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Mark Bild
Mark Wiesinger
Mark has always had a passion for design and has taken his drawing teacher as a mentor and film architect Ken Adam as a role model from an early age. The result was the idea to study architecture or film architecture. Mark worked successfully for years in the textile industry in Vienna and developed a feeling for color and fabric combinations. In Salzburg, he began working with his wife Bettina at the Hotel & Villa Auersperg. The house clearly bears Mark's handwriting in every room. With individual designer pieces he skilfully creates the popular Auersperg flair in harmonious combinations.
At the Auersperg
Mark takes care of all the renovations, and the small, fine details with his company Mark's Plan. Old and new, tradition and design combined so skilfully, are the components of this soothing atmosphere. Every lighting effect fits, the color combinations are as coherent as they are brave, the individual pieces of furniture harmoniously chosen, from a mixture of design classics and those that will become, the fabrics or wooden floors, and fittings of exquisite quality and sustainably manufactured.
Lobby, Breakfastroom & Bar Lounge
In early 2018, entire lobby and reception were redesigned by Mark's Plan. The attractive light-flooded breakfast room has also been new designed and expanded to include a stylish lounge with a real living room feeling and a huge panoramic window overlooking the garden.
Gardenrooms & Winter garden
In the spring of 2019, the hotel winter garden was completely renovated and equipped with workstations and new seating. In addition, the rooms overlooking the garden were redesigned and transformed with high quality materials to cozy, but stylish oases.


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The Queen at London Fashion Week
As you may have guessed from our social media posts, the Girl Meets Dress buyers and social media team have been very busy with London Fashion Week (LFW), running around London to get to all the shows, to seek out what's going to be on trend for AW18 and we've already placed orders on dresses for you to hire that we think will be popular for the coming season. At the Richard Quinn show yesterday, we were graced not just by the likes of Anna Wintour aka fashion royalty, but Her Majesty The Queen made an unprecedented appearance. All of the Girl Meets Dress team, were major fangirling, but obviously we still kept our focus on the dresses. Of course she was in the front row and she awarded Quinn with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. This is the first time the Queen has graced her presence at LFW.
The Queen sat next to Anna Wintour. Don't they both look lovely? Feel inspired by the Queen's pastel blue ensemble or Anna Wintour's floral dress? Then why not hire one of our day dresses?
Here the Queen is awarding Richard Quinn with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design.
For those who live in London, Girl Meets Dress offers same day delivery, for all orders placed before 1pm, so its not too late to hire dresses of your dreams!
For all our other UK and European customers, we offer next day delivery for all orders placed before 1pm.
With Girl Meets Dress, you can now hire the catwalk, as the dresses you see on the Girl Meets Dress website, are always fresh off the runway.
Do you have lots of events to attend each month and want to wear a new designer dress each time? Why not become a Girl Meets Dress member?
If you need any suggestions or styling advice for any event, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Remember you can also book a Girl Meets Dress, London showroom appointment by emailing: firstname.lastname@example.com
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subset: commoncrawl


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Union won't appeal, McInerney to miss game
The Philadelphia Union will not appeal McInerney's red card recieved for retalition of the Nelson Rivas headbutt during last weeks Montreal game. He will miss this weeks game against Chicago.
Bakary Soumare returns to game action in reserves defeat
Completely missed this a few days ago. The reserves were defeated 5-1 at Montreal over the weekend. Good news is that Bakary Soumare played a full 90 minutes in the match.
The folks over at philly soccer page take a look at the Disciplinary Committees Guidlines to figure out the ban for the Nelson Rivas Headbutt. It will likely be more then one game.
U.S. women's soccer team to get $1.5 million bonus, more games if it wins gold
The U.S. women's soccer team will have $1.5 million split between the players if they are to win gold. They will also play 10 additional matches during the homecoming tour if they win gold.
Click the jump for more Soccer LinksBrazil seeking first Olympic gold in men's soccer
Surprisingly Brazil has never won an Olympic Gold in the men's soccer tournament. They now try to change that having reached the finals.
Olympics Soccer: Mexico's Olympic Resiliency
Already without Javier Hernandez due to Manchester United not allowing him to play, Mexico lost it's best player during the tournament, Giovani do Santos, for the entire second half. They overcame the loss and managed to win 3-1 in order to reach the finals. They will now play Brazil on Saturday.
NBA and NHL Get the Boot: MLS Is the 3rd Most Attended Sports League in America
For the second year in a row the MLS is the 3rd most attended sport in America.It saw an increase in average attendance from 2011-2012 of roughly 1,000 people. While they don't recieve the viewership the NBA and NHL get, the TV ratings have also risen for games shown on ESPN.
US soccer players motivated by World Cup defeat
The Women's US soccer team is using its World Cup defeat against Japan to motivate them during the Gold Medal game.
Women's soccer gold-medal match reprises World Cup final
The Olympic Gold Medal Final is a rematch of last years World Cup final between the U.S. and Japan.
FIFA needs more time on Canada soccer complaint
FIFA is waiting until after the Bronze Medal match between Canda and France before it makes a decision on Canada's comments after the U.S. loss.


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Film Review: Tom Brady's Bad Yards Per Attempt and Dropped Passes
By Jason Lisk
Tom Brady has thrown one touchdown pass in the last three games. It was a pretty big one, and required the final seconds of a game, against the Saints. Over this stretch of games, Brady has completed 51% of his passes, and averaged 5.46 yards per attempt.
For the year, among the 32 quarterbacks who have thrown at least 100 passes, here are his rankings: 30th in yards per attempt, 29th in completion percentage, 29th in touchdown percentage. He leads only Brandon Weeden in all three categories.
[RELATED: Scott Zolak's Radio Call After Tom Brady Beat the Saints: "Unicorns, Show Ponies, Where's the Beef!"]
His current yards per attempt is a dreadful 5.99. Among all quarterbacks age 35 or older, who threw at least 150 passes in a year, that would put him at 16th worst. These are retirement or grizzled veteran backup area numbers for most quarterbacks this age. Of the other bottom 30 seasons in yards per attempt, the average number of remaining starts was 9.9. Only Vinny Testaverde, Jeff Garcia, Babe Parilli, and Jim Hart started 20 more games after having a season under 6.3 yards per attempt after their 35th birthday.
Of course, Brady gets the benefit of the doubt for one large glaring reason. He has been without pretty much all of his receivers from a year ago, and I noted the historic and unprecedented turnover he was facing in the summer. There was some thought that the Patriots and Brady were a machine that could just churn out production, actual names be damned.
Over at Football Perspective, Chase Stuart had a contest as it related to the demise of the New England passing game. Twenty-one entries tried to predict Tom Brady's numbers this year; most were of the belief it would mostly be business as usual. The average prediction, knowing that he would be without most of the receivers from a year ago, was 7.4 yards per attempt. Only three entries predicted him below 7.0 yards per attempt. One wrote "It's the beginning of the end." The lowest projection, and the one that is on pace to win the contest, had Brady at 5.9 yards per attempt. Patriots fans better hope "Lil Mac" wasn't looking into a crystal ball, because he also said, "Brady misses last three games with dislocated shoulder; Patriots fail to make the playoffs."
I had said, in my article about the turnover on offense:
" It still comes down to the Joes, though. Brady looks better when his #1 targets are Randy Moss and Wes Welker than when they are Reche Caldwell and Ben Watson. Yes, Brady took teams deep in the playoffs with Caldwell as his best receiver; the Patriots were also 2nd in points allowed that year, just like they were in the two Super Bowl years with Branch and Givens as the top receivers. If New England is again among the best teams, it will be due to some combination of the defense finally making a leap back to the upper echelon, or the new players on offense being all-pros themselves so that the offense continues with the same efficiency."
New England is 5-2 by being fifth in points allowed, and 20th in points scored. It's fair to say that no one will be making all pro this year as a receiver, unless Gronkowski blows the field away in a half season.
One big potential issue with that awful yards per attempt is the drops. According to Stats, Inc., New England leads the league with 24 dropped passes. (This site has a chart detailing the drops allocated to each player). Here are the unofficial drops denoted by Stats, Inc.
- Kenbrell Thompkins – 7
- Aaron Dobson – 6
- Julian Edelman – 5
- Brandon Bolden – 3
- Danny Amendola – 2
- Shane Vereen – 1
I went through all of the New England incomplete passes this year because I was curious about this number, and wanted to see what impact it was having on Tom Brady's yards per attempt. Now, before going even further, I should probably note that while individual drops do have the potential to have a big impact (third down, touchdown catches, etc), they are rare events, and things like getting separation, route running, and spacing are probably more important to an offense's numbers and efficiency.
[RELATED: Antonio Allen Intercepted Tom Brady, Ran It Back for a TD]
There is no list I could find detailing the specific plays, so I had to go through and try to identify the drops. I think I have done that, though there are plenty of plays I had marked as question marks, not knowing how Stats, Inc. does it. I think, knowing how many were allocated to each player, I was able to find the ones being used.
I'm not a fan of the drop category because it is pretty broad and vague, as we will see here. Does it mean any ball that a player touches? It cannot, because I have some that were not counted as drops that I noted. Does it mean clear errors by the receiver of easily catchable balls? It clearly means more than that.
So how many of the drops have actually resulted from balls that were well thrown, placed to a receiver in stride? By my count, EIGHT. A ninth, a drop by Dobson when he turns on a short pass at the start of the Saints game, is borderline in this regard. The most costly was this deep ball to Aaron Dobson against the Jets (first game), because it was the largest gain of any of the "drops", and it was on third down.
In addition to that one, Brandon Bolden was responsible for the next biggest drop, on a wide open screen pass against the Bengals. I have Thompkins (on two middle crossing routes), Dobson (on that play and the slant against the Saints), and Bolden (dropped screen and a pass against the Saints) down for two each, with one each by Amendola and Edelman.
Two of them happened to have come in what could have been a key moment: the attempted rally against the Saints, when Bolden and Dobson dropped passes within two plays of each other before a turnover on downs.
[RELATED: Julian Edelman Leaves Tom Brady Hanging]
These are all plays where the player had enough separation to make a catch, the catch could have been made without adjustment, and there was an opportunity to run (some would have only resulted in a few more yards, but the opportunity was there).
Some of the drops are harsh in the sense that they were not easy catches, particularly some of those designated to Dobson and Thompkins. In particular, the "back shoulder" throw is a timing play that requires plenty of chemistry between the receiver and quarterback, and for the receiver to stop at the right time, and the ball to be delivered well.
There were plenty of incompletions on these type of throws, and it will be interesting to see if they phase them out (or become better at it) going forward. Some were not classified as drops because the defender got a hand in. Others were. Some of them were drops in the sense that a hand was on the ball, but were difficult catches. Here is one that was likely called a drop (it was denoted as such in the play by play) against Thompkins.
There were plenty of other throws that were catchable in the sense that a professional receiver could catch them, but required extension, or going to the ground. I am not exactly sure which of Thompkins were called drops because there are multiple candidates, but there were a couple of plays that were initially ruled catches and overturned on review. Those involved diving attempts and would have been good catches.
There is also this drop by Dobson. I would call this a drop, but it certainly is in a different category than the previous ones. I would not call it perfectly placed, but catchable. With the sideline, defender in close proximity, and Dobson trying to stay inbounds, this would have required a really good play from both quarterback and receiver. Had he held on to that, I'm not sure he is going to be able to get inbounds with both feet.
Some plays that I am confident are being called drops are very harsh. For example, I am fairly certain this play by Edelman is counted among the drops. This one happened at the end of the Bengals game, in a torrential downpour. Edelman is open. The ball slipped out of Brady's hands, it is taking a nosedive, and Edelman gets his hands on it right before it hits the ground but understandably cannot pull it in.
"I can understand some of the frustration that Tom Brady has gone through, but as we saw on that last throw, and already on this first drive, he's missed some throws . . . when he has missed throws to Edelman like that, that's just not how we're used to seeing Tom Brady play."
That was Troy Aikman following the below picture. I am also fairly certainly this was credited as a drop by Edelman and being used in the discussion about how many drops Brady's receivers have. Here's the still shot of where the ball was placed, and keep in mind that Edelman was cutting away from the direction where the ball was delivered and away from that defender. Edelman may have 5 drops being listed by Stats, Inc. If a quarterback throws two balls like that, he should expect lots of drops.
Twenty-four drops is a lot. Tom Brady is complicit in some of them. Some are a result, I am sure, of the lack of chemistry between the receivers and the quarterback, while only about a third are true bad drops on easily catchable balls, the equivalent of a booted ball right at a fielder. Setting aside the drops and looking at incompletions, Brady is missing a lot of deep throws, many of which are not close. The two biggest misses were the result of deep throws. One was that Dobson drop. The other, Brady missed Amendola on this play. I do not believe this was counted as a drop as I have Amendola's others accounted for. However, it is another chance to hit a play that would have had a big impact on the yards per play.
I tried to estimate how many yards have been lost by all of the drops. There were only a couple of them that made it difficult, the Dobson deep drop and the Bolden screen drop. Most of the other plays likely classified as drops were short gains, involved a receiver at a stop, diving, going to the ground, or extending, and had a defender right in the area. It's pretty easy to estimate those. Overall, had all of those plays been caught, Brady would have averaged 10.6 yards per completion on the plays. Assuming he had no drops at all this year, Brady's yards per attempt would be around 6.88.
Of course, no one in the entire league has zero drops. The average is 11 drops. Assuming the league average instead of leading the league, Brady's yards per attempt would still be at 6.48.


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Dog Food Advisor › Forums › Dog Treats › Cadet Pop A Bull Puffed Bully Bites
February 8, 2018 at 3:19 am #110304 Report AbuseOlivia WMember
A friend recently recommended Cadet brand Pop A Bull Puffed Bully Bites for my puggle because his dog really enjoys them. He gave me a few to let my dog try and he seemed to like them, but it seemed like they were especially hard for him to chew up. In a way this is good because with other softer treats or even biscuits it seems like he barely tastes them before swallowing them, presumably whole, where with these they're big enough that he has the chew them up and with the crunch it makes him take more time. My concern, however, is that they might be too hard for him to safely chew on. I don't know whether it's just me being over protective and worrying too much, or if this is a valid concern. Has anyone else had a pet try these or had experience with other extra crunchy treats? I just want to make sure they're safe and won't damage his teeth or gums.August 3, 2018 at 11:00 am #119721 Report AbuseGlenn TMember
We've fed them to our two dogs, one small JRT-MIX and one large mix. Both of them love them and have no trouble chewing them up! It takes a little while, but I am sure if it was hurting them, they wouldn't eat them, same for your pug.
GlennT& Claudia
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Swedish Health Store Sells Colloidal Silver Despite Ban
Kvilles Hälsokost och Ekolivs is a Swedish health store located in Gothenburg. According to its Facebook page, it has been around for about 20 years as an independent company. They sell supplements as well as homeopathy and claim that they tailor their supply in accordance with customer requests.
Ionosil colloidal silver is a solution of silver ions and silver nano particles made by the alternative medicine company Ion Silver. It is a fake treatment that claims to be able to cure "cancer, malaria, rheumatism, singles, COPD, TWAR [Taiwan acute respiratory agent], Lyme's disease, multiple sclerosis, Ebola, psoriasis, [and] norovirus infection" according to an investigation carried out by the Swedish Medical Product Agency.
Why and how was it banned?
The outcome of this investigation was that the Swedish Medical Products Agency banned Ion Silver from selling or marketing the product with such health claims in early June of 2015. The justification provided by the agency was the following (my translation):
The Medical Products Agency holds that the claims that Ionosil or colloidal silver generally can cure diseases risk attracting consumers or patients to buy Ionosil instead of turning to health care system to get a correct treatment.
Selling and marketing with such claims is therefore a health risk.
How does the health store market the product?
Earlier today, they put up a Facebook post about it:
"I lager" means "In stock" in Swedish. Luckily, some critics of colloidal silver was already in the comment section by the time this came to wider skeptical attention. The health store in question even confessed to having stopped selling vegan food, which together with the promotion of quackery, made at least one vegan in the comment section highly irritated.
Their own description in the comment at the top reads as follows (my translation): "Yes, I am stopping with vegan, fresh and frozen vegan food, because that can be found in other shops, there are lots of opinions about Colloidal silver and I won't debate that. It is controversial. Sell a lot of it. Happy customers".
How are they getting away with it?
You can still market and sell Ionosil colloidal silver for water purification purposes and this is what the health store attempts to do. In the Facebook post where they let their customers know that Ionosil colloidal silver is back in stock, they do not make any health claims whatsoever. Instead, they post a comment on that post "clarifying" that they are selling it was water purification. But this is most likely done with a wink and a nudge to their customers. They are really selling it as an alternative "treatment" for real diseases. How can we be so sure?
How we know they are really selling it as a medical product?
The cynical alternative medicine proponent will surely ask how we skeptics can be so sure that this Kvilles Hälsokost och Ekolivs health store sells Ionosil colloidal silver as a medical product. Why should we not trust the store when it claims that it merely sells it for "water purification"?
Perhaps the most convincing reason is that they posted a link to an article called "Everything you need to know about colloidal silver" on the Ion Silver company website (webcite) about an hour after they announced that they had the colloidal silver in stock. The website contains a large array of pseudoscientific claims such as the flawed notion that colloidal silver can prevent malaria, can kill all pathogens without any side effects, heal burns faster and even allegedly revert cancer cells to normal. Tellingly, the company even clicked "like" on their own post.
Although the health store claims to be selling colloidal silver only as a water purification treatment, the reality is that they are selling it with a therapeutic intent.
What are the likely consequences for Kvilles Hälsokost och Ekolivs?
Since they are not officially selling it with health claims, they might escape any consequences through the legal loophole. On the other hand, maybe regulatory agencies will perform a more thorough investigation and conclude that they are selling it as a therapeutic product. At any rate, they are starting to irritate local science-minded vegans, which may contribute to their potential future downfall.


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Had a great weekend, Thanks. Saw Ready Player One today after a roast beef carvery lunch. Yesterday we took a road trip to Plymouth and ended up with a new Pixel 2 and Sony Experia XZ1.
And Now, Almost Entirely to Shove the Picture of Me at the Hospital Down the Page a Bit, Here's Me Wearing a Clown Nose
Posted on April 8, 2018 Posted by John Scalzi 31 Comments
As one does. This photo was taken at the Subterranean Press warehouse last week, while I was signing and personalizing pre-orders of Head On. Why did they have a clown nose? Maybe because they're a fun-loving lot! Or maybe because they have a basement clown abattoir filled with body parts. Maybe both! Anyway, here you go. I think it doesn't look half bad on me.
Also thank you to everyone for their kind words and messages, regarding my trip to the hospital on Friday. I'm happy to say I'm feeling generally much improved, which I suspect is down to the Pepto Bismol. Fear not, I'm still scheduling a doctor's appointment for this week. Better safe than sorry. I also kept my weekend pretty basic and restful. The most strenuous thing I did was mock some dimwits on Twitter, which honestly wasn't strenuous at all. I won't go into detail about the mocking here (check my Twitter timeline for it, if you're curious, it won't be hard to find), except to say that the last couple of days left me with the firm belief that the concept of free speech, both as a constitutional right and a general ideal, sadly continues to be out of the grasp of many of those who choose to bleat about it online. And that's a shame.
But enough about me. How was your weekend?
31 Comments on "And Now, Almost Entirely to Shove the Picture of Me at the Hospital Down the Page a Bit, Here's Me Wearing a Clown Nose"
My weekend has actually been pretty great.
Glad you're feeling better! That is a good thing to keep doing!
I took a fall down the stairs and have been laid up.
My weekend was fairly decent. Went to Dayton for a small gaming convention. Got to play a little, met with some friends I haven't seen in a while, and generally kicked back for a relaxing Saturday doing things that my wife isn't interested in doing. She stayed home, visited with some friends, and watched a couple of movies she likes but bore me to death. A good weekend for both of us.
I hope the doctors figure out what your "problem" was and that it isn't anything major.
We played Fiasco today. I highly recommend it. http://bullypulpitgames.com/games/fiasco/
Hope this reaches you well, and if not hope you feel better.
Maybe they were celebrating Red Nose Day a little early? :)
Went to see the doctor on Friday & he said I *don't have cancer, so on the whole my weekend's been pretty damned good. Not quite wrestling Scarlett Johansson & Jessica Alba in strawberry Jello good, but pretty damned close. =D
The nose is quite fetching.
I have spent much of my weekend sleeping.
In this outfit you look slot like your Father?
I do like the photo on this post much better than the prior one, I must say. Very glad that you are continuing to feel better – please keep that up!
My weekend has been a good one, thanks for asking. The elder kid came over yesterday with all her files and notes, and together we white-boarded out a detailed timeline of the three days leading up to her nuptials later this month, which we then converted to spreadsheet form (not quite a Gannt chart but close), so she is feeling slightly calmer at this point. Watching a professional project manager coordinate her wedding is an interesting and instructional experience.
Today was devoted to laundry, housecleaning and reading a book, all of which were very necessary. I am confident now that the health department will NOT, in fact, condemn my house, so I've got that going for me.
Best of luck at the follow-up medical stuff this week, sir, and thank you for taking care of yourself.
Really glad you're feeling better. Had an awesome weekend with my GF, who has been away for two weeks assisting her daughter with some medical stuff. What is it with these freakin' bodies of ours?! If only there was a way to make them better…and green. Hmm.
"We reviewed the lab work again, and found the cause of your problems: It seems you have a clown nose."
Glad you are feeling better and yes make that appointment with your Doctor. I had an okay weekend . I had to go to a bridal shower ( hate going to those things) but since it was for my future sister in law I couldn't get out of it . When I got home I went to my happy place – the library. I got a book I had reserved "Educated" by Tara Westover and I bought a book "House of Sand and Fog" by Andrew Dubus III.
I spent my weekend doing other people's tax returns.
Good to know you're doing better. I had an awesome Saturday, attending an SCA event in MA. Two friends were crowned King and Queen (this is the third time they've done this, so they know what the're getting into). I got to see lots of old friends and spent lunch chatting with newer friends. Great day all around. Sunday was spent recovering and starting a new embroidery project.
Acid/gas/stomach issues can easily pass for heart problems. I've had some experience with that
Went to the annual jujitsu convention and had a very good time.
It snowed. A lot. Again. Some more.
Have had better weekends. Lost a friend to cancer. Folks, if you're not getting regular check-ups, do it. Just do it. Early detection matters.
My weekend involved large amounts of washing dishes, having discovered that the dishwasher was dispatching water where water should not go, and endeavouring to clean up said water from the places water is not supposed to go.
It sucked, but not as much as yours did. However, I'm glad to see that your pipes are working better than the ones in my kitchen…
Oh, I had a great weekend. Thanks for asking.
Saturday I watched the installation of two packages of honey bees. The day was in the mid forties, which is a bit cool for bees, so fewer bees flying around than usual with a package installation. This made it less stressful for the non-beekeepers, while still providing sufficient bees for those of us who love to have bees surrounding us.
Sunday I watched maybe seven hours of Doctor Who, both classic and modern, with a cousin. Junk food was involved. I suspect my Doctor interaction was lots more fun than yours.
People diss on clowns. But I think clowns are a great use for the undead.
Basically it was a movie weekend for me.
Saw "shape of water". I thought its "anything normal is evil, anything else is good" had all the finesse and subtlety of a baseball bat.
Also, why didn't they drive straight to the ocean with the van? It wasn't a three act play style plot, which is fine, if the plot you do go with isn't driven by characters making dumb decisions to get outcome you want. And an ending that made little sense.
Also watched "About Time" (2013) which was cute. Oh and "Lilo and Stitch" which I hadn't seen in ages.
Total couch potato weekend
That nose looks an awful lot like the one I bought for my son last week as part of the Red Nose charity drive that now happens annually at this time. Proceeds go to combat child poverty. So an alternative answer to "why do they have a red clown nose?" is "because they gave some money to help end, or at least mitigate poverty. Put "red nose day" into your Googles to find out more.
Weekend good. Return to work on too little sleep bad.
Glad to hear that you're feeling better.
Great that you are so improved, and hoping the follow-up goes well. In Australia, Red Nose Day is the fundraiser for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Some folks attach a nose to the front grille of their car as an alternative to wearing one on their face. ^_^
I had what amounted to a mild heart attack (myocarditis, they think) about 4 years ago. About 2 years ago I started having chest pains again. They checked my heart and said I was fine. After continuing to have loads of symptoms and issues while the doc essentially told me it was all in my mind, I finally got a referral to a gastroenterologist. I've been on daily acid controllers for a year and feel great. Apparently, some of us get chest pains instead of heart burn. Glad to hear you're okay.
Helped out at the South Bay Transgender Day of Visibility event on Saturday (my friend Lance has been organizing it for several years and I'm happy to help him put it together; the International TDOV was officially March 31st but the South Bay event was pushed out a week). That included directing and hosting an evening variety show (burlesque, drag, a magician…) at a local watering hole. (And surprising a new chunk of the audience who are used to lip-sync shows and have no idea I can belt out a tune until they witness it themselves.)
Then got into my Boy Wonder ('66) costume Sunday to visit Silicon Valley Comic-Con and pose for pics with my friends who have done the matching Batman (Adam West version) and Catwoman (Earth Kitt version). We even had the giant "bomb" from the TV Batman film, and foam mini-batarangs to give to kids who wanted to pose with us.
(Along the way we did quiet promotion of Worldcon 76; everybody who got a shot of us got a bookmark with the basic info on it.)
I went through the chest pain bit, although mine focused on problems swallowing as well as chest pain. What I've learned that might be of use:
–Omeprazole works better than Pepto bismol, but don't use it too much.
–There's a condition that chiropractors call "computer neck" and others call turkey neck, and it's that bit where your torso silhouette looks a bit like a cashew from you bending over the computer all day. It's one reason so many chiropractors make a decent living.
–When you have cashew-like posture and your poor weak neck muscles holding up all that bone in (my? your? skull), things get stressed. That stress tightens up chest muscles, kinks your diaphragm, and leads to things like chest pain and acid indigestion.
–If you've got a case of turkey neck and cashew torso, the long-term solution appears to be working with a chiropractor about good posture and doing some neck, shoulder, and chest exercises to get your muscles loosened up and lengthened (shoulder rolls really help). The doctors are good about prescribing omeprazole (because it can be cheaper with a copay than OTC) and eliminating more dangerous conditions, but they don't really cure underlying bad posture, if that's the primary issue.
–I've worked up to an hour of meditation every morning, working on things like posture, proper breathing, and anxiety dissipation This seems to help my posture.
–Oh, and too much coffee/tea/cola/whatever can tighten muscles in different ways. You might want to play with your stimulant intake to find the happy medium of alertness without turning yourself into a spasmodic cashew with a turkey neck.
If this isn't your problem, all this advice is useless. Still, my chiropractor sees a lot of people with computer neck. While she likes the income, she wishes we'd all get a clue and stop hurting ourselves. That seems to be a general complaint in our society for some reason.
Very happy to hear you're are feeling better.
Red looks good on you! Hope you were wearing it when you signed my book.
My weekend…oh took up another craft art class because I just really needed another reason to buy art supplies ;) and became infected with Needle felting mania…stab stab stab. Very therapeutic. Dug out and moved a chardanay grape vine. Helped my husband with his electric bike project ( my smaller hands can squeeze into tiny spaces where bits need tightened). Walked the wonder dog, Watson, in the Rose Garden park, though this is more run like crazy for a bit, stop behind a tree, roll around in the grass …the dog not me though it is tempting in summer…and stand around and watch the parade of humanity and dogdom in the freezing wind.
And, aas we are health promo sharing a bit, read the prep for my colonoscopy next month. I call it my colonoscopation. No dinner to cook, no chores. Everyone is very sympathetic and nice to you for several days.
It's like a staycation. It is all about me time. For those not yet on the ten year plan, a colon screening every ten years, have no fear. Go to a good clinic and it is a bit like a spa visit. Heated blankies, warm socks and drugs.


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Most Male K-Pop Idols Don't Get Veneers—Professional Dentists Explain Why
You may not think about it often, but K-Pop idols have amazing teeth. For many of them, it's all-natural!
Recently, professional dentists Park Ho San and Esther guested on YouTube channel AYO to talk about their experience with idol clients.
One of the questions they were asked was, "How is the health of idols' teeth?"
Park Ho San revealed that most idols are interested in their teeth and strive to take good care of them.
Idols and celebrities are very interested in their teeth. They want to take good care of them.
— Park Ho San
Esther agreed and added that their teeth are healthy. Although it may seem as if their teeth were enhanced with veneers, most actually have enviably good teeth as is!
They have good teeth! Not all idols get veneer treatment.
— Esther
Park Ho San further explained that male idols in particular choose to retain their natural teeth even if they have the option to undergo further treatments and procedures.
There's one simple reason why they don't get veneers. Esther concluded, "Many of them are born with pretty teeth."
It's amazing how idols aren't only born with incredible skills and gorgeous visuals but also beautiful teeth!


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Bryn Roshong is a farmer from Gardiner, NY. She faces a real dilemma- can she safely grow food for her neighbors on land covered with gas wells? She is not willing to farm fracked land. Where can she go? What will happen to her plans for the future as a farmer? Will the beautiful NY landscape provide her and us with nutritious food in the future? Or will we allow our soil to be virtually murdered by toxic chemicals? As Bryn points out, there is no way to restore contaminated soil and water. Ruined land cannot be used for growing anything ever again. At least not in our lifetimes.
Read more here....
In 1930, my greatgrandparents purchased a beautiful farm in Bradford County, PA, in a little hamlet called French Azilum. In the summer, we spent time there, resting, breathing in the fresh air, enjoying the wild flowers, the bright stars and planets on a clear moonlit night, and swimming in the Susquehanna River. If gas drilling is allowed to continue, Bradford County and all of Pennsylvania will be forever changed, ruined beyond repair.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Fracking Undermines NY Farming
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Singing Praises By the River
Tonight the team is sitting by the Danube River, taking in the scenes around them from history, gazing at the lights all over the bridges and buildings. This is the place He has called us to this summer and we have been reflecting on the ministry we have had here so far. As we sing to the One who makes mountains tremble, we are thankful for the Great I AM who has shown us great things today.
One of the students saw a man today very interested in the drama and was led to talk to him. As he approached, the man began to speak in French! This student not only got to talk to this person in both French and English, but was praising God that he felt like he needed to take French classes in school recently. As this conversation continued, the smiles were evident that encouragement was being shared in Jesus' love. Conversations with the people of Hungary have been deep conversations about who they say Jesus is and the students have only continued to meet these hearts right where they at in life. We know that if each person matters to God, they matter to us and the students have been seeking to love these around us.
You would be proud of these students as they have been diving deeper in encouragements and prayers for each other. It has been encouraging as leaders to see the students pour into ministry each day and pour encouragement into each other day by day. Even students have volunteered to cook breakfast for the team (take note moms! It has been really good!)
Please pray with us in praise as doors to ministry have been opening up around us constantly and we are thankful to seek them out to share Jesus. We know that the Great I AM is with and goes before us. What an amazing Savior we serve!
In Him,
Walker Moore and Becky Robinson
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A command is a simple word or expression that the dog is trained to understand. It generally tells the dog to perform a specific action.
A cue is more subtle. It is a prompt, hint or suggestion that affects the dogs behavior in a given situation. Pointing, looking at something or even a sound can be interpreted by the dog as a cue from the owner. A cue is a signal to which the dog interprets in his or her own way. Dogs sometimes communicates to the owner through verbal cues such as wimpering, wagging its tail, and scratching.
Dogs communicate in many ways with each other, using verbal cues, body language and facial expressions. They also try to communicate with humans using these methods. Humans, of course, communicate with dogs with commands and phrases. Dogs can learn hundreds of human sounds but they can't string them together.
Dogs turn down extra food if a human provides the right cues
Dogs can be manipulated to choose against their preference by human cues, opting to turn down extra food in order to follow the human's choice, according to results published Apr. 25 in the open access journal PLoS ONE. The work was led by Sarah Marshall-Pescini of the University of Milan.
Video: Verbal Cues
In the study, the researchers offered dogs two different food serving sizes. In the absence of any outside influence, the dogs were unsurprisingly much more likely to choose the larger of the two. When a human expressed more interest in the smaller serving, though, for example by handling the food in the smaller serving, the dogs were more likely to choose the smaller serving.
This effect was not seen if the human expressed interest in the small serving simply by approaching the plate without handling it, highlighting the complexity of the dogs' response to different human behaviors. These results provide further insight into dogs' social bias and their sensitivity to human cues.
Public Library of Science
Do Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) Make Counterproductive Choices Because They Are Sensitive to Human Ostensive Cues?
University of Milan
Dogs Understand Better Than Chimpanzees When Humans Point To Something
Dogs Know When We Want To Talk To Them
Obese Dogs Find Better Quality of Life After Weight Loss


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QafQaz Park Hotel
Reservation request Book airport transfer
Pay upfront only 50% of total hotel stay to guarantee your booking. Making booking easier.
QafQaz Park Hotel (former Musado hotel) is an ultimate destination for business and leisure tourists to experience a luxurious and comfortable stay in Baku. Its excellence is explicit in authentic hospitality and flawless services. Luxurious suites, superb restaurants and wide ranging conferencing and banquet facilities are some of its main features. QafQaz Park hotel offers services and conveniences, tailored exclusively to suit the needs of the international travelers. In short, QafQaz Park Hotel is a fabulous combination of contemporary comfort and warm hospitality.
QafQaz Park Hotel is situated in tranquil area of Baku just 15-20 minutes from the airport. Featuring free Wi-Fi and an Olympic-size swimming pool, this hotel is located opposite the Heydar Alyev Cultural Centre.
The hotel has 52 beautifully appointed guest rooms. The rooms are well-furnished, air-conditioned and come with a minibar. Each modern room at Qafqaz Park Hotel is decorated in neutral colours and includes a flat-screen TV. All rooms have a work desk, and bathrooms are fitted with slippers. Unfortuntely they don't differ smoking and non-smoking rooms, some rooms smell of nicotine.
Staff is friendly and eager to help.
You should definitely try an Azeri specialty restaurant serving delicious Kebabs. You can taste there the best of delicious Azeri cuisine with fine local wines and cocktails. A uniquely designed Sigar bar offers a selection of the finest drinks and cocktails.
Breakfast is very basic, even poor (just couple of sausages, bread, cheese and butter... that's it). Don't even dream about proper cup of coffee, all they have is a can of instant coffee, serve yourself!!! Also, they allow to smoke inside which characterizes management not from the best side.
Not prime location. Problems with the smoking policy. Poor breakfast. But rates are more or less fair for Baku. Still for the same price or a little bit more one could find a better choice with more central location.
|Check-in time: 14.00 afternoon
|Check-out time: 12.00 afternoon
|Distance to/from airport:
|25 minutes drive
|Distance to/from Railway station:
|15 minutes drive
|Distance to/from city centre:
|15 minutes drive to city centre
PRICES - USD, including VAT
Rack Rate
Our Rate
|Standard Single Room
|Standard Double Room
|Superior Single room
|Superior Double room
|Junior Suite Single
|Junior Suite Double
|De-Luxe Single
|De-Luxe Double
* The breakfast, swimming pool, sauna and gym are included in room rates


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Patient & Caregiver Information
The Duke Center for Brain and Spine Metastasis at DCI is the most comprehensive destination program in the country for patients with any cancer type that has spread to the brain or spine.
Our premise is rapid, streamlined, one-stop access to the latest and most advanced treatment options for patients that may not be available at other locations. At Duke, we take people from forgotten to focus.
Our center offers state-of-the-art treatment options to patients including; surgery, stereotactic radiation therapy, chemotherapy, laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT), targeted therapies, immunotherapy and access to clinical trials for patients who have a new/first time diagnosis, as well as for those who have experienced a recurrence since previous treatment.
Importantly, Duke provides additional access to many crucial support services (counseling, physical therapy, nutrition, and more) in order to offer compassionate and comprehensive care to patients and their families.
Why Choose Duke
Our center prides itself on offering patients and their loved ones the opportunity to have access to field leaders under one setting within our center's multidisciplinary program:
Our team provides patients access to:
- Neurosurgeons specializing in brain and spinal metastasis management. Our LITT (Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy) is offering patients access to a minimally invasive procedure that is offering some patients with brain metastasis a new treatment alternative
- Radiation oncology team, offering state-of-the-art, image-guided, high definition stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) technology and techniques
- Medical oncology team, with a high focus on identifying clinical trial opportunities for you within Duke or across other centers nationwide
- Palliative Care/Supportive Care team; play a vital role in assisting patients manage common symptoms such as steroid related side effect management and pain associated with spinal disease, together with providing additional support for yourself and your loved ones
- Patient Navigation/Coordinator: Patient Navigation Team, enabling rapid access and a coordinated experience for the patient and family when visiting Duke
Rapid Access To Our Team
Our center prides itself on providing rapid access to all aspects of care within the center. We are committed to seeing patients with brain and/or spinal metastases within 72 hours (or sooner) to establish a treatment plan with our team of specialists. This includes patients with newly diagnosed cancers, even if the pathology (final diagnosis) is not yet confirmed.
Care Coordination
A further signature of Duke is that we provide a central point of contact (one number/one person) via a patient navigator, making it easier for referring providers and/or patients and their loved ones to contact us regarding a new referral.
Our patient navigator works with patients or their referring providers to arrange all of the necessary appointments and tests and/or other investigations required. For patients who are coming to Duke for a second opinion, our navigator will work to collect all the necessary medical records needed to make the visit a comprehensive and worthwhile experience for both patients and their family.
To speak with our patient navigator, to refer a patient to the center or to make an appointment with any of the providers within the center, please call 919.681.3038.
Personalized Multidisciplinary Care
Patients with brain and spinal metastasis have complex needs that require input and intervention from specialists spanning many disciplines. Our team is comprised of International leaders in their respective fields, including radiation oncology, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, medical oncology, neuroradiology, neuropathology, palliative care, interventional pain management, and neuroplastic surgery. These experts work together to deliver a treatment plan that is unique to the needs of each individual patient.
The center's weekly tumor board brings together all of the above specialists, using a collaborative approach from experts across all specialties to determine the best option/s for each individual patient.
We understand that each patient and his or her cancer is unique. Therefore, the greatest chance for success comes by designing a personalized plan specific to one's values and treatment goals. Furthermore, in the evolving era of personalized and precision medicine, we now have the opportunity to use specific details from a patient's cancer to design treatments specifically designed to target their tumor alone. In addition to personalized care, our center will also provide access to cutting-edge treatments through clinical trials dedicated to patients with brain and spinal metastasis.
In order to create a personalized treatment plan, you may meet with multiple specialists. This ensures that the entire team has all the important information throughout each step of your care. Patients and family members have direct access to the patient pavigator throughout the entire consultation and treatment process, to help guide them through the many components and complexities of care.


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Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Drive eO returns to Pikes Peak from Latvia, with customized Tesla Roadster
Rather than the stock Tesla drive train - which would quickly go into thermal protection mode if they tried to seriously race it up Pikes Peak - Drive eO installed a 360 kW (peak) twin-motor system and a 40 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
They're hoping to use the 2014 car to test drive train components "ahead of scaling them up for successive electric supercar projects which are already on the drawing board."
If you grok Latvian, this video will tell you a lot about their plans. It's clear they did more than just replace the drive train - they worked on suspension and other parts.
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229: The Five Secrets at Home
Today's emotional and inspiring podcast features Mary Stockton, an Level 3 certified TEAM therapist living in Ohio and her daughter, Elizabeth Stockton Perkins, who is 19 years old and a sophomore at Vassar College. They give testament to how the Five Secrets of Effective Communication have transformed their relationship as mother and daughter, as well as their relationships with others. Mary said that the Five Secrets changed her life personally and professionally, and that the tools have been "life-changing."
Mary was first introduced to the Five Secrets of Effective Communication when she attended one of David's training workshops in 2002 entitled, "And It's All Your Fault!" However, she did not really dive in and use the techniques until 2017 when she received additional TEAM-CBT training from Rhonda, Jill Levitt, Daniel Mintie, Matt May, and Thai-An Truong.
Mary introduced Elizabeth to the Five Secrets when Elizabeth was a junior in high school, and Elizabeth began to use these tools with friends and also in her baby sitting. Mary said it has transformed their relationship, because previously she had been addicted to "helping," rescuing, advising and problem solving, habits which often prevent closeness in relationships.
David pointed out that many if not most mental health professionals, including many reading this at this moment, have been trained in these misguided "helping" methods, and are not even aware of it, or how unhelpful that "helping" can be.
The relationship between Mary and Elizabeth is wonderful testament to the power of the Five Secrets. Mary said that using the Five Secrets in their relationship provides them with a wonderful framework that they share and enjoy. Elizabeth said they have zero other-blame or self-blame in their relationship, and that they routinely get a fun, positive charge from the Five Secrets.
Elizabeth discussed a distressful situation when Mary responded to her using the Five Secrets and she felt supported, comforted and empowered. She was struggling with negative thoughts and feelings about her body image, telling herself on the one hand that "I should be bird boned and be a size 2 and be super skinny," while at the same time telling herself, "I should be a strong feminist and not give in to these societal messages about what a woman should be like."
Because her mom relied on the Five Secrets of Effective Communication and other TEAM skills, Elizabeth suddenly found that she could open up about feelings she'd been hiding, and their relationship changed dramatically. Elizabeth suddenly found that she could open up about feelings she'd been hiding out of a sense of shame, and felt love and accepted. She said that "mom was the first person I'd been able to open up with. I felt relief that I didn't have to defend myself."
Elizabeth cried when she described the gratitude she felt when she had the chance to be open and accepted, especially when she described her concern about being a good role model for two younger friends.
They also described how Mary used the TEAM process of Empathy, Positive Reframing, and Methods like the Externalization of Voices and Survey Technique to help Elizabeth escape from the self-critical thoughts that had trapped her. It was a beautiful experience just to witness the joy and love in their relationship. They also described a program on the Five Secrets that they presented for other teens and families.
We explored how one might use the Five Secrets when interacting with someone on the other side of the political divide who is angrily proclaiming political views that are sharply different from, and opposed to, your own. This is a huge problem in our country right now, with so much focus on blame, labeling others, and wanting to proclaim and insist on your own "truths."
I have not done this podcast justice in my show notes. You'll have to listen to "get it." Mary, her elegant daughter Elizabeth, and the always wonderful and delightful Rhonda really hit it out of the park today. I deeply appreciated being included in this terrific experience, and hope you also enjoyed it!
You can reach Dr. Mary Stockton at https://chrysalisfamilysolutions.com/mary-stockton-phd/ and firstname.lastname@example.com
Dr. Rhonda Barovsky practices in Walnut Creek, California, but due to Covid-19 restrictions is working via Zoom, and can be reached at email@example.com. She is a Level 4 Certified TEAM-CBT therapist and trainer and specializes in the treatment of trauma, anxiety, depression, and relationship problems. Check out her new website: www.feelinggreattherapycenter.com.
You can reach Dr. Burns at firstname.lastname@example.com.
This is the cover of my new book, Feeling Great. The kindle is available now, too, and the audio version may be available by the time you read this!


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Thursday, January 20, 2011
Fortune Favours DreamWorks
Fortune Magazine has posted its list of the 100 best companies to work for. DreamWorks ranks number 10, and no other film or animation studio made the list.
1 comment:
- Floyd Norman said...
Why am I not surprised?
- January 23, 2011 1:35 PM
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Project Partners
A team of organisations from across France, Poland, Greece, United Kingdom and Finland
GIP-FCIP de Normandie
Exelia EE
Glasgow Clyde College
GIP-FCIP de Normandie
GIP-FCIP de Normandie take part in the definition and implementation of the education authority's policy in the field of vocational training in conjunction with the related stakeholders. Regarding its mission linked to the ongoing training of adults, GIP-FCIP de Normandie conduct, coordinate and stimulate strategies in the different economic fields regionally and locally through the GRETA network.
The GRETA network depending on Caen and Rouen education authority is made up of 7 different organizations representing about 300 training campuses and trained more than 25 000 trainees in 2017. These trainees attended short upskilling trainings/modules, training actions related to social and vocational inclusion but also long trainings leading to certifications and diplomas. GIP FCIP de Normandie, is a department of the head-office of State Education in Normandy. It enables public educational institutions, initial or ongoing, to develop projects, design pedagogical materials.
36,6 Competence Centre
(based in Lodz, POLAND)
Is an umbrella institution gathering professionals from many fields establishing interdisciplinary Experts Zone for the local development through international experience exchange. It was established in 2011 by professionals with academic background and experience in EU projects since 1999. We provide non-formal education along with guidance and counselling support to numerous target groups.
Activities performed by 36.6 Competence Centre/ What We Do:
Developing e-learning solutions
VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) covering: training content development and adaptation
(authoring tools: Captivate, Articulate Storyline, iSpring, iseazy), educational films production, e-learning frameworks & communication, vocabulary tools (Moodle, MOOC, Joomla, Edmodo, Quizlet);
Vocational guidance, counselling, coaching (ICC-International Coaching Community licence)
Trainings, workshops, seminars, conferences
Publications with Polish Erasmus + Agency on ECVET
Research and analysis
Project management and evaluation
Networking, dissemination
Deliverance of soft skills & empowerment workshops
Literacy & numeracy courses for adults
Provision of internship programmes
Conducting eco-awareness campaigns
Experts' Panel for ECORYS Poland
Recently we've been focused on the following issues: little scale urban trade, migrants & refugees, lone parenthood, renewable energy sources, chemical industry, primary & secondary education, labour market, beneficiary outcomes tracking, hospitality industry, basic skills (literacy, numeracy), European literature, scientific subjects promotion, truck-drivers sector, guerrilla method in language learning, gender equality, drama in adult education, multilingual strategies and tools for teachers to promote an inclusive education, circular economy, 4.0.Industry, ICT based evaluation methodology to assess the social impact of work-linked training, social media addiction, integration of people with disabilities into the labour market, support for people with dementia and Alzhaimer's communities, immigrants' languages and dictionaries, vocational preparation of youth with emigrational background, audio-visual communication.
EXELIA EE is a company in Greece with experienced personnel that has a long time presence as a soft skills training team. Recently, the company has amplified its activities' spectrum, involving the design and development of educational and training games, and vocational training for social skills with innovative technologies, focused on game-based learning. EXELIA specialises in using ICT as an enabling factor for innovation in education, developing advanced educational software and material such as MOOCs, Open Educational Resources (OERs) and game-based pedagogies.
EXELIA's scope of work also includes the implementation and management of research activities, the development of know-how and methodologies for managing research and development projects, and the provision of services in order to improve research capacities in the public and private sector. EXELIA collaborates with major telecommunications and banking organisations in Greece and in the EU (both private and public), deploying innovative, custom-tailored pilot services and applications.
EXELIA's mission includes the pursuit of innovation and the consolidation of new methodologies, the improvement of the educational capital of the client organisation in a sustainable manner (i.e. development of reusable materials such as customised games), and the quality support of goods and services provided by the client organisation. The staff and members of EXELIA comprise an interdisciplinary team of researchers, trainers & educators, ICT professionals, consultants, and managerial as well as administrative executives.
PRODEO supports companies in all industrial sectors in their transformation by using appropriate digital tools. To this end, PRODEO deploys advanced digital techniques to serve the immediate needs of production sites. PRODEO brings out digital projects and rapidly expresses the expressions of needs with the operational teams of the manufacturer.
The digitisation of production sites generates new usages and their potentials and impacts are still underestimated.
This digital transformation enables manufacturers to increase operational efficiency, rethink business models, improve user experiences and introduce new products or services.
PRODEO offers a dozen products designed to meet the different needs of manufacturers, such as software tools for management, fluidification of the supply chain, recognition of geometric conformity of finished products, etc.
Born in Normandy, PRODEO's ambition is to become the French reference for digitalization in the industry.
Glasgow Clyde College
Glasgow Clyde College is a multi-campus college with three sites based in Glasgow (West, Northwest and South) and the West of Scotland. One of Scotland's largest further education institutions, the College was formed in August 2013 following the merger of 3 Glasgow Colleges; Anniesland, Cardonald and Langside. The college is home to over 17,000 full-time students and over 8,000 part-time students, our aim is to help students and learners achieve more and open doors to employment.
The college has many years of industrial experience and provides exceptional teaching standards, delivered in modern facilities across 4 Faculties including Engineering Computing and Build Environment; Access and Continuing Learning; Creative and Cultural Industrial Industries, Business Development and Finance; Health and Well-Being; Humanities and General Education. We have 1000+ Staff.
Glasgow Clyde provides a full Modern Apprenticeship programme supporting around 100 local employers in the Engineering. Energy and Digital sectors working in partnership with our local, national and international companies such as Rolls Royce, BES Systems, Aggreko and a host of smaller industrial employers. Glasgow Clyde College through its work with SCQF and SQA are part of the team taking LLL forward and will use contacts with these bodies to enhance the project and develop a best practice along with the framework of training and report on market needs.
We currently have developed over 3000 programmes of VLE delivery on the Moodle 2 Platform and through new VLE 4.0 Digital Training and Partnership working we can reach a wider audience of industrial companies and trainees in the broader Engineering sector.
Omnia, the Joint Authority of Education in Espoo Region is a multi-sector education provider that offers upper secondary vocational education and training as well as apprenticeship training for young people and adults, general upper secondary education, youth workshop training as well as non-formal education courses.
Omnia offers flexibility to combine study and leisure activities into meaningful entities for different learners of all ages. Omnia has an important role in developing vocational education and training on regional, national and international level through its wide partner networks.
Omnia is owned by the municipalities of Espoo, Kauniainen and Kirkkonummi. Omnia has approx. 40 000 learners and 860 professionals that work with them in various tasks.
InnoOmnia is an active regional innovation and development centre that provides services for working life and for entrepreneurs, innovative learning solutions and development projects together with students, teachers and its wide partner networks.
The Digital Learning Solutions Team acts as a support team for the entire Omnia staff in making the digital leap and engaging them in the use of digital tools as part of their teaching. The team consists of digital learning experts that take part in a number of national and international projects aiming at developing new learning solutions focusing on effective pedagogical use of ICT as part of i.e. on-the job learning, work-based learning, taking education outside to the world of work and entrepreneurial learning and teaching methods. Entrepreneurship and employment are key themes aligning all development activities of InnoOmnia and the Digital Learning Solutions Team.


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Managing Money For Your Future
If you are stuck in student loan debt then you can consider a student debt consolidation loan to help you to put all your federal student loans into one more manageable loan. This also means that you only have one monthly payment which will help you with your finance situation and when managing money. This consolidation option can many times be much lower than the standard 10-year repayment system. There are two main programs that you can use to try to consolidate debt. The Federal Family Education Loan FFEL will provide loans from banks, secondary markets, and other lenders. The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan will provide loans directly from the federal government. If you are a student with debt than one of these personal loan options is something worth checking out.
There are many types of education loans that you can consolidate in a student loan such as Direct and FFEL loans, SLS, Federal Nursing Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, and Health Education Assistance Loans. Unfortunately, private education loans cannot be consolidated with the rest of your loans.
If you want to make sure that your loans are eligible for student debt consolidation then you want to contact the Direct Loan Organization Center's Consolidation Department. You may also want to contact a FFEL lender that is the type of loan that you are looking to consolidate.
You should know that even if you are no longer in school or if you have lowered your enrollment level to below half time student than you can still get a debt consolidation loan. If you want to consolidate your loans and they are all FFEL loans then you should get the consolidation loan from that same holder. You should make sure the repayment terms are good for you before you sign anything. IF you want a William D. Ford consolidation loan you should have a Stafford loan or you can have a FFEL loan to be eligible for this kind of consolidation.
If you have unsecured debt than you can get help from debt relief specialists. There are many settlement specialists and helpful representatives to help you with all your questions regarding debt consolidation. You can get the help you need, but make sure that it works in your favor and not in the favor of the creditors. Find a good company to help you with the debt negotiation process and make sure you use only trusted professionals. There are many different unsecured debt consolidation programs so make sure you find the best one for you and your family.


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Scam Artist Tries To Play Landlord, Collect Rent For House He Doesn't Own
SFgate.com has the story of a 21-year-old area man who thought he could con multiple hopeful tenants out of cash deposits for a home he doesn't own.
The man, posing as the owner's son, showed the woman around the house earlier this week. When she agreed to rent the place, he provided her with a credit application and said he'd need the $1,500 deposit in cash or cashier's check.
Before she got taken by the scammer, the woman mentioned it to her realtor friend, who happened to know that this house was not a rental property but was actually up for sale.
The man had apparently stolen the "For Sale" sign out of the front yard and was luring victims in with a Craigslist ad.
Meanwhile, legitimate real estate agents were attempting to sell the house. In fact, the real homeowner says an offer had been accepted on the property the same day that the scammer had shown the house to the potential victim.
Working with police, the woman arranged a meeting at the house with the fake property manager to hand over the deposit. He agreed, but for some reason left before she arrived at the property.
Police pulled the scammer over for a traffic violation. Then the woman showed up and identified him as the alleged landlord.
A search of his car turned up the stolen "For Sale" sign, a plastic display box the actual realtor had left inside the home, and completed rental agreements from four different applicants.
The scammer, already out on bail in a felony robbery case, was charged with suspicion of residential burglary, possession of stolen property, renting property under false pretenses and identity theft.
Last year, a woman in Missouri was arrested after scamming nearly $10,000 in deposits from six people trying to rent a property that she did not own. And a man in New Jersey collected $75,000 worth of rent for beach vacation properties he didn't own or for properties that renters couldn't access or inhabit.
Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.


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Fight wrinkles and aging with this natural serum!
Includes these mushrooms:
Fresh Wild Reishi, Dried North Cordyceps, Dried Royal Sun Agaric and Dried Snow Fungus.
Also included:
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Supplement Facts:
- One Month Supply.
- Serving per container: 60.
Apply and massage into desired area daily. Shake well before use. Consult healthcare physician regarding use of this product during pregnancy. Keep out of the reach of children.
Outgoing support : 1 ml twice per day
Other Information:
- Daily value not established.
- This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
- Before use please read detailed instructions/informations provided in
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*****= An all-time favorite
****Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher
A Magic Shop Book
by Bruce Coville
Reviewed October 6, 2005.
Harcourt, San Diego, 2002. First published in 1991. 151 pages.
Available at Sembach Library (JF COV).
Bruce Coville was my oldest son's favorite author when he was in upper elementary school. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher tells a story that every kid would like to have happen to them.
Jeremy was already having problems on the day he wandered into a magic shop, which he'd never seen before. The mysterious proprietor gives him a beautiful egg, and then the librarian gives him a book about dragons. When the egg hatches, Jeremy has a beautiful baby dragon to feed, care for, communicate with and hide. Not surprisingly, adventures with Tiamat change Jeremy's life forever.
What would you do if you had the care of the ultimate pet? But how long could such a thing last? How big can a dragon get?
Reviews of other books by Bruce Coville:
The Monsters of Morley Manor
William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Moongobble and Me: The Dragon of Doom
Copyright © 2005 Sondra Eklund. All
rights reserved.


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Food Unwrapped Came To Visit
Delightful TV chef Matt Tebbutt came to our pork scratchings factory in Wigan with his film crew to see how the popular bar snack is made.
Our Managing Director, David Openshaw, proved why he is so admired in the industry with his extensive knowledge and expertise, some of which he dispensed to Matt during a day of filming on site. David also shared his experiences over his 40+ years in the industry. They don't call him the Pork Scratching Baron for nothing!
One of our long .....Read More
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Openshaws 2023.
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Getting closer to the customer
Covestro Technical Center
The Covestro Technical Center for Coatings, Adhesives and Specialties in Tangerang Selatan, Indonesia, was inaugurated in January 2017.
The center caters to individual customer needs from across ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand, especially from the footwear, construction, and wood and furniture industries. The technical center helps to address market needs and trends by speeding up the localization of formulations, and by providing on-time technical support for its key industries.
Customized solutions, such as raw materials for coatings for the construction industry, or for adhesives for sports shoes, are developed in close cooperation with our customers. Apart from application development, the center also focuses on sharing knowledge through customer training.


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When you as a parent hear the term virtual world, you probably immediately think of the numerous games that are available for adults and that let adults do almost anything that they want. But what many of you don't know is that while Club Penguin is a virtual world, it is actually designed for children between the ages of six and fourteen. Club Penguin actually has made claims that is designed strictly with kids in mind and that it is a very kid friendly website. And as far as we can tell this claim is actually very true. Club Penguin has numerous safety features in place that are designed to protect children of all ages and all of the activities on the game are designed for children.
Here are some of the reasons that Club Penguin is as kid friendly as they claim.
Reason one:
Like most virtual worlds, chatting is a huge aspect of the game because you are going to need to communicate with other players. But unlike other virtual worlds, the chat options in this game are different then regular virtual worlds because this game is designed for kids from six to fourteen. The two methods of chat are Ultimate-Safe Chat mode, which allows players to select what they want to say from a predefined list of phrases. The second method of chat is the Standard-Safe Chat mode which allows players to enter in custom messages, but these messages are always censored for any vulgar language.
Reason two:
Something else that you need to be aware of is that Club Penguin is completely moderated. What this means is that there are numerous people who watch what is going on at all times to ensure that no profanity is used nor any kind of harassment or abuse towards any player. And if you abuse the rules of the game then you are most likely going to end up with a ban. In fact, most of the time if you use any type of profanity you are going to get automatically banned for at least twenty four hours. And if the behavior continues you can end up with a longer ban. Keep in mind that if you get between three to five bans, depending on what the bans were for, you can get a permanent ban.
Reason three:
Something else that parents need to be aware of is that this game also allows players to become Secret Agents. In order to become a Secret Agent you have to have really good behavior and no bans. In fact, Secret Agents are encouraged to report people who are not behaving, or who are basically breaking the rules. But do not get Secret Agents confused with moderators; Secret Agents are not the same thing. Basically this allows the kids to police themselves and, like hall monitors in schools, most of you are aware of the fact that this really works. Not to mention it is similar to leading by example, if the more popular kids are doing right and being rewarded for it then the other kids will probably follow suit. Kids respond better to positive reinforcement, which being rewarded for good behavior is the best kind of positive reinforcement you can give a child.
Reason four:
Club Penguin was developed by New Horizon Interactive, but was later bought by Disney. The game was designed for children between the ages of six and fourteen but anybody can play it.


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Boarding & Grooming:
When traveling for business or going on vacation, there's enough to do without having to worry about who is going to take care of your beloved animal companion. This is especially true if your pet has a chronic or acute medical condition that requires a caregiver with some veterinary knowledge and experience. At Healing Care Animal Hospital we offer veterinarian-supervised boarding for dogs and cats. We are pet owners too and will take care of your friend as our own.
Our boarding facility is temperature-controlled year-round and we walk our boarders 2-3 times a day. We additionally offer secure, outside exercise areas where boarders can get their fresh air during their stay with us.
Both cats and dogs are fed Science Diet sensitive stomach, although bringing food from home (as well as toys and blankets) to help your pet feel more at ease, is perfectly understandable. We do ask that you make a reservation prior to your pet's stay. We also require that all dogs are up-to-date on their Rabies, DHLPP and Bordetella vaccines and also fecal and heartworm test too. Cats must have current Rabies, FVRCP and FeLV vaccines and fecal test too.
Please give us a call today to learn more about how we can provide your pet with a safe and comfortable stay while away from home.
Grooming for Dogs and Cats
Grooming is important for keeping your pet comfortable and maintaining healthy skin and fur.
Our groomer provides utility clips and sanitary grooming with tender and loving care. We also offer general purpose bathing and medicated baths for skin conditions.
Call us for an appointment today!


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In a WSJ piece called No Easy Exit for Government as Housing Market's Savior
…the article notes that
After a year of extraordinary interventions in the economy, the federal government is starting to pare its support for the private sector.
except for housing…
- 80% of new mortgages benefit from government support
- The $8,000 first time home buyers tax credit
- The Federal Reserve has worked hard to keep interest rates at or near historic lows
"At least for the next two years, and possibly longer, it is not possible that the government would say: 'The U.S. mortgage market no longer needs our support,'" says Dwight Jaffee, an economics professor at the University of California Berkeley's Haas School of Business. "Were they to say that, the mortgage market and the housing market would almost surely crash."
The article does seem to suggest that the government should rethink its stance on housing.
Promoting homeownership has been a stated goal of Republican and Democratic presidencies for decades. The Obama administration recognizes it will need — at some point — to rethink broadly the government's role in housing and mortgages. Administration officials also acknowledge that moment won't come soon.
Good grief – it's not housing that is the problem – it's credit. That's where the focus should be. Both parties and government regulators help foster the environment the ultimately imploded. The housing boom was merely a byproduct.
It could have been gemstones or pet rocks. Let's not confuse stupid credit policy with housing.
That's why it is bitterly disappointing to see the momentum gone for real regulatory reform for financial services. The same regulators and executives remain at the helm.
It's amazing how the passage of time makes the current credit environment somehow not seem broken. Not much has changed in the mortgage lending process to enhance the safety of the financial system.
Of course there are always gemstones.


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Community Management Group will celebrate Take Our Daughters & Sons to Work Day Thursday, May 10, with a project to create packages filled with cards, letters and treats for 38 troops serving in Afghanistan.
Children and young relatives of Community Management Group employees will attend work with their parents and guardians. As part of the day's activities, they will create care packages, letters and cards for troops serving with an employee's brother overseas inAfghanistan. Children will pack sunflower seeds, beef jerky, canned soups and pasta dishes, jelly beans, nuts, chips and other snack items for the soldiers.
The packages will be sent to the 978th Military Police Company, the troop of CMG employee Eric Theros' step-brother. There are 38 members of the troop, which is serving in Afganistan.
The goal of the project is to show the next generation the importance of community awareness and support as well as appreciation for military personnel.
Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day began 20 years ago as more than just a career day, but the chance for adults to expose the youth in their lives to the work they do every day, the value of education and the power and possibilities associated with a balanced work and family life. The day also provides boys and girls the opportunity to share their vision of the future and explore their future goals while looking to an adult mentor.


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Mary Clare McCorry has published an article in Stem Cell Research & Therapy
Characterization of mesenchymal stem cells and fibrochondrocytes in three-dimensional co-culture: analysis of cell shape, matrix production, and mechanical performance
For a cell seeded tissue engineered meniscus to be successful, a clinically available cell source must be established and tested. In this paper, we investigate mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in both mono- and co-culture with primary meniscal fibrochondrocytes (FCCs). We showed that MSCs increased matrix production and mechanical properties. MSCs alone did show signs of hypertrophy, however this effect is mitigated by co-culture with FCCs. These findings support that MSCs can adopt the FCC phenotype in 3D culture and be used as a viable cell source for tissue engineering menisci.


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Memorizing common lab values used to be a toughie, but thanks to the modern Electronic Health Record (EHR) and full computer access, nurses don't need to memorize most lab values.
The other caveat to lab values is that each institution has its own set of normal value ranges. One "norm" may not be the same as another neighboring institution or facility. The difference is usually ± 1-3 percent.
As a nurse, it's normally your job to notice and address extreme values that do not coincide with your patient assessment, but always keep them in the context of the patient.
And to make matters even more complicated, some values will be read and displayed using different methods of measurement. Instead of mmHg, they could use cm of H2O. Just something to pay attention to.
Outside of memorizing the values outright, here are a couple helpful tips to keep in mind:
Hemoglobin and Hematocrit (H and H)
- General rule of thumb is a 1:3 ratio
- Hematocrit should be approximately 3X the Hemoglobin
- Norm ~ Hgb 10 / Hct 30 (minimum values)
- Also Hgb 13 / Hct 40 accepted
BUN and Creatinine (Cr)
- General rule of thumb is a 1:20 ratio
- BUN should be approximately 20x the Creatinine
- Norm ~ BUN 20 / Cr 1.0
Sodium (Na)
- As a critical care nurse, I memorized the last two digits
- The last two digits were the same for a normal pH level
- (normal pH ~ 7.35 — 7.45)
- Normal Na ~ 135-145
Potassium (K) and Magnesium (Mg)
- These two electrolytes have a great influence over each other
- Significant cardiac involvement
- Memorize and use them together as a pair — always
- I started by memorizing 5.0 as a limit
- Mg ~ 1.8-3.0
- I started by memorizing 2.5 as acceptable
- 2.5 happens to be half of 5.0
- How convenient, since K and Mg are treated as a pair!
Phosphorus (Phos) and Calcium (Ca)
- These two electrolytes have an inverse relationship. As one increases, the other decreases, and vice-versa
- Phos sometimes gets treated as a trio with K and Mg (depends on the physician ordering or treating abnormal levels)
- Normal Phos ~ 2.4-5.1
- You could start by using 2.5 as minimum reference (since you already are memorizing that number for Mg)
- Normal Ca ~ 8.5
- Sorry, no cool suggestions for this one. Just simple memorization!
Whatever you do, don't treat ANY lab value as if it lived in a vacuum. Apply what you see in the context of the patient. Above all, always verify.
What are some of your memorization tips and tricks?


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You need to understand how the role of your Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is changing. This knowledge will enable you to actively participate in how your CFO guides your organisation and builds a digital organisation using the seven-point Modern Finance agenda that supports successful digital transformations, as well as the competencies needed for new finance roles.
Chief financial officers have insight into every business unit. Given their visibility into opportunities that can be unlocked by information-led transformations, it is no surprise that CFOs are assuming new strategic roles. They are tasked with guiding the growth of companies, building digital organizations, and transforming the finance function. To succeed, CFOs must first identify their objectives and then decide whether they will lead with people, process, or performance. As new finance roles emerge, chief financial officers must re-evaluate how they upskill existing talent and recruit new employees. Winning finance teams embody competencies related to technology, business acumen, data, strategy, and more.
Before embarking on a transformation journey, CFOs must understand their organizations' scope.
Finance organizations are typically structured around three dimensions:
- Strategic. Strategic finance evaluates company performance and supports future growth of the company, stock price, and other external measures.
- External. External finance activities support the investor community and regulatory environments.
- Functional. These groups focus on the organization's core functional activities.
Each dimension has a unique set of customers. CFOs must understand the different customer groups and how each defines success.
Most companies begin transformations at the functional level, but many try to achieve objectives and outcomes associated with the strategic or external levels. This generates misalignment.
PwC advises CFOs to start the transformation process by evaluating their organizations' scope, identifying objectives they want to achieve, and clarifying the constituents they want to serve.
Finance is affected by multiple trends, all of which are accelerated by technology.
Many CFOs focus heavily on the radical automation trend. However, they must also understand the tradeoffs between that and other trends, including demographic, geopolitical, and generational trends. It is important for CFOs to consider all trends affecting finance as they choose the digital agenda they want to pursue.
CFOs must articulate the finance function's digital aspirations.
These typically fall into one of the following categories:
- Efficiency seekers. These organizations strive to do business smarter and faster. Many CFOs and finance teams focus here because it is the most tactical, outcome oriented, and controllable.
- Modernizers. These organizations create new capabilities to modernize the business. Many finance teams seek technological solutions to survive disruption. They also consider the skills employees need to scale with new business needs.
- Re-definers. These organizations change and redefine the business at the core. They are focused on staying ahead of the market. For example, a brick-and-mortar organization may need to transition its operating model to support online customer experiences.
- Industry explorers. These organizations break new ground in new markets and industries. Many companies in this category operate in the technology sector. However, non-tech firms are also trying to disrupt by changing the market paradigm.
PwC has found that most CFOs are striving to be Modernizers.
"C-suite executives are asking, 'What is the defining characteristic of the business and how do we stay ahead of that?' The CFO is usually an advisor in this conversation. It's important to have data about profit margins, declining sales, at-risk geographies, and more." – Bob Woods
Successful digital transformations are enabled by a finance agenda that addresses the workforce, workplace, technology, and data.
A seven-point Modern Finance agenda is the key to successful digital transformations. These seven activities relate to leading with people, process, and performance.
Observations on how and where CFOs can begin include:
- Finance organizations typically start by selecting one key lever. This decision is based on the organization's culture, values, and objectives.
- Organizations that lead with performance unlock insight from their data. Solutions like Tableau, Qlik, and Power BI support fast access to data. Instead of generating massive management reports, these digital tools enable finance professionals to quickly digest data.
- Organizations that lead with process embrace automation. Many finance teams are automating basic and repetitive tasks.
- People are often neglected during digital transformations. The most effective transformation journeys bring the workforce along. Opportunities exist to upskill the workforce using digital tools. CFOs must consider how digitally savvy the workforce is and how much change the finance function can handle. The entire workforce must adopt new ways of thinking.
- To support the Modern Finance agenda, finance organizations must embody six organizational competencies. These are: data trust provider, regulatory architect, performance monitor, predictive risk monitor, innovation center, and automation leader.
- Each Modern Finance agenda point has a maturity progression. Each trend builds on the previous to guide the transformation (see Figure 4).
Digital technologies are redefining existing finance roles, as well as creating new roles.
Digital technologies are changing the skills and capabilities of finance organizations. Functional silos are breaking down. New roles such as Analytics and Value Managers, Business Growth Partners, Digital Accountants, Global Process Owners, Compliance and Risk Managers, Data Scientists, Digital Engineers, and Transformation Leads work across functions, connecting dots throughout the enterprise.
New finance roles have distinct competency attributes that create unique opportunities for growth.
As finance teams hire new talent or upskill existing employees, they must evaluate individuals in five competency areas:
- The Technogeek. People with this competency are technologists, integrators of tech processes, architects, and technology incubators. These individuals often play with technology on the weekend and request learning funds to train themselves in new areas. They understand how to solve business problems using technology.
- The Problem Solver. People with this competency have business and commercial acumen. They are collaborators and structured thinkers. These individuals identify business problems to be solved. They consider how technology solutions will impact the employee experience and end-toend data orchestration.
- The Treasure Hunter. People with this competency are data miners, value/insight creators, integrators who identify data value, and algorithm writers. Many finance organizations struggle to find individuals with this competency. Often the work of Treasure Hunters must be balanced by the Controller. For example, algorithms may lack adequate traceability, which generates compliance concerns.
- The Dreamer. People with this competency are creative visualizers, innovators, artistic explorers, experimenters, and boundary pushers. In existing finance organizations, these individuals are usually in transformation roles. Looking ahead, every finance professional will be expected to move the strategic agenda forward.
- The Controller. People with this competency are detail-oriented financial advisors, scorekeepers, and value preservers. The Controller competency is different from the traditional Controller role. Despite widespread concern, automation won't eliminate the need for the Controller competency. Controllers answer key questions including: Where is the data? What is the organization doing with it? How does the organization ensure the data is accurate and complete? How can constituents get access to the right data?
"Looking ahead, people will connect the dots across functions. Everyone in finance, for example, needs a base-level digital IQ, while the IT function needs a solid foundation of business knowledge." – Tabitha DeFrancisco
Case study: A corporate controller enabled by a modern finance workplace
Jane is a corporate controller who manages a large team of accountants across different processes and geographies. She depends on real-time collaboration, especially during month- and quarter-end close. The Modern Finance workplace supports Jane in three key ways:
- Collaborative, real-time compilation of data. This includes reconciliations, accruals, deferrals, and balance sheet schedules to expedite month-end and quarter-end close tasks via in-schedule data connections and collaboration.
- Conversational, trigger-based tracking. This enables Jane to stay on top of all activities going on during month-end and quarter-end closes. Tracking ensures global team alignment and monitoring on both desktop and mobile user interfaces.
- Quick use intelligent bots and data connectors. These automate workflows to quickly move tasks along from completion to review. Information is served up in standard performance management visualizations.
Tabitha DeFrancisco is a Director in PwC's Consumer Markets Management Consulting practice specialized in optimizing finance and accounting operational performance and Digital Transformation. Tabitha drives sustainable transformation through process redesign, cross-functional collaboration, and strategic use of automation. Tabitha has extensive experience in finance and accounting integration, transaction processing optimization and automation, management reporting automation, and close improvement and has served clients across industry lines.
Bob Woods is a partner with PwC's Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT) practice and advises clients on Digital Transformation and its impact to their business and finance operations. His specializations include managing finance process and system change due to digitization of client's software to services; addressing the impact of regulatory, statutory, and financial reporting requirements, including Revenue Recognition; redesigning cost, allocation, and related reporting processes for data centers and network operations; and evolving corporate performance management align to economics of SaaS, IaaS, and other digital business models.
He is a key contributor to CFO-focused thought leadership in the area of Cloud/SaaS-related accounting, operational, and financial management. He is an author and contributor to Cloud-related publications including On the Horizon: Insights into the Cloud for Finance and Accounting Professionals, and Leading from the Front: Re-designing Finance for the Digital Age.
Angelia Herrin is the editor for special projects and research at Harvard Business Review. Her journalism experience spans 25 years, primarily with Knight-Ridder newspapers and USA TODAY, where she was the Washington editor. She won the Knight Fellowship in Professional Journalism at Stanford University in 1990. She has taught journalism at the University of Maryland and Harvard University. Prior to coming to HBR, Angelia was the vice president for content at womenConnect. com, a website focused on women business owners and executives.
Sponsor's perspective
The role of the modern Chief Financial Officer has evolved to a highly strategic position with responsibility for digital transformation of finance organizations and the respective businesses they support. In order to transform organizations, we agree it is imperative for CFOs to begin transformation initiatives above the functional level, instead identifying company-wide objectives and how these goals ultimately impact stakeholders including employees and suppliers.
Regardless of digital aspiration type—efficiency seekers, modernizers, re-definers, and industry explorers—the right technology provides the opportunity to achieve these goals without requiring heavy lifting in training across an organization with aspirations for modest adoption. With most CFOs striving to be modernizers, the objective is not only to disrupt, but to "survive disruption," that is, not be disrupted. Remaining content with the status quo is not an option.
To manage these changes, whether leading with people, process, or performance, CFOs must leverage technology to gain a complete, real-time picture of spend across their organizations. The technology selected to collect and analyze this data should not put a greater tax on your human resources. It must be comprehensive and open—covering procurement, sourcing, invoicing, expenses, supplier management, and payments, and connect seamlessly to third-party applications and service providers—in order to make informed, and in many cases automated, decisions about how to better manage spend.
Business Spend Management (BSM), a unified set of business processes and supporting technologies that encompass these core transactions for spending money, offers this continuous, real-time visibility of spend data. It also, with equal importance, provides organization-wide control of spend, mitigating risk and enabling finance organizations to deliver value well beyond savings.
One of the greatest benefits of BSM technology—beyond visibility and control of spend—is the Community Intelligence (CI) that it delivers, uncovering insights at scale across billions, if not trillions, of dollars of spend transactions taking place through one centralized cloud platform. This offers solutions such as benchmarking insights and risk mitigation products which can help organizations monitor every supplier to identify risk proactively and avoid business disruptions.
With nearly one trillion dollars of spend managed through the Coupa BSM Platform across customers around the world including Airbus, P&G, MGM Resorts International, Caterpillar, Sanofi, Salesforce, and Unilever, Coupa is uniquely positioned to uncover trends in spend and offer prescriptive, tailored recommendations. Coupa has been repeatedly recognized by independent analysts for its completeness of vision to help businesses increase operational efficiency and the ability to execute this vision.
Using Coupa-driven benchmarks, peer insights, and aggregated Community Intelligence (CI), it's easier than ever to transform your finance organization.
Source: Harvard Business Review