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Carly Rae Jepsen Named Billboard Rising Star of 2012
Congratulations, Carly Rae Jepsen! The Canadian cutie nabbed the prestigious Billboard Rising Star Award for 2012 — and based on past winners, she's in wonderful company.
Jepsen joins the ranks of superstars including Nicki Minaj (2011) and Lady Gaga (2009). Colbie Caillat was the first artist ever honored with the title, snagging the win in 2008.
"Carly Rae Jepsen's infectious debut single has become nothing short of a pop culture phenomenon, leading to unprecedented viral fanfare," Billboard Editorial Director Bill Werde said. "Few artists have achieved this level of success this early in a career. We are thrilled to honor her extraordinary U.S. debut, and we look forward to seeing where she goes next."
Indeed. 'Call Me Maybe' was named Billboard's 2012 Song of the Summer (and was stuck in our heads that winter, spring and well into this fall, too). It spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, selling more than 10 million copies across the globe and setting a record for a Canadian artist. (That's right — not even her mentor Justin Bieber beat her!) Her followup duet with Owl City, 'Good Time,' reached No. 8 on the Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Pop charts, while her debut album, 'Kiss,' debuted at No. 6. Now she's on the Believe tour with Biebs. That's a heck of a run for a runner up on 'Canadian Idol' from a few years ago, right?
Believe it: She knows how blessed she is! "As a singer-songwriter having grown up listening to and being influenced by countless female artists, I am truly honored to be recognized by Billboard with this award," Jepsen said in a statement. "I hope to inspire others through my music the way those artists have inspired me."
The 'This Kiss' singer will be joined by Billboard Woman of the Year, Katy Perry, to be honored at the Billboard Women in Music event on Nov. 30.
Watch the Carly Rae Jepsen 'Call Me Maybe' Video


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Sarah O'Neill is a Personal Trainer and Nutritionist (A. Nutr.) based in Clapham, South West London. She offers Personal Training, Group Training and Bootcamps in London and Marbella as well as bespoke nutrition advice. Her team of hand-picked trainers offer programmes across South London.
Sarah O'Neill Personal Trainer
Nutritionist (BSc Hons: 1st)
Fightfit Boxing Instructor
CYMCA Pre/Post Natal Freelance journalist
Based in London
...and receive tailored nutrition advice from an accredited Nutritionist (BSc Hons)
Sarah O'Neill Limited. Company No: 09202211
Follow me on Twitter and like my Facebook page for regular exercise and nutrition tips, workout videos and special offers

subset: commoncrawl


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Excellent Performance
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Dust Collector
I modified my Harbor Freight dust collector. I run it through a dust separator first which works like a charm, and then the fines end up in the black can. I was tired of struggling with the bags so I added the black plastic can, i went overboard on the lever latches.


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Hello there, my name is Jason and am currently working on the Project Berimbau mod team. I have a degree in Architecture and several years experience in environmental design and character design. I'm a mapper and concept artist and love video games. Feel free to drop me a line or IM and thanks for stopping by.
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Letter B for Girl - Made with Love...
Code: 496202002
This range of individually designed letters from our Made With Love collection will help you put a unique and personalised finishing touch to your babies nursery, either hung on the wall or free standing. Letters are available through the complete alphabet A-Z and are available in a wide range of fabrics and colours. You are able to select your individual letters in Boy or Girl fabrics however, as the fabric is from a unique and individual selection the pattern may vary from that shown on the website. Size: H: 23 x W: 19 x D: 3cm approx. 100% Cotton
Information on your right of withdrawal are in Clause 4 of these Terms and conditions


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Your swanky bachelor pad featuring the lava lamps and disco ball (kept hidden in a secret compartment in the ceiling) was once pretty happenin'. However, we're now a third of the way into 2013, and it's time to upgrade to something more fitting for the times. If you just can't part with the aesthetics of a gooey, flowing substance, then replacing your lava lamps with a ferrofluid sculpture is the best way for you tell anyone you invite back to your place that you're living in 2013, but still have the same great taste of the 1960s. With Kickstarter project Ferrocious, a desktop ferrofluid sculpture, it'll be easier than ever to redecorate.
A ferrofluid is a liquid that becomes magnetized when a magnetic field is present. When manipulated, ferrofluid can form into various shapes and patterns, such as clearly defined spikes or ripples running. So, rather than displaying blobs and chaos, you can replace your lava lamp a magnetic liquid that can form highly intricate patterns.
Now, ferrofluid doesn't naturally respond to sound, but Ferrocious jury rigs the sculpture with science. An electromagnet sits at the top of the sculpture, and responds to sounds in the range of around 250hz and lower. This means that Ferrocious can respond to normal audio tracks found in music, including vocals, bass, and percussion. The sculpture can receive sound either through a standard 3.5mm audio jack, or a built-in mic. The unit is powered by a standard DC wall adapter.
In standard Kickstarter fashion, there are oodles of rewards for backing the project before the funding period is over. For a minimum pledge of $59, you'll receive a Simple Ferrofluid Display, which is a clear tube containing the fluid, and an accompanying magnet that you can drag around the outside of the tube in order to manipulate the liquid. Don't buy one of these — it's passive and looks to be quite unexciting.
For $85, you'll nab a do-it-yourself Ferrocious, which means that with some ingenuity and proper tools, you'll be able to build your very own dancing-ferrofluid sculpture. For a pledge of $149, you'll net yourself a pre-built Ferrocious, as well as the free time that would've been occupied by building it yourself if you went for the $85 pledge. If you want both the Ferrocious and Simple Ferrofluid Display, that'll cost you $178.
So, if it's finally time to make your bachelor pad high tech, or you just now realized your pad can be made more hip through the power of science, head on over to the Kickstarter page and give Ferrocious a glance.


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EDMONTON, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Jan. 29, 2013) - Serenic Corporation (the "Company" or "Serenic") (TSX VENTURE:SER), an international software developer specializing in integrated financial management and human capital management ("HCM") solutions for Non-Profit organizations, government agencies, and Microsoft Dynamics NAV users, announces its financial results for the three months and nine months ended November 30, 2012.
Volume and Cloud-based Business Model
In July 2012, Microsoft announced significant changes to their strategies to market and sell their financial, accounting and enterprise resource planning software (together, "ERP") products, which will impact Serenic and its future strategies. Microsoft's expectation is to significantly increase its penetration within ERP markets, similar to their past experience in having dominated office automation applications (word processing, spreadsheet, Power Point, e-mail), data base applications (Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL), and segments of the customer relationship management ("CRM") markets. Microsoft's objective is to deploy its ERP applications to a wider range of customers, from small to medium size businesses ("SMB") to major enterprise organizations (Fortune 500 and equivalent), and allow customers to utilize on-premise licensed installations, software-as-a-service ("SaaS" or "Cloud") applications, or any combination thereof. Microsoft's underlying technologies are designed to use any browser-enabled device to access these ERP solutions which feature seamless integration to operating and office systems (e.g., full integration with Windows 8, Office, SharePoint, CRM etc.) and thereby result in simplified access and a superior user experience. We expect these technologies and strategies will provide Serenic with a competitive advantage.
In order to accomplish their objectives, Microsoft has initiated significant changes to its business and sales models. To address the SMB market, Microsoft is adopting new strategies to achieve much higher volume sales than has been attained historically. Microsoft has rolled out a Global Road to Repeatability ("GR2R") program, through which Microsoft is assisting Serenic and other selected resellers to prepare to exploit the volume market by revamping products, pricing, lead generation, marketing, sales, deployment and implementation strategies. The GR2R model is inclusive of both on-premise and cloud based deployment. To simplify the purchase experience for new customers, Microsoft has introduced "Perpetual Product Licensing" with its latest release of Dynamics NAV. Historically, a customer was provided with numerous choices regarding inclusion or exclusion of functionality choices, which resulted in complexities to the purchase process. Now a prospective client will simply choose between a basic or comprehensive functionality solution, select the number of users required by their organization and select whether they wish to use an on-premise or cloud-based computing environment. Serenic has paralleled this strategy for its own products, which will be offered commencing with the next release of Serenic Navigator anticipated in the first half of calendar 2013.
Serenic's business model has historically been closely aligned with and an integral part of Microsoft's global eco-system of ERP reseller partners and service providers. Management believes that Serenic's go-forward strategies should continue to align with Microsoft's in order to maximize our opportunities by leveraging Microsoft's global credibility and market presence within businesses.
Serenic began to enhance its historical business model in Q2 of Fiscal 2013 by supplementing the traditional on-premise deployment of Serenic Navigator to larger non-profits and NGOs with a version that management anticipates will have strong appeal in the SMB market. While management believes this evolution represents an exciting opportunity for Serenic in the longer term, it presents some challenges in the shorter term.
With respect to the SMB market for Serenic products, certain aspects of our historical operational model will need to be revamped to transition from the highly consultative and resource intensive approach to a more prescriptive and automated process that will enable Serenic to engage more efficiently with a higher volume of new customers while expending fewer resources. The volume regime mandates lower product and services pricing, higher automation with respect to marketing and sales processes, shorter sales cycles, and streamlined deployment, implementation and training cycles. It also mandates offering cloud-based solutions that are attuned to this fast growing segment of our markets.
Serenic's Navigator and HCM products for SMB have been undergoing re-development during the past few years in anticipation of the imminent paradigm shift to Microsoft's cloud-based technology and are essentially ready for deployment under Microsoft's Azure platform. Azure is Microsoft's new global software hosting program, which is expected to be released to market by mid calendar 2013. As we progress through adoption of GR2R, Serenic's products will continue to be modified to simplify customer decision making and the deployment of our solutions for the cloud and volume models. As part of this initiative, Serenic has re-developed DonorVision as a new stand-alone, cloud based product based on Microsoft CRM, which is anticipated to be released to market within the next three months. To better address the larger Enterprise customers on a go-forward basis, Serenic Navigator will be enhanced with appropriate changes to incorporate new functionality requirements that have been identified for this market.
While much work to prepare for the volume model has already been completed, certain challenges still remain to be resolved. This transition is expected to be underway for a period of time that is currently unknown, although Management anticipates some momentum from cloud- based products within one or two quarters after Microsoft makes Azure generally available in the market. Until then, we anticipate that confusion amongst new customers about differences between historical and GR2R product strategies, pricing and services may delay some new customers who may elect to wait until all components of the GR2R model are fully operational before finalizing their buying decisions. Thus, a segment of Serenic's new customer pipeline may temporarily continue to be "on hold" pending further progress in this regard. Management anticipates that future individual sales will be lower in price relative to historical averages, but also anticipates that revenue and profits overall will increase once the efficiencies of the GR2R strategy take hold and the volume of transaction increases.
|Quarter Highlights
|Financial results are summarized as follows:
|Three months ended:
|Nine months ended:
|Nov. 30,
|Nov. 30,
|Nov. 30,
|Nov. 30,
|Net loss
|Basic and diluted loss per share
|EBITDA as a % of sales
|Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic and fully diluted
|EBITDA represents earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, and stock based compensation. Please review the Serenic Management Discussion and Analysis for the three and nine months ended November 30, 2012 for more information
|The mathematical expression of the percentage change is not meaningful
The Company has continued to focus on two primary objectives during the quarter: to maximize organic revenue while implementing the above-noted significant transition, and to investigate opportunities to enhance shareholder value. During the quarter, international Serenic Navigator software license sales improved, while in North America, Serenic Navigator licenses slowed. HCM license sales remained essentially on par with the corresponding period last year. The Company announced to its prospective customers that its new version of Serenic Navigator will be made available early in calendar 2013, that it has revised pricing and a greatly simplified ordering process, and has features that are necessary for the Company's transition to cloud and volume based business models as discussed in the previous section. Certain prospective clients appear to be waiting for the new version to be released before making their final buying decisions, and this was a contributing factor affecting new license sales and revenue during the quarter. Additionally, the Company faced increased competition in its market and is therefore taking steps to refine its sales methodology to improve initial customer engagement. Client services revenue was also lower in the quarter, as a result of lower demand for services being heavily dependent upon direct license sales. Maintenance revenues continued to grow during the quarter, due to the ongoing addition of new customers and the high renewal rate of existing maintenance contracts. Additionally, two of the Company's larger customers elected to retroactively renew maintenance contracts and the recognition of the lapsed period revenue positively impacted revenue in the quarter. Recurring maintenance revenue has grown significantly during the past few years and now comprises approximately 53% of our annual revenues.
Expenses remained in line with expectations and budgets. The reduced revenue resulted in lower than planned gross profit which caused the Company to record a net loss and negative EBITDA in the quarter. Due to the operating loss in the quarter, the Company's cash balances reduced to $3.4 million at quarter-end from $3.8 million at the beginning of the quarter.
The Company's marketing group remained very active in generating new leads. Members of the marketing team, along with members of our senior management team participated in several seminars hosted by Microsoft, for the purpose of transitioning to the GR2R business model. Development of Serenic's new cloud based donor management product based on Microsoft CRM continued during the quarter, and is anticipated to be released to market in the first half of calendar 2013. This new offering will be deployed as a cloud-based solution, and will be marketed both as an integrated module of Serenic Navigator and as a stand-alone application for organizations who may not yet be ready to upgrade their existing financial systems. Management believes that this product will compete strongly with prevalent high-volume products offered by certain competitors, and that sales may contribute significantly to our organic growth revenues.
The Company continued to investigate certain corporate development initiatives during the quarter, in accordance with the Company's objective to enhance and realize value for shareholders. The Company also continued to purchase shares pursuant to its Normal Course Issuer Bid ("NCIB") program, wherein 551,000 shares have been acquired for cancellation during the current fiscal year through January 3, 2013.
Management believes that Serenic's pursuit of cloud and volume strategies, combined with its traditional sale of on-premise software licenses, represents the best opportunity to deliver maximum value for Serenic stakeholders over the longer term. Despite the short term challenges that we expect will continue during the next several quarters, Management believes that the longer term outlook for Serenic stakeholders remains very positive. Our strategy for the balance of Fiscal 2013 is to remain focused on maximizing revenues by operating our historical business model, while concurrently supplementing it with the GR2R strategy and continuing to manage resources and risks in a prudent manner.
From a corporate development perspective, we intend to continue to pursue potential scenarios to maximize value for our shareholders beyond what organic growth would produce. The primary objective remains to be that of optimizing shareholder value, which might entail a capital structure change, new strategic ventures, and/or merger and acquisition scenarios. Management strongly believes that the current market capitalization of the Company as reflected in its current share price does not adequately reflect Serenic's fair value, and we intend to take appropriate action that would best serve the interests of shareholders as soon as a suitable arrangement can be identified and acted upon.
We believe the Company remains adequately financed to operate as anticipated. We continue to be excited about our future opportunities and remain confident in our belief that our intended course of action will ultimately result in the achievement of greater value for all of our stakeholders.
Please refer to the full financial Q3, 2013 report filed on sedar.com for more information.
About Serenic Corporation
Serenic Corporation publishes mission-critical software products for not-for-profits (NFP), educational institutions and governments. The Company's products are based on leading application and technology platforms from Microsoft, including Dynamics NAV, SQL Server, and .NET, and are distributed in North America and internationally through value-added resellers and a direct sales organization. Serenic Corporation is the exclusive developer of human resource management and payroll products for Microsoft Dynamics NAV ERP users in North America. Serenic has offices in Edmonton, Alberta and Denver (Lakewood), Colorado and staff located throughout the USA, and in Europe and Africa.
Dwayne Kushniruk, Chairman
Forward Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this press release, including statements which may contain words such as "could", "should", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "will", and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts, are forward looking statements. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the actual results, performances or achievements of Serenic Corporation to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, software industry risks, general business risks, risks associated with aligning to Microsoft's new marketing strategy announced in 2012, foreign currency risks, economic dependence risks, and credit risks.
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Contact Information:


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About Encore Painting
Encore Painting provides residential exterior and interior painting services across the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. Call us at 972-464-7205 for residential and commercial painting and service projects in Highland Park.
Read what our painting clients all over North Texas have to say about our service!
Interior Painting
Every Encore paint project starts with meticulous preparation.
- Clearing the room. Our pro team will remove any furniture and belongings that can be moved from the room. If there are items that for whatever reason cannot be removed, they will be moved to the center of the room and completely covered with a heavy-duty drop cloth.
- Covering and protecting the floors. We take the utmost care when it comes to protecting your floors from damage. Our team will cover the floors and do the appropriate trim taping when necessary.
- Cleaning the walls. A clean wall is the best canvas. We will scrub down your walls with a mild cleanser, rinse, and allow them to dry completely before applying the primer.
Primer lays the foundation for a quality paint job. The Encore team always applies primer before painting interior walls. Primer increases the paint's adhesion to the walls and ensures that it will retain its luster much longer. In addition, we prime your walls prior to painting because it assures that the underlying color, along with any repair patches, will not show through the brand-new custom paint job. Primer is especially important when using latex or acrylic paint. Your Encore painters will apply the primer that is the best match for your chosen paint.
Need help choosing the right paint color for your interior paint job? Check out our paint shade selection tips!
Exterior Home Painting
Encore Painting's expert team members take pride in their work. Our first priority is always customer satisfaction—which starts with our tried-and-true process for truly outstanding results.
Surface Preparation
Prior to painting, our team will conduct a thorough inspection of your home's exterior to check for any pre-existing problems, such as cracks and gaps, mildew, mold, and loose trim or other materials. After any issues are identified, our painters will then take the following steps:*
- Power-wash the exterior surface of the home. At Encore Painting, we use a variety of careful methods to power-wash different exterior materials in order to avoid damage. We use a specialized exterior cleaning agent to remove all dirt, soil, and debris from the home, resulting in a perfectly prepped surface.
- Remove old coat of paint or stain. Our team will use specialized scrapers and other tools to remove old paint from the exterior of the home. This critical step ensures a smooth surface for the new coats of paint.
- Remove any mildew. Typically, our power-washing method removes all mildew and mold; if any remains, we use specialized agents to finish them off.
- Caulk and repair cracks or other damage. Filling gaps and cracks with caulk makes for a better painting surface and can block drafts.
*The order and inclusion of these steps will depend on the homeowner's wishes and the scope of the project. Contact Encore Painting at 972-464-7205 for details.
Priming the Exterior for Paint
Your Encore painting contractor will be able to determine the best primer for your home's exterior materials and the paint you've chosen. There are a number of different exterior home paint primers on the market, and each has its own benefits and attributes.
Why prime? Primer coats the home's surface so that neither the previous color nor any repair patches show through the new paint job. Primer also helps the paint adhere to the surface more effectively and extends the life of your exterior paint job.
Encore Painting: Your Choice for Painting Services in Highland Park
We know you have a lot of Dallas-Fort Worth area painters to choose from. We believe that we have the most skilled professional painters available. Our high level of craftsmanship is proudly displayed in our portfolio and can be seen in homes throughout Collin County and surrounding areas.
Call Encore Painting at 972-464-7205 or fill out our free estimate form today.
Home Improvement Services in Highland Park
At Encore, we do more than just paint! We proudly offer a number of home services. Please checkout a list of Highland Park, TX home painting services we perform.


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My First Cover Flat! Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance
9 comments:
- Amalia K said...
Oh course I'm as excited as you are, Leah! This is wonderful news indeed! Well, I hope you'll celebrate with lots of chocolates and bubblies when the book comes out... congrats! :))
- June 22, 2010 at 5:53 AM
- Nancy S. Brandt said...
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the cover flat of my friend! I'm so happy for you!!
- June 22, 2010 at 6:12 AM
- Rowenna said...
Congrats!! Looks great!
- June 22, 2010 at 8:24 AM
- TAVA... said...
YAY! This is a very exciting moment... I know I'm excited for you!
- June 22, 2010 at 9:24 PM
- Stephanie said...
The more I look at this cover, the more I like it! I am excited to see your name listed there too. I wish I had a B&N nearby so that I could go in and check it out in person when it comes out.
- June 26, 2010 at 5:24 AM
- Cindy Miles said...
Super proud of you Leah, and SO very excited for AFTER THE GLOAMING to appear in the Mammoth Book! We will CELEBRATE!!!! XOXOXOX
- June 29, 2010 at 5:29 AM
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- December 7, 2010 at 3:58 AM
simply stopping by to say hi
- January 25, 2013 at 6:06 AM
- Leah Marie Brown said...
Thank you all for your comments. And thank you for simply stopping by to say hi.
- February 6, 2013 at 3:42 AM


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Daily Archives: May 15, 2012
Authenticity is invaluable originality is non-existent. Jim Jarmusch
Cinematographer Style (2006)
110 of the world's top cinematographers discuss the art of how and why films look the way they do. CINEMATOGRAPHER STYLE is about the Art and Craft of Cinematography. It is about how everything, from life experiences to technology, influences and shapes an individual's visual style. Because of the powerful impact that the visual style of a movie can have, this documentary may offer contemporaries valuable insights into the dramatic choices Cinematographers make. And, it is expected that the material will have significant historic value as well.


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Last weekend the New York Times published a page-one story on an academic study finding racial bias in an obscure corner of American life. Tara Siegel Bernard's Times story is "Blacks face bias in bankruptcy, study says."
What is the bias? Bernard reports:
Blacks are about twice as likely as whites to wind up in the more onerous and costly form of consumer bankruptcy as they try to dig out from their debts, a new study has found.
The disparity persisted even when the researchers adjusted for income, homeownership, assets and education. The evidence suggested that lawyers were disproportionately steering blacks into a process that was not as good for them financially, in part because of biases, whether conscious or unconscious.
The vast majority of debtors file under Chapter 7 of the bankruptcy code, which typically allows them to erase most debts in a matter of months. It tends to have a higher success rate and is less expensive than the alternative, Chapter 13, which requires debtors to dedicate their disposable income to paying back their debts for several years.
Gosh, how do a disparate number of blacks "wind up" in chapter 13 versus chapter 7? The answer isn't blowing in the wind, but it's close. It's apparently from following the advice of their attorneys:
[B]ankruptcy lawyers were much more likely to steer black debtors into a Chapter 13 than white filers even when they had identical financial situations. The lawyers, the survey found, were also more likely to view blacks as having "good values" when they expressed a preference for Chapter 13.
The possible role of attorneys in the racial disparity is explored in the second part of the study:
Results from the second part of the study, which illustrated the lawyer's influence in determining which bankruptcy chapter to choose, came from a survey sent to lawyers asking them questions based on fictitious couples who were seeking bankruptcy protection. When the couple was named "Reggie and Latisha," who attended an African Methodist Episcopal Church — as opposed to a white couple, "Todd and Allison," who were members of a United Methodist Church — the lawyers were more likely to recommend a Chapter 13, even though the two couples' financial circumstances were identical.
The authors of the study suggest that attorneys are significantly more likely to recommend Chapter 13 bankruptcy to black clients than to white, at a rate that roughly corresponds to the disparity in Chapter 13 filings versus Chapter 7.
The Times reporter notes that Chapter 13 is not always an inferior choice for bankruptcy: "Many distressed borrowers go that route because they may be able to save their homes from foreclosure." This understates the difference between the chapters.
I'm not conversant with bankruptcy law, but comparisons between Chapter 7 and Chatper 13 are easy to track down on the Internet. In general, Chapter 7 appears to provide for the debtor's liquidation of assets in exchange for the discharge of debts in bankruptcy, while Chapter 13 provides for the debtor's reorganization of debts under a structured repayment plan over three to five years allowing the debtor to keep non-exempt property. The treatment of attorneys' fees can also differ between the two chapters (a factor mentioned in the Times story).
In a recent series of four columns, Thomas Sowell explored explanations other than "bias" of some kind to explain statistical disparities between and among racial and ethnic groups. (I linked to each of Sowell's four columns in this series here.) It is certainly possible that some factor other than conscious or unconscious bias on the part of bankruptcy attorneys accounts for the disparity discussed in the Times story and related study. The Times quotes a leading bankruptcy attorney:
William E. Brewer Jr., president of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, and a practicing lawyer in Raleigh, N.C., disputed the premise of the study that Chapter 13 was always more burdensome and always required debtors to pay more to their creditors. "The study does not adequately control for the numerous complex factors that dictate chapter choice," he said. "Having said this, Nacba intends to present the study to its members for discussion and self-reflection."
Well, bravo. Introspection is almost always good, especially on the part of those in the legal profession. Another of the experts quoted by the Times needs to go well beyond introspection into a remedial Thomas Sowell course:
"Unfortunately I'm not surprised with these results," said Neil Ellington, executive vice president of Consumer Education Services, a credit counseling agency in Raleigh, N.C. "The same underlying issues that created the problem in mortgage lending, with minorities paying higher interest rates than their white counterparts having the same loan qualifications, are present in all financial fields."
The allegation of racial discrimination in mortgage lending derives from a Boston Federal Reserve Bank study whose principal author was Alicia Munnell. Sowell discusses the study at pages 40-42 of Vision of the Anointed. Christopher Caldwell recently recalled the study's "obvious flaws":
It did not control for creditworthiness in the most elementary way. Munnell admitted to Forbes that "there was no relationship between the racial composition of the tract and the default rate." Had there been discrimination against blacks in lending decisions, blacks' default rate would have been lower than that of whites. The ridicule that greeted the report did nothing to dampen the Clinton administration's insistence on using home lending as a tool of poverty-fighting and race relations.
As for the bankruptcy study, even the authors of the study do not purport to complete understanding of what's going on. Following publication of the Times story, two of the study's authors discussed it in posts here and here. More study is needed!
My guess is that the bankruptcy involved here is one of ideas, as in the Boston Federal Reserve study. But maybe not. Maybe the lawyers really did it.


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Thanks Watercolour Flower Wreath Card
Cardstock: White 260gsm Acid Free – Sturdy Card
A6 size card (10.5cm X 14.8cm or 4.1″ X 5.8″) with White Envelope.
All cards are made using high quality products. Cards individually packed in quality cello bag for extra protection.
The inside of the card is left blank for your own personalised message.
Colours may vary slightly from your monitor and that of the printed product. Please take this into consideration when placing an order.
Our watermark will not appear across the final product, however my logo and info are printed on the back of each card.


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Writing user interfaces without all that ugly mucking about in hyperspace
Project description
This library provides a framework for developing console applications using Python and curses.
This framework should be powerful enough to create everything from quick, simple programs to complex, multi-screen applications. It is designed to make doing the simple tasks very quick and to take much of the pain out of writing larger applications.
There is a very wide variety of default widgets - everything from simple text fields to more complex tree and grid views.
I have used versions of this library for private scripts and small applications for around ten years. As a result, it is fairly mature.
Documentation is online at http://npyscreen.readthedocs.org
Please report bugs or make feature requests using the bug-tracker at http://code.google.com/p/npyscreen.
There is a mailing list available at https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/npyscreen/
Latest Changes:
Version 3.10 MultiLineEditable, MultiLineEditableTitle, MultiLineEditableBoxed classes added, allowing the user to edit lists of items. See EXAMPLE-MultilineEditable for an example.
Version 3.6 Title.. widgets should now resize properly. Menu items can now be specified with arguments and keywords.
Version 3.5 when_value_edited defined on Title.. widgets now work as users expect.
Version 3.4 Fixed bugs in Title.. widgets and in the App classes.
Version 3.3 and the subsequent minor releases fix some bugs, mainly related to changes caused by allowing resized forms.
Version 3.2 adds CheckboxBare - a checkbox without a label. Added at user request.
Version 3.0 IMPORTANT The version number has changed to version 3.0. This is because newer versions of pip distinguish between pre-release and released versions, and this will allow more flexibility in future releases. A version '2.0' might have caused confusion at this stage.
Version 3.0 fixes the specification of max_width values for titled widgets (Thanks to Phil Rich for the bug report). Please report any further problems.
Version 2.0pre90 introduces a new BufferPager and TitleBufferPager class. (User request, suggested by email@example.com)
Version 2.0pre88 IMPORTANT This version supports resizing the terminal. Read the documentation for more detail about how to disable this feature if you need to. It has been implemented in a way that should be compatible with existing code. New code can make the resizing even more flexible.
Version 2.0pre87 Updates the documentation and contains various bug fixes.
Version 2.0pre85 and 2.0pre86 are both bugfix releases.
Version 2.0pre84 introduces an experimental system for editing lists of options. See documentation for details.
Version 2.0pre83 multi-line checkbox widgets are now possible. These can also be used as contained widgets within the multiselect class. See documentation for details.
Version 2.0pre82 changes the menu system and allows menu items to be given keyboard shortcuts.
Version 2.0pre81 introduces FilenameCombo, TitleFilenameCombo.
Version 2.0pre79 is a bugfix release.
Version 2.0pre76 further improves the handling of mouse events on compatible terminals.
Version 2.0pre75 improves the handling of the mouse on compatible terminals.
Version 2.0pre74 corrects one minor bug and introduces makes box widgets behave slightly more predictably (.editable attribute now linked to that of the contained widget.
Version 2.0pre73 corrects two bugs - thanks to Lasse for his help in finding them and offering patches.
Version 2.0pre71 new tree classes introduced. Bug fixes.
Version 2.0pre70 introduces the MLTreeMultiSelect class.
Version 2.0pre69 fixes and tidies up some of the new tree classes. There is an API change assocatied with this, noted in the documentation, though backward compatibility should have been maintained.
Version 2.0pre68 setting a form's .editing attribute to False now causes it to exit immediately, even if a widget is still being edited.
Version 2.0pre67 fixes minor bugs.
Version 2.0pre65 fixes several bugs. All textboxes now honour the .hidden attribute. The major side effect of this is that tree classes are now easier to write.
Version 2.0pre64 extends multi-page support and includes revision to the documentation.
Version 2.0pre63 adds initial support for multi-page forms. See documentation on the FormMultiPage class for details.
Version 2.0pre57 fixes color support - it should now be possible to display a terminal with a different color background. Text widgets have some additional color options.
Version 2.0pre52 fixes compatibility with python2.6, 3.0 and 3.1. All other versions should be unaffected.
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Rewind 2013: In addition to Lesley Chesterman's list of her fave dishes of 2013, you can also read Casual Restos critic Sarah Musgrave's choices for best dishes. And don't forget to count yourself in! Click here to tell us your fave Montreal restos of 2013 or, if you're reading this on mobile, tap on the link under Related Stories.
MONTREAL - What makes a great dish? It's easy to figure out what makes a good dish. Everything is properly cooked, the flavours make sense together, the seasoning is well balanced and the textures are appealing. Easy. But a great dish is so much more than that. A great dish usually results from intense planning, trial and error testing, a serious jolt of creativity, and best case scenario, divine inspiration. A good dish makes you think, "Wow, this is nice." But a great dish makes you think, "Wow, I would cross the Sahara in a parka on the back of a bony camel to eat this again!"
A far cry from mom's meat loaf, high-end food is serious stuff. The famed French chef, Anne-Sophie Pic produces a cuisine rich in colour, texture and exquisite ingredients presented in a minimalist style. Her unusual flavour pairings (beets with coffee and highbush cranberry, for example) are well thought out, with each dish going through several incarnations before being featured on her menu. Star chef Pierre Gagnaire says his inspiration can come from an ingredient, a thought or even a new cooking vessel. Montreal chef Normand Laprise goes so far as to calculate the weight of every bit of protein on his tasting menu.
Montreal restaurants appear to be scaling down the fussy gourmet fare of late. Restaurant food might appear simple, but that lamb shank might have been slow-cooked in a sous-vide bag in an immersion circulator for hours, the fish on that sashimi plate might have been killed using acupuncture needles, and that golden guinea hen breast might have been roasted in a salt crust before it was seared to a crisp. And if they're cooking up Mom's meat loaf, chances are it will be made out of something like duck or deer.
Here is my lineup for best dishes in 2013, a year that will go down as perhaps more transitional on the Montreal restaurant scene than inspirational. Alas, there wasn't a mountain of mind-boggling dishes to choose, but after digging deep, I found many that still impressed.
Funnily enough, the one category that I could not fill was "Best Pasta." Sure, there were some good pastas, but nothing great. So instead of plugging just ravioli or farfalle in there I dropped the category. Everything else, though, was indeed "The Best" I had the pleasure to wrap my lips around, and I am happy to have found one dish that scored an all-around best title that actually knocked my socks off. And guess what? It was a dessert!
So here's looking forward to a new wave of great restaurant food in 2014. And, here's hoping that, in 2014, that best dish will be a pasta!
Best soups
A trio of lobster bisques, all very different, but each as good as the last. At Vices Versa, the bisque was deeply flavoured and enhanced with croutons, herbs and a white fish soufflé placed smack in the centre. Le St-Urbain features a first-class lobster bisque served with large chunks of lobster as well as caramelized onions. Topped with a gruyère-gratinéed crown of puff pastry, Le Saint-Christophe's bisque was piping hot and filled with large pieces of lobster, and was tinged with just enough spice to make my lips tingle. Fabulous.
Best salad
Working on the old beet and goat's cheese duo theme, the Renard Bistro kitchen presented multicoloured beets in fat slices and the cheese in golf ball-sized croquettes. Add to that some watercress, capers and a few squiggles of balsamic vinegar and you have one super plate.
Best charcuterie
Impasto charcuterie plate counts mortadella, pâté de foie and duck prosciutto, as well as porchetta di testa (head cheese) soft enough to spread thickly over slices of baguette. All the charcuterie except for the prosciutto is made in-house and the two-person/$25 selection really is the ideal way to begin a meal here.
Best seafood dish
At Vices Versa, two dishes featured scallops: the first, seared scallops served with spaetzle and a buttery sauce made with lovage. And second, a scallop trio featuring a raw scallop, a poached scallop and a seared scallop. Both interpretations were superb, with standouts including the first's rich sauce and toothsome spaetzle (more like gnocchi, really), and the second's ceviche-style scallops topped with a salsa that included strawberry and rhubarb.
Best vegetables
At Vin Papillon, I devoured a plate of deeply roasted Brussels sprouts topped with nothing but a few slices of Westphalian ham. I love charred Brussels sprouts and these were gorgeous. Also roasted was the half head of cauliflower enhanced with a scattering of caramelized onions, capers and super-crisp chicken skin. Neither dish was entirely vegetarian, but what I liked here was the way the vegetables were played up and the meat was played down. And I gotta give it to Brasserie T!, in a city of great french fries, those are the ones to beat.
Best bird
While feasting at SU, I relished every bite of the rock Cornish game hen that, according to the menu, hails from a recipe from the Ottoman palace that includes the grilled half-chicken with an "aphrodisiac" sauce made with dried fruit, grilled red peppers, toasted almonds and chickpeas. I liked everything here, but most especially the deliciously juicy oven-roasted tomatoes piled overtop the succulent bird. Wow!
Best veal
The polpetti agre dolce (sweet and sour veal meatballs) was the dish at Scarpetta that really won me over. Smothered in caramelized onions and sliced green olives, they were light and so well enhanced with the sweet, vinegar-tinged sauce. And those olives, were just so salty and scrumptious. Heaven.
Best pork
We're seeing quite a bit of porchetta in Montreal of late but Impasto's made with Gaspor pork, cooked sous-vide and fried-to-a-crisp to order, is the best I've tasted. Garnished with slices of poached pear, the lightly spiced, fork-tender meat is served with nothing more than rapini, a swirl of pan juices and a spoonful of mostarda. Good stuff! Equally fabulous was Barbounya braised pig's neck, which is shredded and placed atop a bowl of "moghrabieh," a salad of Lebanese origin made with large-grain couscous, chickpeas, onions, cinnamon and allspice, and olive oil. The North American palate is more used to herbs than spices, and a dish like this provides the ideal mix of gentle spice flavours for a fine introduction to Turkish cuisine.
Best rabbit
Another wow at Scarpetta came via a dish of coniglio alle olive e timo (rabbit with olives and thyme), a luxurious stew of the most tender braised rabbit leg served in braising juices enhanced with tomato, thyme, fennel and more olives. Utterly delectable.
Best offal
I just loved the rabbit heart bourguignon at Lili Co. Bold in presentation, the dish consisted of a mix of braised rabbit hearts, button mushrooms, parsley, lardons (bacon) in a luscious wine sauce, the whole scatted with tiny Jerusalem artichoke chips. The squeamish at the table hesitated over the hearts, but sliced as they were, they were unidentifiable and just so tasty and tender. A definite "coup de coeur" of 2013.
Best beef
At Le St-Urbain, the bavette was flawless. Tender, full flavoured, topped with roasted garlic butter and surrounded by a pool of onion sauce, the steak was further enhanced by some gorgeous carrots and a side of French fried potato wedges. Marvellous.
Best fish
Impasto's Arctic char was simply perfect: coral-coloured, delicate of flesh, and rich yet so light. Paired simply with a cream of roasted cauliflower and a quenelle of spinach, this char spoiled me for salmon for years to come. At Brasserie T!, the Gaspésie halibut was on a par with a dish you'd get at the fancier Toqué!. The fish was silky and creamy-textured, and the accompaniments included seared Brussels sprouts, sautéed red cabbage, a Jerusalem artichoke purée and small segments of watermelon radish. What a dish!
Best dessert
I still recall every morsel of Jun-i's mille crêpes cake. Made up of countless crêpes layered with a light custard cream, the multi-layered cake was paired with a caramel sauce and banana slices. How I relished every piggy bite.
Best dish of 2013
This unique dessert at H4C was just beyond the beyond. The mix included an apple sorbet, an apple brunoise, apple jelly, muesli and a large quenelle of buckwheat ice cream. The way that gorgeous ice cream played off the muesli was brilliant, but the inspired addition of a slice of cheddar cheese in the middle of it all took this dish to another level. It was not only the dish of the night, but one of the best desserts I've ever sampled: the perfect example of technique meets innovation meets deliciousness. Bravo!
Here are coordinates for the restos whose dishes are featured in this best of 2013 list:
Bar Bounya
234 Laurier Ave. W.
Brasserie T
1425 Jeanne Mance St.
528 Place St-Henri
156 Laurier Ave. W.
Le Saint-Christophe
94 Ste. Rose Blvd., Vieux Ste. Rose, Laval
Le St-Urbain
96 Fleury St. W.
Lili Co.
4650 Mentana St.
48 Dante St. (near St-Dominique St.)
Renard Bistro
330 Avenue du Mont-Royal E.
4525 Park Ave.
5145 Wellington St.
Vices Versa
216 St-Etienne St., La Malbaie (Qc)
Vin Papillon
2519 Notre Dame St W.
Check back at montrealgazette.com/food on Dec. 21 for Lesley Chesterman and Sarah Musgrave's picks for best restos of 2013 and wine columnist Bill Zacharkiw's list of his favourite wines of 2013.


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The week in review
Worst reminder a serial rapist is out there: A woman is attacked October 24 by a man waiting inside her Broad Avenue apartment. Neighbors intervene, and there's no announced DNA connection to the serial rapist by press time.
Most serious reward money: The Parents' Program of the UVA Alumni Association puts up $30,000, and an anonymous parent contributes $5,000, upping the ante to $55,000 for information leading to the capture and conviction of the serial rapist who's been connected to at least seven assaults over the last eight years.
Biggest oops: University Housing accidentally puts the names and Social Security numbers of around 2,600 students online, the Cavalier Daily reports.
Worst street: Car side mirrors are smashed on 15th Street October 22-23, the latest in a series of vandalisms and thefts on that street that have caused university officials to warn parents and students to be wary, according to the Cav Daily.
Worst news for underage students: The number of underage drinking and public intoxication charges has more than doubled in the past year, the CD reports. A change in Virginia Code allows arrests without the contraband beverage if police notice the odor of alcohol.
Worst back-to-school night: The Albemarle School Board approves a requirement that parents must attend a two-hour seminar before registering an offspring for driver's ed.
Most mugshots: Charlottesville and Albemarle police charge Elijah Edmundson Jr. with numerous offenses, most involving theft, including the robbery of the GoCo Mart October 17. Robert Neal "Bobby" Jones also is arrested for breaking and entering a Belmont home October 23. And in response to citizen complaints, the Jefferson Area Drug Enforcement Task Force busts three men at 632 Ridge Street.
Worst charges for a high school basketball ref: Possessing child pornography. Keswick resident Richard Lakes, 61, who resigned from the Piedmont Shenandoah Basketball Officials Association, is charged with 10 counts.
Best high-speed chase: Frank Lester Harris flees Louisa County deputies October 30 after being pulled over and giving the officer a false name. He's spotted tossing packages from the car, at least one of which contains a white powder, and he backs into a police cruiser after plowing into an embankment.
Most COPS-esque video: NBC29 has footage of the Harris chase from inside a law enforcement vehicle.
Biggest lawsuit: Patricia Stephens, whose husband was killed in an explosion at the Ivy Landfill in 2003, files a $16 million suit against Albemarle County, Charlottesville, and the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority, according to Liesel Nowak in the Progress.
Worst week for the Bush administration: Harriet Meiers withdraws her Supreme Court nomination; Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Scooter Libby, is indicted– with possibly more to come in the Plame affair– and the 2000th U.S. soldier dies in Iraq October 25. Oh, and Republican gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore is otherwise engaged when President Bush shows up in Norfolk October 28.
Latest Supreme Court nominee: Appeals Court Justice Samuel Alito.
First woman to lie in state at the Capitol: Civil rights legend Rosa Parks, who died October 24, is honored October 30-31.
Best quarter for oil companies: Profits soar to record heights.
Best week for drivers: Gas prices drop below $2.50 a gallon.
Worst break for Waynesboro cinephiles: Carmike Cinemas backs out of plans for a 10-screen theater– the second time a chain has abandoned cineplex plans, the News Virginian reports.
Biggest badges: Albemarle police unveil a new, specially designed, Monticello-emblazoned badge, the DP reports.
Oddest Capshaw sighting: On the cover of Silver Linings, the Dave Matthews Band manager appears as a board member for the Hovey S. Dabney Foundation for Elders.


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Please contact Swift Passport Services for more information at 877.917.9438.
Note: In order to checkout, you will need to check each item in the list below. Please follow the Checklist Instructions.
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More Canadians to work past 65 'to pay basic living expenses'
CTVNews.ca Staff
Published Wednesday, February 20, 2013 6:53AM EST
Last Updated Wednesday, February 20, 2013 11:15PM EST
Far fewer Canadians expect to be retired at age 66 compared to 2008 when the global economic crisis hit, according to a new survey, which also found that more Canadians need, rather than want, to keep working.
The findings, from Sun Life Financial's annual Canadian Unretirement Index, show that the number of Canadians who expect to be living the retired life at age 66 has dropped by nearly half between 2008 and 2012, from 51 per cent to 27 per cent.
The number of people who think they will be working full-time at age 66 rose 10 per cent to 26 per cent between 2008 and 2012. As well, 32 per cent of survey respondents said they expect to be working part-time at age 66.
The survey also found that of those who said they expect to be working, 63 per cent said it is because they need to, up 10 per cent from 2009, while 37 per cent said it is because they want to, down from 47 per cent.
Sun Life Financial Canada president Kevin Dougherty said the findings are caused in part by the fact that the financial crisis had a serious impact on Canadian household balance sheets.
"The low-interest environment for sure has had an impact on people's savings and projections, Dougherty told The Canadian Press. "But really the realization is that people are living longer and longer."
Back in 2008 and 2009, more Canadians said they would work past the age of 65 because they enjoy their jobs and wish to stay mentally active. However, since 2010, the top reason given for working past 65 has been in order to "earn enough money to pay basic living expenses."
The survey found that six in 10 Canadians are expecting to retire with less than $250,000 in savings, while 38 per cent will retire with less than $100,000 saved. Only one-third of respondents said they were either "very satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied" with their retirement savings. Nearly four-in-ten respondents said there was a "serious risk" they will outlive their retirement savings.
The findings were based on a poll conducted by Ipsos Reid between Nov. 29 and Dec. 6, 2012. The firm conducted online interviews with a sample of 3,017 employed Canadians between the ages of 30 and 65.
The survey is said to be accurate to within plus or minus two percentage points.
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Since the migration I have lost my account.
I've played during the garena days.
Can I still retrieve it.
I tried creating another account under KOG Games. Logged in to the game. And when I tried to create a character using my old name it wasn't working anymore.
So i want to merge accounts if possible.


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Items where Subject is "EU policies and themes > Policies & related activities > consumer protection policy"
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- Subject Areas (10547)
- EU policies and themes (9559)
- Policies & related activities (6914)
- consumer protection policy (38)
- Policies & related activities (6914)
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Bernhardt, Peter. (1994) La politique communautaire des consommateurs. - Community consumer policy. EIPAScope 1994(1):pp. 11-16. pp. 11-16.
Bouyon, Sylvain and Ayoub, Janna (2018) Consumer Credit, Digitalisation and Behavioural Economics: Are new protection rules needed? ECRI Policy Brief No. 9 – September 2018. [Policy Paper]
Bouyon, Sylvain and Krause, Simon (2018) Dynamic Currency Conversion and Consumer Protection: Finding the right rules. ECRI Commentary No. 22, 19 March 2018. [Policy Paper]
Byrne, David and Duffy, David and FitzGerald, John (2014) Household Formation and Tenure Choice: Did the great Irish housing bust alter consumer behaviour?. ESRI WP487. July 2014. [Working Paper]
Cardiff EDC, . (2014) Information Guide: Consumer Policy. UNSPECIFIED.
Cardiff EDC, . (2013) Information Guide: Food Safety. UNSPECIFIED.
Carson, Marcus (2003) "From commodity to public health concern: The transformation of food policy in the European Union". In: UNSPECIFIED, Nashville, TN. (Unpublished)
Chatzopoulou, Sevie (2011) The EU food regulatory policy making: Indirect effects on the food chain governance. [Conference Proceedings]
Coppens, François, and González, Fernando, and Winkler, Gerhard. (2007) "The performance of credit rating systems in the assessment of collateral used in Eurosystem monetary policy operations." NBB Working Paper No. 118, September 2007. [Working Paper]
Csaky, Krisztian. and Kerekgyarto, Judit. (2002) Consumer Credit Legislation in Central and Eastern Europe. ECRI Research Report No. 3, 1 July 2002. UNSPECIFIED.
Dehestru, Camille (2013) Industries and Citizens' Groups Networks in EU Food Policy: The Emergence of 'Unholy Alliances' in Multilevel Governance? Brugges Political Research Paper No. 30, September 2013. UNSPECIFIED.
Domaradzka, Alina (2012) The Revision of the Insurance Mediation Rules at EU Level and its Impact on Consumer Protection. EIPAScope, 2012 (2). pp. 19-24. ISSN 1025-6253
Figueira, Filipa. (2007) The European Commission and Financial Capability: Simplifying Financial Services. ECRI Policy Briefs No. 2, 27 July 2007. [Policy Paper]
Figueira, Filipia. (2008) The Consumer Credit Directive: Lost in the labyrinth of EU policy-making? ECRI Commentaries No. 3, 25 January 2008. [Policy Paper]
Fitz Gerald, John (2002) The Irish Energy Market – Putting the Consumer First. ESRI WP145. August 2002. [Working Paper]
Gerhardt, Maria. and Lannoo, Karel. (2011) Options for reforming deposit protection schemes in the EU. ECRI Policy Brief No. 4, March 2011. [Policy Paper]
Gnutzmann, Hinnerk and Śpiewanowski, Piotr (2018) Consumer Rights Improve Service Quality: Evidence from EU Air Passenger Rights. College of Europe Policy Brief #13.18, October 2018. [Policy Paper]
Guardia, Nuria Diez. (2000) Consumer Credit in the European Union. ECRI Research Report No. 1, 1 February 2000. UNSPECIFIED.
Jentzsch, Nicola. (2003) The Regulation of Financial Privacy: The United States vs Europe. ECRI Research Reports No. 5, 1 June 2003. UNSPECIFIED.
Jentzsch, Nicola. and Lannoo, Karel. (2007) Much Ado about Little? Agreement on the Consumer Credit Directive Reached. ECRI Commentaries #2, 24 May 2007. [Policy Paper]
Kleimeier, Stefanie. and Sander, Harald. (2002) Consumer Credit Rates in the Eurozone: Evidence on the Emergence on a Single Retail Banking Market. ECRI Research Report No. 2, 1 January 2002. UNSPECIFIED.
Kurzer, Paulette and Cooper, Alice. (2005) "What's for Dinner? Variations in European Support for Genetically Modified Food". In: UNSPECIFIED, Austin, Texas. (Unpublished)
Lannoo, Karel and de la Mata Munoz, Almudena. (2004) Integration of the EU Consumer Credit Market: Proposal for a More Efficient Regulatory Model. CEPS Working Documents No. 213, 1 November 2004. [Working Paper]
Lannoo, Karel. (2013) Financial services and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. CEPS Policy Brief No. 302, 20 November 2013. [Policy Paper]
Neuhold, Christine (2001) Much Ado About Nothing? Comitology as a Feature of EU Policy Implementation and its Effects on the Democratic Arena. IHS Political Science Series: 2001, No. 78. [Working Paper]
Pollack, Mark A. and Shaffer, Gregory C. (2001) "Who governs?". In: UNSPECIFIED, Madison, Wisconsin. (Unpublished)
Pyykkö, Elina (2012) Credit reporting: Towards better access to credit and protection for consumers. ECRI Commentary No. 9, March 2012. [Policy Paper]
Riestra, Amparo San Jose. (2002) Credit Bureaus in Today's Credit Markets. ECRI Research Report No. 4, 1 September 2002. UNSPECIFIED.
Ross, Miceal (1980) The EEC and the Consumer in the Republic of Ireland. ESRI Memorandum Series No. 145 1980. [Policy Paper]
Shaw, Jo. (1995) "The Birth, Life and Death of a Proposal: The Ill-fated Services Draft". In: UNSPECIFIED, Charleston, South Carolina. (Unpublished)
Simonelli, Felice (2016) Combating consumer discrimination in the Digital Single Market: preventing geo-blocking and other forms of geo-discrimination. CEPS Special Report September 2016. UNSPECIFIED.
Siotis, Georges and Spagnolo, Giancarlo and Degryse, Hans and Ongena, Steven and Inderst, Roman and Gerard, Damien. (2010) The Future of Retail Banking in Europe: Competition and Regulatory Challenges. ECRI Research Report No. 12, 19 April 2010. UNSPECIFIED.
Sousa de Jesus, Alfedo. (2004) Data Protection in EU Financial Services. ECRI Research Report No. 6, 1 April 2004. UNSPECIFIED.
Ugur, Mehmet. (2007) Regulatory Quality in EU Network Industries: Evidence on Telecommunications, Gas, Electricity and Rail Transport. In: UNSPECIFIED, Montreal, Canada. (Unpublished)
Warleigh, Alex. (1999) "Surrogate Citizens? NGOs, Policy Making and Citizenship Practice in the European Union: The Cases of Auto Oil, Drinking Water and Unit Pricing". In: UNSPECIFIED, Pittsburgh, PA. (Unpublished)
Webster, Ruth. (2001) "Public interest coalitions in the EU". In: UNSPECIFIED, Madison, Wisconsin. (Unpublished)
Weill, Laurent. (2004) Efficiency of Consumer Credit Companies in the EU: A Cross-Country Frontier Analysis. ECRI Research Report No. 7, 1 July 2004. UNSPECIFIED.
Young, Alasdair R. (1995) "Participation and Policy Making in the European Community: Mediating Contending Interests". In: UNSPECIFIED, Charleston, South Carolina. (Unpublished)


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Gillingham defeat 10-man Yeovil
Last Updated: 14/08/14 9:38am
Gillingham knocked 10-man Yeovil out of the Capital One Cup with a 2-1 victory at Huish Park.
Brennan Dickenson put Gills ahead before Simon Gillett equalised but Aaron Morris quickly restored the visitors' lead, before Glovers defender Seth Nana Ofori-Twumasi was sent off shortly afterwards.
The early exchanges echoed the previous weekend's performances as both sides felt their way into the game.
Gillingham were gifted an opener after 23 minutes courtesy of a mix-up at the back. Former Exeter goalkeeper Artur Krysiak came racing out to meet a through ball, only to stumble into covering defender Aaron Martin.
Gills striker Dickenson refused to give up on the opportunity and nipped in to poke into the gaping net, leaving the Yeovil pair in a heap on the floor.
The Glovers had opportunities to level in the first half - first through former Chelsea man Ofori-Twumasi, who stung the palms of Glenn Morris before Kieffer Moore's strike was cleverly turned round the post by the Gills stopper.
The new-look Huish Park outfit grew into the game but lacked any penetration in the final third.
They could have fallen further behind five minutes before the break when skipper Doug Loft's fizzing left-foot strike from distance was parried by Krysiak but no-one from the away side was able to follow up.
Yeovil improved in the second half and began to fashion one or two chances to give the sparse turnout cause for cheer.
They made the pressure count after 56 minutes with a well-worked set-piece as Joe Edwards rolled the ball to former Nottingham Forest man Simon Gillett, who unleashed a ferocious strike past Morris into the top left-hand corner of the net.
Gillingham were back in front just four minutes later though as the Glovers' back line allowed Aaron Morris all the time and space in the world to control, take a touch and pick his spot with a fine strike to the far post.
Yeovil's misery was compounded just after the hour mark when Ofori-Twumasi was shown a straight red for a late challenge on Luke Norris.
The south Somerset side refused to go out with a whimper though and created chances through Edwards and Nathan Smith.
In the end, it was the side with the stronger defensive performance that proved triumphant as the Gills won for only the second time in 10 matches against the team they face again in four days time in the league.


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"See what Oscar says. —Ask Oscar.—Let Oscar take a look at it and ask him what he thinks." Oscar Gellein has been answering questions, or helping other people solve difficult accounting and auditing problems, ever since he left the university campus nineteen years ago to start the research department in the Haskins & Sells Executive Office. Ask him to pin down for you exactly what he does, and what his title is, and you get a somewhat elusive answer: "I have no exact title, really; I am just in charge of our auditing and accounting practice. That's the best way to describe it. The closest thing to a title I can think of is Director of Accounting and Auditing." Oscar Gellein is a big man, whose wide-open smile and friendly eyes radiate cordiality. He is imposing in appearance, with the broad brow and solid, determined features that tell you he knows what he is doing and where he is going. His rimless glasses add a touch of the scholar to the portrait. But there is nothing reserved or austere in his manner when he speaks, or when he listens. The words are spoken with economy and sincerity, and with complete clarity of meaning. Oscar is above all a communicator, who speaks to you directly and personally. With it all there is a touch of humor that is never far below the surface. Perhaps the secret of Oscar Gellein's success in H&S stems not only from his great abilities in the theoretical and technical side of the practice, but also from his many years of dealing with other people as teacher and as student. Everywhere along the road, from his earliest years, he seems to have welcomed taking on challenging new tasks, both as learner and as instructor. He probably could not stop either function if he tried, and he probably wouldn't want to. As of this moment he is the EO partner responsible for overall supervision of the General Motors engagement; he devotes a large part of his time to service on the Accounting Principles Board; he serves on the Trueblood Commission, which is charged with determining long-range objectives for the entire public accounting profession; he is a member of the H&S Policy Committee; and he administers a number of EO sections and departments that provide technical services to the practice offices of the Firm. Aside from that, he will find time to speak before professional groups — and has earned a reputation as one of the best speakers in our Firm. It is characteristic of Oscar Gellein that when he is asked how he came to accounting and to his present position in the profession, he underplays his dedication "You often come to your life's work," he says of his own situation, "because you happen to be in a certain place at a certain time; you are a victim of circumstance. That is true of most of us, and it was that way with me." With a bit of prompting, he tells you his story, modestly leaving out the fact that a determined, able person puts himself in a certain place at a certain time because he worked to get there. Oscar's parents, who came to the United States from Norway, lived in Denver for two years after he was born, then in San Diego, and when Oscar was eight years old the family moved to a farm in western Idaho, in the Snake River country near the Oregon line. Oscar's father had been a carpenter until that time, but decided he wanted to own his own land, and Idaho furnished the opportunity. Oscar attended a one-room school, eight grades with one teacher. Twice at the start of a year the teacher found young Oscar was the only pupil in his grade, so she skipped him up a grade so he could be taught with a group. Result: Oscar had to hustle, and he was barely sixteen when he finished high school. "I was pretty young..." he says, recalling those days. "So I stayed out a year before trying college and worked at all sorts of things —riding the ditch, working on the farm, haying, threshing and so on. Then I went to the University of Idaho for one semester, but dropped out and worked for another year and a half, and looked around for a school where I could earn some money while taking courses. I found one, Southeastern Oklahoma State, at Durant, Oklahoma. I held three jobs that kept me in school — I was janitor in the evening, I worked in the cafeteria for two meals a day, and I worked in the bursar's office in the Oscar S. Gellein **-• 18
Object Description
|People in H&S: Oscar S. Gellein
|Stevens, Roy
|Personal Name
Gellein, Oscar S.
Queenan, John W.
Gellein, Oscar S.
Haskins & Sells. Executive Office
Haskins & Sells. Newark Office
Haskins & Sells. Detroit Office
H&S Reports, Vol. 09, (1972 autumn), p. 18-19
|Originally published by: Haskins & Sells
|Copyright and permission to republish held by: Deloitte; Photograph by Roy Stevens
|PDF page image with corrected OCR scanned at 400 dpi
|Deloitte Digital Collection
|Digital Publisher
|University of Mississippi Library. Accounting Collection
|Date-Digitally Created


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Have Iowa farmland values reached the top?
Two recent surveys of Iowa farmland values show the increase in farmland values has slowed, if not stopped altogether. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago survey of bankers reported Iowa land values were unchanged in the second quarter of 2013. The Realtors Land Institute reported that Iowa farmland values increased just 1.2 percent from March to September, 2013.
Do these surveys show a land market that is just catching its breath or a boom land market that is gasping its last breath? Obviously only time will answer that question correctly but speculation on what is and what will happen to Iowa farmland values abounds.
Before addressing the question of the current farmland market it might be informative to see if the past two land booms provide any insights. There have been several land booms throughout the history of the United States, with the two most recent being from 1900 to 1920 and from 1973 to 1981.
The first boom period, 1900 to 1920, shown in Figure 1, has been referred to as the first golden era in agriculture. Corn prices began rising at the turn of the century and land values followed suit. From 1900 to 1914, Iowa farmland values increased an average of 7.8 percent a year. During the years of WWI, 1914 to 1918, land values increased 8.8 percent a year, and in the final two years, 1919 and 1920, land values increased 9.1 percent and 33.5 percent, respectively. From 1900 to 1920 Iowa farmland values increased from $44 an acre to $255 an acre, an increase in land values of almost 480 percent in 19 years.
The second boom period, 1973 to 1981, has been referred to as the second golden era in agriculture. Land values in Iowa increased by over 30 percent per year in 1973, 1974 and 1975. Over the entire boom period Iowa farmland values went from $482 an acre in 1972 to $2,147 an acre in 1981, an increase of 345 percent.
These land booms have some aspects in common and some differences. It isn't possible in a single column to discuss all of the various nuances of these booms. However, three salient features stand out in these booms. One feature is the booms were driven by increasing prices and returns. A 1967 publication by the State Historical Society described the first boom period as, "For agriculture this was prosperity piled on top of prosperity." The second boom in the early 1970s was fueled by the rapid rise in commodity prices due in part to the opening of major export markets. Corn prices in Iowa averaged $1.04 per bushel in 1972 and they averaged $2.58 per bushel in 1974.
A second distinguishing characteristic of the two boom periods was the level of borrowing and enthusiasm that was created. Responses to a 1919 survey illustrate the prevailing attitude in the first boom. A Tama county banker responded saying land, "…will never be worth any less and the tendency will be for higher prices from now on, as land will be the safest investment in the world."
There were contrarians to this position. Another Tama county banker responding to the 1919 survey expressed concerns the high prices wouldn't last, saying, "… I believe it behooves us all to go cautiously, and instead of contracting heavy future obligations we should be utilizing these high prices to free ourselves from debt."
Similar statements can be found regarding the boom in the 1970s. "They don't make land anymore, everybody has to eat, and I made more money owning the land than I did farming it" are common phrases that were heard or recorded during this "second golden era."
Exceptionally higher income and an increasing optimism for the continuing rise in land values, which led to excessive debt and mortgages being assumed, are two of the hallmarks of the boom periods. The third common feature with both the booms is they ended dramatically and with significant social unrest. Land values dropped 73 percent from 1920 to 1933 and they dropped 63 percent from 1981 to 1986. The decline in the 1920s was more severe and lasted longer due to the major depression in the entire economy that followed the initial depression in the agricultural sector.
Obviously there is more to the boom periods but these three features provide some guideposts for us to begin thinking about whether or not Iowa land values have peaked or are just catching their breath. Since 2004 Iowa farmland values have increased over 10 percent a year in every year except 2009. In that year, 2009, Iowa farmland values actually decreased 2.2 percent.
A major similarity between now and the booms of the past has been the accelerated increase in income. The estimated 2012 Iowa net farm income is 340 percent higher than in 2004. Iowa farmland values were 265 percent higher over the same time period.
There is a very direct correlation between farm income and farmland values (Figure 2). The correlation is higher between land values and gross farm income than between land values and net farm income.
Since 1949 there is a .97 correlation coefficient (1 is perfect correlation) between gross farm income and land values and a .88 correlation between land values and net farm income. Given these very high correlations it is possible to estimate what might happen to land values with a change in income.
A series of simple models was estimated using gross and net farm income, nominal and real values, and log values to predict land values. The predictive power of some of the models was very high, especially considering the models only included one explanatory variable. The estimated percent change in land values from a percent change in gross farm income is approximately .75 percent. In other words, every one percent change in gross income will produce a .75 percent change in land values.
This is a strong estimator, however, for the 10 years of boom and bust in the 1970s and 1980s and, for the past few years, the models lose their predictive power. Many other factors take over during these periods of dramatic swings in income and land values.
The second similarity between the two previous booms was the amount of debt accrued and the exuberance that was generated. Currently there doesn't appear to be an inordinate amount of debt being generated. This isn't to say some people have not put themselves into a position where a downturn could be devastating. However, for the most part, farmers, landowners and lenders have been more cautious than during previous booms. A 2012 study of Iowa landowners found that 78 percent of the land is held without any debt.
There has been enthusiasm generated with this current land value expansion. One farm magazine even declared this was a new golden era for agriculture. But the enthusiasm has not become the unbridled exuberance of the previous busts. This might be due to the fact that many people who experienced the land boom and bust of the 1970s are still active.
Now we are back to the original question: are we at the top of the farmland market or is this just a temporary resting point? Will the third common feature of the two previous land booms (a big bust) come to pass?
I was taught if you predict, predict the worst because if you are right you can say I told you so and if you are wrong everyone is relieved and they don't remember what you said. But in spite of this sound advice, I am going to go out on a limb and say that the answer to the question of whether or not we are at the top in the land market depends.
The most important variable to watch is income. What happens to farm income will have a direct bearing on land values. While it isn't a perfect correlation, it is a strong one. I think some of the factors that created the busts we saw after the past two booms haven't been as strong this time.
I do not think land values will continue to increase as they have in the past few years. There has been too much pressure put on farmland prices to be sustainable. Farmland value increases of over 60 percent in two years are not sustainable. Increases in the number of alternative investments, changing interest rates, and lower expectations for farm income will all stop the rapid rise in farmland values.
Farmland is an investment for the long run. In fact, most land is bought by farmers and most farmers buy land to own it, not sell it. The land is obtained with an idea that it will become the legacy, inheritance and social security, not as a get rich scheme.
I think the double digit increases in land values might be over for now. I also think if the projections for income hold then we will see a decline in land values. In 2009 we saw land values drop slightly over 2 percent. I think we will likely see a larger drop than that in the years ahead but I don't think a collapse is a high probability. War, interest rate changes, fiscal paralysis, world economic conditions and a host of other factors will exert influences on land values but in the end income will continue to be the key.
Michael D. Duffy, retired economist. Questions?


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Simple Stripe, Grey + White
A fresh and simple striped pillow in grey and white to mix into your pillow-scape. Can stand alone or goes well with more bold and colorful choices as well.
Size: 20" x 20"
Made in Canada
- 100% Polyester
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- About our pillow insert: The insert is microfiber, which we like to call "faux down". It is soft, fluffy and holds its full shape nicely without flattening over time. This is a hypoallergenic, vegan friendly feather/down alternative!
- Care Instructions: We recommend dry cleaning or very careful machine washing (cold water with mild detergent, lay flat to dry, iron inside out on medium heat)


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Known for their versatility and array of capabilities, Casein paints can be used to create a variety of effects from the rich opaques of oil to thin watercolor washes. Casein paints may be applied to almost any rigid, non-oily surface such as canvas panel, illustration board, heavy watercolor paper, plaster, metal, wood, masonite, or canvas, or linen mounted on masonite. They can be reworked or layered repeatedly and be used for underpainting.Casein has an exceptional integrity of color and always dries to a perfect matte finish, it is unexcelled for art reproduction. The velvety matte finish can also be buffed to a satin sheen or varnished to produce a resemblance to oils. Over time, Casein pigments become resistant to moisture and as history has proven, the medium has a durability and permanence which has easily stood the test of time.
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Desktop Appraisals: Next Generation Valuations is a 5-hour course that provides the necessary framework for real property appraisers, financial institutions, underwriters, AMC personnel, and regulatory entities interested in or already completing desktop valuation services. Topics involve the most typical intended use and user(s), definition of the appraisal problem and proper scope of work determination. This course will provide resources, technology and tools for data collection and verification. Instructions on how to best develop a credible sales comparison approach from the desk. Also included is a high-level overview of some of the forms currently in circulation and guidance on how to ensure USPAP compliance when using these forms. Above all, this session will discuss how credible results are possible in the context of the intended use and within the scope of work.
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Standard pricing (cost within 30 days of course): $115.00
5 Credit Hours
Holiday Inn Express Orlando-Ocoee East
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History of India in Hindi
Tourism in India
History of India
Navigation Bar
The Tomb
The focus of Taj Mahal is the white marble tomb, which stands on a square plinth consisting of a symmetrical building with an iwan, an arch-shaped doorway, topped by a large dome. Like most Mughal tombs, basic elements are Persian in origin.
The base structure is a large, multi-chambered structure. The base is essentially a cube with chamfered edges and is roughly 55 metre on each side.
On the long sides, a massive pishtaq, or vaulted archway, frames the iwan with a similar arch-shaped balcony. These main arches extend above the roof of the building by an integrated facade. On either side of main arch, additional pishtaqs are stacked above and below. This motif of stacked pishtaqs is replicated on chamfered corner areas as well. The design is completely symmetrical on all sides of the building. Four minarets, one at each corner of the plinth, facing the chamfered corners, frame the tomb. The main chamber houses the cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan with their graves located on lower level.
The marble dome that surmounts the tomb is its most spectacular feature.
Its height is about the same size as the base of the building, about 35 metre and is accentuated as it sits on a cylindrical "drum" of about 7 metre high. Because of its shape, the dome is often called an onion dome (also called an amrud or guava dome). The top is decorated with a lotus design, which serves to accentuate its height as well. The shape of the dome is emphasised by four smaller domed chattris (kiosks) placed at its corners. The chattri domes replicate the onion shape of main dome. Their columned bases open through the roof of the tomb and provide light to the interior. Tall decorative spires (guldastas) extend from edges of base walls,and provide visual emphasis to the height of the dome. The lotus motif is repeated on both the chattris and guldastas. The dome and chattris are topped by a gilded finial, which mixes traditional Persian and Hindu decorative elements.
The main dome is crowned by a gilded spire or finial. The finial, made of gold until the early 1800s, is now made of bronze. The finial provides a clear example of integration of traditional Persian and Hindu decorative elements. The finial is topped by a moon, a typical Islamic motif, whose horns point heavenward. Because of its placement on the main spire, the horns of moon and finial point combine to create a trident shape, reminiscent of traditional Hindu symbols of Shiva.
At the corners of plinth stand minarets, the four large towers each more than 40 metre tall. The minarets display Taj Mahal's penchant for symmetry. These towers are designed as working minarets, a traditional element of mosques as a place for a muezzin to call the Islamic faithful to prayer. Each minaret is effectively divided into three equal parts by two working balconies that ring the tower. At the top of the tower is a final balcony surmounted by a chattri that mirrors the design of those on the tomb. The minaret chattris share the same finishing touches, a lotus design topped by a gilded finial. Each of the minarets were constructed slightly outside of the plinth, so that in the event of collapse, a typical occurrence with many such tall constructions of the period, the material from the towers would tend to fall away from the tomb.


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It's been nearly a year since Google made the new Google Analytics available to everyone. While it can seem less intuitive up-front, there are many new features only available with the new version, like the incredible social reports. And yet, many haven't made the complete jump into the new Google Analytics.
Are you like many who keep delaying the switch to the "new" Google Analytics layout? If so, you aren't alone. People aren't switching for several reasons – even my colleagues and trusted network of veteran SEOs.
Here's a list of three of the most common excuses for not switching and my counter arguments against them.
"I Can't Find the Reports…"
People complain that all the reports have moved and it's too hard to find them. If this is one of your excuses, don't worry.
Luckily, Google remembered its roots when rolling out the new version of Analytics. Right above the side navigation is a search box.
Start typing the name of a report in the search box and Google will suggest reports for you. Whenever you can't figure out under which heading your report now lives, you have search.
Go a step further: Search integration goes farther than searching for reports. If you manage multiple accounts and even more profiles, search can help you quickly find not only the account you're looking for, but the individual profile attached to an account, as well.
"I Can't Save Reports as PDFs"
This excuse is no longer valid. Exports to PDF format are back.
Like most things Google, it's labeled as being in beta. But it's right there, under the Export icon/menu at the top of each report. You can export comma-separated values (CSV), tab-separated values (TSV, TSV for Excel), or PDF.
Go a step further: Exporting to PDF is a welcome relief. As a reward for our patience, Google has also allowed PDF reports to be emailed to any address on a recurring basis. Right next to the Export icon/menu is a button labeled Email. While it is also in beta, this feature allows you to email any report to any address on a recurring basis. Like exports, the report can be sent and attached as CSV, TSV, TSV for Excel or PDF. The PDF exports started rolling out last month. According to a Google spokesperson, everyone should now have the PDF export in their reports.
"I Can't Share My Reports…"
Again, like the PDF export, the ability to share custom reports is here. When you enter the custom reporting page, you will see a list of all your custom reports. Naturally, you can click the report name to view it. However, you can also click the Actions icon/menu at the right side of each line to edit the report, create a copy of the report (for saving as…), delete it, or share it.
When you select share, an overlay box appears with a long URL and instructions. Copy the URL and paste it wherever you want to share it. Toss it in an email or even tweet it. You won't be sharing a link that gives out any of your data.
All the sharing does is re-create the report configuration, without actual data. This means you can create that uber-cool report, share it with people and their own data will be propagated into it.
You don't even have to be connected with the people you share it with. It's simply a report template. Unfortunately, this also means any advanced segments you create for a report will not be shared.
Go a step further: However, you can share your Advanced Segments separately. Granted, it's not in the same place it was previously, but the ability is there. Go to the Admin Page, look under the Assets tab and click Advanced Segments. To the right of your segments, you will see links for copying, deleting and sharing the advanced segment.
Go another step further: Dashboards have dramatically improved in Google Analytics. The previous version only allowed you to create one dashboard. The new version allows up to 20 individual dashboards. What could be better? You can share them with others.
Dashboard sharing works in a similar fashion to custom report sharing. It shares the reports and layout, but not the data. Again, this means you can create an analytics dashboard once, then share without fear of sharing your data.
If a client sees your dashboard and wants one just like it, you can instantly create the share link and send it off. I take no responsibility for whatever you decide to bill your client for creating such a precise replica of your dashboard.
Will You Make the Switch Now?
Are you ready to use the new Google Analytics? If so, let us know! If not, let us know, too, and we'll discuss it in a future column.
Related reading
Google + Amazon: Data on market share, trends, searches from Jumpshot
"We know Amazon and Google are big, but in reality many of us still underestimate them." Jumpshot's Head of Insights shares data on ecommerce market share.
Guide to call tracking and the power of AI for analyzing phone data
An in-depth guide to call tracking technology that reviews how these tools help marketers connect digital campaign data to inbound customer phone calls.
Converting custom: Using analytics to optimize sales funnels
There are five key elements behind a strong sales funnel. Focus on raising awareness of your business. More tips included optimizing sales funnels.
How to set up Google Analytics annotations to show Google updates
With Google releasing more information about updates, you should see it as a good practice to highlight this information in your Google Analytics account.


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Smithies | The Charleston Houses 2018
Season 39 Episode 23 | 23m 43s
The old piazza columns get restored off site. The iron gate is fabricated by blacksmith students at a local college for the building arts. Modern light fixtures are selected for an old house. New siding mixes with old to meet historic district codes.
Aired: 05/10/18
Expired: 10/04/18Video has closed captioning.
Problems Playing Video?
Charleston Single House
Eight Generation NEXT apprentices work alongside the TOH master crew on this 1879 home.
Polyurethane Moldings and Millwork
Kevin meets millwork specialist Mark White who specializes in high-density polyurethane tr
How to Repair a Rusted Wrought Iron Railing
Tom Silva rebuilds a corroded, unsafe railing.
How to Repair Clapboards
Tom Silva shows how to quickly replace a damaged section of clapboard siding.
Episode Links
Funding for THIS OLD HOUSE is provided by The Home Depot, GMC, State Farm, Gorilla Glue and LP SmartSide.


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A Public Manager's Guide to Cloud Computing
Cloud computing—delivering infrastructure, services, and software on demand via the network—offers attractive advantages to the public sector. For example, it has the potential to reduce information and communications technology (ICT) costs by virtualizing capital assets like disk storage and processing cycles into a readily available, affordable operating expense.
One of the most significant cloud computing opportunities for the public sector is the ability to share ICT resources among multiple agencies. While governments have tried hard to create frameworks geared toward shared services, these have not always been successful. Cloud computing offers an easier and less burdensome route to more efficient and effective public sector information management.
Of course, cloud computing is not without its challenges:
- A service provider residing outside of a government's legal or territorial jurisdiction may put access or security at risk.
- Open standards and interoperability may not be guaranteed, leading to the risk of vendor lock-in.
- Data privacy is a concern when using public clouds. This can be addressed by the development of private clouds.
- Business continuity will continue to be a concern. Cloud computing, however, may also mitigate this risk, as cloud vendors are likely to use more robust and better-maintained computing platforms that provide more redundancy and are less likely to fail.
Public managers' interest in cloud computing is (or should be) essentially the same as for any other computing technology or architecture. At its simplest, cloud computing should be evaluated for its ability to enable government organizations to conduct business efficiently and effectively. At the multi-agency or all-of-government level, it should also be examined for its ability to enable achievement of e-government objectives and support increased public sector performance.
It is important for public managers to gain a solid overview of how cloud computing is evolving, and the trends in its adoption. In the near term, the Cisco® Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG) expects rapid growth in third-party "public" clouds offering many different application, computing, and storage services. While public sector organizations may choose to use these services—especially, we suspect, for standard business applications such as email or document creation—we think it is more likely they will elect to create their own private clouds, either alone or in partnership with other agencies.
Public sector ICT managers preparing for adoption of cloud computing should take these critical steps:
- Agencies should deploy or pilot a private cloud framework as a step to understanding the operational impacts of cloud while getting first hand visibility of the benefits.
- Identify all potential opportunities for switching from existing computing arrangements to cloud services.
- Assure that in-house infrastructure complements cloud-based services. Virtualization will be a key element of a compatible infrastructure.
- Develop a cost/benefit and risk-evaluation framework to support decisions about where, when, and how cloud services can be adopted.
- Develop a roadmap for optimizing the current ICT environment for adoption of public and/or private cloud services.
- Identify which data cannot be held in public cloud computing environments for legal and/or risk-mitigation reasons.
- Identify and secure in-house competencies required to manage effective adoption of cloud services.
- Designate a cross-functional team to monitor cloud computing services, providers, and standards, and to determine if they affect the roadmap.
- Evaluate technical challenges that must be addressed when moving any current information or applications into a cloud environment. Experiment with and pilot various services—both internal and external—to identify where issues will arise.
- Ensure that the networking environment is ready for cloud computing.
Cisco IBSG views cloud computing as a natural evolution of the Internet. Rather than regarding networks as mere plumbing, it is vital for public managers to understand them as the fabric "within" the cloud, and as the connection between the cloud and its users.
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