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With apologies to Agathon
"O happy fault, that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!"
~ "The Exsultet: The Proclamation of Easter"
It seems lately that many people around me are having a tough time. Perhaps it's just my perception but in my day-to-day conversations and my friends' social media posts, there are many struggling just to keep it together. One symptom I see is a recent proliferation of what I consider to be pretty stoic statements like 'head down, move forward' and 'keep calm and carry on'—the sort of things you say to yourself when you're just trying to put one foot in front of the other.
A small subset of these sentiments is particularly intriguing: those made with the intent of trying to convince us to just accept the past.
"The past cannot be changed, forgotten, edited, or erased … it can only be accepted. You can't change your past but you can always change your future. Even God cannot change the past."
~ Agathon
Now, in general, I support these ideas. All too often too many of us live in the past, dwelling on bygone hurts given and received, wishing things had been different. That's never good, and we frequently must be reminded to forgive ourselves and others. We need to focus on the task at hand—to struggle with the sufficient evil of the day and to work for this day our daily bread. In as much as these sentiments urge us to do the good in front of us, I support them.
And yet, something seems so resigned. So sad. So short of the glory of God and the good news of the Gospel. Frankly that last one sounds like a challenge. I think, in a very real way, God can change the past. God does change the past.
But perhaps God does not change the events of the past, amending instead their meaning so fundamentally that history is, in a very real sense, altered. We need only think of Good Friday for an example. Imagine Jesus' death on the cross. Imagine the humiliation and defeat that everyone who knew him—his friends, his disciples—experienced on that day. Imagine the torment and agony of Jesus himself. And think about what all of that means now, in light of Easter. Jesus' resurrection transforms completely the meaning of his death. The cross is now a sign not of defeat, but of victory. It becomes a sign of our redemption. It is our salvation.
When Jesus was raised, did his past change? Technically, no. He still suffered, died on the Cross, and was buried. Yet God's grace rewrote everything around the event so completely that it's not really the same occurence anymore. And while the Cross is the most striking example of our faith, it's hardly the only one. In the Easter Vigil we proclaimed that the sin of Adam is no longer the tragic failure that led to our exile, but the lucky break that called forth our Savior. In the Gospel we see Jesus proclaim the death of Lazarus is not a sign of decay's inevitability but rather its impotence when compared to the glory of God. By giving the past new meaning, it is altered.
I believe the same will be true of all our suffering, so long as we use that suffering to grow closer to Christ. God's grace will reach back and alter our perception of those events so completely that we will call them "good," just as we now call the day of Jesus' death "Good." Now we see through a glass darkly, but once our vision clears we won't even recognize much of what had come before.
In the preface to his imaginative exploration of heaven and hell in "The Great Divorce," C.S. Lewis expresses the same thought about our current lives in light of our eternal destiny. Speaking about our time on Earth after all things pass away he writes "But what, you ask, of earth? Earth, I think, will not be found by anyone to be in the end a very distinct place. I think earth, if chosen instead of Heaven, will turn out to have been, all along, only a region in Hell: and earth, if put second to Heaven, to have been from the beginning a part of Heaven itself."
God can change the past. By giving what we have experienced a new meaning the past is recast. The power and might of God is greater than we can imagine; it's not only a new start, but a different history. This is one of the lessons of Easter—Christ's light pours forth everywhere and reaches into every dark space, even those behind us.
About the Rabble Rouser:
Steven Cottam serves as youth minister at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. He lives in the Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia, with his lovely wife, his adorable daughter and his very strange dog. He is an active member of Common Change, a group which seeks to gather and distribute tithe money in a relational and collaborative way. He has been friends with Sister Julia ever since they were students, coworkers, and cooking club members together at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. His interests and passions include Aikido, gardening, coffee, and becoming a Jedi Master.


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Dasuki Releases Breakdown Of Arms Purchases, Says "Nigerians Will Hear A Lot"
The immediate past National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) has given his side of the story on the arms procurement saga which has pitted him against the incumbent federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement on Wednesday, Dasuki insisted he was never invited to appear before an Investigative Panel on the Procurement of hardware and munitions in the armed forces.
The full statement reads: "In a theatrical manner, the Presidency fed the public with many allegations against my person and yet to be named former public officers.
"To draw sympathy, the presidency quoted some absurd findings including extra-budgetary interventions; award of fictitious contracts; 53 failed contracts; payment for jobs without contractual agreements; non-execution of contracts for the purchase of 4 Alpha jets, bombs and ammunition.
"For undiscerning Nigerians, they may tend to assume that the allegations were true and pronounce the former National Security Adviser guilty as charged.
"The statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, who should know better as a former President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and a witness to history, was nothing sort of propaganda to cast aspersions on Dasuki.
"To set the records straight, Nigerians should appreciate that the AVM Jon Ode-led panel did not invite the ex-NSA under any guise before arriving at its ambiguous findings. At least, fairness demands that the panel ought to hear from Dasuki instead of its recourse to hasty conclusions. If the panel had been more patient and painstaking, it would have been availed of all relevant documents on some of the jaundiced findings.
"As if acting a script, the Presidency alleged that the Panel accused Dasuki of awarding fictitious contracts between March 2012 and March 2015. Contrary to this claim, Dasuki was not the NSA in March 2012 and he could not have awarded any contract in whatever name. The ex-NSA was appointed by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on June 22, 2012.
"All contracts and accruing payments were with the approval of the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces. Once the ex-President approved, the former NSA paid. So, there was due process for every purchase in line with regulations guiding arms procurement for the Armed Forces.
"And Nigerians should note that all the services generated the types of equipment needed, sourced for suppliers most times and after consideration by the Office of the NSA, the President will approve application for payment. For sensitive sectors (military/security), there was no room for awarding fictitious contracts. The conclusions of the panel were presumptive, baseless and lacked diligence.
"There were no fictitious contracts; contract sums were not diverted and the relevant services in writing acknowledged delivery of equipment. For all procurements, the Nigerian Army, the Air Force and the Nigerian Navy have their contractors.
"While awaiting judicial process on these allegations, it is proper to make some references to show that the presidency was just desperate to hang some former public and military officers who served this nation at the risk of their lives.
"It is laughable for the panel to assume that 4 Alpha jets and 12 helicopters were undelivered. In a memo to the Office of the National Security Adviser(ONSA), referenced NAF/905/D/CAS of November 28, 2014, the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Adesola Amosu acknowledged the receipt of the 4x Alpha jets attack aircraft and the helicopters.
"On 10/21/14, the Chief of Air Staff also confirmed the receipt of F-7 N1 aircraft combination of 250kg bombs and accessories at $2,894,000 with the cost of freight at $1,200,000. The same Air Force confirmed getting 2xTri Shield 36DG Tactical radars
"In another letter of December 1, 2014 signed by L.S. Alao(on behalf of the Chief of Air Staff), the Air Force said it received five containerized fuel storage and dispensing units with equipment.
"The Nigerian Army wrote the ONSA to acknowledge the delivery of 14 armoured tanks. In a December 13, 2014 memo, the Brigade of Guards thanked ONSA for releasing N30m for RCA, Operation allowance for Troops on Op Urban Sweep II for third and fourth quarters of 2014. This is apart from the installation of CCT Cameras at the Brigade Headquarters, 2 backscatter bomb detection vans and other equipment.
"On November 26, 2014, the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh sought for approval of the award of one pair of uniform(in the interim) for the Armed Forces at N165, 375 to El-Jahab Mubarak Nigeria and N330,750,000 for two pairs.
These are some of the acknowledgement letters submitted to me by the end-users(the services). It is not for me to go and find out whether the equipment were delivered or not. I am not the one keeping the inventories.
"To show that I have nothing to hide, I submitted a comprehensive list of all requests for procurements by the services, the items bought and those equipment being awaited to His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari long before I left office. If there were issues, I should have been questioned. I was just the clearing house, I did not award contracts to my company or proxies. There was no contract awarded or equipment bought without approval from the then President and Commander-In-Chief. I am not a thief or treasury looter as being portrayed.
"In order not to endanger the nation's security, there are many salient issues and contracts which I cannot put in public domain. I am ready for trial on all these allegations in order to prove to Nigerians that I did nothing untoward in office. We will certainly meet in court.
I have a lot to tell Nigerians but in the interim, they should not believe some of the allegations as the gospel truths. The good thing is that some of the key actors in the present administration were parts of the past process being viciously challenged.
"As for my tenure as the nation's NSA, I acted in the interest of the nation and with utmost fear of God. I did not use the office for any self-serving agenda. I occupied the Office of the National Security Adviser at a difficult moment in Nigerian history when terrorism was at its peak and I am leaving posterity to judge me accordingly."
Four dead including pregnant woman and her 2 sons as LASTMA, driver drag steering wheel in Lagos
Alex Otti opens up on sponsoring IPOB and Peter Obi's tribunal with Abia's state fund
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Ilebaye receives N120M prize cheque, car, others (Watch Video)
Woman raises alarm after catching her husband burying newborn baby
"She follow backyard run" – Reactions trail moment CeeC is seen after reality show (Video below)
Man who spent millions to look like dog disappointed as dogs refuse to play with him
BREAKING: Ilebaye wins BBNaija All Stars Season
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"He chose to sacrifice himself" ― Man says as mob set ablaze suspected thief for attempting to steal generator from a church in Akwa Ibom

subset: commoncrawl


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The result looks almost magical, even to the cynical observer who thinks he's seen everything.
Sitting in on a preview of their new platform, which is expected to become available in the next month or two, LiveShare looks like they've finally delivered on their name, as I saw the company's three cofounders create and share photos, video and URLs instantly between devices, and this content was available for immediate playback and interaction from the receiving party.
For all the hype about "real time" and "near real time" and instant, maybe the terms have gotten fuzzy, but if there was any kind of delay, to me it was imperceptible. When one person would hit publish, the item would immediately display on the other device. Multiple photos would cleanly lay themselves out in a sharp grid, and video never even considered buffering. The result is a new platform for real-time visual communications that I haven't seen anyone else attempt, and one that should be available on any modern platform, thanks to adherence to cutting-edge Web standards.
"By the time you move your finger from the button, it should show up," said Soujanya Bhumkar, explaining his interpretation of real-time.
In an internal note to the LiveShare development team, he wrote: "For the first time, you can capture moments and share them with friends and family with absolutely no delay at all - the instant your finger taps the camera icon your photo or video instantly appears in your personal stream on your phone, iPad and the Web even before the content is fully uploaded. No waiting, no uploading - there is nothing out there in this space that delivers such instant gratification."
LiveShare's origins are in the photo sharing space, and the company may be known for its media consumption, but as they said Wednesday, the natural evolution, based on user feedback, is to discover media highly relevant to the individual, and to assign social velocity to relevant people, so that instead of broadcasting to everyone or narrowcasting to a select few, you and your content is discoverable by those interested.
"If this is possible, my expectation for what live sharing is has completely changed," said Austin Shoemaker, cofounder and CTO of CoolIris. "No more progress bars and hourglasses. Reality and speed are matched to consumer expectations."
The new platform is engineered using WebGL on HTML 5, meaning that on day one, it works in Safari, Chrome, FireFox and Opera. Not only can you passively view content in the browser, but you can drag and drop content from your host PC onto any LiveShare stream and make it an active participant in any ongoing stream. "Consumption on the Web is not a second-class experience," Shoemaker added.
One doesn't have to think too hard about the dramatic use case of curating events around topics and locations with the new LiveShare platform, going beyond siloed areas for photos and other siloed areas for texts. As the company promises, they aren't trying to create yet another walled garden, but instead, to fill the gaps that remain in email and social networking. And I'll tell you, even for this Android-leaning geek, the demo of sharing content on the new LiveShare between two iPad 2s was so sleek, it was tempting to jump back on the bandwagon. Make sure you check out their demo video. It'll have you lusting after their new platform - coming soon.


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Today it is Tag Friday over at A Vintage Journey, here is my tag:
Vintage Journey blog, so if you are looking for some inspiration from my talented teamies, make sure to hop over.
Here is a quick overview of how I put mine together, mostly using bits and pieces leftover from previous projects.
The greenery, berries and little roses, all dabbed with a bit of gesso for a wintry look, were tucked in at the top.
A Vintage Journey
Wishing you all the best for the rest of this month and of course for the New Year too!!!


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The Business of Wine: A Global Perspective by Per V. Jenster, David E. Smith, Darryl J. Mitry and Lars V. Jenster. Copenhagen Business School Press, 2008.
The Business of Wine is an ambitious little book. It aims to provide a streamlined introduction to the global wine busness, which is a lot to try to cover in just 198 pages. The result is necessarily a bit uneven but still quite useful.
This is a useful introduction, especially good for students, but not a book to give to your Master of Wine colleagues. If you are an expert on the French wine industry or wine market, for example, you will probably bemoan the lack of depth found here. But if you know little or nothing about the topic, you will probably think this a good place to start.
A survey of the winegrowing sectors of the major world wine nations takes up about a quarter of the pages and this is probably the most uneven part of the book. This is understandable, I think, because there is just so much information that could be included and so little space to hold it, so the choice of what to say and what to omit is very arbitrary. The result is necessarily a bit superficial, but still useful. Consult your Oxford Companion to Wine for fuller detail.
My favorite chapters were more narrowly focused and thus able to provide more depth. Chapter 6 on the History and Development of the Distribution System includes a very interesting analysis of the evolution of wine distribution channels within Europe and the shift of power from producers to distributors and then to supermarkets, which have exploited their position by building backward product chain linkag
Chapter 8 on wine company strategies is also noteworthy — this time for its effective use of brief but informative case studies to show how wine companies in different market segments have developed particular strategies. Company profiles include Gallo, LVMH, Foster's, Freixenet and Chateau Margaux. Some of the information is already a bit dated, which is understandable because the wine business is so dynamic, but the analytical points are still useful.
The Business of Wine is very readable overall, although it would benefit from more thorough copyediting, both to catch typographical errors and to make sure that the tables are all clearly explained. The lack of an index is unfortunate since this limits the book's utilityas a reference volume, especially for students
Note: Thanks to Francine Graf for bringing this book to my attention.


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Boulogne, in full Boulogne-sur-Mer, city and port, Pas-de-Calais département, Hauts-de-France région, on the coast of northern France, southwest of Calais at the mouth of the Liane River and 28 miles (45 km) across the English Channel from Folkestone, England.
Boulogne was the Roman harbour of Gesoriacum, later called Bononia. Destroyed by the Normans in 882, it was rebuilt about 912. It was the prize in disputes between Flanders and Ponthieu, and it was a Burgundian possession when Louis XI united it to the French crown in 1477. England held it from 1544 to 1550. When it served as Napoleon's port of embarkation for his projected invasion of England, its harbour was subjected to naval bombardment. The British Expeditionary Force administered Boulogne during World War I. The Germans made it a submarine base and part of their anti-invasion "West Wall" during World War II; damage to the harbour (now rebuilt) was severe.
Atop a hill, behind 13th-century ramparts on the east bank of the Liane, stands Haute Ville, the older part of town. The law courts, château, town hall, and bell tower (13th and 17th centuries) are behind the old walls. Basse Ville, the modern town at the foot of the hill, was rebuilt after World War II. The industrial zone, Capécure, is on the west bank. The port has an outer, deepwater harbour and an inner harbour for small vessels.
Boulogne is an important port for cross-channel passenger and car-ferry traffic and has a considerable import-export trade. It is also the chief fishing port of France, handling mostly herring and mackerel. There are canneries, fish-curing factories, foundries, cement works, and factories making pens, pencils, ropes, canvas, and fishnets. Pop. (1999) 44,859; (2014 est.) 42,476.


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Foster Grant Giveaway
89 comments :
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Frame Color: Shiny Silver with White Temples
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sunglasses from the Fashion ones
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Rafflecopter: Bryan E.
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text: >From the AMALGAM list.. --------------------------- From: Wayne Obie <communications at talkinternational.com> Subject: NEWS RELEASE-NATIONAL TV-DENTAL FILLINGS News Release The Dangers of Silver Fillings To be Revealed On C.B.C. Television For Immediate Release September 18, 1998 CBC to broadcast segment warning about the dangers of Mercury Dental Amalgam-"Silver Fillings". On the show, Halina St. James, Alternative Health Commentator for the C.B.C. will interview Nancy Biasse, a victim of mercury poisoning. Nancy will recount her story and her fight to regain health after being poisoned by "Silver Fillings". In addition, Dr. Assaad, a mercury free dentist in Toronto will demonstrate the safe protocol for amalgam removal. The segment airs across Canada, on CBC Newsworld and the CBC Morning Show, Monday September 21 at 8:15 A.M., Eastern Standard Time. -30- contact: Wayne Obie Media & Public Relations (416) 410-6314 1 888 368-7737 http://www.talkinternational.com communications at talkinternational.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- * AMALGAM RELATED QUOTES * ----------------------------------------------------------------- "[The evidence] tells me very succinctly that there is a chronic low-dose exposure to a toxic heavy metal that 80-85 per cent of the industrialised world have implanted in their teeth, and it's a situation of timed-release poisoning." (Dr Murray Vimy, research scientist and former World Health Organisation consultant, speaking on BBC Panorama..) "..I think there is no basis for such a statement... [that amalgam is safe to use for children].... They are definitely particularly vulnerable. We know that if you take a young child - it takes a few years after birth until the brain is developed. We know that the brain in children is much more sensitive than in adults." (Dr Lars Friberg, Former Chief Adviser to the World Health Organisation on Mercury safety. speaking on BBC Panorama..) "..there is no safe level of mercury, and no one has actually shown that there is a safe level. I would say mercury is a very toxic substance... I think they [the BDA] are wrong.. [to make such a claim]" (Dr Lars Friberg, speaking on BBC Panorama..) "My own conclusion is that already in individuals with bruxism, [bruxism is habitual grinding of teeth] which is common in the population, exposure may well be compared with industrial exposure that has given rise to effects. Furthermore, despite negative results in epidemiological studies, the statistical power [of these studies] is not high enough to exclude the occurrence of effects in a few percent of the population at still lower exposure levels. As amalgam is used so widely already, an effect in a few percent of the exposed population would mean that very large population groups could be affected. The evidence from experimental and human studies at higher exposure levels clearly indicates that mercury from the toxicological point of view is an unsuitable element to use in dentistry. It is my opinion that it is prudent to conclude that mercury from dental amalgam is not safe to use for everyone." (Dr Lars Friberg, Former Chief Adviser to the World Health Organisation on Mercury safety. 1995 Symposium report.) "If you have something that's been put in your mouth that you can't dispose of in a waste basket without breaking environmental protection laws, there's no point in keeping it around, there's no point in taking that type of risk - there's no point in exposing people to any level of mercury toxicity if you don't have to...... .....there is no doubt in my mind that low levels of mercury present in the brain could cause normal cell death, and this could lead to dementia which would be similar to Alzheimer's disease.... We can't go inside a living human being and look at their brain, so we have to work outside, and do scientific experiments such as we've done. And to the best that we can determine with these experiments, mercury is a time-bomb in the brain, waiting to have an effect. If it's not bothering someone when they're young, especially when they age it can turn into something quite disastrous." (Dr Boyd Haley, Professor of Medicinal Biochemistry, University of Kentucky. speaking on BBC Panorama..) "The ADA owes no legal duty of care to protect the public from allegedly dangerous products used by dentists ..Dissemination of information relating to the practice of dentistry does not create a duty of care to protect the public from potential injury." (American Dental Association lawyers.) " About 3% of the population are estimated to suffer from mercury sensitivity. Reactions sometimes occur in the soft tissues of the mouth next to fillings..." (British Dental Association Internet Page Dental Advice on Amalgam) "Amalcap Plus non-gamme-2 and Vivacap/Vivalloynot [brands of Amalgam] are not only contraindicated for expectant mothers but also for nursing mothers. [These brands of Amalgam] are not only contraindicated for patients with severe renal deficiency but for all patients suffering from a reduced kidney function." (New advice issued by Ivoclar/Vivadent, a major amalgam manufacturer.) "The mercury uptake from amalgam is the dominating source for inorganic mercury in the central nervous system and is the major source of total mercury uptake in the population." (Maths Berlin, a leading German toxicologist) "The implications are that in the dental technicians the mercury has caused very definite central nervous system disorders." (Professor Aposhian, Head of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona) "You wouldnt take a leaky thermometer, put it in your mouth, and leave it there 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Yet thats exactly what happens when an amalgam filling is installed in your mouth." (Dr Michael Ziff.) "Historically, Mercury has also been used extensively in pesticides. However, it is considered so dangerous that such usage has recently been largely superceeded by safer(!) Organo-Phosphates. Yet, incredibly, the dental organisations still defend the usage of mercury in silver fillings.." "Mercury has traditionally been used in batteries - however such usage has now been outlawed, due to concerns about the toxic properties of Mercury. Apparently, it is still safe to use for our teeth, though.." (Adrian Millett.) "Worldwide there are over 4000 research papers indicating mercury is a highly toxic substance. How can dentists be so thoughtless as to place one of the deadliest toxins in existence *two* inches from our brain?" (Tom Warren) "It is sobering to realise that the original "quacks" were dentists who advocated the use of mercury amalgam and that most dentists are still advocating it today."---"The maximum amount of mercury that the Environment Protection Agency allows people to be exposed to is 5,000 times smaller than the permissible amount of lead exposure; in other words the EPA apparently considers mercury to be 5,000 times more toxic than lead." (Marcia Basciano DDS at annual meeting of IAOMT, San Diego 1994.) "Official safety limits on mercury are too high to prevent damage before birth... A study in the Faeroe islands has found that even when pregnant women have levels of mercury in their blood that are well below W.H.O. safety limits, their children show deficits in learning, attention, memory and other skills." (New Scientist report, 22nd Nov 1997) ----------------------------------------------------------------- To learn more about the Amalgam safety issue (or lack of) visit:- http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pcsol/homepage.htm -----------------------------------------------------------------


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Here you can find press photos of our current productions and of the venues at HAU Hebbel am Ufer, as well as current press releases. To request interviews or photo sessions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Photos can be used free of charge for current news coverage. The respective copyrights should be mentioned. For other uses please contact us or the photographer in question.
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In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Examples of Errors in Printings of Quran
Translation of the Arabic words written by Rashad on the side of the images:
"The original Uthmani Rasm (Orthography) as written by the scribes of the revelation, may God be pleased with them, according to the order by the messenger, Peace be upon him, according to the Holy spirit, Gabriel, may peace be upon him according to God be He glorified."
The arrows drawn by Rashad point to three different editions of the "ORIGINAL" Quran, the kind you find in our homes, book stores and libraries.
"Number of words = 19 Number of letters 76 = 4 X 19"
"The new corrupted editions", "Number of words = 19 Number of letters = 78 ? not a multiple of 19."
Here is Verse 15 of sura 10; You can see the same kind of corruption where the new editions added alif where it did not exist in the OLD GOLD KORAN
Here is Verse 21 of sura 10;


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Four people were arrested over the weekend for their role in what Fort Wayne police say is a meth operation. After receiving tips, police got a search warrant and busted the meth lab Saturday in a home on Oakland Street.
Police arrested Chad Kinney and David Butler on several charges related to meth production, including maintaining a common nuisance and possession of meth precursors.
Kinney is charged with contempt of court and possession of cocaine. He's behind bars on $60,000 bond.
Butler also is charged with dealing meth, his bond was set at $105,000.
Vanessa Moyer and Brylynn Denise Bryan are also charged with maintaining a common nuisance and possession of paraphernalia.
All four suspects lived in the home.


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Times are Changing: Intel Building an IPTV Service + Boxby Anand Lal Shimpi on February 12, 2013 2:30 PM EST
The most interesting things at CES were the things that weren't at CES. While I'll discuss the others in due time, one notable absence from CES was the often rumored Intel set-top box. Erik Huggers, the head of Intel's new Media division, confirmed today that Intel was working on a complete IPTV solution: service, software and hardware, all to be sold direct to consumers.
Erik confirmed that Intel Media was an all new group within Intel, staffed with folks from Apple, Netflix and Google among other places. Erik himself came from the BBC's Future Media & Technology group. Intel seems to know that it can't pull something like this off using internal talent alone. Bring in smart outsiders then give them the support of Intel seems to be the approach here - and it makes sense.
Details are scarce, and I'd expect them to be for quite some time. Intel committed to launch the box and service this year and it'll support features like catch-up, video on demand as well as live TV - all delivered over the internet. A list of content providers as well as pricing are two notable bits of information that were missing from today's disclosure. Until we get closer to launch, I wouldn't expect to hear anything on either front. Intel did mention that this wasn't a value play, and there was a strong focus on content bundles, which means this is likely not a full á la carte solution that's going to drive cable TV providers out of business.
I'll refrain from speculating publicly here, but there's a lot that makes this interesting. Some questions to ask:
1) Why is Intel getting into the TV business? Why now?
2) If not competing aggressively on pricing, then how will Intel differentiate?
3) Intel's divisions traditionally require high operating margins to survive in the long run.
Unlike Intel's smartphone aspirations, its work in the TV space won't have the time to eventually build up steam. Intel also won't have the burden of playing catch up in a quickly maturing industry. The established players in the cable TV space have done a great job of stifling innovation for quite a while. It's clear that a more revolutionary approach is necessary to liberate live TV content. The question is whether or not Intel can be the first company to succeed where others have failed.
Many expected Apple to be the first to tackle and succeed here. Perhaps Intel will beat them to the punch? (this helps answer question #1 above).
More thoughts on this later.
Source: AllThingsD
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tonyn84 - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - linkI would sign up for this in a heartbeat if it had the option for HBO. It would also be great if we could get true a'la carte programming, no more subsidizing crap with my monthly bill.
smartthanyou - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - linkWell it seems from the article that we won't get a la carte pricing. There is no reason to think Intel has somehow managed to get cable companies and content providers to completely change the way they do business.
It will be interesting to see what Intel comes up with but I am not holding my breath. I am guessing it will have a few cool features but will be expensive and offer limited flexibility in regards to choosing channels.
arsena1 - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - linkOtherwise almost everything else is available via VOD or similar services. Live sports is the only thing that would make me go back to paying for TV service every month.
lurker22 - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - linkAnd you already do, as well as all of us who don't watch any ESPN. You're welcome for subsidizing your sports --- well not anymore, I cut the cord 2 months ago and don't miss cable TV at all!
GotThumbs - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - linkCongratulations on your decision to keep more of your money in your pocket!
I've been cable free for over two years now. I still have internet via cable modem, but I get my local content via free "over the air" HD programming and I get my movie fix using Netfix. I use Hulu (free) for just a couple of shows I watch as well.
I even cut the cord on my over-priced cell phone contract. I was paying $54.00 for basic phone and text through Verizon. Now I use Page Plus (uses Verizon network). No contracts and for the 1200 plan, I get 1200 talk, 3000 text and 250 mb data for $29.95 mo. Go through Kittywireless and then you can use their free auto-renewal option. My CC gets billed each month just as before, but for 20.00 less. I've found the 250mb of data is more than enough for my needs, as I use wireless for most of my sync data.
I do not work for them, but I'm a fan of saving money and passing on the opportunity to others.
Best wishes on keeping more of your own money over the next four years.
kmmatney - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - linkDepends how many talk minutes you need, but the Virgin Mobile plan is better IMO. 300 minutes of talk, unlimited text and data for $35. Uses the Sprint network, which seems good where I live (Centennial, CO). No reason not to get a smartphone at that price. You can use Ooma or Obi100 for a virtually free home phone, and this can greatly reduce the need for cell phone talk minutes.
chizow - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - linkI've actually gone the other way, I used to get by on only ESPN and Netflix but Netflix has gone down the dumpers since that whole Kwikster debacle and huge Blu-Ray premium. Instead, I spend that $20/mo on the FIOS fully loaded package which gives me about a hundred HD premium channels as well as full access to ALL season episodes for premium subscriber channels like HBO, SHO, etc online, on-demand. Now that's win, much better than Netflix or even Hulu's partial libraries that don't include current season.
That's why I think Intel (and Apple, Google, Netflix etc.) have already lost. The CableCos already have the content licenses with the content providers, most people don't want to pay again. I think Hulu is the only non-CableCo that has a chance because it's ties with Comcast/NBC Universal but I believe Comcast was forced to divest it's stake specifically for anti-trust concerns, not sure though.
In any case, Intel has proven far from infallible lately. Their CPU business is still their bellwether, but they've shown they're very vulnerable outside of their core competencies (see: Larrabee, SSDs, Hydra etc).
cheinonen - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - linkAccording to Forbes, ESPN costs the cable company $5.13 per subscriber to carry, and ESPN2 is $0.68 per customer. TNT is the only channel that comes in at more than $1 per person, and that's around $1.10 or so. Given how high the costs are, I imagine that while a lot of people want ESPN (like myself), there are many that probably don't.
I wouldn't be horribly surprised to see if the form of ala carte that would be offered up is something like a Sports Tier and a Non-Sports Tier. The Non-Sports people would save a lot of money just by hacking off ESPN, and the Sports people would be far happier to pay $25 a month for a sports package (say ESPN channels, NFL Network, regional Fox Sports channels) and skip everything else.
Of course, if you're ESPN then I have some trouble seeing why you'd do this, when you can easily tell Intel and everyone "Look, everyone gets ESPN, or no one does" and then you probably have a huge issue getting people to pick you over cable. The only way I'd see ESPN being available like that is if they had their own distribution system, where you pay them $20 a month directly though their app, or website, and you stream to that app. No middle man to take profits, and their main risk is that cable companies would revolt against paying them so much when there is an alternative, but maybe they can figure that out.
Ala Carte ESPN and sports is all I want, as I canceled cable when our kids were born and only miss it during football season, but I see a lot of impediments to it happening.
Impulses - Wednesday, February 13, 2013 - linkThat's fascinating, never realized ESPN had so much pull... I still subscribe to cable mainly for sports, as do a ton of enthusiasts I imagine. I mostly watch basketball (and they air 4-5 NBA games a week) but I do watch other sports at least once a month, plus stuff like Sportscenter, Sportsnation, etc.
I think ESPN's probably limited by their own contracts with the different leagues and student sport associations tho... If they did anything that drew the ire of the cable companies it'd put those other deals in jeopardy, they got to where they are by being the de facto spot for sports on TV after all.
Were premium channels like HBO/SHO included in that Forbes analysis, I'm still surprised the gap is that large. I guess their ad revenue driving potential is still than most tho, since sports is the only thing we'll willingly watch live.
saurabhr8here - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - linkNot sure what the point of this article is, because it clearly seems that Anandtech is using its platform to push Intel PR. Intel announced the thing and we got to know about it through all news outlets, but there are absolutely no technical details. A'tech has a reputation for its in-depth technical analysis and I would be happy to read that once you guys get a product in your hands. Until then, please stop being like the rest of the tech media.


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Indiana dairy producers feel the pain of their corn- and soybean-farming brethren. The weekslong drought literally is drying up feed supplies in the field and leaving producers with some tough decisions, say two Purdue University Extension dairy specialists. Producers need to act now to make sure they have access to alternative feed sources if dry conditions persist and they plan to continue operating their dairies at current herd size, said Tamilee Nennich and Mike Schutz.
Some dairy producers might need to reduce herd sizes in order to survive, they said.
"The drought is creating significant challenges for dairy farmers and their herds because dairy farmers depend on harvested forages to provide feed for their animals," Nennich said. "However, there are a number of strategies producers can consider to reduce the financial impacts of the drought."
A strategy high on the priority list is seeking forage from outside sources.
"Drought conditions often result in reduced pasture, hay and silage yields, which can greatly reduce the typical supply of forage for a dairy farm," Schutz said. "Being proactive on sourcing additional forage can be beneficial, as availability of forages may be reduced and prices will continue to rise as demand increases."
Schutz said if forage is difficult to come by, producers might buy drought-stressed corn harvested as silage. Although it might not equal feed values of corn silage grown in a normal year, drought-stressed corn still can be a good source of feed.
"The moisture of these crops must be monitored closely to be sure the crop will ensile and ferment correctly," Schutz said. "You'll also want to test them for nitrate levels."
Schutz and Nennich offered other drought management strategies for dairy producers:
- Use non-forage fiber sources in dairy diets. "Although some effective fiber is necessary in a dairy cow's diet, non-fiber feed sources, such as soybean hulls, corn gluten feed, cottonseed hulls and wheat midds can help meet the animal's fiber requirements while still maintaining production and health," Nennich said. "Some less expensive effective fiber, such as straw or low-quality hay, may be added."
- Properly harvest and store forage to reduce loss and waste. Pay attention to forage moisture levels, the use of inoculants, proper packing and rapid recovery of silages to ensure proper preservation.
- Test forages for quality and to properly balance rations. Forage harvested in drought conditions might have much different nutrient qualities than forage harvested in a non-drought year. Nitrate levels also could be higher in drought-stressed forage.
- Limit-feed dairy heifers or have them custom-raised. Limit-fed diets can include larger amounts of grain and byproduct feeds, thereby reducing the amount of forage needed to raise heifers. If heifers are custom-raised by a third party, producers can devote feed resources to rations for lactating cows.
- Cull cows and heifers to stretch forage inventories and purchases. Make sure remaining animals are healthy and profitable while keeping in mind that replacement heifers could be in short supply and expensive later.
Producers also might consider leaving the dairy business altogether.
"Under extreme situations, selling the herd may ultimately be the best option to avoid substantial loss of equity in the farm," Schutz said.
"However, this decision needs to be made with the help of consultants, along with a thorough evaluation of the entire situation, to ensure that all options have been explored and discussed."
Nennich and Schutz have written a series of papers on issues related to drought and dairy production: "Drought Strategies for Dairy Cattle," "Feeding Dairy Cattle During Drought Conditions," "Determining a Value for Corn Silage" and an accompanying corn silage value calculator, "Culling Dairy Cows: An Opportunity for Improvement When Feed Supplies Are Tight" and "Should I Quit Dairying Because of the Drought?"
Indiana was home to about 1,550 dairy farms in 2011, employing nearly 8,800 people. Those dairies produced 3.54 billion pounds of milk worth more than $711 million in direct sales. Counting sales of culled cows and heifers, the state's dairy industry generated $1.45 billion in economic value. PD
—From Purdue University


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Congress Tries to Curtail NSA Spying, Sort Of
Issue of eavesdropping on specific U.S. individuals' communications is personal for Senators and House members.
Buried in a soon-to-pass government spending bill is a ban on the monitoring of any specific U.S. citizen's phone calls and online activities. The small, vague passage, however, leaves wiggle room for the National Security Agency to continue sweeping up Americans' call and Internet data en masse.
The fiscal 2014 funding legislation seems to underscore that the targeting of U.S. citizens is illegal. It does not endorse or object to the controversial "Prism" Web-tracking program or collections of call "metadata" detailing conversation durations, timestamps and other phone log details.
The issue of eavesdropping on a U.S. individual's communications is personal for Senators and House members. As USA Today reported this week, NSA chief Gen. Keith Alexander, in a letter to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., denied spying on members of Congress but said the agency makes no promises that individual lawmakers have not had their call logs scooped up in broad dragnets.
According to the legislative text, the government cannot use any 2014 money to monitor online communications under the Internet surveillance program "for the purpose of targeting a United States person," and no funding can go toward looking at "the contents" of any calls of "a United States person" through the metadata program.
The House approved the measure late Wednesday and the Senate is expected to follow later this week.
President Obama on Friday morning is scheduled to address reforming NSA's digital intercept efforts, following global debate over their value and privacy protections.
A White House-appointed review panel last month recommended NSA farm out collection activities to telecommunications carriers or a private entity.
House and Senate Appropriations Committee staff declined to comment for this story.
As a policy, NSA does not comment on congressional proposals until they are enacted, an agency spokeswoman said.
(Image via robodread/Shutterstock.com)


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Apt documentation
# apt-get install <package name>
- apt-doc - A detailed documentation on apt package management.
- apt-howto - A HOW-TO on the popular subject of apt package management.
- apt-dpkg-ref - This is a apt dpkg quick reference sheet which forms a handy reference for those who find difficult to memorize the commands.
- bash-doc - The complete documentation for bash in info format.
- absguide - This is an advanced bash scripting guide which explores the art of shell scripting. It serves as a textbook, a manual for self-study, and a reference and source of knowledge on shell scripting techniques. The exercises and heavily-commented examples invite active reader participation, under the premise that the only way to really learn scripting is to write scripts.
- debian-installer-manual - This package contains the Debian installation manual, in a variety of languages. It also includes the installation HOWTO, and a variety of developer documentation for the Debian Installer.This is the right documentation to read if you are thinking of installing Debian on your machine.
- debian-reference - This book covers many aspects of system administration through shell command examples. The book is hosted online at qref.sourceforge.net but by installing this package, you get to read the whole book offline.
- doc-linux-text and doc-linux-nonfree-html - Any long time Linux user will know that in the past the HOW-TOs and FAQs formed the life line of anybody hoping to install and configure Linux on their machine. This was especially true when the machine had some obscure hardware. These packages download all the HOW-TOs and FAQs hosted on the tldp.org site and make available for offline use.
- linux-doc - This package makes available the Linux kernel documentation. Might come handy if you intend to compile a kernel yourself or you want to dig deep into understanding the working of the kernel.
- hwb - This is a hardware book which contains miscellaneous technical information about computers and other electronic devices. Among other things, you will find the pin out to most common and uncommon connectors available as well as information about how to build cables.
- rutebook - Rute's Exposition is one of the finest books available for any aspiring and even established Linux user. It is actually a book available on print but the author has released it online for free. You may read this book online too but by downloading this package, you get to read the book offline. (I highly recommend reading this book by anyone interested in using Linux).
- grokking-the-gimp - Linux has a top class graphics suite in Gimp. I have been using gimp to manipulate images published on this site as well as for other uses. This book which is also available online, covers all the aspects of working with Gimp in detail, all the while giving excellent practical examples interspersed with images. You may install this package if you wish to read the whole book offline. It is a 24 MB download though.
$ dpkg -L <package name>


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When a toddler acts out, it's not uncommon for the tot's parent to first check and make sure that the other child is ok, remove his/her little one from the situation, and talk to him/her about what happened, what the consequences are and what a better choice would have been.
When an older child hurts a toddler, however, the discipline is not always as clear cut. Sometimes the older child's caregiver doesn't see the incident, sometimes the older child complains about the punishment being unfair, or the toddler becomes exceptionally frightened and has a difficult time recovering. Big kids are just that...BIG!
Many parents force their child to apologize. It is a kind gesture and I'm sure their intentions are good, but the older child's apology it is not always appreciated by a hurt toddler. Why would he want to interact with a child who hurt him? Why should he wait while the older child protests and tries to wiggle his way out of an apology? And, no, most likely he doesn't want to be close enough to the older child to receive a hug or a pat on the back.
A hurt toddler probably wants the big kid to play somewhere else so he can continue to play and not worry about being hurt again. Surprisingly, I don't see this outcome happen often. Most of the time, the older child might whine, apologize quickly, and then immediately return to rough playing right next to the hurt/frightened/upset toddler.
How do you handle these negative interactions between toddlers and older kids? Do you force your child to apologize to younger children? If so, how do you ensure a successful interaction?


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Sunday of Orthodoxy
Today hath appeared, a day full of joy, because the splendor of true doctrine shineth forth brilliantly, and the Church of Christ now sparkleth, adorned by the elevation of the Icons of the saints and their illustrating pictures, and believers attain there a unity rewarded of God.
+ Orthros of the Feast, Tone 4
On the first Sunday in Lent, we commemorate the decision of the Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787 A.D. upholding the use of holy icons in Orthodox worship. We also commemorate today the unity of Orthodox belief and the oneness of our Faith—across languages, continents, and centuries.
Read more about the Orthodox theology of icons
Listen to Fr. Thomas Hopko on the Triumph of Orthodoxy
As the prophets beheld, as the Apostles have taught,... as the Church has received... as the teachers have dogmatized,... as the Universe has agreed,... as Grace has shown forth,... as Truth has revealed,... as falsehood has been dissolved,... as Wisdom has presented,... as Christ Awarded,... thus we declare,... thus we assert,... thus we preach Christ our true God, and honor as Saints in words, in writings, in thoughts, in sacrifices, in churches, in Holy Icons; on the one hand worshipping and reverencing Christ as God and Lord; and on the other hand honoring as true servants of the same Lord of all and accordingly offering them veneration.
This is the Faith of the Apostles, this is the Faith of the Fathers, this is the Faith of the Orthodox, this is the Faith which has established the Universe.
-- Confession of faith of the Day of Orthodoxy


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Bee necklace black
Bee necklace black
Black bee pendant necklace. All our jewelry is waterproof and does not loses its color.
Necklace length: 40cm + 5cm extension
• Waterproof jewelry
• Handcrafted in Barcelona
• Delivery in 2 - 5 work days
• Free EU shipping above €35
Size guidance
Size guidance
We recommend measuring yourself for the perfect fit. You can use a sewing tape measure to achieve this. If you do not have one, you can use a common household item, such as headphones, charging wires, or a piece of string- then measuring that household item with a ruler or other measurement tool.
Necklace lengths (cm)
|Choker size
|Collar: Hits around the collar bone
|Princess: Most popular length for pendants
All necklaces come with a 5cm extension
|12,5 - 14,5
|14,5 - 16,5
|16,5 - 18,5
All bracelets come with a 3cm extension
You can use this charts to help guide you, but keep in mind that everyone has different sized body parts. You can always send us a message for special request for lengths and sizes. We can customize your jewelry to how you like it.


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Before you jump into purchasing a LMS it makes sense to cover the basics, understand the jargon, decide if you want to go it alone or hire a consultant and last but not least realize you are not alone in the process.
The industry uses a lot of jargon and it is easy to become confused. Let's break down the most common terms and two new terms hitting the space.
- LMS – Learning Management System – most commonly sought out by folks. Can include talent management/performance management features or add-on modules (which are often built into the system, but turned off)
- LCMS – Learning Content Management System – going the way of the dodo bird
- M-Learning- Mobile Learning. This means the system can be viewed via a mobile device. It does not mean that the system comes with a native app nor offers online/offline synchronization
- E-Learning – Online Learning. Many people confuse the term thinking it means electronic learning and thus will boost that they were doing e-learning 20 years ago or even longer. Not true.
- TM/PM – Talent Management/Performance Management. Used interchangeably. The most common features within this area for a LMS, include 360 feedback, skill gap analysis, performance reviews and skill paths.
- HCM – Human Capital Management. A HCM will include such modules as compensation, payroll, recruiting (which may include career planning, job postings, etc.), benefits and HRIS (Human Resources Information Systems). You do not have to purchase all the modules. You can pick and choose or buy just one.
- RCAT – Rapid Content Authoring Tool. This is a product where you build e-learning courses. It is called rapid because you can build quickly without any real tech skill sets. Some tools offer more advanced capabilities and features for folks who have a strong ID (instructional design) or e-learning developer skill sets. Common brands under RCAT – Articulate, Lectora, Captivate, Rapid Intake, dominKnow Claro.
- Sim Tool – Simulation Tool. Geared towards ID and e-learning developer folks. Tech skill set is required. Not for novices.
- Authoring Tool. See RCAT.
- SCORM/SCORM 2004, 1.2, AICC – Please read post covering this topic
- PENS – Created by AICC in 2005. Offers some nice capabilities compared to SCORM, but not widely used.
- Users/Seats – This approach is still widely used in the industry. A seat means one user name and one password. So if you have 500 employees who will access the system every month or for the year, then you need 500 seats. Some vendors (and it is gaining steam) offer "active users".
- Active users – People who are taking at least one course during the month. Let's say you have 500 users, but only 100 are taking one course in May. You pay only for those 100 users. The next month, 85 use it. You pay only for 85. There are a few vendors who will charge only when the end user completes a course (but this is rare)
- E-Commerce model – It is rare, but there are vendors who offer it. It is ideal for B2B and B2C channels. The vendors who offer it (and those who do – do not make it public – so if you want it – you have to ask) tend to charge per course sold. The charge – is a percentile of the sale. You set the price of the course, video, etc. The percentiles are not outrageous.
- Tin Can API – Better known as Tin Can. Communicates instances between a system and a device. Right now works with mobile devices. Could in the future work with XBox 360, SMART TV and other items of that nature.
Requires a native app (self-contained) on the mobile device and enables online/offline synchronization. Online/Offline synchronization allows the learner to take courses, etc. offline, without an internet connection and then when they have a net connection all instances (data) is communicated back to the LMS or other SaaS product. Some RCAT vendors have the Tin Can API as well as some LMS vendors.
- API – Application Program Interface. Many systems offer you the ability to add your own APIs and vice versa.
- LRS – Learning Record Stores. The newest kid on the block. In its simplest terms:
- Tied to the Tin Can API.
- Stores learning activites which are records
- The records are housed in a learning store (repository)
- While it can be a standalone it is more likely to be a part of a LMS
- If an employee or whomever leaves the company/org., etc. and thus the LMS, and then goes to another system (another company) their learning record can go with them. This will enable the record to be stored in the new LMS of their new employer. The same could apply to customers (although not sure why you would allow it).
- If you decide to switch to another system who supports LRSs, the employees/customers records could be moved into the new system, assuming you are having the same courses in the new system. You can have just a few of the previous courses or some materials that they have previously used or even completed test results.
- Reported to be the next generation for e-learning and opens up the possibility of true interoperability from one system to the next
At this point, LRSs are really not ready for prime time. As one vendor who has LRS told me, it is still a work in progress and they do not offer it to their customers.
While it has amazing potential, I have some concerns tied to privacy and security, which I believe need to be resolved. These concerns are
- Would a company want their x-employee to have their learning record which would contain information that exists within your own system? Granted it would be of learning, but I know plenty of companies who do not allow former employees to take any materials, work that was created while employed at the firm.
- How many clients -i.e. businesses would allow their employees' learning move from their solution into another, without their consent? Again, it ties back into the previous.
- Compliance issues and privacy. What about countries who have staunch laws regarding privacy. How would this work?
- Security concerns. How much data stored in the learning record would be moved? Honestly, if I was a training director for a financial firm or aerospace/defense, I wouldn't be likely to allow them to take their own learning record. It opens up real security issues.
Do it yourself or Hire a consultant
When it comes time to do the leg work and identify systems that you are interested in and thus take a deeper dive leading to purchasing, the first thing you must do is decide whether to go it alone or hire a consultant.
What are the advantages of hiring a consultant
- Knowledge and expertise already exists. Assuming the consultant has vast experience in finding systems for clients, the time saved is tremendous. Many consultants, including myself know the market and thus are able to jump right in and move at a quicker pace than say someone who is new or in the process of looking around.
- Looking for a system or authoring tool can be overwhelming. With over 511 LMSs on the market and more than 140 authoring tools finding the right one can be an exercise in pain and confusion. A consultant will handle it for you and thus enable you to do other things, without having to worry about finding the right system or product.
- Assist with business processes. If you have never implemented a system, needing assistance in this area will reduce resources and productivity challenges. Not all consultants can offer this, but a few like myself do.
- Eliminates creating RFPs, shooting them out everywhere and waiting for a response. Plus it eliminates the sales people following up with you and for many people they do not want to deal with that.
- Time equals money and if you can lower the time spent, the cost for hiring some consultants will be well spent.
Going to Alone
I've done it many times – as a training director/manager – and haven't had any problems. I never did a RFP nor spent more time than necessary to find a system. Sure things have changed – more systems than in any previous year – but if you are willing to take the time to do it – it can be done.
You should have a plan ahead of time of what you want to do and how you want to go about it. Many people don't and that is where you will find yourself facing challenges.
Always follow these steps, which are essential to finding a system.
- Try to avoid using a RFP template. There is one vendor out there who has it and many people use it. The problem is that it contains so much information and it is geared toward that said vendor, it will be impossible for other vendors to match every item. Plus, nowadays many vendors can tell when someone is using "said" template and will not respond.
If you are going to use a template (I will be creating one in the near future for folks to use), focus on the key features you will need. Ask them for the price of the system and have it based on the projected number of users (seats) for the first year.
Also have them list the pricing for other items such as setup, SSO (Single Sign On), additional skins (if you plan to have an extended enterprise product), additional languages (the first one is always free) and any additional modules – if you are interested in them.
You always want the items to be listed – i.e. itemized and not one lump price. Find out what is included in the setup fee and whether it is one time or yearly. Make sure to tell them to be very specific when it comes to pricing and seats. Some vendors will tell you they cannot give you a price point. That is totally bogus.
Ask them if they will provide a sandbox (trial) with full access if they are in the top three. Ask them who would be your point of contact – it may not be the person who is doing the RFP.
Even if you choose not to use a RFP, make sure to create a quick spreadsheet listing the features you want – being specific. For example: you want a calendar. But do you want to be able to have the calendar on the home page? Do you want to offer people to register for ILT or webinars on their own? Do you want a wait-list? What about e-mail notifications?
Do you need to have a template within the system? Can you track to see who opened the e-mail notifications and who did not? Do you want to have SMS (text messages), which is growing in popularity? Do you want the ability to color code different sessions, add a brief description, include pricing (if applicable)?
As you can see, just saying one item and assuming the vendor knows what you want is not enough.
Similar to using the RFP, i.e. pricing, setup, training, etc. and the other information presented above, you should do the same if you are talking directly with the sales person.
Ask for specifics. There are some vendors who will refrain from giving you pricing as if their system is a secret project for only a select few.
It makes absolutely no sense. With so many products out there – you have the leverage so use it. I know of only two vendors who fought me on pricing and I ended up walking away. If they are doing this now, what happens when I get the system.
Speaking of features, if you want mobile learning ask them for specifics. There are plenty of vendors who say they offer mobile, but really want they are saying is you can view the system via your mobile web browser.
To me this is not mobile learning. If you want on/off synch ask them. That said, I have vendors who said yes or what do you mean, so expect to provide them information.
Forecast for three years
When you are preparing your game plan, you should focus on three years. This is because that is how long it will take you to build mass. Sure, you might do it earlier, but on average it takes three years.
Let's say you find your system and want to get down and dirty with the pricing. To score a lower price point, provide estimates on how many users will be in year two and year three. If you have 1,500 employees right now, do you think you will have the same number in three years? If you are rolling it out in stages and in year one only 75 employees will be using it, how many do you think in year two?
Many vendors are now offering/going with "active users", which is quite beneficial to those of us who do not want to pay for folks not using the system in any given month.
Only look at products you are seriously interested in. Salespeople will want to ask you some questions ahead of time before scheduling a demo, even if you want one. You will always want to have the demo with only yourself or team and no one else.
Some vendors schedule demos, which means that anyone including you/your team can be on it. I hate that. If you are important to them, they will go one on one with you. Also there are vendors who have demos online for you to see.
The problem is that they are not full demos, but rather pieces. You want the full one and you want to see front and back end of the system. The back end is the administrator's side.
A vendor who knows what they are doing will ask you questions ahead of time (before the demo) so it can be tailored to what you want to see and need.
Always ask to see a few systems that are skinned/branded so you can get an idea on what a system could look like because the demos are typically vanilla (i.e. no real skins).
Make sure that the designs you are seeing are ones that are included in the price and are not an additional cost i.e. heavily customized by the customer. I've seen a few of these and then had to ask the vendor if the client paid extra for such a design.
A vendor who does not want to show you at least the front look and feel of another client, is not worth your time.
Negotiations and Contracts
I have an extensive blog article on this topic, but in a nutshell:
- Sign only a three year deal. Nothing more, nothing less. You can renew after the three years if you like the system. Some folks who bought the Learn.com system did not care for the Taleo purchase and thus were stuck.
- Opt out clause at the end of each year of the contract. Before the next year kicks in, you want that opt out clause, which says you can leave the system without any additional penalties or fees. Vendors do not put these into contracts, so you have to negotiate for it. I have only had one vendor who refused to do this – and guess what? I said goodbye. If they aren't willing to do this for you, how rigid are they going to be or difficult when you need some other things.
- You want a discount. Never pay street price. Within the industry the discount tends to be 15%, although some vendors are now doing only 10%. If you are a non-profit, education institution or government entity you may get an automatic discount. This is quite common with non-profits but you need to ask and will need to provide a 501 C3.
- The bigger you are – i.e. size of users/employees the better the discount should be. If you have 50,000 seats you should have a better deal than someone who has 5,00 seats (sadly, this is the case). And that deal should include a better discount.
- Always have them itemize everything. I've seen vendors who have said the discount is in the total price, but how do you really know? You don't.
- Also find out if the discount is yearly or only for the first year. What I have done in the past is break out the discount over my three years. One time I had a 20% discount. So what I did was pay full price the first year (when I had less seats), take 5% the 2nd year and then 15% the third year (when I had more seats). Again, some vendors will offer the split, some won't but you won't know unless you ask.
- If the salesperson says he/she cannot offer a discount ask to speak to the sales manager/VP of Sales or whoever is in charge. Nothing against the salesperson, but many cannot offer great deals. However the sales executive can.
Bottom Line
Buying a LMS requires some leg work on your part.
There are more advantages for you than in the past because there are more systems. Not surprisingly there are plenty who do the same if not better than the extremely well known vendors.
More importantly, you do not have to spend 250K or higher on a system. Nor do you have to spend 60K or higher for 500 seats.
The keys to success are right there for you.
It is what you do with them that will make the difference.
E-Learning 24/7


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Spiritual Life
For the past 127 years we have blended many disparate faith traditions in our retirement communities to create an inspiring purpose-filled life for all. Seniors of all faiths are welcome and encouraged to seek residence at our communities.
WEL's diverse communities include residents from Methodist, Protestant, Catholic, Quaker, and Jewish communities of faith. Our chaplains, who are especially trained for ministry with an older adult population, recognize and respect this variety of spiritual expression and make every effort to help residents practice their faith in their chosen way. Resident can rely upon our chaplains to regularly lead worship and bible studies classes, conduct personal and hospital visits, and provide counseling and grief support.
The WEL communities have dedicated chapels and places for congregational worship. In fact, during the last four years the organization has built two new meditation chapels as well as remodeled new spaces for congregational worship on Sundays and high holy days.


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Dreams Never Die
by Metaphrog / Hey / Múm on FatCat RecordsReleased 02/08/2004
FatCat Records is proud to present 'Jack', the lead single from the forthcoming U.S. Girls' album, 'Gem, which acts as a perfect introduction to a stunning record which merges a fascination with glam rock as interpreted by the anti-excess of Patti Smith, an inverted take on Bolan's Pop testosterone and the alienating abstraction of Throbbing Gristle.
Meghan Remy, the lone American woman behind U.S. Girls, first fell in love with 'Jack' - a song written in 1991 by the legendary Brock Robinson about a dream he had in which he was Jack the Ripper - when she heard it covered on a four song demo by Danava in 2004;
"I would put "Jack" on repeat for what seemed like hours and go about my business. Never growing tired of the abrupt way the song begins, the whiney sexy vocals, that dirty glam feel. I knew someday I would cover this song."
Boosted by warm and textured production, a result of the collaboration between Remy and Canadian musician Slim Twig first unveiled on their Palmist split 12" in mid-2011, Remy made the choice to leave the arrangement of the song much as it is on the Danava version. "Like I say," Meg explains "they nailed it so Slim and I just duplicated it in a way, the only difference being that a woman is singing it...Jack the Ripper is now a woman."


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In this post to the Developer Tutorials blog, Akash Mehta talks about the "version dilemma" that developers face when looking for good hosting - with all of the push towards PHP5 these days, why is it that so many hosting environments are still running on PHP4?
If you purchase a cheap hosting account with many of the major web hosts around today, chances are they will be running PHP 4. The problem for web hosts is this: the PHP community may have moved on from version 4, but a lot of the code out there hasn't.
He recommends one solution that several hosting providers are starting to gravitate towards - offering both to their customers and allowing them to switch between them (via something like cPanel).


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Clearing Up the Confusion Between Security, Privacy, HIPAA and HITECH: An Interview With Steve Spearman
Mary Pat: Your business is called "Health Security Solutions." People often confuse privacy with security. Can you clear up the confusion for us?
Steve: The Privacy rules refer to the broad requirements to protect the confidentiality of Protected Health Information (PHI) in all its forms. So for example, a physician talking loudly on the phone in the lobby of a restaurant about a patient by name is a violation of the privacy rules. PHI on paper records is covered under the privacy rules.
The security rules are specifically concerned about protecting the confidentiality (i.e. privacy), integrity and availability of electronic PHI, or PHI that exists in a digital form. So once you are dealing with electronic health records and information systems, violations tend to fall under the security rules. (more…)


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Saturday, April 30, 2011
Beautiful Blouses
Posted by Couture Carrie at 8:04 AM 30 comments
Friday, April 29, 2011
Architectural Inspiration: In the Pink
First things first, darlings ~ the winner of CC's Havaianas Flip Flops Giveaway is the lovely indie.electronic.alternative - congrats!
Architectural inspiration via marieclairemaison.com.
AntonioBerardi box-pleat stretch cotton-crepe dress; this and next at net-a-porter.com.
Sachin + Babi Tropez scarf; this and next at shopbop.com.
Kenneth Jay Lane coil snake ring.Darlings, what do you think of this space and the look it inspired?
Posted by Couture Carrie at 6:24 AM 40 comments
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Pre-Fall 2011 Coats, Part III
First things first, darlings ~ the winner of CC's NKHenry Clutch Giveaway is That Chelsea Girl - congrats!
The A-Z survey of designers concludes, darlings. CC hopes that you have enjoyed this outerwear primer for pre-fall!
Photos courtesy style.com.
Rachel Roy
Which coat is calling to you?
Posted by Couture Carrie at 8:58 AM 40 comments
Labels: coat, jacket, patterned coat, pre-fall fashion, runway
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Pre-Fall 2011 Coats, cont'd.
First things first ~ the winner of CC's $50 JC Penney Gift Card Giveaway is the lovely Meg - congrats!
Darlings, the pre-fall gorgeousness continues!
Runway coverage via style.com.
Jason Wu
Which coat catches your eye?
Posted by Couture Carrie at 6:55 AM 33 comments
Labels: coat, fur coat, jacket, pre-fall fashion, runway
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Filter by Topic
Dissertation: Lessons from Embryos: Haeckel's Embryo Drawings, Evolution, and Secondary Biology Textbooks
Haeckel believed that the development of an embryo revealed the adult stages of the organism's ancestors. Haeckel represented this idea with drawings of vertebrate embryos at similar developmental stages. This is Haeckel's embryo grid, the most common of all illustrations in biology textbooks. Yet, Haeckel's embryo grids are much more complex than any textbook explanation. I examined 240 high school biology textbooks, from 1907 to 2010, for embryo grids.
Format: Essays and Theses
Subject: Publications, People
"The Development of the Pronephros during the Embryonic and Early Larval Life of the Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)" (1932), by Rachel L. Carson
Rachel L. Carson studied biology at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland and graduated in 1933 with an MA upon the completion of her thesis, The Development of the Pronephros during the Embryonic and Early Larval Life of the Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). The research that Carson conducted for this thesis project grounded many of the claims and observations she presented in her 1962 book, Silent Spring.
Format: Articles
Subject: People, Experiments, Publications
Pearl Luella Kendrick (1890–1980)
Pearl Luella Kendrick researched prevention for pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, during the mid-1900s. Pertussis is a respiratory disease that mainly affects infants and young children. During the 1920s, pertussis was responsible for more deaths in children in the United States than any other disease. In the 1930s, Kendrick created one of the first pertussis vaccines that underwent large-scale clinical trials.
Format: Articles
Subject: People, Publications, Processes
People's Padre: An Autobiography (1954), by Emmett McLoughlin
Emmett McLoughlin wrote People's Padre: An Autobiography, based on his experiences as a Roman Catholic priest advocating for the health of people in Arizona. The Beacon Press in Boston, Massachusetts, published the autobiography in 1954. McLoughlin was a Franciscan Order Roman Catholic priest who advocated for public housing and healthcare for the poor and for minority groups in Phoenix, Arizona, during the mid twentieth century. The autobiography recounts McLoughlin's efforts in founding several community initiatives throughout Phoenix, including the St.
Format: Articles
Subject: Outreach, People, Publications, Religion


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Hockey Bunnies Logo
Eggnerd, Denton, Texas, 2009
A fan club for the inline hockey team of the University of North Texas needed a symbol for use on T-shirts and other materials, to provide a sense of identity and unified support for their atheletes.
Juror Notes
Have to love it. We all wanted to see the uniforms!
You don't mess with the Hockey Bunnies. The Hockey Bunnies will not be denied.
Collections: AIGA 365: 31 (2010)
Repository: Denver Art Museum
Discipline: Brand and identity systems design
Format: Logo
- Design firm
- Eggnerd
- Designer
- Alex Egner
- Client
- University of North Texas


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I've finally gotten around to posting my Klutz paper fashion creations! My favorite is this witch's gown. Since Halloween is my favorite holiday, I created something I'd want to wear to a spooky Halloween ball.
I also had a lot of fun creating this woodland fairy outfit. Those shoes were so dratted difficult to cut out!
You can see more beautiful designs created by bloggers and crafters at the Klutz Design Challenge website. And don't forget to enter my Klutz Paper Fashions Fantasy giveaway for a chance to win your own Klutz Paper Fashions Fantasy book and create some fantasies of your own. FIVE winners will be selected on September 17th!
I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
Bonggamom's Klutz paper fashion creations
Friday, September 11, 2009
Labels: crafts
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The Associated Press
While the rest of the NBA world waits in limbo for LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony to decide where they are going to play next season, the San Antonio Spurs just keep quietly making sure the band is getting back together for a run at a second straight title.
In the middle of the James hysteria on Wednesday, the Spurs issued a two-sentence press release announcing that coach Gregg Popovich had agreed to a multi-year contract extension. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
After beating the Miami Heat for the franchise's fifth championship last month, the Spurs quickly found out that Tim Duncan would indeed return next season. Deals with Patty Mills and Boris Diaw ensured that the roster would remain largely intact, so there was little doubt that the 65-year-old Popovich would return for a 19th season on the Spurs bench.
That was confirmed on Wednesday in a presentation that was predictably light on fanfare. No comments fromPopovich. No statements from GM RC Buford or owner Peter Holt. No big deal, just the way Popovich likes it.
The talk of his pending retirement has grown louder as the years have gone on, but Popovich showed no sign of slowing down in season No. 18. He led the Spurs to a league-best 62 wins in the regular season, earned his third coach of the year award and then helped the team recover from the heartbreak of last year's loss to the Heat in the finals with an emphatic five-game triumph this season.
"Day after day, year after year, the energy that Pop provides our organization is truly unique," Buford said when Popovich joined Pat Riley and Don Nelson as the only coaches in league history to be named coach of the year three times.
Popovich is 1,116-533, including the playoffs, in a career that started in 1996. He is the longest-tenured coach in any of the four major American pro sports and has led the Spurs to at least 50 wins 16 times, including 15 in a row.
The Associated Press


text: Geeta Dayal in «Slate Book Review» reviews a book that will make you dizzy. In "BASIC: A single line of code sends readers into a labyrinth" she explores the mysteries of a brief line of computer code that draws a strange, beautiful and endless maze pattern on the screen, and much more besides. Here's a precis of what she writes:


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Monday, March 14, 2011
Raw Silk For S/S
[Last picture courtesy of Die, Workwear!]
[Editor's Note: Shout out to Nico for the assistance.]
9 comments:
Both great brands but I saw some great raw silk neckties AND bowties for S/S 11. Best out IMHOReplyDelete
I didn't know what raw silk was. I learned something today. These are dope.ReplyDelete
That last photo is amazing - perfect colors!ReplyDelete
Thank you so much for this. I've always been excited for fall, when I can break out textured wool ties. And then disappointed as spring starts to roll around, because they need to be retired for too many months. Plain silk just doesn't do it for me. So this is getting me pumped for spring/summer neckwear!ReplyDelete
Love them... Actually Drakes has some pretty awesome colors if you click through each style.ReplyDelete
Some of the pastels look amazing with the slub...
Oops did not realize you had linked them... Stupid in Tumblr browser... My bad!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 15, 2011 at 1:01 AM
I gotta give u some props for this on laurence, I had no idea what raw silk was, but this stuff could really set an outfit off.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 15, 2011 at 12:10 PM
Great stuff! I know what I'm buying next.ReplyDelete
You got any cheaper options for someone in Europe as well? £100 from Drakes is a bit steep for a tie imo.
- AnonymousMarch 17, 2011 at 3:21 PM
what happened to this blog? i used to be excited to check this on a daily basis. cool stuff i have never heard of/seen before. screenshots from movies with great style. etcReplyDelete
nowadays, you rarely update, and if i want to see a lookbook, ill subscribe to catalogs. not hating because i'll still be here and i enjoy your writing and taste, but just saying.


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CV Repair Part - OD 0.906 / ID 0.625
Model Number: 403-6
Motor Master Power Sports
10+ Remaining+-Read The Description
The centering socket and ball are critical to proper function of the CV head assembly. When the socket and ball wear out (due to lack of lubrication) it will cause vibration and rough operation. This leads to serious damage to the driveshaft. Rockford manufactures the critical repair parts to service these types of driveshafts.$3.70
Payment Methods:


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Actress Faye Dunaway thought co-presenter Warren Beatty was joking when he paused before showing her the envelope that should have contained the Oscar's best picture winner, she told Lester Holt on "NBC Nightly News."
Dunaway said she thought Beatty was stalling for effect.
She read "La La Land" as best picture winner rather than "Moonlight" after PwC partner Brian Cullinan mistakenly handed them the back-up envelope for Actress in a Leading Role instead of the envelope for Best Picture.
She read the movie's title on the card but didn't notice Emma Stone's name, Dunaway said.
She felt "completely stunned" and later felt guilty because she thought she could have done something to prevent the debacle.
Holt's interview with Dunaway will air Tuesday on the "Today" show.