text:
It would merely have been a week of historical proportions for Chivas USA. Erick "Cubo" Torres made it a spectacular one.
In the final minute of stoppage time, the 21-year-old forward laced a sidewinding bicycle kick just inside the post to lift Chivas to a 1-0 victory over Montreal on Saturday at StubHub Center.
"It was a very dramatic game, and the ending, it was a movie," Torres said. "This goal is one of the more beautiful goals that I have scored. It was in the 92nd minute and it's definitely a goal I want to watch later."
The victory is the third in a row for Chivas, all by 1-0, all on goals from Torres, and all came in an eight-day span. It's the club's first three-game win streak since 2009, the last year the club made the playoffs.
"It's nice to pack 'em all in one week," defender Carlos Bocanegra said. "We're in a little bit of a rhythm right now. The team's confident. I think that's the biggest thing. Defensively, we're keeping it pretty tight and Cubo's getting goals. It's enjoyable at the moment.
"It hasn't been that way here for a long time."
A playoff spot is still a considerable hurdle to reach, but at least Chivas (5-7-5) is inching up the standings instead of languishing in last place in the Western Conference of MLS.
"That shows we are progressing in our job, the way we are approaching the games and the way we are working on the field," Chivas coach Wilmer Cabrera said. "It's important to continue believing and hopefully this winning streak continues."
In a tight, physical game, neither team had many chances, and Chivas goalkeeper Dan Kennedy made the save he needed to make to preserve the club's third consecutive shutout by stopping Andres Romero in the 66th minute.
Midfielder Marvin Chavez made his first start for Chivas, playing in his second game with the club. He scored two goals in 33 minutes as a reserve in his Chivas debut at Colorado on May 11 before he reported to World Cup duty with Honduras.
Torres had his goal-scoring streak extended to four games.
Montreal (3-8-5) went on the attack from the outset, actually scoring a goal that was wiped out by an offside call, then moments later being caught offside again.
After that, the teams settled into a midfield slugfest, with bodies everywhere at certain points, and both teams angered by the lack of calls from referee Juan Guzman.
But late in the half, Chivas began to find some space on the right side. First, forward Leandro Barrera unleashed a hard shot that Montreal goalkeeper Troy Perkins stopped. The rebound went in front of him in a tangle of bodies, but neither Torres nor Marky Delgado could get there for Chivas before defender Heath Pearce cleared it away.
In the final minute of the first half, Chavez worked himself free and tried a left-footer that scooted just wide of the far post.
At halftime, Cabrera inserted Rosales for Barrera, moving Chavez up front with Torres.


text:
McColl 4221CB# 3490Chapel Hill, NC27599-3490
firstname.lastname@example.com office: (919) 962-3152
Entrepreneurship, venture financing, ethics and commercial and consumer law are areas of expertise for Barry Roberts.
Dr. Roberts is co-author of three business law texts with UNC Kenan-Flagler professor Richard Mann: "Business Law and the Regulation of Business" (7th edition), "Essentials of Business Law" (8th edition) and "Business Law" (12th edition).
He is a former judicial clerk for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He has started four companies.
He was executive vice president of MycoSearch Inc. for 12 years and took it from startup to sale. He served as acting president of Cellpath for 18 months. He continues to work with numerous start-up companies and participates in angel round investments.
He has served as a consultant and taught executive education programs for GlaxoSmithKline, Sonoco, RTI and BEPCO.
He received his LLM from Harvard University, his JD from the University of Pennsylvania and his BS from Pennsylvania State University.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
As we've learned so many times before this time of year, trade talks are often dead until they're not dead. They always seem to have this wild way of coming back from the grave, like some sort of NBA version of The Walking Dead where general managers rise up and grab their cell phones just in time to get a deal that was on life support done.
So will that be the case with the Golden State Warriors-Minnesota Timberwolves discussions that center on Kevin Love and were deemed dead on Monday? We shall see.
But there's no mistaking the fact that the pro-Klay Thompson camp is speaking up in ways that they didn't seem to be just three days ago, and the stance — for now — that the Warriors third-year guard is going nowhere means there will likely be no deal done here unless someone budges. What's more, the Thompson component is hardly the only sticking point.
FREE AGENCY: The complete list
DRAFT: The common sense mock
According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the Warriors aren't keen on the idea of taking on the contract of veteran shooting guard Kevin Martin (three seasons, $21.2 million remaining) or giving up the future first-round pick that the Timberwolves are known to have asked for. (Because they owe their 2014 first round pick to the Utah Jazz, they would have to wait until the draft begins on Thursday night to trade their 2015 pick since league rules prohibit a team from owing first-round picks in consecutive years.) The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of negotiations.
Thompson is only part of this complicated process, but the reality remains that this Warriors management team that has talked so often in recent years about doing anything necessary to win a championship still has a prime chance to land one of the few available players who could help get that done. Which is why the Warriors' quandary — one that is being deemed dead now but will likely be miraculously revived by tomorrow — is so fascinating at the moment.
The Timberwolves clearly covet Thompson and are well aware of the financial implications of the Warriors holding onto him beyond next season. It's the driving force of their hope that Golden State will relent on this front, the idea that keeping him after his rookie contract expires next summer while somehow landing Love in the process means the Warriors' payroll would be somewhere between painful and untenable.
VIDEO: Best landing spots for Kevin Love
Eddie Johnson discusses five teams that would be great fits for Timberwolves forward Kevin Love.
Golden State's decision to execute a sign-and-trade with Andre Iguodala last summer (four years, $48 million) is having a serious ripple effect now, as there are only so many eight-figure players that can fit under one team's arena roof. Thompson is known to be seeking a maximum-salary contract, but even a more modest salary would make things extremely challenging when it comes to the financial front.
If Thompson's deal started with a $10 million salary in Year One, and Love was in town on a newly-negotiated max deal that would start in that same summer, then Golden State would have approximately $64 million tied up in just five players who all would be making at least $11.3 million (starters Stephen Curry, Andrew Bogut, Thompson, Iguodala and Love). The salary cap is projected to be $63.2 million next season with the luxury tax starting around $77 million, meaning it will be in that same neighborhood for the following campaign.
The Warriors have a few handy tools at their disposal, too, as their ability to use the midlevel exception this summer as well as a traded player exception means they can work around the pesky salary cap that they're already unofficially over to find all the right role players.
So is it inconceivable that Joe Lacob and his band of deep-pocketed Warriors owners would be willing to cut a monstrous check for the chance to truly contend for a title? Don't rule it out, especially since Curry, Bogut and Iguodala come off the books after the 2016-17 campaign, and the Warriors could reassess their financial future at that time. That raises this question, of course: Do the T'wolves have enough interest in any of the Warriors' non-Thompson packages?
That part remains unclear, and it's impossible to assess without knowing every last detail of the other offers in front of Minnesota President and head coach Flip Saunders. (The Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets are believed to be on their short list as well.) But if the Warriors were indeed so hell-bent on keeping Thompson, they could (and may have) offered forward David Lee, small forwards Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes and the first-rounder and feel as if that's about as good as it will get for the Timberwolves.
Their opinion of Barnes would be key, as he showed serious star potential in the Warriors' 2013 playoff run before falling off so badly last season (largely because of Iguodala's presence). And whereas Thompson's payday is coming either this summer (via an extension) or next, Barnes has two seasons left on his rookie deal and would thus be a more manageable contract. Green is owed $915,243 in 2014-15, the last year of his deal.
Minnesota has been sending mixed messages along the way here, telling some teams that they feel no pressing need to move Love until the February trade deadline while offering other indications that he'll be outbound by Friday morning. But "dead" is a different kind of term in the NBA, where front-office possums are so prevalent. Don't be surprised if this Golden State-Minnesota situation is the latest reminder that even the most lifeless of trade talks weren't so dead after all.
GALLERY: Kevin Love through the years


text:
The PDF file you selected should load here if your Web browser has a PDF reader plug-in installed (for example, a recent version of Adobe Acrobat Reader).
If you would like more information about how to print, save, and work with PDFs, Highwire Press provides a helpful Frequently Asked Questions about PDFs.
Alternatively, you can download the PDF file directly to your computer, from where it can be opened using a PDF reader. To download the PDF, click the Download link above.
For inquiries, article submissions, etc. send e-mail to:
The Editor, Journal of Philippine Librarianship
Or call (+632) 9818500 loc 2869 to 71.
Journal of Philippine Librarianship (ISSN: 0022-359x)
University of the Philippines School of Library and Information Studies
3/F,Gonzales Hall,UP Main Library
UP Diliman,Quezon City 1101, Metro Manila


text:
When you fire up your smartphone to post a Facebook status or type on a wireless keyboard or talk into a Bluetooth headset, you're likely using communications technology created by a brother-and-sister inventor team based at one of Orange County's leading tech giants.
Between them, Reza and Maryam Rofougaran have logged more than 500 patents for wireless chips that have freed many of our devices from the limitation of wires.
Working at Irvine-based Broadcom, the Rofougarans are the little-known architects of combo chips that merge different technologies onto tiny pieces of silicon. Their big idea: figuring out how to put Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on an efficient, affordable computer chip – an innovation that powered developments that have untethered modern computer technology.
"Basically they have revolutionized the whole field by completely integrating that onto a single system on a chip," said Frank Chang, chairman of the UCLA electrical engineering department.
Next year Reza and Maryam Rofougaran will merge their combo chips with another technology in phones called near-field communications, or NFC. That will allow users to swipe a gadget to unlock doors, tap to make a purchase or bump to share information.
"I just want to see people use it and life to become easier," said Reza Rofougaran, 48, who is Broadcom's chief technologist.
His 44-year-old sister Maryam Rofougaran is a vice president of RF engineering at the company. The brother and sister work as a team and their inventions have given Broadcom a leg up in the wireless world, providing technology adapted for use in leading gadgets such as the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy SII.
Reza – his full name is Ahmadreza – Rofougaran and sister Maryam came to the United States from Iran in the 1980s to fulfill their parents' dream of seeing their children go to college. Universities in Iran closed after the 1979 revolution sought to purge Western influences from the country. The parents wanted their son and daughters to have the same education opportunities.
"In a way my parents were very open minded," Maryam Rofougaran said.
The family sent Reza Rofougaran to California and then three daughters followed. Three of the siblings – Reza, Maryam and younger sister Rozi – attended UCLA to study engineering. Reza Rofougaran came under the mentorship of a young professor, Henry Samueli, who shared his interest in radios and communication systems.
Reza Rofougaran went on to pursue his master's and doctorate degrees, while his former professor went off in 1991 to co-found Broadcom, which spent its first decade focused on speeding up Internet access through wired broadband communications technology.
In 1998, when Reza Rofougaran completed his doctorate, he and sister Maryam decided to start a company that could deliver a low-cost chip for wireless communication. Maryam Rofougaran stopped working on her doctorate to launch the company with her brother.
Samueli provided some of the seed money for the startup, called Innovent.
"I believed that whoever can come up with a low-cost wireless system it was just going to explode," Reza Rofougaran said. "It was very obvious."
A year after Reza and Maryam Rofougaran started Innovent, they demonstrated their chip at a conference in Anaheim. They showed how a photo could be transferred from one device to another – but without using wires.
That was enough to persuade Samueli to acquire their technology. By July 2000 Innovent had merged with Broadcom in a $440million deal. Reza Rofougaran said they chose Broadcom because of their history with Samueli and the team at Broadcom. "It was a good match," Reza Rofougaran said.
Twelve years after the Innovent team joined the tech company, wireless chips account for roughly half of Broadcom's revenue and in the most recent quarter wireless contributed more than $1 billion to the company's total sales, according to J.P. Morgan analyst Harlan Sur.
"Immeasurable," Samueli said of the contributions by the Rofougaran siblings to his company.
Broadcom's first single-chip Bluetooth shipped in 2002 using Innovent's technology. Then the Rofougarans started working on combining Bluetooth with other technologies, adding old-fashioned FM radio in 2006 and Wi-Fi in 2007. Apple adopted Broadcom's combo Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip in the second-generation iPhone (the first generation featured separate chips from a different supplier) and then in most of its portable gadgets afterward. Other leading manufacturers, including Samsung, use the chips.
To a gadget maker, integrating technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi together onto the same chip saves space and power and is more efficient than sourcing chips from multiple companies, said Francis Sideco, an analyst who lives in Orange County and heads up the communications technology group for Colorado-based intelligence firm IHS. Sideco said smartphones will make up over 50 percent of the total phone market for the first time in the next year, nearly all with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chips inside.
"They weren't first necessarily, but once (Broadcom) released their combo solution they took over the (iPhone) slot … (and) they've been able to leverage that into other design wins," Sideco said.
A search of the U.S. patent office showed 506 patents issued for Reza Rofougaran and 138 for Maryam Rofougaran. They have hundreds more pending, according to Broadcom. Though all patents are assigned to the company, Broadcom has an incentive program for its inventors but the company wouldn't reveal details.
In addition to working as Broadcom's chief technologist, Reza Rofougaran also is a vice president of radio frequency engineering. He spends his days trying to figure out what technologies will be important in the next decade.
"That's what I learned from (Samueli)," Reza Rofougaran said. "He always sees five, 10 years ahead."
Maryam Rofougaran's role often is more practical. She tries to figure out which technologies gadget makers will want to fit inside their devices next year and then coordinates teams to develop those chips.
"Maryam helps Reza with the details of everyday issues so he can focus more on future ideas and inventions," said Rozi Rofougaran, 38, and the youngest of three siblings working at Broadcom.
"They sometimes disagree, but never in front of others. Even I don't see it, it is always resolved smoothly between the two of them."
That's because the brother-and-sister team play complementary roles in the creative process. He tends to focus on future innovations, such as dreaming up a still far-off technology called millimeter wave that would eliminate more wires and boost connectivity to extreme speeds. She often brings her brother back to the present – and the next quarter's bottom line.
"We can't do everything at the same time," he said. "I want to do it all at the same time."
"And so do I," Maryam Rofougaran said. "We've got to make sure we can deliver a product."
Contact the writer: 949-229-2426 or firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
chrisran needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 27 designs submitted by 4 freelance designers.
We are Imfuna Inc., a Mobile Enterprise Application (MEAP) company focused on the property management and construction industries. Our first product, called imRent provides a mobile solution that simplifies the process of in-the-field data collection combined with a back-end web client to perform analysis and produce reports. This project is focused on the introduction of the imRent product.
Think of the process of performing a home inspection using digital photos, dictation and notes to document current conditions, defects and regulatory compliance. Or imagine an apartment complex owner who needs to regularly perform quality inspections, document incidents and generate move-in/out reports.
We take all this chaos and standardize it on a mobile device with a powerful back-end and web client. The solution can reduce time in field by over 60% and back-office analysis and reporting by 70%!
We are currently working on the mobile interface and the web client functionality. Before we launch we want to have an engaging and easy to understand pre-launch website which is the basis for this project. This consists of two web pages, a home page and a product detail page.
Details about the overall brand:
We make a tedious & inefficient job simple and fun.
A good celebrity to represent our brand would be Charles Schwab and more importantly the brand "Chuck" from Charles Schwab.
• iPhone lovers
• Apartment renters
• Vacation home renters (beach house, mountain house, etc)
• 25 – 40 years old
• Male & Female
• Budget conscious
• Wants control
• Innovator and tech savvy or at least they think they are
Keywords that portray our brand:
•Confidence (using our products you'll have accurate data with an legally binding trail… you're safe)
•Fun to use
•Simple (making a burdensome job easy)
•Powerful (meaning computing power – smart)
•Sexy/modern but professional (adult cool)
We want two pages. One Homepage and one Product Detail page
Follow basic direction of the attached wireframes (really power point sketches but it's the best we could do ☺) We want a homepage and a product detail page for the imRent product
The Imfuna corporate logo should serve to set the tone of the overall look and feel of the website
Use the light blue and green color palette from the logo– feel free to explore with accent colors but keep the look and feel open and airy. Think http://www.mint.com
The site needs to portray simplicity while also keeping to the concept of powerful and modern/sexy.
Our primary goal of the site is to excite visitors to the point of signing up for future product announcements and as beta testers.
The home page should make it clear and easy for users to sign up for beta testing as well as exhibit the utility of the application. The detail page should show example screenshots from the phone, web and reporting. See attached wireframe and screenshots for details as well some sample copy.
Home pages we like:
http://www.foursquare.com (We like the home page once you are logged in)


text:
Powder Coated Light Fixture Offers Corrosion Protection
The WFH series fixture is one of the most versatile in our offering. It is UL listed for hazardous environments where protection is needed from liquids or gasses, dusts, and fibers and rated for heavy hose down environments.
A one-piece housing with powder coated finish offers excellent corrosion protection and extremely high reflectance. A heavy-duty door frame, heavy duty latches and 3/16 inch thick lens complete the package, making the WFH the superior choice for industrial manufacturing, food processing, and other hazardous & wet locations.
Available with up to six T8 and T5HO lamps, a lamping configuration is available to suit your needs. The WFH is also available in a wide range of AC and with an emergency battery backup option.
- Class I, Division 2, Group A,B,C & D
- High Pressure Hose Down
- Nema 4, 4X
- NSF Certified Food Equipment
- UL1598 Wet Locations
- UL 924 Emergency Lighting
- Wet Locations
- 55 Degrees Celcius Ambient Temperature (265mA T8 Only)
- Fluorescent


text:
Portal opening
Ramblings about life . . .
What I share about my life is simply to help reinforce the understanding that it is possible to live with love and laughter, even with tough times.
Life is what we make of it, no matter how harrowing. We accept and embody this with-in ourselves, thereby allowing the energy to manifest outwardly in our reality.
It starts with each one of us as an individual to form the collective consciousness.
Be the dream.
We honour the light and the life within you.
Please be aware - I upload other bloggers' posts and then delete after a month. This is my journey and others help me understand where I am, until they become irrelevant (a few posts excepted).
Sunday, 21 February 2016
Hamilton Gardens
Posted by Unknown at 19:36
Labels: Hamilton, Hamilton Gardens, newzealand


text:
No position player has been selected league most valuable player after appearing in fewer than 116 games in a nonstrike season. But by the time voters begin casting their ballots at the end of this season, the Dodgers' Hanley Ramirez may be worthy of consideration.
Because of two stints on the disabled list because of athumb injury and a pulled hamstring, Ramirez will probably appear in about 100 games this summer, provided he is not injured again. And if he maintains his current pace, he'll finish with 22 home runs, 74 runs batted in and an MVP-worthy .370 batting average and .663 slugging percentage.
That's a big "if," of course. But then those statistics aren't key to Ramirez's MVP candidacy anyway. The number that best makes the case for Ramirez's value is the Dodgers' .750 winning percentage since he returned to the starting lineup full time. That has taken them from the National League West cellar to a 31/2-game division lead.
"When we got Hanley back, then we took off," first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said.
Manager Don Mattingly, a former American League MVP with the New York Yankees, isn't sure he buys the logic.
"He's definitely been valuable. But you can't give it all to Hanley," he said. "It takes a crew. And Hanley's been huge. I can't imagine what we'd look like without him.
"But you can't really imagine where we'd be without Adrian either."
Starting pitchers, who can influence a team's performance only once every five days, have won MVP awards appearing in far fewer games than Ramirez, even though the rules guiding MVP voters include admonitions to consider the "actual value of a player to his team" as well as the "number of games played." Among position players, though, the fewest appearances for an MVP in a nonstrike year was 116 by catcher Gabby Hartnett in 1935, when he hit .344 with 91 RBIs to lead the Chicago Cubs to the World Series.
Given that, it's unlikely 100 games will be enough for Ramirez to win the award. But in a season in which no NL player has dominated statistically the way Miguel Cabrera has in the American League, Ramirez's "actual value … to his team" is certainly worthy of recognition.
Tigers plan ahead for Jhonny Peralta's absence
The knowledge that Jhonny Peralta was about to be suspended for violating baseball's drug policy influenced the Detroit Tigers to give up their quest for a pitcher and settle instead on a trade for Boston shortstop Jose Iglesias a few hours before Wednesday's nonwaiver trade deadline.
Peralta, whose name surfaced in the probe of Biogenesis, the South Florida wellness clinic that allegedly dispensed performance-enhancing drugs to as many as 20 players, could be out until the playoffs or longer. His suspension and those of at least eight other players are expected to be announced at any time.
But the Tigers couldn't wait, pushing through a three-team, seven-player deal that also sent right-hander Jake Peavy from the Chicago White Sox to Boston. Not so lucky were the Texas Rangers, who were unable to find a replacement for right fielder Nelson Cruz, the team leader in home runs and RBIs. Cruz is also expected to get a lengthy suspension.


text:
Rally Software Development has announced the latest releases of its applications and Platform-as-a-Service offerings for Agile lifecycle management. Rally releases 2008.5 (released Oct 25) and 2008.6 (available Dec 20) delivers new features by unifying silos that typically span the software lifecycle. New capabilities include one-button install of community mashups from the Rally mashup catalog, new integrations for products from Microsoft, IBM, and Jira, and the ability to plan and schedule regression tests within iterations and releases.
Rally's ALM 2.0 applications and platform are intended to make it less costly for distributed development organizations to manage the whole software lifecycle by customizing their Rally application to meet their unique needs. With 20+ pre-built integrations to commercial and open-source tools connecting all roles in the software lifecycle, Rally's Internet platform for Agile lifecycle management enables the open collaboration that drives enterprise Agile success. The open Rally platform delivers three capabilities:
- Open web service API's and mashup and integration toolkits enable the "occasional" programmer to extend Rally to meet their company's unique work styles and reporting needs.
- The ability to embed outside applications into Rally, and allow Rally screens to appear in other applications puts critical information on project status, progress and quality at every team member's fingertips.
- Rally's community in Agile Commons gives users access to a catalog of fully supported integrations and mashups, many that can now be installed with a single click.
"Every enterprise and every Agile team is different," said Rally founder and CTO Ryan Martens. "By leveraging our Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) architecture, Agile organizations can create and deploy their own customized applications using readily available web components -- all with zero infrastructure costs."
Specific enhancements to the Rally platform include:
- Rally's new "Get It Now" one-click install makes it easy to add any mashup from the growing Rally Mashup Catalog on Agile Commons.
- The Rally Connector for Microsoft Team Foundation Server gives .NET development teams full traceability between source code assets and Rally stories and defects.
- The Rally Connector for Microsoft Team Build displays the results of builds from Microsoft Team Build in Rally dashboards and optionally creates defects when a build fails.
- The Rally Connectors for Microsoft Active Directory and OpenLDAP makes provisioning or disabling Rally users simple and efficient for large Rally deployments.
- The Rally Connector for Jira is enhanced to fully coordinate Jira workflows for defect and issue management with Rally's lifecycle management capabilities.
- The Rally Connector for IBM ClearQuest (currently in beta) provides bi-directional updates between defects in ClearQuest and Rally.
Other enhancements to Rally's Agile lifecycle applications include:
- Regression tests allow Test and Quality Assurance (QA) teams to group tests into regression test sets and schedule them into releases and iterations, easing the management of frequent and early testing activities. (Rally 2008.6)
- Greater administrative controls for large projects make it easy to provision access and permission new users into multiple projects.
- New screen capture tool allows users to capture screenshots of bugs and quickly log them as a defect in Rally.
- New cross workspace dashboard mashup gives development leaders a high-level status of all user stories across Rally workspaces. (Rally 2008.6)
- Advanced burndown chart helps users gain better predictability into project completion by tracking changing scope during iterations. (Rally 2008.6)
- New project dashboard mashup for Eclipse gives developers visual status of all of their team's work products that mirror the Rally dashboards. (Rally 2008.6)


text:
Are you a victim of unwanted spirit possession? Is there a ghost you need sent up and away...or down to burn for all eternity? If the answer is yes, then you need Muhyo and Roji, experts in magic law. Serving justice to evil spirits is their specialty.
|Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation
|First Air Date
|Last Air Date
|Mystery, Animation, Action & Adventure
|Production Companies
|Number of Seasons
|1 Seasons
|Number of Episodes
|12 Episodes
|Plot Keywords
|supernatural, ghost, anime


text:
Tiny heat-sucker helps keep Moore's Law going
Graphene, is there anything it can't do?
Adding graphene to copper can improve its heat-conducting properties – and that's good news for electronics developers.
One of the barriers to the continuing shrinking of electronics is that as you pack more features into a smaller space, you also pack more heat into that space. That makes heat a hurdle standing in the way of our ability to keep Moore's Law going for as long as possible.
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, have found that a single-atom-thick graphene coating on either side of a copper track – a graphene-copper-graphene sandwich – gave a 24 per cent better heat conduction than copper alone.
A professor of electrical engineering at UCR's Bourns College of Engineering, Alexander Balandin, said the "enhancement of copper's ability to conduct heat could become important in the development of hybrid copper — graphene interconnects for electronic chips that continue to get smaller and smaller".
Apparently, the change didn't happen because the graphene was doing much to conduct heat: rather, the process by which the graphene layer was added to the copper changed the nano- and microstructure of the copper surface.
Left to right: untreated copper, heat-treated copper,
and copper with graphene. Larger grains conduct more heat.
Source: University of California, Riverside
The research "found that chemical vapour deposition of graphene conducted at high temperature stimulates grain size growth in copper films. The larger grain sizes in copper coated with graphene results in better heat conduction", the university's announcement says.
Even better: the effect seems to be more pronounced as the copper gets thinner – which is important in the world of microelectronics, since it should help heat conduction down to the nanometre size of on-chip copper interconnects.
Their work has been published in Nano Letters (abstract here).
Sponsored: Becoming a Pragmatic Security Leader


text: 04/11/2013 (10:01PM - 11:00PM) (Thursday) : WILL FACES A NEW CASE AFTER A BIZARRE DISCOVERY IN THE WOODS - Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), now an official special investigator with the FBI, helps Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne) and the BAU unit search for a murderer who buries his victims alive to grow mushrooms. In their therapy sessions, Hannibal (Mads Mikkelsen) begins to gain Will's trust as they bond over responsibility for Abigail (guest star Kacey Rohl), and helps Will open up about his true feelings about killing Hobbs. Meanwhile, Freddie Lounds (guest star Lara Jean Chorostecki) snoops around the BAU's investigation. Caroline Dhavernas and Hettienne Park also star.


text:
Democratic candidates for East Hampton Town supervisor and town board outlined a proposal to expedite planning board approval for non-permanent farm structures such as hoop buildings and cold frames at a press conference on July 13 at the Amagansett Farmers Market.
The law would apply only to structures used for the production of food crops, as opposed for tree farms or nurseries.
The goal of the proposed legislation, according to Zachary Cohen, the Democrats' supervisor candidate, is "to make the process easier and less expensive for the applicant while still protecting the neighbors."
Sylvia Overby and Peter Van Scoyoc, the Democratic candidates for town board, joined him at the press conference.
"Applicants don't always know what to submit and board members don't always know what they have to submit," added Mr. Van Scoyoc, who is also a member of the town planning board.
The legislation would designate two types of applications: one for structures less than 1,350 square feet (or .6 percent of the total square footage of the property), and another for structures greater than that. In addition the more rigorous review process applied to larger structures would be triggered for smaller buildings if the "town or county has an ownership interest in the land, in part or whole for farmland preservation" or if "the planning board receives comments from the public opposing an application" that it believes "raise sufficient community and neighbor concerns to warrant a public hearing."
In both cases, the proposed structure would need to meet setback requirements. Abuilding permit would also be necessary, as would permits for water and electricity. A formal survey would not be required, although the applicant would need to indicate the location of the proposed structure "on a reasonably accurate map generated by the Planning Department."
Although the smaller structures would not necessitate a public hearing, the application would appear on the planning board agenda and neighbors would be notified. The larger temporary buildings would require a public hearing might require "other submissions based on the complexity of the application and existing conditions," such as "in cases where the total allowable coverage is reached or exceeded with proposed addition of the temporary structures."
In February, Theresa Quigley, a Republican town board member, proposed similar legislation, although her proposed law also included farm stands, which, according to Ms. Overby, "have a lot of other, more complicated issues." Mr. Van Scoyoc added that unlike the previous legislation, his team's proposal includes "some land-use review."
Reached yesterday for her response to the Democrats' version of a simplified temporary farm structure law, Ms. Quigley said "my gut reaction is that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." She explained that she had proposed the legislation in response to requests from local farmers, including Alex Balsam, and that it was still being worked on after input from the public and elected officials of both parties.
"If the issue is an important one, why is this [duplication] happening? Is the subtext 'We Democrats are careful and the Republicans aren't?' " she asked.


text:
Sick of piecing together a marketing strategy with a dozen moving pieces? Leave them behind you.
At The Conversion Pros, we believe running a business should be simple. So we offer ALL the tools you need in one easy-to-use platform. From intuitive capture pages and landing pages to a built in auto-responder, proven sales funnels, SMS Broadcasters, and more, where you can follow up with your prospects via email or SMS/Text broadcasts, and you'll never have to stress over getting the pieces to fit together again. Plus, pre-qualified leads on demand.
All the tools you need to become your favorite success story.
Simple, Customizable Capture Pages to Easily Build Your Funnel
Are you ready to launch a new offer? Just need a new page to guide readers to your existing site? Our easy-to-navigate capture page builder allows you to effortlessly capture new leads and add them to your funnel. All our templates are fully customizable with an ultra-smooth drag-and-drop feature, making it SUPER easy for you to drop in videos, contact forms, redirect buttons, bullet points, and anything else you need, with little to no technical skills required.
Start attracting new customers every minute of every day - automatically - even while you sleep.
Grow Your Business By Making Customers Your Focus
The CRM App allows you to stay connected to your customers even when you are on the go. Automatic and seamless integration with your landing/capture pages makes it a breeze to run the most important aspect of your business - customer relationships - from your phone. Increase your productivity, keep track of customers more easily, grow your business and make contact when it matters most.
Your Competitors are Already Using Email to Engage with Your Future Customers
Easily create custom drip email campaigns to promote your offers and follow up with your prospects more effectively, unlocking extra sales and profits. Or send email blasts all at once to specific email groups. With our auto-responder, you can create an unlimited amount of email funnels for an unlimited number of leads.
"TCP I just want to say thank you for this new site you put together! Conversion Pros absolutely Rocks. I did my first capture page in 10 Minutes and it is off the charts! Thanks again The Conversion Pros"
Scot W. Canada
"At last TCP delivers! I cant believe the response from these leads and the TCP system! I called only 10 leads and had 4 people watching my presentation that day!! Thank you TCP!!"
Bill H | Rochester, NY
"I sent my first SMS broadcasts today ... watched the training Video then just did it ... it was SO easy and the system cleaned out all but the valid cell numbers. I think I am in love ... No... I KNOW I am IN LOVE!"
Janet L | Calgary
As an existing TCP Member, you'll have access to these incredible tools and a programming team that continually introduces new cutting-edge features, tools and services! You'll always have access to the latest breakthroughs in marketing automation and simplification.
You'll get access to trainings and webinars from 7-figure earners to help you grow your business.
These free trainings will teach you how to increase viable and qualified leads, convert them into sales, and optimize your social media channels to bring in new leads day and night. You'll also learn tips and tricks to get the most out of your TCP Membership so you can attract buyers to your funnel, like bees to honey!
All these trainings, PLUS more than $1,500 in bonuses, are yours FREE as a TCP Member.


text:
Being charged with a crime is one of the most life altering experiences any of us will ever face. However, just because you have been charged does not mean that the outcome is a foregone conclusion.
The criminal justice system favors the rights of individual citizens. You are innocent until the government proves otherwise beyond a reasonable doubt. It is the government's burden to prove their case; you have no obligation to prove anything. In making their case, the government may not violate your constitutionally protected rights including your protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, and your right to due process of law including your right to review the government's evidence, your right to a speedy trial and your right to confront your accusers.
In addition, depending on your particular circumstances you may be eligible for programs which may resolve your case without a conviction such as the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program or Probation Without Verdict (PWV). Admission to and successful completion of these programs result in your case being closed without a conviction on your record after you complete typically a period of supervision, payment of fines, costs and restitution, and community service.
I spent five years working as a Deputy District Attorney in Harrisburg and in that time I handled over one thousand adult and juvenile cases including criminal homicides, felony drug cases, simple possession cases, arsons, DUIs, assaults, burglaries, robberies, thefts, and sex offenses. I know the law, how the system works and how to get results.
As an experienced criminal attorney I will fight to protect your rights, hold the government to task on the myriad of constitutional and procedural safeguards intended to protect your rights, ensure that you have the benefit of all programs available to you to mitigate any harm that may result to your life, your liberty and your livelihood.I am committed to providing you with exceptional, accessible legal services. From our first meeting through the resolution of your case I will help you understand risks and exposure you are confronted with, the strengths and weaknesses of the government's case against you and the status of your case as it progresses through the criminal justice system. I will be available to you for questions or concerns along the way and I will stand by you and fight for you throughout this process. I will be there when you need me.


text:
If you have ever wanted to learn to meditate, develop stress-busting techniques, feel calmer, get to know your real self or just feel a little more peaceful…the solution may be closer than you think.
In its simplest definition, 'spirituality' means knowing how to live with meaning and purpose. The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, with over 40 local teaching centres across the UK, offers people of all backgrounds an opportunity to deepen their understanding of universal spiritual principles and learn a range of spiritual skills through a variety of educational programmes.
Across the UK the Brahma Kumaris work with local organisations and community groups in a variety of areas, including: inter-religious dialogue; youth programmes; prison outreach; social work and men's groups.


text: [i:Vibes] :: View topic - Battlecruiser - Spaceship Sound Effects Released - Bluezone Guidelines FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Bookmarks Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in Main Menu Frontpage News Reviews Interviews Party Reports Artist Profiles Label profiles Diaries Tutorials What is... Links Radio-info Interactive Forum User Stats Info FAQ Crew-info i:Vibes Info Site Updates Battlecruiser - Spaceship Sound Effects Released - Bluezone [i:Vibes] Forum Index -> Artist and Label News View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message danysRegular ClubberVibes: 14.50Joined: 22 Feb 2012Member #: 86,137Posts: 62 Post subject: Battlecruiser - Spaceship Sound Effects Released - Bluezone Bluezone Corporation releases 'Battlecruiser - Spaceship Sound Effects', a new sound library covering a wide range of designed SFX. This downloadable sample pack is loaded to arm all sound designers with an arsenal of 154 meticulously designed spaceship elements such as: Alarms, command center ambiences, deep exterior and interior ambiences, machine room backgrounds and drone sounds, energy elements, high tech interface sounds and beeps, massive reactor rumbles, explosions, spaceship passby and transmission sounds. All files are named and sorted thematically. In order to give you ready-to-use sounds for your productions, all samples are royalty-free for all your commercial projects. More information, demo and download : Battlecruiser - Spaceship Sound Effects / Bluezone Corporation Post rating: 0 Rate this post: Not logged in Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2017 9:25 am Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First [i:Vibes] Forum Index -> Artist and Label News All times are GMT Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Spam----------------Spam posts Music----------------Music discussion (trance, techno, progressive and other genres)EquipmentArtist and Label NewsRadio BroadcastsMusic Production and DJ Mix PromotionClub Listings Non-music related----------------Other discussionBuy & Sell [i:Vibes]----------------Site Feedback and Help Content Discussion----------------News DiscussionReview DiscussionInterview DiscussionTutorial DiscussionWhat is...Party ReportsArtist ProfilesLabel Profiles You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forumYou cannot attach files in this forumYou can download files in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group


text:
Entertainment » Celebrities
Watch: Shawn Mendes Does 'Carpool Karaoke,' Says He'd Buy Justin Bieber's Used Underwear
How much would you pay for Justin Bieber's used underwear?
Singer Shawn Mendes, who released his new self-titled album last week, is the latest celeb to sit shotgun to James Corden for the late night show host's popular "Carpool Karaoke" segment, revealing he'd drop some serious dough for the Biebs' used undergarments.
Mendes, 19, told Corden that Bieber wears a new pair of underwear every day. That may come to no surprise to Bieber superfans - the singer said as much when he participated in "Carpool Karaoke" with Corden back in 2015. But Mendes said he'd pay $500 for a pair of Bieber's used underwear (probably Calvins).
Unfortunately, the "Lost in Japan" singer said he wouldn't pay anything for Corden's used undies.
"I'd pay not to have a pair of your underpants," Mendes told the late-night host.
Elsewhere in the episode, Mendes sang along to a few of his hits like "Mercy" and "In My Blood." He also talked about road rage, admitting he doesn't even honk and much more.
Check it out below.
[H/T USA Today]


text:
Payday loans
When you apply for a payday loan and when you pay it back, know the facts and know your rights. Get answers to your questions here.
What is your question about?
The content on this page provides general consumer information. It is not legal advice or regulatory guidance. The CFPB updates this information periodically. This information may include links or references to third-party resources or content. We do not endorse the third-party or guarantee the accuracy of this third-party information. There may be other resources that also serve your needs.


text:
Your task is simple: just answer a few questions about your horse and his diet
Get Started »
SmartPaks are custom made, pre-measured daily dose paks of your horse's supplements
Learn More »
With a large variety of dog foods on the market, choosing a healthy, premium dog food can be a challenge. All dogs can benefit from targeted nutrition whether your dog is a puppy, senior, large breed, small breed, overweight or in need of a grain-free dog food. We offer a great selection of adult and puppy dog foods from Wellness and LiveSmart in both dry and canned varieties to suit your dog's need.
SmartPak Equine™ is the premier online provider of horse supplies and equine supplements.
© Copyright 2019 by SmartPak Equine LLC. All Rights reserved.
Legal | Security & Privacy Policy


text:
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Steve Payne, the associate head coach
of the Tennessee Tech men's basketball program who has served
on the staff for the past nine years, was named Wednesday morning
as Golden Eagle head coach.
Payne, 42, will take over from Mike Sutton, who announced his retirement from the position. Both announcements came in a joint press conference in the Eblen Center.
"I'm obviously excited about this
opportunity," Payne said. "I'm thankful to coach
Sutton for bringing me here to Tennessee Tech, and to President
Bell and Mark Wilson for this opportunity.
"I also want to thank all the people involved in Tennessee Tech athletics, from the players to the staff, for the support they've shown. I'm extremely excited for all of them to see the future of Tennessee Tech basketball."
Director of Athletics Mark Wilson introduced Payne as Tech's 12th men's basketball head coach.
"Steve Payne has been a tremendous part of the success of
Golden Eagle basketball over the last nine years," Wilson
said. "He has been extremely loyal to coach Sutton, the
basketball program and the university. He has taken on whatever
leadership role we've asked of him and had success in those
"Steve Payne is the right coach to take the foundation that has been laid and build upon it to propel Golden Eagle basketball to greater heights," Wilson added. "We believe Steve will be a very popular choice with our fan base and he has been recognized nationally as an up-and-coming young coach.
"This team has a strong nucleus returning and we don't think they will skip a beat in the transition between the leadership of coach Sutton and the leadership of coach Payne," Wilson said.
Payne came to Tech in 2002 as assistant coach under Sutton, and has been the top assistant on the staff for nine years, rising to the post of associate head coach.
"I want to thank coach Sutton for taking the chances on a junior college coach from Texas," Payne said. "I have always been proud to represent Tennessee Tech and I am even more so today. When I came here, my goal was to be a Division I coach. After being here, that goal changed. I wanted to be the coach of Tennessee Tech University.
"Outside of the day I was saved, my marriage and the birth of my children, this is the biggest, most exciting day of my life," Payne added. "I am excited, honored and humbled to be Tennessee Tech's head coach. It is truly a dream come true."
Payne came to Tech as assistant coach, but found himself vaulted into a much more demanding role when Sutton was stricken in 2005 with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, sidelining Sutton for the early portion of that year.
With Payne handling the day-to-day operations of the program, the Golden Eagles raced out to an 8-2 start with losses at Dayton and Cincinnati. Payne continued to handle a major portion of the coaching duties for the balance of the year, helping to lead Tech to an 18-11 record and the semifinals of the OVC Tournament.
During the past year, Payne headed the Golden Eagles on two Ohio Valley Conference road trips in Sutton's absence, and guided the team to three wins in four games.
In his nine years, Payne has helped Tech post 149 wins and two of the program's five 20-win seasons, hitting that mark in 2002-03 and again this past winter.
Following the 2005-06 season, Payne was recognized for the role he played in Tech's success while Sutton began his recovery. He was named OVC Coach of the Year by CollegeInsider.com, and was listed as one of 15 finalists for the Hugh Durham Award honoring the mid-major Coach of the Year. CBSsportsline.com also named him OVC Coach of the Year.
Payne began his career at Tech after serving as the head coach at Frank Phillips Junior College in Borger, Texas. Prior to taking the reins at Frank Phillips JC, Payne was associate head coach for four years at Georgetown (Ky.) College. During his time at Georgetown, the Tigers compiled a 128-22 record, won three conference titles in four years, and won the NAIA national title in 1997-98. The team finished second at the NAIA National Tournament in 1999-00, and advanced to the Sweet 16 two other years.
Payne also served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Northwestern State (La.) University where he helped NSU to its best conference finish in a decade. Before NSU, he was an assistant coach at Union University in Jackson, Tenn., where he was recruiting coordinator and helped lead the team to back-to-back 20-win seasons.
"When I came here nine years ago, I fell in love with this community, this university and the people in athletics," Payne said. "My family and I love it here, and I'm looking forward to my time here in this new role as head coach.
"Tennessee Tech and this community mean so much to me. My family and I have developed tremendous ties to this community," he said. "It is a privilege to raise my family in one of the finest towns in America. It has for a long time felt like home."
While his title changes, Payne sees the program going through a seamless transition.
"I've always taken ownership of this program. It's different suggesting to the head coach what you think is best for the program, and being the one with the final say, but I feel I'm prepared for this. I've done this before.
"We have great players, a great staff, and great administration, and I'm looking forward to continuing the upward trend of men's basketball at Tennessee Tech."
Payne said he was greatly influenced by Sutton during the past nine seasons
"Spending nine years around coach Sutton will be a huge benefit," Payne said. "He's a very knowledgeable coach. We've been through a lot and I'm ready to take the next challenge. I want to face what's ahead of us.
"I appreciate and will always owe a debt of gratitude to Mike Sutton for bringing me here," Payne said. "The lessons I've learned from him over the last nine years cannot be measured. He has taught me so many things, but the main thing is that a basketball program should be about relationships first. The relationships we have with each other, and with our community, are what make a basketball program special.
"I couldn't be more proud to be representing a university community and a man in coach Sutton who has handled a very tough situation with such class and poise. I will do my very best to make him and our entire Tech family proud."
Among the challenges Payne faces is continuing to develop pride in the Golden Eagle program.
"We've had some great players in the last nine years," Payne said. "Not only the past nine years, but throughout the history of this program. I've seen firsthand that there's a lot of pride out there in Tennessee Tech basketball, and I'm looking forward to giving our fans and players even more reasons to be proud."
Recruiting and working with the current players is Payne's
top priority in the coming weeks.
"We'll continue our recruiting, but the most important people are the guys who are in our program right now," Payne said. "They're the foundation of our team next year. We have to make sure that that they're getting stronger, getting better everyday."
Getting out into the community will be an important part of Payne's plans.
"I want to sell our program. I want our fans to be as passionate about our team and our school as I am. If we can do that, we'll be okay. I want people to invest in this program. We have everything in place to be successful and we're excited about moving forward."
Photos from the press conference (photos by Dean Carothers and
Tony Marable)


text:
Am back from a trip to Coorg, and just in time for The Carnival of the Capitalists, the webs premier carnival on, what else, business and everything that relates to it in some way.
Welcome to interim thoughts..., a blog on business in India. This is perhaps the first time that the carnival is being hosted out of India. Bookmark it for future visits to know the business environment in India with a global perspective plus some thoughts on design, culture and economics with a streetside eye. After the plug, lets plunge into the Carnival right away.
It is nice getting to put the carnival together. I have grouped the posts into a set of sub headings depending on the topic they deal with.
So grab a cuppa coffee and sit back for the best in business reading this past week on the web. I have included some tidbits on India subtitled Info in some of the sections. Let me know if I missed anything or pause to leave a comment!
People, Careers, Leadership
Professor Piderit puts forward a case for reinventing jobs and careers in this post which is a collection of three links and her thoughts on the same.
At China manufacturing digest is a post on how US and China are dealing with immigrant issues alongwith other market factors.
Here's a contrarian leadership post over at Slow leadership.
Over at Project management digest is a post on The Basic way to motivate and tips on the same.
Can we learn anything from jerks who succeed at the workplace? Execupundit seems to think so.
At the Careerintensity blog, is a post on "Success Magnet Qualities"
Risk, Finance. Insurance and Investment
Henry Stern, LUTCF presents a nice read on GM subsidising Viagra and how it contributes to the bottomline of GM and its cars. Nobody needs it more than GM itself. This is really unbelievable.
A second part to Why Finance is like Baseball at View from a height is a good read. Dont miss the first one too.
The Radical libertarian introduces Reverse Insurance. I did not even know it existed.
Let others pay for your gas. Invest in gas companies and laugh all the way to the bank seems to be the underlying message at Anes Home.
Whats the distinction between singles and home runs? Here's an investment primer at The Real Returns.
Small Business Buzz talks about Personal Savings in Decline. Is this a trend the world over?
Is limiting the downside always a good idea? Before you say yes, read this here at Bizinformer.
Do you know how to calculate your personal rate of return? Check out how, at AllFinancialMatters.
Mighty bargain hunter tells us the correct way to get business ideas from biz opportunity magazines.
A rundown of upcoming economic indicators and US Treasury auctions for the week at Financial options.
There is an old market saw about how the leaders from one bull market are not the leaders in the next bull market. Read it at The Big Picture.
Watch out for companies that do their 401(k) match in their own stock over at Ask Uncle Bill.
Slightly offbeat, but this one is about receiving money from parents during college and beyond. Should they really pay to sustain your lifestyle? In India, they always do; very few work and study at the same time.
Info: The Indian stockmarket is on a roll and how.
Shareholders and Company policy
Now that Microsoft and Dell are value stocks, what are the implications asks Daniel Mark Harrison.
Professor Bainbridge responds to "Increase shareholder Power" here.
Info: Heres an old post of mine on CSR in India.
Greens and Sustainable energy
An interview with Peter Kinder, the president of Boston-based KLD Research and Analytics where he looks at the forces driving CSR at Sox First.
While on greening of corporations, here is an excerpt from an interview with H.Lee Scott, Walmart CEO.
Just what are the tax breaks on Hybrids? Read on at Blueprint for Financial prosperity.
Unlike some other pundits, James Hamilton of Econbrowser sees a number of good ideas in the President's new energy proposals and actions announced last week.
Big Oil wont miss the bus for alternative energy sources, writes the American Sage. I hope nobody misses this opportunity for the sake of the earth!
Info: India has a long history in sustainable living, but newer lifestyle changes are taking us closer to the Western model.
Gas prices
Why short term proposals to alleviate the cost of gas will do nothing at Jackdied.com
The proposed $100 government rebate for the cost of gasoline is no better than weatherstripping the peephole of one's front door from Gongol.
A fearless freemarket solution for reduction of gas prices.
Lots on gas prices. Heres a round up of the same.
Info: In India, the gas prices (petrol, diesel as we call gas) subsidy is a long story. Diesel is subsidised for the use of trucks and the transport sector but we have luxury diesel cars now which use subsidised fuel. LPG cylinders for the home sector are subsidiesed. Our oil companies are bleeding using taxpayers money, but there is no shape of any reform on the horizon.
Money and Millionaires
At Free Money Finance is a post on new facts on the number of millionaires in the US and some tips on how you can become one of them! Simple Enough.
Where were all the politicians when god was distributing logic? Canvassing for votes, I think. At Soccer Dad is a post on the necessity of logic rationing.
Productivity and Work culture
Heres a post at Freelance pro on Notebook hacks to organize your life.
Over at the Six Sigma blog, a post on the best Six sigma black belt project at Delphi.
Can strategy be an alternative to work culture of a firm?
Heres a great thought from Evelyn Rodriguez, in the business world everyone believes that the grass is always greener somewhere, anywhere, else but the task they're doing.
Open Source
At Open Source Business is a post on a forum to share open source experiences and another one on Education and free open software.
Wiki way to business is a post that tracks how busineses are learning to harness Wiki.
Greg of The Retail Store blog chronicles his own home based business - an internet home business to be precise. Almost makes you want to take the plunge.
Jeff Cornwall at The Entrepreneurial Mind on how failure is a prerequisite to success.
Marketing, Branding, Customer service, Shopping
Jack Yoest experiences the panda cam at Washington DC Zoo and uses it as a metaphor for branding.
Viral marketing goes old school is the title of this post at Blog businessworld.
Jim Logan says, Customers do not care about your business and I think he is quite right in this assessement.
Marketing in Niches, sitting pretty talks about a new niche. Read about it here.
Under fire for using bureaucracy to avoid settlements, the warranty department circulates to senior management testimonials from satisfied customers.
Is there a cost in not answering the phone? Read about it at fivecentnickel.com
Average revenue per user (ARPU) is a common busines performance metric. Average revenue per user relation (ARPUR) incorporates social networking information. This one from Douglas Galbi.
Last but not the least, Miscellaneous:
Global watch has a post on how airlines are fighting the battle of the low cost airlines, perhaps in a slightly wrong way.
SLV, the first Silver ETF makes it debut. Read aboout it at My first million at 33.
Workers Bees on how blogs are still not very well known even in high tech circles. Shows how much ground is yet to be covered.
Adrian Savage says, Procrastination may be good. I will try this one later. Meanwhile, Hooters opens in china and why golf is bad for the boardroom.
Happy reading, until the next CotC here.
Update: Minor edits and some information added on India in some of the sections to give an idea of the state of business in India.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Carnival of the Capitalists
Am back from a trip to Coorg, and just in time for The Carnival of the Capitalists, the webs premier carnival on, what else, business and everything that relates to it in some way.
Posted by ecophilo at 2:23 PM
13 comments:
- JLP said...
Nice job. I'll mention it on my blog. By-the-way, could you change the name of my blog to AllFinancialMatters (instead of All Financial Blog).
- 6:25 PM, May 01, 2006
- Chris Brunner said...
Hello. The link to my article "Personal Savings in Decline" seems to have the url shortend. Currently it is pointing to http://www.greatfxbusinesscards.com/news/2006/04/29/personal-savings-d
It should point to
Thank you for including my post in the CotC!
- 9:50 PM, May 01, 2006
- Sandy Kristin Piderit said...
thank you for including my post in the CotC! Please note, though, that I'm not a him -- I'm a her, as you can perhaps tell from the photo here. I realize now that I will have to make that more clear on my blog!
- 5:01 PM, May 02, 2006
- Neelakantan said...
oops!! corrected!
- 5:58 PM, May 02, 2006
- hgstern said...
Wow, nice job! Well thought out and laid out. The categories make sense, too.
Thanx for all your efforts!
- 9:46 PM, May 03, 2006
Hi .nice blog.I need to find jobs .can anybody send links of that job websites....
Thank you.....
- 1:09 AM, February 22, 2008
Hi .nice blog.I need to find jobs .can anybody send links of that job websites....
Thank you.....
- 1:10 AM, February 22, 2008
- zang said...
Nice Post
article rewrite
- 5:48 PM, December 19, 2008
- The Jack said...
Great post! I'm searching for this information for long time and I have found it here. I'm a lucky man and honestly It' really important to me. Very smart, thanks for kindly sharing it with us. Very well done indeed. If you do not mind, please visit my article related to pandeglang district in Banten, Indonesia at Kenali dan Kunjungi Objek Wisata di Pandeglang or Kenali dan Kunjungi Objek Wisata di Pandeglang and information about district Banten Indonesia Banten dan Kabupaten Pandeglang
- 2:40 PM, November 01, 2009
- Daniela said...
Interesting post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting. I'll likely be coming back to your blog. Keep up great writing.
Travel News | Free Song Lyric | A Love to Kill | Learn Indonesia Language | cari rumah | jual rumah | rumah dijual | Laptop Price List | New Blackberry | Health & Jewerly
- 1:42 PM, November 14, 2009
Clothing has always been a thing that has been given a great importance by human beings. It displays the attitude that the people exhibit.
ed hardy clothes
ed hardy shirts
Lots of brands have been existent in the clothing industry and a famous one among them is the Ed hardy clothing brand.
ed hardy jackets
ed hardy hoodies
The brand got its name from the famous American tattoo artist Ed Hardy. He was a very famous tattoo artist and has published many books on tattooing techniques.
ed hardy boots
ed hardy polo shirts
But his tattooing turned into a brand by the efforts of a company called Christian Audiger. This company was a very famous and very powerful company in the field of clothing.
ed hardy shoes
ed hardy jeans
They felt that it would be appropriate to create a brand called Ed hardy and use Hardy's art as the main selling point for the brand. This venture had turned out to be a very successful one and Ed hardy clothing is one of the most famous brands in the clothing industry.
ed hardy outerwear
ed hardy long sleeve shirts
The brand became very famous because it was worn by many famous celebrities like Madonna, Britney spears and also Sylvester Stallone.
ed hardy bags
ed hardy winter boots
The brand has clothes for men, women, and kids. They have also diversified their business by having a lot of accessories to support their clothing business.
ed hardy love kills slowly shirts
ed hardy love kills slowly shoes
ed hardy love kills slowly boots
for men they have a variety of products such as active wear, denim, outwear, swim trucks, sweaters, t-shirts, tops etc.
ed hardy trousers
ed hardy mens
the accessories include things such as belts, caps, scarves, shoes, socks, jeweler, sunglasses, ties and even wallets.
The art works is a unique combination of American and Japanese cultures. The unique selling proposition of the brand is the way in which the company has used the art works of Ed hardy.
ed hardy womens
ed hardy t shirts
ed hardy sunglasses
- 7:43 AM, December 09, 2009
Adidas currently manufactures several running shoesNike shoes, including the adiStar Control 5, the adiStar Ride
Cheap nike shoes
Discount nike shoes
the Supernova Sequence and the Supernova Cushion 7, among others.
Nike shox r4
nike shox shoes
Adidas also uses kangaroo leather to make their more expensive shoes.
Association football
One of the main focuses of Adidas is football kit and associated equipment.
puma cat
cheap sport shoes
Adidas also provides apparel and equipment for all teams in Major League Soccer. Adidas remain a major company in the supply of team kits for international football teams.
cheap nike shox
cheap nike max
Adidas also makes referee kits that are used in international competition and by many countries and leagues in the world. In the United States, referees wear the Adidas kits in MLS matches even though the primary referee supplier is Official Sports.
nike tn dollar
nike running shoes
The company has been an innovator in the area of footwear for the sport with notable examples including development of the Copa Mondial moulded boot on firm dry pitches for forty years.
nike air max tn
puma shoes
Adidas became renowned for advancing the "Predator" boot design.This design featured a ribbed rubber structure for the upper leather of the shoe, used to accent the movement of the ball.
discount puma shoes
puma mens shoes
The Predator also features the Craig Johnston invented "Traxion" sole. As the development and popularity of Football continued Adidas played a leading role in shaping the style of the play itself.
puma running shoes
puma shoes
FIFA, the sports governing body, commissioned specially designed footballs for use in its own World Cup tournaments to favour more attacking play.
- 7:43 AM, December 09, 2009
ghd hair straighteners mk4
hair straightners
ghd iv styler hair straightener
ghd hair straightners
cheap ghd hair straighteners
- 7:44 AM, December 09, 2009


text:
Japan at the Confederations Cup were many neutrals favourites because of their dedication to a short passing game and good football.
All was well up to the opposition area, but things petered out a little then they got near the opposition goal.
Alberto Zaccheroni would dearly have loved to have a striker that could finish off the tidy moves around the penalty area; someone to get behind the defence and bundle it home.
Or he could pick Fagiano Okayama forward Yuki Oshitani and dispense with any of the long-range play to replace it with 30-yard wondergoals.
That is exactly what 23-year-old did in his side's recent win over Vissel Kobe in the J2-League – a goal that secured the three points for his side.
Oshitani runs onto a bouncing ball, takes a lovely first touch and unleashes an unstoppable drive into the near top corner – it was a beauty.
Watch Yuki Oshitani score a 35-yard screamer in Fagiano Okayama win over Vissel Kobe below (thanks to 101GreatGoals for pointing it out)…


text: Porn super star Collin O'Neal launches his renoun World Of Men web site bigger and better than ever before. Collin has literally searched the globe for the hottest men and features the best in muscled jocks and beefy, masculine men - plus a few hot, slim, defined teens. There are literally YEARS of content on the site and given Collin's thousands of loyal followers, the site literally sells itself!


text:
Murder defendant rejects plea deal, heads for trial
Jury selection is scheduled to begin next week in Superior Court in Norwich in the case of a 23-year-old man accused of fatally shooting Namdi Smart on Lake Street in Norwich in August 2010.
Darnell X. Moore has opted for a trial rather than accept the state's offer to plead guilty to murder in exchange for a 30-year prison sentence.
Prosecutor David J. Smith and defense attorney Norman A. Pattis will begin selecting a panel of 12 jurors and two or three alternates on Wednesday. The trial is expected to begin on Dec. 6 before Judge Barbara B. Jongbloed.
Moore, also known as "Boo-Boo," has been held in lieu of $1.8 million bond at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution while his case was pending.
According to Norwich police, about 20 people were hanging out around 35 Lake St., shooting dice, drinking and playing cards, when Smart confronted Moore after Moore robbed a man and slashed his arm with a box cutter and stole a bottle of vodka belonging to Smart.
A witness told police Smart and Moore were "chest to chest" and that Smart, who was bigger than Moore, dared Moore to try robbing him. Moore left, pointing his fingers at Smart like a gun and saying, "I got something for you later," according to the warrant.
The same witness told police she was in her apartment when she saw Moore come back to Lake Street wearing a black hooded sweatshirt over his head. She said that with a lot of witnesses looking on, Moore came around the side of the house and confronted Smart, who was sitting on the steps.
She said Moore told Smart, "I told you I'd be back." Then, as Smart tried to stand up and pull a gun out of his waistband, Moore put his gun to the left side of Smart's head and shot him.
The trial will be held in Norwich because another murder case is on trial in New London Superior Court. In that case, which is set to begin Dec. 5, Irene R. Reynolds, 41, is accused of fatally beating and strangling her mother, Bertha Reynolds, at her home at 84 Laurel Hill Ave., Norwich, on July 9, 1993.
— Karen Florin
New London trash task force pitches alternative to yellow bags
Democrats subpoena Mueller report amid calls for Trump impeachment


text:
Being on social media makes us vulnerable. Anyone can track down your present or your past; the information is there and it is available. Even by tweeting and facebooking about the most mundane of things, Google and whichever company buys information off Facebook are able to know what to sell to you. This feeling of you when you've had that dream about being naked in public, yeah, Facebook and Google's privacy invasions sometimes feel the same way.
In hopes that they could provide a more visual picture of what it means to be part of this post-privacy world, Xuedi Che and Pedro Oliveira of NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program create x.pose, a "wearable, data-driven sculpture" made out of flexible, 3D-printed mesh and layers of reactive displays which are controlled via Arduino, an open source electronics prototyping platform specially made for creative interactive objects.
The dress is divided into sections, each corresponding to whatever neighborhood the wearer is tweeting or posting to Facebook from. This means that when the wearer logs onto Facebook or sends a tweet via smartphone, the dress connects via Bluetooth and becomes less opaque in the "area" where he or she is currently active, revealing a part of the wearer's body.
The more personal data is released via smartphone, the more transparent the dress becomes. (via The Daily Dot)


text: South Carolina and federal laws are the source of various rights employers and employees have in their employer/employee relationships. LLR is one of several state and federal agencies, which administers the laws assuring these rights. Occupational safety, payment of wages, child labor, migrant labor and mediation of disputes between unions and businesses all fall under LLR. Elevators and amusement rides also are regulated to assure the public's safety.


text:
Children's online "maniac" hidden parents and how to treat?
Young children lack self-control and resolution, and are easily guided by incorrect values. As a parent, should consciously as soon as possible for children of both sexes popularization education, male and female students respectively by father and mother to guide, "which is to say, you don't say there will be other people say, but not necessarily the right direction".
[hidden] online child rapist recently, something happened with hair standing on end. It is reported that some people in Dongguan, a primary school students WeChat group peddling pornographic video, psychological experts said parents should intervene as soon as possible minor gender education. On the evening of December 19th, Mr. Yang, from Liaobu Town, Dongguan, discovered that his 10 year old son had spent 20 yuan on 10 small movies on WeChat. The content of the small movie turned out to be obscene. To his surprise, some other WeChat groups in the children's class also sold small yellow movies to students at the price of $2.
[hidden] online child rapist Yang vigilance, because there are people with his QQ to the "little girl" was issued a "OK" message. Mr. Yang guessed that he was reading his son in grade three, and that his QQ was on his cell phone, or that his son had logged into his QQ. So, Mr. Yang quietly picked up his son's cell phone, looked through his son's QQ chat record, only to find that "little girl" gave his son sent 10 small yellow film, each size of about 100~300 trillion. "These two days, I saw the child always staring at the phone, forgot the QQ password, also suddenly let me tell him, and asked me to his WeChat to 20 yuan.". I thought he sent red envelopes to his classmates, but I didn't expect to buy them." Mr. Yang said, the son also buy toys for uncle to 300 yuan, "fortunately, I found in time, otherwise, really afraid of these video will affect his life."."
[hidden] online child rapist in a "Flower Fairy" children games on social networks, people have to pay for prepaid card vouchers, to lure girls naked chat, and even the line with the implementation of indecency. "Little Fairy" is a network game based on children's virtual community launched by Shanghai rice washing Network Technology Co., Ltd. in 2010. According to the previous publicity, this game is mainly for girls between 6 and 14 years old. The game changes the role by completing tasks such as gardening and recharging Mika and other coupons. In addition, the player can also interact with other players in the game and add friends. According to the news, players reflect, this behavior from 2012 has appeared on the game platform, 6 years has been there.
[hidden] online child rapist hope this event can get some departments to stop, parents can do to children first teachers should be the responsibility and obligation.


text:
- home
- news
- blogs
- calendar
- enewsletters
- podcasts
German manufacturer acquires $153M CNC distributor
A German manufacturer of machinery for the woodworking and cabinet industries is acquiring its longtime partner and distributor of advanced CNC equipment with $153 million in annual sales.
HOMAG Group in Schopfloch, Germany said Monday that it has "increased its share in the voting capital" of Grand Rapids-based Stiles Machinery from 26.7 to 100 percent.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Stiles Machinery, which has a "relevant market share" in excess of 35 percent, employs 290 people and will continue to operate under the name Stiles.
Stiles Machinery distributes equipment used in processing wood panels, solid wood, composites, plastic, glass, stone and other materials.
Stiles' shares were sold by Stiles President Peter Kleinschmidt, who became the majority owner of the company in 1985.
Kleinschmidt has decided to retire, although he will stay on as a member of Stiles' supervisory board.
"I know that my life's achievement is being placed in good hands," Kleinschmidt said. "I have been cooperating closely with the HOMAG Group for more than 30 years. It is the ideal partner to write the next chapter in Stiles' success story."
CNC market
HOMAG Group's CEO Markus Flik said the U.S. is a dynamic and strategic market with "growth opportunities" for HOMAG.
He added that the Stiles acquisition will give HOMAG "direct market access" and allow it to "benefit directly from the anticipated re-industrialization in the U.S."
"As market leader in the U.S., we are acquiring the leading distribution and service organization in this industry," Flik said. "Increasing our interest in Stiles, which we have held since 1992, is the only logical step."
The German manufacturer will tap into Stiles' customer relationships, said Jürgen Köppel, HOMAG Group's CSO.
"Stiles' highly qualified sales and service team have built up excellent customer relationships," Köppel said. "HOMAG Group Engineering, with its project expertise, allows us to serve the growing U.S. project business more intensively and provide the best possible support to our customers with global operations."
HOMAG is traded on the Frankfurt stock exchange.


text:
Located just 26 kilometres from Brisbane, Redland City is often described as South East Queensland's "best-kept secret". A scenic gateway to iconic North Stradbroke Island and the secluded Southern Moreton Bay Islands, makes the Redlands a popular destination for those who have discovered its unique beauty and multitude of options for recreation.
The Redlands offers a wide range of activities catering to individuals, couples and families. From picturesque hinterlands to beautiful beaches, the Redlands really does have it all. In addition to the natural beauty of the area, a rich cultural and community feel means we've got something for everyone within easy reach.
Redlands has a wealth of nature-based experiences, abundant wildlife, glorious scenery, safe swimming beaches, island getaways including North Stradbroke Island, water based activities, history, arts and culture.
Note: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator's website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD).


text: I have promised my fiancee Viviane that I will not use my new pasta maker until she arrives to the US. Friday was one of those days where I had a mean craving for some pasta, and that machine was sitting there on my counter all silvery, shining like a new trophy, and just begging for me to break it in. Well, as I am definitely a believer in waiting for a good thing, I resisted using it and took out the rolling pin instead. Viviane had shown me some pictures of pumpkin tortelli recently that looked delicious and since I had just bought a nice butternut squash from the local produce stand, the idea to make something similar to that tortelli came upon me and hence the Butternut Squash Cappelletti idea was born. This is what I did: Continue reading


text:
Douglas McCarthy, Sabrina K. H. How, Ashley-Kay Fryer, David Radley, Cathy Schoen
The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System, Why Not the Best? Results from the National Scorecard on U.S. Health System Performance, 2011, The Commonwealth Fund, October 2011.
As the United States implements national health care reforms, it is instructive to take stock of how well our health system is able to provide access to high-quality, efficiently delivered care. Evidence from the new 2011 edition of the National Scorecard on U.S. Health System Performance shows substantial erosion in access to such care in the period leading up to health reform, along with rising costs that are stressing families, businesses, and all levels of government. Variations in health care delivery, moreover, persist throughout the U.S., as opportunities are routinely missed to prevent disease, disability, hospitalization, and mortality. At the same time, the Scorecard finds notable gains in quality of care in those areas where the nation has made a commitment to accountability and undertaken targeted improvement efforts.
Based on the Scorecard's 42 indicators of health system performance, the U.S. earned an overall score of 64 out of a possible 100 when comparing national averages with benchmarks of best performance achieved internationally and within the U.S. Although the Scorecard draws on the latest available data, primarily from the period 2007 to 2009, the results do not fully reflect the effects of the recent economic recession on access to and use of care. The overall performance on the indicators failed to improve relative to benchmarks since the first National Scorecard was issued in 2006, or since the last update in 2008. Benchmarks, however, improved in many cases, raising the bar on what is attainable.
Some good news can be found in an exception to the overall pattern of U.S. performance: rapid progress on quality metrics that have been the focus of national initiatives and public reporting efforts. Hospitals, nursing homes, and home health care agencies are showing marked improvement in patient treatment and outcomes for which data are collected and reported nationally on federal Web sites and as part of improvement campaigns. There has also been significant improvement in the control of high blood pressure, a measure that is publicly reported by health plans; increasingly, physician groups are being rewarded for improving their treatment of this and other chronic conditions. Better management of chronic diseases also has likely contributed to reductions in rates of avoidable hospitalizations for certain conditions, though rates continue to vary substantially across the country.
Of great concern, access to health care significantly eroded since 2006. As of 2010, more than 81 million working-age adults—44 percent of those ages 19 to 64—were uninsured during the year or underinsured, up from 61 million (35%) in 2003. Further, the U.S. failed to keep pace with gains in health outcomes achieved by the leading countries. The U.S. ranks last out of 16 industrialized countries on a measure of mortality amenable to medical care (deaths that might have been prevented with timely and effective care), with premature death rates that are 68 percent higher than in the best-performing countries. As many as 91,000 fewer people would die prematurely if the U.S. could achieve the leading country rate.
Sharply rising costs are putting both access and budgets at risk. Health care spending per person in the U.S. is double that in several other major industrialized countries, and costs in the U.S. continue to rise faster than income. We are headed toward spending $1 of every $5 of national income on health care. We should expect a better return on this investment.
Performance on indicators of health system efficiency remains especially low, with the U.S. scoring 53 out of 100 on measures that gauge the level of inappropriate, wasteful, or fragmented care; avoidable hospitalizations; variation in quality and costs; administrative costs; and use of information technology. Lowering insurance administrative costs to benchmark country rates could alone save up to $114 billion a year, or $55 billion if such costs were lowered to the level in countries with a mixed private–public insurance system, like the U.S. has.
The lack of improvement on many health system indicators—such as preventive care, adults and children with strong primary care connections, and hospital readmissions—likely stems from the nation's weak primary care foundation and from inadequate care coordination and teamwork both across sites of care and between providers. These gaps highlight the need for a whole-system approach, in which performance is measured and providers are held accountable for performance across the continuum of care.
To produce greater value from the resources the nation devotes to health care, action is urgently needed to improve access to care and the performance of the care delivery system. Provisions in the Affordable Care Act target many of the gaps identified by the National Scorecard, particularly access, affordability, and support for innovations to make care more patient-centered and coordinated. Scorecard indicators in each of these areas provide a baseline for monitoring performance over time and assessing whether these reforms and others being pursued in the public and private sectors succeed in closing performance gaps.
The 2011 National Scorecard comprises an expanded set of 42 indicators within five dimensions of health system performance: healthy lives, quality, access, efficiency, and equity. The Scorecard compares U.S. average performance with benchmarks drawn from the top 10 percent of U.S. states, regions, health plans, and hospitals or other providers, as well as from the top-performing countries. If average U.S. performance came close to the top rates achieved here at home or abroad, then average scores would approach the maximum of 100.
The 2011 Scorecard finds that the U.S. as a whole scores only 64, compared with 67 in 2006 and 65 in 2008—well below the benchmarks. Average scores on each of the five dimensions of performance range from a low of 53 for efficiency to a high of 75 for quality of care. Exhibit 2 lists the 42 indicators and summarizes benchmarks and ratio scores across the five dimensions for the latest period (historical data can be found in Appendices A2 to A6).
Performance compared with benchmarks improved on less than half of the indicators for which data are available to assess trends since the first Scorecard. National rates for three of five (58%) Scorecard indicators worsened or failed to substantially improve. On a few indicators, such as mortality amenable to health care (described above), the score declined because benchmark performance improved more than the national average.
As observed in the 2006 and 2008 National Scorecards, the bottom-performing group of hospitals, health plans, or geographic regions typically performs well below average, with as much as a fourfold spread between the top and bottom rates. Across all measures, a 40 percent improvement or more would be required in U.S. national rates to achieve benchmark levels of performance.
There have been encouraging improvements on several key performance indicators, as well as a number of instances where performance declined or failed to keep pace with the performance of leading nations, delivery systems, states, or regions.
Indicators That Show Promising Improvements
Indicators That Show Significant Deterioration or No Improvement
Additional Indicators That Raise Concerns
Potential for Improvement
Overall, the National Scorecard on U.S. Health System Performance, 2011, finds that the United States is losing ground in the effort to ensure affordable access to health care. Although there are promising improvements on key indicators, quality of care remains uneven. The Scorecard also finds broad evidence of inefficient and inequitable care. Other advanced countries are outpacing the U.S. in providing timely access to primary care, reducing premature mortality, and extending healthy life expectancy, all while spending considerably less on health care and administration.
In contrast, improvement on key quality metrics demonstrates that significant progress is possible when the country sets specific goals and targets linked to performance metrics and accountability for results. This approach is urgently needed to improve performance across all domains and care settings. Average U.S. health system performance would have to improve by 40 percent or more to reach the benchmark levels of performance attained by leading nations, states, regions, health plans, and care providers.
The nation can learn from and apply lessons about what works in the best-performing counties, states, regions, health plans, and care systems. By doing so, the country could realize substantial benefits in terms of health, patient experiences, and financial savings. For example:
Many of these gaps in performance are the targets of reforms included in the Affordable Care Act and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to stimulate and reward more effective and efficient delivery of care. Recent estimates show that health reform legislation will reduce health care spending by $590 billion over 10 years and lower premiums by nearly $2,000 per family by slowing the annual growth rate in national health expenditures. Successful implementation of these reforms, together with community-based efforts to build on this new foundation, offer the potential for improved population health, more positive care experiences, and more affordable care.
Aiming Higher to Achieve the Potential of Reform
Access to care is the essential foundation for improvement. Access to care, health care quality, and efficiency are interrelated. By expanding insurance coverage for adults as well as children, the Affordable Care Act will for the first time ensure that coverage is accessible and affordable for families across the nation. Once reform is fully implemented, coverage rates for adults in the vast majority of states are projected to rival the high rates currently achieved by only the leading states. Coverage rates for children will also improve, as whole families have access to more-affordable insurance plans that include essential benefits. New federal survey data reveal that the early provisions of the Affordable Care Act are already having a positive impact among young adults ages 19 to 25. Approximately 1 million more young adults have become insured since health plans were required to allow young adults under age 26 to stay on or join their parents' health plan.
Better primary care and care coordination offer the potential for improved outcomes at lower costs. Investment in the nation's primary care capacity will be necessary to ensure that all Americans have round-the-clock access to care, patients with chronic illnesses receive help in managing their conditions, and health services are well coordinated. Many hospitalizations or rehospitalizations are preventable with better primary care, discharge planning, and transitional and follow-up care—all part of an integrated, systems approach to care. The Affordable Care Act has the potential to strengthen primary care, reduce high rates of readmissions, and support health care organizations that agree to be accountable for providing better care, achieving better outcomes, and lowering costs. Demonstration and pilot programs will develop and test innovative payment and care delivery approaches to improve outcomes and efficiency.
Measurement and accountability focus attention on improvement. The quality indicators that showed significant improvement in the National Scorecard have been the target of national campaigns and collaborative efforts employing benchmarks and measures developed through consensus. Conversely, there was failure to improve in those areas for which common metrics or focused efforts have been lacking. The improvements in performance that did occur demonstrate that change can take place rapidly when there is leadership and accountability. These initiatives should be emulated in other areas, such as through coordinated medical and community-level interventions to promote healthy behaviors.
Strengthening the Nation's Capacity to Improve
Fundamental to a high-performing health care system is having ample capacity to innovate and improve. This requires:
To begin to address these needs, the Affordable Care Act makes investments in prevention and provides incentives to encourage physicians to select and maintain primary care careers. New national innovation and research centers, as well, will support the development of promising payment and health care delivery models and generate evidence on the relative effectiveness of clinical practices. And, over time, federal incentives and supports to spur the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology will expand health system capacity for monitoring performance and supporting improvement efforts.
Importance of Tracking Change and Sentinel Indicators
Moving from enactment of federal legislation to successful implementation of reforms will require action on the part of multiple stakeholders and a commitment to collaborate to improve. Looking to the future, it will be critical to track key indicators of access, quality, and cost performance over time as health care delivery systems and markets respond to new incentives. As these new initiatives unfold, it will be important to monitor progress to identify areas of the health system where adjustments or new policies are needed to achieve better performance. Monitoring activities would be strengthened by federal participation in and support for state and community efforts to create all-payer databases providing information on health services and costs across the continuum of care.
The Case for a Systems Approach to Change
The U.S. health system continues to perform suboptimally relative to what is achievable and relative to the large resources invested by the nation. The Commonwealth Fund's 2011 National Scorecard documents that there are significant human and economic costs attached to our failure to address the problems in the health care system. As rising costs put family, business, and government budgets under stress, access to care and financial protection are eroding for middle-income and low-income families alike.
Successful implementation of reforms will require stakeholders at all levels to adopt a coherent, whole-system approach in which goals and policies are coordinated to achieve the best results for the entire population. By integrating all components of the health system to ensure better access, higher quality, and greater value, we would be far more able to safeguard the health and economic security of current and future generations.
An email has been sent to {{email}} with your reset password.
Account was not found. Please go to the login page and enter a new password.
Account was not found. Please try again with a different email address.
There was an error when attempting to send to {{email}}. Please contact an administrator.