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SA Journal of Industrial Psychology
On-line version ISSN 2071-0763
Print version ISSN 0258-5200
SA j. ind. Psychol. vol.37 n.1 Johannesburg Jan. 2011
Nigerian agriculture workers' outcomes from perceived organisational support and protestant work ethics: Job satisfaction as a mediator
Olugbenga J. LadeboI; Bello Z. AbubakarII; Comfort O. AdamuI
IDepartment of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
IIDepartment of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria
ORIENTATION: The mechanism facilitating the development of organisational commitment and performance of citizenship behaviours is of research interest to scholars. Recent research trends suggest that job satisfaction can mediate the development of employee commitment and citizenship behaviours.
RESEARCH PURPOSE:The present study hypothesised that job satisfaction mediated the relationships between the predictors (perceived organisational support and protestant work ethics) and outcomes (organisational citizenship behaviours and organisational commitment).
MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: There is paucity of literature on the mediating influence of job satisfaction on predictors-outcomes linkages amongst agriculture workers in Nigeria. Available studies either examined the main effect of perceived organisational support on citizenship behaviours or the mediating influence of satisfaction on citizenship behaviours and not the proposed model.
RESEARCH DESIGN, APPROACH AND METHOD: The present study was survey-correlational in design. Data were obtained from 223 heterogeneous samples from different organisations (such as ministry of agriculture, parastatals, banks, private agro-allied companies, and insurance companies).
MAIN FINDINGS: Results showed that job satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between perceived organisational support and citizenship behaviours and partially mediated the relationship between perceived organisational support and organisational commitment. Further, employee satisfaction partially mediated the relationships between protestant work ethics and citizenship behaviours and organisational commitment.
PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: This study indicated that both protestant work ethics and perceived organisational support are important in motivating employees to engage in cooperative behaviours and exhibit greater commitment through job satisfaction.
CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: The present study showed that job satisfaction is a mediator linking both perceived organisational support and protestant work ethics to organisational commitment and citizenship behaviours.
Employees' commitment to the organisation and the willingness to perform organisational citizenship behaviours (OCB) has received a good deal of research attention in recent years. Research interest in organisational commitment and OCB is motivated by the desire of organisations to have a highly committed workforce who will perform beyond expectations (i.e. engage in cooperative behaviours that are not in their job description). It is believed that employees perform OCB that acts as a bond holding the organisational community together and improves the well-being of the organisation (LePine, Erez & Johnson, 2002; Organ, 1988; Vigoda, 2000a). The mechanism facilitating the development of commitment and willingness to perform citizenship behaviour is still receiving research interest. Thus, this paper proposes that job satisfaction has a mediating influence on the development of employee commitment and OCB.
Theoretically, organisational commitment may be viewed in terms of a social exchange relationship in which the employee is expected to identify with, and work towards the realisation of the goals and values of the organisation in return for a range of benefits and rewards (Meyer & Allen, 1997).
Employees' commitment develops slowly and consistently over time (Meyer & Herscovitch, 2001) and is a multidimensional construct comprising of three different types. The affective component, describes an employee's psychological attachment and involvement in the organisation. The second type, continuance commitment relates to the perceived cost associated with leaving the organisation and perceived lack of job alternatives. Normative commitment, the third type, refers to the employee's feelings of obligation to remain with the organisation (Wasti, 2003).
The affective form of commitment is widely studied because it is believed to be a better predictor of employees' behavioural outcomes (Meyer & Allen, 1997; Wasti, 2003). Highly committed employees experience greater mental and physical well-being, achieve higher in-role performance, perform citizenship behaviours, and would not consider leaving the job thereby ensuring low staff turnover (Meyer & Herscovitch, 2001; Siu, 2002).
The OCB construct was defined as a general tendency to be cooperative and helpful in organisational work environments (LePine et al., 2002). Employees' acts considered as OCB include helping and cooperating with co-workers in the workplace, and being supportive of organisational goals and objectives. Literature on employment relations indicates that employees engage in cooperative behaviours as a personal obligation to assist co-workers and the organisation (Coyle-Shapiro, Kessler & Purcell, 2004; Janssens, Sels & Van den Brande, 2003). Performance of OCB is facilitated when the organisation provides a supportive, fair, and competition-free environment for employees. Where there are inequity, unfair treatment, and unfulfilled personal goals by employees in the work environment, employees refuse to perform OCB (Vigoda, 2000b). A lack of willingness to perform OCB may actually predispose employees to engage in withdrawal behaviour, exercise turnover cognitions (Ladebo, 2005; Pare & Tremblay, 2007), or turnover (Chen, Hui & Sego, 1998).
Literature suggests that personal and situational variables may explain employee commitment and OCB. The perceived organisational support (POS) (situational) and protestant work ethic (PWE) have been widely reported to be related to commitment and citizenship behaviours (Bishop, Scott, & Burroughs, 2000; Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002; Ryan, 2002). However, the mechanism facilitating the relationships between POS and PWE and both OCB and commitment remains of much research interest to scholars. The present model suggests that job satisfaction could be a mediator linking both POS and PWE to the outcomes.
Studies have implicated employee satisfaction as a mediator responsible for employees' attitudes, behaviour, well-being, and positive organisational outcomes. An employee's satisfaction with a job position mediates the impact of individual and organisational factors on employees' intentions to quit (Addae & Parboteeah, 2006; Chiang, Back, & Canter, 2005), organisational commitment (Knights & Kennedy, 2005; Yousef, 2002), citizenship behaviour (Ladebo, 2008), and organisational performance (Reisel, Chia, Maloles & Slocum, 2007). However, most of the empirical studies have concentrated on traditional samples from the United States of America and European countries and have seldom targeted highly skilled workers (such as agriculture personnel) from an African country (such as Nigeria) as their unit of analysis. Generally, there is paucity of literature on focal constructs amongst skilled workers in Nigeria.
Available studies either examined the main effect of POS on OCB (Ehigie & Otukoya, 2005) or the mediating influence of satisfaction on OCB (Ladebo, 2008) and not the proposed model including the focal constructs in the present study. The present study adds to the literature by investigating the mediating influence of job satisfaction on the linkage between both POS and PWE, and commitment and OCB for agriculture workers. Further, using samples from other countries allow us to see whether American management theories, which reflect American culture, are transferable to other countries (Hofstede, 1993).
Protestant work ethics (PWE)
The PWE (as a personal value) describes an individual's belief that hard work leads to success and that failure is caused by self-indulgence and a lack of self-discipline (Mirels & Garrett, 1971). Weber (1958) explicated on the PWE as a constellation of beliefs characterised by regard for hard work, self-reliance, frugality, ascetic existence, moderate consumption, and a distaste for unstructured leisure time. Weber ascribed the rise and success of modern capitalism to the possession of PWE by workers. Capitalism became possible because of the view that people have a moral duty to work diligently, regardless of their status in life. PWE is particularly important in work settings and PWE adherents are highly valued. This work value is equally endorsed by both male and female employees (Ali, Falcone & Azim, 1995).
PWE explains employees' attitudes, work-related activities, and behavioural tendencies. Employees who have internalised work ethic values develop high involvement in their job (Brown, 1996; Cohen, 1999), are satisfied with their job (Gorgievski-Duijvesteijn, Steensma, & Te Brake, 1998), show strong commitment to the organisation (Williams & Sandler, 1995), and perform certain citizenship behaviours (Ryan, 2002). Thus, it is hypothesised that endorsement of PWE by employees will facilitate attachment to the organisation and motivates engagement in cooperative behaviours:
Hypothesis 1: PWE is positively related to organisational commitment (OC) and OCB.
Perceived organisational support (POS)
Research indicates that employees expect certain inducements in terms of enriched jobs, socio-emotional support, and a hospitable work environment from their employers in exchange for their contributions towards the achievement of organisational goals (Kickul & Liao-Troth, 2003). In exchange for employees' loyalty and higher performance, organisations have shown commitment to employees by providing them with job security, affiliation and emotional support (Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchison & Sowa, 1986; Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002).
The perceived support from the organisation motivates employees to personify and ascribe human-like characteristics to the organisation and form a generalised belief that the organisation values their contribution and cares about their personal welfare. Discretionary resources such as income, promotions, and job enrichment from the organisation are highly valued by the employees, because they indicate the organisation's commitment to their well-being (Eisenberger et al., 1986; Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002). Based on Gouldner's (1960) norm of reciprocity, the receipt of valued resources from the organisation will trigger the reciprocation process in which employees are obliged to reciprocate the organisation's beneficial actions directed at them. Employees' psychological contract is strengthened by this continued reciprocation of resources beyond the requirements of formal agreements. In contrast, the perceived withdrawal of beneficial discretionary actions contributes to the view of an unsupportive employer. Perceived breach of contract by the organisation causes employees to reduce their perceived obligations (Aselage & Eisenberger, 2003; Coyle-Shapiro, 2002).
Higher levels of POS motivate employees to respond with favourable work attitudes and behaviours. Studies rooted in social exchange indicate that employees who perceived higher commitment and support from the organisation reciprocated with greater attachment to the goals and values of the organisation (Bishop et al., 2000; Ladebo, 2009), performed citizenship behaviours, and reported enhanced psychological well-being (i.e. mood) (Ladebo, 2009; Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002). In line with previous studies, this article suggests that POS is positively related to OC and OCB:
Hypothesis 2: POS is positively related to OC and OCB.
Mediating effect of job satisfaction
Job satisfaction as an indication of employee well-being refers to the positive affect an employee has towards certain aspects of the job (De Jonge & Schaufeli, 1997; Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart & Wright, 1994). It is an attitude that develops in response to job or organisational characteristics and enduring individual traits, values, and preferences; it is stable over time and across situations. Higher satisfaction promotes higher self-esteem, as well as physical, and emotional well-being (Faragher, Cass & Cooper, 2005).
Most studies on employees' affective responses have treated job satisfaction as either an antecedent or outcome variable. However, recent research shows that greater satisfaction is a mechanism for the development of employee commitment and involvement in cooperative behaviours (Ladebo, 2008; Yoon & Thye, 2002) and diminished negative workplace outcomes such as workplace injuries (Barling, Kelloway & Iverson, 2003). The mediating influence of job satisfaction could be because of two reasons: firstly, PWE and POS are related to higher satisfaction and secondly, increased satisfaction motivates greater performance of citizenship behaviours and stronger organisational commitment. There is ample empirical evidence supporting that these two conditions influence job satisfaction (Ladebo, 2004, 2008; Randall & Cote, 1991; Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002: Yoon & Thye, 2002).
From the social exchange standpoint, employees are in interactions with the organisation and are motivated by expected inducements in exchange for their contribution to the organisation. When the organisation fails to reciprocate the contributions of the employees, this may evoke moodiness and frustration in employees (Eisenberger et al., 2001; Luthans, 1998). A frustrated employee may rationalise the imbalance by lowering his or her job satisfaction (Luthans, 1998; Taylor & Tekleab, 2004). In line with the norm of reciprocity, the perceived supportiveness of an organisation tends to evoke higher satisfaction in employees. Support for the POS-satisfaction relationship can be found in a meta-analysis by Rhoades and Eisenberger (2002), which indicated an average corrected correlation of r = 0.62 (p < 0.001). Further, there is the notion that an employee who values and engages in hard work also derives pleasure from the job. The direct effect of PWE on satisfaction has been established in the literature (Randall & Cote, 1991).
In support of the proposed mediating mechanism of job satisfaction outlined earlier, empirical evidence indicates that satisfied employees performed citizenship behaviours (Ladebo, 2004, 2008; LePine et al., 2002) and exhibited greater commitment to the organisation (Yoon & Thye, 2002).
The social exchange framework indicates that job satisfaction is more proximal to both, conditions of employees' attachment to the organisation and their willingness to engage in cooperative behaviour. This paper suggests that the initial effects of POS and PWE will be on job satisfaction and this will mediate subsequent effects on employee commitment and OCB. Thus, the following hypotheses are postulated:
Hypothesis 3: Job satisfaction will mediate the relationship between PWE and employee outcomes (OC and OCB).
Hypothesis 4: Job satisfaction will mediate the relationship between POS and employee outcomes (OC and OCB).
Research design
Research approach
This study was a descriptive survey research that employed primary data. Participants were full-time employees that had spent at least two years on the job and employed in agriculture units of different organisations (such as ministry of agriculture, parastatals, private agro-allied companies, banks, and insurance companies).
Ten full-time employed, postgraduate students at the Federal University of Agriculture in southwest Nigeria were requested to assist with data collection. Each student was given 35 questionnaires to administer to employees in his or her workplace. The respondents returned 223 completed surveys (i.e. 63.71%). The respondents were full-time employees with the civil service, an insurance company, banks, government parastatals, and agro-based private companies. The total population in the sampled organisations ranged between 107 and 164. Surveys were administered to staff in the agriculture unit of selected organisations and the useable responses that were received ranged between 19 and 28. The implication of employing a heterogeneous sample in this study is to minimise the influence of contextual constraints of a single organisation (Rousseau & Fried, 2001). Most of the participants were male (n = 179, i.e. 80.3%). The participants' mean age was 40.70 years (SD = 7.51 years). They spent between 3 and 38 years on the job, with a mean of 11.74 years' experience (SD = 7.09 years).
Affective organisational commitment: This was assessed by a 6-item scale (Meyer & Allen, 1997). A sample item is: 'I feel a strong sense of belonging to my organisation'. Reliability and validity were good (Ladebo, 2006; Meyer & Allen, 1997; Meyer & Herscovitch, 2001; Wasti, 2003).
Organisational citizenship behaviours: The overall OCB was measured by an 8-item measure adapted from the works of Bettercourt, Gwinner and Meuter (2001). An example item is: 'I encourage friends and family to patronise the services and products of my organisation'. The scale's internal consistency and construct validity were good (see Bettercourt et al., 2001).
Job satisfaction: Overall job satisfaction was assessed by a 6-item scale (Brayfield & Rothe, 1951). This scale was designed to measure satisfaction conceptualised as overall satisfaction rather than as facet satisfaction (e.g. satisfaction with pay, boss and promotion opportunity). Good reliability and validity have been demonstrated (Brayfield & Rothe, 1951; Ladebo, Olaoye & Adamu, 2008). An example item is: 'I find real enjoyment in my job'.
Protestant work ethics: The PWE was assessed by a 16-item measure adapted from Mirels and Garrett (1971). A sample scale item is: 'Most people spend too much time in unprofitable amusements'. The reliability coefficient for the original scale was 0.79 and past studies have reported similar results (Ryan, 2002).
Perceived organisational support: This was measured with an adapted 7-item measure from Eisenberger et al. (1986). A sample item is: 'My organisation values my contribution to its wellbeing'. The psychometric properties of the scale have been demonstrated by past studies (see Eisenberger et al., 1986; Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002).
All the scale items employed in this study were rated on a 5-point frequency of 1 ('strongly disagree') to 5 ('strongly agree'). Where necessary, negative scale items were reverse scored and scale scores were computed by summing across responses to items in a scale.
Demographics: Four biographics (age, sex, tenure and rank) that were likely to co-vary with the mediator and criteria but not of direct interest in this study were controlled for. Age and tenure were measured as continuous variables.
Statistical analysis
The hierarchical regression procedure was employed to test for hypothesised mediation effect in this study. The hypothesised mediating effect of job satisfaction on the predictors-outcomes linkages was determined using the four-step rule outlined by Preacher and Leonardelli (2001). Firstly, the effect of the predictors (POS and PWE) on the mediator (job satisfaction) was examined. Secondly, the effect of the predictors on each criterion variable (OC and OCB) independent of job satisfaction was investigated. Thirdly, the effect of job satisfaction on each criterion variable was examined. Lastly, evidence of partial or full mediation was determined by including job satisfaction along with POS and PWE as predictors of each criterion variable. Evidence of partial mediation is obtained when the effect of the predictors on the criterion becomes less, as indicated by the change in regression coefficients and the Sobel test (Preacher & Leonardelli, 2001). There is full mediation when such an effect becomes nonsignificant.
Table 1 presents means, standard deviations (SD), internal consistency reliabilities, and correlations for each of the measures. The descriptive statistics in Table 1 indicate interesting findings. Only the reported levels of OCB was relatively high (M = 4.35, SD = 0.42) whereas the other variables were moderate: PWE (M = 3.61, SD = 0.46), POS (M = 3.32, SD = 0.75), job satisfaction (M = 3.51, SD = 0.71), and OC (M = 3.87, SD = 0.78). Consistent with past studies, correlations between the variables are positive and generally small to moderate (Table 1).
Test of hypotheses
It was hypothesised that the predictors (PWE and POS) could be positively related to OC and OCB. The hierarchical regression results in Table 2 indicate significant main effects for PWE and POS in step II after the biographics (age, sex, tenure and rank) were controlled for in step I. PWE was positively related to OCB (b = 0.09, p < 0.001) and OC (b = 13, p < 0.001) therefore supporting Hypothesis 1. Similarly, Hypothesis 2 was supported because POS was significantly related to OCB (b = 13, p < 0.001) and OC (b = 43, p < 0.001). In step III, there was a positive relationship between job satisfaction and OCB (b = 0.16, p < 0.01) and OC (b = 0.42, p < 0.001).
Furthermore, in Table 2, in step III the hypothesised mediating influence of job satisfaction was examined. The inclusion of job satisfaction in the equation led to a decrease in magnitude of regression coefficient of PWE with OCB (b = 0.07, p < 0.01) and OC (b = 0.09, p < 0.01). The Sobel test indicated significant partial mediation influence of job satisfaction on OCB (Z = 3.18, p < 0.05) and OC (Z = 6.76, p < 0.05). These results support Hypothesis 3 that higher PWE leads to job satisfaction, which in turn, motivates employees' psychological attachment to the organisation and willingness to perform OCB. However, there is a full mediation effect by job satisfaction on the POS→OCB linkage (b = 0.06, not significant) and partial mediation for POS→OC relationship (b = 26, p < 0.001) (Sobel Z = 10.12, p < 0.05) (Table 2). Thus, job satisfaction fully mediates the relation between POS and OCB and partially mediates the POS→OC linkage in support of Hypothesis 4.
However, two alternative models to those hypothesised in this study were tested. The first alternative model posited that organisational commitment would mediate the relationships between job satisfaction and PWE and POS. Secondly, OCB would mediate the linkages between job satisfaction and PWE and POS. The results showed that organisational commitment fully mediated the relationship between PWE and job satisfaction whilst it partially mediated the POS→job satisfaction linkage (b = 0.28, p < 0.0001) (Sobel Z = 4.83, p < 0.05). The citizenship behaviours partially mediated the relationships between job satisfaction and PWE (b = 0.07, p < 0.05) (Sobel Z = 2.07, p < 0.05) and POS (b = 0.39, p < 0.0001) (Sobel Z = 2.22, p < 0.05).
The aim of the present study was to test a model linking the predictors (POS and PWE), job satisfaction and employee outcomes (OCB and commitment) amongst agriculture workers in Nigeria. The findings indicate that the predictors (POS and PWE) and job satisfaction are important in explaining OCB and commitment. As hypothesised, job satisfaction fully mediated the relation between POS and OCB and partially mediated the relationship between POS and commitment. In addition, job satisfaction partially mediated the relationships between PWE and OCB and commitment.
The hypothesised positive relationships between PWE and commitment and OCB were supported in this study. Similar to Ryan (2002), and Williams and Sandler (1995) the endorsement of PWE by respondents is significantly related to OCB and commitments. This result affirms that PWE adherents are likely to engage in cooperative behaviour and show stronger attachment to the organisation.
As expected, the hypothesised positive relationships between POS and commitment and OCB were supported in the present study. In corroboration with past studies higher POS was strongly associated with performance of OCB and commitment (Bishop et al., 2000; Ladebo, 2009; Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002). This implies that perceived support from the organisation motivates employees to perform OCB and show stronger attachment to the values of the organisation.
In line with past studies, this study demonstrated that satisfaction on the job could be a reciprocation of perceived support from the organisation (Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002) and an endorsement of PWE (Randall & Cote, 1991). This suggests that agriculture employees reciprocate their employers' perceived support by developing positive affect to the job. And employees who expend greater effort on the job are likely to enjoy their job.
Conclusions and recommendations
This study indicates that both PWE and POS are important in motivating agriculture employees to develop positive work outcomes (citizenship behaviours and commitment) through job satisfaction. The initial reaction of agriculture employees to POS and endorsement of PWE is a satisfaction with the job. Satisfaction with a job provides the motivation for employees to develop attachment to the values and goals of the organisation, and engage in OCB. Therefore, the mediating effect of job satisfaction is important in understanding agriculture employees' outcomes. An implication of this study is that job satisfaction is amenable to managerial interventions. Firstly, human resources managers may wish to select new employees based on the endorsement of PWE. This appears warranted because agriculture employees who have internalised work ethic values readily ascribe to hard work and enjoy their job. Secondly, managers should enact policies that will satisfy the socio-emotional and affiliative needs of employees. When agriculture employees perceive their employers as being supportive by providing resources that the employees need to cope with workplace conditions, this might encourage them to be satisfied with their jobs.
The present study has a number of limitations. Firstly, there is the need to exercise caution in interpreting the results because of the lower reliability of the OCB scale (a = 0.62). The lower reliability could have attenuated the relationships between OCB and other variables (Schmitt, 1996). Secondly, the study was cross-sectional making it difficult to determine causal relationships between the predictors, mediator, and outcomes. In addition, there are alternative explanations for the ordering of the variables in this study. There is the possibility that agriculture employees who have high levels of PWE and perceive the organisation as caring may exhibit stronger attachment to the organisation and perform citizenship behaviours, which may produce higher satisfaction. The alternative model was tested and the results are twofold.
Firstly, organisational commitment fully mediated the relationship between PWE and job satisfaction whilst it partially mediated the POS→job satisfaction linkage. Thus, in line with extant literature, employees who endorse the protestant work values would develop stronger attachment to the values and goals of the organisation (Williams & Sandler, 1995), which will result in higher job satisfaction. Further, the partial mediating mechanism of organisational commitment on the linkage between POS and satisfaction, points to the social exchanges between the organisation and its employees. It is believed that employees initially react to the benevolent acts of the organisation by developing a strong sense of belonging to the organisation (Eisenberger et al., 2001; Ladebo, 2009; Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002), which will lead to higher job satisfaction.
Secondly, citizenship behaviours partially mediated the relationships between job satisfaction and PWE and POS. In line with past studies, this result suggests that employees would perform OCB because of a strong sense of work ethics as well as in reciprocation for being supported by the employing organisation (Ladebo, 2009; Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002; Ryan, 2002). Finally, employees who readily engage in OCB will develop feelings of satisfaction with the job (see Ladebo, 2008). Recent research effort indicates that when employees voluntarily engage in OCB, this results in higher satisfaction as opposed to if organisations compulsorily request the performance of OCB and employees develop dissatisfaction with their job. The performance of some OCBs may arise from abusive supervision, co-ercive managerial strategies, or social pressure by peers (Vigoda-Gadot, 2007). Therefore, employees' commitment to the organisation and willingness to perform citizenship behaviours could each be an outcome for employees or they could mediate outcomes for agriculture workers. These employee attitudes are open to managerial interventions. Therefore, agriculture managers need to understand the factors that promote the employee attitudes to achieve effective management of extension personnel.
However, the results of the alternative model demonstrate the many possible different orderings of focal constructs in this study. Future studies based on longitudinal or experimental designs are required to test the causal relationships amongst the variables in this study. Third, this study is based on self-report data obtained at a single time point therefore; there is the possibility of contamination of data because of a monomethod bias.
To eliminate the possibility of method bias, the scale items were ordered randomly in the survey and the data was subjected to Harman's 1-factor test (Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Lee & Podsakoff, 2003; Podsakoff & Organ, 1986). The results from a factor analysis of all items suggest that a single-dominant factor did not emerge, suggesting that method bias was not responsible for the magnitude of bivariate correlations between the variables. However, scholars suggest that self-reporting is still a vital tool for data collection in organisational behaviour research and that its use may not necessarily lead to inflation of relationships between variables (Bruk-Lee & Spector, 2006; Harrison, McLaughlin & Coalter, 1996).
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Correspondence to:
Olugbenga J. Ladebo
Postal address: PO Box 2316, Sapon
Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
Email: email@example.com
Received: 28 Sept. 2009
Accepted: 08 Mar. 2011
Published: 06 Oct. 2011
© 2011. The Authors. Licensee: OpenJournals Publishing. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.


text:
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text:
Robert Menendez on Technology
Democratic Sr Senator; previously Representative (NJ-13)
Veto message from President Bush:
This bill lacks fiscal discipline. I fully support funding for water resources projects that will yield high economic and environmental returns. Each year my budget has proposed reasonable and responsible funding, including $4.9 billion for 2008, to support the Army Corps of Engineers' main missions. However, this authorization bill costs over $23 billion. This is not fiscally responsible, particularly when local communities have been waiting for funding for projects already in the pipeline. The bill's excessive authorization for over 900 projects and programs exacerbates the massive backlog of ongoing Corps construction projects, which will require an additional $38 billion in future appropriations to complete. This bill does not set priorities. I urge the Congress to send me a fiscally responsible bill that sets priorities.
A bill to facilitate nationwide availability of 2-1-1 telephone service for information and referral on human services & volunteer services. Congress makes the following findings:
Introductory statement by Sponsor:
Sen. CLINTON: In the immediate aftermath of the devastation of September 11, most people did not know where to turn for information about their loved ones. Fortunately for those who knew about it, 2-1-1 was already operating in Connecticut, and it was critical in helping identify the whereabouts of victims, connecting frightened children with their parents, providing information on terrorist suspects, and linking ready volunteers with victims.
Every single American should have a number they can call to cut through the chaos of an emergency. That number is 2-1-1. It's time to make our citizens and our country safer by making this resource available nationwide.
Congressional Summary:Disapproves the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on February 22, 2008, relating to broadcast media ownership. Declares that the rule shall have no force or effect.
Proponents' Argument in Favor:Sen. DORGAN: The FCC loosened the ban on cross-ownership of newspapers and broadcast stations. We seek with this resolution of disapproval to reverse the FCC's fast march to ease media ownership rules. The FCC has taken a series of destructive actions in the past two decades that I believe have undermined the public interest. [Now they have given] a further green light to media concentration.
The FCC voted to allow cross-ownership of newspapers and broadcast stations in the top 20 markets, with loopholes for mergers outside of the top 20 markets. The newspapers would be allowed to buy stations ranked above fifth and above.
The rule change was framed as a modest compromise. But make no mistake, this is a big deal. As much as 44% of the population lives in the top 20 markets. The last time the FCC tried to do this, in 2003, the Senate voted to block it.
This rule will undercut localism and diversity of ownership around the country. Studies show that removing the ban on newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership results in a net loss in the amount of local news produced in the market as a whole. In addition, while the FCC suggests that cross-ownership is necessary to save failing newspapers, the publicly traded newspapers earn annual rates of return between 16% and 18%.
This Resolution of Disapproval will ensure this rule change has no effect. This is again a bipartisan effort to stop the FCC from destroying the local interests that we have always felt must be a part of broadcasting.
|2010 Governor, House and Senate candidates on Technology:
|Robert Menendez on other issues:
NJ Gubernatorial:
Chris Christie
NJ Senatorial:
Frank Lautenberg
Dem. Freshmen
in 112th Congress:
AL-7:Terri Sewell
CA-33:Karen Bass
DE-0:John Carney
FL-17:Frederica Wilson
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa
LA-2:Cedric Richmond
MA-10:Bill Keating
MI-13:Hansen Clarke
RI-1:David Cicilline
GOP Freshmen
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AL-2:Martha Roby
AL-5:Mo Brooks
AZ-1:Paul Gosar
AZ-3:Ben Quayle
AZ-5:David Schweikert
AR-1:Rick Crawford
AR-2:Tim Griffin
AR-3:Steve Womack
CA-19:Jeff Denham
CO-3:Scott Tipton
CO-4:Cory Gardner
FL-12:Dennis Ross
FL-2:Steve Southerland
FL-21:Mario Diaz-Balart
FL-22:Allen West
FL-24:Sandy Adams
FL-25:David Rivera
FL-5:Rich Nugent
FL-8:Dan Webster
GA-2:Mike Keown
GA-7:Rob Woodall
GA-8:Austin Scott
ID-1:Raul Labrador
IL-8:Joe Walsh
IL-10:Bob Dold
IL-11:Adam Kinzinger
IL-14:Randy Hultgren
IL-17:Bobby Schilling
IL-8:Joe Walsh
IN-3:Marlin Stutzman
IN-4:Todd Rokita
IN-8:Larry Bucshon
IN-9:Todd Young
KS-1:Tim Huelskamp
KS-3:Kevin Yoder
KS-5:Mike Pompeo
LA-3:Jeff Landry
MD-1:Andy Harris
MI-1:Dan Benishek
MI-2:Bill Huizenga
MI-3:Justin Amash
MI-7:Tim Walberg
MN-8:Chip Cravaack
MO-4:Vicky Hartzler
MO-7:Billy Long
MS-1:Alan Nunnelee
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NC-2:Renee Ellmers
ND-0:Rick Berg
NH-2:Charlie Bass
NH-1:Frank Guinta
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NM-2:Steve Pearce
NV-3:Joe Heck
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SD-0:Kristi Noem
TN-3:Chuck Fleischmann
TN-4:Scott DesJarlais
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TX-17:Bill Flores
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TX-27:Blake Farenthold
VA-2:Scott Rigell
VA-5:Robert Hurt
VA-9:Morgan Griffith
WA-3:Jaime Herrera
WI-7:Sean Duffy
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text:
"A man walking alone on a deserted beach, brandishing a lantern in his outstretched hand, might be a fool. But, for a ship that went astray on a stormy night, he might be the savior."
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Heathrow is not an airport to be enjoyed. The mammoth structure of terminals is too spartan to exude any sense of creature comfort. I was relieved when I was finally able to walk out in the cloudy English sky. The series of meetings I was to attend was held in a business hotel not far from the airport. I stood patiently waiting for the shuttle bus to take me to my final destination with a group of worn-out travelers, one of which stood right next to me, totally oblivious to my presence. From behind my foggy eyes I took notice of her deep blue ones, of her elegant stance, of her small body, of her proud breasts, of her curved butt, of her shapely legs, of her manicured toes but most appreciably of her sculptured hands.
Normally, any man in my position would notice and appreciate these minute details. But when a single woman is endowed with them all the perception turns into a sort of passion of such a nature that it feeds upon itself. I just had to keep looking. Oh My God, she is gorgeous. There is no way on earth that such a tranquil beauty is not matched by a splendid and formidable mind, I thought. I went even further in my private musing; this woman must be a poet, an actress, a novelist, an artist of a sort, a … doctor?
A hematologist she turned out to be. We checked in together, a different clerk handling each. "Welcome Dr. McDonald", I heard hers say. For the first time since my twenty minutes journey with the most gorgeous doctor in the world started, she glanced in my direction. "And you're here for the Shipping Meeting Mr.…. Abufares", my clerk smartly yet unnecessarily announced. Oh, damn it, I cursed under my breath. There she was, a specialist in the disorders of the blood no less, attending a conference with internationally distinguished specialists from all four corners of the globe while I was to spend the next two days with a bunch of ex-seamen turned penguins in business suits. I didn't mind the washed out sailors. As a matter of fact, they were the jolly lot in the group. What I dreaded most were the business suits who had never wetted their feet.
We walked together to the elevator, the good doctor and I. Like the true gentleman I wanted her to believe me to be I gave her way first. "Thanks", she said. Her voice sounding more like little birds giggling and making love than an ordinary human voice. I couldn't keep my eyes off of her hands all the way up. I mean, there I was, in a six by four confined space with a woman that defied description and all I could stare at were her hands. She must've thought that I was the timid and shy type. She wouldn't believe that despite her astonishing beauty I chose to be infatuated with her hands. We emerged from the elevator and headed in the same direction. The corridor stretched on and on forever. I was walking a step behind and her butt swayed left and right with perfect rhythm. No, she was not joggling nor jiggling. Her butt was merely quivering under the comfortable khaki cotton pants. She then came to a stop in front of her room door and I did the same in front of mine. They were across from each other, our doors, our rooms. I fumbled with my plastic key as she did with hers. She dropped hers on the floor as I dropped mine. We bent to pick them up and we couldn't keep the insouciant façade any longer as we both burst out laughing. She was one second faster than me in opening her door and as she disappeared with her bag behind it our eyes met then... The last I saw of her was the crimson polish on her nails… on her pulchritudinous hand.
I showered under a stream of deliciously hot water. The fluent spray fingered my neck and shoulders, the small of my back, my thighs and legs like a pair of expert hands, Doctor McDonald's own hands. I closed my eyes and surrendered to the tantalizingly arousing reverie. Only if we humans were truly transparent, I reflected. How different the world would have been if our emotions and feelings were extraneously projected for all to see. I tossed and turned in bed as I always do on my first night in a new one. The mattress engulfed my body like a warm womb while the pillows swallowed my head with comfort and delight, yet I could not sleep. The two hour time difference didn't help either and no sooner than I had a shut eye than the clock brought me to tomorrow.
She came in as I was having breakfast. She was dressed in a stunning suit that made her unreachably good-looking. From the distance, I was fascinated with her calves. They were white and slender and led to her unbelievably attractive feet. I could glimpse her pedicured toes while my scrambled eggs waited then got cold in my plate. She sat not far but she obviously hadn't seen me. I watched her nibble her fruits of the morning and drink her milk. Oh, how she drank her milk. Then as graciously as she walked in she stood up and left the room. I fumbled with my napkin, fork and knife but was already too late.
The morning session dragged on and on. I struggled to keep my eyes open, I resisted with all my force a complete brain shut down until with the mercy of God we were granted a 15 minute break. I didn't want to leave the meeting room at first but then decided to step out and have a change of scenery. Coffee and cakes were served near the entrance and next to the shipping throng there stood a group of well dressed hematologists, mostly men, peppered with the presence of a few stylish women. My doctor stood on the side speaking to a colleague, smiling ever so mystifyingly and holding a cup of something in her hand. I walked toward her as if drawn by a magnet. I only wanted her to see me walking toward her and she did. I can smile mysteriously as well I wanted her to read in my eyes and I was egotistic enough to believe that she did.
The rest of the day ate me alive. I was burning to get out of the room. There was an enclosed swimming pool I noticed earlier with an open bar. I went craving a glass of Scotch on the Rocks but there at a corner table she sat alone. She had already changed into something more comfortable yet no less tasteful. She saw me all the way from afar this time and didn't even attempt to hide her smile. I was a few feet away when she said at last: "You know I have seen more of you since WE got here than I saw any of my colleagues in the conference." "Did you see the guys I'm spending my time with?" I asked. "I'd better keep running into you or I will lose my mind." She extended her hand smiling: "I'm Fenella McDonald," she said, "and you are Captain …?" "Hands", I replied, "Abufares I mean." I held her hand in mine and thought of distances stretched across thousands and thousands of miles, erased, nullified, annihilated by a mere touch.
"Would you care to join me," she asked. I did and the gloomy weather of London turned out to be much more bearable after all.
|What do you think?
33 comments:
A very honest question:
Does your wife read your adventurous stories you write on here? You are in big trouble my dear friend!
Great read though ;)
- The Syrian Brit said...
Delightful, as usual, Abu Fares..
I am intrigued... Was this a recent trip to London?.. and if so.... HOW COME YOU DID NOT TRY TO CONTACT ME??...
I have had a week off recently, and it would have been a perfect opportunity to welcome you to our humble abode, and show you a part of England that not many of our visiting compatriots have seen...
And you're right.. Heathrow is an ugly place...
- Gabriela said...
Fenella... I've never heard that name before, and I think it has a nice sound.
Is this a recent episode?
- Dubai Jazz said...
that was a very warm and well-told story, Abu Fares. Man, you're the ultimate story teller, no one could grab the collective attention of us your readers that effectively like you do.
p.s. you should expound more on your epilouges ;)
p.p.s what were you wearing to the indoor pool with the open bar? ;)
As usual your writing style is absolutely addictive. Once I started reading I wondered in your mind because I know you very well. Like "DJ" said you're the ultimate story teller and I agree with him.
- Fantasia said...
…and of course in my mind … I finish the story … in my own style! What fun!
Hands are a most fascinating adjunct. I always love a man with well groomed hands. I also love the way some people talk with them, fluttering like butterflies or punctuation points for their spoken words.
Very fine read my friend. Eloquent and addictive … a pleasure as always.
Omfares must be the most self assured woman of this Earth!
w.b. yeats
- Fantasia said...
@ w.b, yeats and 3aber sabeel,
When a man (or woman) stops looking they are dead... or dishonest with themself. I admire Abufares for being honest with himself - and us. There is trust there. Omfares has less to worry from a man that is honest than the one that remains silent and secretive.
@ Fantasia,
As you do not know me personally you are assuming too much. I've known Abufares a long time, and he knows i'm only kidding. And, I know exactly what kind of man Abufares is, true, honest, funny, intelligent and he can take all the irony and jest I send him!
w. b. yeats
- Fantasia said...
@ w.b. yeats, Interesting reaction, that you chose offence where there was none meant. The quote "I do believe she protests too much" comes to mind. But I digress. I would never presume to know you - but there is a singular approach or pattern to your comments across this entire blog. If I may, you do not know me either. Otherwise you would know that I do not judge, and that my comment was merely a general one - not aimed at you on a personal level or Abufares - merely a statement, or musing of what your own words triggered in my mind. After all, that is what blogs are for. Open exchange and with luck - a little inspiration. I know Abufares well enough to agree with all your labels for him and would add many more to the list, including sensual and open minded.
- KJ said...
Ditto, DJ!
- Unknown said...
@2aber sabeel
Like any other man out there, I... one of the following:
1- Love women
2- Love men
3- Love men and women
4- Love no one
My wife must be very lucky that I'm Number 1.
- Unknown said...
@Syrian Brit
What can I say my friend. These business trips are catching up with me. I'm going all over but in the end I'm not really going anywhere. I was in London for 4 nights but I only had Saturday afternoon free. I actually wrote this post, fell asleep then came back the next day.
Hopefully, there will be another visit to the UK and when I do come I'll plan it ahead of time and make sure we get together.
- Unknown said...
Well of course Fenella is not her real name. I just love "Fenella" so much and that's why I chose it.
However, it might be interesting to note that Dr. McDonald's real name is even more beautiful.
i just returned home from London very late last night.
- Unknown said...
@Dubai Jazz
Thank you for appreciating my stories my friend.
p.s. Next time, I'll expand more, lol
p.p.s. I was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts... Nah, just kidding, I was still in my suit and tie. But later on I took them off one by one... the tie and the jacket that is.
- Unknown said...
@Habibi Abu Steif
I'm so happy you came here my friend. Well, you do know my mind real well. There are only beautiful things floating around in there and I'm so happy I'm able to share (some of)them with you.
- Unknown said...
I love it when you jump to my defense like that, I really do:-)
So you love a man with well groomed hands... Ummm, well sadly I don't fit into this category as mine have the wear and tear of time on them. However, it might be of interest to know that I've been told that they are very sexy, lol.
Nobody can finish this story better than you can... and you'll be doing all of us a great favor if you do ;-)
Thank you for being here and for describing me with such beautiful words... sensual in particular made me blush (not at all with embarrassment I might add).
- Unknown said...
@w.b. yeats (my favorite trouble maker)
First, I need to make it clear that I know how much you like to tease me and that you only wanted to get my passionate reaction.
The thing is I can only reply seriously because you raise a very interesting and important issue.
You are a "married" artist, a painter with a great talent, and you do use your medium to express your inner feelings, thoughts, longings, hopes and despairs beautifully. A poet can also do that without stirring much controversy using what she's best at: imagery, symbolism and myth. I can only express myself acceptably with words in the form of prose and the fact that I am "married" becomes more of an issue because writing is in a way so easy to interpret and understand by everyone. My appreciation for women is nothing I will ever attempt to hide. The joy evoked by not the joggling, not the jiggling but the quivering of Fenella's butt is only too real. I can keep it inside and never mention it of course but I was not wired liked that.
This blog of mine dances on the edge of the personal at times. I post recipes as well and talk dirty politics every once in a while. Had I been a painter I would've spent the next 2 months painting Fenella in a most exquisite way. She is so perfectly beautiful yet I have but mere words to express my fascination with her.
My wife didn't marry a dead man. This is how I was, how I am and how I will always be. She must be self assured. Any woman should be that regardless of the man in her life. She must worry when I start skulking like a shadow of a man. Luckily for her, I would never allow myself to be that.
But you knew that all along and still love to tease:-)
- Unknown said...
What can I say to that Ditto, DJ of yours. Come on, you could've said a few more words.
Why don't you tell us about the latest BUTT that affected you. Or could it be that it was so perfect it rendered you speechless?
- Unknown said...
@w.b. yeats
I just found a way to get back at you.
The fact that it bothers you that I'm not too "uxorious" to your taste only goes to prove that you are overly "maritorious".
Ah, the power of words :-)
Well, I what ever I am, I am mostly honest, and even in my "maritorious" mind and without any jest I think on any healthy marriage both partners must be very selfassured that they are loved equally. And, that my good friend was the only thing I ment. Omfares, loves you and is selfassured that you love her back. And the comment was triggered after reading 3abber sabbel's comment, which is the reaction you got from your blogg. Ah?
If I answerd Fantasia, was solely because she grouped me with your friend 3abber sabbel that said you "were in so much trouble". The problem with the written word is that it can be taken very literally sometimes. If you do not know the mood in which it was written, it can be taken in many different ways. I believe Fantasia and I have this problem. Maybe is the translation from a different language to English, maybe it is just our very different personal styles. In any case, because you know me, you probably understand my meaning in a more ascertained manner... I hope.
The muse for ones artistic vein always comes in the most surprising moments.
Love U,
w.b. yeats
PS. And, it does not bother me that you say you are not too "uxorious" or that you think that I am overly "maritorious"... Who ever thinks of this "words"?!
- Mariyah said...
Abu Fares, your passion, sensuality, and love of women is a distinct part of who you are. And when you can combine this passion with your incredible writing...there is nothing more intoxicating to read, my friend. One never knows one will find on your blog...part of its charm...but we can always be assured that it will be beautifully delivered and deliciously YOU!
- Unknown said...
@w.b. yeats
You have always been one of the most honest people I ever met.
But I got you with these 2 stupid words didn't I???
w.b. yeats is maritorious, nana nanana...
- Unknown said...
You see, in essence, you are a major reason why I love "women".
I mean your character, your allure, your passion and sensuality, your eloquence, your placidity, your yearning and longing, your detachment and aloofness... the hunger and satisfaction in your words... in your eyes (as far as I'm concerned)force me to believe that a man needs to be in love with more than one woman to be able, for instance, to love you.
It's exactly these ultra feminine traits that make a simple man like me fall in love with WOMEN.
- Fantasia said...
"...She had always found that the men in her life only liked one of her many personas; a handful at best. She could one moment be a child in need of a father to look after her, the next a strong, powerful, independent woman followed moments later by one who was gentle and caring only to change into the dominant woman that pins her man to the bed, biting and scratching her unsuspecting pray. It was never an act or roll playing; she really was all these women. He loved it. Genuinely loved "them" all and rolled with the waves, laughing with her all the way. He thrived on her unpredictability and she desperately needed him to be free … to be herself. He was her freedom." - Abufares - when I wrote that story for you - what you just wrote so poetically to Mariyah - was precisely what I was referring to. You need to Love all women in order to truly love one woman…. You understand and live that so well.
- Unknown said...
What can I say to that?
I'm usually the verbose type, on my blog at least (IRL, I listen more than I talk).
You summed up in very simple terminology what the essence of a man's passion is. He wants a woman that is all women in one.
A man needs a woman who is his anchor and his sail. That's all a man could ever dream of.
- Dubai Jazz said...
A man needs a woman who is his anchor and his sail..
I like the anchor analogy.
Was it an innuendo?
*dirty mind mode on*
Disciple of Momus!
I think you will enjoy all the words in this site
: )
w.b. yeats
- Unknown said...
Not this time my friend.
An anchor is the pivoting point for a ship, Without which, she will go astray.
A sail will carry the same ship to oceans of fancy and enchantment. Without which, a ship is but a piece of junk.
Such is a man.
- Unknown said...
@w.b. yeats
Great Link. Thanks:-)
Hands,and Hands!
Beautifully written.
"The men in ties that never got their feet wet" lool such a costal man.. must be appreciated!
- Unknown said...
@Batoul Abaza
Thank you for dropping by.
It is indeed our way, coastal men, to get back at the landlocked (and mindlocked) Damascenes, Aleppines and Homsis.
Well in all fairness and as far as this post is concerned I was the only Syrian attending. I found out, however, that men in suits, regardless of their nationality get on my nerves.


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10 Coolest Small Towns: White River Junction
These towns all have fewer than 10,000 people—but they can rival larger cities when it comes to good food, culture, and quality of life.
White River Junction, Vt.
Population: 2,569
Nearest City: Manchester, N.H., 76 miles
The long-depressed former railroad hub reinvented itself as an artists' colony several years ago, so the 19th-century storefronts traffic more in quirky than in quaint. The Main Street Museum showcases a collection of oddities that includes gallstones said to be Elvis Presley's (58 Bridge St., 802/356-2776, mainstreetmuseum.org), and The Center for Cartoon Studies offers lectures by cartoonists such as Garry Trudeau (94 S. Main St., 802/295-3319, cartoonstudies.org). The Tip Top building, a former bakery, is home to about 40 artists' studios, the Tip Top Café (85 N. Main St., 802/295-3312, tiptopcafevt.com), and the Cooler Gallery, which exhibits the works of international artists (802/295-8008, coolergallery.biz).
Over at Revolution, Kim Souza sells espresso and indie-designed and vintage clothes (26 N. Main St., 802/295-6487, revolutionvintage.com). She's happy the town has maintained a sense of community as it's grown. "The owner of the building across the street asked me what color to paint it, since I'm going to be looking at it," she says.
White River Junction also has decent nightlife. You can catch a play by the Northern Stage theater company (12 N. Main St., 802/296-7000, northernstage.org) and then eat dinner to live jazz at Elixir, a lounge in an old freight warehouse (188 S. Main St., 802/281-7009, elixirrestaurant.com, tapas from $7).
>See photos of the coolest small towns


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L.A. Guns played a large roll in defining the glam metal scene in the late '80s in Hollywood. Thanks to Headbangers Ball, the teenagers out here in the desert were able to get a taste of that glittery glory. I've seen the Guns live a handful of times over the years, and they still deliver a hot, dirty, balls-out show.
These guys are not artifacts of the past. Seeing them live is not a guilty pleasure. It's just effin' good. Air your stinky leathers out, tease up that purdy hair, and bring your damaged eardrums and your bad attitude down to the Launchpad Sunday night ... Oh, and you can French kiss your Monday morning goodbye. Rest assured it will be worth it. Not sure what to wear? Might I suggest the following:
-Any combination of black leather and lace
-Any number of bandanas tied to your hat, boot, or any body part
-Anything that would increase your likelihood of seeing the back of a limousine ... or squad car


text:
Are you in the United States?
Visit our U.S.A. & International site for relevant pricing, distribution and product availability information.Go to StarTech.com
4-Port USB Wall Charger - International Travel - 34W/6.8A - Black
Charge two tablets and two phones simultaneously, from almost anywhere in the world
Product ID: USB4PACBK
- Charge your devices at home or overseas with the included universal power adapter
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A portable universal power adapter that's perfect for international travel
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Shared power output lets you charge up to four devices at once
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The USB charging station features built-in safety measures to ensure that all of your devices are protected against damage from overheating, overvoltage, overcurrent or short circuiting. If the 34-watt limit is exceeded, the power being sent to the connected devices will turn off and the charger will reset itself until the load is reduced to safe levels.
The USB4PACBK is backed by our 2-year warranty to ensure dependable performance.
Note: Some mobile devices, such as certain Samsung and BlackBerry® devices, use proprietary power connections which are not compatible with aftermarket chargers. Please consult the manufacturer's documentation to ensure compatibility with the USB4PACBK.
- Charge two tablets and two phones simultaneously
- Charge four phones at once
- Set up a dedicated charging station for your home or office
Product Numbers
Ingram Micro Belgium
Tech Data - Belgium
UPC Code
Technical Specifications
|Warranty Information
|2 Years
|Connector A
|1 - NEMA 1-15 Power (North America) Plug
|1 - BS 1363 Power (UK) Plug
|1 - CEE 7/16 Power (Europlug) Plug
|1 - AS/NZS 3112 Power (Australia) Plug
|Connector B
|4 - USB Type-A (4 pin) USB 2.0 Female
|Input Current
|Input Voltage
|Output Current
|Output Voltage
|Physical Characteristics
|Product Height
|4.3 cm [1.7 in]
|Product Length
|60 mm [2.4 in]
|Product Width
|55 mm [2.2 in]
|Weight of Product
|203 g [7.2 oz]
|Packaging Information
|Package Height
|52 mm [2 in]
|Package Length
|21.2 cm [8.3 in]
|Package Width
|83 mm [3.3 in]
|Shipping (Package) Weight
|240 g [8.5 oz]
|What's in the Box
|Included in Package
|1 - 4-port USB wall charger
|1 - Universal Power Adapter (NA/UK/EU/AUS)
Related Products
4-Port USB Wall Charger - International Travel - 34W/6.8A - White
Charge two tablets and two phones simultaneously, from almost anywhere in the world
Dual-Port USB Wall Charger - International Travel - 17W/3.4A - Black
Charge your tablet and your phone simultaneously
Dual-Port USB Wall Charger - International Travel - 17W/3.4A - White
Charge your tablet and your phone simultaneously, almost anywhere around the world
Product Support
Data Sheets
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Fold in the North American power plug.
2. Slide the Universal Power Adapter over the North American power plug until you hear an audible click.
Note: The North American power plug does not have to be removed from this product to use the Universal Power Adapter.
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This device provides 6.8A of power, and the power LED on the device will slowly blink when the devices connected to it are trying to draw more than 6.8A of power. To properly charge the connected devices, reduce the number or types of devices connected to this device until the power LED stops blinking.
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Safety Measures
- If product has an exposed circuit board, do not touch the product under power.
- If Class 1 Laser Product. Laser radiation is present when the system is open.
- Wiring terminations should not be made with the product and/or electric lines under power.
- Product installation and/or mounting should be completed by a certified professional as per the local safety and building code guidelines.
- Cables (including power and charging cables) should be placed and routed to avoid creating electric, tripping or safety hazards.
* Product appearance and specifications are subject to change without notice.


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Archive of Press Releases Archive of Press Releases
Marine diversity study proves value of citizen science
Methods in Ecology and Evolution
Wed, 13 Mar 2013
Citizen science surveys compare well with traditional scientific methods when it comes to monitoring species biodiversity - according to new research from the University of East Anglia.Research published today in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution shows that methods to record marine diversity used by amateurs returned results consistent with techniques favoured by peer-reviewed science.
The findings give weight to the growing phenomenon of citizen science, which sees data crowd-sourced from an army of avid twitchers, divers, walkers and other wildlife enthusiasts.
The field study compared methods used by 'citizen' SCUBA divers with those used by professional scientists, to measure the variety of fish species in three Caribbean sites.
The divers surveyed the sites using two methods - the 'belt transect', used in peer reviewed fish diversity studies, and the 'roving diver technique', used by the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) volunteer fish survey project.
Two teams of 12 divers made 144 separate underwater surveys across the sites over four weeks.
While the traditional scientific survey revealed sightings of 106 different types of fish, the volunteer technique detected greater marine diversity with a total of 137 in the same waters.
Dr Ben Holt, from UEA's school of Biological Sciences, led the research in partnership with the Centre for Marine Resource Studies in the Caribbean and the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
He said: "The results of this study are important for the future of citizen science and the use of data collected by these programs. Allowing volunteers to use flexible and less standardised methods has important consequences for the long term success of citizen science programs. Amateur enthusiasts typically do not have the resources or training to use professional methodology. Our study demonstrates the quality of data collected using a volunteer method can match, and in some respects exceed, protocols used by professional scientists.
"Enlisting the help of a large pool of volunteers helps professional researchers collect valuable data across many ecosystems.
"The popularity of SCUBA diving has resulted in monitoring of the underwater environment on a scale that was previously impossible. For example, the REEF method has been used by volunteers in more than 160,000 underwater surveys across the world. It would have cost many millions of pounds for professionals to have undertaken the same work.
"Very few, if any, scientific groups can collect data on the scale that volunteer groups can, so our proof that both methods return consistent results is very encouraging for citizen science in general.
"I think we will really see the value of volunteer schemes increase in future. We're living in a world that's changing very significantly. Environmental changes are having a big impact on ecosystems around us so we need to harness new ways of measuring the effect.
"For example Lion fish is an invasive species which was not in the Caribbean until roughly 10 years ago. They have now become a real problem in many areas and this invasion has been tracked using volunteer data. Following our study, scientists can have more confidence when using these data to consider the impact of threats, such as invasive species, on the wider natural communities.
"It is important to note that our study does not consider the abilities of the individuals performing the surveys and this is also an important consideration for any large scale biodiversity program. By addressing these issues we can make important steps towards enabling the large pool of volunteer enthusiasts to help professional researchers by collecting valuable data across many ecosystems."
The research was carried out in under water sites close to South Caicos in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
'Comparing diversity data collected using a protocol designed for volunteers with results from a professional alternative' by B. Holt (University of East Anglia, UK), R. Rioja-Nieto (Centre for Marine Resource Studies, Caribbean, and the National Autonomous University of Mexico), A. MacNeil (Australian Institute of Marine Science), J. Lupton (Centre for Marine Resource Studies) and C. Rahbek (University of Copenhagen, Denmark) is published by Methods in Ecology and Evolution.
Photo credit: Jan Lupton


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RootsTech 2014 announced what it is calling the first wave of bloggers for the Conference scheduled on February 6th through 8th, 2014 at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah. If you look closely, some of the bloggers will be "remote attendees." I will be glad and privileged to see and mingle with the bloggers at the upcoming event.
Amy Coffin is the author of We Tree Genealogy blog where she shares her adventures in family history and encourages others to do the same. She is also the author of the popular Big Genealogy Blog Book and contributes to numerous genealogy publications.
Lisa Louise Cooke is the owner of Genealogy Gems, a genealogy and family history multimedia company. She produces and hosts two podcasts and has authored several books and a variety of multimedia materials.
Jill Ball returns as an official blogger for RootsTech. She has been a librarian and a teacher and has worked in IT. She shares her passion for integrating technology with genealogy through her blogs, Geniaus and Android Genealogy. In 2014, Jill will be a remote attendee at RootsTech.
DearMYRTLE is the pen name of Pat Richley-Erickson, author of the award-winning DearMYRTLE genealogy blog. A speaker at regional and national conferences, Ol' Myrt is slated to present two G+ Hangout on Air workshops at RootsTech 2014 and also serve as an official blogger.
Dick Eastman has been involved in genealogy for more than 30 years. In January 1996, he launchedEastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter. The present newsletter is read by more than 75,000 genealogists all over the world. Dick splits his time between Boston and Orlando and traveling by motorhome and plane.
Randy Seaver is a native San Diegan. A former president of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society, he is currently the newsletter editor and research chair. He blogs daily about genealogy subjects at GeneaMusings and the Chula Vista Genealogy Café.
Renee Zamora has been blogging since 2005 and is the writer behind Renee's Genealogy Blog. She currently serves as secretary for the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group and is a member of the Utah Genealogical Association and Warren County (NY) Historical Society.
James Tanner's blog, Genealogy's Star, is one of the top genealogy blogs. He serves as a missionary at the Mesa, Arizona FamilySearch Library and presents at expos and conferences around the United States. James has over 30 years of experience in genealogical research.
Nancy Shively was the inaugural blogger for theFamily Tree Magazine Family Tree Firsts blog. She now writes her own blog, Gathering Stories, where she shares her passion for connecting families with the past using the tools of the future. She lives near Tulsa with her husband.
Sistas in Zion also known as Sista Beehive and Sista Laurel (Tamu Smith and Zandra Vranes) are popular multimedia personalities. Their media entity focuses on humorous aspects of faith and Mormon culture and seeks to uplift, inspire, bridge religious divides and create healthy dialogue.
Ancestry Insider writes a readers' choice news and resources blog and has received many awards, along with being named Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1966 and 2006. A genealogical technologist, the Insider has done genealogy since 1972 and has worked in the computer industry since 1978. Conference attendees are among the few nationwide to learn the identity of Insider.
Thomas MacEntee is a genealogy professional specializing in the use of technology and social media to improve genealogy research and connect with others in the family history community. He writes blog posts, organizes the 3,000+ members of GeneaBloggers.com, and teaches online genealogy webinars and more.
Sue Maxwell is actively involved in the genealogy community, having served as vice president on the executive board of the Utah Genealogical Association, and as family history center director and trainer and in technology support. She maintains her blog, Granite Genealogy, focusing on training information and materials.
Sonia Meza has been sharing her enthusiasm for family history for years and she's discovered the best tool in the technology world to make it accessible and fun for everyone. Lleva años compartiendo su entusiasmo po la historia familiar y ha descubierto en la tecnología la major herramienta para hacerla accessible y divertida para todos.
Drew Smith has been the co-host of the Genealogy Guys Podcast since September 2005. He is the Chair of the Family History Information Standards Organization and an assistant librarian at the University of South Florida Tampa Library.
Rosemary Morgan is a British genealogist specializing in the Greater London area through her London Roots Research genealogy business. She is interested in new ways of harnessing technology to improve ways of researching and presenting in genealogy and family history.