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Our Animal Action Education programme helps children learn and care about animals
Learn more about helping animals in crisis
- Make a plan for your pets in case of disasters
- Unnatural Disasters, a report on the need for government disaster planning to include animals
- Recommendations to the Japanese government about how to help animals after nuclear accidents
- Marine Mammal Rescue and Research Team fact sheet
- Rescuing animals in crisis—An emergency response fact sheet
Our work depends on your generous support. Please give what you can to help the animals.
About IFAW's animal rescue work
- How do I report a stranded marine mammal?
- Marine Mammal Rescue and Research's groundbreaking research
- How to apply for a Disaster Response Grant
- A pet owner's guide to disaster planning
- What are Disaster Response Emergency Relief Networks?
- Rescuing Amur tigers in Russia
- Big cats in captivity in the US
Animal rescue news
On a brilliant November day, ifaw president and CEO Azzedine Downes and I climbed the Great Wall. Autumn foliage dots the Read more »
Core to IFAW's work are the pillars of rescue, rehabilitation and release of animals in the places they call home. Read more »
It has been an excruciating month for me since Hurricane Maria slammed my home island of Dominica. There was almost no Read more »
News outlets around the world have reported that more than 100 pangolins were found and rescued after a dramatic car chase Watch Video »
Three more rescued bear cubs, a male and two females, are recovering at the International Fund for Animal Welfare's Watch Video »
The documentary film Born to Be Free produced with support by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) will open Watch Video »
In 2001, The Beijing Raptor Rescue Center (BRRC) was founded to rescue and rehabilitate birds of prey in China. Raptors are Watch Video »
IFAW welcomes cooperation agreement between World Organisation for Animal Health and International Coalition for Animal Welfare
The International Coalition for Animal Welfare (ICFAW) has announced the adoption by OIE Member Countries of a cooperation agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and ICFAW. This agreement will further advance this close work Read more »
Six Orphaned Asian Elephant Calves, Hand-raised at CWRC, Moved to Manas National Park for Rehabilitation
Six orphaned female elephant calves that had been hand-raised at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation – CWRC; the wildlife rescue, treatment and rehabilitation facility jointly run by Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), the Intern Read more »
Three female rhino calves rescued from monsoon floods that devastated Kaziranga National Park in 2016 and hand-raised at the IFAW-WTI Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) were translocated to Manas National Park for eventual reh Read more »
The island nation of Dominica suffered terribly after hurricane Maria tore through the Caribbean last month. The International Fund for Animal Welfare is sending food, supplies, and an expert team of disaster responders to help the community, their a Read more »
After the island of Barbuda was left almost completely destroyed by Hurricane Irma's winds and rain, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) sent their team of disaster response experts to the island nation as recovery efforts begin to Read more »
Rescued Rhino Rehabilitated by IFAW-WTI and the Assam Forest Department into Manas National Park Gives Birth to Second Calf in the Wild
'Jamuna', a female rhino that had been rehabilitated into the wild by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and the Assam Forest Department in 2010, has given birth to her second calf in Manas Nat Read more »
IFAW's flagship publication explores where we work, the species we protect, the inspiring work of our staff, and other IF Read more »
Koalas are elusive creatures and difficult to detect with the human eye as they spend much of their lives asleep high up in Read more »
It was a happy ending for an elephant calf who was unable to cross a tea garden ditch in Assam, where the IFAW-WTI team Read more »
Bali is a place of contradiction. So much beauty, so much kindness. And yet, for so many dogs here targeted to cull, it Read more »
Randfontein Municipal Waste Disposal site – aka The Dump. A long barrow-mound, the place where all our stuff comes to Read more »


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Hi Steve,
I did a search and I didn't see anything about this, and plus it might be a stupid question:
If someone has Insubstantial 4, can they be detected by smell or by hearing?
I would say YES because when Insubstantial 4 characters typically talk, they can be heard. This tells me that they can generate sound and be heard. So, if they have rustling clothes they may be unintentionally heard. And, I suppose they could also generate smell and be detected.
What do you think?
Insubstantial 4 and Smell/Heard
Ask M&M 2e rules questions that your fellow gamers can't answer. Only Mutants & Masterminds Line Developer (and creator) Steve Kenson can post replies. He visits the boards in between projects and convention appearances so please be patient!
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Author Notes: I fell in love with making homemade marshmallows a couple years ago. It took only one batch to realize how easy they are to make and that most people are very surprised to learn marshmallows can be made at home (one of many reasons I like giving them as gifts). After finding a no-fail recipe in Gourmet, I've felt much more comfortable tweaking elements to create my own. These are perfect for the winter - a vanilla-infused marshmallow that's been swirled with chocolate and sealed in a cinnamon-cocoa powder coat. For the chocolate, I like to go dark (here, I used a bar with 75% cacao to offset the sweetness of the rest of the square). - notlazy.rustic. —lifeaswecookit
Food52 Review: If you've never made marshmallows you should try these -- we had a ball with this recipe! You pour hot sugar syrup into gelatin and then let the mixer work its magic, whipping up the marshmallow until it fluffs and gets bouncy. Once the marshmallow is shaped and set, you snip it into whatever size or shape marshmallows you want. For a child's treat, notlazy.rustic.'s marshmallows have an adult touch -- they're scented with chocolate and cinnamon, and not too much of either. You'll probably eat all of them plain, but you might also try dropping a few into hot chocolate. - A&M —The Editors
Makes: one 9x9 square
Prep time: 2 hrs 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Chocolate Swirl Marshmallow
2 1/2
ounces dark chocolate, broken into pieces
cup water, divided
packets (.25 ounces each) unflavored gelatin
1 1/2
cups granulated sugar
cup light corn syrup
pinch kosher salt
tablespoon vanilla extract
Cocoa Powder-Cinnamon Coating
cup confectioners' sugar
tablespoon cocoa powder
1 1/2
teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Lightly grease a 9x9-inch metal baking pan with cooking spray or oil; set aside.
- In mini food processor, chop chocolate 45 seconds, or until the chocolate is the size of tiny pebbles; you could also use a knife or spice grinder for this. Set aside.
- Place 1/2 cup water in bowl of electric mixer; sprinkle gelatin over water, distributing well. Let stand while you prepare the syrup.
- In medium sauce pot, combine remaining water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium; bring to a boil without stirring. Add candy thermometer; cook, without stirring, but brushing down sides with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until the mixture registers 240° F (soft-ball stage). Let sit 1 minute.
- Turn electric mixer on, on low speed. Carefully pour hot sugar mixture in a stream into mixer bowl; once the mixture is incorporated, gradually increase speed to high. Beat 12-14 minutes, or until mixture is opaque and very thick. Turn mixer off. Add vanilla extract; beat 30 seconds. Add chopped chocolate and beat 15-20 seconds more, or until just melted and swirled through, but not completely combined.
- Immediately transfer marshmallow to the greased pan (use a greased spatula to transfer any that sticks to the bowl). Lightly wet your hands and smooth top of marshmallow. Set aside, uncovered, until firm (about 2 hours).
- Meanwhile, in bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder and ground cinnamon.
- Using scissors dipped in confectioners' sugar mixture, cut marshmallow into squares, tossing in powder and dusting off excess as you go. (They will be incredibly sticky, but as soon as you toss them in the sugar-cocoa powder mixture, they will be easy to package.) Package in an airtight box or plastic gift bag that is tied very well.
- Your Best Edible Gift Contest Finalist!
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
More Great Recipes:
Candy|Chocolate|Cinnamon|Serves a Crowd|Valentine's Day|Dessert


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Location: Bio-oils ResearchTitle: Fuel properties of highly polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl esters: Prediction of fuel properties of algal biodiesel Author
Submitted to: Energy and Fuels
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/28/2012
Publication Date: 8/20/2012
Citation: Knothe, G.H. 2012. Fuel properties of highly polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl esters: Prediction of fuel properties of algal biodiesel. Energy and Fuels. 26(8):5265-5273.
Interpretive Summary: Biodiesel is a renewable alternative to diesel fuel obtained from petroleum. It has usually been produced from vegetable oils such as soybean, sunflower, rapeseed, or palm oils as well as animal fats and used cooking oils. To increase the supply of biodiesel, algae which have the potential to produce significant amounts of oil, have found increasing interest as potential biodiesel sources. However, due to issues such as growth and harvesting, little to no biodiesel has yet been produced from algal oils. Accordingly, virtually no fuel properties have been determined experimentally. This work investigates essential fuel properties of biodiesel from algae by studying some pure compounds as they would be expected to occur in algal biodiesel and predicting the properties of others that are not available. In turn, these experimental and predicted properties are used to predict the properties of algal biodiesel fuels which are mixtures of the individual compounds. It is shown that many algal biodiesel fuels will likely have problems regarding oxidative stability, cold flow, and a combustion-related property called the cetane number. Other specifications in biodiesel standards may also present problems. This information is important because it shows that production of algal oils should also address the issue of quality of biodiesel fuels produced from them.
Technical Abstract: Biodiesel, defined as the mono-alkyl esters of vegetable oils and animal fats, can be derived from other triacylglycerol-containing feedstocks. Especially algae are being considered for this purpose due to their claimed high production potential. However, there are no comprehensive reports regarding the fuel properties of biodiesel obtained from algal oils. Algal oils, with examples of some exceptions also mentioned here, often contain significant amounts of saturated and highly polyunsaturated (greater than or equal to four double bonds) fatty acid chains which influence fuel properties of the resulting biodiesel. In this connection, the relevant fuel properties of biodiesel from algal oils and the important fuel properties of highly polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl esters as they would occur in many biodiesel fuels obtained from algal oils, have not yet been reported. To fill this gap, in the present work, for the first time, two neat highly polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl esters with more than three double bonds, methyl 5(Z),8(Z),11(Z),14(Z)-eicosatetraenoate (C20:4) and methyl 4(Z),7(Z),10(Z),13(Z),16(Z),19(Z)-docosahexaenoate (C22:6), were investigated. The cetane numbers were determined as 29.6 for C20.4 and 24.4 for C22:6. Kinematic viscosity values were observed as 3.11 mm2/s for C20:4 and 2.97 mm2/s for C22:6 while oxidative stability values were below 0.1 h for both by the Rancimat test and densities were above 0.9 g/cm3. Two polyunsaturated C20 methyl esters, methyl 11(Z),14(Z)-eicosadienoate and 11(Z),14(Z),17(Z)-eicosatrienoate, were also studied for kinematic viscosity, density, and oxidative stability to expand the database on these properties of C20 compounds and provide additional data to predict the properties of other highly polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl esters. Properties of biodiesel from algal oils are predicted with cetane numbers expected in the low to upper 40's and kinematic viscosity between 3 and 4 mm2/s for most algal biodiesel.


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Paul Aiken
Paul Aiken
Federal crews began a historic search and rescue effort Friday as 181 people in Boulder County remain "unaccounted for" following 100-year flooding from several days of torrential rainfall.
Two Federal Emergency Management Agency teams joined the effort Friday. With 250 people, the largest federal search and rescue team ever for the state of Colorado is now tasked with scouring a flood-ravaged Boulder County.
"This is an unprecedented event," Sheriff Joe Pelle said.
The death toll rose Friday to at least three after crews found a woman who had been missing since Thursday morning.
Evacuations issued late Thursday for western central Boulder, Eldorado Springs and portions of Longmont remained in effect Friday night.
The list of people who are "unaccounted for" — who can't be reached by family and friends — has also grown from 20 on Thursday to 181, and Pelle said he expects the number to rise even more because most of the western part of the county is still inaccessible.
"I expect that list to grow," Pelle said. "The things that worry us are what we don't know. We don't know how many lives are lost, we don't know about homes lost."
Emergency officials are keeping that list confidential for now. However, emergency officials Friday morning said every person on the list is an adult, and University of Colorado officials said no students are unaccounted for.
Weather conditions improved enough for the National Guard to send helicopters into Jamestown to evacuate the town and drop off supplies. At the same time, residents of Lyons are also being evacuated into Longmont by high-clearance National Guard vehicles.
'It's not safe right now'
Many major highways have been re-opened, but other roads and highways — including Table Mesa Drive at Broadway — remain closed, and Boulder police spokeswoman Kim Kobel asked people to stay out of Boulder if possible and off the roads.
Boulder Mayor Matt Appelbaum signed an emergency declaration making it illegal for people to be on the city's open space and mountain parks land. Kobel said flooding in those areas has made them dangerous.
"There are lakes in Boulder where there weren't lakes before," Kobel said. "It's not safe right now."
Police also said tubing, boating or kayaking in a disaster area is illegal.
A break in a pipe of the wastewater treatment plant also resulted in a 300-foot breach of untreated sewage water to flow directly into Boulder Creek on Friday evening, though it has not affected Boulder's drinking water.
At the University of Colorado, about 355 residents were allowed to return to faculty and staff housing units, Athens Court and the ground floor of Newton Court, after being evacuated Thursday.
CU Chancellor Phil DiStefano announced Friday that today's football game against Fresno State will be postponed. While Folsom Field is structurally OK, the university said it did not want to divert resources from relief efforts.
The storm system has dumped a record-shattering 14.71 inches of water on the Boulder area since Monday. Average yearly precipitation is just under 21 inches.
Midnight scare, evacuations
Late Thursday, a caller told dispatchers he had heard an "explosion" from the area of Emerson Gulch in Fourmile Canyon and saw the valley below him fill with water carrying debris, including cars. He estimated the wall of water to be about 30 feet high.
Officials told residents to prepare for a surge and ordered evacuations from the mouth of Boulder Canyon east to Broadway, between Marine and Pearl streets. They were told to evacuate on foot to avoid getting trapped in their cars on streets that were running like rivers.
Residents east of Broadway along the creek all the way to 75th Street were told to "shelter in place" but move to higher floors or higher ground if possible.
A U.S. Geological Survey water gauge in Fourmile Creek recorded a 17-foot wall of water slightly before midnight, but the feared surge did not materialize, perhaps because the water spread out in the wider floor of Boulder Canyon.
Contact Camera Staff Writer Mitchell Byars at 303-473-1329 or email@example.com.


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(A minimum grade of "C" is required in all coursework)General Education, General Electives, and Required Coursesa) Required lower-level courses
b) Other General Education and General Electives: 39 hours
a) Courses Common to all BBA Majors: 18 hours
b) Area of Concentration: 18-29 hoursc) Required Business Courses (3000-level or higher): 3-15 hours
d) Required Non-Business Courses: 3-6 hours
e) Other Electives: 0-3 hours
The objectives of the BBA in Accounting are:
While the objectives of the various accounting areas of study have several common paths, there is a point where they diverge. Public accountants need more emphasis in the concepts and standards of auditing and financial reporting. Management accountants, serving as controllers, treasurers, and other financial executives need more concentration in the use of accounting data for predicting future costs and income, as well as for evaluative purposes. Governmental accountants need additional emphasis in special accounting methods for non-profit organizations. Internal auditors need to be able to evaluate managerial effectiveness and efficiency.Regardless of their choice, students will be expected to demonstrate a sound liberal arts education so that their accounting studies can be seen in the perspective of the broader purposes of the organization that employs them, of society's economic, social and cultural institutions, and of their own life goals.
The program in the Department of Economics and Geography in the Coggin College of Business is designed to provide students with the tools and concepts necessary to understand our modern economy, to function more effectively as citizens, and to make sound decisions. A major in economics opens the door to a wide variety of jobs in business, government, finance, and the professions. Economics is particularly appropriate for those students who plan to enter public service or law, whether in the community or at other levels, or who plan to go on to graduate study.
The shared objectives of the BBA in Finance and the BBA in Financial Services are:
The major in finance is designed to develop an understanding of the financial aspects of the contemporary economy, the operation of financial institutions, and the financial management of business operations. The program offers three primary focuses.Option 1: Corporate — emphasizes financial management of the firm and focuses on financial analysis, planning, control, and formulation and implementation of corporate financial strategy. The objective of this option is to prepare students for careers as financial managers of corporations or other for-profit or non-profit organizations.Option 2: Investments — emphasizes security and portfolio analysis, the trading and creation of the various instruments within the markets, and the management of assets and liabilities. The objective of this concentration is to prepare students for careers as financial analysts and to begin the preparation of students for the Level I test of the Certified Financial Analysis (CFA) designation.Option 3: Real Estate — prepares students for careers in the diverse field of real estate. The program is designed to acquaint students with real estate brokerage, management, appraisal, acquisition, lending, and development with particular emphasis on real estate appraisal, finance, and investment.The selection of courses for the major in finance should be arranged by students with their academic advisor in conformance with the general requirements outlined below. FIN 3403 and FIN 3233 should be the first two finance courses taken. It is incumbent upon students to plan their courses with the semester in which they are normally offered. Requests for course substitutions in order to graduate without required concentration courses will rarely be granted. Students are encouraged to delay taking their finance courses because of prerequisites and limited course offerings.
The objectives of the BBA in Financial Planning are:
The major in financial planning is designed for the student who is
interested in a career in personal financial planning in particular and the
broader financial services industry in general.
This major integrates investments, estate planning, retirement
planning and employee benefits, tax planning, and insurance planning. The
objective is to prepare students for careers in the growing financial planning
profession. This concentration also emphasizes communication skills. The
curriculum is designed to prepare students for the examinations leading to
professional designations such as Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) and
Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC).
The selection of courses for the major in financial planning should be arranged by students with their academic advisor in conformance with the general requirements outlined below.
The international business major has been designated part of the International Business Flagship program by UNF's president. The international business major is designed for students who are excited about the increasing globalization of the business world, working and traveling abroad as well as understanding other cultures and speaking other languages. Students who major in international business will be prepared not only for doing business domestically, but also for engaging in the dynamic world of global business which includes marketing, logistics, import/export and international finance. All Coggin College of Business students receive a solid foundation in all functional areas in business, including economics, finance, law, management, and marketing. In addition, all students develop both quantitative skills and communications skills. However, UNF international business majors distinguish themselves from other business majors in five ways. First, they learn about international aspects of functional business areas, including economics, finance, management and marketing. Second, they become proficient in a foreign language. Third, they learn about a particular area of the world. Fourth, all international business students must complete a one-semester internship with a company actively involved in international business. This training provides international business majors with practical experience that will make them more marketable upon graduation. Fifth, all international business majors are required to complete an approved international education experience through the Coggin College of Business of four weeks or more. International business majors must satisfy all requirements for the BBA degree.
The management major is designed for students who envision embarking on a career that will lead them into organizational management. The theme of the Department of Management is value creation. As both a discipline and a process, the theoretical paradigms and frameworks upon which managers create value provide a strong foundation for our scholarly research and innovative instruction. The development of an organization's people, technology, and cross-functional processes, as well as their subsequent interaction, facilitate the internal environment necessary to create value. For effective value creation, these activities must be consistent with each other and with the organization's strategy. In addition, value-creating activities must transform over time to meet the changing demands of the external environment. Therefore, effective management requires an understanding of the dynamics of the internal environment, monitoring of the external environment, and the evolving process of strategic implementation. Thus, the management curriculum is to develop the student's proficiency in resource evaluation, resource allocation, and resource management. This mission theme recognizes all organizational inputs (i.e., human resources, financial resources, physical resources, and knowledge, informational and systems resources) as resources that must be managed for an organization to function effectively.
The curriculum is under constant review by the faculty to insure that its combination of business, technical, and behavioral courses remain relevant to the ever-changing business environment and global economy, and prepares the management major to meet the challenges they would likely face in either the private, public, or non-profit sectors. The student majoring in management is provided with program flexibility in tailoring their individual programs toward degree and career objectives. Each course within the management major has been designed to provide the student with specific and discrete content while also demonstrating the course's applicability to the overall mission theme. Students who choose management as their area of concentration must satisfy all requirements for the BBA degree. As a part of the BBA degree program, these students must satisfy the management major requirement and a contextual studies requirement. The individual seeking to major in the Management discipline is required to take all courses required for the Management major, including the BBA core, in residence at the University of North Florida. Transfer credit may be accepted only on an exception basis through the petition process.
Marketing Major provides students with the consumer behavior and analytics
tools needed to develop a clear understanding of the customer's purchase
journey and to apply these consumer insights to create compelling products and
campaigns that captivate these very customers. The marketing curriculum
furnishes students with content knowledge and its applications in the
principles of marketing, consumer behavior, marketing research and information
systems, strategic marketing management, and additional elective areas of
marketing as well as more general knowledge and skills relevant to business and
a business career. Students with an interest in a sales career can select sales
management, professional selling, integrated marketing communications, and
professional sales Internship as marketing major electives. Students with an
interest in the growing field of analytics and in working with big data can
select to minor in Digital
Marketing and Analytics, which focuses on a wide array of highly demanded
courses by employers such as digital marketing strategy, introduction to
marketing analytics, and social media marketing strategy
Students who choose marketing as their area of concentration must satisfy all requirements for the BBA degree. As a part of these requirements, marketing students must satisfy the marketing concentration requirement and a contextual studies requirement. A maximum of 15 hours of marketing, excluding marketing courses required of all BBA candidates, will be counted toward satisfying degree requirements.Students with an interest in a sales career should select MAR 4403 Sales Management, MAR 4400 Professional Selling and MAR 4946 Professional Sales Internship as marketing major electives.
The University of North Florida's Transportation and Logistics Program offers a unique and rewarding program for students electing to major in transportation and logistics. The program prepares students for challenging careers in supply chain management, international logistics, transportation, and physical distribution. Many graduates of the Program have accepted positions with local logistics firms as well as with major corporations located across the country. The Program has received considerable state, national, and international recognition. The University of North Florida has designated the program as one of only four Flagship programs so identified on campus. The program is ranked 13th in its field in the USA, placing it among top-tier research universities nationally, and the highest among non-doctoral-granting institutions. A spring 2007 Journal of Supply Chain Management article also placed the program in the top 25 in terms of thought leadership in the discipline, as measured by the last 40 years of publications in that journal. Program graduates are automatically certified (upon application, by blanket waiver) by the American Society of Transportation & Logistics – a recognition of curriculum quality granted to only 25 programs nationwide. The Florida Board of Regents selected the UNF Transportation and Logistics Program as one of the initial five programs to receive the Florida Legislature's "Programs of Distinction" emphasis within the State University System. The Board of Regents further recognized the Program by designating it as one of the university system's "Centers for Excellence." These distinctions provide many opportunities for the Transportation and Logistics Program to develop innovative approaches for transportation and logistics education and community service.The Prime F. Osborn III Eminent Scholar Chair in Transportation has greatly enhanced the program's research capabilities and leadership in logistics education. The professorship resulted from a gift by the CSX Corporation in honor of the late Prime F. Osborn III, past CSX board chairman. This honor recognizes Mr. Osborn's long-standing support of developing quality education in America and his leadership in the transportation industry. The program has outstanding fit to the regional economy. As a growing leader in logistics and international commerce, the Jacksonville area represents a tremendous opportunity for gaining logistics experience. Jacksonville has become a major distribution hub with extensive access to rail, air, maritime and highway transportation as well as to warehousing and international logistics. The city has been recognized as one of the top 10 logistics-friendly U.S. cities, and transportation and logistics has been identified as one of city's four economic "super sectors." More than 650 firms in the region have some significant involvement in freight movement. Program faculty have built outstanding connections to regional T&L leaders CSX, CEVA (formerly TNT) Logistics, Landstar, Crowley, Sea Star Line, and Southeast Toyota Distributors (all of whom are headquartered here), as well as leading firms who require Transportation & Logistics expertise, including GE, Target, Walgreens, Sears, and PSS World Medical. Internships with local companies provide opportunities for students to gain hands-on management experience while also applying their education in a real-world setting.All students seeking a BBA degree with a major in Transportation and Logistics must meet all of the requirements for that degree, including the prerequisites and the 21 credit hours common to all majors. The Transportation and Logistics major also offers significant flexibility for students to double major in other business programs in order to obtain a competitive advantage in the job market due to the high demand for logistics graduates.


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text:
Six Sigma Black Belt training has long been the realm of the elite. It used to be so expensive and required so much time that only companies with the cash and resources to make up for 3,200 worker-hours per class could afford to acquire those advanced problem-solving skills and the benefits that result. Fortunately, that's changing. A recent innovation in the delivery of Six Sigma training is "distance learning." For our purposes, distance learning is training received outside the traditional classroom setting on each student's own schedule. In most cases, this training is computer-based, although a few are video-based.
Distance learning can provide many benefits. It allows individuals to acquire the training independently, either to enhance their value to their employers or to increase their skills for future employment. It also allows small businesses to train a few experts without losing much work time. In addition, companies that can afford the traditional training can continue to train employees between the scheduled courses. In all cases, distance learning offers the flexibility to get training on your own schedule. So, whether you're an individual, a small business owner, or an employee at a large company looking for training options, distance learning could be valuable to you.
As with all Black Belt training, there's high variability in the quality and content of distance-learning options, so the first thing to examine is the course content to make sure it contains the skills you need to be successful. This is easier said than done, because many people looking for training solutions aren't technically proficient enough to differentiate between provider options. In cases like this, it's essential to obtain the advice of an expert--someone who's been in the trenches and has learned how many different tools and techniques actually work in real situations. Unfortunately, these criteria aren't met by even all Master Black Belts.
The difference between business training such as Black Belt training, and more general education is that in business, we usually train people in specific tools without a lot of discussion of alternatives. If the tools are flexible and powerful, this can be efficient. However, a Black Belt won't typically have a broad enough exposure to choose amongst procedures that weren't part of the training curriculum.
There are many resources available in the literature and online to help you generate a list of tasks that your training should teach you to do. Dr. Roger Hoerl's article in the Journal of Quality Technology, Dr. Roderick Munro's October 2005 article in Quality Digest, and my nonprofit Web site six-sigma-black-belt-training.com offer contrasting opinions and things to think about.
Although only a small fraction of your time as a Black Belt should be spent doing statistical analyses, statistics takes up the most time in Black Belt training due to its complexity. In addition to the statistical theory, you also need to learn how to use software correctly. This can be one of the most difficult aspects of distance learning. Make sure that your training includes step-by-step instructions on how to use the software, including screen captures. You'll spend minimal time trying to figure out how to work the software and more time learning the statistical basis for what it is you're trying to do. Some providers include software with the training; others require that you purchase it separately.
Because the training is somewhat self-paced, another important consideration is how much time you'll have access to the training. As a student, you don't want to drag out the training over too long a time period or you'll lose the context. On the other hand, you'd like access to the course as you're going through your first few projects. A paradigm-smashing aspect of distance learning is using the course capture itself as a reference. I've frequently heard from my students that, while they understand, say, McNemar's Test of Change in the class, they may not need it for their current project and fear they won't remember it when it'd come in handy. If you have permanent access to the training, you can review whenever you need a refresher. This is especially useful for a content-filled course like Black Belt training.
Even though the training is done at a distance, our primate brains need human interaction. There will inevitably be questions you have that aren't answered in the course, or applications of the tools to your specific situation, and you need some easy way to contact an instructor. Nothing beats live conversation with an expert, so determine if this is an option and if there's an additional charge. There may also be an online discussion board, where students post questions and instructors and peers discuss your topic.
Although computers are great tools, there are some things that are just more efficient for people to do without them, such as flipping through a book or a manual. Determine what texts are included with the course. Materials that you'll be referring to frequently or that you may want to use to instruct others will be most useful as paper books. If you're a kinesthetic, textual learner, you may even want to have a copy of the course slides on which to take notes and record your thoughts.
Another consideration is the format in which the distance training is delivered. If the training is delivered online, you'll need a fast, reliable connection to the Internet. Losing a connection halfway through a two-hour lecture is a frustrating experience. Some providers deliver the materials to you so that you learn on your computer, but offline. This eliminates the need for an Internet connection during the training and allows you to be fully mobile. I've had students report that they do their training on a portable computer on public transport or when traveling by air.
There are two aspects of a distance-learning course that interact to form your learning experience. The first is the instructor's performance, including video, audio and possibly slide annotation. The second is what's happening with the software you'll need to learn. Video of the instructor isn't necessary, but I've found that having a human face and body motion at which you can glance helps maintain alertness during the nearly 160 hours you're going to be sitting in front of a computer. Any slides must be clearly visible on the screen, and screen captures of the software must be legible and easy to follow.
One way that you can check your progress is an online or offline assessment. You can see what you need to review, and the instructor can follow your advancement and help with any tough spots. These assessments should be paced throughout the course, rather than all at once at the end. Testing for comprehension only at the end means that you have to go back over a lot of material, and you run the risk of a misunderstanding early on affecting your understanding of the entire course.
As you would expect, training performed on the computer is very different than sitting in a class, even if the course is captured during a class. Here are some tips to make computer-based training more effective:
Distance learning can be a powerful way for individuals, small companies and large corporations to achieve their Six Sigma training objectives. With some thought and a bit of research, you can find the optimum solution that will efficiently train you or your employees in these essential problem-solving tools.
These articles were originally published in Quality Digest, an online magazine. Subscribe to Quality Digest if you would like to receive these articles when they are published, or subscribe to our RSS feed.
|Steven M. Ouellette's new book, Business Performance Excellence, is now available!
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Legal to drive on the street. That's the best specification on the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, a vehicle that has more engineering smarts just in its brakes than other cars have bumper to bumper. As you drive one, you feel as though you've gone from a traditional car into some super-futuristic transport pod, one that has many of the same characteristics as a Formula 1 racer.
Another important spec you'll notice right away on the SLS: This is a front mid-engine car. That means the 563-horsepower, 6.2-liter V8 engine sits just behind the front axle, explaining the unusually long front. Just turning on a street corner feels like the car has rested on a turntable that is turning you onto another road. Imagine what the corner at 100mph is like when a right angle is that smooth.
During our test (Mercedes only lets reviewers borrow the SLS for two full days), we took the SLS out on a private road for some high-speed acceleration tests, cruised around on a winding country road, and frequently just gawked in wonder at this luxurious ride. We've never had quite as much fun on a test drive. The car is a magnet for crowds. Pulling up to a local school, at least 25 people crowded around the vehicle, and a few were brave enough to ask just to sit in the cockpit.
Image courtesy of Jamie Allen Larson
There's something peculiar about the styling, and we mean that in a good way. The car just has a unique vibe, as though the designers at Mercedes decided to pull this one out of a hat. In truth, it is the first AMG designed entirely from the ground up instead of just a branding effort by Mercedes.
It all starts with the space frame. This stiff aluminum piece is more like what you'd find in an F1. It's incredibly rigid: It would take 13,000 pounds of force to move the frame one degree. Because the space frame is built first, this gave Mercedes a license to add some interesting accoutrements to the exterior, including a unique side grill vent. Interestingly, though: the SLS looks shorter in pictures than it does in person, since it's a two-seater. The gullwings, a hallmark of the Mercedes supercar, are easy to grasp (a handle retracts when you start driving) and pull shut especially if you close the hatch as you sit. (Worried about flipping the car? If you do, tiny pistons pop off the doors so you can push them open.)
When you first slide in, there's a cocooning effect that makes the SLS feel like it is meant for racing. Mercedes went to great lengths with this vehicle to make sure it is a smooth ride for long trips, as opposed to the "50 mile" supercars that are not comfortable for long after you leave the driveway. Yet, there's a voracious roar even at idle. Stepping behind the vehicle, you hear a unique gurgling sound that makes the Corvette Z06 sound like it's a babbling brook. The crowd that gathered once around the SLS lurched away in a panic when we revved the car – it sounded like the rear dual exhaust could cause a road fissure.
Image courtesy of Jamie Allen Larson
The SLS is not exactly punchy, though. With a rating of 479 lb-ft of torque, it's more accurate to say the SLS is ready to gobble up the road. Our own 0 to 60 test clocked in at 3.9 seconds (the official rating is 3.7). The SLS has a unique launch control mode where you push the brake down all the way, press the accelerator, and then release the brake. You have to turn a switch to RS mode. The cars revs to 4000RPM and then launches, shaving a few milliseconds off your 0-60 time. What does it feel like? The SLS has that explosive rocket launch feel of an Audi R8, especially through the first two gears.
We experimented with the various drive modes: C for Comfort, Sport and Sport+ modes, and manual. In manual, we could punch the SLS up to about 7200RPM before the automatic fuel cut-off kicked in. By comparison, the Cadillac CTS-V has a fuel shut-off at 6200RPM. In practice and in numbers, this equates to more power out of the engine. On a private road, we hit 140mph and the SLS was hardly blinking. The speedometer shows 240mph, but the car is rated for 197mph as a top speed.
For cornering, the SLS is smooth as silk. You just don't notice corners. We've tested some performance cars in the past few months, including a Corvette Z06 and a Nissan 370Z, but they were no match for the cornering capability of the SLS, which as an adaptive suspension that reminded us a bit of the Audi A8. There's the same Jell-O-bowl shift of the Z06, but the SLS uses an electronic system for adjusting the ride. In practice, this meant there is a noticeable shift in weight as you corner at high speeds, helping you ease around a bend without that panic feel where the car seems to drift off the road.
The SLS is not light on tech features, either. The 1000-watt stereo from Bang & Olufsen, which adds $6,400 to the price, matched the quality of the stereo system in the A8: loud, distinct, and full of bass during several tests with alt-rock bands like Future Islands and Thursday. The interior is lush and comfortable, although there's not a lot of storage space inside or in the trunk.
Image courtesy of Jamie Allen Larson
Some of the wonders of this supercar revealed themselves slowly over time. We didn't notice right away that the rear spoiler pops up from the trunk at 72mph and recedes at 50. (You can also press a switch to use it any time you want.) Several traction control settings let you adjust the ride, and one even disables traction control altogether for a more road-sensing feel (and potentially more slip).
The SLS does not include any of the hallmarks of Mercedes-Benz technical safety, such as pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, or attention monitoring. (We'll be putting those features through a series of tests this week in a Mercedes CLS 63 AMG.) We didn't miss any of the technical wizardry of the CLS, though – some supercars don't even bother with a radio. We had so much fun testing the SLS that we asked to test it just a few hours longer than scheduled. For around a $200,000 price tag (the exact amount depends options like the 1000-watt stereo and interior trim), the SLS Is not for everyone. But for anyone with the means, there's little doubt the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG delivers every bit as much excitement in the real world as the specs and pictures suggest.


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Shared Services Takes Time, Patience
In today's instant feedback, instant gratification world, the glacial pace of government often makes it seem as if nothing's happening.
It seems as if everyone thinks a wave of shared services, municipal and school mergers should be sweeping the state right now; as if with a snap of their fingers, New York's system of government will look more like North Carolina's. We all know things aren't that simple or easy.
Some things, like shared services, take patience. Rather than with a snap of the fingers or a wave of a magic wand, the type of shared services most people want will happen incrementally – one small piece by one small piece.
In fact, it will probably look a lot like what's happening in Findley Lake and Sherman right now.
Findley Lake officials know the town needs to develop a septic or sewer district. Such work is expensive and the town has never been able to afford it. Now, with the Chautauqua County Health Department talking about enforcing septic regulations more rigidly, Findley Lake residents could be facing a hefty cost to upgrade their individual septic systems. Houses take up so much room in Findley Lake land plots, though, there isn't room for a typical septic system, meaning Findley Lake residents could be looking at a $35,000 mini wastewater system. Knowing such spending isn't an option, Findley Lake officials looked around and found Sherman, a neighboring town with a wastewater treatment plant.
Sherman and Findley Lake are splitting the cost of a $9,000 study to see if it makes sense to run sewer lines from Findley Lake to the Sherman wastewater plant.
On the surface, the plan looks like a winner for both sides. Findley Lake could save money running sewer lines to Sherman when compared to building a new wastewater treatment plant. Sherman can broaden the user base for its wastewater plant, possibly decreasing costs for its users.
It is a good sign that Findley Lake looked to a neighboring municipality for help. It is encouraging that Sherman, led by Mayor John Patterson, has chosen to participate in this study. Both steps bode well for future projects.


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Opening Date: December 5, 2013 Closing Date: when filled
SUMMARY: This is a one-year term seasonal position with the possibility of extensions with the
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Parks and Recreation, working
out of the Central Office in Dover, DE. This position will consist of approximately 35 – 40 hours per week
and 29 hours per week from mid-December to mid-March.
The position is responsible for supervising the writing, editing, design, layout and printing of all State Parks
design, fabrication and installation of statewide exhibits and development of other media. The position is
responsible for ensuring interpretive media (interpretive signage, exhibits, and videos) are distinctive,
attractive and informative to the public. Working with park personnel and contractors in order to meet the
park's needs and within their budget restraints is a significant aspect of the work. In addition, the incumbent
is responsible for designing, renovating, restoring and/or furnishing rooms at historical sites with the
guidance of the Park Historian. Principle contacts are with contractors, Nature Center Managers, Park
Interpreters, Park Administrators, Park Superintendents, museums, historians, and support
groups/organizations (e.g. friends groups).
• Locates and recommends contractors, provides direction on assigned projects, monitors
work/progress/project cost and evaluates and approves product.
• Conducts cultural, historical and natural resource research for exhibit development.
• Meets with park personnel in order to determine their needs, determine whether projects can be done
in-house or need to be contracted out, estimate cost, schedule/prioritize projects and create
distinctive, attractive and interpretive exhibits, media and publications.
• Recommends needs such as equipment, supplies and printing for budgetary purposes. Monitors
expenditures, writes job specifications and oversees bidding process for contractual design, exhibit
fabrication or printing work.
• Maintains online inventory of current waysides.
• Develops inventory of indoor exhibits.
• Coordinates rotation of art exhibits, develop new exhibits and exhibit spaces.
• Maintains physical files and database with links to print files, research, text, images installation, etc.
for current waysides and exhibits and new projects as they are developed.
• Designs, renovates, restores and/or furnishes rooms at historic sites.
• Knowledge of principles, practices and techniques of graphic design and layout.
• Knowledge of the methods and techniques of designing and constructing exhibits.
• Knowledge of computer-aided graphic design equipment, scanners and printers.
• Knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques of interpretive writing.
• Knowledge of natural, cultural and historic resources.
• Skill in effective communications.
• Ability to plan, prioritize and meet goals and objectives.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of people.
• Ability to conceptualize and apply artistic skills to the design and development of interpretive media.
1. Experience in exhibit design.
2. Experience in graphics and printing work which includes planning, designing, creating and
producing artistic visual materials, utilizing various techniques, and equipment for the development
of informational/educational media such as publications, exhibits, outdoor signage, displays and
3. Experience in cultural, historical, or natural resource research to provide context for exhibits,
programs, tours, historical sites and artifacts.
4. Experience in museum practices such as collection management, research, exhibit design,
management and handling collections, and preservation of maintenance of historic buildings.
BENEFITS: This is a seasonal position with no benefits. Direct Deposit of paychecks will be required as a
condition of employment for new employees.
*The State of Delaware is AA/EOE (Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer)*
Please send resume, three references and a completed state seasonal application to:
Necia Beck
Interpretive Exhibits Coordinator
Division of Parks and Recreation
152 South State Street
Dover, DE 19901
(302) 739-9175
Note: applications are available on-line at:


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Saturday, January 12, 2008
Conflict and Tension
The key issue is how much danger the character's objective creates. In Ratatouille, Remy's urge to cook great meals puts him in mortal danger from humans. The woman who owns the country cottage uses a gun against the rats and Linguini is charged with drowning Remy when he is caught in the kitchen. Furthermore, Remy's desire to cook brings him into conflict with is own family. His father refuses to believe that humans will ever accept rats and it causes a rift between them.
In Surf's Up, Cody's jeopardy is at a much lower level. His desire to surf may annoy his mother and brother, but there is no threat to any of them or their relationship as a result. His desire to win the surfing competition puts him in danger with regard to the ocean, but poses no threat to the wider community.
In Ratatouille, we learn that Remy is a genius cook, but in Surf's Up, we learn that Cody has an unrealistic view of his abilities, so while we root for Remy to overcome obstacles, we know that Cody has to fail before he can succeed. This reduces the tension as the initial failure is inevitable.
The genius of Ratatouille is that the basic situation -- a rat who wants to prepare human food -- immediately puts Remy in conflict with everybody around him. For Remy to succeed, he literally has to change the world, changing the rat perspective on people and the human perspective on rats. The weakness of Surf's Up is that for Cody to succeed, he only has to change himself. The external conflicts he faces are mild and the stakes are low.
Ratatouille relates everything in the film to the central conflict. The question of Linguini's parentage and the ownership of the restaurant don't concern Remy directly but still have an impact on Remy's objective. The business in Surf's Up with Chicken Joe and the aboriginal penguins is a comedic detour that produces laughs but doesn't contribute to the conflict.
Surf's Up is worth watching. Tom Sito and Keith Lango both have good things to say about it. Lango points out the high quality of the acting and I agree. While it's probably wrong to use the word "naturalistic" with regard to surfing penguins, the truth is that the acting is believable and subtle. It doesn't call attention to itself, yet it's as expressive as the voice work, which is of a high quality.
However, dramatic conflict is the mainspring that powers a movie and the danger is that low-key conflict results in a lack of audience enthusiasm.
14 comments:
I think you're searching for reasons that don't exist for why one film did ok and the other did poorly. If the first weekend of Surf's Up was decent and then dropped off after that then you might have anargument that the audience wasn't responding to the conflict (or lack of). But since the opening weeken sucked it's more likely the fact that the aidience wasn't interested regardless of what the conflict or story was. Being the 4th penguin movie out sure didn't help their cause any and a dificult (though interesting idea) made it hard to market.
BTW the only danger I felt in watching Ratatouille was for the restaurant patrons by having rats run free in the kitchen and actually touching all the food.
- January 13, 2008 1:13 PM
- Thad said...
"Surf's Up" looked really bad from the previews. Maybe I should give it a looksie.
"Ratatouille"'s story itself is conflicting. What the hell is Skinner doing there for the second half of the picture? He's kicked out of the restaurant and no longer runs it. He's just noise.
- January 13, 2008 2:09 PM
I'm detecting some conflict and tension in that first comment... Why is there so much Ratatouille hatred?
I saw both films and I think that you've got a good point Mark: while Surf's Up was amusing, it never made you care in the way Ratatouille did, because there was far less intensity in the situation.
Thad: I think Skinner has to be there for the second half of the film. It makes perfect sense. Most importantly, it wouldn't be in his character to just give up and leave - he is a spiteful little man and it seems natural for him to seek revenge. As well, his activities in the later part of the film are more than just noise. Like what Mark was saying about Linguini's parentage, Skinner's plotting helps build tension because it relates back to the central conflict of a rat being in the kitchen. Skinner is the only one who suspects there is a rat in the kitchen, and at some point you need at least the treat that Remy might be discovered for that conflict to really pay off. That is Skinner's role: to try to spoil Remy's dream by revealing the "infestation" and getting the restaurant shut down. In this way, everything he does from capturing Remy to calling in the health inspector help build tension and contribute to the central conflict leading up to the film's climax.
- January 13, 2008 2:27 PM
Sorry, a correction to my post above:
I meant to say
"at least the threat that Remy might be discovered" not "the treat".
- January 13, 2008 2:32 PM
- Ayan said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- January 14, 2008 2:18 AM
- Ayan said...
The thought process being quite interesting, doesnt really make believe that was the reason rataouille worked better than surf's up. What I think was teh timing of surf's up releasing to the big screen.
After Warner Bros. movie Happy Feet released and didnt leave quite a good impression . Surf's up just came out after that, which being another penguin movie, didnt work well just for that reason.
- January 14, 2008 4:20 AM
- Floyd Norman said...
Where's the love, guys?
Both were darn good films. Ratatouille had the stronger story. It's as simple as that.
- January 14, 2008 12:04 PM
Using box office figures to validate your analysis is pure ignorance.
I'm sure everyone can name excellent movies that did poorly, and crappy ones that did well.
- January 14, 2008 6:14 PM
- Mark Mayerson said...
You've got it backwards. I'm not using box office figures to validate the analysis, I'm using the analysis to validate the box office figures.
I think the story analysis is valid and I state "I think that is one reason for the film's relative failure at the box office." I'll be happy to admit that story is not the only contributing factor and I never claimed that it was.
- January 14, 2008 7:23 PM
- Thad said...
Floyd, I enjoyed "Ratatouille" quite a bit. The animation is what made it for me. It's the best CG has been to date. As I remarked last year after seeing it, Skinner looked and moved as well as anything in the [good] McKimson-directed cartoons.
"Ratatouille" had some unmarketable aspects to it as well.. I'm sure a lot of people said "You want to go see a movie about rats in a kitchen?!"
- January 14, 2008 9:26 PM
It is interesting that both of Sony's animated features (Open Season and Surf's Up) look amazing both in terms of art direction and animation, but have stories that are just not very engaging. It is too bad, because as an artist/animator I want to love these (visually) well crafted films, but as an audience member I just couldn't overlook their boringness.
- January 14, 2008 10:41 PM
- Virgil said...
true, there wasn't much tension in surf's up, but that's a comedy and a documentary, you judge it from a perspective that movie doesn't care about.
on the other hand, I don't find much tension in ratatouille either, or in kids' movies in general - maybe they shouldn't have much tension anyway. ya don't wanna traumatise them poor kids.
- January 15, 2008 4:24 AM
- Jenny said...
"...on the other hand, I don't find much tension in ratatouille either, or in kids' movies in general - maybe they shouldn't have much tension anyway. ya don't wanna traumatise them poor kids."
Wow--I have to address this one.
You can like or dislike "Ratatouille" for any number of reasons, but it isn't, wasn't and was never in the least conceived as "a kids' movie" by anyone. As for "don't wanna traumatize those poor kids"--what are you thinking? A shot with dead rats' bodies hanging from traps? A woman with a shotgun trying to kill them? Imminent death by drowning for the main character?
No punches were pulled and the target audience was the usual audience in the filmmaker's heads: first, themselves. Second(and arguably equally important), the paying audience. The whole audience. But I guess with my comments I have two audiences of my own here: the choir(in other words, people who know this already), and people who apparently think that Pixar or animated feature films are made with only children in mind. It simply isn't the case, and if you want a comparison check out the truly "kids only" material produced for film and (mostly)TV--it's very different.
I think your analysis is extremely sharp, Mark. Excellent points.
- January 15, 2008 1:48 PM
- Thad said...
Reminded by Jenny's description, how did this movie pass as rated "G"? Who are they paying off?
- January 15, 2008 4:00 PM


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Rowton Castle History
In the rolling Shropshire countryside, Rowton Castle may be found. Dating back to 1234 the castle has stood in the grounds for nearly 800 years.
History, Heritage and Splendour await
Rowton Castle as it stands today shows the work of many periods, the foundations are old and the central core may be Tudor. Subsequent generations have added and taken away and we are left with a hotel of amazing beauty.
Fortunately, more is known about the owners of the castle than about the house itself... a family home for much of its time, the Lysters owned Rowton for 400 years, when on the death of Lady Charlotte Lyster it passed to her sister's son. When he died unmarried it passed to his nephew General Lowry Corry, who eventually sold it to Major A E Lees. Rowton Castle was again sold to the Royal Nation College for the Blind.
When the school closed, Rowton lay empty for quite some time when work was started to convert the ruin into a luxury hotel. In October 1997, Rowton Castle was taken over by Jack De Sousa, Bryan Cherrington and Steve Parke, bringing with them a wealth of experience and skill within the hospitality and catering industry.
The castle's long and colourful history combined with the warm and welcoming atmosphere of today is part of its unique charm. The castle was, and still is, the ideal home for all occasions. We invite you to play a part in Rowton Castle's history.


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Artist membership applications are encouraged, especially from unrepresented regions of Texas. Applicants must paint daily, blog frequently, and reside in the Great State of Texas. To apply email: INFO on Artists Of Texas and include a link to your art blog or web site for jury panel review.
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Original Jazz Art Music Abstract Painting "Bone Bass and Drums" by Debra Hurd
This painting is SOLD, but commissions are welcome.
Click HERE for pricing on commissions and sizes available
Click HERE to purchase a Fine Art Print of this painting.
Visit http://DebraHurd.com to view more of my work.
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New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital of India and seat of the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches of the Government of India. It is also the centre of the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi and is one of the eleven districts of Delhi National Capital Territory. New Delhi constitutes roughly 1% of the population of Delhi metropolis. With a population of 22 million in 2011, Delhi metropolitan region is the world's second most populous city and the largest city in India and also one of the largest in the world in terms of area.
The foundation stone of the city was laid by George V, Emperor of India during the Delhi Durbar of 1911. It was designed by British architects, Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. The new capital was inaugurated on 13 February 1931, by India's Viceroy Lord Irwin.
With evidence of continuous settlement dating back to the 6th Century BC, Delhi is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. The legendary city of Indraprastha from the epic Mahabharata is said to have been situated where Delhi now lies. Thought to have been built and destroyed 11 times, evidence of at least eight distinct settlements can still be seen in Delhi.
- Rakesh Kumar Bhatt, in History and Development of Libraries in India, Mittal Publications, 1 January 1995, p. 172
- Delhi, also known as Dilli or Dehli, and in earlier incarnation as Indraprastha and Yoginipura, has an ancient past.
- A.G. Krishna Menon, in Delhi: A Heritage City: 20 Walks through History, INTACH, Delhi Chapter, 19 November 2013, P.9
- Much of Delhi's regional importance came from the location in the watershed between the Ganga and the Indus river systems...In the sixth century BC, Delhi formed part of the Kuru kingdom, one of the Mahajanapadas or 'great states.' In the Buddhist documents of that period, Indapatta (identified with Indraprastha) is mentioned as the capital of the Kuru state.
- A.G. Krishna Menon, in "Delhi: A Heritage City: 20 Walks through History", P.9
- One evidence of the continuing importance of Delhi, as a location in the third century BC, is the inscription (edict) engraved here on the instruction of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka... the edict is to be found on a rock in the area in modern Kalkaji.
- A.G. Krishna Menon, in "Delhi: A Heritage City: 20 Walks through History", P.9
- Delhi has always been a gateway city, built on the plains, initially on the fording point on the Yamuna River and on the route between western and Central Asia and Southeast Asia. The old empires did not conform to natural boundaries or present-day frontiers, and the limits of the Delhi-centered empire waxed and waned with the power of the ruler. At times it encompassed parts of what are Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bengal and Tamil Nadu. In 16th and 17th centuries, Delhi became a backwater as Agra, Lahore and Fatehpur Sikri became alternative capitals of India, and city's fortunes did not revive until Shahjahan built Shahjahanabad. Under the British Delhi then declined again until 1911, when it was decided to move the capital here from Calcutta (Kolkata). For the British Delhi was the capital of the area that now included three countries: India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
- Patrick Horton, in Delhi, Lonely Planet, 2002, p. 16
- The traditional seven cities of Delhi which developed over centuries from the 12 centuries onwards are:Lal Kot in the 12th of century of the Hindu Rajputs, notably Prithviraj (Raj Pithora); Siri in southern part built in the 14th century by Ala-ud-din Khilji; Tughlakabad east of Siri, a fortified city built by Ghias-ud-din Tughlaq in the 14th century; Jahanpanah the fourteenth century city enclosing the cities of Lal Kot and Siri by Mohammad Shah Tughlaq; Firozbad, a fort city built on the banks of the Yamuna River in the fourteenth century; Purana Qila Shergarh, a city started by Humayun in the 16th century and completed by Sher Shah Suri; and Shahjahanbad now known as Old Delhi built in the 17th century of Shah Jahan. The city built by the British in the 1930s is the incarnation as the eight city with broad avenues and imposing British buildings forming the New Delhi. The present bustling and thriving city encompasses all the eight cities and forms the ninth city.
- Patrick Horton, in "Delhi", P.16
- Since independence, after the trauma of partition, Delhi now as the national capital has acquired an economic stability, as the seat of the national government, and the home of head offices of both domestic and multinational companies.
- Patrick Horton, in "Delhi", p. 17
- I asked my soul: What is Delhi?
She replied:The world is the body and Delhi is life.
- Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, in Khushwant Singh Delhi: A Novel, Penguin UK, 1 September 2010, p. 16
- A Paradise, that's Delhi
Humpty Dumpty, hocus pocus, hurly burly
If there is a paradise on earth, it is Delhi
Full of people, overflowing
Markets onto the road going
Full of fumes, full of gases
Full of ultra modern asses
Full of shining, made-up faces
Full of heart and cancer cases
Car and truck and motorcycle
Full of vehicle on the vehicle
Full of jolting, full of stoking
Full of lanes and bylanes choking
Full of housing haywire going
Full of sewage into Jamuna flowing
Full of callous indifference breeding
Full of pastures fast receding
Full of power, and still power crisis
Full of smoothly rising prices
Full of girth and grime and mirth
Our Delhi is a paradise on earth.
- Khushwant Singh, in Who will be our next President?, Hindustan Times, 13 April 2007
- The centuries-old history and culture of India, majestic architectural monuments and museums of Delhi, Agra and Mumbai have a unique attractive force.
- Vladimir Putin, in For Russia, deepening friendship with India is a top foreign policy priority, The Hindu, 25 December 2012
- We had admired the presidential palace and parliament houses, paused beside the striking India Gate, inspected the 16th Century Humayun's Tomb--a forerunner to the Taj Mahal--and cruised past scores of international embassies. Now, without crossing a border--or pausing at a stoplight--we were in a different world.
- Harry Shattuck, in The old and the new of Delhi: Within city, it's a whole other world, Chicago Tribune1, 4 May 2006
- Delhi's history is etched over its landscape in stone. Magnificent forts, mosques and tombs of the Sultanate and Mughal periods evoke the aura of the medieval world while the stately layout and architecture of Lutyen's Delhi bear the imposing imprint of British imperial rule.
- Upinder Singh, in Delhi: Ancient History, Berghahn Books, 1 August 2007, p. xi
- Delhi area has an incredibly long and eventful ancient past, beginning thousands of years ago in the stone age and merging at the other end into the medieval period when the Rajputs made-way for Delhi Sultans in the twelfth century.
- Upinder Singh, in Delhi: Ancient History, p.xi
- Delhi--created at the end of the 12th Century from the ruins of seven ancient cities--is a microcosm of all India. The city of 13 million people is the nation's capital and cultural heart. New Delhi is home to grand hotels, fashionable homes, spacious parks and broad promenades. Old Delhi is compact, crowded and chaotic.
- Harry Shattuck, in The old and the new of Delhi: Within city, it's a whole other world
- In its long history Delhi has been on several occasions the victim of military occupation accompanied by pillage and rapine, and these occasions have sometimes altered the course of the city's fortunes, both materially and culturally. One such occasion was its capture by Qutubuddin Aibak on behalf of Sultan Muizud-Din Muhammad-ibn-Sam of Ghur in 1192 or 1193. Others, much later, were Nader Shah's capture of the city in 1739, followed by its occupation by Ahamd Shah Durrani, the British in 1803, and the destruction which accompanied the uprising of 1857 and its suppression.
- Rakesh Kumar Bhatt, in History and Development of Libraries in India, Mittal Publications, 1 January 1995, P.172
- The period from 1724, to Nadir Shah's invasion in 1739 was one of rapid internal decay of the empire, but one of outer brilliance for Delhi as far as its cultural life was concerned. The phase of 1740 to 1760 was period of growing anarchy.
- Rakesh Kumar Bhatt, in History and Development of Libraries in India, P.174
- Modern Delhi began with the slow revival of the city under British domination. During the 'Delhi Renaissance', approximately 1830 to the outbreak of uprising of 1857, Delhi exhibited the beginnings of a cultural ferment; Western technology and idea entered the city and supported each other.
- Rakesh Kumar Bhatt, in History and Development of Libraries in India, P.175
- Timur entered Delhi and learnt that a "great number of Hindus with their wives and children, and goods and valuables, had come into the city from all the country round". He directed his soldiers to seize these Hindus and their property. Tuzk-i-Timûrî concludes: "Many of them (Hindus) drew their swords and resisted… The flames of strife were thus lighted and spread through the whole city from Jahãnpanah and Siri to Old Delhi, burning up all it reached. The Hindus set fire to their houses with their own hands, burned their wives and children in them and rushed into the fight and were killed… On that day, Thursday, and all the night of Friday, nearly 15,000 Turks were engaged in slaying, plundering and destroying. When morning broke on Friday, all my army… went off to the city and thought of nothing but killing, plundering and making prisoners… The following day, Saturday the 17th, all passed in the same way, and the spoil was so great that each man secured from fifty to a hundred prisoners, men, women, and children. There was no man who took less than twenty. The other booty was immense in rubies, diamonds, garnets, pearls, and other gems and jewels; ashrafis, tankas of gold and silver of the celebrated Alãi coinage: vessels of gold and silver; and brocades and silks of great value. Gold and silver ornaments of Hindu women were obtained in such quantities as to exceed all account. Excepting the quarter of the Saiyids, the ulama and the other Musulmãns, the whole city was sacked."
- Sita Ram Goel: The Story of Islamic Imperialism in India.
- Lord Lytton (1876-80) organised the Delhi Durbar in 1877 to entitle Queen Victoria Kaiser-i-Hind ...Delhi was made capital in place of Calcutta in 1912; Coronation Durbar of King George (V) and Queen Marry was held at Delhi in 1911.
- [[Muktikanta Mohanty, in Macmillan's General Knowledge Manual 2010, Macmillan, 1 February 2010, p. 17
- Lal Qila, the massive 17th Century Red Fort, once was home to 5,000 residents. Built between 1639 and 1648 with red sandstone brought from Rajasthan by Mogul King Shah Jahan, the Red Fort is surrounded by a 1.5 mile wall. It initially served as the capital of Shah Jahan's empire. The same king commissioned construction of the Taj Mahal in Agra as a monument to his wife... A shopping bazaar is within.
- Harry Shattuck, in The old and the new of Delhi: Within city, it's a whole other world
- Old Delhi is bereft of splendor: Jama Masjid is the largest Muslim mosque in all of Asia. Dating to the 17th Century and commissioned by Shah Jahan, Asia's largest mosque was built of sandstone and black marble over six years by 5,000 laborers. Five gates remind Muslims that they are to pray five times daily, and up to 20,000 gather here--with women and men typically praying at different times. Climb the steps of a 130-foot-tall minaret for panoramic views of Old Delhi.
- Harry Shattuck, in The old and the new of Delhi: Within city, it's a whole other world
- Chandni Chowk is the street--an imperial avenue under Shah Jahan's reign--extends from the Red Fort. The name often is applied to connecting alleys and streets. It's jammed with makeshift shops, markets, rickshaws, carts drawn by horses and oxen, cows, goats and pedestrians.
- Harry Shattuck, in The old and the new of Delhi: Within city, it's a whole other world
- Partition was a total catastrophe for Delhi. Those who were left behind are in misery. Those who were uprooted are in misery. The Peace of Delhi is gone. Now it is all gone.
- Begum Hamida Sultan, in William Dalrymple City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi, Penguin, 25 March 2003 , p. 55
- Once through this ruined city did I pass
I espied a lonely bird on a bough and asked
What knowest thou of this wilderness?
It replied: 'I can sum it up in two words:
'Alas, Alas!"
- Khushwant Singh, in Delhi: A Novel, Penguin UK, 1 September 2010, p. 140
- If the government does not pass the Jan Lokpal Bill, I will begin my fast unto death at New Delhi.
- Anna Hazare, IBN Live (2012) [1]
- Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has betrayed the people of Delhi.
- It was a big challenge for me when I decided to start with the Sufi night. It took a while for the crowd to understand the music that was being played at the club since Delhi's crowd is more used to listening to hip-hop and Bollywood music, but the introduction of Sufi music definitely brought in a change.
- Akshay Anand, The Times of India (2012)[3]
- The soil and climate in Delhi are also not favourable for anthrax.
- Riaz Khan (Delhi Zoo curator), Money Control (2012)[4]
- Delhi does not have legislations and policies which recognise the city's values. The state government has not been able to identify the unique elements and outstanding universal values yet.
- Rohit Jigyasu, Deccan Herald (2012)[5]
- As you go from New Delhi to Old Delhi suddenly, the streets are narrower. Suddenly, there are bicycle-rickshaws instead of cars. Suddenly, there are more people. Suddenly, everything is different.
- Raj Ahluwalia, in The old and the new of Delhi: Within city, it's a whole other world
- In Delhi one could manage a drink and dine off other people all 365 days...Delhi had over a hundred embassies, High Commissions and legations. Diplomats in Delhi did not have much work to do. Most of their energies were directed to wining and dining officials of the External Affairs and other ministries of the Government of India, cultivating non-official locals, and celebrating their independence days.
- Khushwant Singh, in The collected novels , Viking, 1996, p. 406
- That's Delhi. When life gets too much for you all you need to do is to spend an hour at Nigambodh Ghat, watch the dead being put to flames and hear their kin wail for them. Then come home and down a couple of pegs of whisky. In Delhi, death and drink make life worth living.
- [[Khushwant Singh, in Delhi: A Novel, p. 26
- They grouped into nativities - Bengalis, Biharis, Bandladeshis, South Indians, Northeasterners, Kashmiri Pandits and Punjabis - or sought refuge in professional identities. They were Delhiites because geography and the pursuit of common goals made them so and not because the city offered a unifying identity. Delhi now belonged to everyone who lived in it, but no one belonged to Delhi. The original Delhiites too were missing from public life - they preferred the city of memory.
- Anupreeta Das, in Seminar, Volumes 514-520, R. Thapar, 2002, p. 12


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Cool guy, that new pope.
Wish those House Republicans would spend some time studying the interview Pope Francis gave to the Italian Jesuit journal La Civita Cattolica that was published online by America, a U.S.-based Jesuit publication.
They might learn a few things about compassion, priorities and how to be real Christians.
Francis thinks the church, to its detriment, is "obsessed" with its battles against abortion, gay marriage and contraception. "The teaching of the church is clear," he said. "But it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time."
God bless that man.
But Francis didn't just rock the world with unexpected words of conciliation about those hot-button social issues, he also said the church must be less rigid and must listen to the "feeling of the people, especially the poor."
The same day his words were published, the inflexible Republican House majority voted to snatch food right out of the mouths of the less fortunate – up to 3.8 million of them. A day later, setting the government on a flight path toward a shutdown that will only come back to haunt the GOP, they voted (for the 41st time) to defund the Affordable Care Act, the program that is about to make health insurance accessible to an estimated 15 million uninsured Americans.
While the pope was declaring that "people get tired of authoritarianism," House Republicans were deciding who can eat and who can go hungry.
This un-Christian view was captured by Kansas Republican Rep. Tim Huelskamp, a former seminary student who thought Hurricane Sandy victims should not receive disaster relief. "I think most Americans don't think you should be getting something for free," he said, "especially for the able-bodied adults."
(Unless you're Tim Huelskamp's parents, who, according to Politico, received $1.1 million dollars in farm subsidies between 1995 and 2009.)
How many of the 217 House Republicans who voted for the measure can really pretend they don't know any able-bodied adults who can't find jobs, or whose full-time jobs in the service industry keep them below the poverty level?
"Discernment in the Lord guides me in my way of governing," the pope said.
Wish that were true for this House.
Twitter: @robinabcarian


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The Department of Criminal Justice at The University of Louisiana at Monroe is the oldest of its kind in the state. The undergraduate programs began in 1970 and the graduate program began in 1974. There are currently five full-time faculty members, as well as adjunct faculty (local police, courts, and correctional personnel) and graduate teaching assistants. The department graduates between 50 and 70 persons each year.
The department offers two degrees: the Bachelor of Arts, and the Master of Arts in Criminal Justice. In addition, the department provides in-service and continuing education training to law enforcement officers in the northeast Louisiana region, and from surrounding states, through its Institute of Law Enforcement.
Several criminal justice courses are taught in the evening and/or online. All courses are offered online, at one time or another, providing for a convenient means of completing the entire degree from a distance, if students should so desire. However, we do offer all graduate classes in both the online format and in the classroom. Classes alternate in the forum in which they are held. Thus, a graduate student can obtain the Master of Arts in Criminal justice through online work, in-class work with classes held in the evening, or a combination of the two.
The Institute of Law Enforcement offers in-service training sessions for police officers of Louisiana and surrounding states.


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News >> Browse Articles >> Business
News >> Browse Articles >> Gadgets
News >> Browse Articles >> Hardware
News >> Browse Articles >> Transportation
Honda Hopes to Develop EV Battery Breakthrough with China's Help
Tiffay Kaiser
May 28, 2010
While Honda is usually a pioneer in the automotive industry with innovative devices and vehicles, the company has been a bit behind when it comes to EV production in comparison to other auto giants. Honda has posed the argument that EV vehicles are far from being successful because of a lack of any real advances in battery technology. Now, it seems as though Honda may be considering stepping up to the plate and attempting a battery-related breakthrough, and they want China to help.
"If there is a suitable chance, we hope to work with China to develop batteries," said Takanobu Ito, Honda's chief executive officer.
Ito's words have caused speculation as to whether Honda will produce EV's or not (on the condition that it can revolutionize the design of automotive batteries). This could put Honda up in the ranks with other automotive competitors participating in the making of electric vehicles.
Honda could certainly use the boost into the greener world of EV's, but choosing China as their partner in search of a better battery might be a problem since the company had to stop production in China due to three of its four plants going on strike in order to obtain better wages in the southern coastal province of Guangdong.
There is no definitive answer or dates regarding if and when Honda will start EV battery research in China, but it seems as though they have some issues to iron out before the company can leap into a partnership with China.
_© 2009, DailyTech.


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Supporting Entrepreneurs: Breaking Down Barriers for Access to Finance
Small and medium sized companies are the backbone of Latin America's economy. They represent more than 90 percent of all enterprises in the region, generating over half of all jobs and a quarter of the region's gross domestic product. They are essential to economic growth, yet their success is often blocked by one key obstacle: lack of credit. Nearly a third of companies in the region identified lack of credit as a major constraint, according to recent surveys.
Take the case of Sonia Arias, who owns a small textile business in Medellin, Colombia. When she opened her business seven years ago, she took an informal loan that left her with sky-high interest rates and little cash to reinvest. "When I was paying these loans," she said, "it felt like we were being hit with a stick."


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When word got out that Jim Cornette was writing a book, the most common observation was that he didn't need an editor; he needed a censor. If blue language and expressive outbursts were tickets to a wrestling match, Cornette would be front row center every week.
To be sure, there is some of that in The Midnight Express and Jim Cornette 25th Anniversary Scrapbook. Witness this sampler from the less profane side: "Your fat old bodies and ugly-ass selves have no place in this world." "Your mouth runs like a clapper in a goose's ass." "You make me sick."
The hitch is that those snide remarks are not from the wrestling manager known as the "Louisville Lip." They're from fans that berated or threatened Cornette and the Midnight Express for employing underhanded ways during their '80s-era quarrel with the popular Rock �n' Roll Express.
"During our feud with the Rock & Roll, we got thousands of letters from teenage girls using language you wouldn't think they'd even know. One said, 'When I turn 18 in three years, I'm going to find you and kill you,'" Cornette recounted in the just-released book. "I saved a lot of them, good and bad, because it just showed that we made enough of an impression on people to write us something entertaining, whether they meant to or not."
A pack rat by nature, Cornette saved lots of things, and they make The Midnight Express and Jim Cornette 25th Anniversary Scrapbook stand out from the wave of self-serving books and tell-all videos that has flooded the market in recent years. Scrapbook is the right word for Cornette's effort. It's a self-published, 230-page work, with lots of pictures, stories, results, and delectable tidbits, such as Ric Flair's understated resignation letter from the World Championship Wrestling booking committee in 1990.
"The original idea for this book was a vague thought of mine in 2006 to do a 'little magazine' for the Midnight Express' 25th anniversary," said Cornette, who has meticulously maintained the team's record of matches, travels, and assorted mischief. As he started to pull it together, he realized he had more on his hands than the raw facts of one of the top tag team of all time.
With the help of Tim Ash, a friend who is well known in wrestling collectible circles, Cornette has worked to capture the personalities of the game, and the greater story of the rise and fall of Jim Crockett Promotions. And his passion for wrestling, though not necessarily the people who run it, burns through every page, the residue of life-altering events like his first live show in Louisville at age 12. "I spent every Tuesday night of my life for the next eight years at the Louisville Gardens. I'd been to the circus, the Globetrotters, the State Fair, but this was the greatest thing I had ever seen."
There's little dispute that the hyperkinetic Cornette and the Midnight Express represented a major departure in the way bad-guy tag teams worked in the ring. At a time when monstrous superhuman pairings like the Road Warriors dominated the tag team scene, the Midnight Express duos of Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey, and later Stan Lane and Eaton, were small and could fly around the ring like no one's business. "The Midnight Express with Jim Cornette was an awesome team, drew a ton of money," said Bill Watts, who first put them together in his Mid-South territory in late 1983.
Cornette's meticulous record-keeping, a carryover from his days as a fan shooting photographs and collecting results, shows that Eaton and Condrey's path to greatness started with a Shreveport, La., TV victory over Rick Rood (Rude) and Mike Jackson on Nov. 23, 1983. Three months later, the MX, which was the familiar shorthand on their gear, tarred and feathered Magnum T.A., setting up a feud with Magnum and Mr. Wrestling II. The angle worked too well -- a few days later, Eaton emerged from a hotel room to find his car had been tarred and feathered by irate fans.
In 1985, the team moved to the Carolina territory run by Crockett, and garnered national attention thanks to Crockett's exposure on WTBS, the Atlanta-based superstation. The following year, with the Midnight Express-Rock �n' Roll Express feud headlining cards, the Crockett promotion grossed more money than any National Wrestling Alliance promotion ever raked in. The successful run attracted the attention of the WWF, which lured the team to New York for discussions on switching promotions. Cornette reveals his meeting with WWF impresario Vince McMahon in splendid detail; suffice it to say that he left the office unimpressed with the heavy emphasis on action figures, as opposed to wrestling.
Back in the NWA, Big Bubba (Ray Traylor), a bodyguard-type whom Cornette termed "like the fourth Express member to both teams," added his imposing look, and, when Condrey left to deal with some personal issues in 1987, Lane stepped in, bringing fresh blood that Cornette said probably prolonged the team's run.
Casual fans who are more interested in who did what to whom, and when, will find Cornette has included enough classic one-liners, road stories, bloody photos, and poems to keep the good times rolling. Eventually, they will stop rolling; the team has been wrestling on and off since reuniting in 2004, and has to stop sometime, Cornette insisted. "We're not quite ready to say that the next match is the very last, but when you see it advertised, get your tickets early, because even we aren't sure exactly which one will be the farewell."
Ordering information: The Midnight Express and Jim Cornette 25th Anniversary Scrapbook is available at JimCornette.com. The book is available in two versions -- a numbered edition of 250, signed by Eaton, Lane, Condrey, and Cornette. Those volumes will be $39.95 while they last. The regular edition will be $24.95, and Cornette will sign those upon request.
Steven Johnson is co-author, with Greg Oliver, of The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams, The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels, and Benoit: Wrestling with the Horror That Destroyed a Family and Crippled a Sport (with Heath McCoy and Irv Muchnick).


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Brand birthdays: does anyone really care?
22 February 2013 at 10:07
Brands seem to have an obsession with letting people know how old they are.
This is equally true of iconic household names and smaller regional businesses.
The FT recently celebrated its 125 year anniversary with a bit of a fanfare and Diet Coke is hinting that it may bring back its classic hunk as it turns 30 this year. If you take a quick flick through your local paper's business pages, there's sure to be a 'Joe Blogs enterprises celebrates xx years trading' story.
We'd be interested to hear your thoughts on brand birthdays. Do you care at all? Do you think it depends on the business size / sector / target audience? Is it more relevant for business-to-business brands whose audiences may associate longevity with industry knowledge and expertise? Or does it all come down to the objectives and the strategy of associated PR and marketing?
If you'd like to consider some more views on brand birthdays, Marketing magazine recently ran this feature on the topic:
Are brand birthdays really a cause for celebration?
Coca-Cola, VW and The Financial Times are among the growing number of brands who have invited consumers to join in their birthday celebrations. But does anyone want to join the party? John Reynolds and Ben Bold investigate.
What do the Tube, The Financial Times, Harley Davidson, Coca-Cola, Cartier, Volkswagen, Starbucks and Marmite have in common?
Answer: they have all recently trumpeted their birthdays in a bid to attract publicity, boost their brands, increase sales, and remind consumers of their heritage.
Earlier this week, the FT celebrated its 125th anniversary with a global marketing campaign spanning press, digital, experiential and outdoor, telling readers it is "Still guiding the way for global business".
Meanwhile, last month Marketing reported that, as part of its 30th anniversary, Diet Coke had unveiled a teaser ad on its Facebook page, hinting at the return of the "hunk" from its classic TV ads.
Lager brand Heineken is celebrating its 140th birthday, while Heineken UK this week announced the launch of a multimillion-pound marketing campaign for Foster's to begin a year-long celebration of the lager brand's 125th anniversary.
Meanwhile, Harley Davidson is marking its 140th anniversary, and Coca-Cola last year reproduced some of its heritage bottle designs as part of its 125-years celebrations.
But are these brands akin to the kid at school who witters on about it being his birthday, when the sad reality is that nobody cares? Or are their celebratory fanfares being heard and appreciated by the consuming public?
Marketing asked two experts – Alistair Green at media agency Mindshare UK, and David Goudge of consultancy The Brand Development Business – what they thought of this trend of self-congratulation.
Alistair Green, head of strategy, Mindshare UK
My birthday is in April and I may mark the occasion with a day off work and an evening out withfriends and family. People make a certain amount of effort when a birthday comes round: they buy presents, post cards or e-cards, send good wishes on Facebook, phone or Skype to catch up.
So, it's not surprising brands try to reap the same benefits when their birthday rolls around. Heineken is celebrating its 140th, Cartier its 155th, Coca Cola turned 125, and the youngsters Volkswagen (60), Starbucks (40), and Diet Coke (30), are out celebrating with anyone who will join in.
Since their inception, brands have always tried to position themselves as our best friend, and with a new media landscape to aid more personable interaction than ever before, brands continue to humanise their relationship with us to garner our loyalty. It's called good marketing, and brands that do it best make it a fun and rewarding experience, like any good birthday party should be.
Even though there is an ulterior motive for brands celebrating a birthday – to drive sales and ROI – it's not that different from my nine-year-old inviting both classes of boys in his year so he could get more presents.
As Hobbes explained, all acts are selfish by default. So a brand deciding to celebrate its birth date is a good strategy, as long as like any good host, it makes sure its guests have a good time and it doesn't use it as an opportunity to pontificate about its entire life story.
David Goudge, managing director, The Brand Development Business
Diet Coke is 30, Doctor Who is 50, Harley Davidson is 110; but who cares?
Certainly the brand team, and their ad and PR agencies. But what about the consumer?
In tough economic times, there is a natural tendency to look back to the past with affection and nostalgia, and as a brand, it's great to have the opportunity to reassure consumers of your longevity.
But in the hangover year following the Jubilee and Olympics, when the economic gloom looms large, should brands be using just any excuse to jump onto the bandwagon?
Some anniversaries are clearly worth celebrating: the Tube's 150th encourages us to re-evaluate and appreciate a London icon as the pioneer that it is. Equally, the Football Association's 150th birthday is worthy of celebration.
But as more and more brands jump onto the bandwagon, the me-toos will have to work harder to stand out – ensuring their activity adds relevancy to the narrative of their brand story.
A brilliant case in point is Marmite's celebration of the Queen's Jubilee. They didn't trot out just another Jubilee pack – they delighted us with the humour of Ma'amite, whilst quietly upstaging the Queen by pointing out they were born in 1902.
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video games
Webgame Wednesday: Gotham Streets
'Member Spy Hunter? Gotham Streets takes the same basic drive-and-shoot mechanics from that old arcade classic and dresses them up, sueprhero-style. It's an adaptation of Cartoon Network's new series "Beware the Batman," which revives the Dark Knight in a retro, gangster setting. Who doesn't want to drive the Batmobile?