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We are a leading Czech company in the field of military electronics and recording systems with deliveries to the world ...
RETIA resides in the center of eastern Bohemia, in Pardubice which is an historical, industrial and academic center. There are many technological schools and companies, and also many sports and cultural institutions. Pardubice is on the top in the Czech Republic in terms of the quality of lite of its residents. RETIA follows up almost one hundred years of experience in electronics development in Pardubice and more than 60 years of experience with military production, namely radars and communication system.
RETIA is a technology company which develops, manufactures and modernizes radars, missile systems, C4I systems, recording systems, UWB localization and communication systems. These products have been delivered and are delivered to the Czech Armed Forces, NATO, armed forces of NATO members and other military and civilian customers in the Czech Republic and in more than 40 countries worlwide.
RETIA was founded in 1993 as a limited company. Since then RETIA has been growing continuously not only in size, but particularly by the number and importance of its contracts. RETIA was transformed into a stock company in 1996. RETIA has procured and reconstructed the new development and production facilities which are currently used. In order to execute challenging and complex contracts RETIA has undergone many technical and organizational changes.
As a result and evidence of these internal developments, RETIA won public competitions, executed these contracts and finally delivered products to the Czech Armed Forces and to foreign customers. The list of these product is very large and includes the C4I2 Air Defence system RACCOS, 2K12-KUB missile complex modernization, radar modernization programmes (P-37, PRV-17, ST-68, P-19, P-18), OSA-AKM and STRELA S-10M missile complete modernization, short range radar ReVISOR, several generations of recording system ReDat, UWB through wall radar ReTWis, etc.
RETIA is nowadays the leading Czech company in the area of military electronics and recording systems with worldwide export. Currently RETIA is under contract with an Asian customer for whom RETIA delivers full modernization of a couple of dozen radars and transferred the licensed technology for radar production. RETIA deliveries include the short range radar ReVISOR to the Czech Armed Forces, participates in NATO AGS Programme, has introduced the new Early Warning Radar ReVEAL and executes many R&D programs in all areas of its portfolio. In the area of recording systems RETIA delivers equipment for ATC and other applications for the civil sector. The recording systems are able to recognize voice, speech, caller identification, emotions etc. RETIA in close cooperation with some companies (Defence Industry Asociation) is in preparation for a 3D radar MADR project – RL-3DM ReUNION, etc.
From an economic point of view RETIA is a powerful and stable company with over 200 employees (60% of them have a masters degree). RETIA reached sales revenues of 430 million Czech crown (aprox. €18,5milion) in the fiscal year 2012-2013 and a profit of 26 million Czech crown (aprox. €1milion) after tax.
RETIA is an owner of all necessary certificates and licenses.
We would like to introduce you RETIA members of the board, who vouch for providing premium quality goods and services.


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This method should return a new matrix with each of its dimensions doubled in size. The way to do this is that every single value in the original matrix should be duplicated 3 additional times so that it is present 4 times in the new matrix.
The header should look something like this:
public static int[][] doubleSize(int[][] m)

subset: commoncrawl


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The Chef: Elizabeth
The Menu: Pasta without noodles? No problem. If you've got a vegetable peeler, some patience, and a big pile of zucchini, you can make a perfect pesto-transportation medium. Ribbons of zucchini stood in for cooked pasta, and stood up to the task of supporting the thick sauce. The pesto itself was a blend of fresh basil, spinach, garlic, cashews, and pistachios. A couple dashes of nutritional yeast and salt rounded out the sweetness of the basil nicely. What to do with the seed-laden middles of the zucchini? Elizabeth stuck them in the food processor with some capers, lemon juice, olive oil, and cashews, and made caesar dressing, which got generously poured over a salad of romaine, spinach, tomatoes, and avocado.
The Goods: Fettuccine pesto with caesar salad: aren't those the first two menu items that come to mind when you think of raw food? Perhaps they should be, since this meal was easy to whip up and satisfied the Italian-food afficionados in the office. We just don't recommend trying this menu for Valentine's day, what with the effects of heavy doses of raw garlic on breath quality. Suffice to say, we are glad to be guest-free today!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
1 comment:
- Kristen's Raw said...
For quick and easy noodles, the spiralizer is a great addition to any kitchen. And, I love my Benriner Turning Slicer...fabulous for making linguini style noodles.
Love the Raw beat you have going on here!
Cheers! - February 13, 2008 at 8:45 AM
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The Spelling Checker framework improves the text-input experience on Android by helping the user quickly identify and correct spelling errors. When an app uses the spelling checker framework, the user can see a red underline beneath misspelled or unrecognized words so that the user can correct mistakes instantly by choosing a suggestion from a dropdown list.
If you are an input method editor (IME) developer, the Spelling Checker framework gives you a great way to provide an even better experience for your users. You can add your own spelling checker service to your IME to provide consistent spelling error corrections from your own custom dictionary. Your spelling checker can recognize and suggest corrections for the vocabularies that are most important to your users, and if your language is not supported by the built-in spelling checker, you can provide a spelling checker for that language.
The Spelling Checker APIs let you create your own spelling checker service with minimal steps. The framework manages the interaction between your spelling checker service and a text input field. In this post we'll give you an overview of how to implement a spelling checker service. For details, take a look at the Spelling Checker Framework API Guide.
1. Create a spelling checker service class
To create a spelling checker service, the first step is to create a spelling checker service class that extends android.service.textservice.SpellCheckerService.
For a working example of a spelling checker, you may want to take a look at the
class in the SpellChecker sample app, available from the Samples download package in the Android SDK.2. Implement the required methods
Next, in your subclass of SpellCheckerService, implement the methods createSession() and onGetSuggestions(), as shown in the following code snippet:
@Override public Session createSession() { return new AndroidSpellCheckerSession(); } private static class AndroidSpellCheckerSession extends Session { @Override public SuggestionsInfo onGetSuggestions(TextInfo textInfo, int suggestionsLimit) { SuggestionsInfo suggestionsInfo; ... // look up suggestions for TextInfo return suggestionsInfo; } }
Note that the input argument
of onGetSuggestions(TextInfo, int) contains a single word. The method returns suggestions for that word as a SuggestionsInfo object. The implementation of this method can access your custom dictionary and any utility classes for extracting and ranking suggestions. For sentence-level checking, you can also implement onGetSuggestionsMultiple(), which accepts an array of
.3. Register the spelling checker service in AndroidManifest.xml
In addition to implementing your subclass, you need to declare the spelling checker service in your manifest file. The declaration specifies the application, the service, and a metadata file that defines the Activity to use for controlling settings. Here's an example:
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" package="com.example.android.samplespellcheckerservice"> <application android:label="@string/app_name"> <service android:label="@string/app_name" android:name=".SampleSpellCheckerService" android:permission="android.permission.BIND_TEXT_SERVICE"> <intent-filter> <action android:name="android.service.textservice.SpellCheckerService" /> </intent-filter> <meta-data android:name="android.view.textservice.scs" android:resource="@xml/spellchecker" /> </service> </application> </manifest>
Notice that the service must request the permission android.permission.BIND_TEXT_SERVICE to ensure that only the system binds to the service.
4. Create a metadata XML resource file
Last, create a metadata file for your spelling checker to define the Activity to use for controlling spelling checker settings. The metadata file can also define subtypes for the spelling checker. Place the file in the location specified in the
element of the spelling checker declaration in the manifest file.
In the example below, the metadata file spellchecker.xml specifies the settings Activity as
and includes subtypes to define the locales that the spelling checker can handle.<spell-checker xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:label="@string/spellchecker_name" android:settingsactivity="com.example.SpellCheckerSettingsActivity" /> <subtype android:label="@string/subtype_generic" android:subtypeLocale="en" /> </spell-checker>
That's it! Your spelling checker service is now available to client applications such as your IME.
Bonus points: Add batch processing of multiple sentences
For faster, more accurate spell-checking, Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) introduces APIs that let clients pass multiple sentences to your spelling checker at once.
To support sentence-level checking for multiple sentences in a single call, just override and implement the method onGetSentenceSuggestionsMultiple(), as shown below.
private static class AndroidSpellCheckerSession extends Session { @Override public SentenceSuggestionsInfo[] onGetSentenceSuggestionsMultiple( TextInfo[] textInfo, int suggestionsLimit) { SentenceSuggestionsInfo[] sentenceSuggestionsInfos; ... // look up suggestions for each TextInfo return sentenceSuggestionsInfos } }
In this case,
is an array of TextInfo, each of which holds a sentence. The method returns lengths and offsets of suggestions for each sentence as a SentenceSuggestionsInfo object.Documents and samples
If you'd like to learn more about how to use the spelling checker APIs, take a look at these documents and samples:
- Spelling Checker Framework API Guide — a developer guide covering the Spelling Checker API for clients and services.
- SampleSpellCheckerService sample app — helps you get started with your spelling checker service.
- You can find the app at /samples/android-15/SpellChecker/SampleSpellCheckerService in the Samples download.
- HelloSpellChecker sample app — a basic app that uses a spelling checker.
- You can find the app at /samples/android-15/SpellChecker/HelloSpellChecker in the Samples download.
Join the discussion on
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text: You Can Blow Smoke About A Crime Problem, But NFL Players Are Relatively Law-Abiding By A Wide MarginIsaac Rauch12/09/12 2:25pmFiled to: NflJosh brentJovan BelcherNFL footballCrimeRoger GoodellPolice BlotterEspnNewsSportsGettypic46EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalinkThis morning, Jeffri Chadiha wrote a piece for ESPN about the attention that must be paid to the "dirtiest of the NFL's little secrets"—drunken driving, domestic violence and guns:AdvertisementThere comes a point where grieving, lamenting and wondering why these tragedies have happened just isn't enough. At some point, accountability and responsibility come into question.That's where the NFL sits today, as it has lost its second player in a week for what amounts to disturbingly poor judgment. For a league that has talked about player safety, player conduct and the value of "protecting the shield," it's time to rethink how it's addressing some of the less discussed issues affecting its brand.He's right, there does come a point: it was six years ago, in 2006, when the league saw 68 of its players arrested. Since then, there's been a fairly precipitous decline in NFL player arrests. Stephen Bronars puts it in graph form over here, and the numbers are fairly stark: Arrests are down 40% since the 2006 peak, and over the last decade—including the bad years—NFL players are about a quarter as likely to commit a crime as the average male aged 22-34 (2.9% of players compared to 10.8% of men). 2006, in case you had forgotten, is the year that Roger Goodell took over for Paul Tagliabue.AdvertisementThe problem is that drunken driving, domestic violence and gun possession don't seem to rate nearly as high [as illegal tackles, dogfighting and bounties] on the league's list of issues that must be addressed.Clearly, that can't be true, unless we're looking at a massive coincidence: Bronars, with the help of this running tally kept by the San Diego Union-Tribune and updates from Fox Sports, looked at every arrest more severe than a traffic violation over the past decade—drunken driving, domestic violence and gun possession all rate. Say what you will about Roger Goodell, but interventionist methods of protecting the NFL's image are a strong suit.Arrests don't necessarily align precisely with incidence—undoubtedly, players get away with crimes, just like everyone—but it seems unlikely that the percentage of players escaping police notice has increased, and it should be noted that some arrests lead to acquittals or dropped charges. Simply put, NFL players, despite recent incidents, have a fairly strong record of acting in accordance with the law, a record that's improved recently by an impressive margin.SponsoredThe point here, as it so often is: the trend being identified in relation to recent current events is not in fact a trend, but a couple of paired anomalies, and the procedures that are being recommended to curb that trend are already probably in place. Chadiha's absolutely right that drunken driving and domestic violence ought to be foci of attention for the NFL, but the NFL's own obsession with its image, along with supporting statistics, suggest they already are. The league may redouble its efforts now, but suggesting that the league has been insensible to drunken driving, domestic abuse and gun ownership among players ignores the NFL's overriding interest in good press.Tragic Saturday: NFL Must Act [ESPN] Does The NFL Have a Crime Problem? [Stephen Bronars]Reply46 repliesLeave a reply


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Chronology of Reports, Recommendations and Plans
1983 – Towards a Blueprint for Change: A Mental Health Policy and Program Perspective (Heseltine Report)
The primary goal of this report was to provide support for the development of a continuum of service delivery, while ensuring that people with mental illness can receive appropriate help in their own communities.
1988 – Building Community Support for People: A Plan for Mental Health in Ontario (Graham Report)
The report followed a series of consultations and recommended that priority should be given to services for people with serious mental illness. The report proposed a plan for the development and implementation of a comprehensive community mental health system. [Copyright © Queen's Printer for Ontario, 1988. Reproduced with permission.]
1993– Putting People First: The Reform of Mental Health Services in Ontario
This report endorsed the Graham Report (1988) and proposed a 10-year plan for mental health reform in Ontario based on common vision and values. It also confirmed that priority should be given to services for people with serious mental illness and stated that the goal of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care should be to allocate 60 percent of the mental health funding envelope to community services and 40 percent for hospital care by 2003, reversing the actual funding allocations at that time. [Copyright © Queen's Printer for Ontario, 1993. Reproduced with permission.]
1994 – Implementation Planning Guidelines for Mental Health Reform
This report set out clear expectations for District Health Councils and their role in mental health reform based on Putting People First (1993). (This document is copyrighted.)
1996 – District Health Council Recommendations
Based on Putting People First (1993) and following the 1994 commitments, District Health Councils recommended that community mental health services be coordinated through strategies such as joint networks, lead agencies, joint protocols, assessment tools, and tracking with a clear point of access into the system, that models of delivery be based on best practices and that a continuum of services are offered, including case management.
1998 – 2000 and Beyond: Strengthening Ontario's Mental Health System
This report was based on a consultation led by Dan Newman, MPP, who was at the time the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. The principle of community-focused care set out in Putting People First (1993) was endorsed by the government, but the Newman report noted that at the five-year mark, funding had not yet been allocated to implement needed reform.
1999 – Building a Community Mental Health System in Ontario: Report of the Health Services Restructuring Commission
The provincial Health Services Restructuring Commission (HSRC) included in its recommendations to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care divesting Ontario's nine provincial psychiatric hospitals to the public hospitals. It also recommended transitional funding so that services could be established before the beds were closed, and it estimated that $83 and $87 million would be needed for transitional investments until savings from the closed beds would be realized.
1999 – Making It Happen: Implementation Plan for Mental Health Reform
This report outlines the Ministry's strategy "to increase the capacity of the system for comprehensive and integrated treatment, rehabilitative and support services while focusing on community alternatives wherever possible." It was also intended to guide strategic investments over the next three years and committed to protecting mental health funding. With this report, the government committed to investing in community mental health care prior to the divestment of provincial psychiatric hospitals, so that appropriate services would be available for individuals when they left hospital. It also made a commitment to continued investments/reinvestments in mental health services to "support mental health reform and increase the overall capacity of the system." The report also stated that in 2002 there would be a review of the plan to "revise implementation strategies and program funding priorities as necessary."
2000 – Mental Health: The Next Steps: Strengthening Ontario's Mental Health System
This is a short report on the consultation process on legislative changes to the Mental Health Act and the Health Care Consent Act. The report states that the proposed legislative changes will "ensure people with serious mental illness get the care and treatment they need in a community-based mental health system."
2000 – Making It Work: Policy Framework for Employment Supports for People with Serious Mental Illness
This report elaborates on the issue of employment supports, providing additional recommendations on issues not adequately addressed in the initial ten-year plan set out in Putting People First (1993). The goal was to develop a coordinated response at both the federal and provincial levels to income and employment supports and the business sector.
2001 – Making It Happen: Operational Framework for the Delivery of Mental Health Services and Supports
This document is a companion to Making It Happen: Implementation Plan for Mental Health Reform (1999). It established a framework to reform the mental health system. The report commits to including a continuum of services for persons with mental illness: first line, specialized and intensive. Again, the government re-affirmed its commitment to investment in community mental health care to alleviate pressure resulting from the divestment of psychiatric hospitals.
2002/2003 – Mental Health Implementation Task Force Reports
The Mental Health Implementation Task Forces were convened in 1999 to provide recommendations and advice to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care regarding the implementation of a reformed mental health system in Ontario. Over a three-year period, these regional task forces consulted with thousands of people in the field of mental health. Based on these consultations, the task forces submitted nine region-specific reports for implementation of mental health reform. The final report of the Provincial Forum of Mental Health Task Force Chairs identified the following themes for reform in their report, The Time is Now:
- Adopting a recovery philosophy, with the consumer at the centre of the system
- Creating partnerships with other supporting services in the health, social and justice sectors
- Implementing regional decision-making, to improve local delivery systems
- Building peer support into the mental health system
- Increasing support to families of people living with mental illness
- Providing safe and affordable housing
- More emphasis on early intervention and treatment
- Enhancing employment support
- Ensuring adequate income support
- Developing greater system accountability, performance standards and information systems
- Appointing a provincial team to keep mental health reform on the provincial agenda
2009 – Every Door is the Right Door
This is a discussion paper developed by the Minister's Advisory Group on Mental Health and Addictions for public consultation as part of the development of a new 10-year provincial strategy for mental health and addictions in Ontario.
2010 – Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions Interim Report
This report provides a summary of major issues identified through the public hearings the committee convened throughout the province and submissions received by the committee during 2009/10.
2010 – Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions Final Report
This report summarizes the results of the committee's investigations into the mental
health and addictions needs of Ontario's population and outlining their recommendations to improve the mental health and addictions system.
2011 – Open Minds, Healthy Minds: Ontario's Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy
In June 2011, Ontario released this report, outlining the plan to support mental health and to provide the integrated services and supports that Ontarians need if they experience a mental illness or


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Navy Beats Notre Dame, 28-27Will Worth ran for 175 yards and two touchdowns.
This Week In College Football: The Best Coach You Never Talk AboutIn the craziness of the college football coaching carousel, there's one coach whose name never gets mentioned.
Answering College Basketball's Biggest Questions Ahead Of TipoffCBS Sports Network's Steve Lappas gives a preview of the college basketball season, including Friday's Veterans Classic featuring UNC-Temple and Florida-Navy.
College Football Week 10 Can't Miss GamesThe calendar has changed to November and here come the make or break games.
Prosise Scores 3 TDs As No. 15 Notre Dame Beats Navy 41-24C.J. Prosise rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns.
Notre Dame Football To Play Navy In San Diego In 2018The Irish have never played in San Diego.
2 Ex-Navy Football Players To Face Court-Martial In Sex Assault Case Two midshipman will face a court-martial in an alleged sexual assault at an off-campus party while a third will not, the U.S. Naval Academy superintendent said Thursday. All three midshipmen were former Navy football players.
Notre Dame, Navy To Meet At Redskins' Home In 2014Navy officials announced Thursday that the long-time rivalry will move to FedExField in Landover, Md., on Nov. 1, 2014. The teams last played there in 1998.
Big East To Give Invites To Boise State, Navy, Air Force And Central FloridaAn official in the Big East tells The Associated Press that the conference plans to double its exit fee to $10 million dollars, then invite Boise State, Navy and Air Force as football-only members, and Central Florida as a member in all sports.
Kelly Realizing Notre Dame Needs More Than 5-Minute Plan(WSCR) - When Brian Kelly became the new coach for Notre Dame, many people had hope in the Irish regaining their football dominance. Kelly said he couldn't afford a five-year plan, that he needed a five-minute plan to turn the Irish around. Navy's easy defeat of Notre Dame Saturday sent doubts of the team's future back in their fan's minds.
Williams, Calabrese Scheduled For MRIs(WSCR) - Notre Dame's nose guard Ian Williams and inside linebacker Carlo Calabrese were injured during the second half of Saturday's game against Navy. They were scheduled to receive MRIs Sunday to determine the extent of their injuries.
Navy Overtakes Notre Dame... Again(WSCR) Notre Dame vs Navy is an 84-year old series that Notre Dame has always dominated until 2007. Navy has won three of the last four games the two teams have played and Saturday ended in favor of the Navy.


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Family Reading and Science Program
Campbell A Presentation by University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History--Discover—how can we use science in the study of world cultures? For families with children ages 6-ll. Children under 8 must be accompanied by a parent or adult caregiver.
Children, Parent and Child Catalog & Database Search
Catalog Search
Search books, movies, games and other library materials.
Database Search
Search newspaper, magazine and journal articles.
Search for a Library Location
Today: March 27, 2017
Tuesday, March 28, 2017 - 10:30am


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- Drivers
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- About NVIDIA
See the big picture with NVIDIA® Quadro® Plex 2200 D2 Visual Computing System (VCS), enabling simple and economical installations of ultra high-resolution, multi-GPU visualization solutions.
Image courtesy of Landmark, a brand of Halliburton Drilling |
Flexible Solution Drives Many Display Configurations Quadro Plex 2200 D2 systems provide flexibility to create environments based on a wide range of needs - from a single 4K display or projector to an eight display configuration. |
Seamlessly Scale Applications Across Multiple Displays Featuring NVIDIA® SLI® Mosaic technology, Quadro Plex scalable visualization solutions allow both the operating system and any professional application to transparently scale across multiple displays or projectors, and drive immersive stereoscopic 3D environments. |
Image courtesy of Schlumberger |
Image courtesy of Realtime Technology, AG |
Visualize Massive 3D Models and Data Sets Providing advanced interactivity and realism of the most demanding applications and data sets, each Quadro Plex system features dual Quadro FX 5800 GPUs and a combined 8 GB of graphics memory. Scale performance even further by connecting two Quadro Plex systems, with a total 16 GB of memory, to a single workstation. |
Industry-Standard Architectures Quadro Plex scalable visualization solutions provide the flexibility to be set up with any certified PCI Express® x16 platform and are certified on the industry's leading professional applications. An optional rack mount kit enables Quadro Plex systems to be mounted within any standard 19" rack environment1 while only taking up 3U of vertical space. |
1 Rackmount option kit including mounting rails sold separately


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An object in motion tends to stay in motion: Investors seem to have taken Sir Isaac Newton's first law and applied it to momentum investing. They have been buying exchange-traded funds of the market's riskiest shares, expecting them to continue on their upward trajectory. But the rest of Newton's postulation was that an object would remain in motion only until acted upon by a force. And the markets are rife with gravitational forces able to pull stocks down—abruptly.
There's a better way to be bullish: Own an ETF that chooses stocks on their fundamentals, rather than momentum or volatility.
Investors have been chasing risk takers' most beloved stocks higher all year. One good measure is PowerShares S&P 500 High Beta Portfolio SPHB 0.9745533297238765% PowerShares S&P 500 High Beta Portfolio U.S.: NYSE Arca 37.3 0.36 0.9745533297238765% /Date(1490810602088-0500)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 86673 P/E Ratio N/A Market Cap N/A Dividend Yield 0.49560085836909873% Rev. per Employee N/A More quote details and news » (ticker: SPHB), a sort of pro-volatility ETF consisting of the stocks that react most violently to market shifts. This ETF has soared 13% in the last month alone. Investors are carrying out the trade in State Street's STT 0.1385390428211587% State Street Corp. U.S.: NYSE USD79.51 0.11 0.1385390428211587% /Date(1490811107026-0500)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 802169 P/E Ratio 15.96987951807229 Market Cap 30326036776.6419 Dividend Yield 1.9112284672450648% Rev. per Employee 295415 More quote details and news » (STT) sector funds, where money is moving out of defensive utilities and health-care ETFs and into the materials, technology, and financial sectors. The latter three tend to soar when the bulls are running, but bear markets have mostly canceled it out: Tech and financials are two of the three worst-performing S&P 500 sectors since 1999.
These "high beta" stocks attract investors who gamble, and their interest transforms these already zippy stocks into overpriced lottery tickets.
THE GOOD NEWS IS, you don't need high beta to beat a rising market. This is where fundamental, or rules-based, indexing can shine. ETFs that weight stocks according to valuation metrics that reflect the health and growth prospects of a company, rather than volatility-based measures, are better positioned to outperform in a rising market, and not fall nearly as far when gravity starts working harder. "It gives you a bigger canvas to paint your picture," says Joe Mezrich, head of quantitative strategy for Nomura's Instinet. One good example: The PowerShares FTSE RAFI US 1000 Portfolio PRF 0.06852667645619187% PowerShares FTSE RAFI US 1000 Portfolio U.S.: NYSE Arca 102.22 0.07 0.06852667645619187% /Date(1490811139858-0500)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 82539 P/E Ratio N/A Market Cap N/A Dividend Yield 0.30211433046202035% Rev. per Employee N/A More quote details and news » (PRF), which selects stocks on the basis of book value, cash flow, sales, and dividends—an approach that delivers reasonably valued stocks but also plenty of octane. The three heaviest weightings are in financials (22%), energy (12%), and consumer-discretionary stocks (11%).
Judge your fund by the appropriate risk-reward trade-off. How much upside does the ETF capture in a rising market, versus how hard it falls in a selloff? The high beta ETF—a proxy for similar funds—hasn't been much of a deal. It added an extra 19% over the S&P 500 as stocks rose in the past year. But it slumped at nearly twice the speed of the index during selloffs, according to Morningstar data. The RAFI fund, by contrast, gave investors a 13% boost in a rising market, and fell less than the index when stocks declined. The advantage in this case went to fundamental indexing. "Yes, high beta has been on a tear recently, but the longer views give you pause about the risk," says Mezrich.
Investment strategist Dylan Grice found last year that a "low beta" stock portfolio rose nearly sevenfold from the end of 1987 through 2011, while the "high beta" equivalent trailed notably, with much steeper declines. The drops show you that even in the short run, the "risky" stuff is, well, risky.
Comments: firstname.lastname@example.com; www.twitter.com/bconway; http://blogs.barrons.com/focusonfunds


text: We went twice because our kids, in fact all of us, were dying to get simple Italian food in a warm, welcoming atmosphere in Corsica/France. This restaurant is a rare and unique example of amazing hospitality with a great touch of Italian flavour. A true treat after days of unfriendly, inflexible and uninspiring French service combined with mediocre, but expensive... More


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TPM Livewire
New Jersey Bridge Scandal Committee Rules Christie Aides' Subpoena Objections Are 'Invalid'
Stepien, Christie's former campaign manager, and Kelly, his former deputy chief of staff for legislative and intergovernmental affairs, both invoked their Fifth Amendment rights and refused to turn over documents requested by the committee. Both Stepien and Kelly were fired by Christie last month after documents subpoenaed by the New Jersey General Assembly's committee that was initially investigating the closures found they were involved in discussions about the order to shut the lanes. Some Democrats have alleged the lanes were closed by Christie allies to retaliate against a mayor who declined to endorse the governor's re-election bid.
At the meeting Monday, the committee began with about two hours in closed session. According to comments made by some of the members once they returned to open session, special counsel Reid Schar briefed the members on the constitutionality of Kelly and Stepien's objections during the closed session.
Once they returned to open session, the committee approved three motions related to Kelly's objection. The first declared the "books, papers, correspondence, and other documents and materials" requested from Kelly to be "necessary" to the investigation. The second motion deemed her objection "invalid. Finally, the third motion compelled the production of the materials requested from Kelly "on a day to be determined by special counsel." All three motions were approved, with the four Republicans on the committee abstaining and the eight Democrats voting yes.
After the motions on Kelly, the committee voted on identical motions concerning the subpoena sent to Stepien. Those three motions were also approved with the four committee Republican committee members abstaining.


text: Companies are taking their competitors seriously when it comes to killing the competition. YU televentures launched their first wearable device named YUFIT and it will go on sale on July 29 on Amazon.in. According to us this band is launched clearly to give competition to the Xiaomi as the Chinese brand


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The Middle East Librarians' Association recognizes the importance of mentoring in successful career development in Middle East Librarianship, and is launching a mentorship program. Please read the guidelines and goals below and complete the appropriate application below if interested in participating.
Any MELA member, new or continuing, is eligible to participate in the one-to-one Mentorship Program, either as a mentor or an advisee. Student members pursuing a library science degree are strongly encouraged to participate as advisees. The Program is intended to assist the advisee to acquire the skills needed to begin or advance on a career path in Middle East studies librarianship with the help of a trusted and experienced individual acting as a friend, advisor, coach, guide, teacher or role model. Each pairing (mentor/advisee) will generally last for 12-18 months. It is the goal of the program that at the end of the formal mentorship the relationship will continue as colleagues. Anyone interested in participating in the Mentorship Program should contact the Mentorship Coordinator. The Mentorship Coordinator will be selected on a rotating basis from the membership of the Committee on Education by the MELA Executive Board.
- Ensure new librarians feel welcomed and supported as they begin their careers.
- Provide students pursuing library science degrees with support and guidance as they prepare for transition to professional work.
- Gain job seeking and career development skills.
- Fulfill continuing professional development.
- Network with more experienced members of the profession.
- Foster collegiality by encouraging all librarians to participate in the mentoring program and thereby share their knowledge and expertise.
- Encourage librarians to stay in the profession.
Acceptance to serve as a mentor to another colleague is a serious responsibility not to be taken lightly. A modest commitment of dedicated time is required initially. The relationship between mentor and advisee ultimately is what both parties make it. Successful service as a personal mentor is a significant contribution to the profession.
There may be instances where a mentor relationship with an advisee is not felt to be proceeding in a satisfactory manner by either party. If either a mentor or advisee doesn't feel that their pairing is working well, he or she should contact the Mentorship Coordinator. In such instances either party may, at any time and without prejudice, request assignment of a new personal mentor.
What is a mentor?
A mentor is an experienced counselor and trusted advisor; it is someone who can provide guidance and support to a new librarian, a developing professional or a library science student. The mentor answers questions, advises, helps identify options, possible courses of actions, shares information on successful patterns others have followed, helps make connections with others who may be able to offer insights and shows an advisee the many opportunities for involvement in MELA.
Mentors (employed or retired) should have had at considerable (more than 10 years in most cases) experience in the profession, leadership experiences, possess coaching/teaching and interpersonal communication skills, genuine interest and commitment to help and preferably have also access to professional networks. Mentoring involves being a good listener, a thoughtful advisor and a role model. A mentor needs to have a sincere interest in helping others who are new to the profession of Middle East librarianship.
Mentors are expected to make initial contact with their advisees (by telephone or electronic). Mentors should arrange to meet face to face with their advisees at least once during the MELA annual meeting, preferably at the beginning of the conference. At this meeting, the mentor should expect to answer questions, give guidance or just to listen. A mentor serves as informal personal guidance counselor and confidant who can help identify options, possible courses of actions and share information on successful patterns others have followed. Some things that you might want to discuss with your advisee are their interests, how to become involved in MELA and how to get the most from the sessions and workshops. While it is not necessary to commit to spending all of your time with your advisee, it is important to touch base occasionally during the annual meeting.
Benefits for mentors:
- Contribute to the profession by helping to develop future leaders.
- Gain leadership and communication skills.
- Grow and learn from the experience.
What is an advisee?
An advisee is generally a librarian who is new to the profession (less than 5 years on the job), to MELA, a library science student or a first-time annual meeting attendee.
An advisee is a MELA member who seeks guidance and advice from professionally experienced colleagues.
An advisee will be contacted by the assigned mentor. The advisee is expected to communicate her/his own goals and/or information about what she/he hopes to achieve or gain. The advisee should arrange to meet face to face with the mentor at least once during the annual meeting, preferably at the beginning of the conference. This meeting is an opportunity for the advisee to ask questions, receive guidance, and get to know the mentor. Some things that you might want to discuss with your mentor are your professional interests, how to get the most from the sessions and workshops you attend, and how to become involved in MELA. Don't be shy about asking to be introduced to other colleagues and Board members. While it is not necessary to commit to spending all of your time with your mentor, feel free to touch base with her/him occasionally.
Benefits for advisees:
- Receive support and guidance.
- Meet other professionals; networking opportunities.
- Develop confidence.
- Involvement in a professional organization.
To be a mentor, complete MELA Mentor Application and send to the Mentorship Coordinator.
To be an advisee, complete MELA Advisee Application and send to the Mentorship Coordinator.
Mentorship Coordinator:
Anais Salamon
Head Librarian, McGill Islamic Studies Library
McGill University
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 0E1
Phone: 514-3398-4688


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Fuzz Challenge Drunks to Dodge Saturation
FairCityNews.com | May 27, 2009 | Comments 2
Buffalo, MO—Missouri Highway Patrol Troop D will conduct four driving-while-intoxicated saturations in Dallas County in June, July, and August with no element of surprise. So if you're planning to drink those months in that area well, let this serve as a heads-up.
Areas selected for enforcement are based on a high number of drinking-related traffic crashes, high numbers of contacts with drivers who have been drinking, and officer input as to probable contact with DWI violators based on officers' past experiences, according to a news release. Basically, they're going to be parking outside of bars, local meth labs and kegger parties loaded with boozehounds.
"This is a classic case of hero—villain dependency," said graphic novelist author Stan Lee. "The Joker needs someone to vex and Batman needs someone to keep in check," he continued, "it seems to me that the authorities in Dallas County want to give the criminals a head start."
"I just hope we get the chance to chase an offender for a while before we take custody of the perp," said Trooper Joel Thunder. "We don't get a lot of action out here. Please if you're going to break the law, please drink enough to be over the limit but still be able to give chase in your vehicle."
"I'll swear to drunk, I'm not God, and I ain't gon' get caught again this summer," said Puggle Combs, local drunk, as he removed his pants and flung them around his head like a helicopter before puking on his own feet. "I cannot wait for June," laughed Thunder with a longing smile gently wiping vomit from Puggle's scraggly beard.
Motorists are urged to report any driver they observe operating a vehicle while chugging a 40, discarding empty beer cans into the bed of a truck or brown bagging it down a country road. The public can contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol toll-free at 1-800-525-5555 or on their cellular phone at *55.
Filed Under: Crime
Comments (2)
You are giving us four legged sober puggles a bad name.
Mm-hm, yeah my two pugs at home both need detox.


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I'm getting a bow and arrow next.
I'm getting a bow and arrow next.
I'm buying a 3d printer. perhaps I could make you a tiny gun.
(just kidding it's illegal!)
the busy bee has no time for sorrow.
He's the one who told me it's illegal. I guess I should've known that anyway, but yeah.
the busy bee has no time for sorrow.
Whiskey Sour
2 oz blended whiskey
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp powdered sugar
1 cherry
1/2 slice lemon
Shake blended whiskey, juice of lemon, and powdered sugar with ice and strain into a whiskey sour glass. Decorate with the half-slice of lemon, top with the cherry, and serve.
I believe that is correct.


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On this week's Thronecast, Liam Cunningham sits down to talk all about Ser Davos Seaworth and his one true King, Stannis Baratheon. As usual, Liam gives a great interview, discussing the characters' story so far in Season 4 including their recent visit to the Iron Bank of Braavos, the threat North of the Wall, his funny feeling that the end is going to be ugly, and much more.
Talking points:
- Davos' story so far in Season 4
- The meeting with the man who finances death and destruction
- Will Davos have more of a physical role this season
- The threat North of The Wall
- Does Davos have a part to play in who will be the future King
- Davos' loyalty to Stannis
- What has Stannis done to deserve his loyalty
- How Davos deals with magic as an atheist
- Visiting the Iron Bank of Braavos
- Davos' reaction to the death of Joffrey
- Is Davos ultimately after the Iron Throne for himself
- David & Dan knowing the end
Game of Thrones: Stannis, Davos and the Iron Bank by Winter Is Coming


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A former police officer is now a lone wanderer traveling through a devastated Australia after a nuclear war looking for now-priceless petrol. He lives to survive and is none too pleased when he finds himself the only hope of a small group of honest people running a remote oil refinery. He must protect them from the bike gang that is terrorizing them whilst transporting their entire fuel supply to safety.Mad Max 2 (also known as The Road Warrior and Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior) is a 1981 Australian post-apocalyptic action film directed by George Miller. The film is the second installment in the Mad Max film series with Mel Gibson starring as Max Rockatansky. The films tale of a community of settlers moved to defend themselves against a roving band of marauders follows an archetypical Western frontier movie motif as does Maxs role as a hardened man who rediscovers his humanity when he decides to help the settlers. Filming took part in locations around Broken Hill in the outback of New South Wales.Mad Max 2 was released on 24 December 1981 and received ample critical acclaim. Observers praised the visuals and Gibsons role. Noteworthy elements of the film also include cinematographer Dean Semlers widescreen photography of Australias vast desert landscapes; the sparing use of dialogue throughout the film; costume designer Norma Moriceaus punk mohawked leather bondage gear-wearing bikers; and its fast-paced tightly edited and violent battle and chase scenes.
Check stock and price


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View Chris M.'s profile |
<-- Previous playlist | Back to Imaginary Radio with Chris M. playlists | Next playlist -->
March 11, 2012: Daylight Savings Special
Listen to this show:
Add or read comments
Listener comments! | |
Sun. 3/11/12 3:32am
Bell Labs:
You're welcome, Stanley. | |
Sun. 3/11/12 3:33am
Matt from Springfield:
Classic, love this one from the 365 Days Project. Predates 2001 Space Odyssey by several years, Kubrick apparently got the "Daisy Daisy" idea from this. | |
Sun. 3/11/12 3:35am
Bell Labs:
I'm sorry, Matt. I'm afraid I can't do that. | |
Sun. 3/11/12 3:35am
Matt from Springfield:
This was the "Mad Men" era, so computers were getting REALLY drunk after work. | |
Sun. 3/11/12 3:36am
mike noble in dc:
in the court of the bruce haack | |
Sun. 3/11/12 3:36am
Matt from Springfield:
Abort the sequence I tell you, abort! | |
Sun. 3/11/12 3:41am
Matt from Springfield:
I gotta say Chris: I'm a huge fan of Kate Bush, and I really respect your choice of H&M song "Wuthering Heights". That was awesome, especially with Keili dancing with you! | |
Sun. 3/11/12 3:44am
chris m.:
hey so nice to see you all. thanks, Matt! Keili did a great job and it was so last minute. | |
Sun. 3/11/12 3:46am
Matt from Springfield:
It looks like Keili's seen the video enough to just go with it! Male covers of Kate are unexplored territory so ripe for the pickin'... | |
Sun. 3/11/12 3:48am
everybody take your food pill! | |
Sun. 3/11/12 3:53am
Matt from Springfield:
Cool, live Elysian Fields Springsteen! | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:05am
Warm a cup of water, squeeze a lemon and add some honey. Drink it atleast twice during the day and you'll be ok in no time. Also gargle with rock salt twice. | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:05am
king penguin:
wow. I am huge Kubrick/2001 fan and did not know that about the recording. Thanks. Siri does a great "Daisy" by the way. | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:07am
chris m.:
thanks, Deepak! i'm on the mend | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:13am
please, have you got news from my favorite DJ JEFFM??? | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:20am
Driving around my living room | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:24am
i think jeff actually just did a show yesterday & has another coming up next week? http://wfmu.org/playlists/NS | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:25am
http://slowping.com/2012/self-driving-lego-mindstorms-robot/ | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:28am
you can also always keep up with fill-ins here: http://www.wfmu.org/upcoming/fillins | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:31am
Sun. 3/11/12 4:32am
de rien! | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:35am
un très bon dimanche.....Nucléaire Non Merci!!!!.......Support Japenese People.....not their governement....PAIX | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:38am
loving this dance party! | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:39am
neil from heidelberg:
just woke up and was so confused by how much of the show i'd already missed. now realizing the daylight savings switch happened in US but not here yet :/ | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:41am
chris m.:
neil - plus the show's a half hour short tonight. it's confusing for me too! | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:41am
whoa i never even thought about that, neil! guten morgen! | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:43am
neil from heidelberg:
hi! | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:43am
thanks here | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:47am
what are shadow people | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:47am
unglaublich | |
Sun. 3/11/12 4:47am
http://tinyurl.com/8yl2wyh | |
Sun. 3/11/12 5:01am
this dance section is rippin' it up, nice to be reminded how d'n'b can slay! | |
Sun. 3/11/12 5:01am
stefan dankt its his birfday berlin | |
Sun. 3/11/12 5:03am
chris m.:
thanks sprout! | |
Sun. 3/11/12 5:03am
neil from heidelberg:
happy birfday stefan | |
Sun. 3/11/12 5:12am
No prob. Congrats. | |
Sun. 3/11/12 5:15am
whaz aboit ann. mazguson | |
Sun. 3/11/12 5:22am
Madi H.:
I approve. | |
Sun. 7/15/12 7:20pm
I was just browsing the internet when I came upon this page. I am very flattered that not only did someone recall the movie Nothing Lasts Forever,and the title song; but to have had the thought to play it on air as well. How totally amusing. signed -- mara beckerman the singer | |
RSS feeds for Imaginary Radio with Chris M.: Playlists feed | MP3 archives feed
| E-mail Chris M. | Other WFMU Playlists | All artists played by Imaginary Radio with Chris M. |


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Biography of David King
On January 1, 2012, David A. King, Ed.D. officially began his term as the thirteenth president of Malone University.
Dr. King came to Malone from Eastern University, where he had served since 1991, most recently as provost. Prior to that position, he had also served as executive dean and as chief development officer for the Campolo College of Graduate & Professional Studies, as vice president for administration, and as director of human resources.
Dr. King currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Ohio Foundation for Independent Colleges (OFIC); is Vice-Chair of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference President's Council; is a member of the Greater Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce Board; and, served on the City of Canton Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee.
He has also served as commissioner on the commission for chief academic officers, Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), board of directors of College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR), and numerous academic committees. He has been awarded Honorary Life Membership, Distinguished Service Award, Diedrich K. Willers Award, and Excellence in Human Resources Practice Award by CUPA-HR.
Dr. King's depth and breadth of experience seem to have converged with Malone's vision for the future in a divine appointment. He says it was Malone's foundational principles that speak to the integration of faith, learning, and experiential activism that ultimately drew him to the University. Those words resonated within him, and it has not taken him long to embrace our mission as his own.
Dr. King has earned a B.S. in social work from Eastern Mennonite University; M.S. degrees in human services administration and human resources development from Villanova University; an education management certificate from Institute for Education Management, Harvard University Graduate School of Education; and the Ed.D. in higher education administration from Temple University.
David and Winnie have two adult children. Justin, a graduate of Syracuse University lives with his wife Catherine, son James and daughter Norah in Merion Station, PA where Justin serves as a music teacher at Simon Gratz High School. Lindsey, graduate of Gordon College (MA) and her husband Brian and daughters Mayla and Ramona live in central Massachusetts where Lindsey serves as a case worker with an agency serving the mentally ill. Winnie is self-employed as an interior designer.


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Sigh. I could go off on this one, but I already saw a great response from Youtuber Evid3nc3, via his Facebook page:
I would also add that, as Frans De Waal has often said, most species survive through interdependent group living, not through individual conquest. Animals – especially primates – share food, divide labor, care for the sick and wounded, and mourn their dead. Our ability to empathize and sympathize with each other forms a continuity with our evolutionary ancestry – it's not something we invented.


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Two days later, it was time to look forward.
That's not to say the Jaguars weren't very aware that what happened Thursday night in Baltimore was unacceptable, and in the wake of a 31-point loss to the Ravens, there was the expected talk of recovering, responding and moving forward.
"It was definitely a wakeup call," defensive end
But Jaguars head coach Mike Mularkey said while many things went wrong Thursday, many things went right. Saturday was a time for working on each.
Mularkey said he spoke to the team before practice Saturday about maintaining what has been a high level of focus and energy in practice. While that was easy after victories in the first two preseason games, he said it was harder in the wake of a loss.
"The first couple of weeks after we had a chance to win the game we had very good practices," Mularkey said. "The energy level, you could tell, was up. It can be down after a loss. It's a negative feeling. You think negative thoughts. Practice doesn't sound as good this week as it did last week.
"I just wanted to address it and wanted them to know we needed a good week of work. We've still got a week of training to do. We got an extra day to it."
With Saturday being that extra day, Mularkey said the team had a good day.
"I told them afterward, it didn't surprise me," Mularkey said.
Mularkey called Saturday unique, because normally teams play on Friday or Saturday during the preseason. With the Jaguars playing Thursday, Mularkey said the team got 50 plays in during what was essentially an extra day of practice.
"We got a chance to review the Ravens game this morning, then got a good hour and fifteen minutes of work," he said.
Among the positives Mularkey said he saw Thursday were the defense holding the Ravens on the first possession, and the defense stopping a two-minute drive for a third consecutive game. The Jaguars also forced two turnovers and committed none.
"We saw a lot of individual things that were good," Mularkey said, adding with a laugh, "I'm going to leave off all the negatives we need to fix."
The Jaguars' first-team offense, after scoring on four of eight possessions in the first two preseason games, managed just one field goal in three quarters against the Ravens.
"There were definitely some positive things, but the main thing that we need to work on is not shooting ourselves in the foot," quarterback
"We had some positive plays on first down. Then there were other times we would get a couple yards and then we'd be in 2nd-and-15 or 2nd-and-19 so we have to eliminate the negative plays – like I said after the game – in order to keep ourselves in second and medium, third and short so we can capitalize on our third down."
Gabbert called the work against the Ravens' defense "a big-time learning experience," adding that Baltimore gave the Jaguars' offense many different looks.
"It definitely tested us," Gabbert said. "We put a lot of good stuff on film to learn from, so when we see them down the road we'll be ready to go."
Said Mincey, "We have to execute better. We have to make strides from it. I think it's going to help us become a real good football team. It's good to reset the clock. I think that's what the game did. It's just the preseason.
"It's about finding what you're good at and what you need to work on. That's what we're doing."
Mularkey said the team will resume its normal schedule Sunday, with a "Wednesday" type full practice to prepare for Thursday's game against Atlanta at EverBank Field in Jacksonville. He also said the intensity of practice won't wane, with the team expected to work in pads Sunday and Monday.
He said the team also will work in pads Monday and Wednesday of the regular-season opener.
Mularkey said he expects the Jaguars' starters to play up to a quarter against Atlanta, with that group likely to play at least 10-to-12 plays. Exactly how much the starters will play will depend on length of possessions.
Mularkey also said heading into the week depth has become an issue at defensive end and tight end. Rookie tight end
"It's tough timing," Mularkey said. "It is what is when it comes to those injuries."
Defensive end
Mularkey said the Jaguars could sign a player off the waiver wire when teams make moves in the next few days.
"We're looking," Mularkey said. "This is a big roster cut-down (time) for all of the teams. We're looking for all positions. We're hoping to get some depth. We'll see what's out there."


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today's biz ladies post comes from social media writer, editor and blogger rebecca levie osberg. rebecca offers her social media savvy and blog writing skills to her clients on a daily basis, and today, she shares with us some helpful tips for using a blog attached to your website to cultivate your business. thank you rebecca for sharing your social media expertise with us!–stephanie
CLICK HERE for the full post after the jump!
Being a small business owner can leave you feeling like there is a perpetual to-do list living in your brain, rapping at your temple just when you think you're about to relax. The to-do list whispers, "remember you were going to start that blog?" While a nuisance, the list has a point. Blogs offer so much to a small business. They are interactive, conversational, interesting, and if updated frequently enough, and with quality content, they can position you as a leader in your field.
First though, let's start at the very beginning. Why do you need a blog? Is it really worth the hassle? Short answer, yes. Long answer, keep reading.
A blog will help increase your company's web presence and deliver better SEO. The more pages you have on your website, the better your chance of being found by search engines, which means more hits on your website! But don't just take my word for it, look at this article where HubSpot proves that companies who blogged had 55% more visitors, 97% more inbound links, and 434% more indexed pages. To better understand blogging and SEO, read this fantastic Modish Biz Tips article.
A blog provides an easy way to relay details about your business. A blog is a way to announce a sale or share a new delivery right when it happens. If what you sell is visual, it's also a great way to constantly be uploading pictures to share with your customers. For example, if you're a clothing store and you get a new shipment every Tuesday, have your staff model for you and take pictures and post them to your blog. Your customers will eventually know to go to your blog every Tuesday to see your new inventory. It's a powerful tool. And eventually people will start commenting on your posts, and you can respond, fostering another form of dialogue. The ways to use a blog to communicate with customers are really endless. Additionally, make sure customers can subscribe to your blog via rss feed so they will be up to date on the comings and goings of your business.
Gain credibility in your field. You are an expert at what you do, flaunt your knowledge! Use your new blog to post about your professional insights, or to muse about what is happening in your industry. If you dye your own fabrics and sell them, blog about your method, take pictures, document the process, and your customers will know for sure that you are a fabric dying expert. Not only do you gain credibility, but people are always more willing to buy from people they trust and have confidence in. You're not only selling your products, you're selling yourself. Another tip is to make sure you connect to other bloggers in the blogging community. See how they position themselves as experts, or even shoot them an email to introduce yourself and ask for advice.
Humanize your business. Blogs are a great way to show a bit of your personality. You're not just products and marketing, you are a person behind your brand, and by posting something you found humorous, or a quick tip for a customer, you're making yourself real. For example, if you're a fabric store, why not post a sewing tutorial? You may feel like you're giving away information for free, but karma will come back at you, in the form of more hits on your site, and hopefully, more sales.
Now that I've given you four indisputable reasons why you should have a blog, and you've seen the light, there is a logistical question to get out of the way: what blogging platform to use. I recommend either WordPress or Typepad. The difference is with WordPress you have more control, but some find it a bit more difficult to use. Typepad is easier to use, but you don't have as much control. A wonderful article, which lays out all the differences, uses the analogy that the distinction is basically the difference between owning your own house and renting. You can read more about it here. I personally use WordPress and have no complaints.
So now that you have made the decision to include a blog on your website, you're probably wondering what the rules are. I know the usual questions. How often should I post? What should I post? How do I come up with ideas? Guess what? There are no rules! But there are a few guidelines to follow.
I suggest that you post once a week, at least in the beginning. It's easy to install a blog and post a few times and then suddenly realize it's New Years Eve and your last post was in July. Therefore I always recommend taking the first couple of months to post at least once a week in order to get a routine in your blood. After 3-4 months, see how you're feeling about the blog. Make sure to install Google Analytics (it's free and easy) when you start your blog so you can keep track of your traffic and visitor loyalty. Check its pulse and decide how you want to continue. If it's getting a great response, you may want to keep doing what you're doing, or even upping your posting frequency.
The next question is what most people find to be the most difficult. How do I know what to post? Where do I get my ideas? There are several ways to go about this. I'm of the mindset that being as observant in the world as possible is a wonderful form of inspiration. I often wait for inspiration to hit me in the form of a commercial, a song, another blog post I read, or simply talking with customers and listening to their questions. I've written many a blog post based off a client question. However, I know there are many who are uncomfortable leaving the post topic to chance, and in that case, I recommend an editorial calendar.
This is somewhat akin to what Design*Sponge does. We know every Monday is Sneak Peeks, every Tuesday is Biz Ladies, Wednesdays are DIY etc. Your editorial calendar doesn't need to be as tight since you aren't posting 40 articles a week, but having a sense of what your topic is going to be can be very comforting.
As an example, back to the fabric store. Make a schedule so you know the first week of the month is all about the new fabrics you get in. The second week is your DIY sewing lesson, the third is photos from customers who have bought your fabric and turned it into something beautiful, and the fourth is what you yourself have made during the month. Just knowing what is coming up can be very stress-relieving. I really think you'll be surprised by how easy it is to come up with interesting posts that you will enjoy writing and your customers will enjoy reading.
The next part of the equation is promoting your blog, I am going to go through four ways.
Twitter is a wonderful platform because it fosters conversation. It can take awhile to build up followers, but here is a great tutorial on how to accomplish this feat. The key to Twitter is to use it to promote others in addition to yourself. If someone you follow posts an article that you really enjoyed reading, you can re-tweet it so the article goes to all your followers too. I read somewhere that in this day and age, re-tweeting is the sincerest form of flattery, and I completely agree. A great goal to have with every blog post is to hope someone will like it enough to re-tweet it.
2) Facebook
Facebook is a completely different beast. Facebook is less interactive and more about getting fans to "like" what you have shared. With Facebook, you need to have a fan page as opposed to a personal profile. Instead of having people be "friends" with you, they "like" your company. The more "likes" you have, the more people your blog post will go to when you post it to Facebook. For a more in-depth tutorial on how to use Facebook to market your business, read this.
3) Guest Blogging
Another idea is to guest blog. Find someone in your industry that also has a blog and write for each other's blogs one week a month. You'll find a lot of traffic will come from this opportunity. This goes back to becoming part of the blogging community. If you comment on other blogs, some of those bloggers will start commenting on yours, and you'll foster a relationship. This can make approaching the idea of guest posting easier. Another tip is to add blogs you like to your blog roll and ask them to add your blog to theirs.
4) Email Lists
And finally, you can use your email list to do an email blast whenever you write a new post, or a monthly newsletter encompassing all the posts for that month. If you're a small business owner, you're definitely in the mode of promoting your business, so just apply that knowledge of promotion and networking to your blog as well.
If after reading the above, you're still on the fence, I leave you with this thought: Blogging is fun. I find that most people who start a blog, end up loving it. It's such an amazing way to connect with readers and receive instantaneous feedback on your ideas, your product, and your business. It's hard to top that feeling when you see a comment from someone who loves what you have to say.
I hope this post was of some help in both convincing you that you need a blog and helping you figure out what to do once you have it. Small businesses really can't go wrong by making a blog part of their overall marketing plan.
What a great article. What are the 'legalities' when blogging about other people's work? Must you contact an artist/designer/company before publishing any of their work? I assume so, but find it hard to believe that all bloggers do this? Thanks!
im going to retweet this. ^.^ V
Love it! Thanks for the tips :)
thank you for posting this article. I am trying to expand my business and i found this article to be very useful. Thanks.
Question- is there a way to make your blog or Facebook come up more easily when someone searches certain applicable keywords?
any reason for not recommending blogspot? for dummies like me, it has worked out fine…
this is really helpful! thanks for your insight :) these articles are always so appreciated.
Thanks for the encouragement! Lately I've really been finding myself in situations where I think, "If I had a blog, I would totally put this on there!" Maybe it's a sign. :)
I was *this* close to starting up a blogspot last night. I'd also like to know what the differences are between it and the two you referenced. -
Great post – and thanks for the FB info link. The username/vanity URL issue is still a mystery to me. The how-to mentioned in the David Carr article (via Rebecca's linked article) gives a link which re-directs from "/username" to "/upgradeaccount," and then gives a warning saying I can't use that feature without signing up for a personal profile.
Would love to get a short vanity URL, but FB does not make this easy. In fact, they almost seemingly encourage FB business pages to convert their page to a business profile. Is anyone else having this issue? Perhaps I'm misunderstanding it – but why does FB have a "create your profile" button on the top right of their page (next to "settings" and "logout"? It's like pandora's box.
thank you so much for sharing your wisdom on blogging! i recently started a blog to complement my etsy shop, and this is definitely an affirmation.
do you see any issues with posting more than once a week at the beginning? Wouldn't want to give the impression that I have nothing else to do, ha.-kate
Hi Jen O,
The reason I didn't suggest Blogspot aka Blogger.com is because you can not host your domain name, although you can have a customized one. However, your domain name (aka, the name of your URL) is hosted by Google. So if you ever change hosts, you will have to change your domain name. It's not a huge deal, but something to keep in mind.
Hi Jacquelyn,
FB really does make it seemingly impossible to get a vanity URL. You can get a vanity URL as a personal page, but if you are using FB for your business, you really are better off with a business page.
The trick is you can attach a business page to your personal profile. So when you go to the Facebook page without logging in, click create a business page on the bottom right-hand corner, and after one step it will prompt you to ask if you already have a Facebook profile. At this point you can attach the business page to your personal FB page. From then when logging in to your personal page, you go to Account (upper right hand corner) – Manage Pages, and you can click to see your Business Page.
It's easier that way than having two log-ins.
Remember, you need 25 "likes" before you can get a vanity URL for a business page.
Hope this helps.
Hi Kate,
I totally agree with Grace that more than once a week is fantastic. The more content on your site, the better. I just didn't want to scare anyone before they'd even started :) I say post away!
Thanks for all the info. I just created my blog and found it was pretty easy. Once I got started – it was actually fun. You actually took the pressure off me by saying we should start out by blogging once a week. Totally doable and I like the idea of creating a weekly schedule. ~ Ellen
Love the article, i'm using many of your tips :D
Thank you so much for the great info. There is so much to think about!!!!
Lots of information in this fantastic blog post – thank you!
Getting used to blogging often isn't easy, but it really does help your website grow. As the article indicates, search engines will recognise that your website is being updated on a regular basis, and therefore be much better for you SEO.
Thank you so much!!! Great information and encouragemente. I started my blog recently -I´m from Argentina- and your tips are great-.
As a designer, I have a lot of visual and was wondering if anyone has a suggestion about a small, simple inexpensive digital camera that takes great pics for the use on a blog. I also have noticed some very successful blogs use magazine photos ALOT. Are they asking permission every time? If you are referring or complimenting someone's work and giving credit to the publication, designer and photographer, must you still get permission? Thanks!
I'm glad you brought up the point about an editorial calender, that really helps break it down into smaller pieces that I actually feel like I could do!
One question though, do you post the same things on your blog as your facebook? Should I come up with different content for each outlet?
Thank you sooo much for the helpful advice!!! Big smile from vibeke
This is the most imformative site I have ever came across!!! You have answered so many questions and inspired me to keep going. Your knowledge is extremely helpful and it's great to know that you are so accessible.
Cheers!! -
biz ladies is the bizness
Thank you so much for you article. The tips you give are good common sense advice. I will certainly be putting this information to use!!!
I use a website called Weebly for both my site and my blog. I bought my domain name from godaddy.com for $11ish for the year and then just linked it to Weebly which hosts for free (very easy to do, instructions on Weebly site are step by step) with just a very small link in the bottom left corner to the Weebly page. That allows me to keep everything under one umbrella, which makes it easier for customers to go from the blog to services, portfolio, contact, etc.
That said, I'd totally be game for a guest writer on my site and I'd be really excited to do a guest entry for someone else.
Another fab Biz Ladies post, thanks Grace!
Ang mentioned SEO in the comments above – there are loads of great resources online about how to improve the visibility of your site but here are a few key things I've learned:
– Google likes blogs – the content is updated frequently which adds points to your site as far as SEO is concerned – so if you do have a blog, post the link on your facebook page, your online store (if you have one), your twitter site, and in your email signature
– getting others to link to your blog/website is another way – not reciprocal links (I'll link to you if you link to me) as Google can spot those and ignores them but if you write good content people will link to you because they want to share your fab posts with their readers
– using lots of keywords within your copy (use words that your audience uses in relation to your product/ specialist area) – make it natural though, not just jampacked with random keywords!
You probably know a lot of these anyway but I'm always so chuffed with any little tips I find that I thought I'd share.
Am off to see if there is already a Biz ladies post on SEO – if not, I'd love to read one (nudge nudge Grace!)
Thanks again for a good post and useful comments, Elle x
Thanks Grace,
What a great post! Very helpful, can't wait to put your tips to good use.I just started reading Bizladies recently, and really appreciate your insight, keep up the great work!
I was on the fence about Twitter and you helped me make up my mind.
I'm going for it right now ;o)
Thank you so much for this post.Brice.
I LOVE your Biz Ladies postings – you seem to be tackling every topic I wish to learn more about!
Thanks for the insight into blogging. I have just started my own blog on my website and will be putting some of your tips into practice.
Looking forward to the next Biz Ladies posting…
This is a great post especially since we just put our blog up last week. (Very excited!) I love the idea of an editorial calendar. I think we will come up with a list of topics and try to post those on the same day, or maybe a two week rotation.
Here is my big question: how to you get people to READ your blog? We are both on twitter, but that is really it. Is there a secret I am missing?
Great advice, soooo helpful- thanks so much
The twitter info here is GOLDEN! I can definitely apply this stuff. Thank you :)
Thank you so much for this post.
Great article. This is very encouraging. Sometimes I get confused with all that information, but this article has made me more focused. Thanks.
Biz-ladies is my go-to source when I get stumped! Thanks so much!
I do have a question regarding someone else blogging about you. I typically just get, 'I would like to post about your company…can you send hi res images'. Should I ask more specifics about the post to ensure it a true reflection of my product? I would hate to inadvertently give the ok and it ends up being a bad review or includes inaccurate information.
Any list of questions/stipulations I should ask/state before giving the go-ahead by forwarding images?
Helpful as always! And thanks to this post I've just changed our facebook url to a vanity one (didn't even know that's what they were called!)
When I started on Etsy I used one name, but then wanted to change my user name to something more mature and marketable. I already had the blog under my original name and didn't want to have to move everything and get re-established, so I bought a url and just pointed it to the blog.
this is really helpful and i'm putting these tips to use!
I am in the process of developing my biz plan to market my artsy home deco accessory line. After reading all of these wonderful comments, I'm confused about what to set up first, sort of like the chick and the egg thingy. I plan to go through Etsy, do I set up this first, or establish a blog site, or refurbish existing FB and Twitter accounts. Any suggestions? Thanks to all of you.
thank you for the generous sharing of your hard earned insights! i truly feel like i have just arrived through 'ellis island,' to a new land i have little grasp of. offerings such as yours are insightful and encouraging that i too can join this new world that moves at light speed….
Love this series. So many helpful tips. Thanks!
I don't agree with some of what you have said about Facebook. I have only a personal page, not a business page, and it is the best tool I have to promote my work. As an artist the work has a lot of the personal in it – and after years of being on the road doing shows I have been able to easily draw a line between the personal and the private. My customers watch me interacting with other artists and musicians that I know and it makes them want a piece of the action. I can post process shots of pieces as they unfold which also draws people in. It is much more personal and interactive for me than twitter. I find Twitter frustrating because I am always seeing bits of conversation rather than the whole thing. I get threads on Facebook going on for 15/20 parts of conversation – and they are all there in one place! I do Tweet of course – but I don't feel that it is as important a part of my web strategy as Facebook (which links to my Blog and my Etsy store and my Flickr account)
I have just launched an interior design product. I am keen to write a blog on the website but want to include my other passions, garden design and allotment. Would that work or is it silly to combine the three things?
There's a ton of fabulous info in here! Great inspiration for that blog I've been meaning to start…..
Thank you! Very helpful.
The bag looks great while still maintaining the colors of the brand.


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text: Remember EnOcean's batteryless / wireless light switches on display last year? Don't sweat it, neither did we. Still, that hasn't stopped EnOcean from experimenting with battery-less sensors which harvest electricity from vibrations (pictured) and temperature differentials. According to EnOcean, their prototype thermal-differential sensor attached to say, a water pipe, can harvest up to 50-milliwatts as long as one surface is 3-degrees Celsius higher or lower than the immediate environment. While that pales in compaison to batteries, it's still enough power to transmit a tweaked RF signal as far as 300-meters in an open warehouse or 30-meters through walls. Nearby sensors can also act as relays to extend signal transmission. Link the sensors with a thermostat and you can create micro-climates around the home; link 'em to a home automation system and control your house without the need to run power and Cat 5 / WiFi everywhere. Now someone get those X10 spammers home automators on the horn, we smell a business op.


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The Guard Dog 18% Lipstick pepper spray is designed to conceal the powerful pepper spray to appear like real lipstick, yet hold the power and effectiveness of Guard Dog Security pepper spray. Small enough to carry anywhere, this lipstick pepper spray contains enough red pepper to immobilize an attacker without them knowing what hit 'em!
Color will be picked at random
Active Ingredients:
- 18% Oleoresin Capsicum (Red Pepper). Use: The primary ingredient which causes the "burn" factor from the spray
- Invisible UV Dye
- Brand New
- 30 Day Warranty
- New


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3rd Transatlantic - 1st NCL on the Gem by adesmar123: Norwegian Gem Cruise Review by adesmar123
Overall Member Rating
3rd Transatlantic - 1st NCL on the Gem by adesmar123
Destination: Transatlantic
Embarkation: New York (Manhattan)
We were in a DD ocean view. The price was right and we have seen the Atlantic on other crossings. Most days were nice on the crossing, so a veranda might have been useful. We have cruised on Oceania and Celebrity before so we were curious to see how NCl compared.
Generally the food was good. The disappointing fact is that the food in the main dining rooms were not at the quality level of other cruises, and also that of the specialty restaurants. Freestyle gets a little lost in that equation. On cruises we look for quality not quantity. Its some how disheartening to know that you have to pay $50 for two to have More an exceptional meal. Buffets were a nice surprise though.
The ship is beautiful and well designed but with some inherent flaws. The Theater holds a large number of people but without aisles on both sides people must move by everyone in the row to get in. And NCL holds open seats for the suite and villa people even if they don't attend the show. So some people are sitting in the aisles while 50 seats are left empty but unavailable.
Movies...the movies (only 3) were show in the atrium which also serves as a shopping mall and bar. So it was hard to hear and concentrate while people were buying watches and beer next to you. There were only pay movies in the rooms.
TV...very limited satellite stations......
Bingo... a necessary evil. NCL gives out free bingo cards to get people into the session. The assistant Cruise Directors then calls you "bingo stalkers" when you show up for the free game card. It was said in a somewhat comic vein, but it still hits home. The assistant cruise director tended to be more annoying than entertaining. Casino...friendly and play was available for all dollar and skill levels.
Entertainment...sometimes very good and sometimes just good...ship cast shows were good not great. Ship's special parties were what you would expect and not too much more. Having entertainers available for Q & A and general discussions are a great idea.
State room....DD Ocean view was comfortable while not huge. Stewards were fantastic! Our room had a couple of broken pieces of furniture and maintenance was slow to repair them.
Dining Room service...staff ranged from good to excellent. I still think staff are different when they know their service only to you determines the gratuity. Freestyle means no assigned dining staff.
Freestyle is over played. Freestyle tends to = a la carte. Not much in freestyle is free. If there was a love boat, this is the a la carte boat. IE bowling at $5 per game on a rolling sea is quite pricey.
Drinks were not pushed to the extreme as on other ships. This voyage tended to over promote scratch type lottery tickets and other simple gambling devices
We didn't do much on the way of excursions, so we'll leave that to others.
Embarkation was amazingly disorganized. I'm not sure if it was the Venice authorities or NCL. But they left a large number of guests waiting early in the morning for the buses to the airport. They actually kept calling for additional groups to disembark before they were letting people off the ship.
All in all a nice cruise on a nice ship. It was a great cruise but well worth the price. Less
Published 05/11/10
Cabin review: OB5046 Mid-Ship Oceanview Picture Window
small but comfy
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Some of these pictures were taken with a tripod. I finally dug mine out of the pile in the basement, and I wonder if you can notice the difference? Let me know.
Weighting either side of the sofa are the leather chairs we bought in Texas. We have 4 of them, and as I'm sure you've seen, they get moved around pretty frequently. I've thought several times that I would buy another Ektorp loveseat and flank the fireplace instead, but I don't have any storage space for these chairs - and it wouldn't go any further to our using the room any more frequently - so I'll save that money for now.
The coffee table is an old luggage cart from the Cincinnati Railroad. It's stamped 33 and has a great little tag on the left end that gives it even more charm.
I got the cart for free. A friend of ours had just bought a flower shop in Buffalo, and the adjoining building had tons of stuff that he allowed me to dig through. I found this cart, and a great ladder. For a while I left the cart as is - then Restoration Hardware, Ballard Designs, Wisteria, and several other catalog companies started selling them, and I moved ours to the basement. Then, when I was at the Philadelphia Restoration Hardware, I saw a great cart with a glass top instead of the wood plank, and it had me back here tearing the planks off of this bad boy.
The glass is from a coffee table that we didn't bring from Texas, although we did pack the glass. I don't know how that happened, but I'm sure it had something to do with space. All in all, I love the new look of the table, and I know from the reveal I did of the table here, that a lot of you do, too!
My large blue and white garden stool came from Phil Michael Trading Company. I love their stuff, and when I saw this beautiful stool, I had to have it. If you're looking for one - check them out. They also have very nice accessories for any room!
The zebra rug was an Ebay find. The listing did say that the rug had some small problems that would be easily fixed by someone with access to a taxidermy studio. I thought I'd give it a try, and won the bid at $300. When I got the rug, it had more than small problems. The tail had been torn off, the rug had a 3" L-shaped tear in the center, and the area near the missing tail needed to be mended and backed so that it would stop peeling off. Now, the rug is probably about 50 years old, and given that it's been a rug for 50 years you can't expect perfection.
I love the rug, and I know that some people hate them, and think it's terrible that they're so prevalent in interior design today ... I understand where you're coming from - I do. But, I love them.
Oh, P.S., can you spot Salem the Cat in the picture above?
One chair has a simple antique brass directoire table for the occasional drink during a party, and the other chair has this great stepping stool I got for free! I know you're thinking so much stuff I get for free! LOL! I wasn't sure at first what I was going to do with this stool - but being super sturdy, I couldn't pass it up. I brought it back here, and held onto it for a while, before deciding that it made a fabulous library ladder of sorts.
It's styled with tons of my favorite design books, my two favorite Chinese stone parrots, and an old bread bowl filled with mercury glass beads.
The coffee table is styled so simply. I used two books, flowers, and my Ethiopian prayer beads, along with this great salt lamp candle holder. I love these salt lamps, and I had been looking all over for one just like this, when low and behold, my local grocery store had them for the Holidays. A score at $7.99, don't you think?
I made the ottoman in front of the fireplace out of the same Calico Corners fabric that I slipcovered the secretary chair in. It's finished with a french welt, and makes another great curl up spot for the cat. The basket story has already been told, but many of you didn't know that along with the stripes I painted CDLV (Casa de la Vanderdogan - the name of our home) and 423 (our anniversary 4/23) to mimic the old laundry baskets that are oh so expensive.
I was so excited that we got this into the photo of the living room during the photo shoot. It's really one of my favorite pieces in this room. Another of my favoite pieces is the secretary I got at an auction for just $225.
The secretary is actually a secretaire, since it doesn't have storage above, and is English - carved in Oak, but stained with a Jacobean stain. It's been in our foyer, our dining room, on the Nate Berkus Show, and now our living room. The chair is an old dining room chair I slipcovered, and the whole corner is anchored by this giant pub sign from London that Scott bought for me in Ohio.
The secretaire is styled with the cross bottles I made, a small french mirror, and some old rusted metal door pulley wheels on top - and a host of other items in the cubby's below. The silver books you see are actually sterling silver bound Torah. I've got coral and antlers, tree moss from Austin, Texas, and our little Mexian santos that's been in every room of the house. I actually should post his journey around CDLV. It's quite humorous.
And a larger open view - looking into the dining room. We use both of these rooms in tandem. We serve cocktails in the living room, and have the hour d'ouvers there, and then have dinner in the dining room, and desert and coffee back in the living room. The flow is excellent, and though we've been looking for another place to call home - we can't find anything that flows as nicely.
So, there you have it! The living room, and the way it relates to the rest of the rooms in the house. Up next, the foyer - and if you're interested in some of my cross bottles for your home, check out the website here: