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Toni Morrison has a habit, perhaps traceable to the pernicious influence of William Faulkner, of plunging into the narrative before the reader has a clue to what is going on. Her newest novel, "A Mercy" (Knopf; $23.95), begins with some kind of confession from an unnamed voice, which reassures the reader:
Don't be afraid. My telling can't hurt you in spite of what I have done and I promise to lie quietly in the dark—weeping perhaps or occasionally seeing the blood once more—but I will never again unfold my limbs to rise up and bare teeth.
We are not totally reassured. What blood? What have you (there in the dark) done? The darkness does not quickly lift: "You can think what I tell you a confession, if you like, but one full of curiosities familiar only in dreams and during those moments when a dog's profile plays in the steam of a kettle." A dog's profile does what? "That night"—what night?—"I see a minha mãe standing hand in hand with her little boy, my shoes jamming the pocket of her apron. Other signs need more time to understand."
"Minha mãe," research reveals, is Portuguese for "my mother," and in time we come to comprehend that it is 1690 in Virginia, and that the narrator is a sixteen-year-old black girl called Florens, who was, at her mother's plea, impulsively adopted, eight years ago, by a white proprietor ("Sir" to Florens), in partial settlement of a debt owed him by an insolvent slave owner from Portugal called "Senhor." This adoption constitutes the "mercy" of the novel's title. It landed Florens in a tobacco-growing homestead populated by Sir, known to the wider world as Jacob Vaark; his wife, Rebekka, a hardy and good-natured London native the servants call Mistress; Lina, short for Messalina, a Native American whose people have been decimated by a plague, and who was sold to Jacob by the Presbyterians who rescued her; and Sorrow, a "mongrelized" young woman, possibly a sea captain's daughter, who survived a shipwreck and was named Sorrow by a sawyer's wife who cared for her until passing her on to the hospitable Sir and Mistress. When Sir dies, this household becomes a typical Toni Morrison collection of "unmastered women," each spinning "her own web of thoughts unavailable to anyone else." Their vulnerable isolation is mitigated but not wholly relieved by the presence of Scully and Willard, two indentured laborers, homosexual and white, whom Sir hired to work on his quixotically ambitious mansion. After Sir's death, they continue to work for the widow's pay. With amiable competence, the two men deliver a child that Sorrow, who watched Lina drown her firstborn, has conceived. The infant safely born, Sorrow, long addled in the head by her shipboard traumas and her illusion of an advisory companion called Twin, regains focus and, to cap this saga of freighted names, renames herself:
She had looked into her daughter's eyes; saw in them the gray glisten of a winter sea while a ship sailed by-the-lee. "I am your mother," she said. "My name is Complete."
From her first novel, "The Bluest Eye" (1970), Morrison has worked, in line with the celebrated Faulknerian dictum that the past is not past, in a historical vein. "The Bluest Eye," bristling with sixties literary trickiness and protest, takes place in 1940-41, and includes an impressionistic map of black flight from the South during the Depression; stepping momentarily into the present, the author offers a retrospective history of the structure "on the southeast corner of Broadway and Thirty-fifth Street in Lorain, Ohio," which for the time of the narrative was occupied by the doomed and desperate family of the thorough loser Cholly Breedlove. "Sula" (1974) opens with an elegiac sketch of a black neighborhood called the Bottom and dates its chapters from 1919 to 1965. "Song of Solomon" (1977) begins four years after Lindbergh's transatlantic flight, in 1927, and "Beloved" (1987) takes place a few years after the Civil War. The shorter novels that have followed—"Jazz" (1992), "Paradise" (1997), and "Love" (2003)—share a reminiscing narrator and a sense of the bygone as reverie, a dream that it is a struggle to remember and piece together.
"A Mercy" takes us deeper into the bygone than any of Morrison's previous novels, into a Southern seaboard still up for grabs: "1682 and Virginia was still a mess." Indian tribes haunt the endless forest; the colonial claims of the Swedes and the Dutch have been recently repelled, and "from one year to another any stretch might be claimed by a church, controlled by a Company or become the private property of a royal's gift to a son or a favorite." Jacob Vaark, coming from England to take possession of a hundred and twenty acres bequeathed to him by an uncle he never met, rides from Chesapeake Bay into "Mary's land which, at the moment, belonged to the king. Entirely." The advantage of this private ownership is that the province allows trade with foreign markets, and Vaark is more trader than farmer at heart. The disadvantage is that "the palatinate was Romish to the core. Priests strode openly in its towns; their temples menaced its squares; their sinister missions cropped up at the edge of native villages." His claim lies in Protestant Virginia, "seven miles from a hamlet founded by Separatists" who "had bolted from their brethren over the question of the Chosen versus the universal nature of salvation." In "A Mercy," Morrison's epic sense of place and time overshadows her depiction of people; she does better at finding poetry in this raw, scrappy colonial world than in populating another installment of her noble and necessary fictional project of exposing the infamies of slavery and the hardships of being African-American. The white characters in "A Mercy" come to life more readily than the black, and they less ambiguously dramatize America's discovery and settlement. When Vaark strides ashore through the Chesapeake surf, he is Adam treading the edge of an immense Eden:
Fog, Atlantic and reeking of plant life, blanketed the bay and slowed him. . . . Unlike the English fogs he had known since he could walk . . . this one was sun fired, turning the world into thick, hot gold. Penetrating it was like struggling through a dream. When Rebekka sails to join him, the indignities of steerage are made vivid—she says, "I shat among strangers for six weeks to get to this land"—as are the squalor and the gory public executions of the London she is escaping:
The intermittent skirmishes of men against men, arrows against powder, fire against hatchet that she heard of could not match the gore of what she had seen since childhood. The pile of frisky, still living entrails held before the felon's eyes then thrown into a bucket and tossed into the Thames; fingers trembling for a lost torso; the hair of a woman guilty of mayhem bright with flame.
When she disembarks in the New World, "the absence of city and shipboard stench rocked her into a kind of drunkenness that it took years to sober up from and take sweet air for granted. Rain itself became a brand-new thing: clean, sootless water falling from the sky."
In so keenly relished a near-virgin environment, the diverse "unmastered women" blend into the moonlit trees like guilty phantoms in Hawthorne. Rebekka, who had disembarked as a "plump, comely and capable" young woman, becomes Mistress, and, after gamely coping with the wilderness, the deaths of three infant children and of a five-year-old daughter, and her husband's untimely dying, takes to her bed in despair: "The wide untrammeled space that once thrilled her became vacancy. A commanding and oppressive absence." She falls ill, and orders Florens to find a free black man she thinks might cure her, a blacksmith once hired by Jacob to help build "the grandest house in the whole region"—an unfinished mansion that becomes haunted by its dead master. Florens, travelling alone through the forest primeval, finds the blacksmith living in a cabin, where he has taken in a small male foundling. He returns to Mistress, and effects a talking cure: he is asked, "Am I dying?" and answers, "No. The sickness is dead, not you." Back in the cabin, Florens proves to be a poor babysitter for the foundling and injures his arm. The blacksmith, who had been her lover, is displeased. Much has been made of Florens's love for the blacksmith:
The shine of water runs down your spine and I have shock at myself for wanting to lick there. I run away into the cowshed to stop this thing from happening inside me. Nothing stops it. There is only you. Nothing outside of you. My eyes not my stomach are the hungry parts of me. There will never be enough time to look at how you move.
Alternating chapters take up her stream of consciousness during the hazardous journey to deliver Mistress's message and reunite with the blacksmith. Morrison has invented for her feverish mind a compressed, anti-grammatical diction unlike any recorded patois: "Both times are full of danger and I am expel. . . . With you my body is pleasure is safe is belonging. I can never not have you have me. . . . I dream a dream that dreams back at me." But the blacksmith rebuffs her love in his own firm diction: "Own yourself, woman, and leave us be. . . . You are nothing but wilderness. No constraint. No mind." This rejection and her subsequent violence are the bitter fruit, then, of the mercy that Jacob Vaark showed her when she was eight years old.
On the book's last pages, Florens's mother somehow returns, as a disembodied voice, and recounts her enslavement in Africa ("The men guarding we and selling we are black"), the middle passage in "a house made to float on the sea," her arrival in the hot sun and cane fields of Barbados, and her "breaking in"—her rape—by white men who apologize and give her an orange as consolation. Florens and her brother resulted, and the moment of Vaark's mercy is recalled, but, in view of the dismal outcome, to sadly little point. Of the other characters, Lina remains a stoic source of domestic order and a nurturing substitute mother to Florens when she is docile, before love turns her feral. Sorrow/Complete is, in this household of orphans, the hardest to picture. By her own account, she had always lived on a ship and was brought to land by "mermaids. I mean whales." The insemination that produced her two pregnancies is mysterious, at least to me. She seems less a participant in the action than a visitor from the Land of Allegory, a "curly-haired goose girl" whose only human skills are sewing, acquired on shipboard, and, eventually, motherhood.
In the dark stew of seventeenth-century America, procreation seems the one intelligible process available to slave, servant, and mistress, and love and disease threaten to make martyrs of them all. Motherhood is so powerful a force in Morrison's universe as to be partly malevolent; its untidy agents, menstruation and sex and birth, come with a menacing difficulty. This author's early novels were breakthroughs into the experience of black Americans as refracted in the poetic and indignant perceptions of a black woman from Lorain, Ohio; as Morrison moves deeper into a more visionary realism, a betranced pessimism saps her plots of the urgency that hope imparts to human adventures. "A Mercy" begins where it ends, with a white man casually answering a slave mother's plea, but he dies, and she fades into slavery's myriads, and the child goes mad with love. Varied and authoritative and frequently beautiful though the language is, it circles around a vision, both turgid and static, of a new world turning old, and poisoned from the start. ♦


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MOVING a company forward takes more than a well-formulated strategy and good implementation processes. Ultimately, it comes down to how well each individual executive gets things done. The challenge for business leaders, then, is making sure that all their managers stay on track and on task. Here are 10 rules that can help:
1 If it's not on the calendar, it won't happen
Using a shared team calendar allows you to make deadlines clear, schedule in updates to monitor progress and let your team members know when you want to see them. Setting several dates in a row can help you to force the pace of progress.
2 Focus on the follow-through
Big programmes are often broken into smaller, more manageable chunks, each run by separate team leaders. As the person with overall responsibility for delivery, it is essential to make sure that each of these project leaders is executing as required. Do not allow unresolved issues to drop. Be prepared to offer feedback as necessary.
3 No project owner means no progress
A great idea is a fragile thing; even the best ideas die fast unless someone takes responsibility for putting them into action. The project owner should have the time, resources, autonomy and talent required to succeed.
4 Prioritise, prioritise, prioritise
Few people enjoy the luxury of having all the time that they need to get things done. Most people spend their days constantly balancing priorities and choosing between options. The key to successful execution is choosing the important tasks — those that will have the biggest impact on whether or not you can achieve your objective — rather than the urgent tasks. The other critical tool here is delegation —if you do not have to do a task personally, assign it to someone else.
5 Initiate — it gains time
Initiation means using your resources to get a project started, even if you do not have the time to get involved in it at that moment. This means that others in your team can get the ball rolling — for example, by finding and analysing relevant data, so that when you are free to get on board, you do not need to waste time on any of this preliminary work.
6 Skip the boasting
Save grand announcements for when you have proven success. Boasting about the things that you hope to achieve will only raise people's expectations — and then damage their trust in you should you fail to perform. Instead, focus on action and execution because results will always say more than any speech.
7 Question everything
Many people do not ask enough questions, either of themselves or others. Questions are a valuable way of sizing up a situation, analysing options and avoiding mistakes. So, don't make assumptions, ask questions. Are you going in the right direction? Are there other options? Are there experts who can tell you how this has been done before? Are there suppliers (or field staff or customers) who can tell you what works for them? And note that questions alone are not enough — you must be willing to listen to the answers and be open to the possibility that you may need to make changes as a result.
8 When in doubt, decide
Reality is often fuzzy. Frequently, there is no one path that is clearly better than the others, no matter how carefully you analyse the pros and cons. A test or trial is a good way to see whether or not an idea will work, but this is not always possible. In that case, a full-scale decision is the only option. Decisiveness is better than procrastination because movement brings learning, which in turn creates better decisions. It also energises others in the team and shows them that action is better than sitting still.
9 Create new routines
You spend most of your time dealing with existing issues and following the existing way of doing things. However, when you need to chart a new course of action, these habitual routines can prevent you from moving away from the past. Changing these routines will allow new things to happen.
10 Know your second-best solution
In any organisation, people resources are invaluable. But life happens. A key member of your executive team may leave and you must be prepared with a succession plan. How can the project move forward, even without this player? At the same time, as you move towards a goal, it may become clear that not everyone initially assigned to a project is up to the task. Will you need to alter the task or someone working on it? Having a clear second-best solution will keep you on track no matter what happens. In measuring a company's success, we often refer to profits or the bottom line when looking at the big picture. Yet neither of those can be purposefully impacted without the stellar performance of each individual executive.
With these 10 rules, you can ensure better that your best minds will truly give their best.
Article by Jacques Horovitz, Professor Emeritus of Service Strategy, Service Marketing and Service Management at IMD Business School, where he teaches the Orchestrating Winning Performance Program.
MOVING a company forward takes more than a well-formulated strategy and good implementation processes. Ultimately, it comes down to how well each individual executive gets things done. The challenge for business leaders, then, is making sure that all their managers stay on track and on task. Here are 10 rules that can help:

subset: commoncrawl


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You may remember that we recently counted down ten of science fiction's most undignified demises. One of the most ignominious deaths was the passing of Donald Gennaro, the lawyer who is consumed whilst sitting on the toilet by a hungry Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Still, Gennaro's fate only scratches the surface of mortal moments to occur in the pondering room. Cinema is ripe with examples of unlucky extras consigned to a scatological send-off. Here are ten celluloid works that require a unique acknowledgment from the Library of Congress.
10.) Ghoulies II
Perhaps the most iconic of the commode monsters, thanks in no small part to a lavatory-centric advertising campaign. For children of the 1980s, the Ghoulies were the most unpleasantly tangible monsters in Hollywood.
When I was a kid, my parents signed me up for Kindermusik classes at a local elementary school, where some sadistic teacher had hung up a Ghoulies II poster for Halloween. That poster haunts me to this day. I wouldn't experience such irresponsible pedagogy until high school, where one of the English teachers had a meltdown and screened Wesley Snipes' Blade for an entire week. Also, did you know the Ghoulies hold college degrees?
9.) Sleepaway Camp
This cult horror flick may have been more in the thriller vein, but we must tip our hat to film that harnesses the deadly power of the beehive grenade. This is like Psycho, but with bees. The filmmakers really should've run with that branding.
8.) Reeker
In this malodorous creature feature, a nice young lady meets her demise in an outhouse. Let it be said that outdoor bathrooms can be an equally horrific destination in nonfiction as well.
7.) Street Trash
This 1987 horror comedy highlighted the destructive powers of body-melting fortified wine, leading one lucky fellow to become flushed. I'm surprised neither Thunderbird nor Night Train jockeyed for some serious product placement here. Any attention is good attention for such libations.
6.) Deep Rising
Fact: Deep Rising is the best 1998 maritime science fiction horror movie starring Treat Williams ever.
5.) Snakes on a Plane
Always a film to go for the highbrow gag, this sequence is a metaphor for Icarus' flight toward the sun. Much as the character of Greek myth lost his wings as he approached the sun, the modern airline passenger has lost his right to fly free of herpetological junk shots. Snakes on a Plane was rich with symbolism, so I may be interpreting this incorrectly. Further annotations in the comments are appreciated.
4.) The Social Network
This harrowing scene appeared as one of Mark Zuckerberg's core rules for surviving an internet start-up. In reality, Zuckerberg has transcended the urge to ever the use the bathroom. He's like a human furnace. Tom from Myspace never adopted such an unflinchingly stern code, and look what happened to him.
3.) Final Destination
In this sequence from the famed "cosmic forces hate annoying teenagers" series, an adolescent who has evaded death finds himself trapped in a slippery bathroom. Hey, it was either this or Shannon Elizabeth in Jack Frost.
Of course, if this was Final Destination XVI: The Final Destination Takes Manhattan (or whatever they're up to), this sequence would involved fireworks, a ticker-tape parade, and a special guest appearance by Ed Koch and the Knicks City Dancers.
2.) Dreamcatcher
I wish I could find the exact scene from this fantastically unwatchable "guy poops out an alien" Stephen King adaptation, which is incidentally the best part of the film. When your movie peaks with some guy excreting an extraterrestrial, that's magic you can't even bottle.
1.) Jurassic Park
Oh hell, I was going to put Dreamcatcher at top honors, but everybody loves this scene. Except my lawyer mother. No seriously, she thinks Jurassic Park served up a cliched and nasty depiction of attorneys. As a child, I had to live with the knowledge that one of my parents hated Tyrannosauruses. That's a burden you carry around for the rest of your life.


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'invariant types' tag.
This week, Henry Towsner continued some model-theoretic preliminaries for the reading seminar of the Hrushovski paper, particularly regarding the behaviour of wide types, leading up to the main model-theoretic theorem (Theorem 3.4 of Hrushovski) which in turn implies the various combinatorial applications (such as Corollary 1.2 of Hrushovski). Henry's notes can be found here.
A key theme here is the phenomenon that any pair of large sets contained inside a definable set of finite measure (such as ) must intersect if they are sufficiently "generic"; the notion of a wide type is designed, in part, to capture this notion of genericity.


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Centerfield Elementary teacher Kristie Perkins said her wish for her fourth-graders in 2012 is to take charge of their own learning and complete a successful year in fourth
Perkins said her favorite holiday traditions include decorating the Christmas tree, listening to Christmas music and visiting Santa.
Dear Santa,
I have been a very good girl this year. Do you know what I want this year? I
want a Samsung intestaty II cellphone the most. I want to text, and call my
friends on it. I would also love it if I opened one of my presents and found
a pink fijit friend. I would play with it and have the time of my life with
it. I would also love to see snow on Christmas Santa!
Mackenzie B.
Dear Santa,
The things I want for Chimas are Nerf Jesry because I play Nerf Dart Tag and
I need a Dart Tag shirt to were when I play. I alsow want need more formy
nerf gun for fort because I only have two guns and my faviorit broke. Im
really hoping you can atleast get me it. The last 3 things I want are hot
wheels wall tracks, video racer, and nitro speder.
Merry Chirsmas,
Dylan M.
Dere Santa,
For Crismis I want a 3DS and Super Morio #D Lande and I want a hat like
yours and in iPad toch for crismise.
p.s. I boleve your rele.
Isaiah H.
Dear Santa,
I want all of the Hallo Legows and an Xbox Conect and all of the Hallo gams
except Hallow 3 and an iPad. I have ben a grate boy.
Louis A.
Dear Santa,
I would like a iPad or something like it or a Tablet. I want that at my
dads. Because my mom and dad are divort. I want amercian girl doll stuff and
makeup from my mom. I want a nail and toe gift card from my dads mom. I want
a Poruler beads from my dad's dad. I want a pottery wheek, ituns gift card
from moms mom and dad. I want money from my step dads sister and mom and dad.
And that's all! I think I diserve it because that is not that much because
it is from different people and I have been making good grades. I wont want
much for my birthday and an iPad or something like a tablet is good because
it is egacatinal and I could learn from that and the rest you know a nine
year old girl needs some toys. So with that said I don't know what I want
just buy me anything. See you at walmart!
Reagan T.
Dear Santa,
I would like a pro guiter. Because me and my dad play and need it to do
progules and any games. I have ben a gret boy.
Jarren M.
Dear Santa,
What I want for Christmas is a iPad and I want a puppy and more D.S. games
maybe you can get me all my presants that I want for Christmas if Im on the
naughty list Im so sorry If im on the nice list thank you for putting me on
the list. I hope you get my presants.
Sarah L.
Dear Santa,
I want money, candy, and a fat bunny. I think I am on the notty list but I
am good.
Your friend,
Mary D.
Dear Santa,
My name is Trevor, I am going to tell you what I want for Christmas. I want
an underwater camera so I can play videos of my friend's. Its underwater
and it mike look like it is in 3D because of the waves. So I hope I can get
that will make me have the best Christmas ever.
Merry Christmas,
Trevor B.
Dear Santa,
Merry Cristmas! Hello! My name is Chloe. How are your raindeer? This letter
is to explain what I would like for Cristmas.
1. Just dance 3 (wii)
2. Mario/Sonic Olympic games 2012 (wii)
3. Figit friend
4. Garbage monsters
5. Victorious video game (D.S.)
6. Wappy dog (D.S.)
7. Pop the Pig
Well, those are some of the things I'd like for Cristmas hope you bring
Chloe O.
Dear Santa,
Hi my name is Autumn and I would like to tell you what I want for Cristmas
heres my list.
iPod or iPad or labtop or empie three player
the movie smurfs blue ray/combo paket
Justin beiber cd/movie never say never
1 dork diary,2 dork diary, 3 diary of a wimpy kid
Diary of a wimpy kid movie
Dsi color neon purple
Now I hope you see what I want for Christmas.
Autumn O.
Dear Santa,
Hi my name is Lizzy and some I have been a good girl. What I want for
Christmas is a I pod touch 4 and I want for my family to not work so much and
for my family to speed more time with us and I want my family to get a bunch
of money every month when they work.
So as you can see I am thinking about my family and what I want.
Your buddy,
Dear Santa,
I hope I have been a great girl and I am on the nice list. If I am, I will
like candy, money, and a bunny. I love candy and that is pretty much why I
want it. I want money so I can buy me more gifts or buy them for other
people. I want a bunny because they are playful, entertaining, and soft. J
Heather B.
Dear Santa,
Sorry to bother you at such a busy time of year, but this letter won't be too
long , so I hope that you have time to read this letter. Ok, so I know that
you get immense amounts of letters each year asking for a million toys per
child, but again my letter is different. Now, I've been a very good girl
this year, and I completely understand if you can't read this letter in time
,but all I really am asking for Christmas is a square rainbow fuzzy chair. I
hope that you have a very merry Christmas.
Sincerely yours
Peyton W.
Dear Santa,
Hi my name is Morgan Kokomoor and I've been a good girl and this is
the thing I really want!
I really want a Iphone because I can call my friends and if I am at a
birthday party or if I am at a friend's house I can call my mom, dad, and
sister if they want to know where I am.
My second reason is I could text my friends and I would have a lot more fun
than just a iPod touch. I could play words with friends I could play with my
mom, my sister, and Mrs. Schooler and it would be a lot more fun. I could
send pictures on the text messages and do things like that.
My third reason is I could get alot more apps and I could listen to more
music and I could have more fun with my iphone 4. It would be much better. I
could have fun calling my friends and things like that!
Now I come to my conclusion now you see I really want a Iphone 4 from you
Santa, Thanks!
Your Friend,
Morgan Kokomoor
Dear Santa,
Santa may I please have a kitten for Christmas. The reason I want a kitten is
because a few days ago my cat had to be put down. And Santa please oh please
bring me a kitten for Christmas.
Love Anna C.
Dear Santa,
What I want for Christmas is some liquid nitrogen because I have kind of
getting in to science because we have been learning about like the solar
system and stuff ,I know this has nothing to do with this.So I saw a show and
it looks pretty cool.So that is all I have to say and I do not think you will
get what I want and I just hope for a good Christmas.
Nathan C.
Dear santa,
Hello this is a letter from me to you! so now I guess you are wondering what
I want for cristmas right. well your wonder came true! and so here is what I
• A snow globe
• A ipad
• A gient gumball mesien.
So this is what I want so think about it…
Love your good kido
Taylor Williams
Dear santa,
What I want for Chistmas is a holadaydoll.and some babyalive to feed it and
change it.i would also like a mp3player.i would like a udraw pad for wii.i
would also like a marykate amicangirl doll.and a new makeup kit.i know this
is a lot to ask for but I hope you can get me a few of them.Merry
Chirstmas!!!!!!!!!! Love Rebecca,
Dear Santa
Hi my name is joey you probably already know that.But this is a letterto you
about something I want for Christmas.One thing I want for Christmas is a
Bultimor ravens Ray Rice football jersy.one of the reasons why I want one is
because I really like him in the NFL.And because he is a really good runner
for the bultimor ravens.A nother reason why I want it is because. I was
watching them play a game and I saw him get a bunch of touchdowns and I kept
watching them play and he was getting a bunch of touchdows everytime they
played.So I thought he was really good so then I really wanted a Ray Rice
jersy.And my last reason is that I have wanted a Ray Rice jersy since I
started watching them play.I like the team but I just like Ray Rice better
because he is a really good runner.Thats why I want a Ray Rice jersy.
Sincerely,Joey L.
Dear Santa,
Hi my name is Samantha Hodges I am in 4th grade now! And I am writing to you
today because I need to let you know what I want for Christmas! I want an
iPod or a nook tablet also a phone.
Why I need an I pod is because my brother Bryson Hodges plays soccer and we
go everywhere. So when we are in the car I can play angry birds.[ Or any
other apps.]
Why I need a nook tablet is that I love to read . Also that I may need
to do my homework on it.
Why I need a phone for Christmas is because I am out with my friends all the
time and I don't want to ask an adult if I can use their phone.
Santa that is my reasons why you should get me a nook tablet, phone and I
Samantha H.
Dear Santa,
My name is Emma I am writing to you to tell you what I want for
If it isen't to much to ask I want 3 things. First I want to tell you how
much I really
Want a new pair of boots. I know I just got a pair of ugg's but these are
These are black and have a strap on them they have a heel. They are so cute
Consider this an idea. Another thing is I want a new camera.I don't know
how but my
Other camera screen broke. Here are some color ideas purple, light blue and
pink. Here
Is my last idea candy. I like sucker's. I hope I am on your nice list.
Emma T.
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Welcome to Hotel Belleclaire
Surrounded by an eclectic array of cultural offerings, Hotel Belleclaire combines classic charm with modern conveniences in a landmark building designed by Emery Roth in 1903. Suitable for business and leisure guests, our Upper West Side hotel is ideally located near iconic New York attractions including Beacon Theatre, The American Museum of Natural History, Central Park and Lincoln Center. Additionally, the avenues surrounding this premier hotel on the Upper West Side contain some of the most prominent boutiques, restaurants and bars in the city.
Hotel Belleclaire's 244 guest rooms and suites offer a plethora of sophisticated amenities, such as complimentary wireless internet, C.O. Bigelow amenities, luxurious Frette linens, flat screen HDTV's, and sleek laminate-wood floors. During your stay, enjoy Mille-Feuille service, 24-hour access to our fitness center and the recommendations of our knowledgeable concierge. The staff at our hotel on the Upper West Side is dedicated towards providing excellent service to enhance the quality of your stay. Immerse yourself in one of the world's greatest cities and take advantage of great shopping, dining, nightlife, and most importantly accommodations.
Among Upper West Side hotels, Hotel Belleclaire has been considered a "fascinating stylistic anomaly" worthy of landmark status. Be enchanted by our old-world style while indulging in contemporary comforts during your stay in Manhattan's most prestigious neighborhood.


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The beautiful temple Ulun Danu Bratan lies on a small peninsula on the shore of Lake Bratan. This lake plays an important role in irrigating the area and the southern part of the island; that is why the temple complex is dedicated to Dewi Danu, the goddess of water.
The temple was built in 1633 and consists of a complex of temples spread out over several islands. The temple is actually half Hindu and half Buddhist, with a central altar for ceremonies. The main temple, the Pura Teratai Bang, has a characteristic 7-tier tower, while the island also features a temple with 11 roofs. Take a close look at the construction of Ulun Danu Bratan; it seems as if the sacred building floats on the water.


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i now know the answer to whether or not i'll run another 10k and that answer is… not only will i run a 10k, i'll make it a 21k or maybe a 22.4k (but who's measuring?) which begs a new question – will i ever do a 1/2 marathon again?
this time last year i ran in the chiang mai marathon – the mini marathon that is. my first 10k. i didn't hate it, but i didn't love it. and i didn't prepare for it. it was on christmas morning which gave it a certain appeal. this year i had a few friends (all who had done the 10k last year) who decided to run the chiang mai marathon – the 1/2 marathon version. and they weren't training for it. sounded like a good enough idea. so on december 2 i signed up. i even got another friend to sign up. this year it wasn't on christmas morning. it was 2 days before. and that made it a little less charming. but i put together a plan of action. #1 – start wearing my running shoes. i've spent the past year or so wearing barefoot style shoes. and not running in them. it seemed a good idea to get my feet and legs used to the shoes that i know i can run in – my two year old running shoes. #2 create a play list. all christmas music seemed a really good idea – peppy christmas music that would keep me smiling. #3 create a t-shirt – because everyone knows any race is made better by a witty t-shirt.
#4 – battle plan. i decided to break the race up into 5k's. i know i can run one of those. so i thought i would run 3 of them. something like – run 5k, walk 2.5k, run 5k, walk 2.5k, run until i cross the finish line. i was feeling pretty well ready. but then i listened to my play list. and i recreated it. with a healthy mix of christmas and non-christmas music. but the misstep with the music made the doubt set in. and take hold – a strangle hold.
race day came. (turns out the mayans were wrong.) a 5am start comes mighty early, but i got there on time. even rode my bike. (somewhere around 13k i started questioning that decision). i actually got off to a good start. was feeling good. decided at 5k i was feeling so good i would just keep running. that might have been a mistake. because my knee started hurting. and i had to stop. but then i started again. and i managed to get to the 10k marker faster than i expected. that might have been another mistake. at 13k i was done. i had no idea how i was going to make it one more step. but turns out the folks planning this race know about that kind of thing because there were watermelons and bananas and gatorade-y type drinks to reenergise the can't move another step runner. (prepared runners might be aware of this, but i'm not one of those.) anyway, the race kept going. and going. and going. when i got to the marker that said 2km i knew i was going to make it and i wasn't sure i was going to make it. but i did.
in the second photo, where my fingers are pointing, that's where i'm instructing her to leave the chip alone and just cut off everything from my hips down. i was hurting – a lot.
michael showed up to see me finish. i'm not sure how i'm smiling in this picture. my legs were in so much pain just standing was almost unbearable.
my official finish time was 3:12:40. not a scorching speed, but i finished. and it was one my new year's resolutions from last year. which means i kept one of them.


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Watch Movie The Guest Full StreamingFull Movie The Guest HD with duration 99 Min and released on 2014-09-17 with MPAA rating is 18.
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- Leland Orser ( Spencer Peterson )
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- Tabatha Shaun ( Kristen )
- Lance Reddick ( Carver )
- Tait Fletcher ( Merc 1 )
- AJ Bowen ( Austin )
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Features: B+ Ease of use: AColor accuracy: A-Text quality: B+
30-page black-and-white text print time: 1:2430-page color print time: 2:17
OKI DATA AMERICAS wasn't able to send us the new version of the C5550n MFP because the company is still working on it. Last year, the C5550n received the only Reviewer's Choice designation in our roundup, so it's no surprise that the same model did well again this year. However, every other company showed marked improvements, so even though the C5550n is no slouch, it won't be in the winner's circle this year.
The GCN Lab tested tests eight multifunction printers suitable for small, midsize and, in at least one case, even large workgroups.
Lead story: Colorful languageHP Color LaserJet CM3530 Oki Data C5550n MFPHP Color LaserJet CM2320 Brother MFC-9450CDNLexmark X872ePanasonic KX-MC6040The ink optionXerox Phaser 6180MFP/N
It has a good print speed of 1 minute, 24 seconds with our 30-page text document, but its color print time of 2 minutes, 17 seconds for our graphics-intense document is a little slow these days.
The C5550n has some nice usability settings, such as walk-up fax and scan-to functions, which makes the unit a digital sender because hard-copy documents can be sent to an e-mail address or via a phone line. There are also several preset buttons for common tasks, such as printing letter-size documents onto legal paper. And it can print on 47-inch-long streams of paper, so get those last "Mission Accomplished" banners printed now before it's too late.
The C5550n is a fine MFP but probably not for much longer. The market is evolving fast, and the C5550n needs to innovate or be left behind, especially considering that its price is now a little high relative to its performance and features. Still, there is nothing wrong with the C5550n. Like last year, it has no notable flaws.
Oki Data Americas, 800-654-3282, www.okiprintingsolutions.com
About the Author
John Breeden II is a freelance technology writer for GCN.
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BERLIN – Planning for a new building to replace the deteriorated Flower St. Multi-purpose Building could soon be aided by state block grant funds, after the Berlin Mayor and Council voted to apply for the grant Tuesday night.
Unlike construction requests, community development block grant (CDBG) planning fund requests do not have to be in by the once a year deadline, which has already passed.
"They do not need to be submitted by a particular date," said Berlin's Grants Administrator Mary Bohlen.
Non-profit Shore Up has asked for roughly $42,000 to hire an architect to design the new building. The cost of the new structure will not be known until the design is finished.
The money, once awarded, must be spent within a certain time period or be terminated, as a CDBG grant for the Cannery Village workforce housing project recently was. That project just reapplied for construction funds.
"You don't see any problem spending the money?" Council member Paula Lynch asked Council member Dean Burrell, director of Shore-Up's Head Start Program.
"None whatsoever," Burrell said. "Spending it won't be a problem."
The council opened a public hearing on the CDBG application, as required by state law, but there were no speakers.
CDBG grants are only made to town or county governments, which can then pass the funding through to another organizations.
Shore Up, which has used the multi-purpose building for its local Head Start program, training, meal preparation and intake for food and energy assistance programs, initiated the grant request. Currently, the Head Start program is conducted at a different site, using just the kitchen at the multi-purpose building, which also hosts community events.
"We're thinking of possibly after-school programs, we're thinking community events," said Burrell, though the focus for Shore Up is on Head Start for 3- to 5-year-old children.
"The Shore Up people took the lead on this. They're the organization that got the ball rolling," said interim Berlin Mayor Gee Williams. "The time's right for it. It's going to be a very worthwhile project. A better center will be used even more."
The town recently used a CDBG grant to partially fund the installation of a sidewalk along Flower St.
"Every neighborhood is important and the whole council feels that way," Williams said. "We look for wherever there's opportunity to make impacts."


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The cost of more than 30 attacks across Iraq today is still being tallied. At least 70 people were killed by suicide bombers, car bombs, and militants wielding Ak-47s in one of the deadliest single days in the country this year.
The worst attack was on a civilian market in the southern and largely Shiite city of Kut, with about 40 people killed by two car bombs. Major attacks were also carried out on security forces in the the Shiite holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, in the mostly Sunni city of Baquba in central Iraq, and in the ethnically and religiously divided oil town of Kirkuk to the north.
Iraqi officials say the attacks were probably carried out by Al Qaeda in Iraq. While that's unproven, the methods and choice of targets do strongly indicate that the violence was carried out by members of Iraq's Sunni Arab community, from which Al Qaeda draws its support. The US has alleged Iranian-backed Shiite militias have been involved in rocket attacks on US forces in the recent past. But today's violence seems firmly targeted at domestic issues, not the question of driving out the US.
What can be determined from the latest atrocity visited on mostly Iraqi civilians, in a war that the Iraq Body Count website estimates has claimed more than 100,000 civilian lives?
[ Video is no longer available. ]
All that can be conclusively said is that Iraq remains a very violent place. Militant groups remain potent and have enough support and discipline to conduct attacks in almost every corner of the country. And they're very hard to stop.
This isn't surprising. In his July report on the state of Iraq, Stuart Bowen, the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, had this to say: "Iraq remains an extraordinarily dangerous place to work. It is less safe, in my judgment, than 12 months ago." Bowen writes that Iraq is still struggling to protect judges and officials from assassination and that the security "situation continues to deteriorate."
News coverage has included the by now obligatory-hand wringing over whether Iraqi security forces are up to the job. The New York Times says that "the violence raised significant questions about the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces." The Washington Post writes "they also raise questions about the Iraqi government's ability to maintain security as American troops prepare to leave the country by December."
This is journalese. "Questions" aren't really being raised. It's evident that the ability of Iraq's security forces to end militant violence by force alone is nonexistent. The reason why is that the number of people willing to engage in attacks isn't small enough yet, that a substantial portion of the population looks at the Shiite-dominated government with sufficient suspicion to provide passive support to the fighting (by, say, deciding not to inform security forces of a neighbor who appears to be building a bomb in his garage), and that fighters – whether Sunni insurgents or Shiite militants that the US alleges are receiving support from Iran – still believe there's power and influence to be won at the end of a gun.
It's not just the Iraqis. Those factors were one of the reason that the civil war raged in Iraq in the middle of the last decade, despite the massive US troop presence carrying out dozens of offensive operations a day. While violence eventually died down, thanks to a massive transfer of Shiites and Sunnis into more religiously homogenous communities and a new US willingness to pay Sunni insurgents to switch sides, there was never a sufficient level of troops to stop the terror-style attacks that have been endemic in Iraq. That was true during the US troop surge (when no one questioned the resources or abilities of American forces) and it's true today, when the 45,000-odd American troops are largely involved with training and logistics, with the vast majority of security duties carried out by the less-effective Iraqis.
While it's looking increasingly likely that some kind of extended US training and equipping mission will extend beyond the end of this year, when US forces' current agreement with Iraq expires, that won't and can't address the root causes of ongoing violence: Iraqi politics.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been a boldly sectarian figure. The Sunni "awakening" that switched sides from the insurgency during the US troop surge didn't really receive the government jobs and political influence its members were promised in exchange for crossing the fence, leaving their ranks in disarray and leading to some backsliding. It's worth remembering that the March 2010 parliamentary election, in which the list of the former Baathist Iyad Allawi won the most votes, led to more than nine months of stalemate, with Mr. Maliki eventually cobbling together a coalition to retain power.
That left Mr. Allawi and Maliki on barely speaking terms, and a large segment of the Iraqi Sunni Arab public – a privileged class under Saddam Hussein – feeling the popular will had been thwarted. And even after the government was formed, stalemate has persisted. Filling the posts of Defense Minister and Interior Minister was left to a later time. Eight months later, the posts have still not been filled, with Maliki nominally in charge of both – leading to allegations he's amassing too much power of his own.
[ Video is no longer available. ]


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Christmas in July: Going Dutch
Ok, sure, it's July, and the last thing on your mind is broadening your...uh...mind...with exposure to international holiday traditions - I get it. However, this particular post was deemed by the powers that be* too controversial to post back in December, so all my hard work and sparkling wit got shelved, its radiance cloaked all these long months.
So what changed?
Well, that's a long story. One involving too many mango mojitos, a Chuck marathon, and a malfunctioning alarm clock. (Ok, so maybe it's not that long of a story...)
But enough intro: you guys ready to have those minds broadened? I promise it will only sting a little.
*meaning me, John, and the cat
In the Netherlands Santa Claus (called Sinterklaas) doesn't have elves for sidekicks; he has Zwarte Piet (meaning "Black Pete"). Zwarte Piet is usually played by a white guy in blackface makeup, a curly black wig, and big gold hoop earrings. (I am SO not making this up.)
Here's a reference photo from Wikipedia:
Zwarte shows up in cake form quite a lot, too, and in less than flattering ways:
However, if this seems a little insensitive to you, Wreckporter Kiki has a perfectly reasonable explanation:
OH, so it's soot! Ok, I get it. And you're right: this does look a lot like Bert the chimney sweep:
This one found by Wouter T. is probably the most wreckish; it looks like the remains of a melting muppet:
Ever heard the expression "in for a penny, in for a pound"? Well, since I'm already stirring up trouble here, I may as well share what Megan H. found at a bakery in Argentina:
They're little cakes called "Africancitos", or "little black men". With bows on their heads. I don't think they're a holiday treat, though, so you can enjoy your little-black-men cake heads any time of the year. "Great for parties!"
(Yes, I've officially crossed the line from horrified disbelief into horrified humor. It's more fun over here - won't you join me?)
To those of you offended by all this, you should know that Zwarte Piet was not intended to be offensive. (Argentina, you're on your own.) And to those of you who see nothing wrong with outdated and racially insensitive traditions, you should take a look at this poster:


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Nov 8, 2012 - Drilling Intersects Two Promising Areas at Rainbow's Gold Viking Property/
TORONTO, ONTARIO, November 8, 2012: Rainbow Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: RBW) ("Rainbow" or the "Company") is pleased to report that it has completed 12 diamond drill holes over two separate sections, approximately 1,000 metres apart, at its Gold Viking Property in the Slocan Mining District of southeast British Columbia. This 600-hectare property, part of the Company's 100% owned Big Strike Project, has never been previously drilled and is located along a major structural break.
Drilling over both areas has intersected a potential stockwork vein system, dominated by disseminated to coarse pyrite, and hosted by an intensely altered quartz monzonite intrusive complex. Breccia zones and mafic dikes have been observed within the intrusive package. Gold is believed to be associated with the pyrite. The Company is awaiting results from these holes in order to plan a step-out drilling strategy.
A large coincident geophysical and geochemical anomaly stretches beyond the boundaries (north-south and east-west) of the areas drilled. The property features numerous historical adits as quantities of gold and silver were mined in the late 1800's and early 1900's, and gold values have been discovered at surface through sampling by Rainbow as previously reported. The Company is already permitted for additional drilling at Gold Viking which is possible over the winter months.
Jewel Ridge Property Update
Rainbow has completed the first two holes of a Phase 1 reverse circulation drill program at the Jewel Ridge Property near Eureka, Nevada. This first phase of drilling is focused on the past-producing Hamburg Pit area. Each hole, drilled to depths of approximately 150 metres, hit the contact zone between the Hamburg Dolomite and the Dunderberg Shale with intense silicification reported throughout each hole. Drilling continues as Rainbow follows up on some highly encouraging near-surface historical drill results in this area of Jewel Ridge including 2.1 g/t Au over 39.6 metres.
Rainbow's exploration target at Jewel Ridge is a sediment-hosted gold deposit. Barrick Gold's Ruby Hill Mine is contiguous to the northern border of Jewel Ridge, while Timberline Resources' advanced-stage Lookout Mountain deposit is immediately to the south.
International Silver Property Update
Moose Mountain Technical Services, Rainbow's resource consultants, continue to receive and compile final data on the Company's recently completed 15-hole drill program at the International Silver Property in the West Kootenays. Rainbow is eagerly looking forward to imminently receiving assay results and Moose Mountain's review, and a news release will follow accordingly.
For further information: President David W. Johnston - (403) 701-2781.
Visit our website at www.RainbowResourcesInc.com.
Qualified Person & Assaying Procedures
Rainbow's disclosure of a technical or scientific nature in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Robert Morris, P.Geo., of Moose Mountain Technical Services, who serves as a Qualified Person under the definition of National Instrument 43-101.
About Rainbow Resources
Rainbow is a newly-listed Canadian based junior exploration company focused on building shareholder wealth through aggressive exploration in two favorable and proven mining jurisdictions - the West Kootenays in southeast British Columbia (silver, gold and flake graphite), and Nevada where Rainbow's Jewel Ridge Gold-Silver Project is in
the heart of a major producing district. Rainbow's shares are listed for trading on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol RBW.V, and on the OTCQX International under the symbol RIINF. Rainbow has 41,627,719 common shares issued and outstanding.
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This news release includes certain information that may constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements about strategic plans, future work programs and objectives and expected results from such work programs. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks,(more)uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information and the risks identified in the Company's continuous disclosure record. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. All forward-looking information contained in this news release is given as of the date hereof and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this news release.


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Islip Town Councilman John C. Cochrane Jr. described as "premature" an announcement that the town would begin charging for use of its pump-out boat.
Cochrane said Wednesday that the board is considering a fee to offset the roughly $20,000 annual cost of operating the boat -- a service resurrected this week with federal grant money. But he said the board, which town officials said is required to vote on the fee, had not made a final decision.
Councilwoman Trish Bergin Weichbrodt's announcement on Tuesday that the town would charge $5 per pump-out this summer "surprised" the board, Cochrane said, adding that her comments "lit up the phones," among board members.
"When Trish makes a statement like that -- or anybody -- you have to make sure discussions we're having are vetted," he said. "And that was not the case with her making this announcement."
Bergin Weichbrodt, who is liaison to Islip's Department of Environmental Control, predicted the board will approve the fee. "It was a topic that was discussed many, many times. It was certainly discussed and vetted."
It was not clear Wednesday when the board would vote.
Supervisor Tom Croci and Councilman Anthony S. Senft Jr. did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Islip would be the first Long Island municipality to charge for pump-out boat service, a move some boaters worry could trigger mariners to illegally dump waste.
Cochrane said the board was awaiting a briefing from town officials on how the fee would impact its ability to get grant funding to operate the boat. The town recently received $18,831 in federal grants to operate this summer.
Commissioner Eric Hofmeister said the fee would not affect the grant. Councilman Steven J. Flotteron, who is running for re-election in November alongside Bergin Weichbrodt, backed her. "It's something the councilwoman's been working on," he said. "I think it's a very reasonable fee."


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|2012-07-06, 01:04
|Link #1
AnimeSuki's Mascot
Join Date: Apr 2006
Accel World - Character Discussion - Kuroyukihime
The purpose of this thread is to provide a place to discuss all things Kuroyukihime related.
To keep the discussion enjoyable for all Accel World fans, please follow the guidelines below and stay on-topic!
Note: Please don't use this for the specifics (i.e. episode, chapter, game, etc. discussion) there are other threads for that stuff.Thread Guidelines
|2012-07-06, 19:07
|Link #3
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Tennessee
Age: 32
She is indeed one sexy bitch, too bad she's not born until I'm in my mid-40s. Her sadistic yandere edge is nice, too. I nominate "Red is a fitting color for you. I wish I could hang you from a lightpole and use you to stop traffic" (Paraphrased, the actual line is better) for best anime quote of 2012.
|2012-07-07, 00:51
|Link #6
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Iwakawa Base
Age: 27
I want to hug her forever. Her legs are sexy and she is aware of their sexiness, too. And she actually changes hairstyles. Her fingers are delicate as well, it shot an arrow through my heart when she pointed at Haru when they sat at the same table in episode 1. I like her personality, too. She has an elitistic and ambitious nature to her that would make me want to be her underling. Yet she can be quite honest or at least obvious about her feelings without being tsun. And she plays zombie games. Etc.
Let me join the dark side, too.
|2012-07-09, 14:59
|Link #8
Oh my god this character. People are about to witness something that almost never happens, so here goes. This chick just flat out owns. I love her whole design (smoking hot and that's not something I normally attribute to anime character designs even though a lot of them are made to be that way), but what I really like about is her personality that is kind of sly and confident, and that you can tell she's always calculating things in her head. That and she's kind of got the heart of a lion and is not just another pretty face.
She desires ultimate victory and conquest in a way that kind of reminds me of Reinhard Von Lohengramm and like him she is slowly building a team of capable subordinates around her (who she clearly values) in order to succeed in that plan. Yet like Reinhard she's not a selfish or uncaring person despite having a lot of power and the willingness to act as a tyrant and seems to have a strong sense of justice. That's why to me the incident with the Red King is kind of like her Westerland. It's something she clearly regrets, the one moment where her desire for victory overcame all her other high minded values and she did something that shakes her to her very core whenever she's forced to revisit it.
It's really like she's been designed to be the perfect female anime character for me in many ways as well as a really complex one too. Can't think of many other that are as interesting that I've seen in a while and frankly ever and I'm starting to get a real sense that after this is all said and done I might have a new addition to my all time favorite female characters list.
|2012-07-11, 12:19
|Link #10
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
KYH is a character with alot of development put behind her. I cannot even begin to conceive how she might have been like before entering the Accel World.
I wonder whether she has spent enough time in the Accel World, that mentally speaking, she's old enough to be Haruyuki's mother!
|2012-07-18, 14:50
|Link #13
U mad?
Join Date: Apr 2012
This is just how her setting works, in the first few episodes even other students call her KYH.
My guess is the author will leave it as it is (for now), at the end of episode 5 she told Haru her name, indicating and emphasizing that Haru is a 'special' person to her.
Most likely we will get her name when Haru&KYH start 'officially' dating with KYH asking Haru to call her by her name (continuation from hospital), or we will never know.
Though I hope as well the author will introduce some of KYH's family members.
Spoiler for not knowing name:
|Thread Tools


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U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
Plumbing Manufacturer Fired Exec Because of Pregnancy, Federal Agency Charged
ATLANTA – The Kohler Company, an international manufacturer based in Kohler, Wis., will pay $175,000 to settle a gender and pregnancy discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
The agency had charged that Kohler discriminated against a female sales executive at its Atlanta Branch Office, which deals with plumbing products, by firing her due to her gender and her pregnancy. The lawsuit said that showroom executive Rachel Lee was placed on probation, despite her qualifications and performance record, and then fired less than one month prior to her delivery date.
Pregnancy discrimination violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. The EEOC filed suit in November 2006 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement.
The consent decree settling the suit, in addition to the monetary relief of $175,000, includes provisions for equal employment opportunity training, reporting and postings. In the suit and consent decree, Kohler denied any liability or wrongdoing.
"The EEOC is dedicated to ensuring that employers treat all employees equally, regardless of gender or pregnancy status," said EEOC Regional Attorney Robert Dawkins of the Atlanta District Office. "We are pleased that Kohler was committed to resolving this matter and taking steps to ensure future compliance with the law."
According to company information, Kohler sells various goods and services with its major product sales coming from plumbing products. It has 39 different brands and four major business units – Kitchen & Bath, Global Power, Interiors, and Hospitality. Kohler Company is one of the largest privately owned companies in the United States, and has more than 50 manufacturing plants throughout North America, Australia, Europe, and Asia. Kohler Company has offices all over the world and employs more than 32,000 individuals worldwide.
The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on the agency's web site at www.eeoc.gov.


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Obama team denies report Summers is Fed pick
The White House is disputing a Japanese newspaper's report that former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers will be named the next chairman of the Federal Reserve by President Obama.
The Nikkei newspaper, which did not publicly name its sourcing for its story, said Obama was "set to" name Summers to the position, possibly as early as next week.
White House spokeswoman Amy Brundage said in a tweet Friday that "the latest rumors this morning in the Japanese press aren't true" and that Obama "has not yet made a decision on Fed Chair."
On Tuesday, more than 350 economists signed a letter to Obama calling on him to nominate Federal Reserve Vice Chair Janet Yellen to be the Fed's next chairman.
FEDERAL RESERVE: Economists back Yellen in Obama letter
Obama is expected to announce his nomination as early as this month. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's term ends Jan. 31, 2014.


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Vault-Tec's most notable product was the vault. Officially, the vaults were part of "Project Safehouse", designed to protect the American population from nuclear holocaust. In actuality, they had a more sinister purpose, a project known as the ""Societal Preservation Program" The vaults could not possibly have saved the citizens of the United States from the ravages of a nuclear war or a viral pandemic. With a population of almost 400 million by 2077, the U.S. would have needed over 400,000 Vaults to protect every man, woman and child. Vault-Tec was commissioned by the American government to build only 122 such vaults...
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This is just a WIP so there is stuff that needs done, i will upload another video soon to show you how to launch 3 mods at once.


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The Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program's member agencies coordinate their NITRD research activities and plans by Program Component Areas (PCAs) or program focus areas. For each PCA, agency representatives meet in an Interagency Working Group (IWG) to exchange information and collaborate on research plans and activities such as testbeds, workshops, and cooperative solicitations.
NITRD Groups -> LSN IWG -> JET
Joint Engineering Team (JET)
Meetings 2018


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Black Arts Apparel
For those of you who might not know, printing has a pretty shady past. At one point it was considered the work of Satan (how else could you explain being able to reproduce the Bible so easily?), which is how the profession earned the nickname the "Black Arts." In full disclosure, there are some who claim this moniker came about because printers were often covered with black ink. Could be, but we like to believe the story with a bit more mystery behind it. Enter the newest addition to the Studio On Fire shop: our homage to the black arts. Silver ink on a 100% cotton black tee shirt, this is a perfect purchase for anyone wanting rock a little bit of printing history. Buy it here.


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Silicon Valley can never have too many photo-sharing apps.
Now one of the latest trending apps is Dermandar's DMD Panorama, a photo-sharing application that rapidly takes panoramic shots of your surroundings.
It's available for both the iPhone and Android devices.
It's one of the fastest panoramic photo apps we've seen, stitching together a 360-degree shot in about 20 seconds.
It's also one of the slickest interfaces we've seen, and has a good sense of where to stitch photos together to get a full shot.
If you're a camera enthusiast, the app is free for now, and it's worth checking out. We've included a full walkthrough below.


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May 16, 2013 Leave a comment
Big Ten's 2014 schedule features new division alignment along with conference debut of Maryland and Rutgers
Park Ridge, Ill. – The Big Ten office announced the conference schedule for the 2014 football season today, as approved by the Big Ten Directors of Athletics. The 2014 schedule will consist of eight games for each of the Big Ten's 14 teams, feature a new division alignment, include the conference debut of Maryland and Rutgers and culminate with the fourth annual Big Ten Football Championship Game.
The 2014 Big Ten season begins on Sept. 13, with Rutgers making its Big Ten debut by hosting fellow East Division member Penn State. Maryland will take part in its first Big Ten game two weeks later on Sept. 27 with an East Division matchup at Indiana. Four other conference games will be held on Sept. 27, including two West Division matchups with Illinois at Nebraska and Iowa at Purdue and two cross-division contests with Minnesota at Michigan and Northwestern at Penn State. The Oct. 4 schedule will feature the Terrapins' first home Big Ten game against fellow East Division member Ohio State along with an East Division matchup in Michigan at Rutgers and West Division contests in Nebraska at Michigan State, Purdue at Illinois and Wisconsin at Northwestern.
From Sept. 27 to Nov. 29, the 2014 Big Ten schedule will feature 10 consecutive weeks of Big Ten competition, boasting at least five conference games each week. All 14 teams will be in action during the final two weeks of Big Ten play, including six division games each week. The final weekend of the 2014 season begins with Nebraska at Iowa in a matchup of West Division rivals on Friday, Nov. 28. The Saturday, Nov. 29, schedule feature two more West Division matchups in Illinois at Northwestern and Minnesota at Wisconsin, three East Division contests in Michigan at Ohio State, Michigan State at Penn State and Rutgers at Maryland and a cross-division game with Purdue at Indiana. The winners of each division will meet in the 2014 Big Ten Football Championship Game, scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Beginning in 2014, the Big Ten football division alignments will feature Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers in the East Division and Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin in the West Division. Each school will play the other six schools in its division plus two teams from the other division in 2014 and 2015, which will serve as transitional years in which the schools will still be playing eight-game schedules. Beginning in 2016, each school will play three teams from the other division as part of its nine-game schedule. The cross-division games will include one protected matchup on an annual basis between Indiana and Purdue.
The Big Ten will hold the 2013 Football Media Days and 42nd annual Kickoff Luncheon on Wednesday and Thursday, July 24 and 25, at the Hilton Chicago, featuring all 12 head coaches and some of the nation's top returning players. The 118th season of Big Ten football kicks off Thursday, August 29, and culminates with the third annual Big Ten Football Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 7, to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and televised by FOX. The winner of the title game will earn the Big Ten Championship and a chance to play in either the Rose Bowl Game or Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game.


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miamiphp needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 74 designs submitted by 31 freelance designers.
We need something clean and professional. First time trying out this site so I am hoping to be impressed.
"cheapest life insurance"
Looking for a clean logo... prefer blue logo on white background or grey background.
- clean pro...
- nice gradients
- nice icon that can be reused and unique
- old 90 bad template style, no brushed metal
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Sinkholing is one technique that allows security researchers/responders the ability to monitor botnets, as well as proactively deny access to the bots from the botnet herders. Up until the release of HoneySink, all the sinkhole deployments out there have been point solutions with varying degrees of sophistication. All of them are inside jobs, from sinkhole setups that are consisting of DNS plus Apache, to full-blown setups like what Shadowserver employs.
HoneySink was developed by Adam as part of GSoc 2011.


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Kansas lawmakers know they are late to the Medicaid expansion party, but they appear determined to show up anyway.
"I feel like now is as good a time as any," says Anthony Hensley, the leader of the Democratic minority in the state Senate.
For the past three years, Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and legislative leaders were able to block debate on expanding health care for the disabled and working poor via Medicaid, a component of the 2010 Affordable Care Act.
Not anymore.
In last year's primary and general elections, Kansas voters — frustrated by chronic budget problems caused in large part by income tax cuts that Brownback pushed through the Legislature — replaced several conservative incumbents with moderate Republicans and Democrats who promised to stabilize the state's finances, fund public education and push for Medicaid expansion.
Coalitions energized by the influx of new lawmakers wasted little time in making good on those promises. The Kansas House recently passed an expansion bill by a margin close to what would be needed to override a Brownback veto, should it come to that.
A Kansas Senate committee is holding hearings on the expansion bill and may vote on Thursday to send it to the floor. That is the same day the U.S. House of Representatives has scheduled a vote on a Republican proposal to replace the ACA.
The replacement bill before Congress would phase out federal funding, starting in January 2020, for expansion programs in 31 states and the District of Columbia as well as any others to implement programs between now and then. But it would not immediately close the expansion window for states that have not acted, says Tom Bell, president of the Kansas Hospital Association.
"From our perspective, this provides some encouragement for states to expand their programs prior to that Jan. 1 of 2020 date," Bell says, noting that the bill would continue funding 90 percent of expansion costs for people enrolled by the deadline.
David Jordan, executive director of a Kansas coalition pushing for expansion, is making a similar pitch to lawmakers.
"This is really an invitation to states like Kansas to expand their Medicaid programs," Jordan says. "We have everything to gain by taking this step and nothing to lose."
To date, Jordan says, the failure to expand Medicaid has cost health care providers and the Kansas economy an estimated $1.7 billion.
Currently, Kansas limits Medicaid eligibility to children and pregnant women in low-income families, people with developmental and physical disabilities, and seniors who cannot afford nursing home care. Parents are eligible only if they earn less than a third of the federal poverty level, or about $9,200 annually for a four-person family.
Single adults without children are not eligible.
Expansion would qualify all Kansans earning up to 138 percent of the poverty level, annually about $16,642 for individuals and $33,465 for a family of four.
An estimated 300,000 Kansans would qualify for coverage under expansion, though only about half that number are expected to initially enroll.
Senate President Susan Wagle, a Republican, says she expects the Kansas Senate to pass the expansion bill next week, perhaps by a vetoproof margin.
But even if Kansas lawmakers are able to advance an expansion plan to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, she is not convinced federal officials would give it serious consideration.
"The timing is wrong," Wagle says. "It could just sit there because what I see the feds doing is winding that program down."
As Congress prepares to replace the Affordable Care Act, lawmakers in reliably red Kansas are racing to expand the state's Medicaid program. Jim McLean of member station KCUR reports.
JIM MCLEAN, BYLINE: Supporters of expanding Medicaid eligibility to approximately 300,000 low-income Kansans, many of whom are uninsured, have already pushed a bill through the Kansas House.
NICK WOOD: Hi, this call is for Diane. Diane, this is Nick...
MCLEAN: Now they're working to secure votes in the Senate.
WOOD: And then we're just reaching out to ask if you might have a quick minute to call your senator, Senator Susan Wagle, and ask her to support KanCare expansion.
MCLEAN: Prior to this session, Republican Governor Sam Brownback and legislative leaders blocked all debate on expansion. But voters frustrated by the state's chronic budget problems ousted several conservative incumbents and replaced them with moderate Republicans and Democrats who promised to fix the state's finances, fund public schools and push for Medicaid expansion.
JOHN EPLEE: It's all about the complexion of your legislature. It's a whole new ballgame.
MCLEAN: That's one of the newcomers, Republican Representative John Eplee. He's a doctor and an expansion supporter. Like other lawmakers, he worries that Kansas may be too late, given language just added to the ACA replacement bill to close the expansion window.
But David Jordan, the head of a pro-expansion coalition, says Kansas lawmakers shouldn't assume that part of the bill won't survive as congressional leaders continue to tweak it in search of votes.
DAVID JORDAN: We have everything to gain by taking this step and nothing to lose.
MCLEAN: Expansion is an emotional issue for many, including Jeremy Presley, a doctor who treats uninsured patients in Dodge City. He testified to a Kansas Senate committee this week.
JEREMY PRESLEY: I encourage you to take this opportunity before you, do not turn away and not shy away from those people to provide them that care that they need.
MCLEAN: Other witnesses said expansion would more than pay for itself by pulling down additional federal dollars that would cover 90 percent of the cost. It would also mean the state could spend less on other programs. But missed enrollment projections in several expansion states make that a tough sell for some lawmakers. Republican Doug Blex is a first-term House member from the southeast corner of the state.
DOUG BLEX: In most states, seems like there's been more applicants than what they anticipated. So the heart's kind of there. But, you know, it's a pocketbook issue.
MCLEAN: Despite concerns about cost and timing, the House passed the expansion bill with nearly a veto-proof majority. The Senate could vote as early as next week.
For NPR News, I'm Jim McLean in Topeka.
MCEVERS: That story came to us from the Kansas News Service, a reporting collaboration that focuses on health, education and politics. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Phone: 503-823-5185
Fax: 503-823-7576
1120 SW Fifth Ave, Suite 800, Portland, OR 97204
Phone: 503-823-5185
Fax: 503-823-7576
1120 SW Fifth Ave, Suite 800, Portland, OR 97204
(PORTLAND, Ore.) – The City of Portland Bureau of Transportation advises the traveling public that the bridge over the Columbia Slough connecting N. Lombard Street and N. Marine Drive will be closed from 6 a.m. Saturday June 22 through about 6 p.m. Sunday June 23.
The maintenance work means that the north route around Smith and Bybee lakes will be closed at the bridge, and a detour around the lakes will route traffic south around the lakes via N. Columbia Blvd. and N. Portland Blvd. Kelly Point Park will be accessible from N. Marine Drive but not from N. Lombard Street.
The public is advised to travel cautiously and observe all detour signs.
The bridge closure is necessary to add an epoxy overlay to preserve the life of the bridge.
This work is weather-dependent, and the schedule may change.


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Thursday, October 29, 2009
Make a Proclamation and be entered to win $5,000 to pursue your dream! Enter daily and bring friends to increase your chances of winning. There are weekly prizes too. No purchase necessary.


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State Briefs 12/24/08
Police investigating whether man hit by train
SHERMAN – Sherman police are investigating a possible freight train-pedestrian accident that left a 24-year-old man with an arm injury.
Police Chief Eric Smith said the incident occurred about 3:15 p.m. Tuesday. The crew of the train reported possibly hitting a pedestrian walking along the tracks.
Smith said the man was found lying on the ground, but he told authorities he wasn't hit by the train. There was no other immediate explanation, however, for his injuries. The man, a Sherman resident whose identity was not released, was taken to the hospital.
State Journal-Register
Unoccupied car pulled out of Lake Springfield
SPRINGFIELD – Crews pulled an unoccupied car out of an icy Lake Springfield Wednesdy morning after it slid off a marina parking lot and into the water. No one was injured.
City Water, Light and Power lake police, lake security, the Springfield Underwater Search and Rescue Team and Tuxhorn Towing were called to the Lake Springfield Marina after getting a report of a car floating in the lake.
The car is believed to have gone into the lake about 1 a.m. after the person driving it lost control on the icy, inclined marina parking lot. The person got out of the car before the vehicle went into the water.
A dive team member arriving on the scene about 6 a.m. went in to confirm there was no one in the car, said Jim Kopec, commander of the search and rescue team. Then the crew started fishing the vehicle out.
State Journal-Register
No injuries after school bus slides off road
SPRINGFIELD – A school bus loaded with about 20 students ran off the road in Springfield Tuesday afternoon.
Karen Stevenson, the mother of one of the Franklin Middle School sixth-graders on the bus, said her daughter called her after the crash. Stevenson drove to the scene to pick up the girl.
"It's kind of scary because the bus is between two utility poles," Stevenson said.
At the time of crash, Springfield firefighters already were in the area investigating the cause of an earlier fire. They helped the children off the bus and called police.
Fire officials said the road was very slick at the time of the crash.
State Journal-Register
Eighty families still not back in homes after June flooding
MACHESNEY PARK – Eighty families are still not back in their homes after widespread flooding in June.
In August, the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved more than $1.3 million in disaster aid for 545 applicants in Winnebago County. Illinois has been approved for more than $13.6 million in federal disaster assistance grants and loans, and 3,095 homeowners and renters have applied for disaster assistance.
Village President Linda Vaughn said 80 families still haven't moved back in their homes. During the height of evacuation, nearly 140 families were homeless. The neighborhoods are dark along Shore Drive near the Rock River, Vaughn said, usually several houses have Christmas lights outside and trees visible in the homes. This year the area is lifeless because so many families are living somewhere else during their rebuilding time, she said.
Rockford Register Star


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Related Suppliers
Generally, the success of any manufacturing operation boils down to three factors: part quality, delivery speed and price. Decades ago, meeting only two of these benchmarks might have been sufficient. For example, a customer might have been willing to pay more for quick delivery of high-quality parts. In today's globally competitive arena, however, this is often no longer the case.
The silver lining is that despite a more difficult environment, modern manufacturers have access to technology that can streamline operations like never before—technology that continues to evolve to provide increasing levels of efficiency. At Adams Automatic, a short-run CNC turning house in Olmsted, Ohio, a customized enterprise resource planning (ERP) system has contributed to sustained growth for almost 10 years. Supplied by Global Shop Solutions (The Woodlands, Texas), the software synergizes all operations from the front office to the shop floor to improve accountability, reduce costs and facilitate on-time delivery and quality ratings in the 99th percentile.
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Adams Automatic's 12 employees produce custom screw machine items for a range of industries, including electronics, valve, aftermarket automotive, medical, and hydraulic. Founded in 1952, the company is now in its second generation of family leadership. Edward Bond, president and CEO, took the reins from his father in 1971, and he has since overseen the transition of the shop into the full-scale manufacturing operation it is today.In fact, the company has expanded four times during Mr. Bond's tenure. The single-spindle automatics the shop used when he first stepped into a management role have given way to CNC models that produce most parts from barstock. Rounding out the 10,000-square-foot facility are a number of machining and turning centers as well as equipment for secondary work and repair.
Management emphasizes the importance of producing high-quality parts, building relationships with customers by getting things right the first time, and bringing a sense of accountability to every job. This mindset has contributed significantly to the company's success and expansion over the years, Mr. Bond says. However, accomplishing these goals is not an easy proposition for a shop that takes on such a wide range of different jobs, many of which involve quantities of less than 50 parts.
By providing a centralized point of real-time information, Global Shop One-System Solutions software plays a key role in easing the difficulties inherent to organizing, tracking and improving the shop's diverse operations at every step of the process from the original estimate to final delivery. "This software has been a big reason for our success," Mr. Bond says. "It has made life easier and really made us more productive."
About a decade ago, things were quite different at Adams Automatic. The custom-written ERP program the shop used at the time was cumbersome and too complex, Mr. Bond says. Even worse, technical support for the system was virtually nonexistent after the developer moved out of town. Seeking a more user-friendly solution, the shop worked with a Cleveland-based consulting firm to determine which software on the market would best meet its needs. "They asked maybe 100 questions and presented us with about 50 different systems," Mr. Bond says. "Global Shop met almost 96 percent of our requirements based on the questions, so the choice was easy."
The shop uses the full range of available modules, including estimating, quoting, shipping and receiving, job tracking, invoicing, inventory and more. Once the shop decides to bid on a job and works out how parts will proceed through the manufacturing process, the quoting module prompts the user to enter information into various categories that affect the quote. These include rates for labor, materials, secondary work, overhead, outsourced operations such as heat treating, and more—all based on the shop's own pricing structure.
Based on the quote and the chosen manufacturing method, the shop develops binders that accompany every job on the shop floor to keep operators on the same page and ensure consistent quality. The binders contain part blueprints; details about the machines, tools, and workpiece material needed for operations; the number of parts that can be produced per bar; and other process information. The software's routing procedures track every part as it moves through the process via a barcode system. When a job is finished, employees can use the software to access information needed for shipping, such as how many parts are supposed to be packed in each box.
The modules containing all these data and procedures are interlinked. As a result, disparate areas of the shop that might otherwise be viewed in isolation are instead seen as parts of a whole. With an all-encompassing, real-time picture of the overall operation, the shop can keep its finger on the pulse of the business to improve accountability, identify inefficiencies that need to be addressed and develop sound strategies for cost reduction and continuous improvement.
For example, job tracking enables the shop to compare the actual time it takes to complete an operation to its original estimate. Problem areas are easy to pinpoint, and if the process can't be improved, future quotes can be adjusted accordingly. Setups are much more efficient, especially on repeat jobs, because operators can update procedures as they go along and incorporate cost-saving ideas. Raw material and finished parts that aren't shipped are also barcoded and tracked via the software's inventory module to ensure that the shop is always aware of what's in stock. "With Global, we can reduce our setup time and minimize our inventories," Mr. Bond says. "If you can minimize your setup time, material costs and handling time, run time becomes less costly."
Pricing information entered during the quoting phase is pulled directly from that module when needed, eliminating redundant data entry and the potential for typos or other mistakes. This helps streamline the front office. All data goes directly from the software into cash flow, income and other financial statements, providing a real-time source of data that the company can track to see how business is coming along. "We print all of our checks, purchase orders and work orders off Global," Mr. Bond says. "A lot of this front office work was done by hand before. That kind of administration labor has been completely eliminated."
As the shop has evolved over the years, the software has kept pace. As an example, Mr. Bond cites its accounting functions, which are more user-friendly than they once were. "As the software grows into an even more powerful tool, we see our shop growing right along with it."
Adapting to Aerospace Change
The changing demands of aerospace companies have prompted machine shops such as this one to evolve their processes and equipment to become more competitive.
Accurate Cost Estimates-Fast
Accurate cost estimates - fast. Costimator RapidCost is designed to simplify the job and help estimators produce accurate quotes quickly enough to satisfy deadline pressures.
Making Sure MTConnect Is a Good Fit
An MTConnect-enabled machine monitoring system gives shopfloor managers information that is driving up utilization rates and improving workforce communication for this manufacturer of high-pressure aerospace fittings.


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3 Reasons Why You Should Invest in Unilever
Unilever has made its shareholders cheerful with its improving operating performance for fiscal year 2013. The company managed to grow its underlying sales by 4.3%, including a 2.5% increase in volume and 1.8% rise in price. Its emerging markets underlying sales also achieved 8.7% growth for the full year.
Indeed, Unilever, along with its global peers Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive , offers investors peace of mind when investing for the long run. Personally, I think there are four main reasons why investors should stay invested in Unilever for a long time.
Unilever's quality of growth is good
First, Unilever has experienced good growth in 2013. More importantly, its growth is high quality. Chief executive Paul Polman mentioned that with 4.3% underlying sales growth, around 55% of the company's business was building share. The core operating margin was significantly improved, by 40 basis points, to 14.1%, driven by a 110 basis points rise in gross margin.
Unilever has a history of committing its investments to driving brand operating performance. In 2013, Unilever raised its investment by €460 million to strengthen the company's overall brands. As a result, for the last five years, the number of brands, which delivered more than €1 billion in turnover, has increased from 11 to 15. Procter & Gamble has made similar progress with more billion-dollar brands. Since 2000, Procter & Gamble has managed to increase the number of its billion-dollar brands from 10 to 22.
Cost-saving initiatives
Second, in order to fight against slow growth in emerging markets, Unilever has focused extensively on cost-saving initiatives. Unilever plans to reduce its marketing headcount by 12% worldwide, or equivalent to more than 800 jobs, especially in the U.S. business. By the end of 2014, Unilever expects to trim the number of SKUs (stock keeping units) by 30% to save costs on agency and commercial-production expenses.
Moreover, its non-working media as a percentage of total advertising and promotions (A&P) will be reduced from 32% in 2010 to 24% in 2012. Over the long term, Unilever will keep this non-working media percentage as low as 20%. During the next year, Unilever targets savings of €500 million ($683 million) by cutting jobs, improving the supply chain, and other processes' efficiencies.
Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive have also focused their efforts on reducing costs in order to improve overall profitability. Procter & Gamble has reached $1 billion in savings for the last two years and is on track to meet its $10 billion savings program for the 2012-2016 period. It also had a geographic restructuring, such as merging the Indian unit with the Middle East and Africa region's business to enhance sales growth and save on costs for the whole company.
Colgate-Palmolive is also ready to spend $1.1 billion to $1.2 billion for its four-year global growth and efficiency program. By simplifying workflow and saving structural costs, Colgate-Palmolive expects to save $365 million to $435 million annually.
High dividend yield
Last but not least, income investors can get excited with its decent and consistent dividend payments. At the current trading price, Unilever offers its shareholders a dividend yield of 3.6%, the highest among the three. Procter & Gamble ranks second with around a 3.1% dividend yield, while the dividend yield of Colgate-Palmolive is the lowest, at only 2.1%.
My Foolish take
With a leading position in the global consumer-goods industry, Unilever is worthy of a long-term investor's portfolio. Unilever will definitely improve its overall profitability with its good quality growth and cost savings initiatives. Moreover, investors could also get the juiciest dividend yield among the company's global peers.
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The article 3 Reasons Why You Should Invest in Unilever originally appeared on Fool.com.Anh HOANG has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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