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GSA Contractors Who Cheat On Their Taxes and What Should Be Done About It
Mr. Chairman, Members of the Subcommittee, my name is Kathleen M. Turco. I am the Acting Deputy Administrator of General Services. I am pleased to have this opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the General Accountability Office's (GAO) recent report titled "Thousands of Civilian Agency Contractors Abuse the Federal Tax System with Little Consequence." My testimony will address, in order, the issues that you raised in your letter of March 3, 2006.
Mr. Chairman, I know you are interested in what can be done to be sure that tax-delinquent General Services Administration (GSA) contractors are identified and subjected to the Federal Payment Levy Program. The answer is that many things can and have been done. As I will specifically address in my testimony, GSA has participated with the U.S. Department of the Treasury in the Federal Contractor Tax Compliance Task Force to identity several key automated systems changes that have enhanced the accuracy of the information that we presently have regarding Federal contractors. We also are working with our GSA SmartPay® vendors to explore the options for purchases from tax debtors where the GSA SmartPay® purchase card is used as a payment mechanism.
We believe that the issues you raise in your March 3 letter are very important and very complex. Progress on understanding and resolving the issue of Federal contractors who are tax debtors must be measured and precise to ensure accurate reporting of tax information and a appropriate response that furthers the interests of the Department of the Treasury and the Federal acquisition community. We believe that we are making such progress and are happy to present this information to you.
First, I would like to address your question related to the products and services that are available on the Multiple Awards Schedule, also known as MAS, as well as the scope, size, and use of the MAS program.
The MAS program provides Federal agencies with a simplified process of acquiring commonly used supplies and services in varying quantities while obtaining volume discounts. MAS indefinite-delivery contracts are awarded to commercial firms using competitive procedures. The MAS contractors provide supplies and services at stated prices for a given period of time, for delivery within a stated geographic area, such as the 48 contiguous states, the District of Columbia, Alaska, Hawaii, and overseas. GSA seeks to obtain pricing equal to or better than that given to the contractors' most favored customers, recognizing that the terms and conditions of commercial sales vary and there may be legitimate reasons why the best price is not achieved. In addition, GSA encourages agencies to seek price reductions and award work to the contractors that provide the best value.
Currently, there are 17,495 MAS contracts in place covering the following services and products:
- Services
- Information Technology
- Facilities Maintenance and Management
- Communications (languages, public relations)
- Professional Engineering Services
- Financial and Business Solutions
- Furniture (interior design, relocation, installation, etc.)
- Javits Wagner O'Day eligible products (Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled)
- Human Resources
- Law Enforcement, Security, Emergency Preparedness
- Logistics
- Management Consulting
- Environmental Services
- Travel and Transportation
- Vehicle (leasing, rental, maintenance, repair) Products
- IT hardware and software
- Tools
- Paper Products
- Office Supplies
- Vehicles
- Recreational Equipment (including trophies/awards)
- Law Enforcement Equipment
- Copiers
For fiscal year 2005, approximately $33.8 billion worth of sales were recorded through the MAS program.
The second issue I'd like to touch on is the process GSA follows to make responsibility determinations based on the representations and certifications application submitted by contractors. Prior to the award of a contract, GSA determines whether prospective contractors are "responsible" in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). The process GSA follows is specifically governed by FAR 9.104-1(a), which requires that in order to be deemed responsible, a prospective contractor must:
Have adequate financial resources;
Be able to comply with the delivery or performance schedule;
Have a satisfactory performance record;
Possess a satisfactory record on integrity and business ethics;
Possess the necessary organization, experience, technical skills, accounting and operations oversight; and
Have the production, construction and/or technical equipment and facilities to perform the work required.
A pre-award survey is conducted if the Contracting Officer has reason to believe one or more of the aforementioned factors are in doubt. Per FAR 9.106-1, a pre-award survey is not required for the acquisition of commercial items. However, the Contracting Officer must still determine financial responsibility even for the acquisition of commercial items.
One method of determining financial responsibility by GSA Contracting Officers is to review and evaluate the latest company financial statements. Other facts that could be considered is how long the company has been in business, any bankruptcies during the company's lifetime, bond rating by Moody's or Standard and Poor's, etc..
If a pre-award survey is needed, the Contracting Officer submits a Standard Form (SF) 1403, Pre-award Survey of Prospective Contractor to GSA's Finance Office. GSA Credit and Finance personnel examine technical capability, production capability, quality assurance capability and financial capability, including a check of the accounting system.
For contracts involving the production of commercial items, GSA sometimes uses GSA Form 353, Performance Evaluation and Facilities Report. This evaluation examines monthly production capacity; production equipment; production methods; management; inspection; quality assurance procedures; packaging, packing and marking; and performance history.
An overall responsibility determination also is dependent on contractor representations and certifications. Contractors provide these FAR required statements by using the Online Representations and Certifications (ORCA) system. The Contracting Officer is responsible for reviewing the representations and certifications to be sure that they do not present information that would impede an affirmative finding of contractor responsibility.
Another issue raised in your letter is the integration of ORCA and the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) as part of the Business Partner Network, including GSA's management of CCR and efforts related to taxpayer identification number validation. The Integrated Acquisition Environment was established as one of twenty four e-government initiatives. Its mission is to provide a shared services environment for those functions which are common to all Federal acquisition activities. One of these is the CCR, which is the single point of registration for those wanting to do business with the Federal Government as prescribed in the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
This system allows us to collect basic vendor information one time and share it among all agencies. It collects addresses, business lines, socio-economic data, points of contact and electronic funds transfer (EFT) information for payment in one place, eliminating the need for registrants to find, enter and maintain multiple Federal agency databases. Registrants are responsible for registering and maintaining their own data. We require an annual revalidation to maintain the active status necessary to receive awards and payments. As of March 3, 2006, there are currently 413,000 active registrants.
Wherever possible, data is validated by the authoritative source. Since April 2005, registration information is passed to the Small Business Administration (SBA) in real time to validate certifications for 8(a), HUBZone and Small Disadvantaged Business. The employee and revenue values provided by the registrant are also used by the SBA to calculate business size for each North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code to assist contracting officers. Contracting Officers are still responsible to make a size determination on each contract based on its characteristics.
On October 30, 2005, the CCR program began validating the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and Taxpayer Name of each new registrant and updating existing CCR registrants with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) records. The TIN matching process is a joint effort between the General Services Administration (GSA), the Department of Defense, and the IRS to improve the quality of data in Government acquisition systems. All CCR registrants were informed that new or modified records would trigger the IRS validation in CCR registration. In order to complete CCR registration and qualify to bid for Federal Government contracts or apply for Federal grants, the TIN and Taxpayer Name combination provided in the IRS Consent Form screen must match exactly to the TIN and Taxpayer Name used in Federal tax matters. It is now averaging 1-2 business days to validate new and updated records prior to becoming active in the CCR database. If the data does not match, the registrant is provided an IRS helpdesk number to call.
Another part of the Business Partner Network of systems is ORCA, which I previously mentioned. This system extracts CCR information from the database and enters it into appropriate contract clauses to eliminate re-keying by the vendor. The appropriate individual then validates its accuracy. Subsequent solicitations will use this data unless an offeror provides an exception for that solicitation. Tax evasion is covered in one multi-purpose clause covering fraud, embezzlement, tax evasion and other areas; only 69 records reflected an affirmative response to this question. This clause also provides information on penalty for misrepresentation.
I'd now like to briefly address GSA's ability to determine whether federal contractors have been indicted for or convicted of tax evasion as part of the Responsibility Determination.
Every MAS solicitation contains clause, 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications—Commercial Items. In this clause, the offeror certifies, to the best of its knowledge and belief, whether the offeror and/or any of its principals—within a three-year period preceding this offer, have been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for the following:
commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a Federal, state or local Government contract or subcontract; violation of Federal or state antitrust statutes relating to the submission of offers; or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, tax evasion, or receiving stolen property.
This information may be obtained directly from the contractor or from the ORCA system.
Another issue you raise in your letter is the status of ongoing work related to GSA by the Federal Contractor Tax Compliance Task Force and especially the effort to be sure that purchase card payments are subjected to levies pursuant to the Federal Payment Levy Program.
The purchase card is a charge card issued as part of GSA's SmartPay® Program which provides commercial purchase card services to approximately 350 Government agencies and organizations. The program enables agencies to avoid an estimated $1.4 billion in administrative processing costs annually on relatively low-cost purchases through the use of a streamlined, commercial buying process. These services are provided through five contractor banks. GSA obtains summary level data on purchase card transactions under this program, for purposes such as monitoring payments. We do not receive detailed, transaction-by-transaction information.
Since May 2005, at your request, GSA actively participates in the Federal Contractor's Tax Compliance (FCTC) Task Force Purchase Card Subgroup. As a task force participant, GSA explored potential approaches to address the collection of outstanding tax debts through the GSA SmartPay® Program purchase card business line, in coordination with officials from the Department of the Treasury's Internal Revenue and Financial Management Services, and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, and the Office of Management and Budget.
GSA participated in subsequent FCTC subgroup meetings in June, October and November 2005, as well as numerous phone conversations on this matter. For the November meeting, GSA arranged for the GSA SmartPay® contractor banks, as well as representatives from the major charge card associations, to meet with FCTC officials to discuss the feasibility of various approaches to the levy issue.
Since neither GSA, nor the Federal Agencies using the GSA SmartPay® purchase card, pay the individual merchants directly (a range of banks both within and without the GSA SmartPay® Program make these payments in coordination with the charge card associations and other entities), the idea of government agencies withholding payments from individual merchants does not appear workable.
Alternative approaches such as requiring the banks to withhold funds from individual merchants were also rejected as the GSA SmartPay® banks informed us that their automated systems do not possess this functionality. The banks also raised issues of liability for erroneous levies; legal concerns regarding levy authority; challenges associated with determining a specific vendor's identity within multiple, related charge card systems; anticipated costs associated in changing commercial systems; the need to change card association agreements in place with a merchant community numbering in the millions, etc. This matter is further complicated by the fact that the bank that issued the card, and the bank that issues the payment to the merchant for the transaction, are often different banks.
The industry advises that a third alternative, involving "blocking" transactions such that government purchase cards cannot be used with specific merchants until their tax delinquencies are resolved, is not possible given the current infrastructure. While industry can "block" transactions, it can do so only very broadly. For example, all hardware stores could be blocked, as opposed to one specific hardware store.
While Government charge card business is substantial, it is relatively small in comparison to world-wide commercial and individual card use. For example, MasterCard volume for the first six months of calendar year 2005 equaled $556 billion. VISA's annual transaction volume is reportedly $3 trillion dollars annually, as compared to a total of $24 billion total for all GSA SmartPay® product lines, encompassing purchase, travel and fleet charge cards, for all of fiscal year 2005. Industry expressed concerns regarding the potential costs for commercial system infrastructure changes solely to satisfy government-unique needs.
Under the GSA SmartPay® Program, GSA contracts for commercial charge card services. We are concerned that the levy issue is outside the scope of the current negotiated contracts and may actually be a broader banking industry issue. We are also concerned that future actions on the levy issue take into account any potentially negative impact on the small business community, and that if a requirement for the banking industry to levy charge card payments is mandated, that a funding strategy be identified to implement such a change.
Given the significant administrative processing cost savings accruing to agencies from purchase card use, we also believe any levy process needs to be largely transparent to the user in order to avoid discouraging use of the card. In fiscal year 2005 alone, the top 10 agencies in the program transacted approximately 26 million purchases with an average value of just under $700. Most purchase cardholders are non-procurement personnel who use the card in the course of delivering mission services to the public and other customers. Loss of the streamlined processes the card affords, especially for so-called "micro-purchases" under $2,500, could inadvertently discourage card use and loss of the attendant card use benefits the Government currently enjoys. Movement of these purchases away from cards in order to support a levy process could exacerbate current workload problems caused by procurement personnel staffing shortages as the primary vehicle for small purchases moves back to purchase orders and other traditional, paper intensive processes.
Another possible solution under discussion in the FCTC is to flag the CCR records as "Debtors" and issue new policy that the card cannot be used to place orders above the micro-purchase threshold with firms who have this flag. These orders would have to go through the order/invoice process in order to utilize the levy procedure. While this may be a compromise, the implementation needs to be worked out, as many ordering activities do not check or have access to the CCR under current procedures. This process would also require a new systems interface between Treasury and CCR in order to keep the flag current.
We also understand that in 2004, section 6331 of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 6331) was amended to allow the Treasury to continuously levy up to 100 percent of a federal vendor payment to collect outstanding tax obligations. Under previous law, Treasury was authorized to continuously levy only up to 15 percent of specified federal payments. Many Federal payments, such as salary, retirement, and benefit payments, are regularly recurring payments that can be continuously levied until the outstanding tax obligation is satisfied. Vendor payments, however, are not regularly recurring payments and present fewer opportunities for collection. A technical correction to this new authority allowing Treasury to continuously levy up to 100 percent of all vendor payments would be another step toward reducing the tax indebtedness of Federal vendors.
At GSA, we take the issue of unpaid contractor taxes very seriously. We continue to participate in the subgroup looking for practical solutions. For example, we are examining the feasibility of asking competitors for the successor GSA SmartPay® contracts to identify potential alternative courses of action to address the levy issue. However, at this point we cannot predict what alternatives industry will propose, if asked, and how workable or cost-effective these approaches may be. We expect to award these new contracts during fiscal year 2007, with implementation in late November 2008.
Finally, I'd like to address the issue of whether Federal contractors who abuse the federal tax system should be barred from doing business with the Government or, if they are currently doing business with the Government, should be suspended or debarred.
Under current law and regulation the focus of debarment is to exclude companies that are presently not responsible. Tax evasion is a recognized cause for debarment. Similarly, bribery, falsification of records, embezzlement, committing a fraud or criminal offense in performing a Government contract are causes for debarment. The existence of a cause for debarment does not necessarily require that the contractor be debarred; the seriousness of the contractor's acts or omissions and any remedial measures or mitigating factors must be considered. The current regulation establishes a presumption that certain crimes will result in debarment, but it is a rebuttable presumption. It should be kept in mind that debarment is not a punishment for a crime but rather a measure designed to protect the Government from dealing with non-responsible vendors. It is the debarring official's responsibility to determine in each case whether debarment is in the Government's interest. Current law and regulation set an appropriate balance by granting discretion to the debarring official to measure the nature and seriousness of the offense.
GSA will continue to work with our fellow agencies to explore additional options to address the serious matter of contractors who do not pay their taxes. Thank you for providing this opportunity for GSA to appear before you. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.


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Hamilton explored characters from various walks of life in his paintings of the 1960s.
Hamilton Nolan delivers a much-needed dose of perspective for journalism's "me" generation.
Unfortunately that question was the very last sentence of Hamilton's column rather than the beginning.
I think in order to write The Selfish Gene it required Hamilton.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Hamilton continued to tackle controversial subjects in his art.
How accurately it described his attitude toward Miss Hamilton.
"We've just been having a look round," replied General Hamilton.
I had raised my eyes, when they suddenly encountered Mr. Hamilton's.
Not since the morning Mt. Hamilton was covered with snow had there been such a phenomenon.
Zan explained that Mr. Hamilton had thorough-bred dogs that he showed at exhibitions or sold for fabulous prices to dog-fanciers.
Atlantic island, named for Spanish explorer Juan de Bermudez (d.1570), who discovered it c.1515. Bermuda shorts first attested 1946 (in "The Princeton Alumni Weekly"), from the type of garb worn by U.S. tourists there. Bermuda triangle in the supernatural sense was popular from 1972. As the adjective form, Bermudian (1777) holds seniority over Bermudan (1895).
Hamilton Ham·il·ton (hām'əl-tən), Alice. 1869-1970.
American toxicologist and physician known for her research on occupational poisons and her book Industrial Poisons in the United States (1925).
Colony of Britain, made up of some three hundred coral islets and islands in the Atlantic Ocean southeast of Cape Hatteras.
Note: Bermuda is a popular resort.
Note: A group of colonists on their way to Virginia in 1609 were shipwrecked in Bermuda; William Shakespeare based his play The Tempest on this incident.

subset: commoncrawl


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Monday, August 29 2011 - 9/11 Consequences
Who--and What--Are Behind the "Official History" of the Bin Laden Raid?
August 17, 2011
Photo: The father of the New Yorker writer who got the exclusive inside story of the bin Laden raidThe establishment media just keep getting worse. They're further and further from good, tough investigative journalism, and more prone to be pawns in complicated games that affect the public interest in untold ways. A significant recent example is The New Yorker's vaunted August 8 exclusive on the vanquishing of Osama bin Laden.
The piece, trumpeted as the most detailed account to date of the May 1 raid in Abbottabad Pakistan, was an instant hit. "Got the chills half dozen times reading @NewYorker killing bin Laden tick tock...exquisite journalism," tweeted the digital director of the PBS show Frontline. The author, freelancer Nicholas Schmidle, was quickly featured on the Charlie Rose show, an influential determiner of "chattering class" opinion. Other news outlets rushed to praise the story as "exhaustive," "utterly compelling," and on and on.
To be sure, it is the kind of granular, heroic story that the public loves, that generates follow-up bestsellers and movie options. The takedown even has a Hollywood-esque code name: "Operation Neptune's Spear"
Here's the introduction to the mission commander, full of minute details that help give it a ring of authenticity and suggest the most intimate reportorial access:
On and on went the "tick-tock." Yet as Paul Farhi, a Washington Post reporter, noted, that narrative was misleading in the extreme, because the New Yorker reporter never actually spoke to Jamesnor to a single one of James's fellow SEALs (who have never been identified or photographed--even from behind--to protect their identity.) Instead, every word of Schmidle's narrative was provided to him by people who were not present at the raid. Complains Farhi:
...a casual reader of the article wouldn't know that; neither the article nor an editor's note describes the sourcing for parts of the story. Schmidle, in fact, piles up so many details about some of the men, such as their thoughts at various times, that the article leaves a strong impression that he spoke with them directly.
That didn't trouble New Yorker editor David Remnick, according to Farhi:
But we don't.
On a story of this gravity, should we automatically join in with the huzzahs because it has the imprimatur of America's most respected magazine? Or would we be wise to approach it with caution?
Most of us are not the trusting naifs we once were. And with good reason.
The list of consequential events packaged for us by media and Hollywood in unsatisfactory ways continues to grow. It starts, certainly, with the official version of the JFK assassination, widely discredited yet still carried forward by most major media organizations. (For more on that, see this.) More and more people realize that the heroic Woodward & Bernstein story of Nixon's demise is deeply problematical. (I've written extensively on both of these in my book Family of Secrets.)
And untold millions don't think we've heard the real (or at least complete) story of the phenomenal, complex success of those 19 hijackers on Sept. 11, 2001. Skeptics now include former White House counterterrorism adviser Richard Clarke, who recently speculated that the hijackers may have been able to enter the US and move freely precisely because American intelligence hoped to recruit them as double agents--and that an ongoing cover-up is designed to hide this. And then, of course, there are the Pentagon's account of the heroic rescue of Jessica Lynch in Iraq, which turned out to be a hoax, and the Pentagon's fabricated account of the heroic battle death of former NFL player Pat Tillman in Afghanistan, who turned out to be a victim of friendly fire. These are just a few from scores of examples of deceit perpetrated upon the American people. Hardly the kind of track record to inspire confidence in official explanations with the imprimatur of the military and the CIA.
Whatever one thinks of these other matters, we're certainly now at a point where we ought to be prudent in embracing authorized accounts of the latest seismic event: the dramatic end to one of America's most reviled and storied nemeses.
The bin Laden raid presents us with every reason to be cautious. The government's initial claims about what transpired at that house in Abbottabad have changed, then changed again, with no proper explanation of the discrepancies. Even making allowances for human error in such shifting accounts, almost every aspect of what we were told requires a willing suspension of disbelief--from the manner of Osama's death and burial to the purported pornography found at the site. (For more on these issues, see previous articles we wrote on the subject, here, here and here.)
Clarke's theory will seem less outrageous later, as we explore Saudi intelligence's crucial, and bizarre, role at the end of bin Laden's life--working directly with the man who now holds Clarke's job.
Add to all of this the discovery that the reporter providing this newest account wasn't even allowed to talk to any raid participants--and the magazine's lack of candor on this point--and you've got an almost unassailable case for treating the New Yorker story with extreme caution.
Continue reading at the source, Whowhatwhy.com
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author, who is solely responsible for its content, and do not necessarily reflect those of 911Truth.org. 911Truth.org will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements contained in this article.


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Marlow in the Sacramento News & ReviewThursday, March 1st, 2012
Marlow and his creator, Aaron Nelson, are featured in the Sacramento News & Review, a free magazine with 350,000 readers weekly. Marlow even made the cover! Below is some of what they had to say about the book, but you can read it in full over at THIS LINK (just head to page 16-19 for the feature).
"… That he'd never attempted comics was beside the point. Here, he says, he recognized a clear void: a comic-book hero based on one of the Greek literature greats…
Released this week and illustrated in bold, punch frames by Dario Carrasco, Marlow reads as a complex yet pulpy adventure rife with comic-book worthy images – a loyal band of allies, a cold-hearted villain, scheming pirates and a throng of soul-dead zombies – as well political themes that examine, among other subjects, globalism and the war on terror…"
The feature covers the history of Marlow as well as Nelson's inspirations, writing history, and plans for the future. Be sure to read the entire feature by CLICKING HERE.
To order a copy of Marlow, keep reading!
Diamond Code: SEP118014
Arcana Project Site: http://www.arcana.com/view_title.php?id=63
Written By: Aaron Nelson
Art By: Dario Carrasco
Marlow is a zombie story inspired by Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness". It's about one man's journey into the darkness of his soul, and his discovery that perhaps we're all zombies. Marlow is an ex-Marine caught in a dilemma impossible to solve: commit atrocious acts for a global corporation in order to receive medicine that keeps him from reverting to a zombie state, or walk away and suffer the fate of becoming some terrible creature. Struggling with his fears of his affliction and the monster he might become, Marlow abandoned his wife and young daughter, losing his dignity and freedom as he chose a nihilistic life. It is only during this journey told in the story that Marlow realizes that perhaps by avoiding suffering he has become like the zombies he so fears to become and that the only way out is to suffer his fate and become one. "Marlow is a zombie tale about suffering and its part in our humanity, and, in that sense, not about zombies at all.


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Uncle Sam Wants You! Recruitment in the Federal Government
Good afternoon, Chairman Akaka, Ranking Member Voinovich, and Members of the Subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today on behalf of the General Services Administration (GSA). My name is Gail Lovelace and I serve as GSA's Chief Human Capital Officer. I am especially honored to be here with you today to discuss recruitment and retention of a talented Federal workforce during Public Service Recognition week.
GSA provides a centralized delivery system of products and services to the Federal Government, leveraging its enormous buying power to get the best value for taxpayers. Established in 1949, GSA manages more than one-fourth of the Government's total procurement dollars and influences the management of $500 billion in Federal assets, including 8,600 Government-owned or leased buildings and 213,000 vehicles. GSA helps preserve our past and define our future, as a steward of more than 480 historic properties, and as manager of USA.gov, the official portal to Federal Government information and services. GSA's mission to provide superior workplaces, expert technology solutions, acquisition services, purchasing and E-Gov travel solutions and management policies, at best value, allows Federal agencies to focus on their core missions.
During the 1970's, over 40,000 employees worked at GSA. Today, we are an organization of 12,000 that relies on a highly competent workforce to accomplish its mission. Our continued ranking as one of the "Best Places to Work in the Federal Government" shows that we have placed high emphasis on workforce engagement and this has contributed to GSA's ability to be in a better position not only to attract but to retain talent. The Best Places to Work rankings are produced by the Partnership for Public Service and American University's Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation based on agency results from the Federal Human Capital Survey.
Recently, there has been a good deal of concern about hiring in the Federal Government. Why does the hiring process take so long? Why do applicants rarely hear from agencies where they have applied? From the perspective of managers and applicants the process is too slow. When the process is slow – the reasons can come from multiple sources. For example, managers who may not devote the time to developing selection criteria or interviewing, or the selectee may delay filling out security paperwork, or the Human Resources (HR) organizations are handling an enormous volume of applications with fewer resources and with information technology (IT) systems that are not fully supporting their business. Whatever the reason -- we need to break this cycle and improve the hiring process across the Government. It will take improvements on the part of HR professionals, managers, and those interested in working in the Federal Government.
Even in this environment, GSA has been able to attract top talent. We have taken a number of steps to enhance recruitment efforts so that we are positioned to bring the best and the brightest to work at our agency. While we have made progress in some areas, we continue to face challenges in others and we need to do more. I would like to outline for you some of the steps we have already taken and actions we propose for the future to improve the hiring process for HR professionals, our managers, and job applicants.
At the core of GSA's human capital efforts is its Human Capital Strategic Plan ("Plan"). Linked directly to the agency's Strategic Plan, our Plan provides the roadmap to guide our recruitment efforts. One of the seven human capital goals outlined in the Plan focuses our attention on competing for and retaining a talented and engaged workforce. To compliment our Human Capital Strategic Plan, we conduct workforce planning and analysis to assess hiring and attrition trends. This analysis helps to identify: occupational series which pose recruitment challenges, separation trends among core occupational series, reasons why we lose talent, as well as forecasting likely voluntary retirements. From this data, GSA is able to anticipate where strategies are needed for recruiting and retaining talent and devising customized strategies for various occupations.
To help recruit and retain talent, GSA has employed a number of pay and other incentives. Use of these incentives has enabled GSA to hire and retain the most talented, highly qualified candidates and a current workforce in geographical areas where it is difficult to identify and attract employees with the specific skills, knowledge and experience required to fulfill the agency's mission.
GSA's attrition rates stands around 8%, in line with the overall government-wide rate, for the last several years. This means that we must continuously attract new talent to fill the vacated positions. GSA has been able to effectively attract talent by employing a variety of strategies. One key to maintaining our steady staffing levels within GSA is that we have capitalized on our status as one of the top ten "Best Places to Work in the Federal Government" and promote this achievement in our vacancy announcements. We are using a "You Can Do That Here!" marketing strategy that helps applicants understand the range of work offered at GSA. We use a wide range of workplace flexibilities as part of our recruitment efforts: student loan repayment, telework, relocation incentives, alternate work schedules, transit subsidies, flexible work hours, child-care subsidy program and more.
Our workforce statistics show that our workforce is stable. However, we recognize that in today's global market it is imperative that we take action to set us apart as an employer of choice and to do what we must to improve our hiring process with regard to how long it takes to fill a position. We need to improve the manager and the applicant experience. To achieve these goals, we launched a "Lean Hiring" initiative that focuses on specific actions that can be taken to improve the timeliness and quality of our hiring process. Through "Lean Hiring" we are taking a critical look at HR service delivery in five key areas including: policy, planning, systems, structure and processes.
Through this initiative, we are reviewing all of our employment policies related to staffing and recruitment to determine if they meet our needs. We are prepared to abolish those that impede our hiring goals and develop ones that can expedite the process. "Lean Hiring" will also help us develop a more systematic workforce planning process. The focus is on defining the current state, the ideal state and the gaps. The review and analysis will provide a clear understanding of workforce planning at GSA from the perspective of the GSA senior management from across the country.
Another important aspect of "Lean Hiring" is increased collaboration between HR professionals and managers. Active engagement in our customer's strategic planning sessions will result in HR solutions that meet their business requirements. We are identifying key touch points in the process where HR professionals will engage with managers so that the hiring plan is executed as planned and adjustments can be made as quickly as possible.
GSA is working to improve the management consideration and selection phase of the hiring process by providing managers with the advice, guidance and assistance necessary to make appropriate and timely selections. Our HR professionals will assist selecting officials with their panel member composition while the vacancy announcement is open, and they will provide selecting officials with suggested interview questions and a standardized reference check questionnaire. We have also created an electronic Job Analysis Library, which reduces the time needed to prepare the vacancy announcement by providing managers with standardized language they can use to create the announcement.
To improve a job applicant's experience, we are improving the integration between the USAjobs website and our hiring system to make it easier to apply for a job at GSA. Job applicants will be able to electronically access and upload their resume and other documentation they have built into USAjobs to apply for GSA positions. This eliminates the current requirement to create the information in two different systems, USAjobs and GSAjobs. The GSAjobs system will have a clearly defined process by which applicants can extend their eligibility on standing registers. GSA will be able to send an advance notice to applicants prior to the eligibility expiration date on standing registers. Applicants will be able to view and extend their eligibility on-line. GSAjobs will also be improved to allow applicants to submit documents electronically with attached files rather than submitting them via fax. Documents will be stored electronically eliminating the need to resubmit them for future vacancies.
We have already been able to make headway in improving our processes through "Lean Hiring." We have streamlined our vacancy announcements to be more efficient and to improve the applicant experience when applying for jobs. We have expanded the use of the standing register for mission critical occupations nationwide. Additionally, we also created several geographically- specific standing registers aligned to address the agency's urgent human capital needs associated with the provisions of the Recovery Act and have a centralized point of contact to maintain all registers. These additional registers were established to develop the highly skilled and talented applicant pools needed to meet this specific mission. We have also engaged the support of a group from GSA's Advanced Leadership Development program, one of GSA's developmental programs under our Leadership Institute, which will conduct a survey of selecting officials and employees. This recently released survey will help us get feedback on the hiring process associated with our standing registers.
Other actions that we are taking to expedite the hiring process include a GSA sponsored "Hire Fair" in mid-July. Vacancy announcements will be posted 60 days in advance of the "Hire Fair" and all qualified candidates will be invited to the event. The "Hire Fair" brings together these pre-screened, highly qualified applicants and hiring officials. Applicants invited to the "Hire Fair" are given an opportunity to interview with the management officials who will be able to make selections the day of the event. This event will expedite the hiring process and provide on-the-spot job offers.
In addition, GSA will participate in a number of other events sponsored by Government groups, associations, and universities over the months ahead. Some of these events include: Public Service Recognition Week, GSA Expo, Federally Employed Women conference, Blacks in Government conference, Diversity Job Fair, Military Officers Association of America conference, National Contract Management Association World Congress, James Madison University's Job Fair, and more.
Despite the successes we have enjoyed, one area that remains a concern and a recruitment and retention challenge to GSA is in the acquisition field. Our acquisition workforce is critical to GSA's mission of leveraging the buying power of the Federal Government to acquire best value for taxpayers and our Federal customers. Although the percentage of hires has shown an increase, there remains a significant shortage of skilled acquisition professionals. Workforce data also indicates that approximately 33% of GSA acquisition employees will be eligible to retire within the next 5 years and approximately 40% will be eligible to retire within the next 7 years. We also lose staff to other agencies that are able to offer higher grades or increased pay through pay banding. We know this because we track data on which agencies we tend to lose employees to and we know when our employees are being offered higher grades.
To increase focus on this area we developed a succession plan that outlines strategies to address recruitment, retention and development of the acquisition workforce. The plan outlines a clear and achievable strategy for employees to obtain the necessary skills to successfully advance to higher levels of authority in the acquisition field. This will benefit GSA by ensuring that we have a highly skilled cadre of acquisition professionals who can successfully function in a variety of acquisition positions. The plan supports the expanded and cohesive use of a variety of hiring options including the Presidential Management Fellows Program, Federal Career Intern Program, Peace Corps Staff, Veteran's Recruitment Appointment, the Student Career Experience Program, as well as the continued use of hiring and retention incentives.
GSA has authority to use dual compensation waivers to hire retired federal employees who have served as Contracting Officers. This will provide GSA with essential skills at the higher grade levels to fill skills gaps in its acquisition workforce. We also have direct hire authority which enables us to expedite the hiring process for acquisition professionals. We are using standing registers or open continuous announcements that provide us with a ready inventory of qualified applicants. These registers also make it easier for job applicants and eliminate the need for them to continuously apply for positions. We are also implementing a notification process so that applicants will know when their standing on a register will end and how they can extend it on-line.
GSA will continue to look at ways that we can make the overall hiring experience more productive for managers and "user friendly" for applicants. This includes expanded marketing of GSA to help promote jobs at our agency. We need to look at ways to provide more timely feedback to job applicants; focus on improvements to our IT systems to work more efficiently and effectively for our HR professionals; continue to improve our succession process; give careers at GSA higher prominence on our GSA.gov web site; and ensure that our managers are even more engaged in the hiring process.
I am confident that as we implement the improvements I have outlined, GSA will achieve our goal of having skilled and engaged talent, in the right jobs, at the right time to carry out the core mission of our agency. Additionally, I look forward to working with the new Director of the Office of Personnel Management and my fellow members of the Chief Human Capital Officers' Council to develop Government-wide solutions to address issues with the hiring process. Chairman Akaka, Ranking Member Voinovich, and Members of the Subcommittee, I want to thank you again for the opportunity to address you this afternoon. Thanks for all you do to support the Federal workforce and happy Public Service Recognition Week! I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have.


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By Jon Saperstein Herald Writer
LAKE STEVENS — Weather the storm.
That was Snohomish boys soccer coach Dan Pingrey's message to his team before Friday night's pivotal Wesco 4A match at Lake Stevens on a clear spring night.
The Panthers might not have been expecting as much of a storm as the Vikings inflicted in the first 60 minutes, but they heeded their coach's advice. After getting knocked back, the Panthers created just enough of a storm of their own, capping the night with a 2-1 victory in two overtimes.
"They played with high pressure," Pingrey said of Lake Stevens' frenetic style for the evening. "They had to win."
The victory gave the Panthers (12-1 league, 14-1 overall) the Wesco 4A North crown and the coveted first-round bye into the district playoffs. The Vikings (9-3, 9-3-2), already having clinched at least second and a home match with the South's No. 3 team, had their sites set higher. Winning this and their final two games of the regular season would have given them the title.
The strategy was clear from the start as the Vikings were on the attack, often running with abandon toward the Panthers' net.
In the first half, Lake Stevens controlled the run of play, consistently putting pressure on the Panthers' goal, but goalkeeper Ryan Peters rebuffed every attempt that was on frame.
In the second half, the pressure increased, but Lake Stevens seemed to find every way not to score. One shot sailed over the crossbar. Once a forward fell down on a breakaway. Another forward held onto the ball one dribble too long. A header off a corner kick didn't quite have enough juice to get by the keeper.
Meanwhile the Panthers couldn't string together more than two passes to keep possession of the ball for any length of time.
Friday night, the Panthers were coming off their only loss of the season, which was a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Mount Vernon and they also without two key starters — Uriel Herrera (suspension) and Brennen Judy (broken collarbone suffered in practice).
"We had to adjust to the way they were playing," Pingrey said. "I was proud of the guys they made a lot of adjustments."
One thing that never left the Panthers' attack was sophomore Blake Crutchfield and his killer throw-in that has helped him lead the team in assists with nine this season. When Snohomish gets close to the opposing goal, every out of bounds is like a corner kick.
In the 58th minute Crutchfield heaved and Juan Machuca headed the ball inside the far post, but the score was waved off by the refereee. According to Pingrey the ref said no player touched the ball before it went in.
In the 61st minute, Machuca found himself wide on the goal line and threaded the ball past Vikings goalie Brennen Countryman to give Snohomish a 1-0 lead
Lake Stevens continued to push until the 75th minute when Michel Zavalza passed to Grant Shultz, who lifted a shot over Peters to level the score at 1-1.
The first overtime passed with no real scares and the second looked like it would as well until Machuca set up the Panther's leading goal scorer Tyler Mayer directly in front of the Vikings' goal. Mayer drove home the game-winner in the 89th minute.
Lake Stevens coach Kit Shanholtzer was proud of his team and their fight.
"It's wonderful seeing a whole bunch of guys working for each other," he said.
Pingrey couldn't emphasize enough how important Friday's game was after the loss, which he described as a mistake in preparation and confusion of the team's senior night which was played in the team's second-to-last home game for the first time.
"It's huge ? winning this is huge having that first-round bye," Pingrey said.
At Lake Stevens H.S.
Goals—Juan Machuca (S) Grant Schultz (L) Tyler Mayer (S) Assists—Machuca (S). Michel Zavalza (L). Goalkeepers—Snohomish: Ryan Peters. Lake Stevens: Brennen Countryman. Records—Snohomish 12-1-0 league, 14-1-0 overall. Lake Stevens 9-3-0, 9-3-2.


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You are a fan of symbol west ? Come to discover the best forums symbol west on the internet and share your experience with a community fan of symbol west . You can also build a forum symbol west and create your online discussion.
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Message Board
Jonathan Carroll Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Carroll has written!
Author Carroll's Book Reviews
After Silence
Max Fisher is the famous cartoonist behind Paper Clip. He meets Lily and Lincoln Aaron at an art show and after a few encounters he invites Lily on a trip to the south of France. Two months after they return, Max moved in with the Aarons. After a medical incedent involving Lincoln, Max realizes that Lily is keeping some very important secrets from him. After a bit of investigating he discovers secrets about her past that make him question his love for...
Bones of the Moon
In Bones of the Moon, the author paints an amazingly surreal picture of Rondua, the dream world created by Cullen James. Her dreams start out small and slightly disturbing. But as quickly as they began, they grow into a dream world where nothing is predictable. Dogs wear top hats, long forgotten machines live in the desert, and a madman who changes shape is trying to take over. With the help of several friends, including her aborted child Pepsi, Cul...
Outside the Dog Museum
What do you want your gravestone to say? Harry Radcliffe, award-winning architect and lover of women, wants his to be unique and extraordinary. He wants his gravestone to read, "The man who built the Dog Museum." However, this epiphany comes before he knows what the Dog Museum is...Once Harry meets the Sultan of Saru, strange and miraculous things begin to happen. He sees God in Venasque's music, is saved by a verz in the form of Big Top the dog, and ...
White Apples
Tor, Aug 2002, 24.95, 384 pp. ISBN: 0765303884 Out of control womanizer Vincent Ettrich recently died, but in spite of his many women no one truly mourns his passing. However, ironically the philandering Vincent is a key player in the grand cosmic scheme. Thus, he is brought back to life to perform a key role that will enable the great plan to occur. He had left behind besides a wife, a pregnant lover. That unborn child is the critical person...


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I only made this to try out some desktop recording tools. I have the whole week off work and plan on making some video tutorials of various things. At this point you'll have to down load it from rapid share here
And tell me if the quality is ok for a tutorial. I am currently searching for a site to host my videos so if any one knows of one please post here.
My criteria is;
1. I don't mind paying
2. Must not be a cap on file size and if there is it should be high like 100mb.
3.full size or close to full size screen when playing.


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Test driving Fuduntu
In my talk at Linux Fest Northwest — and I say this often to anyone who will listen — I mentioned that there is a "digital Darwinism" at play in the FOSS paradigm. That is, distros and FOSS programs rise and fall depending on the quality of the software and the community that gathers around them. Good distros and programs — the "fittest" — survive, and the others, well, not so much.
That's OK: It may be harsh, but such is the way of the FOSS world.
In case you're wondering why I've started off on a tangent instead of going off on one somewhere in mid-blog, I bring this up because I think Fuduntu is one of those distros that can be a strong contributor to FOSS, not to mention a quality distro coupled with a growing community. That said, it has a bright future.
In giving the latest version of Fuduntu a ride — Fuduntu 2012.2 — it is a refereshing change of pace. Originally based on Fedora but later forked (and the installer will look very familiar to Fedora users), the distro — as the name Fuduntu implies — ties the best of two FOSS giants — Fedora and Ubuntu — and appears to be aimed at newer users, as opposed to the more seasoned veteran.
To say that Fuduntu is aimed at new users is not a knock against it. The distro's simplicity is its strong suit. Clearly it is tweakable to those who have some Linux experience. But for those who don't, it's a distro that will be an easy gateway into the wonderful world of Linux.
Sidestepping all the personal preference nonsense that you don't really care about — what works for me may not work for you — the distro itself performed quickly and efficiently on both a laptop (a MicroPC TransPort 2000 — an ancient throwback, I know) and a Dell Optiplex GX260 desktop (on the desktop, though, I only ran the live DVD from a USB drive). The GNOME desktop — the GNOME 2.32 version (thank God) — is a welcome sight on this distro. Banshee and VLC media player handle the music and video side of things effortlessly. Chromium is the Web browser of choice on Fuduntu, and it gets good grades for speed and usability. Overall, everything works — and works well — right out of the box.
Though I give Fuduntu high marks across the board, I think the Fuduntu team might want to consider adding an on-board (that is to say, a non-cloud) word processing program. It would beat the current offering of only Google Docs. Again, not to get into my personal preferences since I'm glad to add programs after the default install, a IRC client other than Pidgin (cough, Xchat, cough) would be nice, too.
But on the whole, Fuduntu offers much to a wide range of users.
My mantra is this: "Use what works for you." Fuduntu is a solid distro and you can give Fuduntu a try by downloading it here.
This blog, and all other blogs by Larry the Free Software Guy and Larry Cafiero, are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs CC BY-NC-ND license. In short, this license allows others to download this work and share it with others as long as they credit me as the author, but others can't change it in any way or use it commercially.
(Larry Cafiero is one of the founders of the Lindependence Project and develops business software at Redwood Digital Research, a consultancy that provides FOSS solutions in the small business and home office environment.)
May 18, 2012 at 10:13 am
Thanks for the review Larry!
May 19, 2012 at 7:47 am


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Brookings Mountain West presents "Changing Policy without Changing Law: Addressing Climate Change under the Clean Air Act," a talk by Philip A. Wallach, a Fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings.
The evolution of our national climate change policy at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from the 1990s-2000s, is marked by a backdrop of congressional inaction. In 2007, litigation (Massachusetts v. EPA) required the EPA to re-interpret the Clean Air Act to also apply to greenhouse gases. This presentation will include a summary of the legal arguments in that case, and the narrow Supreme Court decision that supported the petitioners; a review of the legal and practical challenges emanating from this ruling; and consideration of the EPA's impact on continuing legislative debates. The speaker will explore the impact of this decision on policy making institutions and the role of a grid-locked legislature, the executive branch, and the courts, with a consideration of the meaning for American democracy.


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Threat-Centric Security
Changing business models, a dynamic threat landscape, and complex, fragmented security solutions call for a new security model.
To deal with today's biggest security challenges, organizations need a simpler, scalable, threat-centric approach that addresses security across the entire attack continuum – before, during, and after an attack.
Before an attack, you need comprehensive awareness of and visibility showing what's on the extended network so you can implement policies and controls to defend it.
During an attack, the ability to continuously detect malware and block it is critical.
After an attack, you need to marginalize the impact of an attack by identifying point of entry, determining the scope, containing the threat, eliminating the risk of re-infection, and remediating.
The Cisco threat-centric security model is built to address your biggest security challenges, cover the entire attack continuum, and reduce security gaps and complexity caused by disparate products and disjointed solutions.
The comprehensive Cisco portfolio of platform-based cybersecurity solutions offer these benefits.
The solutions can:
- Access global intelligence with context to identify vulnerabilities and act
- Share intelligence across a vast community of users, accelerating protection
- Integrate easily with other layers of security defenses
They can:
- Protect networks, endpoints, virtual, data centers, mobile, email, web
- Be deployed as physical, virtual, cloud, or services
- Provide central policy management, monitoring and distributed policy enforcement
They can:
- Address the full attack continuum – before, during, and after an attack
- Provide persistent security across all attack vectors in the extended network
They can:
- Increase awareness to provide continuous scrutiny
- Aggregate and correlates data from across the extended network
- Include historical analysis and global attack intelligence
- Learn from intelligence to help protect against future attacks
Security Technologies
Security Resources
Cisco 2016 Midyear Cybersecurity Report
Learn security industry insights and key findings taken from threat intelligence and the latest cybersecurity trends in the Cisco 2016 Midyear Cybersecurity Report.Download Report
Cisco Security: Bash Vulnerability
Assessing your environment and protecting and remediating against threats.Watch Video Now


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Noted Country Songwriter Arrested In Nashville
Country hitmaker Dallas Davidson is once again free after being arrested early Thursday morning.
Nashville's Tennessean says the noted songwriter was picked up by police outside the Tin Roof for public intoxication and disorderly conduct.
According to the police report, officers were responding to a call about someone who was "trying to fight everyone." They found Davidson, who smelled of alcohol and appeared to be drunk, shouting obscenities and racial and homophobic slurs while throwing punches into his hand. While talking with police Dallas also attempted to go after a person on the street he claimed had hit him.
Davidson's many credits include such hits as Trace Adkins' "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," Blake Shelton's "All About Tonight," and Lady Antebellum's "Just A Kiss." The songwriter is also featured on the reality series "Private Lives of Nashville Wives."
Photo: Splash News


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REALITY CHECK: Hilarious Retirement Home Calandar
Who said old people can't be funny too? A retirement community in Essen, Germany had a little fun by recreating famous movie scenes and turning the images into a calendar. The outcome is hilariously perfect. Over 5,000 calendars were printed-- we want a copy!
Source: international.contilia.de via Buzzfeed.com


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Bookmark this site
BERLIN, Germany -- The German amusement and vending equipment association VDAI (Verband der Deutschen Automatenindustrie) will resume production of its IMA trade show next year, according to IMA director Petra Lassahn. It's set for the Düsseldorf fairgrounds from Jan. 14 through 17, 2014.
In June of last year, VDAI canceled the 2013 IMA because, in its judgment, the confusion brought about by the German states' gaming regulations, the federal government's own rules and legal challenges at both levels had made it problematic for anyone to purchase many popular kinds of amusement equipment. | SEE STORY
The 2014 IMA hopes to recapture the momentum of the 2012 show; IMA had been on a steady upswing since its 2007 relocation from Nürnberg to Düsseldorf in populous North Rhine-Westphalia, with its high density of amusement and vending companies. Planners anticipate about 150 exhibitors and a total registration of approximately 9,000 industry members at the 2014 staging.
A wide range of amusement equipment with cash prize options and the entire spectrum of electronic entertainment and sport gaming machines, cash management systems, equipment furnishing concepts for state-of-the-art gaming arcades and bowling centers, as well as business services for their operators, will be on display at next year's show.
As in 2012, several special areas will assist showgoers in finding the exhibits of greatest interest to them. Bowling World will showcase manufacturers and distributors of bowling rinks and bowling accessories, and Coffee World will spotlight coffee products, vending machines and accessories, which are increasingly important in entertainment venues. Sports betting and Internet "iGaming" also will have their own section.
IMA, which dates back to an inaugural trade show conducted in 1978, is organized by Reed Exhibitions Deutschland GmbH. Information on the event, as well as travel suggestions, may be found online at ima-messe.com.


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'And in the long run he's doing it for the right team. The Sabres have struggled the past few years and their depth on the back end has dwindled, particularly after trading veteran Rhett Warrener and former first-round pick Keith Ballard in a deal to acquire forward Chris Drury last summer. Couple that with the fact that the youngest prospect in the Sabres' system is a 20-year-old and things look good for Funk.'
Bulking up for Buffalo
June 29, 2004 Submitted by
Via: Abbotsford Times


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Tuition and fees are outlined in the chart below. Students should budget at least $13,420 in addition to tuition and fees for room and board, books, school supplies, and other living expenses. If students will be accompanied by a spouse and/or children, please add a minimum of $4,000 for the spouse and $2,500 for each child.
Federal student loans are available to LL.M. students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens. Eligible students may be able to obtain a Federal Stafford Loan. Other loan options, including the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan and Private Educational Loans, may be available to students who wish to borrow beyond the maximum of the Stafford Loan. Both the Federal Graduate PLUS and Private Loans require a credit check to be performed by the selected lender.
To determine eligibility status and initiate the financial aid process, students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The upcoming academic year FAFSA can be completed by visiting http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ (opens in a new window). OU's school code is 00318400. Do not delay submission of the FAFSA because you have not yet filed your federal income tax return. Instead, use your best estimates of income. To electronically sign your FAFSA, you will need your four digit federal PIN. If you do not have one or you do not remember your PIN, you can request a new or duplicate one by visiting http://www.pin.ed.gov/ (opens in a new window).
For American students who are not eligible for federal financial aid, private educational loans may be an option if the student has a sufficiently lengthy and positive credit history in the United States or can apply with a credit worthy cosigner who is a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen. Eligible students can apply for a private educational loan up to the institution's cost of attendance minus any aid they have already been awarded. For additional information about these loan programs, please contact our Financial Aid Office by visiting http://www.financialaid.ou.edu/ (opens in a new window).
For American Indian students who are enrolled members of an Indian tribe, tribal financial aid may be available.
- For New Students Entering the LL.M. Program Fall 2015


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New N7K-F248XP-25
in my previous post I understand that this linecard will be officially released on 18th ... and today I discovered something new in the DS published.
"This extremely comprehensive set of Layer 2 and Layer 3 functions makes this module ideal for data center networks, where density, performance, and continuous system operation are critical."
• 720-mpps Layer 2 and Layer 3 forwarding capacity for both IPv4 and IPv6 packets
The DS is here:
is this new linecard N7K-F248XP-25 a L2/L3 like the M series???
And, according to the Dynamic Configuration Tool it's stated:
"A separate VDC is needed when deploying the N7K-F248XP-25 modules in a chassis that also contains other families of modules (i.e. N7K-M1xxx and N7K-F1xxx).The VDC feature is enabled by the N7K-ADV1K9 license. A separate VDC is NOT required when the chassis contains only N7K-F248XP-25 modules."
And also NX-OS Version 6 required ...
Any ideas??
Ciao e grazie!
F2 architecture is also based on SOC (switch on chip). It has a single Fabric ASIC though in comparison to F1 32-port 10g card. It also has all port wire rate with local switching. Also all ports wire rate through Fabric - but only with 2nd generation Fabric modules which Luciano talked in the begining.
It also should have improved L2 latency in comparison even with F1 module.
Hi Robert,
The F2 module is L2 and L3 capable. It is quite a step up from F1 as it has no L3 capabilites, plus adding FEX to the F2 is a great improvement. As far as F2 vs M1, the M1 still has larger L3 tables and can hold more routes in hardware as well as run OTV. So the two types of modules are for different locations in your data center. M1 is a great fit for your routing edge due to this.
For fabric 2 on 7010 and 7018 you must have NX-OS 6.
As far as the new VDC requirement for F2. Since the Nexus 7000s modules all have their own forwarding engines they must all run in a compatible mode. Think of it like mixing a 6500 with sup2 and a module with a DFC3...you can't do it.
So instead of just saying your chassis can only contain F2 or F1/M1 we are able to seperate the "generations" up by VDCs within the same chassis.


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Hinder officially parts ways with frontman
Listen to Hinder on iHeartRadio
Hinder and frontman Austin Winkler are officially parting ways. The band announced the singer's departure Wednesday, explaining that the "difficult decision" was the "best thing for everyone involved."
Neither party has offered a specific explanation for the split, although Winkler has struggled with drug addiction in the past. He entered a rehab facility after the recording of Hinder's 2012 album Welcome to the Freakshow, and also took a leave of absence from the band's tour earlier this year for "personal reasons."
Hinder continued the trek with Saving Abel's Jared Weeks filling in on vocals, although they've yet to announce a more permanent replacement for Winkler. Still, drummer Cody Hanson says he and his bandmates are excited about the group's next chapter.
Winkler was an original member of Hinder when the band came together in 2001. They found the most success with their 2005 debut Extreme Behavior and the album's hit single, "Lips of an Angel."
Photo Credit Getty Images


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Academic Regulations & Procedures
Declaration of Major
Early in the sixth term of enrollment, but not before that term, students must declare an academic area as their major field or they will not be allowed to register for the seventh term. Students wishing to change their major during the junior or senior year can do so by obtaining the approval of the chair of the new department and completing the form available in the Registrar's Office. Students who are planning a special major are advised to petition the Academic Standing Committee (ASC) during winter term or early spring term of their sophomore year.
See also double major and special majors.


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The Tacoma starts at just above $23,000, and competes with other compact pickup trucks like the Chevrolet Colorado and the Nissan Frontier. However, neither of these competitors has Toyota's reputation for quality, safety and longevity.
Unlike full-sized trucks, the Tacoma is small enough to make sense in both urban and suburban environments. The Tacoma can maneuver nimbly in tight parking lots, and its turning radius is kept reasonable. At the same time, the Tacoma offers the kind of utility that compact SUVs can only dream of. With a broad range of customization options, the Tacoma offers a surprisingly amount of comfort, and even gives owners the kind of interior space normally found in sedans. The Tacoma is truly a 'do-everything' vehicle.
Compare the 2016 Toyota Tacoma against similar models
The Toyota Tacoma gets a full redesign for 2016. The exterior is bold and aggressive, and moves away from the smooth but somewhat anonymous styling of the previous generation. With a more muscular looking body and bold grill design, it's hard to miss the 2016 Tacoma. The interior has also seen major improvements with surprisingly comfortable seats, a wealth of technology and lower noise levels. The 2016 Tacoma gains refinement while losing none of the utilitarian ruggedness that's made it such a hit.
A vehicle's warranty can significant impact your maintenance costs after you drive off the dealer's lot, and it's important to understand the different parts. Typically, a new car warranty includes a Basic warranty, which covers everything except the wear items such as brakes and tires; and a Drivetrain warranty, that covers all the parts that make the car move, such as the engine and transmission
Heralded by fresh styling, the 2016 Toyota Tacoma boasts a new cabin structure, a new V6 engine, new transmissions, retuned suspensions, improved noise insulation, and an improved feature set.
The more things change, the more they remain the same, however. Though redesigned, Tacoma's mission and concept is the same as before, that of a highly capable midsize/compact pickup with a high floor and low roof, and a reputation for durability. The Tacoma TRD Off-Road model continues as the hot setup for a rugged, highly capable off-road pickup.
A choice between four-cylinder and V6 engines remains. A 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine comes standard, rated at 159 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque, with an EPA rated 19/23/21 mpg for a two-wheel-drive automatic. We think the four-cylinder is best used for basic work trucks. Its real-world fuel economy is not significantly better than that of the V6.
The new 3.5-liter V6 generates 278 horsepower, an increase of 42 over the previous 4.0-liter V6, and 265 pound-feet of torque at 4600 rpm. Fuel economy is improved: 2016 Tacoma V6 4×4 automatics are EPA-rated at 18/23/20 mpg City/Highway/Combined. The new V6 appears to maintain its performance off road, while revving more freely for improved passing-performance on the highway.
2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road models are the equipped with an off-road suspension, Bilstein shocks, and Multi-Terrain Select system. With their suspension travel, underbody protection, Crawl Control and other technology, there are few places one of these trucks cannot go. Just as important, their rugged construction and underbody protection offer durability for drivers who routinely drive over rough terrain. They excel at hauling a dirt bike into the back country or towing a drift boat over a boulder-strewn river bank. As an everyday vehicle, however, they are a bit rough.
While the styling has been completely updated, the 2016 Tacoma does not look like a new truck. It looks like it's been around for a couple of years.
Double Cab models feature a full-size rear seat, with underseat storage. Access Cabs have small fold-out seats that are better for cargo than people. Short Beds are about five feet long, Long Beds are about six feet long. Standard cabs do not exist.
The 2016 Toyota Tacoma comes with a choice of Double Cab or Access Cab versions, with a Short Bed or Long Bed, in SR, SR5, Limited, Platinum, and TRD Sport and TRD Off-Road models. Two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive are available. Two engines are available, a 2.7-liter four-cylinder and a 3.5-liter V6. Prices range from $23,300 (MSRP, does not include destination charge) for a Tacoma SR Access Cab 4×2 four-cylinder automatic work truck to $37,820 for a Tacoma Limited Double Cab 4×4 V6 automatic with leather.
Getting in and out of the new Tacoma is a bit awkward and, pinched by its high floor and low roof, it feels a bit cramped inside, as before.
The cabin is traditional in layout but with an attractive flat-topped dash similar to that seen in other recent Toyotas. Bright trim has been abandoned in favor of new materials and finishes. Materials and trim vary by trim level. A GoPro camera mount comes standard.
The front seats look like they are from a 1990 sport compact car. They lack support, feeling like they are made of foam, and they are short on adjustability. Fortunately, the steering wheel tilts and telescopes. A rearview camera makes backing up easier.
The rear seats in Double Cabs are tolerable for two adults, crowded for three children. The rear seat bottoms (split 70/30) flip up to reveal handy storage bins, or cover the area with moving pads and it becomes a usable dog space.
The new 2016 Toyota Tacoma is close to the same size and proportions as the previous version. The sheetmetal is all new but it does not jump out as being all-new.
The hoodline has been lifted, giving the front a bolder appearance more like that of the full-size Toyota Tundra pickup, wioth angled headlights and a hexagonal-shaped grille. From the side, the new model looks a little more conservative than the outgoing model, with redesigned fenders and wheelwell lips. From the rear, it looks like a traditional pickup. The lower portion of the tailgate is sculpted, with the Toyota nameplate stamped beneath.
The tailgate is damped so it lowers slowly when opened, much nicer than having to lower a heavy tailgate by hand or having it slam down with a bang.
As with heavy-duty pickups, the Tacoma's rear bumper has covered connectors for hooking up a trailer (with both of the common types of connectors). In the bed is a covered 115-volt AC outlet, useful for plugging in power tools or anything that needs house current.
The bed features a deck rail system with adjustable tie-downs up high, along with four tie-downs mounted on the bed, that make it easier to secure different types of cargoes, including dirt bikes.
We have only driven Tacoma TRD Off-Road models.
These trucks excel off road or on primitive trails or in any kind of rugged terrain. Only Jeeps and Land Rovers offer superior off-road capability, and they don't have open beds. They also work well in desert environments, and ours came with large 265/70R16 Goodyear Wranglers. Being able to handle rugged terrain day in and day out is the Tacoma TRD Off-Road's forte.
A new Multi-Terrain Select system, like the one in the 4Runner, works similarly to Land Rover and Ford systems. With it, modes for driving conditions from mud to sand to slick rock alter throttle and braking to aid in traction. A new electronic limited-slip and locking rear differential along with hill-start assist are included, plus crawl control that manages the brakes and throttle from 1 to 5 mph when coming down extreme grades or traversing rugged terrain, leaving the driver free to steer around obstacles. The Tacoma provides the driver with excellent outward visibility and sightlines for spotting hazards off road.
On the road and around town, the ride has the feel of an off-road truck on big all-terrain tires, with vague, imprecise handling. Throttle response is a little edgy and the brakes are very sensitive, making them difficult to modulate for smooth, routine stops at intersections.
The all-new 3.5-liter V6 uses an Atkinson cycle with VVT-iW (Variable Valve Timing with Intelligent Wider Intake) and D-4S direct and port fuel injection. EPA-estimated fuel economy is 19/24/21 City/Highway/Combined for a V6 4×2 automatic; 17/21/19 for a 4×4 manual, 18/23/20 for a 4×4 automatic.
The 2.7-liter DOHC four-cylinder with VVT-i is EPA rated at 19/23/21 mpg for the 4×2 automatic; 19/21/20 for a 4×4 manual; 19/22/20 for a 4×4 automatic.
The new 6-speed automatic transmission with electronic shift does a good job, with quick and easy shifting. The V6 can be ordered with a new 6-speed manual transmission. The four-cylinder is available with a 5-speed manual.
With an optional tow package, a Tacoma is rated to tow up to 6,800 pounds, but we would recommend a full-size pickup for anything close to that much weight.
The redesigned Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road is an outstanding off-road vehicle that can haul anything that will fit into a pickup bed into the back country. The new V6 gets better fuel economy and revs more freely than the previous engine. It's a focused vehicle, so it isn't the smoothest, most comfortable vehicle for cruising around town or running errands. The base four-cylinder model will likely prove to be a reliable work truck.
Bengt Halvorson reported from somewhere near Mount Rainier, with Mitch McCullough reporting from northern New Jersey.
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Discussion in 'Sports Zone' started by Risen Star, Jan 6, 2013.
lol so you want it to be the football and basketball network?
Man I knew the Islanders would have a hard time beating the Bruins. They have a deep bench. One of the best, if not best teams in the NHL.
i'm sad that the lockout is over....now all sports scores tickers and highlights shows will now force us to suffer through hockey "highlights" and scores before they get to sports that anyone cares about...
was really nice not to have hockey. If only we could get rid of baseball, hockey, nascar, Xgames, and golf.....i could actually tolerate sports center
The Bruins are REAL good, though I do have questions about their D corps.
Is this a joke?
First of all, hockey is hardly ever on sportscenter. Second of all, that would only leave like 2 sports left
This season has been great fun thus far. Devs are undefeated with Marty and the PK looking great. Rangers and Flyers are having bombs of seasons. Kings are playing like the team they actually are. All is well in hockey world
Dang that sucks.
Great now I'll have to avoid this crap sport.
You should really give hockey a chance and seriously follow the sport for one season. It's an incredible game, and the fact that it is currently out of the mainstream is really nice. When you follow the NHL, it feels much different than the NFL, NBA, and MLB. I think the culture around hockey is very unique for an American sport and once you understand that culture it is so much fun to be around.
Since you're talking about SportsCenter, those 2 sports would be soccer and women's basketball.
Essentially the same group that won the cup. Hamilton is exceeding all expectations early in his pro career.
Goal tending is the question mark for me. Rask is seen as the second coming by many but he hasn't proven anything yet. If/when he goes down an even less experienced Khudobin becomes the man.
This would be a great season to give hockey a chance.
As much as the lockout sucked the shortened season already has a playoff feel.
Every game counts.
I've never been more excited about a hockey season. Well, since 1982-83.
can get rid of those also. Never heard of anyone anywhere who turned on sports center, or any sports highlight show, EVER to look for soccer or women's basketball highlights. Ditto golf.
I could handle baseball highlights if it were restricted to the playoffs or end of the regular season. No one cares about the other 180 games, heck the players themselves barely do.
ESPN could restrict itself to football, basketball, MMA, and playoffs only Hockey and Baseball and its ratings would probably improve.
What are you talking about? You think basketball is more compelling than the MLB? I'm somewhat of a basketball fan but good god can it get boring fast. Especially in todays NBA. Basically be: The Heat,Celtics,Thunder or have no shot at winning ever
I challenge you to watch hockey this season and not like it. It's probably the purist sport in America right now.
well after two poor games in a row, the Pens get back in the win column.
Go Pens
Well I enjoyed hockey alot I was really enjoying the "sport" until the lockout ended
Okay, we get it, you don't like hockey.
My Canadiens are off to a good start at 3-1.
Too bad Max is out after an emergency appendectomy. Subban is still unsigned.


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