text:
Looking for color ideas?Visit the Color Boutique to explore, create, and share color palettes.
See and use your colors as you shop!
Don't lose your colors!
Sign in to save your colors for later
Have an account?
Sign In to see your colors
Sample any 3 for free—in your colors!
Sample any 3 for free
Easy to keep and easy to find, all year long! This School Calendar Magnet is a great communication tool for parents, kids, and staff.
All Calendars can be personalized to meet your needs.
Add a Design Request to select a custom date range.
Requires Additional Postage: Please check with your post office for appropriate postage rates before mailing your product.
For over 25 years our team has taken great pride and care in creating high quality, highly personalized products.
Behind our brand lies one simple and sincere goal: to empower you to create unique, personalized communication. We know you will be 100% satisfied!


text:
There is some controversy as to when Scrum was invented, but many attribute it to Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka in 1986. While still new and cutting edge to many companies this 30 year old process has it's fair share of both proponents and opponents. Seeing as how I started programming at about this time under the watchful gaze of my stepfather I'm going to take a look back over my own career and speak to how my perception of scrum has matured as I went from solo-developer to working in teams and more recently to leading teams myself.
As a solo developer your process is your own. Your organization and motivation (or lack thereof) is what makes or breaks your work. It's easy to develop a lot of bad habits, and these can be hard to break when joining your first team. There's also great pride to be found in building things yourself from scratch, but this itself can be a pathology leading to a defensive "I am my code" kind of perspective. In the late 90s and early 2000s I had never heard of Agile, Scrum or Kanban. I managed to get by with piles of haphazard notes covered in scribbles usually jumping from one half-baked idea to the next with no regard for the big mess I was creating. I still managed to make things, but I hate to think of how much of my early career was spent rewriting the same thing over and over from scratch because I had coded myself into a corner yet again.
I had my first experience working on a real team fresh out of university at Atalasoft. When I first joined each developer was a silo, rarely interacting with the others. Surprisingly, this largely worked as thankfully the company was founded on experienced people and had zero turnaround. It also helped that they had proper infrastructure: source control with continuous integration and bug tracking with FogBugz. But the company was growing, and starting to hire junior people out of the local University (such as myself), it was quickly becoming obvious that something needed to change.
My first real assignment after coming on and getting oriented was attack the huge backlog of bugs in our tracking system. These bugs spanned every silo across the company and were in at least four different languages. At first it was difficult working with people who were not used to having outsiders poking around in their code. There was defensiveness and sometimes even anger. It didn't help that I was pretty arrogant, thinking I was hot stuff with my almost perfect CompSci GPA. Nothing brings humility like working in a large legacy codebase however.
I came to appreciate when people had written tests, even if the coverage was poor, they were like signposts on the road. The worst code to work in was always the untested but I was able to move forward with a copy of Michael Feathers' Working Effectively With Legacy Code largely guiding my sometimes painfully slow progress.
As a side note, we at one point attempted TDD but it slowed development to a crawl and had only a small impact on bugs per line of code after a release cycle. The much more effective approach we landed on later was to have a sprint where we tested each other's code. This became a kind of contest to see who could break each other's stuff in the most horrible way and testing became great fun. I would look forward to this sprint more than any other.
About a year after I joined the decision to adopt Scrum and Agile was made and many (probably most) people were unhappy about the change. At the time I was particularly unhappy about the 9am daily meetings (which I was almost always late for). I think this decision was largely a response to the difficulties we were having with the productivity of newer hires. The silo model was breaking down as junior programmers were being brought on.
At first we struggled with all of the planning and meetings, but after a month or so we were back at our former level of productivity, and within six things were much improved. Junior devs were being given appropriately sized pieces of work. There were multiple people successfully working on the same bits of the code base. There was still some resistance, and there was a lot of pain around letting go of code ownership, but it was largely working.
Under this system I was able to grow as a developer in great strides. They tested me with larger and larger pieces of problems at a time and within two years of joining Atalasoft I was designing whole new products. This was only possible because we had a system in place where it was obvious if I was stuck, and a system in place to help me decompose problems if I needed it. By the time I left Atalasoft I was running the Scrum meetings myself.
Today I don't use Scrum in running my research department. We are a small collection of experts working largely (but not entirely) in silos on research problems. Scrum would be too much structure for what we're trying to accomplish. However, I wouldn't hesitate to reach for Scrum again if I were building a team to make products or if I had a large proportion of junior developers. I know of no faster way to grow a junior hire into a full-fledged software developer.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Matthew Apgar - email@example.com
Steve Miller of South Grove expresses his concerns during a public meeting on Thursday, January 26, 2017 at the DeKalb County Administrative Building in Sycamore regarding the proposal by EDF renewable energy for construction of two meteorological evaluation towers (MET) in South Grove Township. The two proposed towers that will be 8 inches in diameter and 200 feet tall will collect wind data to gauge the potential of future wind turbines in the area. More than 60 people were in attendance with all seats taken and more people standing in the room, the doorway, and the neighboring room.
EDF renewable energywind testing towermetturbineturbinespublic meetingsouth grovesouth grove township


text:
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his question.
With regard to any amendments that might be made, I have to say that I am not on the committee that will be studying this bill. However, it would be advisable to pass this bill.
It is unacceptable that people are being victimized. Obviously, victims of harassment in the workplace have higher absenteeism rates and are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. This is a situation that must absolutely be prevented.
We cannot afford to lose employees in today's job market. The unemployment rate is so low. More than 700,000 new jobs have been created in Canada in the past two years. We must make sure that all workers without exception have access to a healthy work environment. This will ensure productivity for both employees and employers.


text:
The rise of the Mac in the enterprise is increasing because users are finding ever more ingenious ways to work with Apple's accommodating platform. A mid-2008 Yankee Group survey of 750 senior IT executives found nearly 80 percent have Macs onboard, up from 47 percent in 2006. Nearly a quarter of these have 30 or more Mac boxes. Usability features such as Safari browsing, iChat videoconferencing, FileVault encryption, Back To My Mac remote control, Spotlight search, and Time Machine backup were cited as primary user attractants.
You might think the Mac value proposition story has been told, but the reasons for Mac popularity are diverse and steadily increasing — and not just with end-users.
[ Discover the ins and outs of managing Macs in your business with InfoWorld's expert guide. ]
Software engineering consultancy Okori Group pins Mac popularity on its consistency and versatility. Okori's CEO Brian Fox, a Unix developer (and, coincidentally, author of the open source Bash shell undergirding Mac OS X's command line interface), says, "Apple's two platforms — server and desktop — are homogeneous. The desktop I get on the server is the same one I get on the client. For servers, the Mac is a true crossover system: real Unix with all its tools and scripting, plus the built-in management GUI for less-sophisticated administrators. We use Mac servers to host video streams, and users are able to manage hosted services with a click of a mouse, while we developers use the heavy-duty command line tools we prefer."
It's long been known that engineers and developers prefer Macs. For small enterprises, though, the Mac's attraction may be as a superior launching pad for cloud-based applications. Guy Engineering CTO Alexander Guy explains: "We use Google Apps for e-mail, contact, and calendar collaboration, [the open source] rsync for local and cloud backups, and [Mac OS X's] iSync to sync notebooks and iPhones. The Mac is just way better at cloud interaction than Windows; we have zero pain points because we don't try to integrate with a Windows infrastructure."
At Guy Engineering, most management tasks are thus focused on the cloud, not desktops. Users manage their own boxes, he says, sharing between machines. "Updates are automatic from Apple, and viruses are not a factor if you follow reasonable security practices, such as never installing untrusted software. We've had no problems for more than a decade."
Enterprise users of Apple's Xserve server point to Apple's excellent hardware quality reputation and its versatility as a virtualization platform. Bill Earlywine, IT manager at Video Product Group, says, "We use a Mac server to manage both Windows and Mac users via Mac OS X SMB and Open Directory authentication infrastructure. Our primary enterprise controls are authentication and access control, rather than policy enforcement. Virtualization helps us homogenize management tasks. For instance, we have Windows Server supporting specific functions, running under Parallels on a Mac Xserve, and use Apple's server management suite for server monitoring and administration."


text:
What incredibly important profession combines horrible hours, bad pay, and a poor lifestyle? Truck driving. This is a job that destroys so many lives that it could soon become unsustainable. Here's why.
Top image via butlerphotography/Flickr.
Lots of Work, Little Pay
Truck drivers are expected to drive up to fourteen hours straight a day, receiving roughly ten hours off prior to the beginning of the next shift. Legislation regulating the amount of driving a trucker performs over the course of a day and week does exist, but these rules are commonly bent and broken.
Truckers rarely receive more than one day of work off a week. The chance of dying on the job is extremely high, with deaths of truckers in auto accidents accounting for 12% of all work related deaths in the United States.
All this comes with a paltry average annual salary of just under $38,000. A trucker can easily work 4400 hours a year, coming to an hourly wage of $8.70.
The Interstates are a Food Desert
In addition to long hours, drivers rarely eat three hot meals a day. Many truckers live off of prepackaged, high calorie snacks during the day. When truckers do stop for the night, they often eat a large, unhealthy meal before settling into bed.
The hours spent sitting in a truck cab along with poor food choices lead to a disproportionally obese workforce. Only 14% of the 3 million truck drivers in the United States are not overweight or obese. Of these 3 million truck drivers, only 8% exercise regularly compared to 49% of the general population.
Inaccessibility of Health Care
The hours worked by truck drivers make it nearly impossible to make or keep medical appointments. This limits their options when a health problem arises, leading many truck drivers to ignore symptoms.
As of 1970, laws have existed to prevent those with insulin-treated diabetes mellitus from legally becoming truck drivers. This is quite the paradox, as the lifestyle and diets available to truckers open them up to an increased risk of diabetes. Exemptions now exist allowing some using insulin to drive, but it is yet another hurdler for truckers to cross.
Depression is also a very real problem for truck drivers due to the amount of time spent away from home, lack of work-related relationships, and general loneliness. These health related issues are just part of the reason for the phenomenal rate of turnover within the profession - over 100% . This turnover rate amongst professional truck drivers has led a large number of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to take up the profession. Many of these new drivers are fearful of a the complication of post-traumatic stress disorder with the already stressful, but dramatically different life of a trucker.
Hunting for a Place to Sleep Every Night
While big rigs have sleeping quarters in them, truck drivers still need to find a place to park at the end of each day. States are continually shutting down designated trucker rest stops along interstates to cut costs, leaving truckers to park along interstates or in empty parking lots to get a night's rest.
Long haul truckers often fight for position at truck stops, seeking a place to sleep in safety. The National Transportation Safety Board estimates that 167,000 of 185,000 open spots at truck stops are filled on a nightly basis. This leaves close to twenty-thousand spots, but the spot a driver needs at night might be dozens of miles off route, creating a problem when he or she resumes driving the next day.
Becoming a professional truck driver combines low pay, a lifestyle that leads to poor health, and continual stress stemming from making stops and finding a place to sleep at night. Is it a desirable job? Maybe to some. Is the job necessary to sustain modern lifestyles? Absolutely. Let's hope we can alleviate these health and lifestyle problems before this necessary part of our service-based society erodes away.
Additional images from Robert Couse-Baker/Flick and Terren/Flickr. Sources linked within the article.


text:
You've got questions? He's got answers! Need advice?
Send your questions to Terrance: firstname.lastname@example.com
Dear Gay Best Friend,
In July 2010, I met a man and he is awesome. He is a breath of fresh air. He came into my life when I thought I would never know how it feels to be treated like a queen. I am so happy. I am 35 years old and he is 41 years old.
He does everything that a man is supposed to do. If I need it I don't even have to ask. He loves my children, and my confidence level is on steroids right now. There is not a day that goes by that he doesn't tell me how beautiful or FINE I am, however you know there is always some TEE.
A couple of weeks after we met he told me that he had something to tell me. He is married and they had been separated for 4 years. He moved back in with his wife about 3 years ago after a car accident and health problems as well as his kids, and now I'm in love with a married man. They have a handicapped child that will never be independent and also 2 other children. He told me that he is very unhappy but he is just waiting until the youngest starts junior high school which is in a year.
We do everything together and go out everywhere together. When his birthday came around he had a huge birthday party and I was his date. I have never dated a married man, and I know it's wrong but it's so hard to find a good man and well he is good to me. Sugar Honey Ice Tea Please help me. – So In Love
"I Am Miserable In Marriage And I Don't Know What To Do"
Dear Ms. So In Love,
He is not your man. You are not in a relationship. The man is married, plain and simple.
Again, I am going to express this because I realize that a lot of my readers are slow and mentally challenged. There is a desperation gene that many of you women are walking around with. Instead of knowing your own self worth and self value, you will accept anything that comes your way. Desperation and loneliness are inherently passed along and unfortunately your DNA is made up of it. And, these men who are in relationships and want to play the field do not have too far to go because there are always women like you around who are willing to play the field with them.
What's so sad is that instead of you getting your own man, you will settle for a piece of a man. You will allow yourself to be involved with a married, and flaunting yourself publicly as if you're the wife. SMDH! Bish please, you are the mistress, the whore who thinks her –ish doesn't stink and that you've gotten yourself a "good one" and that his wife is the fool. Girl, you are the fool. You are the dumbass broad who thinks he is going to leave his wife for you.
I just love how women like you always thinks she will inherent the man once he leaves his wife, only to learn that after years and years of him stringing her along she realizes that he is not going anywhere. Don't you know that married men play games? Don't you know that married men will tell you anything to keep you in his bed and your legs wide open just like your wide ass nose and small ass brain?
Everything he has told you is a lie. I don't care what you think you know, what you have witnessed, what you may feel in your heart, and what he has told you. IT'S A LIE!
I'm certain he has told you how unhappy he is and that he doesn't want to be married to his wife because she doesn't understand him. She berates him and doesn't encourage him. She is a mean and vile woman and the only reason he stays in the marriage is for the kids. GET THE "F" OUT OF HERE WITH THAT BULL-ISH! He is not going to leave his wife for you. He is not going to wait until his youngest child is in junior high and then pack his bags and move in with you. HE IS NOT GOING TO DO IT. Don't believe the hype. Don't believe his story. Don't believe him!
Girl, he lives with his wife that he is separated from. (* *) Blank stare at you. Does that make any sense to you at all? HE IS LIVING WITH HIS WIFE THAT HE TOLD YOU THAT HE IS SEPARATED FROM!!!! Wake your dumbass up and get your nappy headed wig out the clouds. And, miss me with the "MF'ing" nonsense talking about you're in love and he is awesome, he is a good man, and he treats you like a queen. You're not in love, you're in lust. And, if he is such a good man and all these types of awesome, then why is he cheating on his wife? The last time I checked a good man doesn't cheat on his woman, his wife. A good man is responsible, loving, God-fearing, and God-serving. Please don't tell me that the man you're seeing is any of those things. I will punch you in the back of the neck! And, yeah, you silly ass chicken head, he is cheating on his wife with you because he is still married! I wish I could smack his d**k taste out of your mouth.
And, I can see you know walking up to his big birthday bash with your polyester ill-fitting dress, faux fur, and your fake-ass burnt orange bottom Christian Louboutin's. You probably thought you were doing it and serving it well with your synthetic all-types-of-wrong lacefront wig pulled up in a bun. And, you were walking around the party like you were the grand diva, the hostess with the most-ess, looking a hot ass mess! Girl, don't you know that you were the laughing stock of the party? Folks were not celebrating and laughing with you, they were laughing at you! DUMBASS!
Look, Ms. So In Love, you're both trifling and sorry. His sorry ass needs to be castrated and strung by his nuts. I don't have any sympathy or empathy for either of you. It's so sad that you, a woman who should know better, is continuing to see a married man when you know that as a woman it is despicable and catty. How would you feel if you were married and your husband was stepping out with another woman? What would you think of the other woman? How would you feel about the situation? I suggest you stop seeing this man immediately. Leave him alone because Ms. Karma is a Bitch! Tell him if he is so in love with you, and that you are a Queen and he is your King, then when he gets his divorce settled, he is out of the house, and ready to make you his wife, then maybe, just maybe you will entertain that conversation. And, you need to know that a good man is not hard to find, but a married one is obviously easier to find. Stop settling and get yourself a man who is available to you and for you. But in the meantime, and how I feel about you and the situation, uhm, in the words of Evelyn from Basketball Wives, "You are a non-factor!" BOOM ! BAM! POW! – Straight From Your Gay Best friend
You can follow Terrance Dean on Twitter, HERE!
Make sure to get your copy of my new book, STRAIGHT FROM YOUR GAY BEST FRIEND – The Straight Up Truth About Relationships, Work, and Having A Fabulous Life (Agate/Bolden – October 2010; $15). It is available in bookstores everywhere, and on Amazon, HERE!
Did You Know Ohio Had Sundown Towns?
Beautiful Celebrities Who Have Been Cheated On
What Your Favorite Celebs Wore to the MTV VMA Awards
RIP: Famous Black People Who Died in 2023
Sign Up For Our Newsletter!
Lionel Richie Blasts Diana Ross for Declining Him: "She's over there singing 'Happy Birthday' to Beyoncé"


text:
Immediate confirmation
Broad selection of travel activities
Amazing experience for a reasonable price
Multi-Language support by local managers
Full refund if you cancel no later than 48 hours prior to start date
The Best Western Plus Centre Hotel is located in the historical heart of one of the world's most beautiful cities, Saint Petersburg. Saint Petersburg has all the ingredients for an unforgettable travel experience: lavish architecture, an extraordinary history and rich cultural traditions that have inspired and nurtured some of the modern world's greatest literature writers, musician, and visual artists. Situated in the middle of corporate, cultural and social life in the center of the northern capital at the famous crossroads of Nevsky and Ligovsky Prospects, the hotel is just steps away from the city's main attractions.
This historic hotel offers high level of comfort, featuring a French pastry restaurant called Du Nord 1834 and 107 spacious classical-style guest rooms; from standard twin and king rooms to luxurious suites. All rooms are filled with original features including works of the best Russian avant-garde artists of the early twentieth century. Rooms are equipped with ergonomic furniture, modern bathroom fixtures, and a mini-bar and free Wi-Fi.
Entering the Du Nord 1834 from Saint-Petersburg's Ligovsky Prospect guests can find themselves in a cozy drawing room somewhere in Paris. The restaurant is decorated in the style of a classic French bakery, reminiscent of a simple and elegant interior. The Du Nord 1834 welcomes guests with fresh delicious pastries and exquisite and traditional dishes of French cuisine, a cozy atmosphere and high quality service that will satisfy each of our guest's expectations.
Standard Room | 2 Single Beds Max Occupancy: 2 Electric Kettle With Coffee And Tea Set Hairdryer Non-Smoking
Location: Centrally located on St. Petersburg's famous Nevsky Prospect, this hotel is set on Vosstaniya Square and Moskovsky Train Station.
Address: Ligovskiy Ave., 41/83, St. Petersburg 191036 Russia
Metro: Ploschad' Vosstaniya
Built/renovated: 1851/2017
Number of rooms/floors: 107/5
Web: https://centre-hotel.ru/#
Tel: +7 (812) 717-72-81


text:
Statewide Financial Group, Inc., which did business as US Homeowners Assistance and Webeatallrates.com, Orange County, California, who ran a national loan modification scam, were ordered to pay more than $4 million in penalties and restitution, including $2 million to consumers who were falsely promised modifications of their mortgage loans.
More than 1,000 customers paid more than $2 million for loan modification services to Statewide Financial Group, Inc. The Attorney General's office shut down the business, which had been in operation since January 2008.
The Orange County Superior Court ordered that every US Homeowners Assistance loan modification customer should receive a full refund upon request. The defendants were also permanently enjoined from engaging in the conduct that led to the lawsuit and were ordered to pay $2 million in civil penalties. It is unclear, however, how much money will be recovered and available to pay refunds or penalties.
The prosecution of this action took nearly three years, culminating in a multi-week bench trial in March 2012. The business' owners, Zulmai Nazarzai and Hakimullah Sarpas and Fasela Sheren (who went by the name Sharon Fasela), were all found liable for violating California's Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law.
In a separate proceeding in late 2010, Attorney General Harris successfully prosecuted Nazarzai for contempt of court for his refusal to turn over $360,000 unlawfully taken by defendants as ordered by the court. He has been incarcerated in the Orange County jail since December 2010 because of his continued refusal to comply with the court's order.
Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced the judgment.
Attorney General Harris formed the Mortgage Fraud Strike Force in May 2011 to investigate and prosecute crimes and wrong-doing related to mortgages, foreclosures, and real estate. The prosecution of this action is part of Attorney General Harris' ongoing efforts to protect homeowners, which also includes the national mortgage settlement and the California Homeowner Bill of Rights.
"These defendants took advantage of vulnerable people in extremely difficult circumstances, including many who faced imminent loss of their homes," said Attorney General Harris. "The significant financial penalties imposed by the court let scammers know that severe consequences will flow to those who defraud California consumers."


text:
Judge: Casino Not Liable in Unshuffled Cards Case
An Atlantic City casino does not have to pay $1.5 million won by a group of gamblers who realized the cards had not been shuffled, and can move to recover more than $500,000 it already paid them, a judge ruled Friday.
Superior Court judge James Isman ruled that because the cards had been unshuffled, that made the game of mini-baccarat in April 2012 illegal under state casino rules.
"We were 100% vindicated by Judge Isman's ruling," the Golden Nugget said in a statement.
A lawyer for several of the defendants declined to comment.
Fourteen players racked up $1.5 million in winnings over 41 straight hands when they realized the cards were coming out in a specific pattern. Many of them quickly upped their bets from $10 a hand to $5,000.
The problem was that a Kansas City playing card manufacturer that sold decks of cards guaranteed to have been pre-shuffled did not do so in this case. The company, Gemaco, admitted in court it had erred in providing cards to the casino. A Golden Nugget lawyer said a confidentiality agreement it had reached with the card company prevented him from commenting on the lawsuit's disposition.
The casino sued the 14 gamblers for the return of money paid out and seeking to be absolved of having to redeem the outstanding chips. The players countersued, alleging, among other things, that the casino illegally detained them.
The illegal detention claim remains pending.
A preliminary court ruling two years ago went against the casino, which said it would appeal. But hours later, owner Tilman Fertitta overrode his lawyers and said the casino would pay the remainder of the disputed winnings. That deal fell apart days later when some of the gamblers refused to dismiss their claims against the Golden Nugget.
"Remarkably, and despite this generous proposal, the gamblers and their lawyers steadfastly refused, and selfishly wanted more damages than just the gambling winnings," the casino said in its statement. "Instead of walking away with over a $1.5 million win, the gamblers must now return all of their gambling chips to the Golden Nugget. There are obvious lessons to be learned by all sides as a result of this incident. Unfortunately for the gamblers, it cost them over $1.5 million."
In Friday's ruling, Isman dismissed a racketeering count against the casino.


text:
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Racer Bobby Dale Earnhardt apologized to fans, friends and family on Tuesday following his arrest in West Virginia on a drunken driving charge.
"I wanted to let you all know I made a terrible mistake last night drinking and driving and I am thankful nothing bad happened from my stupidity and I know It could have," Earnhardt wrote in a post on his Facebook page.
"I'm sorry for letting all my fans friends and family down," said Earnhardt.
The 25-year-old is the son of Kerry Earnhardt, nephew of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and grandson of NASCAR Hall of Fame member Dale Earnhardt.
Earnhardt said that he hopes he can "make it up to each and everyone of you and in the future be a good role model."
A Charleston police officer pulled Earnhardt's vehicle over Monday night after seeing it make a wide left turn at a high rate of speed, with the tires squealing through the turn. Earnhardt was charged with first-offense driving under the influence, a misdemeanor, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.
Earnhardt's eyes were glassy and his speech was slurred, and there was an odor of alcohol inside the vehicle, Cpl. R.C. Basford wrote in the complaint.
Earnhardt's blood alcohol level was .193, more than twice West Virginia's legal limit to drive of .08. He told Basford that he had had two shots of liquor at a local bar, according to the complaint.
He spent the night in the South Central Regional Jail and was released Tuesday morning following an arraignment.
If convicted, he faces up to six months in jail and a maximum $500 fine.
Earnhardt moved to Charleston from Rockingham, N.C., recently as part of a plan to gain driving experience and eventually compete in NASCAR races. He plans to race in the 2013 ARCA Truck Series, according to his website.
Earnhardt said in his Facebook post that he plans to move forward with his racing career.
Bobby Dale Earnhardt: www.bobbydaleearnhardt.com


text:
Monday, January 17, 2011
Having My Cake and Eating it Too
7 comments:
As you know, I use the second, (Final Sales of Domestic Product) and trend from 1984 to 2007 (and that is new in the last few months, before I always stopped in 3rd quarter 2008 before.) I show about 5.4 percent growth rate.ReplyDelete
What is the growth rate beween 1987 and 1998?
When I do it with NGDP (using 1997 to 1998 as the trend), I get NGDP consistently below trend after 2000. I guess the difference has to do with the increasing efficiency of inventories (and a shift toward industries that don't use inventories), leading to a decline in NGDP relative to final sales. Perhaps there's a philosophical argument to be had as to whether inventory investment should be included in the target series. (Offhand, I'd say that somebody is paying to produce those inventories, so they ought to be included, just as we include other forms of business investment.) In any case I can't see criticizing the Fed for being too loose on the basis of final sales when they appear to have been too tight on the basis of NGDP. If they had done what the model said and kept interest rates higher, my guess is that they would have undershot even by the final sales criterion.ReplyDelete
My view is that the ideal series would include planned inventory investment and leave off unplanned inventory investment.ReplyDelete
The goal is to for firms to be able to plan (as I see it.) Including unplanned inventory investment (positive or negative) as spending is including failures.
Ignore planned inventory investment. Suppose the target is 17 trillion, but final sales are 16.95 trillion. In my view, it is obvious that money was too tight, and the fact that firms produced 17 trillion expecting to sell it and that 50 billion of unsold output is counted as investment expenditure, hardly counts.
Unplanned inventory investment represents error that needs to be avoided.
Planned inventory investment? Well, you can treat it as a change in productivity rather than a use of output, but it is an area that could use more research.
Check your trend. It cannot be correct. It says that from 1998 onwards dollar spendind (FSDP) was significantly above trend. Very counterintuitive!
The domestic demand growth rate is 4.8% and the aggregate growth rate is 5.7%.
The figures does not show that nominal spending was above trend from 1998 on. It does show above trend growth in the late 1990s that returns to trend in the early 2000s and then goes above trend growth thereafter until the collapse. These two nominal spending booms are largely in line with the stock market boom in the late 1990s and the housing boom of the 2000s. This much is straightforward.
As Bill and Andy note, though, one can question my determination of the dates used for the trend as well as the measure of nominal spending.
Excellent run of posts of late. Keep up the good work.ReplyDelete
A good post very interestingReplyDelete


text:
By David Crane
defrev (at) gmail (dot) com
All photos and video contained in this article were shot by DefenseReview.com, and are copyrighted. DefenseReview.com owns the copyright on these photos. The photos and video clips were shot with a Canon PowerShot S90 10-megapixel digital camera (still camera with video capability).
February 8, 2012
Last updated on 2/13/12.
TangoDown was just out of control with new and cool tactical products at SHOT Show 2012. Not only did they partner up with US PALM on the very cool breakdown/takedown AK (Kalashnikov AK-47/AKM rifle/carbine) and quad-stack and double-stack AK mags (rifle magazines), but they've also formed a strategic partnership with SOD Gear (Special Operations Department Gear), an innovative Italian tactical/combat clothing and gear company run by one Max Valente, and Hyde Definition, the developers of the very interesting PenCott multi-environment/multi-terrain digital combat camo (camouflage) patterns. DefenseReview (DR) has written about PenCott-Badlands, PenCott-Greenzone, PenCott-Sandstorm, and PenCott-Snowdrift (arctic) camo in previous articles, but we'd never actually seen any of it up close before.
That all changed when DR got to see PenCott-Badlands, PenCott-GreenZone, and PenCott-Sandstorm BDU-type clothing up close at SHOT Show 2012, though. The combat camo patterns looked REALLY good, especially on the SOD Gear Spectre Shirt/"Battle Jacket" and Para-One Pants (or "Battle Pants"), which feature well-designed pockets and built in elbow pads and knee pads, respectively. All the SOD Gear clothing looks really well-designed and well-made, and the Italian design aesthetic came through on them subtly and tastefully. Our pictures don't really do the clothing justice. You really have to see it in person to get the full effect. Very cool stuff, and it's soon going to be Berry-compliant since it will be made right here in the USA under the "SOD USA" brand.
The only caveat of course is that Defense Review has no idea how comfortable or durable the SOD Gear combat clothing is, particularly after a lot of running around during high-round count tactical shooting courses. As I write this, Defense Review is currently embedded in a U.S. military force-on-force training (military combat gunfighting) course on which we're not yet at liberty to disclose the details, but what I can tell you is that we really wish we were wearing the Hyde Definition PenCott camo pattern SOD Gear Spectre Shirt and Para-One pants in this course! That would have been nice.
DR will try to find out how well the Hyde Definition PenCott camouflage pattern SOD gear combat clothing works in the night vision/I2/near-IR (near-infrared) and thermal/IR spectrums. We just don't know yet. We're also going to try to get a SOD Gear Spectre Shirt/Para-One Pants combo in-house to run at the range in our next tactical shooting course.
In the meantime, though, we hope you enjoy the accompanying photos and video clip from SHOT Show 2012. The video features Lawrence Holsworth of Hyde Definition explaining discussing both PenCott combat camouflage patterns and SOD Gear combat clothing with DR.
DR will be publishing a follow-up article on SOD Gear combat clothing/BDUs soon, so stay tuned. Don't change that dial.
Additional Photos:
Company Contact Info:
SOD USA/TangoDown, LLC
1588 Arrow Highway, Unit F
La Verne, CA 91750-5334
Phone: 909-392-4757
Fax: 909-392-4802
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.tangodown.com
Cage code: 3BLZ8
Brooklyn S.r.l.
S.O.D. Special Operation Department
Via XI Febbraio, 27 – 50053 Empoli (FI)
Phone 1: +39 0571 73041
Phone 2: +39 0571 73042
Fax: +39 0571 72175
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.sodgear.com/en
Hyde Definition Ltd
Chapel View, Mill Road
Hempnall, Norfolk
Phone: +44 (0)208 123 0302
Email: [email protected]
© Copyright 2012 DefenseReview.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without receiving permission and providing proper credit and appropriate links.
Related Articles:
US PALM 45-Round and 30-Round Quad-Stack (4×2 config) 7.62x39mm Russian-Caliber Polymer AK Mags (Rifle Magazines) at SHOT Show 2012: The Kalashnikov AK-47/AKM Rifle Gets a Big Boost in Immediate Ammo Capacity/Tactical Firepower! (Video!)
US PALM Takedown/Breakdown AK (Kalashnikov AK-47/AKM Rifle/Carbine) with US PALM/Midwest Industries MI Rail Kit at SHOT Show 2012: Tactical, Practical and Backpackable AK for Military Special Operations and Civilian Tactical Shooters! (Video!)
PenCott-Snowdrift Arctic Camouflage Pattern for Military Infantry Combat Enters Production: New Combat Camo Will Debut at SHOT Show 2012
Hyde Definition PenCott Multi-Environment Camouflage Patterns (PenCott-GreenZone, PenCott-Badlands, and PenCott-Standstorm) Go into Production: Digital Combat/Tactical Camo for the 21st Century!
Orion Design Group (ODG) ODTDM-2 Arid-Environment/Multi-Environment/Multi-Terrain/Multispectral Military Combat Camo (Camouflage) Pattern/"Individual Signature Management" Technology Makes Cover of SureFire "Combat Tactics" Magazine Fall 2011 Issue (Photo!)
OTTE Gear Recce Anorak: High-End, High-Tech Tactical/Combat Soft Shell Hoodie Sniper Jacket (Pullover Type) with Crye MultiCam Camouflage Pattern and Ghillie Platform for Snipers, Recce Operators/Assaulters and Civilian Tactical Shooters
Massif Mountain Gear Flame-Resistant (FR) Combat Clothing in Crye MultiCam Camouflage Pattern: High-End Military-Grade Tactical Jackets, Combat Shirts, and Tactical Pants for Military Special Operations Forces (SOF) and Civilian Tactical Shooters
Silencerco 5.56 Saker Modular/Universal 5.56mm Rifle Silencer/Sound Suppressor with Trifecta Fast-Attach Mount and Trifecta RS Flash Hider/Suppressor at SHOT Show 2012: Most Innovative and Modular 5.56mm Muzzle Can Ever? (Video!)


text:
Alice Waters came to Café Fanny Friday morning with a funeral wreath to commemorate the closing of the café she opened 28 years ago.
As a long line of people waited to get their last servings of poached eggs on toasted Acme levain bread, beignets, and steaming bowls of café au lait, an emotional Waters, the owner of Chez Panisse restaurant and edible schoolyard pioneer, expressed sadness that the café was closing. She said that the café was losing money, and, with the divorce of the other co-owners, Jim and Laura Maser, Café Fanny had ceased to be a happy place, which is a critical ingredient in the success of any restaurant endeavor.
…See a photo gallery of Café Fanny's last day…
"It seemed like the end of an era," said Waters. "You want to have someone home at a café. You want at a restaurant to have people who love it. I can't take care of it now the way it needs to be taken care of. I just didn't want to disappoint people who expect a certain something when they come here, whether it is a café au lait, a poached egg or a beignet. It is very hard to change a place."
Waters said that a new café will rise in Café Fanny's place. Kermit Lynch, the wine merchant who owns the building at the intersection of San Pablo Avenue and Cedar, along with Steve Sullivan, the owner of Acme Bread Company, which has a retail outlet in the complex, and she are determined to create another vibrant restaurant.
"It's not going to be Café Fanny, but it is going to be something wonderful."
Patrons of the restaurant lined up in the morning to say goodbye and get a last chance to eat their favorite foods.
Lloyd Lee-Lim, who used to live in Berkeley but who now lives in El Cerrito, had come to the café with his two-year-old son, Benjamin. They were there at the request of Lee-Lim's wife, Meg, who had to work today. She asked that they buy her some of her favorite menu items.
"She wanted the eggs with prosciutto, but if I get it now, she wouldn't be able to eat it until dinner time when she got off work," said Lee-Lim. "It wouldn't be good then. It wouldn't be fresh."
So Lee-Lim planned to order a ham and cheese crèpe and a salmon platter to go.
Waters opened Café Fanny with her brother-in-law Jim Maser and friend Sharon Jones in 1984 and named it after the heroine in Marcel Pagnol's 1930s movies, as well as Waters' daughter. Maser, who also owns Picante, and his wife Laura eventually took over day-to-day operations of the café.
Jones, who helped Waters affix the funeral wreath to a beam at the café this morning, left the café when her second child was on the way. The father of her children, James Monday, was the architect for the building.
"Café Fanny is a touchstone for many people in Berkeley and this is a significant day," she said.
After it opened, and with Kermit Lynch's wine store and Sullivan's breads right next door, the foodie complex quickly evolved into a symbol of Berkeley food pioneering.
"It was a beautiful place for me to come when Fanny was a child," said Waters. "I came here every single day."
Waters learned about two weeks ago that the café was having financial difficulties and would be closing. It made her very sad, she said. But last Thursday, her friend Peter Sellars, the composer, came to lunch at Chez Panisse and helped her think of the closure not as a tragedy, but an opportunity to start something new that might be wonderful.
"He said, 'Alice, you have to think about it differently. You can't mourn in this way. Change is something good. It brings a kind of life. It's a natural thing. You have to find the hope in it. You set a tone. Don't go to the sad picture. Put something hopeful out there.'"
So Waters added bright flowers to the funeral wreath she hung at the entrance of Café Fanny and selected a cheerful still from a Pagnol film to put on the sign announcing the closure.
The owners only told the staff Thursday that the café's last day would be Friday. But Waters said she and Maser "will take care of these employees." They will get severance pay. The suppliers will be paid. "It's a moral responsibility. Jim feels that, I feel that."
"I've been grieving for a couple of weeks. I am very sad. But I have to believe something good will come. It's the end of a generation. Fanny has grown up."
Alice Waters' Cafe Fanny in west Berkeley to close [03.08.12]


text:
- Updated On:
- April 7, 2021
Lets Move UK are absolutely delighted to have this beautiful 3 bedroom home for sale!
Beautifully decorated throughout you can unpack your bags and enjoy all this home has to offer.
In brief there is a hallway, downstairs cloakroom, living room, kitchen/diner, 3 bedrooms and a family bathroom. Outside there is a low maintenance rear garden, garage (Near by) and off road parking.
Property Id : 151864


text:
Browsing through the blogosphere can be a very dangerous thing indeed, no matter what side of it you choose to delve into. Poke through a dozen food blogs and you'll find yourself high-tailing it to the fridge, ravenous to taste some of the impressive culinary feats this skilled home cooks display. Investigate just as many craft blogs and instead you'll be running for you wallet, chasing down some of the incredible hand-crafted goods being offered by some of those bloggers. I certainly know both of these dilemmas well from first-hand experience, and while it would be helpful to cut down the negative side effects from both of these sorts online explorations, but the expenses from impulse buys is perhaps most troubling at this point. Being able to boast of only a 9-hour work week at minimum wage, I have a hard enough time affording another skien of "super saver" acrylic yarn!
Luckily, bloggers are the kindest breed of humans that I have ever had the pleasure of interacting with. After stumbling upon Clare's blog and online shop by chance one day, I knew that one of her adorable stuffed fruits was destined to find its way into my hands. Common sense prevented me from reaching for my credit card though, and instead I made a passing comment about how I would love to do a little swap for one of those hand-stitched beauties. Fearing that she wouldn't want anything to do with my own creations I prepared for the worst, but to my delight, it took little persuasion to get the swap underway and let my poor checking account to recover from it's previous expenditures!
From my own post office I sent out a crocheted cakelet, in a delicate palate of pastel pink and white, and topped with a "frosting" flower. Hoping that this variation on the first would please my gracious swap buddy, I wrapped the tiny package up and sent it out that very day, hoping desperately that this would make for an equal exchange.
Hearing that it had arrived safely and in record time, I was relieved that it seemed to be received well. When Clare's side of the swap arrived in my box about a week later though, I was sure that I got the better end of the deal.
No, she didn't send me a bowl of fresh strawberries- Take a closer look at the beautiful berry on top! The details in embroidery are just mind blowing, and all of the stitches look so perfectly even, it's hard to believe that such a treasure was truly hand made. This is one sweet treat that defies all the dangers of blog-hopping; Enticing as it is, it didn't make ravenously hungry, and it didn't even empty out my wallet!
Thank you so much for swapping with me, Clare, your stuffed berry truly is a treasure!


text:
Size 60x60
Woven pillow 100% cotton.
Made in Greece
This is only a pillow cover without inner cushion.
We use DHL parcel service to deliver your order. Orders within the Netherlands will usually be delivered within one working day. Orders made before 2 PM will be shipped the same day. All products bought at Suitesevenseven can be returned within 14 days. It's not possible to exchange your returns for a different size or colour. Return costs are at your own expense.
Free delivery in The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Please check this page for all shipment costs to countries that are not mentioned here. Alternatively, email us and we'll provide costs upon request. For further shipping and delivery information, please go to this page.
Our experts at Customer Support are happy to help you during the following hours:
Monday till Friday from 09.00 to 17.00
E: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Intel recently announced that 75 new ultrabook designs are on the way, with prices starting as low as $699. IDC believes the new price points will drive sales. Senior researcher Antonio Wang projects ultrabook sales will hit 30 to 40 million in 2012.
Canalys analyst Pin-Chen Tang believes the success of ultrabooks will revolve around the price. He reckons that the $699 price tag will still be too high for some consumers and that Intel has to bring down prices to just $300 or $400, and this will not happen over night. It will take Intel a couple of years to get crack the $500 mark, so $300 ultrabooks are still years away.
More here.


text:
We're with you every step of the way.
A chargeback is initiated when the customer contacts the issuing bank to request a payment reversal. Many of these chargebacks could be avoided. The more you know the proper procedures, the less likely you'll run into issues that might result in a chargeback. As your partner, we're here to help you resolve unwarranted chargebacks, and with our Seller Protection program, you're protected for eligible payments against fraudulent transactions and items not received chargebacks.
When a customer files a chargeback through their credit card company, we will notify you and hold the funds in question as we work with you to resolve it.
Submit your supporting documents or evidence through the Resolution Center to dispute the chargeback. We'll represent you in negotiations with the credit card company, who makes the decision.
We'll remove the hold once we've determined the transaction is eligible for Seller Protection.
Reasons for chargebacks.
Chargebacks arise for many reasons, but primarily for customer disputes and fraud:
- Customer claims to have never received the goods as promised at the time of purchase;
- Customer was shipped an item that was very different from the seller's description, or the item was damaged when the buyer received it; or
- Customer claims they did not authorize the purchase, they did not make the purchase, or they were victims of identity or credit card theft.
Avoiding chargebacks and disputes.
Some chargebacks can be resolved easily without the merchant having to lose the sale. There are several ways to avoid possible chargebacks and disputes:
- Provide contact information.
Provide your email address or customer service phone number, or even call buyers in advance when you're selling higher priced items, so that buyers can talk to you about an issue first.
- Be responsive
Do your best to respond quickly and professionally to all reasonable buyer inquiries.
- Suggest dispute resolutions.
Suggest to your buyer in opening a dispute with the PayPal Resolution Center instead of filing a chargeback with their credit or debit card company.
- Provide a clear return policy.
Ensure you publish your return and refund policies on your website, auction listings and correspondence with customers, in clear and simple terms.
- Give accurate descriptions.
Provide information such as pictures, measurements and other relevant details on the item you are selling.
- Issue refunds when possible.
Avoid additional costs from chargebacks. Always use the refund link in the PayPal Resolution Center to issue a refund. Refunds issued outside of PayPal are not covered under our Seller Protection program.
We keep it fair.Start Selling with Us
Frequently asked questions
What happens when a buyer files a claim or a chargeback for an item not received?
We will place a temporary hold on the funds in question and send you an email requesting proof of delivery.
For payments less than $750 USD (or its equivalent in another currency), you will need to provide proof of shipping that can be viewed online
For payments of $750 USD or more, you will need to provide a proof of delivery with signature confirmation that can be viewed online.
Once we've received the evidence, we'll determine your eligibility for Seller Protection. If you're eligible, we'll restore your access to the funds.
What are the most common reasons for items not received chargebacks not being covered by PayPal Seller Protection?
Delayed or non-response: If you do not respond with proof of delivery or signature confirmation if the order amount was $750 or more in the PayPal Resolution Center within 10 days, we may decide in favor of your customer.
Delivery requirements were not met:
Online tracking does not show delivered status
We did not receive a signature confirmation receipt, which is required for orders of $750 or more
Order was shipped to an incorrect address
Online tracking number was invalid
For more details about our Seller Protection eligibility
What happens when a buyer files a claim or a chargeback for an unauthorized payment?
We will place a temporary hold on the funds in question and send you an email requesting proof of shipment. Once we've received it, we'll verify your eligibility for Seller Protection. If you are eligible, we will lift the temporary hold and restore your access to the funds as soon as possible.
What are the most common reasons unauthorized chargebacks aren't covered by PayPal Seller Protection?
Delayed or non-response: To help us determine if you're eligible for Seller Protection, you must respond through PayPal Resolution Center within 10 days and provide proof of shipment for unauthorized claims or proof of delivery for item not received claims.
We were unable to verify that the order was shipped to an approved address:
Shipping receipt or online tracking number doesn't show where the order was delivered.
The address doesn't match the customer's address on the PayPal Transaction Details page. The item sold was delivered in person or picked up


text:
The head of troubled bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox, Mark Karpeles, said in a web post that he was still in Japan, and "working very hard" to find a solution to the Tokyo-based organization's problems.
The exchange has suspended trading amid accusations that it suffered a catastrophic theft and its website went blank on Tuesday, sparking speculation that it has collapsed.
Bitcoin, created in 2009, is an online currency that allows people to make transactions across borders without involving third parties such as banks or credit card issuers. Tokyo-based Mt. Gox was one of the world's biggest exchanges for bitcoins.
CEO Mark Karpeles, who has disappeared from the public eye, said in a two paragraph post on the Mt. Gox website dated Wednesday that he had the support of different parties in finding a "solution to our recent issues." In his statement, Karpeles also asked people to refrain from asking questions of Mt. Gox staff.
"Please visit this page for further announcements and updates," he said.
Some bitcoin investors have traveled to Tokyo from abroad to try and reclaim money tied up in bitcoins at Mt. Gox.
It is unclear whether Mt. Gox's woes make for an isolated case or will put bitcoins at risk. Boosters of the online currency say cryptography makes it immune to theft or counterfeiting but Mt. Gox's problems have underlined its risks.
Japanese authorities have said they are gathering information about the problem, but regulators said virtual currencies don't fall under their jurisdiction.


text:
The College of Engineering Alumni Association Board
The Alumni Board is a group of dedicated, hard-working alumni who are proud to serve the College of Engineering. Visit our 'Meet the Board' page for profiles on each of our current members. The following interview with the Dean first appeared in the Summer 2010 e-Currents newsletter.
For more information regarding the College of Engineering Alumni Association Board, or how you can get involved or reconnect with the college, contact Kaleigh Jaeger-Hale, assistant director for alumni relations, at firstname.lastname@example.com or (517) 355-8339.
A Link Between the College and its Alumni, A Conversation with the Dean
"Linked in" doesn't just represent the name of the popular social networking site. It's what the College of Engineering aspires for its alumni—to be linked in, or engaged, with the college.
"When our engineering alumni get connected—engaged—with the college, it becomes a mutually rewarding experience," says Joe Gentile (BS '64, MS '66 Chemical Engineering), chairperson of the 19-member College of Engineering Alumni Association Board. "The alumni get the opportunity to work with the college's distinguished faculty and extraordinarily talented students, and the faculty and students receive the benefit of an external perspective and, often times, many years of work-related experience. It's a classic win-win situation."
Historically, the role of the board has been to provide advice and counsel to the dean and his staff, participate in college events and initiatives, and act as a liaison between alumni and the college or university. But recently, in order to meet the constantly changing challenges and opportunities that continue to shape the priorities of the college, Satish Udpa, dean of the College of Engineering, challenged board members to develop ways for themselves—and the 36,000 College of Engineering alumni—to better connect with the college. Following is a conversation with Dean Udpa about his view of the board's role today.
In your view, what is the role of the College of Engineering Alumni Association Board today?
I envision our Alumni Association Board acting as an effective interface between the college and all of our alumni. With our growing number of alumni, it has become increasingly difficult to stay connected with them; our alumni board can help us better accomplish that. We also periodically solicit advice from the board on issues that affect the college. And to some extent, we utilize their connections to engage with the other stakeholders, including students.
Last fall, you issued a challenge to the board: To devise ways to encourage all alumni to become more involved in college activities. What prompted you to issue this challenge?
The college has undergone a major metamorphosis over the past five to ten years. The nature of the program has changed dramatically—it's not "your father's College of Engineering" anymore! We have launched a number of initiatives in energy, health, security, and sustainability. Yet, as I traveled around the country meeting with groups of alumni, it became clear to me that our alumni were not getting all of the information that I thought they should have in their hands. They were "wowed" when I told them what was happening in the college; they were not even aware of many of these things. Over the years we have had excellent communication vehicles—Currents Magazine, our department newsletters, the College of Engineering Web site, and, most recently, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Yet, it seemed to me that alumni were still not up-to-date about what's going on in the college. I realized that what we needed was a human touch, a person with a voice to help us connect better. That's where I think our Alumni Association Board members come in.
What action has the board taken in response to your challenge?
Our board responded very positively and very quickly to my challenge. In addition to serving as board members, each of these 19 individuals is actively engaged in other college activities. They mentor students, give guest lectures, sponsor and judge senior capstone design projects, and participate in our programs for K-12 students, just to name a few specific activities; the full list is very long. They have used their own experiences to generate a "starter" list of activities that someone interested in becoming more involved with the college can consider. And this list will continue to grow. I applaud the board for their initiative.
How will this translate over into the alumni at large getting more engaged in college activities? Give me your view of how it will look when many more alumni are engaged in the college's activities. How will that benefit the college?
First, the members of our board will engage more actively with their local alumni groups, to encourage their fellow alumni to get involved. I want each of them to be a "bullhorn." As the result of our alumni acting as a bullhorn, and acting as our eyes and ears, we will become more sensitized to the real-world problems out in our communities. This will enable us to come up with better solutions to some of the problems that we all face. For instance, in the face of our country's recent economic downturn, our career services folks here in the college and at the university were able to help unemployed alumni find work. These are the kinds of things that we anticipate doing more of within the next five years.
Why is it important to you that more alumni be engaged in college activities?
John A. Hannah, who served as MSU president from 1941-1969, once said: ". . . when the university issues your diploma to you, it places an indelible stamp of approval on you, and you become a part of this university forever."
In other words, according to John Hannah, our alumni become part of the Michigan State University family. And to maintain a healthy family unit, we must interact and communicate, informing each other about things that are happening in our lives. I want our alumni to know that the value of their degree has increased, that we're doing everything in our power to make sure that the quality of the programs here are in their ascendancy. I want to be able to connect with our alumni. I want to be able to share our stories. To some extent, the reputation of the university, the reputation of the college, depends on our alumni having successful careers, and how well they market the college.
Related Links


text:
|Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens
This is my favorite non Super telephoto zoom lens in Canon's lineup. I have waited over a decade for the Series II to arrive. Placed my pre-order immediately. Here are some sample photos from Canon and an article from Canon Professional Network plus a technical discussion of the new lens.
I am still on a Polar bear photo shoot with the Canon EOS-7D Mk II camera, giving it a good workout in an extremely cold and hostile environment. You can follow my shoot on Facebook.
MELVILLE, N.Y., November 10, 2014 - Canon U.S.A., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the highly anticipated Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM lens, a second generation compact super-telephoto zoom lens featuring significant advancements in optical quality, image stabilization performance up-to-four steps, and rotating-zoom-ring design. This new L-series super- telephoto zoom lens features Canon L-series weather resistance and rugged magnesium housing to meet the needs of wildlife and sports photographers or photojournalists working out in the elements. Fully compatible with all EOS cameras, the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM features a completely redesigned optical formula containing one Fluorite and one Super UD lens element ? a combination unique to lenses in this focal range ? to help deliver sharp images with high resolution and contrast. This combination of elements helps thoroughly suppress chromatic aberration throughout the entire zoom range.
"The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM is the logical evolution of the very popular EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM introduced 16 years ago," said Yuichi Ishizuka, President and COO of Canon U.S.A., Inc., "This long awaited, next generation lens was developed to be a highly portable and adaptable telephoto zoom lens for today's modern professional and advanced amateur photographers."
For photographers who want to work as closely as possible to their subjects, the minimum focusing distance of the lens has been reduced to just 3.2 ft. (0.98m), resulting in maximum magnification of 0.31x. The original EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM was well known for its push-pull zoom adjustment, but the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM uses a rotation-type zoom ring similar to the one found on the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM lens that allows for more precise adjustments, easier handling, and consistently excellent weight balance during handheld photography.
In addition, the lens features an improved zoom torque adjustment ring that allows for the easy setting of zoom tension based on personal shooting preferences. The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM also features an inner focusing system, a powerful yet quiet Ring USM, a high-speed CPU and optimized auto focus (AF) algorithms for fast and accurate autofocusing in various shooting situations.
The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM features three Image Stabilization (IS) modes ? standard, panning, and during exposure only. Each IS mode is individually engineered to help provide outstanding results in a wide variety of shooting situations, and all serve to satisfy the personal preferences of photographers based on the type of IS they desire. The optical IS provides up to four shutter speed steps of correction, increased from 1.5 steps in the previous model*. In addition, the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM features Canon's newly developed Air Sphere Coating (ASC) which helps to reduce backlit flaring and ghosting significantly, as well as a 9-bladed circular aperture Electro-Magnetic Diaphragm that helps to enhance beautiful, softly blurred backgrounds.
As with all L-series lenses, the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM is highly resistant to dust and water, with excellent durability in even harsh conditions, ideal for wildlife photographers even in rainforest environments, or sports photographers on the sideline grabbing action shots of the big game. Fluorine coating on the front and rear surfaces of the lens can repel dust particles and water droplets. It also makes smears and fingerprints easy to remove without the use of lens cleaning fluid. Included with the lens is the new ET-83D lens hood, that features a cleverly placed and convenient side window allowing the user to easily adjust specialty filters while the lens hood remains in place. In addition, the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM is equipped with a newly designed detachable tripod mount which can be removed to reduce weight during handheld operation.
Pricing and Availability
The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM Super-Telephoto Zoom Lens is scheduled to be available in December 2014 for an estimated retail price of $2,199.00


text:
Hello whiskey. Goodbye watered down.
Take the edge off with Whiskey Wedge, the artful way to perfectly chill, but not water down your favorite spirits. It's perfect for sipping whiskey, bourbon, tequila or scotch. During freezing, the ice forms a wedge shape on one side of the glass. When you pour a drink, this wedge melts slowly to helps retain your drink's full favor.
A favorite for groom and groomsmen gifts!


text: A week after disclosing two Java vulnerabilities, a Polish security firm reported finding five more in the latest version of Java. When used together, the new holes could bypass the technology's sandbox in order to install malware.Security Explorations notified Oracle Monday of the vulnerabilities in Java SE 7 Update 15. Along with details of the flaws, Security Explorations also supplied proof of concept code.Oracle did not respond to a request for comment.Separately, the flaws do not pose a security problem, the company said. However, when linked together, they can enable someone to bypass the Java's anti-exploit sandbox technology. Security Explorations said it had not seen the vulnerabilities exploited in the wild.The latest vulnerability report follows a week after the same company reported two other holes in Oracle's latest plug-in used to run Java applications in a browser.Oracle shipped Java SE 7 Update 15 on Feb. 19, bundling patches released Feb. 1 in an emergency update fixing five other flaws. The next regularly scheduled update is April 16.The latest discovery came after Oracle rejected one of the bugs Security Explorations reported Feb. 25. "It made us look into Java SE 7 code and its docs once again, gathering counterargument material," Adam Gowdiak, chief executive of the company, said in a post on SecLists.org.\u00a0Two of the vulnerabilities could also affect Java SE 6, Gowdiak said. "But since all of the issues need to be combined together to gain a successful Java SE security compromise, we treat it as affecting Java SE 7 only."[Also see: Oracle's Java security update lacking, experts say]In releasing the Java SE 7 update this month, Oracle said that it would speed up its patching cycle for Java, which has suffered a significant number of exploitations in the wild through zero-day vulnerabilities. A zero-day flaw is one that has yet to be patched by the software vendor."Oracle's intent is to continue to accelerate the release of Java fixes, particularly to help address the security worthiness of the Java Runtime Environment in desktop browsers," Eric Maurice, Oracle's director of software assurance, said in a blog post.\u00a0Oracle had released Java updates every four months. Under the new schedule, it will ship updates every two months.For months, security experts have recommended that people disable Java in all browsers, since only a small number of websites still used the application platform. In those rare cases when Java is needed to run a specific application, experts recommend dedicating one browser for that single purpose.


text:
18 comments:
I actually never had a scotcheroo until High school when someone made them in our cooking class. Since then I have fallen in love with them. They are such a great and easy treat.ReplyDelete
- GailJanuary 21, 2011
Good timing. I have to make a dessert for a ski group pot luck dinner tomorrow night and this will be perfect.ReplyDelete
I agree with you--they are delicious.
I think these will be perfect for your ski group pot luck. Sounds like fun!
- AnonymousJanuary 21, 2011
Oh my. I hope my kids won't see this post or I will have to make it right away. They would love this treat. Filled away to try! Thanks.ReplyDelete
Don't let your kids see this post. Instead, surprise them with this treat. They will love you even more!
Oh man. These are one of my favorite childhood memories and now I make them for my friends!ReplyDelete
However, can I ask what kind of butterscotch chips you use? I've tried making them recently and it seems that the butterscotch chips never melt. I just use the nestle ones or whoever makes them but I was wondering if there was a better butterscotch chip out there.
Hi, Andi.ReplyDelete
Your friends must love you for making these for them:)
I have used both Hershey's and Guitttard's Butterscotch chips with equally good results. Butterscotch doesn't melt like chocolate and can burn easily. To facilitate its melting properties, the chips need to be stirred frequently with the melting chocolate. Also, make sure that no added water or liquid gets into the melting mixture otherwise it will seize and harden. Thanks for the question.
I love scotcheroos! I always want to make them but never have the recipe! Thanks!ReplyDelete
Wilde in the Kitchen-ReplyDelete
My main reason for this blog was to keep track of my recipes for my family, but I am glad that I am able to share them with you too. Enjoy!
I grew up with these and now make them for my own family. I never heard the name before- so I guess now I have a name to go with that face!ReplyDelete
They are delicious, and I will be sure to try it with the crunchy peanut butter.
Scotcheroos--they are fun to say and fun to eat!
I had only recently heard the term "scotcheroos". Here in MN, they are just crispy rice treats with chocolate frosting, or Special K bars :)ReplyDelete
Special K bars?? That's a new one to me. Thanks for sharing:)
Oooooh these look fantastic. The adaptations in the recipe look scrumptious, combining all things good. Definatly to good to pass up. Great post.ReplyDelete
I've never heard of these before but I seriously want to make them right nowReplyDelete
- KathyFebruary 03, 2011
I was one of the very lucky neighbors to receive a package of Scotcheroos from Nicole and all I an say is "Life is Sweet." Thanks, Nicole!! Now, I'm trying to make them on my own. Wish me luck.ReplyDelete
P.S. One of our other neighbors wants your next delivery! :)
Thank you! I am so glad you are trying them for yourself:)
- AnonymousJuly 25, 2012
What if...what if...you made them with Cocoa Krispies?!ReplyDelete
Thanks for visiting my blog! I love hearing from family, friends, and bloggers, so please leave a comment. Happy cooking!


text:
Purdy Challenge
Open gallery
Story date: 02/03/14
A generous alumni couple established the Purdy Endowed Fund for Collaborative Research to recognize Dr. Jesse Purdy's thirty-five years of teaching at Southwestern. They also structured the fund to express their appreciation of Dr. Purdy's long-standing commitment to ensuring that collaborative research work remains an integral part of his students' undergraduate experience. Dr. Purdy has taught at Southwestern since 1978 with a specialization in animal learning and animal behavior. He served as a Brown Distinguished Research Professor from 1999-2003, and as the John H. Duncan Chair in the Department of Psychology from 2004-2009. His research on cuttlefish was featured on the national PBS program NOVA in 2007 and the Discovery Channel's World of Wonder program in 1996. View the program "Kings of Camouflage" on NOVA's website.
Designed to provide permanent funding for faculty-student collaborative research in Psychology and Animal Behavior, the Purdy Endowed Fund will greatly expand the availability of one-on-one lab and field research opportunities for students working alongside their faculty in these departments. Dr. Purdy maintains a very active research program that involves students extensively in investigating and understanding basic animal learning processes in aquatic animals. Research is undertaken both at Southwestern's own Aquatic Animal Research Laboratory and at numerous sites across the country and in Canada.
Collaborative research is an essential element in completing a student's experience in the Psychology and Animal Behavior departments. Collaborative efforts produce significant benefits for students pursuing graduate studies, and for both students and faculty to expand their own bodies of research, to present at major conferences and to secure opportunities for publication. During his teaching career, Dr. Purdy has authored and co-authored over 30 articles and made over 40 professional presentations with his students.
Endowments require a minimum of $25,000 to begin awarding funding but higher levels of endowment provide additional potential to fund multiple and/or significantly larger projects annually. The couple who established this fund has agreed to match every gift up to $50,000, so your gift today can make a huge impact on Southwestern's Psychology and Animal Behavior programs. Please help to ensure that outstanding collaborative research opportunities remain a key part of the Southwestern experience for years to come by making a gift or pledge on our secure online giving page. (Click on "Designations"/"Special Interest Funds" or type Purdy Fund in "Other" block)