fact worth allocating more memory than it was recommending :
SELECT sga_size, sga_size_factor, estd_db_time_factor FROM v$sga_target_advice ORDER BY sga_size ASC;
The results are rather illuminating :
|SGA Size
|Size Factor
Remember, Oracle originally predicted a DB_TIME factor of 0.4255 for an increase in size to 1168MB. If this had held true, then the DB_TIME factor for an SGA size of 584 MB should now be reported as 2.35 (1/0.4255). In fact, the DB_TIME factor is 2.94.
Additionally, Oracle now claims that increasing the SGA size again will further benefit performance (e.g. a 2044MB SGA will reduce the DB_TIME factor to 0.6)
In light of this I think we can infer that increasing the SGA to the higher value was probably the way to go.
Steve has promised to pay us a flying visit in the next couple of weeks. If he's driving the Nissan, I'm not sure what other type of visit it could be.


text:
Paavai always has a pride, that it has crowned "Paavai College of Education" in
a very beautiful way. In Paavai the student teachers are made into 'perfect Teachers'
in the fullest sense. A B.Ed student teacher graduated through Paavai, will be a
complete Teacher, we can assure. This is because we have experienced Principal,qualified
lecturers, serene and standard learning atmosphere.
Teachers who emerge as blossoming flowers from the garden of Paavai will spread
the fragrance for ever, wherever they are. Paavai contributes a lot to the teaching
fraternity and significantly stabilized its prestigious existence among various
institutions , through its special and elegant process of teaching and learning
Our college aims to "Give excellent"-education and to insist its supremacy in the
minds of the students and mould them to be ideal teachers to the Noble Profession.
The quality of Education depends mostly on the quality of teachers. Teacher education
is a significant part of the educational system. Teacher education must prepare
professionals to visualize correlations between self, society and nature. An individual
is trained to bring out his best to the maximum so that his existence on this earth
is fruitful to both himself and the society.
No progress in education can be made without a team of better instructed teachers.
With this noble end in view, Paavai College of Education has been established from
the academic year 2004-2005. now it takes its fourth step towards the sixth academic
year 2009-2010.


text:
Morton exits start in second inning due to foot injury
ST. LOUIS -- Pirates starter Charlie Morton abruptly left Sunday's game, and soon thereafter left town for an examination of the left-foot discomfort that forced him out of Pittsburgh's 9-2 loss in the second inning.
Morton departed the game with undisclosed discomfort in the foot triggered, he later passed word through a club spokesman, when he went to cover home plate on his last, wild pitch of the game. The pitcher immediately left for Pittsburgh to be examined by team doctors.
Morton obviously would not have pitched anyway at the Pirates' next stop, a three-game Interleague Series in Arlington against the Texas Rangers. So he will simply hook back up with the team when it returns to Pittsburgh on Thursday.
Morton had just uncorked a wild pitch to allow a run to score and give St. Louis a 5-0 lead when he was paid a visit by pitching coach Ray Searage.
Soon after engaging Morton, Searage signaled to the dugout for the trainer to come out. Soon after that, Morton walked off the mound.
Stolmy Pimentel took over and ended the inning with a strikeout of Yadier Molina.
Morton was making his 16th start since resuming his career after recovering from Tommy John surgery. He was working on a career-long four-game winning streak and had been 6-1 with a team-low 2.90 ERA since the All-Star break.
Morton went 1 2/3 innings on Sunday, charged with six hits and five runs while walking two without a strikeout.


text:
As the following image from Spiegel summarizes, three things will happen simultaneously when the unthinkable finally occurs: i) economic output plummets, ii) unemployment rate soars, and iii) consumer prices explode. Of course, this is nothing but merely deferred consequences for Europe partying for over a decade under an unsustainable regime that borrowed from the future (sound familiar?). And now the inevitable hangover. In other words: payback is a bitch.
Source: Spiegel


text:
Sarah Gipe scored her team leading 13th goal on Friday.
The Liberty Lady Flames pushed their winning streak to five with a 3-1 victory over the Appalachian State Mountaineers at Kidd-Brewer Stadium on Friday afternoon.
Liberty has now won 10 out of its last 11 games to improve to 13-5 overall (6-1 NorPac). The Lady Flames, whose five-game winning streak equals the program record set earlier this season, remain atop the NorPac East Division standings with just one game remaining. With the loss, Appalachian State's overall record falls to 3-14 (0-7 NorPac).
The opening minutes of the first half proved to be a defensive struggle. Liberty's Mallory Cuccio recorded a pair of saves in the 13th minute to keep the game scoreless.
Appalachian State broke through first with 10:49 remaining in the opening half. Off of a penalty corner, Laura Malinoski fired a shot into the left side of the cage to put the Mountaineers on top 1-0. Dana Wetmore tallied her third assist of the year on the play.
Liberty knotted the score at one with 2:22 left in the first stanza. Morgan Mummau dribbled up the right sideline and laced a pass into the circle to Sarah Gipe. The freshman worked the ball toward the cage and ripped a shot into the top of the goal for her team-leading 13th goal of the season.
The score remained tied at one heading into the break. During the opening half, both teams notched five shots, while the Lady Flames held the slight edge in penalty corners, 2-1.
In the 62nd minute, Liberty earned its fourth penalty corner of the second half. Natalie Barr received the insert from Hannah Doherty at the top of the circle. Barr dribbled the ball, spun back to her right and ripped the ball toward the cage. Megan Johnson redirected the Barr pass into the goal to give the Lady Flames the 2-1 lead. It was Johnson's fourth goal of the season and the team-best seventh assist for Barr.
The Lady Flames tacked on their third and final goal with 29 seconds remaining in the contest. Barr collected a loose ball in front the goal and tapped it past Mountaineers goalie Sarah Anderson for her 12th goal of the year and a 3-1 Liberty lead, which is how it would end.
For the game, Liberty outshot the Mountaineers 17-7 and earned eight penalty corners to Appalachian State's one.
Cuccio tallied four saves for her eighth win of the season, while Anderson notched 10 saves for the Mountaineers. Liberty returns to action on Sunday for its regular-season finale at fellow NorPac foe Davidson. Game time is slated for 1 p.m. If the Lady Flames are victorious, they will wrap up the NorPac East Division regular-season championship during their first year as a conference member.


text:
Material From https://www.biddytarot.com/
Upright: Intuition, Higher powers, mystery, subconscious mind
Reversed: Hidden agendas, need to listen to inner voice
The High Priestess is also known as Persephone, Isis, the Corn Maiden and Artemis. She sits at the gate before the great Mystery, as indicated by the Tree of Life in the background. She sits between the darkness and the light, represented by the pillars of Solomon's temple, which suggests it is she who is the mediator of the passage into the depth of reality. The tapestry hung between the pillars keeps the casual onlookers out and allows only those initiated to enter. The pomegranates on the tapestry are sacred to Persephone. They are a symbol of duty (because Persephone ate a pomegranate seed in the underworld which forced her to return every year). The blue robe the Priestess is wearing is a symbol of knowledge. She is wearing the crown of Isis symbolising the Triple Goddess. The solar cross on her breast is a symbol of balance between male and female.
In her lap, she holds the half-revealed and half-concealed Torah, representative of the exoteric and the esoteric teachings and higher knowledge. The moon under her left foot shows her dominion over pure intuition. The palm indicates fertility of the mind and the cube on which she sits is the earth. The planet associated with the High Priestess is the Moon.
The High Priestess represents wisdom, serenity, knowledge and understanding. She is often described as the guardian of the unconscious. She sits in front of the thin veil of awareness, which is all that separates us from our inner selves. The High Priestess knows the secret of how to access these realms. She represents spiritual enlightenment and inner illumination, divine knowledge and wisdom. She has a deep, intuitive understanding of the Universe and uses this knowledge to teach rather than to try to control others. She generally appears in a Tarot reading when you need to listen to and trust your inner voice.
The High Priestess Tarot card represents a link to the subconscious mind, which cannot be accessed through the everyday world but only through dreams and symbols. When this Tarot card appears in a Tarot reading, pay attention to your dreams and intuition. Look for areas in your life that may be out of balance or that require greater foresight and wisdom. Knowledge of how to fix it will not come through logic or intellect but through your intuition so put aside a time when you can meditate and listen to your own inner voice. Your intuitive sense right now is providing you with useful and helpful information and is assisting you to become more in touch with your subconscious mind.
For a male especially, the High Priestess Tarot card indicates that he must learn of his 'anima' or female side, or he will fail to grow. For a woman, the High Priestess suggests that she must learn to trust herself and to be truly feminine, rather than succumbing to the pressures of having to act more like her male counterparts.
The High Priestess in a Tarot reading can also point to the unknown and can indicate that your life is changing. Things that once seemed certain can no longer be taken for granted. Some puzzling mysteries become clearer but all is not yet revealed at this point. On the plus side, you will find that your intuitive powers are increasing and you may be inspired to be creative. The High Priestess Tarot card is therefore a particularly good card for poets and writers.
The High Priestess reversed can signify that you are not listening to your inner voice and may need to take time for reflection and meditation. It is as though your intuition is calling out to you but for some reason you have switched off and are no longer really listening to what your subconscious is trying to tell you. Think of the High Priestess as the calm centre inside of you that is untouched by your external world and know that she is always there when you need her. She is a part of you that you have not had much time to connect with but she is an important part of you. Whenever you feel that things are just getting too crazy and you are faced with impossible choices, find a quiet space and listen to your inner voice. If you stop thinking about your issues or just give yourself some space and time of 'nothingness', the answer will come to you without having to even think about it. So, try listening to the 'nothingness' and see what comes to you. There are some very important answers that lie within that you can access right now.
The reversed High Priestess also suggests in a Tarot reading that you are normally an intuitive person who is connected with your inner self but in recent times you have lost this connection. You may be rushing around and worrying excessively about external issues and other people's problems that you have lost focus on your own needs. You are not listening to your inner guidance anymore and this is leading you further astray. The strong message here is that you need to take some time out for YOU and you only, so that you can tune into your inner voice and connect once again with your subconscious mind. Meditation or spiritual study may help.
This Tarot card can also represent repressed feelings, an over-reliance on the opinions of others and an excessive need for approval and validation. What is needed is greater confidence in yourself and a deeper 'knowing' that you have the answers already within you and do not need the validation of others.
If the High Priestess appears reversed in your Tarot reading, it can indicate that you have been gaining occult knowledge on a superficial level without any comprehension of its true significance, perhaps merely to impress others. It can also indicate that you have not been listening to your intuition or have been trying to ignore something that you know deep down is true. In either case this will cause problems for you. On a deeper level, the High Priestess reversed can mean that you have failed to come to terms with yourself as a woman. If you are a man, it can indicate a damaging refusal to accept the feminine, emotional, intuitive side of yourself.
Finally, the secretive nature of the High Priestess can be turned into the negative with the reversal of this Tarot card, indicating that there may be gossip, hidden agendas and issues going on under the surface. Demand to know the truth and prevent others from 'beating around the bush' and keeping secrets and other information from you.


text:
30. Re: Growlblabno Dec 25, 2010 8:13 AM (in response to zeppelinux)
Hi Dmitry! I should have name the field different then Surname cause appropriate value there is number from 5 to 10, which you can suspect from attached validator:
<f:validateLongRange minimum="5" maximum="10">
Thanks for feedback:)
31. Re: Growljbalunas Dec 29, 2010 9:24 AM (in response to zeppelinux)
Can't imagine RF4 Final without this component.
We too would like to see this component in 4.0 Final. It is really a matter of timing, and release planning. I hope to review this more after the holidays.
One thing that will need to be investigated is any copyright, or patents on the name "Growl", and the functionality. I would bet Apple got a patent on it if they could.
32. Re: Growlblabno Jan 3, 2011 7:10 AM (in response to jbalunas)
Jay, I have no idea how to check copyrights and patents. In stead of "growl" we can use "notify" as component name.
33. Re: Growljbalunas Jan 3, 2011 11:35 AM (in response to blabno)
Thats no problem Bernard - we can take a look through some channels we have.
Happy New Year!
34. Re: Growlmechtatel Mar 24, 2011 1:13 AM (in response to blabno)
Does anyone knows why notifyMessages don't appear in Internet Explorer 8 on http://bernard.labno.pl/notify-sample ?
The example http://bernard.labno.pl/growl-sample/pages/growl_1.jsf is working in IE 8
35. Growlblabno Mar 24, 2011 3:29 AM (in response to mechtatel)
notify and growl are based on different jQuery plugins, that's why one can work with ie8 and the other not.
Unfortunately I do not have that browser, so if anyone would like to dig into the issue I would be thankful.
36. Re: Growlmechtatel Mar 24, 2011 12:19 PM (in response to blabno)
Initially I received the "JSON is undefined" error in Internet Explorer 8. After a little searching I found that recently I had installed DivX plugin, disabling this add ons in IE disappears this error, but notifyMessages still is not shown and there are no errors displayed. Internet Explorer has some problems with JSON, probably this can be one reason.
What are the differences between the two JQuery plugins, their versions?
On this link http://http://stackoverflow.com/questions/879137/problem-with-jquery-in-internet-explorer-8 can be found some problems related to InternetExplorer and JQuery before( version 1.4)
Also important point when I add <a:loadScript src="resource://jquery.js"/> to head I receive the next errors:
User agent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 5.1; Trident/4.0; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET CLR 2.0.50727)
Fecha: Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:58:22 UTC
Mensaje: 'jQuery.pnotify.defaults' is null or not an object
Línea: 3
Carácter: 91
Código: 0
URI: http://localhost/project/a4j/g/3_3_3.Finalorg/richfaces/renderkit/html/scripts/richfaces.notify.js
37. Re: Growlblabno Mar 24, 2011 2:51 PM (in response to mechtatel)
HG, thanks for investigating it. That thread on stackoverflow made me laugh. Well, I'm not going to do a single thing to make it work in IE8 since everybody says it doesn't know the real javascript.
Have you tried those people suggestions about some special header that makes IE8 emulate IE7?
I have no idea why including jquery via a:loadScript messes things up. It shouldn't. It seems that it is loaded below jquery.pnotify.js and thus removes the plugin.
38. Re: Growlilya_shaikovsky Mar 28, 2011 3:21 AM (in response to mechtatel)
Also important point when I add <a:loadScript src="resource://jquery.js"/> to head I receive the next errors:
If you including other version that come with RF itself - conflicts will appear.
39. Re: Growlliuliu Apr 7, 2011 8:34 AM (in response to blabno)
i tried the notify 3.3.3 final in my RF 3.3.3 project. I droped down the jar in web-inf/lib. and add a simple notify in one page like the example.
But The firebug said the RichFaces.notify is not a function.
could you tell me what i have missed ?
thanks in advance
PS : I found the javascript and css is not loaded. but my LoadScriptstategy/org.richfaces.LoadStyleStrategy is all
40. Re: Growlblabno Apr 7, 2011 8:48 AM (in response to liuliu)
Script and style loading strategy must be set to default.
41. Re: Growlliuliu Apr 8, 2011 3:58 AM (in response to blabno)
it works now.thank you very much. I have some other questions
1 how can i change the text on button all/last?
2 Is it possible hide the message by clicking on the message?
42. Re: Growlblabno Apr 8, 2011 8:04 AM (in response to liuliu)
Ad 1. You cannot. If you need so I will have to implement such feature.
Ad 2. nonblocking messages cannot be closed. other messages should have closer image in shape of X that would hide the message on clicking the closer.
43. Re: Growlliuliu Apr 8, 2011 9:33 AM (in response to blabno)
1, it is good for non-spoken english people, even they are simple words.
2, I am satisfy with notify, i think it will be better if i can create the content of notify (add form/input/commandlink etc, like modalpanel).But i dont know if it is too much for a component like notify.
44. Re: Growlliuliu Apr 19, 2011 5:41 AM (in response to blabno)
I just found the notify need cookie activate. Is there anyway to make it work without cookie?


text:
Aron Ward, the son of Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward recently posted on a Black Sabbath Facebook fanpage regarding the situation between his father and the band. You can read his post below:
"the press is spinning this shit storm to read as if my dad has quit. this is not true. the guys know that. that's why they said the door is ALWAYS open. my dad hasn't "declined" playing with black sabbath or "threatened" to pull out of this reunion.- Advertisement -
as he stated his bags are packed and he's ready to go. he say's it loud and clear, he definitely wants to play on the album and he definitely wants to tour. i know he's been committed to this project from the beginning all the way to the point everyone else flew off to the uk. when i saw him over the summer he had this little cd case with him that had all the rehearsals and song ideas. each cd was sharpie scrawled with rough titles and ideas they had been working on.
about a month ago my dad called me to let me know that Tony had been diagnosed with cancer. he said they were all flying over in the next couple of weeks to continue recording the album in the uk and begin rehearsals for the summer tours. he'd been rehearsing more than i've ever known him to. up till about 3 weeks ago he was working extremely hard and close with the other 3 on this album/reunion tour.
he was in very good spirits and sounded excited to be writing with Tony, Geezer and Ozzy again. i know if they sort this shit out you guys won't be disappointed.
i've always stayed out of my dad's business and would like nothing more than for everything to be worked out swiftly between the guys. unfortunately it's become personal with all these idiots slagging off my dad so this is for the fucking morons saying
"get over it Bill" : my dad has "gotten over it" again and again. he's risen above this bullshit thing called showbiz for the last 30 years. he's respected because he's real and honest not just because he's a complete bad ass on the drums. he's been there for other musicians. in all kinds of circles – punk rock, hardcore, metal whatever.
he was one of the first to get his head screwed back on after the 70's and get cleaned up. he's given so much support to so many people trying to pull themselves out of the hell called addiction. he tries so hard to stay in touch with the fans. he'll talk your ear off if you get a chance. he is humbled by your support and loves you.
"can't believe he needs to make this public" or "it's not the first time" : you're an idiot and have no idea what the hell's really going on. just shut the fuck up and keep the speculation and lies to yourself. what my dad posted was from his heart, on the level and as usual completely honest. he wants you to know what's really going on. that he has been given a contract that he can't sign. nothing more to it. no hidden agenda. disappointingly someone else is trying to shroud everything in some kind of x factor "yeah it's full steam ahead – we have no choice" bullshit. of course they have a choice.
"don't be so greedy" : he is by no means greedy man. if he was he would of settled with whatever contract given him. it's kind of obvious someone else is greedy. wake up. he lives in a modest home in southern california. pays rent like the rest of uz. in case your still blind look at it this way – sadly the current "sabbath" statement reads as if someone would rather see the remaining members play in front of thousands of disappointed, confused and resentful fans then give my dad a dignified agreement.
additionally the record sales will be severely affected because it isn't the promised original line up. all this because of someone's inability to respect him as the committed founding member he is. this has derailed the fan's hopes of seeing the original line up and strongly divided the fans. what a way to fuck up such a powerful, influential and inspirational legacy for the rest of time.
"who cares, it's just a bunch pensioners" : i'm just as cynical about old rock legends getting back on the road "one more time" as anyone but this is BLACK SABBATH. they've never been a conventional band. thing is i know these guys have been rehearsing loads. over the last couple months. when i've caught up with my dad he's been talking about how heavy the jams have been and how hard he's been playing.
do you think people were looking at miles davis, ornette coleman or max roach going "man these guys are boring and old" no! it's the music that's important, played by the masters themselves. thats what we want. they're here to teach us, inspire us and make us flip out. i saw the (captain beefhearts) magic band recently on tour and they were clearly the definite article. legends.
completely schooled any new hip shiny processed hyped out mush you've been exposed to in the last couple years. there's no doubt that there are loads of new heavy as fuck bands out there but to me Black Sabbath are still totally relevant. it's pointless to bitch about their age. they will kick serious fucking ass. trust.
to Terry (my godfather) , Ozzy (my friend when i was little) and Tony (towering hero) i hope that you will listen to your fans. they want all of you together. as YOU are black sabbath so is my Dad. i hope you guys can work it out.


text:
CRESTVIEW � The search for the next head football coach and athletic director to replace Kevin Pettis, who resigned on January 31, is in full swing as the 10-person search committee met for the first time last week. Crestview assistant principal Dexter Day, who is the chairman of the search committee, confirmed that Pettis is no longer at the school and that his last day at Crestview was Friday.
CRESTVIEW � The search for the next head football coach and athletic director to replace Kevin Pettis, who resigned on January 31, is in full swing as the 10-person search committee met for the first time last week.
Crestview assistant principal Dexter Day, who is the chairman of the search committee, confirmed that Pettis is no longer at the school and that his last day at Crestview was Friday.
"I just think in talking with the district -- and this is just my thoughts on it -- it was time for us to move in a different direction and get things started on a new foot here," Day said of Pettis' departure. "Right now acting the athletic director and head football coach is Chris Sweatt. Chris Sweatt is stepping in and doing the class for weight lifting and things like that. As far as athletic director, we have the two assistant athletic directors; Kelly Hayes and Jay Sanders doing those things.
"It is what it is and we are searching for a new head football coach. It (the job opening) has been posted on the Florida High School Activity Association website. Right now I have between 30 and 40 applicants already and they keep coming in."
Day said it seemed as if he was getting a new resume via email every 10 minutes.
"It will stay posted at least four or five days on the (FHSAA) website," he said. "We will close it out this Thursday. And then all the committee members will get their (the coaching candidates') resumes on Friday and take them home to look over them over the long weekend.
"We are supposed to meet back again on the 19th at 7:30 (p.m.) and start narrowing down the field and getting our group together that we want to interview."
Search committee won't rush decision
Search committee members are Day, Chris Moore, Dale Rice, Kathy Combest, Scott Lee, Jay Sanders, John Edwards, Marcus Chambers, Nick Kootsouradis, Andy Johnson, Joann Durm and Jeff Bufkin.
When Pettis announced his resignation Crestview principal Bob Jones said he hoped to have a new coach in place by March 1st. That goal might still be possible, but the committee isn't going to rush the process, Day said.
"If we close it (the application process) out the 14th (of February) and come back on the 19th it's going to be hard for us to get somebody in here by March 1st" Day said. "We are not going to push this thing. We are going to call and check references and do a little research into this thing and make sure we get a person that is right for the job.
"What we all want is somebody that's got character. Mary Beth Jackson, our superintendent said this before, and I believe it too, ''When you hire for character and work ethic you can teach them anything.'"
That doesn't mean that someone with great character and a lousy football background will get the job.
"I'm not saying we are just going to hire somebody for character and them not know anything about football, that's not it," Day said. "We want character and we want commitment. We want somebody that is going to come in here and mold our kids in a way that they will go on and have a future, not just in football, but in the community and the world and teach them those moral and ethical values and things like being on time and being committed and a work ethic and things of that nature."
Candidate must attract attention
The person hired must be able to promote the Bulldog players from all sports in a way that they will receive attention that, if they have the talent, will allow them to earn an athletic scholarship.
Day also stressed the importance of winning.
"You have to have a winning program," he said. "And you have to find that fine line of playing some tough games that will get you ready for your district and then throwing in some games too that will help you out in your winning percentage.
"We are just looking for that guy that is going to come in here and challenge these kids and motivate these kids to be the best they can be and to be the best team they can be."
Day, who was a finalist for the job two years ago when Pettis was hired, said that while he still misses coaching, competing and molding young men on the football field, he has entered a new chapter in his life.
"Right now it's not out of my blood by any means, but I've just got my sights on different things," he said. "That (coaching) is in the past. I was disappointed (not getting the job in 2011).
"I wasn't disappointed in anybody or anything, I was just disappointed that I didn't get the job, but I still came back here and did my job and am going to go on to the next phase of my life."
Upward mobility
Day said he expects at least two or three members of the current Bulldog staff to apply for the job and that a lack of experience as a head coach might not prevent the right person from getting the job.
"You want the people on your staff to move up if they want to be a head coach one day," he said. "I told my staff at Davidson I would hope that y'all would want to be a head coach one day.
"Two of the three; Chris Small and Chris Sweatt were at the middle school level. I would want them (current assistants) to come and apply for the job."
OkaloosaCountyrequires applicants to have three years coaching experience, which could be as assistant coach, and they have their teaching certificate.
As for the age of the next coach, Day is open to that as well.
"I don't think there's pretty much an age limit," he said. "We aren't going to take anybody in a convalescent home or anything like that, who is that old.
"It's the committee that brings forth the names for that person that is going to be selected. I think it's going to be good. I think we are going to have a lot of wide array of different style of coaches and stuff."
Day did say a seasoned or veteran coach would probably be a better fit for the job though.
"I'm not saying a young man can't do it, but you have to have some wisdom in working with these young boys and have some time spent in the field doing some work with them," Day said. "You can't just come in here and be a first year coach and expect to get this job, I don't think."
'We want the best'
Day said the bottom line is finding the best coach for the young men that play football for Crestview.
"We want the best for these kids," he said. "I want to get the person in here that will build this program so people will want to come.
"I'm not talking about recruiting, winning recruits. People want to be around winners, that's just all there is to it. I want a program where parents will feel safe that their kid is going to come up here and get quality coaching and have a good experience."
The toughest part of the process will be determining if a coach has the character he and the committee are looking for.
"Yow do you ask the question and determine the character of that person?" Day asked. "Is it a dog and pony show when they come in there and tell us what they want to hear?
"I think the biggest thing is looking at references too and researching these people and looking at them a little bit. Crestview has so much potential if we bring the right person in and hopefully we can get that job done."
Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin�s sports editor. Email him at firstname.lastname@example.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524


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We Make Getting Your Florida Medical Card As Easy As 1.2.3
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Bluetooth Compatibility
NX503E, FX503E Mobile Phone Compatibility List
This page provides confirmed connectivity information for NX503E and FX503E with Smartphones as of August, 2013.
Connection with iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 will require the Connection Cable for iPod (CCA750)(sold separately).
iPhone 5 Lightning connector is not compatible due to lack of analog video output.
In order to use Smart Access (Smartphone Linking) with an Android Smartphone, you will need a simultaneous cable and Bluetooth connection.
・From the head unit settings, select the linked device as "Android Smartphone".
・From the head unit Bluetooth settings, pair by selecting "Hands-Free Call + Smart Phone Linking" or "Smart Phone Linking".
The type of cable you will use will differ depending on the Smartphone.
Refer to the bottom of this page (Bluetooth Compatibility) to determine the necessary cable. HDMI models will require HDMI Micro Cable (sold separately). MHL models will require HDMI conversion cable "MHL-HDMI" (Not a Clarion product) and HDMI Image Input Cable (sold separately).
You will not be able to use the Micro USB Cable and HDMI Cable simultaneously (you will not be able to charge your Smartphone) for some models.
You will need a HDMI conversion cable "MHL-HDMI" (Not a Clarion product). Follow cable manufacturer's instructions before use.
HDMI conversion cable "MHL-HDMI" compatibility will vary depending on Smartphone. Check cable compatibility with your Smartphone prior to purchase.
You will need both HDMI Micro Cable (Type A- Type A) and HDMI Conversion Cable "MHL-HDMI" in order to connect a Smartphone to the NX503E or FX503E.
●You will need a HDMI conversion cable "MHL-HDMI" that is compatible with EDID. Contact the HDMI cable manufacturer for compatibility information.
●HDMI conversion cable "MHL-HDMI" requires power for video output. Make sure you plug the HDMI conversion cable to a power source such as a cigar lighter socket. Video will not be displayed unless power is supplied.
*MHL models will require HDMI a conversion cable "MHL-HDMI" (Not a Clarion product).
Please read the following documents for appropriate use.
Yes: Available
No: Unavailable
*: Compatibility may vary. Click corresponding annotation in chart for compatibility.
-: No function
■: Cable connection compatibility may vary. Click corresponding annotation for compatibility.
(1): There have been confirmed reports of app link not displaying correctly on iOS 7.
The Clarion App (Smart Access and 4car series) has applied a fix to this issue. Update all apps to the most recent version.
Other apps will be updated accordingly.
Return to the top of the page


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Not everyone can afford a chronograph to test how much juice their favorite airsoft pistol or AEG has. Even after lots of modifications you wonder how much velocity you're really getting. Well you don't necessarily need to dish out several hundred dollars for a chronograph. In most cases, a simple soda can is all you need to gauge those major power milestones.
First, get yourself a regular EMPTY soda can and rinse it out. Coke and Sprite cans work the best as beer cans and other brands sometimes have varying thickness which can throw off your estimates completely. Through experience, I've found Coke and Sprite cans to be fairly consistent in strength around the world. There are three major surfaces on a soda can that represent increasing strength and thickness; the side, bottom and top, in that order. While the sides are quite easy to crease and crush, you'll probably be surprised that they're fairly resilient to abuse from an AEG using 0.2g BBs. A standard unmodified Tokyo Marui Next Gen SCAR will have trouble piercing even one side of the can. However, if you press down and flatten the surface a bit, you'll find it fairly easily to penetrate, even with a spring pistol shooting at 0.3J! For our sake of measurement, you are not to alter the can in anyway prior to the test. The naturally rounded surface provides the extra bounce to resist standard airsoft fire at 3 feet. When using the soda can as a chrono, hold the can FIRMLY about 3cm - 5cm away from the muzzle of your gun, being careful to place your fingers strategically out of the line of fire. You also want to be careful about ricochet so wear safety glasses and use as few fingers as possible to hold the can so as to reduce the chances of getting hit during testing!
To start the test, begin by estimating which surface is best suited for your gun. If you have a stock or mildly upgraded AEG or gas pistol, use the side. If you have a moderately modified AEG or pistol, use the center part of the bottom. If that proves to be no problem, aim for the side part of the bottom (ie. the edge where the bottom surface meets the sides). The edge portion is a little tougher than the central part of the bottom surface. Now for those really highly modified weapons with maximum upgrades, aim for the top, which is a real challenge that few can meet!
Obviously nothing beats the accuracy of a real chronograph (which we used to measure and translate these "can" measurements). Shooting cans is the most quick and effective way to gauge the approximate power of your weapon. To this day, local airsoft players still denote their guns to be playable even when their guns are "can bottom capable". However, "can top capable" weapons usually bring fear to opponents who often would rather not play with you!
Note that all test are conducted on standard thin skinned soda cans. Make sure not to use thick skinned soda cans as can be found in some countries. For example, some countries in Asia and Europe offer thick skinned soda cans that are as hard to penetrate as an HFC22 canister!
Note that all tests should be conducted from a distance of 1 to 2 inches away from the can surface.
Here are the approximate FPS ratings for your pistol if you manage to penetrate any of these surfaces in ONE shot! By penetrate, we mean that the BB must enter cleanly right through the surface and end up on the other side. Cracks and near breakthroughs don't count!
ONE SIDE: (BB remains in can after penetrating one side) - 290 to 310FPS
BOTH SIDES: (BB makes it straight through and exits on the other side) - 350 to 370FPS
BOTTOM (CENTRAL) - 420 to 450FPS
BOTTOM (EDGE) - 450 to 480FPS
TOP (EDGE) - 480 to 510FPS
TOP (CENTRAL) - 520 to 540FPS
*All figures are approximated based on tests with an 0.2g BB. Varying weight of BB may alter results as the above FPS values only apply for 0.2g BBs. Using 0.25g BBs will sometimes allow you to penetrate a surface even at the lower FPS rate. All FPS measurements chrono'd with a Combro cb-625. The range of FPS above accounts for minor structural differences between cans which can require a little more FPS to make the mark.*
Founded in 1998, we are the first, largest and most reliable international retailer specializing in airsoft and wargame equipment.


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I haven't heard from my Jewish date since he sent me a text message last Friday, asking me what I was doing that night.
I don't really have an opinion on that. I just wanted to lay the facts down.
This afternoon, I made an online appointment for a doctor who I last saw when I was a freshman in college. My current problem (back/shoulder) is eerily similar to that which I was suffering from back when I was a freshman. Funny how things don't change, right?
I'm a better person now than I was then.
On Saturday morning, I will get up too early (6:30 am) to skate. After my lesson, I have an appointment to get my hair cut. I almost want to cancel.
I got my hair cut right before I went to Chicago for that ill-fated job interview.
I'm superstitious.
My nose is dripping because Grey's Anatomy made me cry.
It felt good.
I might cry myself to sleep tonight. I think that's okay.
My heart feels heavy.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Observations and feelings
Posted by A at 10:10 PM
Labels: the random
2 comments:
- Amy said...
Thanks for stopping by my blog yesterday! I enjoy reading yours too and I'm sure I'll be back!! (We midwestern girls have to stick together, ya know?)
- betsy said...
when do you leave for NYC? when is the interview? i hate interviewing, i have 2 next week too...ugh! f
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Vertebrate Paleontology
The Vertebrate Paleontology Department of the Museum of Natural History & Science at Cincinnati Museum Center collects fossil vertebrate remains with special emphasis on Paleozoic and Pleistocene material from the middle Ohio Valley tri-state area (Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana). Acknowledging the popular interest in vertebrate fossils and the need for exhibit and comparative materials, however, well-preserved specimens are collected from a broad range of geologic horizons and geographic areas in keeping with the Museum's role as a center of vertebrate paleontological research and education for the region. The collection houses representative specimens and casts of most major groups for research, teaching and exhibit purposes. The Museum collects actively in this subject area, and accepts unrestricted private donations and deposits of orphaned institutional collections. Particularly sought are specimens of high quality that either fill a significant gap in the collections, complement existing research foci, or specimens whose removal from the public domain would represent a serious loss to the scientific community and the general public.
You can search our vertebrate paleontology collections online here.
Meet the Curator
Glenn W. Storrs, Ph.D.
Withrow Farny Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology
Phone: (513) 455-7164
Fax: (513) 287-7095
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
I joined Cincinnati Museum Center in 1995 and administer the education, research and collection management efforts and staff of the Museum of Natural History & Science. These include programs at Museum Center, the nearby Geier Collections and Research Center, The Richard and Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve System in Adams County, Ohio, and the Museum's Dinosaur Field School in Red Lodge, Montana. In my curatorial role, I oversee the Museum's fossil vertebrate research program and collections and am an international authority on the anatomy and evolution of fossil reptiles, particularly marine forms such as Sauropterygia.
I was born and raised in Poughkeepsie, New York, and was educated at Syracuse University, The University of Texas at Austin and Yale University. Before coming to Cincinnati, I was a Research Associate (later Visiting Senior Research Fellow) in the Department of Geology at the University of Bristol, England. I have led or joined numerous paleontological expeditions across North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Ongoing projects close to home include work at significant localities in Ohio and Kentucky.
I have authored many scientific papers, book chapters and popular articles on fossil vertebrates, as well as two books for children. I am an active member of The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, The Paleontological Society, The Geological Curators Group, The Systematics Association, and The Yellowstone - Bighorn Research Association. I was elected Fellow of the Linnean Society of London in 1993 and serve on numerous professional committees. I am a 2005 graduate of the Getty Foundation's Museum Leadership Institute.
In addition to my role with Museum Center, I serve as adjunct professor of geology at the University of Cincinnati.
- B.S., Geology & Biology, 1979, Syracuse University
- M.A., Geological Sciences, 1981, University of Texas at Austin
- Ph.D., Geology & Geophysics, 1986, Yale University
- Geology Research Associate, 1991-1995, University of Bristol
History of the Vertebrate Paleontology Collection
The collections were begun under the guidance of prominent Cincinnati physician Daniel Drake and The Western Museum Society in 1818 and continued by members of the Western Academy of Natural Sciences (1835), the Cincinnati Society of Natural History (1870) and the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History (1957). All of these institutions were predecessors and lineal ancestors of Cincinnati Museum Center. The 1998 transfer of the University of Cincinnati paleontology collection (begun in 1907) to the Museum and an intensive program of research-oriented excavations has created the lower Ohio Valley's largest vertebrate fossil collection, numbering approximately 30,000 specimens (over 8,000 of which are currently catalogued on the Museum's KeEMu database server). The university collection includes specimens amassed by the Dry Dredgers Association of Amateur Geologists & Fossil Collectors, the oldest amateur paleontology society in the United States, founded in 1942.
Scope of the Vertebrate Paleontology Collection
The combined collection is particularly strong in local Pleistocene and Holocene fossils, including material from Big Bone Lick, Kentucky, the birthplace of American vertebrate paleontology. A large and important suite of late Wisconsinan specimens from Sheriden Pit, Indian Trail Caverns, Wyandotte County, Ohio, was collected in the early 1990s. Also represented are significant Devonian and Carboniferous holdings, particularly from the Cleveland Shale and Hancock Site, respectively, as well as a broad collection of comparative material from around the world. Growing strengths include collections of Mesozoic marine vertebrates, particularly from the Middle Triassic of Nevada and the Niobrara Cretaceous of Kansas, a juvenile sauropod assemblage from the Morrison Formation Mother's Day Site of Montana and Morrison microvertebrate material from the Aaron Scott Site, Emery County, Utah. The Ken Caster/Donald Baird cast collection of vertebrate ichnofossils is also notable. Specimens in the Museum's collection are available to qualified individuals for research and educational use by appointment.
Staff and Adjuncts
Brook Crowley, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Geology
503 Geology-Physics Building
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH 45221
Phone: 513-556-7181
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Takuya Konishi, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
851R Rieveschl Hall
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH 45221
Phone: 513-556-9726
Email: email@example.com
Joshua Miller, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Geology
509 Geology-Physics Building
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH 45221
Phone: 513-556-6704
Email: email@example.com
Ryan Shell, Ph.D.
5739 Concord Commons Drive
Centerville, OH 45459
Email: email@example.com


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Even two years after the recession has officially ended, all eyes remain on financial professionals. The good news is that investors are regaining trust in the industry—according to a Northstar/Sullivan Rebuilding Investor Trust study, investors' trust in their financial advisor has increased from 61% in 2009 to 74% this year. Some of this growing trust can be attributed to the current industrywide movement toward a more transparent and ethical practice. It's spearheaded by groups like the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, which launched a campaign entirely around consumer advocacy, and websites like SlashDeclare, which encourages better guidance and a commitment from financial pros to act in the best interest of their clients.
But even with the industry regaining respect and trust from investors, economic uncertainties continue to have a negative impact on clients, and advisors are often finding themselves in a position of enabling their clients to make poor investing decisions that hurt their financial goals. That's because most often the mistakes advisors make in enabling clients are the ones they're too close to—they often don't realize they are even making them. Here are the top three mistakes we've seen advisors make over the years and how you can avoid them in your practice:
Mistake No. 1: Enabling Clients to Act on Emotion
It is human nature for us to want to succumb to our emotions, especially when it comes to our money. Because of this, advisors play an important role in helping clients avoid mistakes that could derail their financial plans. Yet according to a 2010 study co-authored by Harvard University behavioral economist Sendhil Mullainathan, advisors are too often enabling clients to make investing decisions based on emotion. The study reported advisors typically took on a "yes man (or woman)" role with their clients in an attempt to keep them happy and continue working with them.
Though it may be difficult to approach a client with any guidance when they're stuck on making an emotional decision (like selling underperforming stocks immediately after a downward swing), in the long run investors will value an advisor more who makes them think twice, rather than an advisor who simply acts on their wishes. When you first begin working with a client, educate them about the impact emotional decisions have on investment performance. For example, share the results of a Fidelity study that reported that 401(k) participants who moved to cash during the market drop in 2008 and 2009 earned just 2% through the first half of this year, but those who stayed in and stuck with their long-term strategy earned a whopping 50%. This helps your clients avoid the pitfalls of getting caught up in the market hype or performance from the moment you start working with them.
When a client comes to you already in a panic, try to take them back to their original goals and how their investments are faring in meeting those goals. Ask them if you can arrange a meeting or time to talk a week or two from then, so they have a chance to sleep on it. Be their reminder to stop and think through the situation rationally—like a warning box that pops up before you delete an email—make sure they are aware of what they're about to do and have thought it through completely.
Mistake No. 2: Enabling Clients to Avoid the Difficult Issues
An advisor's job is a lot like a personal trainer's. No one hires a personal trainer because they want a nice after-work hobby. They hire a personal trainer because they know they'll push them to do things they don't want to do but which they also know are imperative to actually accomplishing their fitness goals. People usually hire advisors for similar reasons. They should expect that you will tell them when they're doing something wrong because, in the end, their main concern is achieving results.
Rather than periodically checking only clients' fund managers' performance, be proactive about addressing the not-so-fun issues. Set up workshops for clients to attend on estate planning and other uncomfortable issues. In an environment like this, a sense of community can be created, and clients will see that others find the issue important as well. As educators of retirement plan participants here at Financial Finesse, we often find people respond to being able to openly share their concerns. Cover issues like estate planning, making retirement income last, life insurance and long-term care insurance to help clients ensure they are on track in each area.
Another way to address these types of issues is through regular, ongoing communication. One of our largest Fortune 500 clients sent email communications to every employee in 2010 on a different financial issue. Each email included quick and accessible resources on one specific topic that their employees could download and hold onto, including calculators, checklists and articles. This helped the company address the difficult topics in a more private way and in a way that allowed employees to learn at their convenience and as it related to their individual plans.
Mistake No. 3: Enabling Clients to Focus on Performance More Than Their Financial Goals
Most advisors enjoy investing, so they can easily find themselves getting caught up in clients' portfolios. However, if you're only looking at how the investments are performing, you might lose sight of the big picture—how the investments fit into your client's overall life goals.
Though it's important to seek out the best possible performing investments for your clients' risk tolerance and time horizon (see Geoff Davey of FinaMetrica's latest AdvisorOne blog on risk), be sure to keep in mind how they'll be relevant to that client's specific short- and long-term goals. It is in advisors' best interests to get their clients focused on their overall financial goals more than their investment performance. If you focus on short-term results yourself, you inadvertently teach your clients to judge you on your short-term performance as opposed to longer-term performance, which is a much stronger indication of your success.
Avoid the temptation to put too much emphasis on investment performance even when the market is doing well, because your clients will then be inclined to do the same when the market is doing poorly. Try to always focus on how your clients' portfolio is designed to achieve their goals and long-term growth as opposed to performance from quarter to quarter.
There are many rewards to being part of the financial services industry during a time like this, despite the pressures and challenges it poses. Advisors today have the unique ability to reshape the industry and grow it to become the profession our country and investors need it to be.
Additional Resources:
Forbes: Five Crucial Estate Planning Mistakes You Are Making:
Forbes: Demystifying Long Term Care