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Statement of the Honorable Jo Anne B. Barnhart
Social Security Administration
Testimony before the House Committee on Ways and Means
July 26, 2006
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:
The President has proposed a comprehensive approach to immigration reform that addresses the need to secure our borders, enforce worksite employment practices, and address the economic issues of immigration. This approach calls for the creation of a true temporary worker program that allows individuals to achieve legal status by paying their taxes, learning English and gaining employment in our society.
Within this context I appreciate your invitation to appear before you to discuss how and when we assign Social Security numbers and issue Social Security cards to non-citizens, as well as issues relating to benefit eligibility for non-citizens. In my testimony today, I will describe SSA's current responsibilities and activities to safeguard the integrity of the Social Security system, including our work with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Currently, as required by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, we provide DHS extensive information about every "nonwork SSN" where earnings were reported. "Nonwork SSNs" are issued to individuals who are not authorized to work in the U.S. but have a valid reason for obtaining an SSN. These cards include the legend, "Not Valid for Employment".
SSA is also an integral part of the DHS Basic Pilot program which allows employers to verify both the Social Security numbers and work authorization status of persons they hire. Of course, SSA continues to provide SSN verification services to employers, including our web-based Social Security Number Verification System (SSNVS)
SSA currently has the authority to use information from Forms W-2 only for the purpose of determining eligibility for and the amount of Social Security benefits. The Administration supports allowing disclosure of this data in the interests of national security and for law enforcement purposes.
At SSA, we have a proven performance record and can and will do what we are called upon to do. But I would be remiss if I did not mention that, as this Committee well knows, every new responsibility we are given, without adequate funding, will affect our ability to provide our core mission service to the American public.
This year alone, we will process over 6.7 million claims for benefits; process almost 245,000 Medicare Part D low income subsidy applications; make decisions on over 575,000 hearings; issue 18 million new and replacement Social Security cards; process 265 million earnings items for workers' earnings records; handle approximately 59 million transactions through SSA's 800-number; serve 42 million visitors to our field offices; process millions of actions to keep beneficiary and recipient records current and accurate; and conduct 1.6 million continuing disability reviews (CDR's) and over 1 million non-disability Supplemental Security Income (SSI) re-determinations.
I have worked closely with the Social Security and Human Resources subcommittees in our efforts to improve service, most notably through the Disability Service Improvement initiative and related improvements to the disability process. I know that this Committee is well aware of the challenges we face.
From my perspective as Commissioner of Social Security, I am concerned that reductions of $200-$400 million in the President's budget request for SSA administrative costs that have been proposed by the House and Senate appropriators would jeopardize our ability to improve service and eliminate backlogs, even without new responsibilities. I might note that the President's budget for FY 2007, and for the past few years, included modest increases in SSA's administrative budget.
Enumeration of Non-Citizens
Under current law, Social Security numbers can be issued to non-citizens when they are lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence, if they are otherwise authorized to work in the United States, or, under limited circumstances, where an individual is not authorized to work, but has a valid need for an SSN.
The vast majority of original Social Security cards are issued to United States citizens, or to permanent resident non-citizens. Since these individuals are authorized to work without restriction in the United States, these cards show only the name and SSN of the individual and can be used as evidence of authorization to work in the U.S.
However, cards issued to non-citizens who are not authorized to work (at the time of application for a Social Security number) or who are only temporarily authorized to work bear one of two legends describing work authorization status at the time the card was issued: "Not Valid for Employment" or "Valid for Work only with DHS Authorization".
"Not Valid for Employment"
Initially, SSA issued the same type of Social Security card to everyone, whether or not the individuals were authorized to work. In 1974, SSA began assigning SSNs for non-work purposes, but the cards were not specifically annotated. Beginning in May 1982, SSA started issuing cards printed with the legend "Not Valid for Employment" , often referred to as nonwork SSNs," to non-citizens not authorized to work. This was due to the increasing need for individuals to have SSNs for nonwork purposes (e.g., to receive payment of a government benefit, to open a bank account, or to get a drivers license) and concerns that such individuals might use the SSN for unauthorized work. With this restrictive legend appearing on a card, employers were able for the first time, to determine whether the individual to whom the card was issued was authorized to work. Of course then as now, an employer could not rely on the Social Security card alone to establish that the person presenting the card was the person to whom the SSN was assigned. The Social Security card is not, and never has been, an identity document, which is why it must be presented in conjunction with an identity document to prove work authorization under immigration law.
In October 2003, I significantly tightened the rules for issuing nonwork SSNs. No longer do we issue SSNs to non-citizens just so they can obtain a driver's license. Instead, SSA only issues such an SSN when 1) a Federal statute or regulation requires an SSN to receive a particular benefit or service to which an alien has otherwise established entitlement; or 2) a State or local law requires an SSN to get public assistance benefits to which the legal alien without work authorization has otherwise established entitlement and for which all other requirements have been met. This action reduced the number of "nonwork SSNs" we issue each year from 72,000 to 15,000.
"Valid for Work Only with DHS Authorization"
Beginning in September 1992, SSA began issuing cards with the legend "Valid for Work Only with INS Authorization" to non-citizens lawfully in the United States with temporary authorization to work. This legend has been changed to "Valid for Work Only with DHS Authorization" to reflect the change from "INS" (the Immigration and Naturalization Service) to "DHS". In these cases, employers must examine other acceptable documentation for the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9), normally the non-citizen's DHS documentation.
In Fiscal Year (FY) 2005, SSA issued approximately 5.4 million original cards. Of these, 4.3 million were issued to U. S. citizens. Approximately 1.1 million cards were issued to non-citizens with temporary or permanent work authorization and fewer than 15,000 cards were issued to aliens not allowed to work.
Social Security Benefits for Non-Citizens
As you know, current law explicitly prohibits the payment of benefits to individuals in the United States who are not lawfully present here. A non-citizen who is outside the United States can be paid benefits only if he or she meets the applicable statutory requirements.
Impact of the Social Security Protection Act of 2004 (SSPA)
Under SSPA, Social Security benefits are not payable on the record of a non-citizen worker unless the worker was authorized to work in the United States when the worker was issued a Social Security number, or any time thereafter. (This change became effective with regard to workers who were issued an SSN on or after January 1, 2004.) Consequently, a non-citizen worker must meet this requirement to become eligible for benefits, or for the worker's family members to become eligible for benefits as dependents or survivors of the worker.
Nonpayment Provisions
The alien nonpayment provision (section 202(t) of the Act) provides for nonpayment of benefits to aliens who are absent from the United States for more than 6 consecutive calendar months, unless they meet one of several exceptions in the law that permit payment to continue. The primary exception is that the alien beneficiary is a citizen of a country which has a social insurance system of general application and which pays benefits to eligible United States citizens while they are outside that country.
Benefits that have been stopped because the beneficiary is outside the United States will resume when the beneficiary has returned to the United States and has remained here in lawful presence status for one full calendar month and will continue until the beneficiary is absent from the United States for longer than six consecutive calendar months.
In addition, in many cases, aliens entitled to dependents' or survivors' benefits must also meet a U.S. residence requirement to be paid outside the United States. The dependent or survivor beneficiary must have resided in the United States for five years, during which time the family relationship on which benefits are based must have existed. This five year residence requirement can be removed for dependents or survivors who are citizens or residents of a country with whom the United States has a totalization agreement.
Other Events That Result in Nonpayment of Benefits to Non-citizens
The Social Security Act prohibits the payment of Social Security benefits to alien workers (and their dependents or survivors, in certain cases) who are removed from the United States under specific provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Crediting Unauthorized Work Towards Social Security Benefits
There have been a number of proposals to eliminate Social Security credit for earnings that are posted to a noncitizen's record during periods when the person is not authorized to work. You may recall that when the SSPA was enacted, consideration was given to a similar proposal, which ultimately was not included in the law.
We understand the rationale behind this proposal. However, to administer such a change, we would have to know exactly which periods in the past a person was authorized to work and not authorized to work. We defer to DHS on the specifics of availability of data, but we understand that DHS does not have the data readily available at this time to reconcile earnings and work status.
As you are aware, the expertise of counterfeiters and the wide availability of state-of-the-art technology make it increasingly difficult to develop and maintain a Social Security card that cannot be counterfeited, despite best efforts to guard against such incidents. Therefore, SSA will continue to evaluate new technology as it becomes available to determine if additional features should be included.
As provided in the IRTPA, we, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security formed an interagency task force to establish requirements for improving the security of Social Security cards and numbers. Because current law requires the card to be printed on banknote paper, the taskforce was limited to consideration of improvements to this type of card. In addition to representatives from SSA and DHS, the task force included representation from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of State and the Government Printing Office. I share Congress' concern abut the security of the Social Security card and am committed to doing what I can to make improvements in this regard. The taskforce has completed its work and I provided this Committee with a report a few days ago on how its recommendations can be implemented. We have decided to delay moving forward with the production of the improved Social Security card pending resolution of the immigration reform debate because the final law may include provisions that affect the Social Security card.
There are several proposals before Congress to create a different kind of Social Security card. The immigration and welfare reform legislation passed in 1996 required us both to conduct a study and to develop a report on different methods for improving the Social Security card process, including prototypes of several kinds of new cards. This report, "Options for Enhancing the Social Security Card," was issued in 1997.
We know from the 1997 effort that should SSA be required by Congress to replace all SSN cards the main costs associated with replacing the current SSN card are those associated with reinterviewing individuals and reverifying documents, while the additional costs of the card itself—even with additional security features—are minimal. Thus, the feasibility of a "hard" card depends on who would receive it over what period of time.
The most important factor affecting the total cost is the requirement to verify the identity of the person applying for the card and, in the case of non-citizens, determining the immigration status and work authorization. Other factors must be taken into account as well. For example, the cost of equipment that might be needed in SSA field offices to work with the new cards and the cost to SSA to notify number holders who might need to obtain a new SSN card would have an impact on total outlays.
Currently, most original SSNs (and cards) for United States born individuals are issued through the Enumeration at Birth (EAB) process in which parents apply for their child's SSN at the hospital as part of the birth registration. The vast majority of replacement SSN cards, and a relatively small number of original SSN cards for U.S. born individuals, are issued by SSA field offices where evidence is reviewed and verified. The majority of original SSN cards issued through SSA field offices are for individuals who recently arrived in the United States and whose immigration status permits assignment of an SSN.
Last year, we estimated that a card with enhanced security features would cost approximately $25.00 per card, not including the start-up investments associated with the purchase of equipment needed to produce and issue this type of card. According to estimates made last year, reissuance of all new cards for the 240 million cardholders over age 14 would cost approximately $9.5 billion. We know that, since we made that estimate, the cost of issuing SSN cards has increased by approximately $3.00 per card due to new requirements for additional verification of evidence, so we anticipate an increase in the total cost estimate when we update our figures to reflect current dollar costs. I hasten to add that the Administration is not seeking to replace all cards. The number of workers who would have to obtain a new card varies from proposal to proposal.
Currently, each year staff of the agency devotes approximately 3,300 work years of effort to the SSN card issuance process. Because of the need to interview everyone receiving a new card, and examine original documents, last year's estimate indicates that we would need an additional 67,000 work years to issue everyone a new card. This would require hiring approximately 34,000 new employees if we were required to complete the work within two years and 14,000 new employees to complete the work in five years. As noted, this estimate assumes replacing cards for 240 million individuals, which the Administration has not proposed. An approach that would mandate new tamper resistant cards to be issued only during the normal course of initial issuance and reissuance would involve significantly less additional costs. For a phased approach that limited new cards to only the approximately 30 million people who change jobs at least once during a year and the additional five million young people reaching age 14, the cost would be approximately $1.5 billion per year, using last years cost numbers.
SSN Verification Services
Over the years, we have worked to offer employers alternative methods to verify SSNs. One of those methods is the Employee Verification Service (EVS). EVS is a free, convenient way for employers to verify employee SSNs. It provides employers with several options depending on the number of SSNs to be verified. For up to five SSNs, employers can call SSA's toll-free number for employers (1-800-772-6270) weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Employers may also use this number to get answers to any questions they may have about EVS or to request assistance. In FY 2005, SSA responded to nearly 1.5 million calls.
Employers also have the option to submit a paper listing to the local Social Security office to verify up to 50 names and SSNs. In addition, employers may use a simple registration process to verify requests of more than 50 names and SSNs or for any number of requests submitted on magnetic media. Currently, almost 17,000 employers are registered for this verification service.
To further increase the ease and convenience of verifying employee SSNs, we developed the Social Security Number Verification Service (SSNVS). After obtaining a PIN and password in a simple registration process, employers can use the internet to get immediate verification of the accuracy of employees' names and SSNs. This service was expanded to all employers in June 2005.
I announced the nationwide rollout last year at the SSA sponsored National Payroll Reporting Forum, and we continue to promote SSNVS. For example, an article on SSNVS appeared in the SSA/IRS Reporter that is sent to over 6.6 million employers. It was also featured in the SSA wage reporting email newsletter, W2News. We have also highlighted SSNVS in our many speaking engagements before the employer community. There is a special section on SSA's website for employers that highlights and explains the use of SSNVS. This site recently ranked third in the American Customer Satisfaction Index survey, which asks users to rate the content, usefulness and functionality of applications on both public and private sector sites. Through SSNVS, we processed over 17 million verifications for 21,000 employers in the first six months of 2006.
Basic Pilot
As I mentioned earlier, employers in all 50 states may participate in the Basic Pilot program, an ongoing voluntary program in which SSA supports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in assisting employers confirming employment eligibility for newly hired employees. Participating employers register with DHS to use the DHS' automated system to verify an employee's SSN and work authorization status. The information the employer submits to DHS is sent to SSA to verify that the Social Security number, name, and date of birth submitted match information in SSA records. SSA will also confirm US citizenship, thereby confirming work authorization; DHS confirms current work authorization for non-citizens. DHS will notify the employer of the employee's current work authorization status. In December 2004, the Basic Pilot was expanded to all 50 states. As of July 17, 2006, DHS and SSA had signed agreements with over 10,000 employers, representing about 36,000 employer sites. For FY 2005, SSA received approximately 100,000 Basic Pilot queries each month. So far, for FY 2006, SSA is receiving an average of 150,000 Basic Pilot requests a month. In June 2006, we received over 182,000 queries.
In 2005, through the EVS, SSNVS, and Basic Pilot programs, we estimate we provided a total of 67 million employer verifications, up from 62 million in 2004.
Earnings Suspense File (ESF)
The Earning Suspense File is an electronic holding file for W-2s (wage items) that cannot be matched to the earnings records of individual workers. It does not represent nonpayment of Social Security payroll taxes, nor is it a repository for actual wages.
There are approximately 255 million wage items in the ESF through Tax Year (TY) 2003, the last year for which data is available. This represents about $519.6 billion in wages. That sounds like a large number, but during that period, we have successfully recorded $73.8 trillion in wages, or more than 99 percent of the total.
SSA does not have data on the number of wage items in the ESF that are attributable to unauthorized work by non-citizens. SSA's source of information about earnings is the Form W-2, and there is no citizenship or immigration status information on that document. While some percentage of name and SSN mismatches are attributable to fraud by unauthorized workers, such mismatches also can occur for a variety of other reasons, including typographical errors, unreported name changes and incomplete or blank SSNs.
No-Match Letters
As you know, SSA processes wages reported by employers on Forms W-2. We pass this information on to the Internal Revenue Service for income tax purposes, and we record the earnings to each worker's account so that they are considered in determining eligibility for benefits and the level of benefits to be paid.
We send "no match" letters to employers who submit more than 10 wage items when more than 0.5 percent of the items in a wage report consist of an SSN and name combination that does not match our records. The employer 'no match' letters include a list of up to 500 SSNs submitted by the employer in wage items that SSA could not post to a worker's record. In 2005, we sent approximately 127,000 employer 'no match' letters, which covered 7.3 million mismatched records. For privacy reasons, the letter lists only the SSNs, not the name/SSN combination.
The only source of information that SSA receives about a taxpayer's employer and earnings is tax return information on the Form W-2. We receive and process this information as an agent for the Internal Revenue Service. Use of and disclosure of tax return information is governed by section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code. SSA currently has the authority to use this information only for the purpose of determining eligibility for and the amount of social security benefits. The Administration supports allowing disclosure of this data in the interest of national security and law enforcement purposes.
Before I close, let me say again, that SSA strongly supports the President's comprehensive immigration reform approach and is ready, willing, and able to do its part to provide support for DHS in its immigration enforcement activities. The men and women of Social Security are dedicated, hardworking, and productive public servants who will do everything they can to carry out SSA's responsibilities, whatever they may be.
I want to publicly thank this Committee for your support for SSA and its programs over the years. I look forward to continuing to work with you as we serve the American people.
Thank you again for the opportunity to appear before you today. I look forward to working with you, and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.


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YORK, PA – The nationally ranked York College women's basketball squad rode a great defensive effort to capture the title of the Sixth Coaches vs. Cancer Classic tournament on Sunday afternoon in York. The Spartans defeated a hot College of New Jersey squad 56-48 at the Grumbacher Center to earn the title.
The Spartans improve to 10-0 overall while the Lions had their seven-game win streak snapped as they fall to 8-3. York is ranked 11th in the USA Today Sports Coaches Poll and 12th in the D3hoops.com Poll.
The opening half featured two teams playing outstanding defense. The Lions took an early 7-2 lead before the Spartans went on a 15-1 run fueled by two three pointers from senior Loreta Tonuzi (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) and a triple from Kelsey Murphy (Olney, Md./Good Counsel). The Lions trimmed the Spartan lead to 17-14 courtesy of a quick 6-2 spurt, however, York responded with an Aja Wallpher (Ellicott City, Md./Seton Keough) jumper and another Murphy three to wrestle back momentum.
The Spartans got a third Murphy three and a quick Wallpher steal and bucket to take a 31-19 lead just prior to the half. The Lions got a free throw with three seconds left in the half as the Spartans took the 11-point lead to the break.
York came out of the break and slowly built on their halftime lead. The Lions got to within 10 on an Angelica Esposito jumper with 12:21 left in the game. The Spartans responded with 15-6 run as the York lead grew to 54-35 with 7:02 left in the game. That 19-point margin proved to be the high water mark for the York lead in the game.
The Lions made the game closer than it appeared courtesy of a 9-0 run against the Spartan reserves at the end of the game.
York was powered by All-Tournament team members Wallpher and Brittany Hicks (Dover, Pa./York Catholic). Wallpher was named the tournament MVP as she tallied 11 points, nine assists, five steals, three rebounds, and one blocked shot in 37 minutes of play. Wallpher was 4-for-5 from the floor and 3-for-4 from the line. Hicks notched her seventh double-double of the year with a pair of game-highs as she had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Hicks was a very efficient 6-for-8 from the floor including 1-of-2 from three while she nailed all five of her free throws in the win.
Murphy and Kristen Haley (Silver Spring, Md./Georgetown Visitation) each chipped in with nine points while Haley also had seven rebounds.
Candace Vigo was named to the All-Tournament team for the Lions as she tossed in a team-high 15 points in the championship game loss. Vigo also had four rebounds and two assists in her 27 minutes of work. Kelly Coughlin added nine points and three rebounds to the Lion offense.
York shot 41.3% from the floor and a very efficient 7-of-16 (43.8%) from three. The seven threes are a huge bounce back from Saturday night's 1-for-9 effort from beyond the arc against Wheaton. York finished the game 11-for-17 (64.7%) from the stripe.
The Green and White held TCNJ to 34% shooting from the field while the Lions went just 3-for-19 from three including 0-for-11 from distance in the second half.
The Spartans continue their season-high seven game home stand with a non-conference contest against Elizabethtown on Thursday evening. Tip time at Wolf Gymnasium is set for 6:00 pm at Wolf Gymnasium.
Championship photo courtesy of Zach Clabaugh (www.sharpedgefoto.com)
Audio Highlights courtesy of Darrell Henry - The Voice of the Spartans

subset: commoncrawl


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Dani was doing a photo shoot with Michael. She was looking insanely hot in that dress. She opened her legs and revealed some of her hairy bush around her panties. She pulled those panties to the side to display that big beautiful bush in all its glory. Michael combed that bush and gave it a trim. Soon after, he was playing with that bush and sticking his face it in. She sucked his cock and she sat her hairy bush on his face. She got her pussy pounded and got man juice all over that hot bush.
Source: RealityKings.com


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HIV/AIDS Vaccine Is Found to Be Partly Effective at Preventing HIV Infection, but Advocates Express Skepticism
After years of failure and frustration, a major breakthrough has been announced in the field of HIV/AIDS vaccine development: For the first time, a vaccine candidate has been found to be at least partly effective in protecting humans from HIV. The U.S. Army Surgeon General, the official sponsor of the trial, announced on Sept. 24 that a six-month regimen consisting of a "prime-boost" combination of two vaccines was found to be safe and lowered the risk of getting HIV by 31.2 percent compared to placebo.
But is this story truly as game-changing as most news headlines initially made it seem?
Reactions to the Results
As the news made its way through mainstream news outlets, many HIV/AIDS activists were less than impressed. One of the first groups to voice caution was Gay Men's Health Crisis, one of the biggest HIV/AIDS organizations in the U.S. "While these results give us great hope, a fully effective HIV vaccine is still a ways off," warned Marjorie J. Hill, the group's CEO. "In the meantime, we know that using condoms and not sharing needles are two of the most effective HIV prevention technologies. With 7,500 people newly infected each day around the world, comprehensive sex education and access to proven prevention tools can prevent thousands of HIV infections right now."
Another organization, Treatment Action Group (TAG), one of the oldest and most respected HIV/AIDS treatment activist organizations in the U.S., offered even stronger reservations. "[B]ased on the limited amount of information that has been released, it appears that the statistical significance [of the results] hangs on very few cases of HIV infection," it said in a statement. "TAG urges caution in interpreting the findings until more detailed information is available."
Other organizations and members of the scientific community responded to the study results enthusiastically, although none suggested that the modestly optimistic results from this study mean that a fully effective HIV/AIDS vaccine is right around the corner.
The AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC), which was not associated with the study, was particularly effusive, issuing its own press release.
"Today marks an historic milestone in the search for an AIDS vaccine; we now have evidence that it is possible to reduce the risk [of] HIV infection with a vaccine," said AVAC executive director Mitchell Warren. "It will take time and resources to fully analyze, understand and validate the data, but there is little doubt that this finding will energize and redirect the AIDS vaccine field as all of us begin the hard work to translate this landmark result into true public health benefit."
About the Trial
The trial, known as the Thai Phase III HIV Vaccine Trial (or RV144), was the largest HIV/AIDS vaccine study ever conducted in humans. Although it was sponsored by the U.S. Army Surgeon General, it took place in Thailand and was conducted by the Thai Ministry of Public Health in collaboration with Thai and U.S. researchers.
The trial had been controversial. Many well-known researchers in the HIV/AIDS vaccine field had not expected a positive result, since the two vaccines used in RV144 had each been tested separately in smaller trials, and neither had been found to have any protective benefit against HIV.
In an editorial that was published in Science in January 2004, soon after RV144 began, 20 HIV/AIDS researchers expressed their displeasure: "The scientific rationale that has been offered for the new trial in Thailand is considered by the authors to be weak," they wrote.
Nonetheless, the study continued -- and it was a massive undertaking. The US$105 million study (75 percent of the funding came from the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases [NIAID], the rest from the U.S. Army) began in October of 2003 and did not end until June of 2009. Of the 60,000 people who were initially recruited for the trial (26,675 of whom were screened), 16,402 men and women between 18 and 30 years of age were selected for enrollment and split almost evenly into two groups: One group received a placebo, while the other received six doses over six months of the prime-boost vaccine.
The volunteers had varying levels of risk for HIV infection, with only a minority being members of groups that are traditionally considered to be at "high risk," such as men who have sex with men or intravenous drug users. The study was not designed to examine the prime-boost vaccine's efficacy in these high-risk groups, according to Merlin Robb, M.D., the HIV program director for the U.S. Military HIV Research Program, which sponsored the trial.
The 8,197 volunteers who were selected to get the prime-boost vaccine regimen received the following:
- ALVAC HIV vaccine (the "primer" dose). This is a modified canarypox vaccine (developed by Sanofi Pasteur). It was administered at four different times: first at the beginning of the trial, then at one month, three months and six months.
- AIDSVAX B/E vaccine (the "booster" dose). This is a glycoprotein 120 vaccine (developed by VaxGen, Inc., and now licensed to Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases). It was administered to participants at two different times: the three-month and six-month marks in the study.
HIV testing took place every six months for three years. Participants also received HIV prevention counseling at each clinic visit. The researchers noted that they didn't see evidence that participants had increased their HIV risk behavior during the study.
In the final analysis of the trial, 74 of the 8,198 volunteers who received the placebo became infected with HIV, compared with 51 of the 8,197 volunteers who received the prime-boost vaccine regimen, meaning volunteers who received the vaccine were 31.2 percent less likely to become HIV positive after three years of follow-up.
The findings met (albeit barely) the scientific definition of "statistical significance," which means that the results of the study are most likely not due to chance. However, some scientists are muttering that the results are underwhelming for the astonishing amount of publicity that is being generated by this news.
Much analysis on the findings still needs to be done. For instance, it is not known which of the two vaccines in the regimen offered the greater level of protection, or how important it was that two vaccines were given instead of just one.
For those who were infected with HIV during the trial, the researchers did not see any sign that the prime-boost vaccine affected their viral load. The majority of the HIV-positive participants will be followed in another trial; all received HIV treatment and care as a part of the study.
It is worth noting that the vaccine was not designed to protect against every strain of HIV. The vaccine was created to test against two HIV subtypes: B, which is the most common strain in the U.S. and Europe, and E, which is the most common strain in Asia. However, about 85 to 90 percent of the population in this trial has HIV subtype E, and the majority of the HIV infections in the trial also occurred in people with this subtype. Therefore, it's still unknown whether this vaccine has the same effectiveness against subtype B as against subtype E, or whether it works the same in other areas of the world and against other strains of HIV.
However, the news that this vaccine had any benefit at all is extremely welcome. After so many HIV/AIDS vaccine trial failures, it has powerful implications for our long journey to create a viable vaccine.
Where We Go From Here
At this point, there is no plan for the prime-boost vaccine to be widely manufactured or distributed. Although the regimen did appear to be effective, it may not be effective enough to make it worth using widely, according to Dr. Robb. "The vaccine may not be beneficial in a population that feels protected and changes their risk activity," he said, suggesting that the vaccine's 31.2 percent efficacy rate might be offset if people who receive the vaccine feel that it makes it OK for them to engage in unprotected sex or needle sharing.
However, the researchers are fast-tracking consultation with scientific and product development experts to figure out what their next steps should be in terms of research. "Knowledge gained through this study will be used to accelerate future study design and testing as researchers continue the search for a safe, globally-effective HIV vaccine," said Col. Jerome Kim, the HIV/AIDS vaccines product manager for the U.S. Army.
The study, its findings and its implications for the future will be discussed in much greater detail at the annual AIDS Vaccine Conference, which takes place next in Paris, France, at the end of October.
For the nitty-gritty on this trial, be sure to check out our collection of articles.
Stay tuned for an interview with HIV/AIDS vaccine advocates and more analysis on this trial.


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Another problem is do I rig for the average or the gust. Its a tough call at times. A twelve will be perfect for the average( say 17 to 20mph) but a handful if its gusting to 30 or beyond. I personal go with the smaller kite and my large board. With my big twin tip I can ride my 9m in 17to 20mph and still handle strong gust. I know lots of guys that love to ride fully powered so they can boost which is great. But if you are rigged so you are fully powered in the lulls you are going to be seriously overpowered in the gust.
Bottom line is gusty condition suck. If you go big, get out and stay out where you are safer.


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WORCESTER, Mass.-- UMass Boston dropped their regular season finale 7-2 to Worcester State University Sunday afternoon at the Paxton Sports Center to finish off their fall campaign 3-10, 1-7 in Little East Conference action.
The Beacons got wins at number one and number two singles from captains Hieu Nguyen (Dorchester, Mass.) and Samantha Counts (Bridgewater, Mass.), but that was all they could muster against the red-hot Lancers (6-7, 3-5 LEC).
With the win, Worcester State clinched the sixth and final seed in the Little East Conference Tournament and will play at defending LEC Champion Salem State Tuesday afternoon.
UMass Boston fell behind 3-0 after doubles play, as the Lancers held off the Beacons, despite UMass Boston winning at least four games in all three doubles contests.
At number one singles, Nguyen and Counts dropped an 8-6 contest to Danielle Candelieri and Taylor Tomasetti. In number two doubles, Imani Williams (Roxbury, Mass.) and Cindy Lee (Pomona, Calif.) teamed up for the first time all year and fell 8-6. Solveig Castelli (Precojo, France) and Stephony Reeves (Dorchester, Mass.) finished off doubles play with an 8-4 loss at number three singles.
In singles action, Nguyen earned her 20th career singles victory with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Candelieri. The four-year player finished off her career with 36 overall victories to finish fifth all-time in UMass Boston history.
Counts grabbed the other Beacons victory in a marathon-match at number two singles. The junior captain earned the win by defeating Megan Shepard 7-5, 4-6, 6-1. At number three singles, Williams would give Brooke Michanczyk all she could handle before falling 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
The match marked the end of Nguyen and Wendy Steinman's (Dudley, Mass.) four-year run with the Beacons in Little East Conference play.
UMass Boston women's tennis will finish off their season with a trip to Florida over Spring Break, with the potential to play in several tournaments.


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Israel News - Stay Informed, Pray Informed
The Times of Israel has published a fascinating interview with a brave young Arab woman from a small town in the Galilee region who has dedicated her life to defending Israel in the public arena.
Boshra Khalaila is hardly the only Israeli Arab to speak out on behalf of her country, and her own story is very representative of the hurdles many Israeli Arabs must overcome if they wish to freely speak their mind regarding the Jewish state.
But some simply cannot remain silent any longer.
"I am a liberal, free woman, with all the rights that I could enjoy," stated Khalaila. "I compare myself to other women my age in Jordan, the [Palestinian ruled] territories, Egypt, any Arab country. They don't have the rights that I have: freedom of expression, the right to vote. They are forced into marriage at a young age, and religious head covering, despite their own convictions. With me it's the opposite; I have everything."
The full interview is well worth a read.
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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – In its first home matches of the 2012 season, the MIT women's volleyball team defeated NEWMAC rival Smith College (25-17, 25-18, 25-11) and local foe Simmons College (25-15, 25-19, 25-12) on Saturday afternoon. Earlier on, Simmons battled Smith for a 26-28, 25-15, 25-18, 19-25, 15-13 victory.
MIT def. Smith College, 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-11)
Senior Trinity Leonard (Mill Valley, Calif.) led MIT (10-1, 2-0 NEWMAC) with a 16 kills to go along with seven digs. Junior Tatiana Berger (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) contributed 10 kills and a .571 hitting performance as classmate Kristine Bunker (Falmouth, Mass.) totaled four kills, two aces, and two blocks. Freshman Meryl Gibbs (Bellaire, Texas) bolstered the attack with four kills while senior Katie Spielbauer (Lakeview, Mich.) registered 18 digs and two aces. Freshman Lindsey Wang (Cupertino, Calif.) notched 10 digs and three aces as sophomore Nicole Gagnier (Atlanta, Ga.) tallied 40 assists, three aces, and two blocks.
Senior Blair Bell (Upper Montclair, N.J.) led the way for Smith (1-4, 0-2 NEWMAC) with 22 digs, five blocks, and two kills as junior Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H.) generated five blocks and three kills.
Simmons College def. Smith College, 3-2 (26-28, 25-15, 25-18, 19-25, 15-13)
In the back-and-forth battle, freshman Raeann Nesta (Niantic, Conn.) amassed 17 kills, three digs, and one block to help Simmons (5-5) put away Smith in five sets. Senior Rachel Dufault (Westport, Mass.) also had a strong outing for the Sharks, racking up 45 assists, seven digs, four kills, and two blocks. Freshman Chanel Thomas (Phoenix, Ariz.) powered the defense with 21 digs while also handing out four assists.
Drummond recorded a triple-double for Smith courtesy of 22 digs, 17 kills, and 10 blocks while freshman Mei-Li Smith (Cypress, Calif.) produced 31 digs, 20 assists, three blocks, three kills, and two aces. Bell rounded out the squad with 15 digs, 11 kills, and five blocks.
MIT def. Simmons College, 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-12)
Gibbs paced MIT's balanced attack with nine kills, a .538 hitting percentage, and three aces while sophomore Jenny Astrachan (Austin, Texas) followed with eight kills and two blocks. Bunker and Leonard both posted five kills as Bunker added two blocks. Berger along with sophomore Morgan Stewart (Powell, Ohio) and freshman Ada Taylor (Durham, N.C.) each earned two blocks while Berger chipped in four kills. Spielbauer anchored the back row with 14 digs while Wang notched four digs and three aces. Gagnier compiled 26 assists, four digs, and three aces while senior Alyssa Rothman (Plainview, N.Y.) tacked on four assists in the third set.
As she did in the first match of the day for the Sharks, Nesta led Simmons with 11 kills and five blocks. Dufault continued her solid afternoon of play with 15 assists and six digs as senior Kelly Last (West Haven, Conn.) posted nine digs and two kills.
All three teams return to action on Tuesday, September 18. MIT and Smith resume NEWMAC play, with the Engineers traveling to Springfield College and Smith visiting Clark University. Simmons will host Regis College in its first GNAC match of the year. All three contests are scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m.


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Joe sez: Super-agent Andrew Wylie, in what seems like a conscious effort to make sure he never gets another query letter, addressed the Toronto Festival of Authors and taught them all about hyperbole.
"I believe with the restored health of the publishing industry and having some sense of where this sort of ISIS-like distribution channel, Amazon, is going to be buried and in which plot of sand they will be stuck, [publishers] will be able to raise the author's digital royalty to 40% or 50%," he said. "Writers will begin to make enough money to live."
I have a few contacts at Amazon, so I asked them for a response, but they were too busy beheading innocent people to reply.
The amount of stupid that Wylie fit into that single sentence is commendable. I'll deconstruct.
1. The publishing industry's health will never be restored. They're middlemen whose value-added services cost too much for the majority of authors.
2. Updating Godwin's Law for millennials by using ISIS instead of Nazis is proof-positive that Wylie needs to shut the fuck up. When you sink to alarmist language and the appeal to fear fallacy, you've lost.
3. Publishers are already making gigantic profits on ebooks. They could raise author royalties right now, they don't have to wait for Amazon to be buried.
4. Amazon is not going to be buried. Certainly not by the Keystone Cops-like bumbling of the Big 5.
5. Writers don't need the Big 5 to make a living, thanks to Amazon. But it's adorable that Wylie thinks an extra 15% (going from 25% digital to 40%) in royalties will be enough for authors to quit their day jobs and suddenly make enough money to live.
Hey, here's an idea. Agents charge 15%. If Wylie is concerned about the livelihood of authors, he can just forgo his commission. Then all of those poverty-row authors can move to Beverly Hills.
"The publishing industry, up until now has cowered and whined and moaned and groaned and given Amazon pretty much everything they want. Now I think that's going to stop. …Hachette to their great credit drew a line in the sand," he said.
They whined and moaned and illegally colluded and got caught. Hachette's "line in the sand" is holding out to protect its paper oligopoly, at the expense of its authors.
Amazon is an innovator. They created the online store readers want to shop at, and the device readers want to use. The publishing industry, blinded by decades of absolute power, didn't think its authority would ever be challenged. The result? Impotence. Amazon doesn't need Hachette, and Hachette will never be able to take sales away from Amazon.
Wylie can throw his public tantrums declaring he's still relevant, but he's going to wind up another disintermediated middleman.
Speaking of, from agent Scott Eagan's blog: Self-published authors - Please Quit Picking Fights!
A few years ago, Scott did a stupid post supporting Harlequin on an issue which has recently become a class action.
He was torn to shreds on Passive Voice, so I didn't really need to weigh in. Though I did comment that Scott deleted his contentious post.
I've written a few contentious posts in my day. Integrity prevents me from deleting them. If I'm wrong, I apologize, I don't try to erase evidence. Especially since, with the Internet, evidence can't be eradicated. The Wayback Machine is an easy way to read the blog post Scott erased.
Scott taught me a valuable lesson. He's the reason why, when I fisk someone, first I make sure the Wayback Machine caches the post so now Scott can't ever delete it.
Don't drink and drive. Don't get into a land war in Asia. And don't post shit on the world wide web hoping you can erase it later.
So what's Scott up to?
Scott: I was talking to one of my clients this weekend and she was saying how her chapter had a guest speaker who was once again preaching the line, "Fire your agents and fire your editors! Do it yourself!" I have to say, since RWA this year I am getting pretty irritated at this mantra we are hearing from authors out there.
Joe sez: I have an agent, and a film manager, and several editors. While I have heard the "Do it yourself" argument preached a lot by writers, I don't know of any writer who feels they don't need an editor. And those with agents, assuming the agents are good (i.e. making the writer money) have no reason to fire them. On the contrary, my agent assists me in self-publishing.
There's a mantra suggesting writers fire agents? News to me,and seems unlikely, but let's pretend there is such a mantra being chanted so incessantly that Eagon had no choice but to blog about it.
The self-publishing movement, by definition, disintermediates many publishing professionals, including agents who aren't savvy enough to keep up, and editors at legacy publishing houses. Naturally, this can seem threatening. If you own a dairy farm, and all the cows decide they can sell their own milk and no longer need you (and they're treated better to boot), you're in deep trouble.
Scott: Look, there is room for everyone. If you have this desire to self-publish then go for it! No one is stopping you!
Joe sez: Stopping? No. It's a free country. Trying to dissuade with disingenuous blog posts? I see that happening. In fact, that's what Scott is doing here.
Scott is an agent. Let's say he's a good agent, with many happy clients. I can assume that many of his clients, and many writers what want to be his clients, read his blog. He's a successful industry pro. Why shouldn't they listen to him?
Well, perhaps they shouldn't listen because Scott's one-sided polemic begins with a sketchy premise (there's a lot of authors preaching a mantra that they should fire agents and editors), then yells "No one is stopping you!" in the way a parent would yell, "Go ahead and play with matches and see what happens!" Then he descends into this nonsense:
Scott: I think what a lot of these authors are missing in their argument is that not everyone wants to take this approach.
Joe sez: I agree. The Authors United signatories are an example.
Scott: Not everyone has the knowledge of the business.
Joe sez: One of the first things my agent did was teach me some basics about the business, so I had some knowledge. Then I learned more on my own, because I thought it wise to try to understand the business I was in. You know, so I could protect myself, make informed choices, and because I'm an adult and don't want to be treated like a baby who needs someone to look out for me.
Or, to put it in the world's shortest skit:
Advisor: Don't worry about money! That's what you hired me for! Better to stay blissfully unaware of the business and focus on your art!
MC Hammer: If you say so...
Scott: Not everyone has an already built in following from their careers in traditional publishing.
Joe sez: How many times do I have to debunk this tired meme?
Scott: And yes, when we talk money, not everyone has the cash to pay for: an outside editor, a cover artist, a marketing manager... and so forth.
Joe sez: Lots wrong here. First, name a start-up business that requires no money. Second, you can get some great deals on covers and editing as a self-publisher, barter for them for free, or even learn to do certain things yourself. Third, getting an agent isn't free (query letters, travelling to conferences, buying all those How To Get An Agent books) and there is no guarantee an agent will accept you, or a publisher will buy your book if an agent submits it.
Scott: When I talked to my author about this, it was interesting to hear a few facts that might have been missed by those in the audience:
Joe sez: Okay, so we have hearsay, and then we jump to remote viewing and mindreading what the audience missed...
Scott: The speaker WAS previously published and already had a following.
Joe sez: And many self-pubbed successes weren't previously published and had zero following before they became successful. Prove causality.
When I got my rights back from my publishers, I sold more copies than my publishers did. My "following" didn't buy my same books twice. These are new readers, and being previously published didn't matter to them.
Scott: The author was spending a lot of her own money to take care of things normally covered by a publisher.
Joe sez: I did signings, a lot of marketing, and a shitload of traveling that my publisher never covered.
Since self-pubbing, I've spent a lot less money tending to my career.
Scott: The author was spending close to 100 hours a week on the career just to keep it afloat.
Joe sez: Wow! Fourteen hours a day, seven days a week. What a work ethic!
Skepticism aside, show me ANY writer, indie-pubbed, legacy-pubbed, or hybrid, not working to keep their career afloat.
Scott: When this first idea came out, there was indeed a huge fight (or maybe just a verbal war) between those who wanted to go on their own and those that wanted the traditional approach.
Joe sez: The only fight I've ever seen is those who want choice, and those who preferred not having a choice. I blog to inform writers, not to fight with agents or publishers or other writers. But while informing writers, I sometimes need to take agents, publishers, and other writers to task.,
Scott: But in recent years, that war has seemed to shift to a more one sided approach. The editors and the agents on the traditional side have pretty much stopped. No, this is not because, what I do believe some would think, "they realized they were wrong." Instead, they realized there was a place for everyone.
Joe sez: Which is why your post is called "A Place For Everyone" and not "Self-Published Authors Please Quit Picking Fights!"
So apparently you're an agent who hasn't "pretty much stopped" taking sides in this "war". Your post is fueling the war by complaining about indie authors who you claim are fueling the war.
Scott: For myself, I have always thought of this like those people who decide to sell their home on their own vs. those who want to use a real estate company. If you have the time and the resources, and you understand property law and finances, then go for it. Sell your own house. But you know, there are still people out there who would prefer to leave the selling of their home to those in the business.
Joe sez: Well, if realtors took 15% of the sale, and they sold my home to a buyer who paid me 25% of the current market value, I'd probably look into learning property law and finances.
Scott: Now, does this mean if you sell your home one way or the other you make more money? Absolutely not! Everything is on a case by case basis. Sometimes a person selling a home on their own can indeed make a bigger profit. Sometimes they won't.
Joe sez: Actually, writers will always make better royalties by self-publishing. And they'll keep control over their rights, cover art, title, editing decisions, how often they publish, what they publish next, etc.
But you're right, Scott. Sometimes someone hits the jackpot with a big legacy deal and makes a lot of money.
If you're a writer whose goals involve landing a legacy deal, go for it. But unlike Scott, I encourage you to learn everything you can about all aspects of this business, including the odds that you'll land a huge legacy deal. Visit www.authorearnings.com for lots of good info.
Scott: The issue here is that it all depends on a lot of different variables.
I don't want anyone to think that right now, I am doing everything I can to "save my job as an agent." Nope, that is far from the case. My authors are doing really well!
Joe sez: That's good to hear, Scott. We indies post our sales figures a lot. I certainly don't expect you to name names, but maybe you can encourage some of your authors to post their earnings to show how well they're doing. You're obviously doing well by them, and their disclosures would help other authors make informed decisions about their careers.
Scott: What I am saying is that if you are a person who wants an agent. If you are a person who wants to take the traditional publishing approach, please don't let those other authors discourage you from taking the approach that works for you.
Joe sez: I'd really like to see some link to some author, somewhere, saying, "Fire your agent!" because they want to self-pub instead.
My agent has assisted me in self-pubbing. On the contrary, I've seen agents drop writers when those writers began to self-pub, or agents who wanted a piece of the self-pub money without doing anything to help.
I won't name names--it isn't my place. But if you're a writer whose agent dropped you for self-publishing, feel free to leave a comment. Ditto if you're a writer whose mantra is "Fire your agent!"
Scott: Just remember to really listen to the variables the author is using when they talk of their successes taking that self-pub approach:
Are they selling their back lists from traditional publishers?
Joe sez: Doesn't matter.
Scott: Are the using this as a supplement to an already existing writing career?
Joe sez: Doesn't matter. But, for the record, when publishers still owned my backlist, those royalties were supplementing my already existing self-pub career.
Scott: Are they still bringing in royalties from those traditional publishers?
Joe sez: Doesn't matter (unless they're considering hiring a lawyer to get those rights back).
Scott: How many outside resources are they having to pay (editors, cover artists, etc.) are they having to pay.
Joe sez: This should be compared to, "How much is the legacy publisher charging you for these same services?"
Scott: I think the only thing I want to leave you with today during this slight rant is:
...There is room for everyone. You have the permission to take whatever route you want to take with publishing. And just because someone isn't taking YOUR approach, it doesn't make them wrong!
Joe sez: There are no wrong approaches. The fact that we have a choice, and we can look at the value-added services that agents and editors provide and decide for ourselves if they're worth the costs, is a good thing.
Beware anyone saying you don't have to learn this business. You do. If you were applying for a job, you'd research the company. If you were investing in a stock, you'd check its history. If you want to make money writing, you have to do more than just write. The more you learn, the more you can refine your goals, and the better your decisions will be.
Scott: P.S. And Romance Writers of American and other larger publishing groups - Please remember to continue to support those who don't just want to self-pub!
Joe sez: Writers should support one another. Period. We're all in the same boat. We all need to row.
But I'm not seeing any damaging talk or actions coming from indies. The Authors Guild, Authors United, and prominent authors like Patterson, Turow, Robinson, Preston, and Colbert are the ones spreading harmful nonsense.
Agents can also spread harmful nonsense. When writers look to industry pros like Eagon and Wylie for guidance but only see hyperbole, Amazon-bashing, and imaginary mantras, writers aren't learning the truth.
We all have bias. We all have agendas. Mine is to help authors.
Wylie and Eagon are agents. Their agenda should also be to help writers.
In the examples above, are they being helpful?
Thursday, October 30, 2014
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WHEELING - A chorus of church bells will ring in Wheeling at noon Thursday to mark West Virginia's 150th birthday - including one of the last to hold the distinction of also having tolled on June 20, 1863, heralding official news of statehood.
That bell hangs inside the 165-year-old Second Presbyterian Church at the corner of 20th and Market streets. A large section of the building's roof collapsed in September 2011, leaving a gaping hole visible from several blocks away.
For the group working to repair and revive the old church, Thursday's statehood sesquicentennial is both a time to celebrate the past and look forward to a new beginning.
Article Photos
"The building's such a wonderful historical feature in Wheeling. ... When (the bell) rings on Thursday, it will be really cool," said Libby Strong, whose husband, Richard, is president of the Near Earth Object Foundation, which acquired the church in 2008.
The foundation is preparing to repair the building's roof, with the help of a $47,000 matching grant from the State Historic Preservation Office. That job alone is expected to cost $90,000 or more, Strong said, with a number of other things needing done to bring the building up to code.
The long-term goal once the building is restored is to create space where people can engage in a variety of educational activities, including stargazing, watching a play or checking out a rock and fossil show. The group has secured about $31,500 worth of materials, including telescopes, for the future "urban observatory" through a combination of donations and NASA grants.
Strong said the foundation is still awaiting city approval of building permits, a process made more complicated by the building's historic status. The church was one of five structures named to West Virginia's 2013 Endangered Properties List.
Plans call for the building to be restored as closely as possible to its original condition, right down to the mortar.
"Wheeling's got such great architecture. ... To be able to blend the past with the future is really an important thing," Strong said.
In itself, the history of Second Presbyterian Church is a microcosm of the conflicting views that ultimately led to West Virginia's creation. According to the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, the church was built using slave labor - but it later became a center for the abolition movement in Wheeling and hosted a meeting of the Freedman's Association in February 1865, not long after the 13th Amendment to the Constitution banned slavery.
One of the church's early pastors, the Rev. Richard Dodge, had lived in Springfield, Ill., for several years before coming to Wheeling. There, he became good friends with a lawyer named Abraham Lincoln, the future president whose signature would make West Virginia statehood official.


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Rachel de Joode is a Dutch artist living in Berlin. Recently, she's produced a prolific number of sculptural works that break down common perception through the use of unique materials, concepts, and execution. Her work is patently of our time, drawing on themes of technology, isolation, and highly saturated levels of information exchange. But her commentary remains singular, even in the face of some fairly evident influences. De Joode is also the co-founder and art director of META magazine.
We asked the artist a few questions about what she's been up to lately and the various processes surrounding her sculpture-making. You can find her thoughtful answers after the jump.
All images courtesy of the artist.


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Introduction from Breadnik
Having used this site for ages, and having greatly appreciated and learned from the collective wisdom of my fellow bakers, I finally decided to join the Fl. So now, I figured, is as good a time to introduce myself as ever.
Here's my story. A couple of years ago I did not know how to bake anything. All the foolproof recipes that my more baking-talented friends gave me simply said, "add as much flour as the dough will take" or "knead until the dough would stop sticking" -- but the dough would take as much as I'd give it or will never stop sticking, thought I! I honestly tried baking bread a few times, and failed miserably every time, producing absolutely ugly loaves that were as heavy as a brick, and as raw on the inside as they were burnt on the outside -- in other words, completely and utterly inedible. After a while the word "yeast" would send me into a major panic mode, even though in all other respects I was a very fearless and rather successful cook.
And then some kind soul sent me the link to the youtube no-knead bread recipe. Now THAT seemed totally foolproof. I worked up some courage and decided to try it. It came out! Not to push my luck too far I waited a few days and then tried it again. It came out again! At that point, having gained just the tiniest bit of self-confidence, I started reading cookbooks and trying some "real" recipes. Some came out, some didn't. But my failures ended up being even more educational than my successes -- I started actually "getting it."
One day early this summer I was at a local farmers' market. I had a loaf of my Russian corainder-rye bread that I brought at the request of a friend. Well, the friend couldn't come to the market, so I gave the loaf to the market manager. As soon as the market ended that day, she found me through common friends and asked me if I could become a vendor at the market. Apparently, my bread was different enough from everything else that was available that she wanted to have me join them.
It took me a little time to rework my recipes from cups/spoons into grams and milliliters (my brain works in metric only) and to figure out how to scale up from baking 10-15 loaves a week to over 100 in one day (for the market, I generally make a push and bake all of my 120-150 loaves on Friday, but that would be all of my weekly baking). By mid-July I started selling my breads at the market. I absolutely love it! It is very hard work, it doesn't make a lot of money (although I am not in the red, thank goodness!) but I feel that after a lifetime of working much less "real" kind of jobs I'm finally doing something that makes people happy. At least, my customers' faces make it all worth my while.


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It comes with a heat protection glove (because it gets really hot!) and 2 pink hair clips to keep already curled hair back so you can curl the rest of your hair with ease. I like that it already came with the heat glove because there are tons of similar products out there where you would have to buy this separately, and personally I think it should be included by default because it gets really hot, without a glove it's inevitable you will burn your fingers.
It also has a swivel cord, easy heat-up time, and it's light-weight. It evenly distributes heat to prevent any damage to your hair. You can easily see the difference in my video, from my straight hair to major volume! And my curls stayed curly and lasted the next day, definitely recommend if you are having trouble keeping a curl. I also spray Big Sexy Hair hairspray on my curls to help keep them shiny and frizz-free.


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I'm currently trying to install and configure Ultra VNC Single Click. I managed to run VNC SC after creating an ultra vnc ini file (http://blog.jorisvisscher.com/2013/07/0 ... -password/).
If I try to connect via browser (http://<ip>:5805/) I get the following exception: "Certificate has been revoked. The application will not be executed" (See: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/642 ... evoked.png)
To get rid of it the following configuration can be done: "System Preferences / Java / Advanced /" "Perform signed code certificate recovation checks on" = "Do not check".
This is now "solved" and another issue occures: "Application blocked by Java Security" (see: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/642 ... locked.png)
I can get rid of it by: * "System Preferences / Java / Security /" * adding http://<ip>:5805/ as an exception site
Disabling/Circumventing security settings is not the solution I'm looking for. How can I solve both issues?
An addition, which is quite strange: The winvnc.exe certificate is valid until 12.10.2016. If I try to connect, get the error message, click "more information" and "view certificate details", the validity of "uvnc bvba" is set to "18.03.2014". This might cause the issue. I don't get, why the certificate date is different...
My setup: * VNC SC installed on Win7 * trying to connect from Mac 10.10.1, with Java 8
Thanks for your help!


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Scientists Have Found the Answer On How To Get A Song Out of Your Head
I am the worst when it comes to getting a song in my head. It happens every day. That sneaky little tune that plays over and over inside my head. Most of the time Rick instigates the song that gets stuck in my head, sometimes, it something I heard on Spongebob that morning.. However, when that earworm starts tapping his toes I start going crazy.
I know I am not the only one that suffers from this, dilemma. Sometimes, it is hours or days before that cute little tune gets out of my head.
I feel like Spongebob in the earworm episode by the time it is all said and done. Hmm, I wonder where my old clarinet is?
Luckily scientists seem to have discovered the cure to an earworm.
According to The Telegraph:
Researchers claim the best way to stopping the phenomenon, sometimes known as earworms – where snippets of a catchy song inexplicably play like a broken record in your brain – is to solve some tricky anagrams.
This can force the intrusive music out of your working memory, they say, allowing it to be replaced with other more amenable thoughts.
"The key is to find something that will give the right level of challenge," said Dr Ira Hyman, a music psychologist at Western Washington University who conducted the research. "If you are cognitively engaged, it limits the ability of intrusive songs to enter your head.
So pull out the anagrams, your books, etc., the next time you get an earworm.
Now that you know a scientific take on how to get ride of the tune in your head, what do you normally do to get a song out of your head?


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2. Make a plan for one week, one month, or for the entire year to make key changes to your lifestyle and health. What will it take to achieve your goals? What habits undermine your health? What do you really want to change? What has control of you? It helps to read and make notes for your plan so that you can refer back to it often. Don't be afraid to explore your own thoughts and feelings as you think about cleaning up your life. It is so important to health and healthy aging. Good choices in what we feed our brains and hearts are as necessary as good food. Reading the right stuff can provide you the know-how and give the inspiration and motivation needed to do this process in a way that works for you.
3. Let's first look at the substances you use - the SNAACs, that is Sugar, Nicotine, Alcohol, Caffeine, and Chemicals. What are your issues and questions? Identifying and releasing your habits is a primary step in your purification. Read about each of these common substances more completely in my book, The Detox Diet. It's typically not as hard as we think to let go of our coffee or sugar habit, for example, to see how we really feel without these artificial stimulants. That's the only way to truly assess how these substances affect us on a daily basis. Take a break. This does not mean that we should never drink coffee or eat sugar again; we just want to find the right and healthy relationship with each item we consume, or over-consume. Don't we want a healthy relationship with everything and everyone in our life?
4. Follow The Detox Diet (see web article or book) to help you undo these habits. Following the diet of fruit and whole grain each morning, with steamed vegetables at lunch and dinner will help you feel and look lighter physically and emotionally, and be clearer mentally. Chew your food thoroughly and take time to nourish yourself. This will lay the groundwork for healthier eating habits. You will be taking a break from your substance habits, which most everyone has, and be getting away from processed and junky foods and chemicals. Your body will feel relief, as thousands of people have experienced. You will have the option after your cleansing process to add items back into your life, but once you realize their effects more clearly, you not want to have them back.
5. Many SUPPLEMENTS and HERBS help support the body in this healing process. During detoxification, it is helpful to use antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, the carotenes, selenium, and zinc. B-complex vitamins with extra vitamin C can help the body deal with the stress of change. Calcium/magnesium combinations are useful to calm the body, and at night, to sleep more soundly. Emergen-C packets are easy to carry and mix with water, which you should always have with you. I also use some fresh-water algae such as spirulina, chlorella, or blue-green for some extra amino acids and the physical and mental support I experience. Many herbs can help in the cleansing process. Keeping the bowels moving is crucial to healthy detoxification; herbs can help here. It's important for the bowels to move two to three times daily to feel good during this process called life. There are many herbal detox programs and mild laxative products, as teas and tablets, available in the stores. Use them all cautiously and start slowly, as everyone's experience is unique. If you pay attention, you will learn to apply the right products and processes to your body and life.


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Friday, April 05, 2013
Calder Barn Notes
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (April 5, 2013) – While the Eddie Plesa-trained colt Speak Logistics is likely to go favored in Saturday's $250,000 Calder Derby, trainer Mark Casse is hoping that his promising yet puzzling colt Sky Captain will put forth the type of effort that could return the son of Sky Mesa to the top of the barn's sophomore depth chart.
Sky Captain began his career with a fourth-place finish in a maiden special weight race at Churchill in June of last year, but his July 1 performance, a 10 ¼-length win under the Twin Spires, was the effort that displayed the colt's true potential to Casse.
"His first race wasn't bad considering he didn't get out of the gate well, but he really showed us what he was capable of in that second race," Casse said. "From there we took him to Saratoga with thoughts on running him in the Hopeful. We worked him twice, but he hurt his ankle and we missed the race, so we took our time getting him back."
Sky Captain didn't reappear on the track until December 15 at Gulfstream where he finished an even fifth.
In his next start, when asked to stretch out to nine furlongs, Sky Captain responded with a second-place performance that earned the colt a graded stakes appearance, with Casse opting to ship the horse north for the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct where an uninspiring 10th-place finish eliminated any hopes of joining the Kentucky Derby trail.
"When we made the decision to go to the Gotham, we thought going up there was going to be easier than staying down here to run in the Fountain of Youth," Casse explained. "And we thought at the time Gulfstream was a little speed-dominant, and he had been running from off the pace. But in retrospect it was probably a mistake to go; we were really disappointed with his race."
Casse immediately shipped the colt south, and since returning to Florida Sky Captain has flourished, putting in two solid works at Palm Meadows in advance of the Calder Derby, a race in which he will wear blinkers for the first time.
"He's been wearing them in the morning," Casse said. "We're just trying to get him to show some consistency and we think the blinkers will help achieve that. And that's what this race is really all about; we're just looking for something good from him; a big effort, which is something we know he's capable of."
When the gates open for Saturday's first race, veteran starter Steve Peterman, working his first meet at Calder, will take the next step along a career path that has spanned over 25 years in the business.
"I started on the gate back at Oaklawn in 1987," Peterman said. "Back then I was working a circuit and I would go from Oaklawn to Churchill and then to Keeneland. I did that for 10 years before I made Kentucky my full-time home."
In addition to working as assistant starter at Churchill, Peterman served a five-year stint as the lead starter at Ellis Park and was the man in charge of the gate for seven years at Turfway Park, where the veteran horseman gained worldwide attention thanks to an incident that occurred this year on Saturday, March 2, involving a horse named Joseph the Catfish.
"It was the last race of the day and we had maidens going a route of ground," Peterman recalled. "I had just sent them on their way and was walking back to my car when I heard a noise from the crowd. I turned back to see that a horse had bolted to the outside fence, jumped the rail to the paddock, and went out to the parking lot."
Giving chase by car, Peterman followed the colt down the main road just outside of Turfway, across a busy intersection, and towards the north ramp to Interstate 75.
"At that point, some of the vets had gotten out in front of him and were able to turn him around and keep him off the highway, which could have been life-threatening to the horse and to the people on the road," Peterman said. "Now the horse was going the wrong way on the 75 on-ramp, coming back towards where I was in my car, so I put my car in park and got out, hoping to find a way to stop him.
"As he got closer, I saw that he was missing an eye. I was able to get on that side of him, where he wasn't going to see me, and I reached up to grab a hold of his reins."
With that one daring move, Peterman had corralled the loose colt, although horse and man would soon come together in a heap on the ground.
"He still had his horseshoes on, and when I reached out to grab him, that force, combined with those shoes slipping on the pavement, made all four of his legs give out under him, and we both went down," Peterman said. "But we both got up and were alright, so I turned the horse over to the vets, they called the horse ambulance, and I went on my way."
It wasn't long before Peterman began to fully understand the far-reaching scope of his equine-interstate heroics.
"Right when I got home, the GM of Turfway called and told me that I was a hero," Peterman said. "Then the media calls started; from as far away as England. I was on a talk show in Cincinnati. I did an interview on TVG. I was in the Louisville paper. Turfway had a day where they honored me. I got a bunch of publicity off that. But to me, I was just doing my job."
For a man with the courage and guise to capture a strong-galloping loose horse on the ramp to a busy interstate, it should be little surprise that the transition from Kentucky to Florida has come easy for Peterman, who has been in the Sunshine State for just a few days and is already adapting.
"So far I love it; it's beautiful down here," Peterman said. "I'm looking forward to having warm weather all year, and so far, all the people I've come across have gone above and beyond to be extremely helpful.
"Plus I've done the traveling to different track thing for a long time, and it's going to be nice to stay in one place year-round."
All that waits now is Saturday's opening day, about which Peterman echoes the sentiments undoubtedly felt by those that encounter the starting gate at a race track every day.
"I'm ready to go."
Read more articles in the Calder category.


text:
Happy Sewing!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Homemade Gift: Sock Animals
I'd never made a sock animal before
and I wasn't sure how to proceed,
so I just made it up as I went.
There are probably better directions
out there than mine...
but... I did end up with two finished animals
(a sock bunny and a sock kitty)
when I was finished!
Stuff a child's sock to form a body.
The heel looked like a good little
snout/nose/face to me.
I saved all of my sock bits
as I cut them up,
you never know what you're going to need!
I mixed and matched socks to make
them more "patchwork-y" (new word!)
and interesting : )
I used the skinny long pieces
(from the toe end) to make
arms, legs, kitty tails,
and bunny ears.
Inside out the skinny bits
to sew skinny little
tubes with rounded ends
for appendages.
Then right-side out them,
and stuff them before you sew
them to the body.
Sock Kitty starting to
come together....
Pin on those arms and legs
(bunny ears!)
and start sewing.
Sew on some button eyes
and a nose.
Sock Kitty's Tail.
(just like an arm but with
less stuffing a bit skinnier)
Sock Bunny's
Pom-pom tail.
(how fun would HE be
in an Easter Basket?!)
They'll need
of course!
Finished Sock Kitty.
(Do you see the little pink
felt paw pads
I sewed on her paws?)
Now make sure you give them a
good squeeze and a cuddle
to fill them with love!
Happy Sewing!
Posted by pink and green mama MaryLea
Labels: Create, Homemade Gifts, Recycle Crafts, Sewing Fun
Blog Archive
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20722 Surnames | 136047 Records | 2773 Reunions
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Photo #30913
Last Name: Chown
First Name : Joseph
Middle Name: Parbury
Subject's City: London
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Subject's County:
Subject's Country: England
Date: 1851-1900
Photographer: London Stereoscopic & Photographic Co., Ltd.
Photographer's City: London
Photographer's State:
Type** : PRT
Comments: Joseph Parbury Chown (Nee: ) | London England | 1851-1900 | Comments: The Rev. J.P.Chown was born 9 Dec 1821 in Kingsthorpe, Northamptonshire, England. He died 8 Jul 1886 in London, England. His sister, Sarah Ann Johnson (nee Chown) was my great-great grandmother. Their parents were John Chown and Ann Parbury. In some records the name is spelled 'Parbery'.
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Pensión Don Claudio
- Useful information
- Location
- Opinions
Renovated in 2005, this hostel has a total of 23 rooms over 2 floors. Amongst the hostel's facilities count a foyer with public Internet access, a WLAN access point and a laundry service.
The rooms include an en suite bathroom, a TV, central heating and an Internet connection.
Choose your room
Share it
Score based on 9 reviews
Average price per night for this hotel for the following weeks
|5/25/19 - 5/26/19
|5/27/19 - 6/2/19
|6/3/19 - 6/9/19
|6/10/19 - 6/16/19
Useful information: Pensión Don ClaudioTourism Registration Number: HBI00180
Other names for Pensión Don Claudio:
Don Claudio Hotel
Location: Pensión Don Claudio
The hostel lies in Zorroza district opposite the Polideportivo Municipal. The BEC (Bilbao exhibition centre) lies approximately 2 km from the hotel, as does the new exhibition centre of the capital of Viscaina with excellent connections to the centre (thanks to the nearby bus and train stations). From the hotel it is only a few minutes walk to bars, restaurants and a ski lift.
Arriving by car: the main access to Bilbao is the highway A-8. From Madrid, San Sebastian, Barcelona, take the exit signed as CRUCES, whilst if coming from Santander take the exit for ZORROZA. If you are in the city centre, take the Av.Montevideo- Zorroza (road N-634) near the Hospital of Basurto. By train: from the main train station (Abando) or central bus station (Termibus), it is possible to take a train to Santurtzi or Muskiz. The hostel is 50 m. from the train station of Zorrotza. By bus: there are several bus lines that stop near the hostel. A3115 BILBAO - SANTURTZI- BILBAO 85 ZAZPILANDA - ATXURIK A3122 BILBAO - SESTAO- BILBAO 88 KASTREXANA - CAMPUZANO A3137 BILBAO - BARAKALDO- BILBAO 18 SAN INAZIO - ZORROTZA


text:
MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – The Georgia College & State University softball program and assistant coach Katie Mlady is hosting Bobcat Softball Camp June 14-17 at the Peeler Complex softball field on West Campus.
From 9 a.m. to noon each day, youngsters have the chance to learn the game or fine-tune their skills and have more than a little fun in the process. The previous two-week format has been condensed to a single week, allowing aspiring softball players from ages 5-to-12 a chance to learn from members of one of the best softball programs in the southeast.
Head instructor and assistant coach Mlady has finished her second season with the Bobcat softball program after serving Concordia University (Seward, Neb.) as an assistant for two seasons. Success has followed Mlady as her Concordia Bulldogs made the NAIA Region III Tournament, and the 2009 Bobcats were also NCAA Tournament participants. The Bobcat softball team has advanced to the NCAA postseason in four of the last five seasons.
Registration is still available, for more information about, or to register for Bobcat Sports Camps in tennis, baseball, basketball, softball or soccer, visit www.GCSUCamp.com or call coach Mlady at 478-445-5279.
The GCSU Department of Athletics, winners of the 2008-09 PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 10 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Georgia College prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the Bobcats' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at Twitter.com username GCSUSID for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit www.GCSUBobcats.com to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GCSU Athletics Hall of Fame.


text:
Analyst Relations
EY's global Analyst Relations professionals work with the analyst community to assist them with their research and to help them gain insights into how we deliver value for our clients.
EY has a globally recognized portfolio of services that combine core advisory strengths in protecting and improving organizations' performance with deep capabilities in assurance, tax and transactions.
| IDC client case study: Suez uses IoT to increase operational efficiency with help from EY
February 2017
Suez specializes in securing and recovering resources, providing its customers with solutions to address resource management challenges. The firm has more than 80,000 employees who generated over €15 billion of revenue in 2015, almost evenly split between waste and water operations, and with about one-third of its revenue coming from outside Europe. With the help of EY, Suez managed to adopt an IoT solution to deliver increased efficiencies, profitability and Improved management of operational risk.
Source: IDCBuyer Case Study: Suez Uses IoT to Increase Operational Efficiency with Help from EY #US41520717
| ALM Intelligence recognizes EY as a Vanguard Leader for Data Management Consulting
September 2016
We are proud to be named an ALM Vanguard Leader for Data Management Consulting. EY was cited for its use of data and technology to solve client business problems by focusing on the role of analytics to drive performance improvement.
EY's Vanguard status is based on its strength in weaving its array of tools and accelerators into the data management consulting process to streamline the identification of crucial patterns, gaps and recommendations with a specific focus on data security, compliance and quality.
Source: ALM Intelligence Competitive Landscape Data Management Consulting © August 2016
| EY named an IDC MarketScape Leader in first ever Worldwide Middle Market Business Consulting Assessment
June 2016
We are pleased to be recognized by IDC as a MarketScape leader in their first ever Worldwide Middle Market Business Consulting assessment.
For midmarket consulting, EY is considered by clients to be among the best firms at helping them identify options for growth and improve the experience of their end customers and at providing functional or technical insights. In addition, EY is seen to be better than many of its peers at helping clients manage risk, transform processes, and become more efficient enterprises.
Source: IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Middle Market Business Consulting Services 2016 Vendor Assessment June 2016, IDC #US41184416)
| EY expands industrial IoT alliance with GE Digital
June 2016
To capture a bigger piece of the almost $100 billion cross-industry digital consulting opportunity, EY is growing an ever-evolving global ecosystem of consultants, external experts, and alliance partners, from technology giants to market disruptors and innovators, thereby helping accelerate the aspirations of GE Digital's industrial IoT leadership in asset-intensive industries.
Through this alliance, EY and GE bring together the business and operational strategy, technology, and design skills to address real, in-the-field operational challenges. The alliance also produces a platform of operational knowledge and experience for applying GE Digital tools and new IP from EY in ways that deliver business value to operators and CIOs alike.
Source: IDC Link, 24 June 2016, lcUS41401216
| EY's Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) launches Digital Capital Agenda
June 2016
Please read Gartner's First Take "New EY Service Aims to Solve Capital Challenges in Digital Business" published, 27 June 2016 (G00312940).
| EY named an IDC MarketScape "Leader" for Worldwide SAP Implementation Services
April 2016
We are pleased to be recognized by IDC as a Worldwide MarketScape leader for SAP Implementation Services
Buyers rate EY highly for meeting the project timeline, integrating its project team with a client's internal team, and handling changes in project scope. IDC rates EY highly in terms of its employee strategy, its functionality/offering road map, and its services portfolio range.
Source: IDC MarketScape: Worldwide SAP Implementation Services Ecosystem 2016 Vendor Assessment #US40150416e
| EY named an IDC MarketScape Leader for Worldwide Business Analytics Consulting and Systems Integration Services
April 2016
Buyers rate EY highly for providing both technical and functional insights and competence and applying proven methodologies and tools that include both horizontal- and vertical-specific integration accelerators and templates. IDC rates EY highly in terms of its financial/funding management strategy and its cost management strategy.
Source: IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Business Analytics Consulting and Systems Integration Services 2016 Vendor Assessment April 2016 # US40150316
| 451 Research EY Synapse is an innovative development for EY
April 2016
As part of our digital services, we are now providing managed platform-centric analytics services – under the EY Synapse brand – where we operationalize the delivery of insight in an ongoing manner. These digital platforms can be managed and developed by us in cloud, EY-hosted or client-hosted environments. With EY Synapse, clients gain value by not having to manage the infrastructure or the applications, while having access to marketplace insight and expertise from their enriched data.
We launched the EY Synapse brand to pull together our analytics-as-a-service (AaaS) capabilities under a common operating model to help our go-to-market efforts, and provide global consistency to our clients.
Source: 451 Research article "EY Synapse: transmitting insight to the enterprise"
| EY named leader by IDC in Asia/Pacific Business Consulting Services
March 2016
We have been recognized by IDC as an Asia Pacific Leader for Business Consulting Services.
Among buyers of consulting services in the Asia/Pacific region, EY is seen as the firm most capable of transferring its knowledge to the client. Further, EY is regarded as one of the strongest firms for directly improving a client's overall commercial performance, helping clients to manage risk and transform significant processes, and meeting project timelines while providing a high level of service. "EY has a good level of knowledge for our industry," a retail client in the Asia/Pacific region shared.
Source: IDC ITMarketScape: Asia/Pacific Business Consulting Services 2016 Vendor Assessment, March 2016, IDC #AP40634316
| EY named a market leader in Change Management Consulting
March 2016
EY's position in the Vanguard is based on the strength of a reorganization that harnesses the award-winning change management consulting expertise of a far-flung network into a global capability that functions as a center of excellence.
The reorganization enables EY to deliver end-to-end transformation services by change practitioners with deep expertise across sectors, functions, industries, and geographies. The firm's investments in digital platforms and design capabilities are showing results in terms of solutions developed to accelerate employee engagement, learning, and adoption of desired change behaviors. EY's workforce analytics capabilities add a level of sophistication to workforce segmentation for large-scale transformations that is competitive in the today's market.
Source: ALM Intelligence, Change Management Consulting ©2016; used by permission under license agreement.
| EY profiled by ALM Intelligence (previously known as Kennedy) on its joint alliance with P&G
February 2016
Businesses need to change the productivity equation because of slow growth and competitive markets. Strategy and Operations consultants are striking this challenge in two ways. One, by helping their clients deploy new production technologies. Two, by developing advanced analytics tools. EY, motivated by two distinctive points of view, formed an alliance with P&G in 2013 centered on the latter's Integrated Work System.
The EY-P&G partnership is distinctive as a consulting model in a number of ways. One, it arms EY and its clients with a readymade database of intellectual property. Two, EY codified IWS and devised a tailored consulting approach. Three, P&G provides EY clients with access to its plants. This partnership has been around for several years and is delivering.
Source: Excerpted and reprinted with permission to EY Global Shared Services from Consulting magazine, February © 2016 ALM120 Broadway, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10271-1101 USA
| Rio tackles sustainability in supply chain for Olympic Games
December 2015
This report provides heads of sustainability, EH&S directors, supply chain officers and procurement professionals with an independent analysis of the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee's strategic thinking around social and environmental issues in the Olympic Games' supply chain and procurement processes. To achieve its 19 objectives published in their Sustainability Management Plan, Rio 2016 has sought EY for sustainability advisory services.
Source: Verdantix: Rio Tackles Sustainability In Supply Chains For The Olympic Games, December 2015
| EY partners with Hortonworks for Hadoop distribution
November 2015
The 451 Group says EY's partnership with Hortonworks 'makes perfect sense as a way to enhance and improve the company's open source Big Data technical expertise for clients.'
'The market move toward Hadoop, Cassandra and AWS poses a significant challenge to those businesses, because the speed at which these technologies are evolving makes it difficult for traditional consulting and systems integration models to keep up and make money from them. Against these competitors, EY has the advantage that it has no legacy application services and IT outsourcing business to defend.'
'…in terms of a formal partnership with a Hadoop Distribution such as Hortonworks, EY stands out as being the first of the Four to forge a business development approach to this technology."
Source: 451 Research; 'EY partners with Hortonworks for Hadoop distribution'
| Gartner positions EY as a leader in the Magic Quadrant for Worldwide SAP Implementation Services
July 2015
We are proud to announce that Gartner has named EY a leader in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for SAP Implementation Services, Worldwide.
Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
Source: Gartner Magic Quadrant for SAP Implementation Services, Worldwide, 23 July 2015, G00269493
| EY featured as Vanguard Leader in Kennedy Research report: Commercial Execution: Channel, Category & Sales Management Consulting
June 2015
We have been recognized by Kennedy Research as a Vanguard Leader for Channel, Category & Sales Management Consulting. Kennedy Research states: "EY distinguishes itself in channel mix selection and optimization, reflecting its strength in bringing together its supply chain expertise with local insights and contributions from its tax and transaction advisory services" and notes "The firm (EY) is the preeminent end-to-end integrator for linking demand insights and merchandising and supply-side route-to-market and operating model capabilities."
Source: Commercial Execution: Channel, Category & Sales Management Consulting, (2015), Kennedy Consulting Research & Advisory, An ALM Business
| EY named leader by IDC in Asia/Pacific Business Consulting Services
2015 Vendor Assessment
EY has been recognized by IDC as an Asia Pacific Leader for Business Consulting Services. Clients in the Asia/Pacific region regard EY to be the most capable of all firms at helping them transform significant processes, integrating its own project team with that of the client, and transferring knowledge to the client. EY is also highly regarded in maximizing project value, using appropriate analytics, and meeting deadlines — all areas in which the company is seen as among the most capable firms.
Source: IDC MarketScape: Asia/Pacific Business Consulting Services 2015 Vendor Assessment, February 2015, #254319