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Exclusive - Singapore's Temasek - evolution not revolution
Temasek Holdings, the smaller but more visible of Singapore's two sovereign funds, is moving into a new phase with its investment strategy, and could look more like Blackstone Group
The shift follows setbacks since the 2008 financial crisis; the loss of $5 billion invested in Western banks; the abrupt departure of the fund's first non-local CEO before he'd even taken up the post; and the recent exit of dealmakers hired by CEO Ho Ching, the prime minister's wife, who has led Temasek for a decade.
But as it charts a new path, Temasek, the world's ninth-biggest sovereign investor, faces significant hurdles. These include a smooth leadership transition, reducing the fund's cost of capital, and investing in places like Latin America and Africa where it has little experience, say analysts and people familiar with the way the fund works.
While Temasek stresses it remains focused on long-term performance and Asia, executives say they accept that a new era is beginning for the institution, with a wave of experienced finance executives arriving, more investments in developed markets to come, and tighter controls on risk.
I would call it an evolutionary phase, Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara, Temasek's head of portfolio management, told Reuters in an exclusive interview when asked if a recent management shake-up signalled a transition point.
The 48-year-old former M&A lawyer, who many see as being groomed for the top job, points out that as a long term, equity investment fund with a single shareholder, Temasek has nearly 80 percent of its portfolio in listed shares, putting it at the mercy of the market's twists and turns.
That shareholder, Singapore's finance ministry, felt the pain in the wake of the global financial crisis. Temasek lost S$55 billion ($43.4 billion) in portfolio value in the year to March 2009, prompting local lawmakers and analysts to take aim at how the fund manages risk, how it decides where to invest and how it then manages those investments.
Temasek wasn't alone in being battered by the crisis, with most investors worldwide struggling, including China's then new sovereign wealth fund, China Investment Corp, which currently has a portfolio worth $440 billion.
Even after trimming its stakes in big Western banks and a rebound in markets, Temasek's overall portfolio rose less than 4 percent year-on-year in the year to last March.
At Temasek, the amount of so-called wealth added through the fund has fallen in three of the last four financial years. Wealth added is a key metric the fund itself uses to measure gains after the cost of capital - money needed for equity and debt servicing - has been factored in.
GRAPHIC: Portfolio value http://r.reuters.com/ked37s
GRAPHIC: Shareholder returns http://r.reuters.com/med37s
Beyond the internal financial metrics, analysts and investment bankers say one of the biggest issues Temasek faces is the uncertainty around its leadership. Two years ago, citing strategic differences, former BHP Billiton CEO Charles Chip Goodyear quit Temasek just months after being tapped to replace Ho as the fund's first non-Singaporean chief. Goodyear declined to comment for this article.
People who have worked with Ho say she is a hands-on leader, involved in all the big decisions and known to send BlackBerry messages to managers in the middle of the night. She is credited with taking Temasek from a small, government bureaucracy to a modern-day investment fund, raising its global profile.
At the time of Goodyear's abrupt exit, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said the next CEO should ideally be a Singaporean. Everything else being equal, when you look at two candidates who are equally suitable for the job, I think we should prefer to have the Singaporean, he told parliament.
A political analyst and author of books on Singapore's politics and economy said the next chief should be seen by the public to be politically independent.
The longer Ms Ho remains CEO, the longer Temasek's leadership is perceived by some analysts as too close to Singapore's political establishment, said Garry Rodan, professor at the Asia Research Centre of Murdoch University in Perth, Australia.
It matters less what a new CEO's nationality is and more that this person enjoys a public perception and reputation for both professional competence and political independence.
Ho has never given an interview to the media. Temasek made Sandrasegara available for an interview for this article.
On the issue of succession, Sandrasegara said: What I can tell you is that Ho Ching remains very engaged with us. We have said there is an annual succession plan exercise since 2005 which the board looks. It's something I can't comment on because it is really a board issue.
Speculation about change at the very top coincides with a flurry of arrivals and departures around the executive lounge.
Greg Curl, once seen as CEO material at Bank of America
Sandrasegara said Temasek is also promoting professionals from within, though he acknowledges more focus has been on new hires.
Sandrasegara is a fourth generation lawyer - both his parents practised - whose family roots are in Sri Lanka, though he grew up in Kuala Lumpur and has spent most of his life in Singapore.
He was a successful mergers and acquisitions attorney, nearing 20 years at Singapore law firm WongPartnership, which he co-founded in 1992, when he made the jump to investment management.
Ho Ching is a very persuasive person, he said during the interview in a spacious conference room at Temasek's head office, amid colourful, retro carpets and walls which Ho, known internally as HC, helped design. She managed to persuade me, where others could not, to make a big change.
Last year, investment bankers and financial professionals who worked with Temasek sensed Sandrasegara was being prepared to take over when Ho stands down.
Asked about Temasek's broad investing strategy, Sandrasegara bounded from his chair to a whiteboard brandishing a marker pen and, like a football coach designing a play, drew four concentric circles to show the variety of assets Temasek oversees and funds where it's invested.
Like a private equity business, Temasek invests directly in companies and injects capital into separate vehicles run by former managers or by bankers, such as the Broad Peak hedge fund run by ex-Goldman Sachs
He cited the example of Blackstone which invests in a variety of assets, such as credit, which gives the U.S. firm an early signal to events that could affect equity positions. I don't think we're really any different from institutions like that, he said.
Sandrasegara said Temasek is seeking financial sector investment opportunities in Latin America and Africa, regions it has just ventured into, and would also look at developed markets such as the United States, particularly at the technology, media and life sciences sectors.
Under Temasek's current structure, he said senior managers each oversee one of nine industry specific clusters and are encouraged to take a long-term view.
Are we focused on the next 12, 24 to 36 months? No, Sandrasegara said. I'm not saying we're getting everything 100 percent correct. But, by and large, we're invested in the right companies because they would withstand the cycles in markets, the ups and downs.
Temasek does not have a risk committee at board level, which some investment professionals say has left the fund open to decisions that took too much to chance. On its website, Temasek says its board determines the objectives and overall direction for its risk management framework, and its CEO and senior management team promote a culture of risk awareness and balanced risk-taking.
Every commercial organization of any reasonable scale, and in particular financial institutions, simply must have a dedicated risk management committee of the board that is fully independent of management, said Michael Dee, former Southeast Asia CEO of Morgan Stanley
To not do so is simply playing Russian Roulette and is inexcusable in today's volatile era and in light of the recent financial crisis, he said, without referring specifically to Temasek.
Sandrasegara said Temasek works differently to other asset managers, noting more than half its portfolio is made up of companies with their own oversight and risk committees.
We are equity investors. What do we do? We look to determine the probabilities of achieving our returns and the probability of going the other way, he said.
Seven years ago, Temasek's Value-at-Risk (VaR) - the amount of cash a fund may lose in a given year in the event of a major downturn - was equal to just 6 percent of its portfolio, but swelled over the next three years to 22 percent, or S$40 billion ($33 billion at current exchange rates).
The percentage of the portfolio at risk grew at a time when Ho was increasing Temasek's bets on China, emerging Asian economies and Western banks. The VaR has since dropped to 12 percent of the portfolio value, or S$22 billion, according to Temasek's latest annual review.
Temasek has more risk tolerance than the Government of Singapore Investment Corp (GIC), a $300 billion manager of central bank reserves, which targets a return above the inflation rate of leading developed economies.
Temasek, which translates as sea town in Malay, has a sprawling investment business of some 200 companies, though just 30 or so make up 80 percent of the portfolio's value - proof, some critics say, that Temasek should trim down and be more focused.
It took a beating on its finance industry holdings after the 2008 crisis, losing about $5 billion in stakes held in Barclays
Sandrasegara acknowledges the heavy allocation to financials, but notes four major banks it holds are very good banks: Bank of China <601988.SS> <3988.HK>, China Construction Bank <0939.HK> <601939.SS>, DBS Group
Temasek needs to have full financial flexibility to be able to take opportunities as they come and ride out market cycles, he said.
People know we have the liquidity to move quickly. That gives us the advantage.
($1 = 1.2663 Singapore dollars)
(Additional reporting by Kevin Lim; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)


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I didn't really want to order one online, but one finally turned up at my local Gamestop, so I snatched it up. Now, having the Wii and the WiiU, I can have some of those Xbox and Playstation snob friends of mine over to my place and we can play C2 against each other online.I'm so excited.Now if I just had some friends that were xbox and playstation snobs.As a side note, for a game that didn't sell that well, without going online it sure is hard to find a copy.Mossy...Don't give up! There's one out there with your name on it too!
I just got a second at Gamestop yesterday.
You are not allowed to request a sticky.

subset: commoncrawl


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General Information (615) 322-5000
General Information Physician Referral and Appointments (615) 322-3000 or (800) 288-5000
Patient Transfers (615) 343-0976 or 1-877-236-4888
Search for a clinician by name, specialty, location or keyword.
Access our print-on-demand directory here.
The Physician Liaison Department helps physicians and other healthcare providers in matters of referral, consultative, patient care and continuing medical education. The department also helps providers find other medical center resources. Continuing Medical Education programs are offered as a courtesy to physician groups and hospital staff throughout the region. If you're interested in any of these services, contact Physician Liaison in Nashville at 936-6500 or toll-free at (800) 288-5000, ext. 6-6500.
Transfer Center: The Transfer Center helps referring physicians and facilities transfer patients to Vanderbilt quickly and efficiently. It is staffed by an R.N. transfer nurse during regular business hours and LifeFlight EMTs or Paramedics at night and on weekends. The nurse gathers details about the patient and puts the referring physician in touch with the appropriate VUMC physician. Once the transfer is approved, the Transfer Nurse handles the logistics. The Transfer Center can be reached at (615) 343-0976 or 1-877-236-4888.
The Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center accepts referrals for oncology and hematology patients. Whether you want to arrange a consultation, make a referral, get more information about a clinical trial or ask about CME or tumor board opportunities, we're here to help. Please call (615) 936-8422 or 1-877-936-8422. You can also refer patients with an online form.
Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute 24/7 Direct Access: The Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute created a 24/7 Access Program staffed by critical care registered nurses as a service which provides direct access to Vanderbilt Heart & Vascular providers. These nurses assist with the Level 1 Cardiac Emergency System, help to arrange consults and/or interfacility transfers from referring hospitals and coordinate admissions as directed by attending staff in accordance to VUMC policy. To refer a patient or coordinate a hospitalization or transfer for a VHVI patient call:
(615) 343-9188 or 866-886-2478
Fax: (615) 343-6559
Vanderbilt LifeFlight Emergency Medical Transport: LifeFlight's helicopters serve a 150-mile radius around Nashville and are stationed in Lebanon, Tullahoma, Clarksville and Mt. Pleasant. LifeFlight also operates a fixed-wing plane for long-distance transports. LifeFlight can be reached at 1-800-288-8111 or locally at (615) 322-3211.
Vanderbilt Imaging: Vanderbilt Imaging offers the best diagnostics available in the region for adults and children. Each of our outpatient centers has state-of-the-art imaging technology managed by experienced technicians and board-certified radiologists. For most procedures, patients can be seen the same day of the referral.
Eskind Biomedical Library is the hub of the medical center's information services and resources. The EBL provides access to materials to support patient care, healthcare education and biomedical research.
My Health at Vanderbilt is an electronic health record system that lets patients manage their information securely online.
The Office of Patient Relations serves as a link between patients, visitors and the medical center community. Its goal is to help make the VUMC experience better for everyone.


text: Wireless Texas Instruments Calculators Allows Teachers to Monitor Students' WorkTravis Hudson5/15/07 1:24pmFiled to: CalctechGadgetsSchoolTI-navigatorTexas InstrumentsWirelessgraphing calculators16EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalink This image was lost some time after publication. Nowadays, the complicated TI graphing calculators are higher up on the school supply list than pink erasers. TI has realized this and have introduced the TI-Navigator. These are graphing calculators with the ability for teachers to wirelessly view the work their students do on the graphing calculator, and the teachers can even analyze and correct wrong answers in real time. This is a great step in helping out struggling math students because teachers can see mistakes made in real time. Advertisement I can't wait to see what the teacher thinks when I spell out BOOBS on my calculator. Calculators tell teachers which pupils need help [News.com]Reply16 repliesLeave a reply


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You'll Know His Face
You might not know it, but you've seen comedian Mike Epps. He's a stand-up veteran whose decades of experience have earned him numerous appearances on Def Comedy Jam and a healthy helping of acting gigs and cameo appearances, including Jumping the Broom, The Hangover and, most prominently, the Friday series alongside Ice Cube. Epps is returning to Dallas with the Mike Epps and Friends Comedy Tour. In addition the Epps, the show features stand-up from up-and-comers Shawty Shawty, James "Lil JJ" Lewis and Capone, the self-titled Gangsta of Comedy. Epps takes the stage at 8 p.m. April 6 at the Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie, 1001 Performance Place. Tickets start at $39.50. For details, call the box office at 972-854-5050 or visit mikeepps.com
April 6-8, 2012
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1001 Performance Place
Grand Prairie, TX 75050
Upcoming Events
Ruby Revue Burlesque Show
TicketsFri., Mar. 24, 7:00pm
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Smells Like The '90s
TicketsFri., Mar. 24, 7:00pm
Allen Americans vs. Tulsa Oilers
TicketsFri., Mar. 24, 7:05pm
Sponsor Content


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Compare Ferrari Garages and Specialists in Norwich with Who Can Fix My Car.
Enter your registration to check prices and reviews, and get your Ferrari booked in today!
Compare Ferrari Garages and Specialists in Norwich with Who Can Fix My Car.
Excellent service, car was picked up on time, two small extra jobs were completed at no extra cost. We discussed everything and I was very happy with the workmanship. I would advise anyone to use Platinum Autocad.
James was very friendly and helpful throughout the process and did a first class job with the repair, which was carried out promptly. As a result of the excellent service, I am now planning on using Platinum Autocare for forthcoming servicing and MOT requirements.
Honest and fair. Went out of his way to help! Great job done.
Excellent service. James deduced it was just the battery and not the starter motor. New battery and new back tyre fitted. Are definitely using James again.
James put front pads and discs on my car in the summer, and i took it back to him as the rear ones needed changing. This was another very satisfactory experience. James knows what he is doing, does the job in the time he says it will take, and his prices are extremely reasonable. On top of that, he washed the car. Cannot recommend him highly enough. only trouble is, if the word gets around, I'll have to wait to get my car booked in!
Quote was by far the cheapest, very quick service, only had the car half a day. Old worn parts were there for me to see when I picked the car up which is always re-assuring. Would recommend 100% and will use again
I am a happy customer. Really fast and good service!
Great price, booked in same day and all done in about an hour. Highly recommend. Thanks.
fantastic service done the job in one day friendly and polite very helpful will use again
Very pleased, the work was done quickly and for the price given in the quote. Unfortunately a leak developed but this was rectified straight away for no labour costs. I will use this garage again.
very good efficient service would not hesitate to use again or reccomended to anyone.
Second time I've used Norwich Car Services and the second time I've been left very happy with the service, top bloke and top service and fair prices what else can you ask for
Great service. Turned up on time, quickly diagnosed the problem (coil pack), shot off to suppliers to get new and fitted quickly. Would definitely use again.
What a lovely guy...Straight Honest an Genuine! knew the problem i had an fixed and sorted it 100%.. Good work Keith.Thankyou.
Would recommend Keith highly. Did all the work in my absence but still took the time to leave me a message detailing exactly what had been done. Prompt service, great price, highly recommended.
Good customer service in a clean environment. given 4 stars for lack of flexibility with appointments.
Never received a call back
Was very disappointed with the service I got.Took my Renault Master van for a diagnostic check, the vehicle would only start with 'easy start'. The air filter and inlet pipe was removed and never replaced, the hand brake was pulled on so hard it locked the rear brakes on, didn't even bother to replace the cap on the 'easy start' was just left on passenger seat. THEN was told "due to an electrical fault they where unable to do the test"? I know there is a fault that's what I wanted the test done for!
Good service!
Really pleased with the contact and level of service that I received from the carshop, would have no hesitation in using them again for all maintenance of my vehicle and recommending them to friends and family
Great service
MOT done, very nice guys, helpful and polite with a reasonable quote for my advisories.
Fast and easy to book car in for repair, friendly helpful staff and best quote for miles around. Good quality job done!
Excellent service got my business from now on
Mark and his team at EACR Ltd Norwich were brilliant. Spoke to him on the phone to explain the job. Booked it in dropped it off at the garage the night before as we were unable to on the day of the booking. He did say if the job before was still on the ramps our car wouldn't be ready till that afternoon. As it turned out it was ready by lunch. My wife was unable to pick it up so he said that only being up the road he would drop it back to us at home. When he did he mentioned a couple of minor things that I knew about. 100 per cent would recommend them and we've found a great garage.


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That title is a bad joke, but it's not often you get inspiration from a typo. The best thing about is it has a hint of truth. Atlanta started the season with a 9-13 mark against the NL East. Since then, it's been a perfect 8-0. This includes today's 4-0 shutout win over Washington. (Game 2 of the day-night doubleheader is later.) In taking the first 2 of the 4-game weekend set, Atlanta moved to 1 1/2 behind the Nationals in the East. It also means Atlanta can do no worse than a split of this critical series and (if they do drop the next two) would leave DC 3 1/2 out, the same mark as when they entered. I really hope that made sense. Atlanta won this game behind Ben Sheets, who threw six and hasn't given up a run in two starts. Not pitching for over a year does wonders for a person's arm. And let's not forget last night classic. Washington got a 9-0 lead after 4 and couldn't hold it. The Braves came back and won 11-10 in 11 innings. I've said before that Washington is a young club. They might not be able to withstand the pressure that comes with a pennant race. The forgotten question of July and August is if they can keep the composure that comes to leading this late in the season. The media will be too focused on Stephen Strasburg's innings and when the plug might be pulled to ask that one. Couple of other notes. Chipper Jones' two-run pinch-hit home run broke the record for most RBI's by a third baseman, surpassing George Brett and Mike Schmidt. (He just passed Jose Canseco on the all-time home run list). I don't think there's any doubt that he's a Hall of Famer. Also, the Braves called up Johnny Venters from Gwinnett (Triple A). He should be with the big league club tonight. They made room on the roster by putting Matt Diaz on the DL with a thumb injury. It's the same digit he had surgery on two years ago. Also, it looks like the Cubs will trade Ryan Dempster before his next start on Wednesday. I mention this as the Braves are still in the mix. The Dodgers have the inside track, but Chicago doesn't like what they're offering, so maybe another squad like Atlanta can swoop in and pilfer him.
About the Author
Written by John Morgo
John Morgo lives in Atlanta, GA where he has done broadcast work for CNN, The Weather Channel and Encompass Digital Media. As of right now, he does Internet play-by-play for Georgia Perimeter College and Norcross High School. With GPC, he is the voice of the men's soccer, basketball, and baseball teams.


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I got to try it on in Vegas last week. They had a two or three left. I tried the 48, which was surprisingly close to being perfect. I'd still probably go for the 46 though, and I would have to try both on before knowing for sure. It is just as awesome as everybody says it is. Wish I had 4k laying around.
it looks awesome. how tall are you and whats your normal sweater size? was it 4k in store? online its like 5,300? :o


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Hi, I have two classrooms with a total of 40 iMacs. 20 of which are running leopard and the other 20 running snow leopard. I also have a mac pro running leopard server but only running file serving services. The 40 iMacs are bound to the schools AD network. This also provides the machines with internet access I would like to make it so the the home directories of each student could be stored on the Mac Pro server so that whichever seat the student logs in to they would be in the same environment and have access to their files (iweb site, docs etc) Is this possible? Would a solution be to bind the Mac Pro to AD so that the students were actually logging in to the Mac Pro rather than the AD server? Is that easy? I can't find a knowledge base article that covers this scenario within my server vocabulary (low)
Hi Heitzman, I've never had to bind a mac server to open directory before, so not so sure what that issues that may bring. What I have done in the past however, is to set up the macs and mac server on a seperate network, with home directories etc all hosted by the server to allow for hot desking. Then I had configured the second ethernet on the server to connect to the windows network. I then created a proxy on the mac server to allow the mac network to use the windows network for internet. From memory, the proxy was required so as to fool the windows network into thinking that it was just the server that was accessing the internet all the time. It is probably about 10 years since I've set up a network like this in a school, so I'm going on old memories lol. What I would suggest, is rather than potentially mess up your server, put in another drive and clone your 'master' system to it. Then try binding your server to the AD and see if the client computers can authenticate with it. On snow leopard, you need to go into the system preferences -> Accounts -> Click on Login Options, then join your server so that it knows where it can authenticate. Once you have one client computer authenticated and surfing the interweb, then you can set upon configuring groups, homeshares etc on the server. If everything fails, simply clone your master system back to your main drive, then try again. It was never the mac's that gave me an issue, it was how the windows server network was locked down that caused me the hassles whereby without a proxy on every mac, we couldn't access the internet, hence moving the proxy to a server. Hope this has helped a little... it's late here... I'm tired and don't know if any of this will make sense... just hope it does lol
Thanks for reading guys. Maybe we could use the AD home directories but I'd ideally like to make it as transparent and user friendly as possible with people saving their iWeb/iPhoto work normally and it invisibly being copied to the 10.5 server and back without much, if any, user interaction. Can that be done? Our IT dept. are helpful but not particularly mac focussed so I'm doing the leg work myself. I've read this article and I think it describes a solution but I maybe misunderstanding it. http://www.copiouscom.com/2010/08/m...file-server-backed-portable-home-directories/ Thanks again for taking the time to help.
I've been using AD Dome directories for years with no issues. On a client machine log in as the admin account. System > Library > Core Services > Directory Utility Under Active Directory expand Advanced Options and Uncheck "force local home directories" UNC path from AD should be selected and most likely set to "smb". Bind, logout and login as an AD user and it will mount the AD network home


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Frenzy Sensual Erotica Book
Customer Reviews:
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What happens when you can't say no? What happens when desire trumps restraint, and a seemingly innocent glance triggers a red-hot, clothes-in-a-heap quickie? Short in length but long on arousal, the stories in this collection take place anywhere and any time the mood strikes. Frenzy turns up the heat on this collection of 'flash fiction' designed to rev your motor up and leave you aching for more. When there isn't enough time, never doubt what the power of a quickie will do. Have a quick moment? That is all you will need to read each of these ultra-short sex stories.
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Gerson: The preacher and the politician
WASHINGTON -- A speech at the Lincoln Memorial, on the 50th anniversary of perhaps the greatest American speech since Lincoln breathed his last, is a speechwriter's nightmare. It is comparable to crafting Memorial Day remarks for delivery at Gettysburg, or coming up with a new angle for a speech at Pointe du Hoc. The historical stage is already fully occupied. It is like lighting a bonfire on the surface of the sun.
The Rev. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech was not only an example of skilled rhetoric; it was a moment of culmination. It was the culmination of a literary form: African-American preaching—practiced by four generations of the King family—with its weaving of the King James cadences, folk spirituals and patriotic texts. It was the culmination of America's defining historical struggle: a century of African-American demands for the fulfillment of national promises made at emancipation, betrayed during Reconstruction and mocked by segregation. And it was the culmination of a distinctly American type of leadership: the revolutionary conservative. The speech managed to be both radical and reassuring—demanding freedom now, precisely because our founding ideals admitted no other course.
�This fulfillment of craft, history and leadership seemed less like a speech than a birth, or, more precisely, the kind of national rebirth that also took place at Gettysburg. Both Lincoln and King demonstrated the most remarkable power of rhetoric: the power of trauma given meaning. Both summarized and summoned forces beyond themselves.
Georg Friedrich Hegel talked of a "world spirit" that mediates universal ideals through the instrument of great men. King and his contemporaries saw a different spirit at work. Before his Lincoln Memorial speech, an aide told King, "Look Martin, let the Lord lead you. You go on and do what the Spirit say do."
�During President Obama's Lincoln Memorial speech, he affirmed that "No one can match King's brilliance." And the president wisely did not try. But his speech showed signs of serious craft. Obama paid homage to King's cadences—"Because they kept marching …"—without straining to compete with them. He found a way to mention his own historical role—"and, yes, eventually the White House changed"—without sounding messianic. And he subtly downplayed comparisons to King by drawing attention to the movement that produced the March on Washington—"men and women without rank or wealth or title or fame" who would "liberate us all."
�The most instructive contrast is not between two speeches separated by half a century, but between two leaders. In 1963, King was introduced by A. Philip Randolph as "the moral leader of the nation." Obama is a successful but polarizing Democratic politician. King sought to focus and sharpen ethical choices; Obama takes pride in seeing moral complexities. King set out a millennial vision of equality and national healing; Obama talks of health reform, the minimum wage and helping the middle class.
�This shift in leadership is, itself, a kind of historical fulfillment. No president can be a millenarian moralist in the same way a preacher can. The nation would quickly grow tired of trumpet calls and church bells. With great power come mundane responsibilities.
�But Obama's speech showed some of his signature weaknesses in the discharge of those responsibilities. His tone was inclusive and gracious—until he considered his political opponents. They marshal "an army of lobbyists and opinion makers" to undermine the interests of working families. They tell us that greed is "good," and "compassion ineffective," and those without jobs or health care have "only themselves to blame."
What possessed the president, in the midst of a fine speech, to employ language appropriate to the Democratic National Convention? However accurate or inaccurate you regard these charges, it is not a good sign when polarization seeps into ceremonial celebrations.
�And another weakness was on display. President Obama is correct in his diagnosis of the economic challenge that lies beyond legal equality: "Upward mobility has become harder." And he is correct in identifying the drags on mobility—failed education, broken families and the structural problems caused by technology and globalization.
But his time in office so far will hardly be remembered as a period of innovation in encouraging opportunity and the creation of social capital. The president can blame Republican obstruction. But that does not explain the general absence of creative policy.
�As the president said, we have traveled far since the March on Washington, only to arrive at different challenges. But our politics seem unequal to them on every side.
Michael Gerson is a columnist for the Washington Post Writers Group; email email@example.com.


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It feels so weird posting in here! I dont want to jinks myself, but dont want to offend anyone
in the TTC tearoom.
So whe went for an early scan yesterday, because of the brown spotting.
New gyni as we are moving in 2 months time and if everything goes well I will be giving birth in Paarl and
not Cape Town.
Firstly the gyni said, not to worry about the brown spotting, she said it looks like old blood.
She could only see the sac at first, but then said that my bladder is too full, I must go and empty it again.
She did an internal sonar. We could see the flicker of the baby's heart. The baby is still too small
to measure and the heartbeat could also not be measured, but she said that it's probably just too early as I was 6 weeks on the dot yesterday (she thought I might be less that 6 weeks)
We were so greatful to see something. I started to panic when she couldnt find anything and thought the outcome is the same as last time, but GOD is GREAT and faithful and he knows how much our hearts desire
this baby. I promised GOD to raise this baby for him and I will always keep this promise!
I have another sonar next week to see if everything is going well.
Gyni put me on cyclogest. She said there is no use in going for more beta test as what she want to see now is that the baby is growing and nothing else.
Have any of you experience the same with your first scan? Surely a heartbeat (even if its small) is a good sign?
Please continue praying with us.
Thank you for you support x


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Sail the Seven Seas in this 'The Pirates! An Adventure with Scientists' Trailer
It's been five long years since Aardman Animations has blessed us all with a new feature, but good things apparently come to those who wait. The company, best known for Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit, has two new titles in the works, one set for release later this year, the other in early 2012.
The first of those is Arthur Christmas, a CG animated feature for Sony. The trailer for that film debuted recently, but today we bring you a sneak peek at the first clip for their second project, The Pirates! An Adventure with Scientists (aka The Pirates! Band of Misfits). Based on Gideon DeFoe's book The Pirates! An Adventure with Scientists, Wikipedia offers up this plot synopsis:
"The Pirate Captain and his crew of swashbuckling pirates attempt to beat his rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz in the Pirate of the Year Award. On their quest they battle Queen Victoria and meet a young Charles Darwin."
Featuring the voice talents of Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven, and Brian Blessed, the film certainly packs star power. The stop frame animation is also quite lovely, as you can see in the trailer below.
Pirates is being helmed by Peter Lord, who also brought us Chicken Run, so we know this project is in very capable hands. Lovers of quirky animation will want to clear their calendars on March 30th of 2012, which is when The Pirates will sail into a theater near you. Until then, enjoy the new trailer and be sure to swing by the comment section to share your thoughts on the project.
Which one of these people is in the movie Almost Christmas?
Kimberly Elise


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Mentoring, Advocacy and Peer Support (MAPS)
Student Focused
The Office of Mentoring, Advocacy and Peer Support (MAPS) offers a supportive, inclusive, and student-centered approach. We provide individualized advocacy, academic resources, and social support in the UCM community to promote student success.
- Student Outreach - Providing students with individualized support and resources as they progress toward graduation, including:
- Academic Tutoring - Trained tutors for athletes, at-risk and Suspension Waiver Program students.
- Suspension Waiver Program - For high-potential students who have previously been suspended due to low grades.
- Academic Resource Coaches - Peer coaches available to provide academic support to students by introducing them to a variety of strategies and tools to boost their college success.
- Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, Advocacy and Success (IDEAS) Coordinator - Assists in the development of an inclusive campus culture by fostering student success opportunities for underrepresented populations, including:
- Mentorship Programs - Pair students seeking mentorship with mentors.
- LGBTQIA Support - Facilitating communication with the LGBTQIA community at UCM, providing education, mentoring, advocacy and resources.
- Center for Multiculturalism and Inclusivity - A space for student groups and individuals, offering programs and events focusing on diversity and inclusion
- Victim Advocacy - Support to any student who has experienced discrimination, harassment or sexual misconduct.
- Community Outreach - Connecting off-campus students to resources, opportunities and support; helping build connections between campus and the Warrensburg community, including:
- Landlords and Property Managers: Building relationships with area landlords and property managers by seeking to understand and find solutions to issues that impact them and students living off-campus.
- Friendship Families: Connecting UCM international students with local families and individuals to build cultural awareness, understanding, and appreciation.
- Good Neighbors: Helping students moving from the UCM campus into the local community to know their rights and responsibilities as renters.
- At-Risk Students: Connecting academically at-risk students living off-campus with resources and support to help boost their success.
Common reasons students use MAPS services:
- Guidance or support in academic or social areas.
- Talking to a peer who has been in your shoes.
- Periodic help to motivate you toward your college graduation.
- Concerns with academic policies, discrimination, professor/student misunderstandings, financial aid, housing and more.


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Recession-resistant McDonald's is feeding consumers around the world as global financial turmoil has cost-conscious shoppers opting for low-priced meals.
On Monday,
Shares of McDonald's rose 1.5%, or 85 cents, to $56.35, in late trading.
Monday's report provided a new indication that McDonald's low-price formula–such as the recession-friendly Dollar Menu– is a winning strategy during a difficult economic period. The stock market tells the story: While the Dow Jones industrial average has slid 31.9% over the past year, reflecting the turmoil in the world economy and financial markets that began with the U.S. subprime crisis, McDonald's has shed only 3.4%. That's better than its fast-food rivals like Burger King, down 24.6%, and Yum! Brands, 28.6%, and significantly ahead of casual-dining companies like Ruby Tuesday, which has fallen 88.3%. (See "Consumer Still Hungry For McDonald's.")
McDonald's place in the food-service industry is similar to
McDonald's also seems able to surmount concern over the rising relative strength of the dollar. In report on the company, Goldman Sachs analyst Steven Kron said company's momentum is "overpowering" any fluctuations in the U.S. currency, whose recent revival reduces the value of overseas sales. Kron also noted that the results soothed lingering worries that the slowing global economy would impact the company's results.
The Associated Press contributed to this article


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Details of Harry and Meghan's museum date night
All the highlights from William and Kate's Paris trip
Duchess Kate's styling tricks and recycled looks
European royals mourn Prince Richard
Inseparable royal sisters from around the world
Beatrice Borromeo makes her post-baby debut three weeks after birth
Prince Nicolas of Sweden's cutest photos
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'Downton Abbey' headed to the big screen
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's night at the museum
Duchess Kate borrows jewels from Queen Elizabeth
Catherine Zeta-Jones' daughter looks just like mom in new photo
Donald Trump's grandkids have something in common with young royals
The Monaco royals' family weekend
Meghan Markle on her close friendship with Serena Williams
HELLO! in the U.S.
Where to buy HELLO! magazine
Highlights from Prince William, Kate and Prince's Harry day out with Heads Together
Prince Harry's leading lady Meghan Markle shows us wedding gowns on 'Suits' set
What the stars have in store for you today


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Steve Jobs on Camera: The Best TV and Film References
Over the years, Steve Jobs the personality has become just as famous as the iconic products produced by his company. A black turtleneck, jeans, and sneakers have become synonymous with the Apple mastermind, and references to Jobs have naturally made their way into movies and TV.
Jobs has appeared in cartoon form on The Simpsons, Futurama, and South Park, and been brought to life by former ER doc Noah Wyle in a made-for-TV movie. Tina Fey even donned his signature outfit for an episode of 30 Rock, and his wardrobe got a nod in this year's Crazy Stupid Love.
The TV episodes touched on various Apple rumors: South Park tackled whether or not Apple can track your every move and capture your soul with one click of the iTunes "I agree" button. In Springfield, Bart and Lisa bemoaned the fact that they could not afford a shiny Apple product, while the Futurama gang tackled a popular theme: AT&T and its reputation for dismal service on the iPhone.
Wyle, meanwhile, portrayed Jobs as a charismatic but egotistical tech magnate, irate when the nerdy and desperate Bill Gates stole his idea and used it for Windows.
Over on 30 Rock, Liz Lemon tried to use that Steve Jobs charisma to wow some execs, but a calm tone, flashy graphics, and repetitive mantra was not enough to sway the higher ups.
Check out the slideshow for some iconic Jobs moments on film. The list is not exhaustive; if you can think of any other favorite Jobs parodies or references, let us know in the comments.


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Digging deeperin the City of Roses
If your Northwest consciousness needs a reboot, why visit the same old Portland you've seen before?
OK, there's plenty worth revisiting – we'll recap it as "The Portland You Know." But my wife and I spent a few days ferreting out a few places we're calling "Portland Worth Discovering." Our finds:
Hot Pillows
The Portland You Know: The Benson Hotel
Portland had its stuffy and proper past, and this is the hotel if you need to be properly spoiled – while surrounded by Italian marble floors, Austrian crystal chandeliers and Circassian walnut from the imperial forests of Russia. Bring your credit limit.
Portland Worth Discovering: McMenamins Crystal Hotel
Portland had its naughty past, a good share of which happened in the 100-year-old building housing the new Crystal Hotel, which opened last May at the edge of the hip and high-profile Pearl District. Over the decades, building tenants ranged from shady gambling den to hippie head shop to gay bathhouse.
In the Crystal's new life, its fully renovated 51 guest rooms each commemorate a song or performance from the past century at the neighboring Crystal Ballroom, a legendary music venue also now part of the McMenamins' Oregon-based eating, drinking and lodging empire.
Hand-painted song lyrics encircle the top of each hotel room. McMenamins' trademark original artwork carries out the theme.
"We've got Jerry Garcia in our room, wailing away right on the headboard," said Charlie Van Meter, 23, of Portland, there for a friend's bachelor party.
Other commemorated musicians range from Jefferson Airplane ("Somebody to Love," Room 404) to the Shins ("Sleeping Lessons," Room 305).
"It fits the Portland style," said Chris Taal, 26, visiting from Anchorage, Alaska.
And it's the only hotel we've stayed in that provides a quart Mason jar in each room, for bringing beer up from the downstairs pub.
A hopped-up town
The Portland You Know: BridgePort BrewPub
BridgePort bills itself as Oregon's oldest craft brewer, in a state that is arguably the epicenter of the art. That claim to fame, plus the Pearl District location of this old redbrick brewery, means you'll likely be hoisting your pint of its tasty "heritage beer," Blue Heron, alongside a crowd of tourists from New Jersey.
Portland Worth Discovering: Lompoc's 5th Quadrant brew pub
Looking for a new Portland? We found it, well away from downtown, on North Williams Avenue, a north-south thoroughfare that carries more than 3,000 bike commuters daily through a working-class neighborhood.
Some riders stop in for a refresher at the 5th Quadrant, or "5Q," in a recently developed two-block strip that is home to six trendy local eateries, plus a yoga studio, Hipcooks cooking school, a European toy shop and a 1965 double-decker London bus housing a boutique selling retro cocktail dresses. Spandex jockeys even can jump on one of the stationary bikes outside Hopworks BikeBar and make pedal power that helps light the pub. Very Portlandish.
5Q, the fifth brew pub for Portland-based Lompoc, has a nice neighborhood feel. My pint of Kick Axe Dry Hopped Pale Ale washed down a Vietnamese banh mi with an Oregon accent: grilled steelhead ($9.50). My wife, Barbara, was thrilled and filled by her softball-sized Reuben burger ($10.50). "Yum, that's like chocolate beer," she said of a glass of Sockeye Cream Stout.
At a sidewalk picnic table, I talked beer with 5Q regulars Zach Christensen and Heidi Leibbrandt, who make their own brew and grow hops at their nearby home. Christensen, who's "in telecom," nursed a pint of Lompoc's C-Note pale ale, brewed with seven hops that start with "C" (Crystal, Cluster, Cascade, Chinook, Centennial, Columbus and Challenger). It rates a chart-topping 100 International Bitterness Units, a measure of hop infusion, which Portland beer geeks bandy about the way wine fans talk about grippy tannins.
"It's crazy hoppy, which is the trend," Christensen said. "I like what they do here, and at the Sidebar" (a Lompoc bar next door), "where they're a little more experimental – they have a beer aged in pinot noir barrels."
If you need edgier than that, there's LSD on the menu. That's for "Lompoc Special Draft."
Gardens of
earthly delight
The Portland You Know: The Rose Garden
Summer brings out the blooms, some as big as cabbages, with 550 varieties. Some are named for singers, such as Reba McEntire (brilliant red-orange) and Barbra Streisand (dusty pink). Don't hyperventilate as you sniff.
Portland Worth Discovering: Lan Su Chinese Garden
There isn't much there behind the Chinatown gate since many Asian businesses shuffled off to 82nd Avenue in East Portland. But at the district's heart is this full-block treasure, opened in 2000, which gives hope to the neighborhood.
A monument to Portland's sister-city of Suzhou, China, the garden is a place of beauty and peace but with lots going on: concerts, lectures, games such as go and table tennis. But don't miss the real prize: a blissful afternoon in the Tower of Cosmic Reflections Teahouse.
There we perched on narrow benches at a rustic wooden table and partook of a ceremonial Gongfu-style tea service while a member of the Portland Orchids and Bamboo Chinese Ensemble played lilting notes on a guzheng, a sort of Chinese zither. If a sunrise were music, this would be it.
From the menu of 53 teas, we sipped Pu-er Velour, from Yunnan, with an earthy aroma that hostess Evonne Tang aptly described as "like walking through a forest."
Cool air from open floor-to-ceiling windows carried the garden's scents – jasmine and gardenia – as we looked out at rain dimpling a water lily pond just beyond a graceful weeping katsura tree. Mandi Atkinson, who leads plant tours of the garden, told us, "When the leaves change color in the fall, they smell like burnt cinnamon – like gingerbread."
That's when we're coming back.
Well-read Portland
The Portland You Know: Powell's bookstore
What travel guide to the Rose City doesn't mention Powell's in the second sentence? It's one of the largest independent bookstores in the U.S. You'll find thousands of titles and many bargains. And you'll do it in a crowd.
Portland Worth Discovering: Murder by the Book and New Renaissance Bookshop
If a bookstore can't be as big as Powell's, niche marketing can be a survival secret.
The friendly ladies who run Murder By the Book, a Hawthorne-district haunt since 1983, know how to slice and dice their subgenres. All over the shop, signs point to categories such as The Butler Did It (classics from mystery's Golden Age), Tall, Dark & Deadly (romantic suspense), Once Upon a Crime (historical mysteries) and many more.
They passed my wife's test. Powell's didn't have any titles in the obscure 13th-century mystery series she devours. MBTB did, and manager Jean May had even read one of the Fools' Guild mysteries by Alan Gordon."I really believe there's a mystery out there for everyone!" May said.
They strive to stock all books in a series, and know the personal touch counts.
"I trust their opinions. They call you by name. This is a mystery store, and they know everything about it," said a regular, Portland resident John Tucker.
Across town in the Northwest district, New Renaissance Bookshop competes, like Powell's, for largest in the nation, but in a single genre: new age.
Filling a colorfully painted old house are titles such as "Inventing the Rest of Our Lives: Women in Second Adulthood" and "Your Dog is Your Mirror: The Emotional Capacity of Our Dogs and Ourselves." There are shelves jammed with crystals, whole carousels of yoga DVDs, more lavender and bergamot aromatherapy products than you can sneeze at, and a CD rack with six consecutive bins labeled "Chanting."
Noshes and nibbles
The Portland You Know: The food carts
You'd have to live in a cave to have missed hearing about the food carts that have brought fast food of every ethnicity to the streets of downtown Portland and many neighborhoods. On one downtown block, we found Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, Polish, Cuban, Korean, German, Hawaiian, Brazilian, Peruvian, Ethiopian, Scottish and Indian – before we stopped counting. Favorite names: "Thai Me Up" and "The Frying Scotsman" (fish and chips). Most dishes under $8, and tasty.
Portland Worth Discovering: Byways Cafe and Kenny & Zuke's Delicatessen
If you stay at the Crystal, it's an easy walk to the food carts (and easy waddle home), but keep these nearby places in mind for breakfast or lunch.
Byways, in the heart of the Pearl District, is the hip neighborhood's refreshing antithesis: homey, old-fashioned comfort food (but with style) in an atmosphere to match.
Beneath cases of travel souvenirs, from kitschy snow globes to Amish Country tea plates, you'll sit in a booth with sparkly red upholstery and chow down on giant omelets or blue-corn pancakes for breakfast, or lunch lavishly on a Multnomah Melt – twice-grilled challah topped with baked turkey, avocado, ham, red onion and havarti ($10.25, with sides).
If you (Heart) New York and yours is broken because you can't get decent pastrami, you might find your fix at Kenny & Zuke's, just a dill pickle's throw down Stark Street from the Crystal. The capers and pickled onions that came with my Everything bagel and Nova lox were a tangy counterpoint to the rich salmon and chewy (boiled before baked) dough ($11.95).
Perfect Jewish deli food? This isn't the Portland I know. But that was the point, wasn't it?
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This workshop will focus on two specific interventions to enhance family therapy – video play therapy and music therapy. The presenter will review the origins of these techniques and practice the application of them in the "hands-on" portion of the workshop.
At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will be able to:
This workshop is approved for 3 credit hours.
BURRELL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH and FOREST INSTITUTE are committed to an ongoing process consisting of formal learning activities that:
(1) are relevant to psychological practice, education and science,
(2) enable psychologists to keep pace with emerging issues and technologies, and
(3) allow psychologists to maintain, develop, and increase competencies in order to improve services to the public and enhance contributions to the profession.
The workshops listed are at an intermediate level of learning for psychologists.
FOR QUESTIONS regarding educational credit please contact Johnelle Ethridge, Education Coordinator at 417.761.5025 or via email at firstname.lastname@example.com.
ACCREDITATION APPROVAL only refers to these educational activities and does not imply endorsement of any commercial products by Burrell Behavioral Health nor Forest Institute.
CONTINUING EDUCATION: Participants will receive statements of credit at the end of the program when all requirements for credit have been met. Satisfactory completion of objectives will occur through program attendance. Therefore contact hours will be given only for hours the participant attends. In order to receive a statement of credit, all participants must sign-in at the registration desk and turn in a completed evaluation form at the end of the program. Continuing education statements will be e-mailed within 30 days to participants who complete and return evaluation forms and sign in on the program roster.
If you have special needs addressed by this act, please notify us at least two weeks before this offering so that reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate your needs.
are appropriate for:
• Psychologists
• Social Workers
• School Counselors
• Courts & Corrections Staff
• Mental Health, Alcohol & Drug Counselors
• Marriage & Family Therapists
NOTE: Please bring a sweater or jacket due to variations in temperature and personal preferences. Workshops are alternated between Burrell and Forest campuses – please pay special attention to the location of the workshops you wish to attend.
is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at The School of Professional Psychology at Forest Institute. She received her PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) from Syracuse University and her master's, also in MFT, from the University of San Diego. Dr. Brown is a Licensed Marital & Family Therapist at Midwest Assessment & Psychotherapy Solutions in Springfield. Her education, training, and practice includes a specialization in medical family therapy helping couples and families who struggle with medical issues including chronic illness and cancer. She is also an AAMFT Approved Supervisor and Missouri Approved MFT Supervisor.
is the Director of the RStats Institute at Missouri State University, where he assists students and faculty with research design, statistical analysis and training related to research and statistics. He holds a Masters in Counseling and a PhD in Organizational Psychology, having researched compassion fatigue among mental health therapists. Daniel's podcast Great Ideas in Psychology on iTunes U was recently featured in the American Psychological Association's APA Monitor.
has been actively working and lecturing in the field of Substance Use Disorders, Treatment and Recovery for Thirty Five (35) years. He holds a Master of Science degree in Community Mental Health "Clinical" Psychology, from Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas. He is licensed as a Professional Counselor in the State of Missouri; is certified as a National Board Certified Counselor and a National Board Certified "Master Addiction Counselor" (MAC), granted by the National Board for Certified Counselors; holds a Level II Substance Abuse Counselor Certification; and is certified as a Substance Abuse Professional "SAP" by the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Certification Board. Mr. Dawson has maintained an Independent Practice in professional mental health counseling, specializing in Substance Use Disorders, Post Traumatic Stress Disorders, Employee Assistance Programs and Marriage and Family Counseling for Twenty Five (25) years. He is currently a member of the clinical faculty at The School of Professional Psychology, at Forest Institute, Springfield, Missouri in addition to teaching for fifteen (15) years in the Department of Psychology and the School of Social Work at Missouri State University (MSU), Springfield, Missouri. Mr. Dawson is a consultant and lecturer for the State of Missouri/Greene County Drug Court Association and the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, as well as an educational consultant and faculty member of the National Drug CourtInstitute (NDCI), Washington, D.C. Mr. Dawson is the Nationwide Substance Abuse consultant for O'Reilly Automotive Human Resources Department headquartered in Springfield, Missouri. He presently serves as an EAP clinical consultant for Blue Cross/Blue Shield "Anthem" in Denver, Colorado. Mr. Dawson is also currently a member and associate member of the American Counselors Association (ACA) and the American Psychological Association.
is the Director of Children's Day Treatment and the Burrell Autism Center. Susan has spent the past 25 years working with children and their families in a variety of settings through Burrell Behavioral Health. She has worked in the Children's Day Treatment Program and the Outpatient Department at Burrell. She saw children and their families at Northside Pediatrics and Robberson Elementary School for several years. She directed the Safe Schools Healthy Students Program in Springfield Public Schools for 6 years. Susan has a great love for kids. She believes that all kids are awesome and that our responsibility as adults is to give them opportunities to grow into great kids.
is the Program Directorof the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology at The School for Professional Psychology at Forest Institute and an adjunct instructor at Drury University, teaching several courses throughout the year, including human sexuality. In addition, she is a licensed psychologist in Springfield, Missouri, and an AASECT-certified sex therapist. Dr. Holczer co-authored a book entitled, Finding and Revealing Your Sexual Self, published by Rowman and Littlefield.
is a licensed psychologist and full professor at the School of Professional Psychology at Forest Institute. She received her Ph.D. in Education and Counseling Psychology from University of Missouri-Columbia in 1987. In addition to her academic roles as professor, Dr. Parkhurst is active on various committees in many leadership roles, and is closely involved with advising and mentoring master's and doctoral students at Forest Institute students. She regularly serves on thesis/dissertation committees as either chair or member. Committed to the community, Dr. Parkhurst continues to provide psychotherapy to clients in under-served populations.
earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2001 from the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. With significant experience in pharmaceutical management, Jeremy's position as Director of Pharmacy for Burrell Behavioral Health mandates his continued educationof pharmaceutical innovations, particularly as they relate to advancements in antipsychotic medications. Through continued education of medicinal developments, Jeremy's expertise is vital in keeping behavioral health professionals abreast of pharmaceutical changes including the availability of generic forms, diagnosis-specific medications, indications, potential/indications of side-effects, drug regimen recommendations, and potential drug interactions.
is a 1983 graduate of Eureka College where he majored in Psychology and Philosophy & Religion. He attended Lexington Theological Seminary and received his Master of Divinity degree in 1986. Following his graduation, Dr. Robison was ordained by Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and he became the Pastor of the Central Christian Church of Havana, Illinois where he served for four years. In the fall of 1992, Dr. Robison completed a two year training program in Clinical Pastoral Education and Marriage & Family Therapy sponsored by the Pastoral Care Department of Elmhurst Memorial Hospital. He was licensed as Marriage & Family Therapist in the state of Illinois in June of 1994. Dr. Robison completed his internship in Clinical Psychology at Charter Beacon Behavioral Health Center of Fort Wayne, Indiana and received his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in an American Psychological Association approved program at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology — Meadows Campus in 1998. Dr. Robison completed his Post-doctoral clinical residency at Alternative Behavior Treatment Centers in Mundelein, IL, and in June of 2000 he began as a Staff Psychologist at Indian Oaks Academy receiving his license as a Clinical Psychologist in December of that year. In January of 2001, Dr. Robison was promoted to Senior Psychologist at Indian Oaks Academy, a position he held for 7 years. He also was the Permanent Part-time Pastor of Immanuel's United Church of Christ of Papineau, IL. Dr. Robison was recognized as a Health Service Provider in Psychology by the National Registry of Health Service Providers in Psychology in May of 2002. He received Dual Partner Standing in the United Church of Christ in September of 2004. He was recognized as an Approved Supervisor by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy in April of 2005. In 2007, Dr. Robison migrated to Springfield, Missouri to take a teaching position with Forest Institute of Professional Psychology and taught on the staff there for 5 years. He was promoted to Associate Professor by Forest Institute in 2008, and served as the Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy training program beginning in 2009. He was elected Faculty President in 2010. He subsequently shifted his focus back to clinical work in June of 2012, when he took a position as a clinical provider and Psychologist with Burrell Behavioral Health Centers of Springfield. With 27 years of experience providing psychotherapy services, Dr. Robison is an expert in the areas of Spirituality and Psychotherapy; Grief and Loss; ADHD in children, adolescents, and adults; Bipolar and Borderline Personality Disorders in Adolescents; and Juvenile Sex Offender treatment. Dr. Robison continues to teach continuing education programs and occasionally serves as an Adjunct Professor teaching Marriage and Family Therapy courses, Professional Ethics, and Relationship & Interview courses. Dr. Robison is an amateur herpetologist; a model Ferrouequineologist; loves music and plays the guitar. He is married to Laura, his wife of 29 years. He is anofficial "North-sider" of Springfield, and has five cats.
is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in child and adolescent therapy and assessment at the School of Professional Psychology at Forest Institute. She is also the Coordinator of the Child and Adolescent Concentration as a faculty member for the clinical doctoral psychology program. Her prior work has been in schools both inner city and rural. She received her doctoral training in school psychology with an emphasis in pediatric psychology from the University of Kansas and re-specialized in Clinical Psychology through her Post-Doctoral training at the Murney Clinic in Springfield, Missouri. She loves the practice of psychology because she believes children and adolescents are our key to the future and the earlier the intervention the more likely our children become successful adults. Also after having two children of her own, she experienced the saying "it takes a village to raise a child." Her education, training, and practice include diagnostic psychological evaluations for learning disabilities/Dyslexia, ADHD, anxiety/depression disorders, family adjustment/parenting, violence assessment, and school risk. Additionally, she provides evidence-based psychological interventions for the treatment of depression, anxiety, ADHD, divorce adjustment, trauma including abuse, aggression and oppositional defiant behavior, to name a few. She has training and expertise in both individual (such as Coping Cat curriculum, Learning Disability strategies, Trauma Focused CBT, directive and nondirective play therapy) and group practices (such as Functional Family Therapy, Skill Streaming, Defiant Child/Adolescent, ADHD practices, and Children of Divorce Intervention Program (CODIP)). Dr. Weiss enjoys providing clinical services to children from the preschool years through high school along with family therapy. Her training and experience in psychology has also led to opportunities in presenting workshops regarding discipline, childhood stress and adjustment, assessment, and child and adolescent evidence based strategies such as Trauma Focused CBT.


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Thu, 03/18/2010 - 16:11 — admin
STQC - Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (External website that opens in a new window)
STQC Directorate
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
Electronics Niketan, 3 rd Floor,
6, CGO Complex,
Lodi Road, New Delhi - 110003 .
Fax: +91-11-24363083
e-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Established in year 1980, STQC started its services in the area of Testing and Calibration based on the need of small and medium sized electronic industry in the country. From a mere Testing, Calibration and Quality Assurance Support to Electronics Hardware Sector, STQC has positioned itself as a prime Assurance Service Provider to both Hardware and Software sectors.
In order to provide state of art technology based quality assurance services to its valuable clients and to align with DIT mandate-to focus on IT sector, STQC has established infrastructure and developed competent scientists to provide quality assurance and conformity assessment services in IT Sector in addition to testing and calibration related services. STQC is regularly offering its value added services in area of Information Security, Software Testing/Certification and Development of National level Assurance Framework in IT and software sectors.
STQC is an internationally recognized Assurance Service providing organization and owns accreditation by professional bodies e.g. RvA, IECEE, IECQ, NABL, QCI and many more. STQC has long association with GTZ (Indo-German Technical Co-operation), Government of Germany, spanning over 20 years for technology transfer and development of infrastructure and manpower.
For more details click here (External website that opens in a new window).


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Comic-Con 2012: O.C.'s Graphitti Designs celebrates 30 years of T-shirts
Bob Chapman and his brother John collected comic books as kids in the early '60s, loving all the super heroes of the day. "And at some point, we outgrew them, as you're supposed to do," Chapman said on the floor of Comic-Con in San Diego on Friday.
In 1980, the Chapmans, who'd grown up in Santa Ana, decided to check out Comic-Con and sell off their collection. While there, Bob Chapman, who'd started screen-printing T shirts while working at Safeway in Costa Mesa, saw an opening.
"I approached the convention and told them I'd like to do your shirts," he said. "And it's all downhill from there."
His company, Graphitti Designs, made the official Comic-Con shirts in 1981 -- and have done the same every year since. In 1982, Chapman struck a deal to print T-shirts based on "The Rocketeer" and "The Spirit" comic series -- and since then he's done the same for dozens of other comic books and characters, making his Anaheim-based company the first and perhaps the best-known company to specialize in comic Ts.
"These artists are a great group of people to work with," said Chapman, who lives in San Clemente with his wife Gina. "They're flaky and they're fun."
The way Chapman describes it, he fell into T-shirt-making almost by accident. He'd worked at Safeway for much of the '70s and later in that decade decided to take a screen-printing class or two. By the end of the '70s, dissatisfied with his Safeway career, he jumped into full time, making shirts for Little Leagues, car clubs, anybody who needed a custom print job.
"I had some artistic background that I'd never cultivated, so it was a mixture of having some natural talent as well as disenchantment with Safeway," he said.
Then came Comic-Con and Chapman found his niche.
"We've developed a really close relationship with the creators," Chapman said by way of explaining why he thinks his business has flourished. "I love working with them and they love working with us to see their products out there."
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Norwalk, CT, (April 7, 2014) - TMC, a global, integrated media company helping clients build communities in print, in person and online, today announced that applications are being accepted for the 2014 Cloud Computing Desktop-as-a-Service Awards.
The Cloud Computing Desktop-as-a-Service Awards, presented by Cloud Computing magazine, will honor products that have demonstrated innovation, unique features, and noteworthy developments toward improving virtualized office technologies. The Cloud Computing Desktop-as-a-Service Award is not granted to the best-selling products, but instead to those representing a significant contribution to the industry.
Learn more and apply. The early bird deadline is April 17, 2014. Final application deadline is April 30, 2014. Results will be published in the 3rd Quarter edition of Cloud Computing magazine and on the Cloud Computing website.
Winners of this exclusive award will be provided with an award press kit to begin their award marketing campaigns. The press kit includes a customizable press release to announce the achievement and the award logo in multiple formats to be placed on sales and marketing collateral.
For more than 20 years, TMC (News - Alert) has been honoring technology companies with awards in various categories. These awards are regarded as some of the most prestigious and respected honors in the communications and technology sector worldwide. Winners represent prominent players in the market who consistently demonstrate the advancement of technologies. Each recipient is a verifiable leader in the marketplace.
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Cloud Computing magazine is the industry's definitive source for all things cloud - from public, community, hybrid and private cloud to security and business continuity, and everything in between. This quarterly magazine published by TMC assesses the most important developments in cloud computing not only as they relate to IT, but to the business landscape as a whole.
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TMC Contact: Rebecca Conyngham Marketing Manager 203-852-6800, ext. 287 email@example.com
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Posted by Alice Kwan on January 20, 2011
How can we grow?
How can we build our leadership ranks?
How can we get the right talent in the right place?
These are the key questions senior executives and talent managers at large (+$500 million) companies are confronting in the face of lingering economic uncertainty and an uneven talent market. These results are from Talent Edge 2020: Redrafting talent strategies for the uneven recovery our latest survey in the Talent Edge 2020 series build from the findings of two earlier studies: a December 2010 report on executive attitudes and an April 2011 report on global employee attitudes and talent concerns.
What a difference a year makes! 2011 started with the prospect of an imminent global recovery and ended with fears of a double dip recession that threatened to create a long and sketchy global recovery. Perhaps most disturbing, according to the majority (83 percent) of the 376 executives surveyed for this report, their current corporate talent programs are not capable of meeting the challenges of growth in a stalled economy, leadership development and regional and country-specific talent shortages. Fewer than one in five surveyed executives considered their organizations to be "world-class" in talent and more than four in five acknowledge the need for significant improvements and investments. This investment is critical: Organizations that self-report as "world-class" in talent are more likely to invest (by a two to one margin) in talent priorities and initiatives. Rather than sitting back and hoping a slow recovery will solve their talent challenges, these executives are devoting time and money to areas they feel are high priorities, such as workforce analytics, developing an operating model for the talent function and global workforce management, among others. Is your company one of the talent investors or is it taking a "wait and see" approach? Do you agree with our survey respondents? I hope you'll take a few minutes to read the latest report and comment about how your company's talent strategies are evolving in these uncertain times. |
Alice Kwan, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP, leads the firm's client talent services in the U.S. She regularly leads clients through large-scale transformations with a focus on organizational, cultural, change management and talent implications. |
As used in this document, "Deloitte" means Deloitte Consulting LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.


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Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Cee Lo Greene and Christina Aguilera entered Season Three's Battle Rounds with one less commandment to worry about, that pesky business about "Thou Shalt Not Steal." Or maybe the new rules gave them more to worry about, because as each coach pitted two of his or her teammates against each other in order to eliminate one, now the other three coaches had the option to pick up that eliminated singer, turning the talent the first judge selected and nurtured into the opposition on another team. Oh irony is truly a dish best served cruel!
Well, I'm sure we can come up with some alternate commandments for the coaches like "Thou shalt always pick the underdog," "Thou shalt not let a duo advance" or "Thou shalt overuse the word wheelhouse" as we review what decisions went down on Monday, Oct. 8, who went home, who went to someone else's team and which team still has 16 members on its roster.
Team Blake: Casey Muessigmann vs. Terry McDermott
Muessigmann (pronounced Music Man -- yes, like the Robert Preston musical) had problems (which starts with a p which rhymes with a t and that stands for Terry, the Scottish rocker who sings like Lou Gramm in Foreigner). This will make him an asset later in the season when someone will inevitably pick "I Want to Know What Love Is" to warble.
The wrestler/aspiring country singer Casey had a bit of an identity crisis singing Kansas' "Carry On, Wayward Son" and being told by vocal mentor Michael Bublé not to sing the corny classic-rock staple like a country singer. Blake conceded that Terry had the advantage on this song choice (it was in his "wheelhouse") but noted that the artist who is more comfortable with a tune tends to lose because they are overly confident. Meanwhile, applying his wrestling skills of over-confidence in the singing ring, Casey told the cameras with all vainglorious severity, "Terry is just going to have to be a casualty on my way to success." In the end, Terry's confidence, knowing what his voice is and knowing what kind of singer wears a neck scarf and a t-shirt won out over the dude in the black cowboy hat, who slinked away like the bad guy, neither chosen nor stolen.
Winner: Terry McDermott
Team Adam: Bryan Keith vs. Collin McLoughlin(cq)
Levine said he chose "Santeria" by Sublime because it is one of his favorite songs. I sure hope someone is keeping track of how many favorite songs Adam has. I think there should be a cap on the number of songs people can claim as their favorite before it becomes evident that they have usurped the whole concept of favoritism with their "it's all good" mentality. Team Mentor Mary J. Blige wanted to hear more crackle in Collin's pop voice. Oh, snap! And while Bryan's swagger made this song a perfect fit for him, Adam had problems with how he handled the more technical aspects of the melody. With this Battle Round, I noticed a pattern that held through the rest of the show -- if a contestant is shown having problems connecting with a song in rehearsal, that person will be picked by his coach in the battle for showing the most growth. Blake and Cee Lo wasted no time trying to steal Collin. Blake shrewdly pointed out the fact that Cee Lo had just gone on record as saying he would've picked Bryan in this battle. Thus, Colin chose the country coach, making Team Blake a 16-man proposition once more.
Winner: Bryan Keith
Steal: Collin McLoughlin goes to Team Blake
Team Cee Lo: Diego Val vs. J.R. Aquino
Diego was the underdog here, as part of his Peruvian heritage entailed never having heard the Rick Springfield song "Jessie's Girl." He was practically rewriting it during rehearsals and Cee Lo shook his head and said Diego needed to take this song seriously. So guess who was going to win this battle round after that set up? Mentor Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20 seemed more interested in talking to J.R. Aquino about his 44 million YouTube hits. "Dude, I've sold out the Staples Center and I don't even have 44 million YouTube hits," he said. And Thomas actually used the word "Smooth" to describe Aquino's singing, as if that song needed any more plugging. Not even Aquino's YouTube popularity was enough to entice any coaches to steal him once Diego took Cee Lo and Rob's advice and "buckled down" with this song, although at times Diego's falsetto made it sound like he wished that he WAS Jessie's Girl. J.R. Aquino was returned to YouTube, where his only competition now is a piano-playing cat and that "Chocolate Rain" guy. (80 million plus YouTube hits, thanks for asking!)
Winner: Diego Val
Team Christina: De'Borah and Nelly's Echo
Christina decided to pit her two most ridiculously named singers against one another and had them sing the Police's "Message in a Bottle." De'Borah's difficult personal struggles included living somewhere that precluded her from ever hearing this song. Aguilera brought Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong to help mentor her team. I know what you're thinking, and no, Billie Joe didn't throw a fit for his measly one remaining minute of screen time. He gushed to this pair of hopefuls that "Even the mistakes you're making sound amazing. I think this could be the best performance of the whole show." In the end, De'Borah brought it and Nelly's Echo (a tall, bald Nigerian man) tended to oversing this song, at times sounding as if he was strangling an exotic bird.
Winner: De'Borah
Team Blake: 2Steel Girls vs. Gracia Harrison
This brings up what I've pointed out earlier -- that duos should not be allowed to compete on a show that is singularly titled "The Voice." That's like letting an old dude from Lithuania compete in the Miss Teen USA pageant. Duos can harmonize, for crying out loud! Duos can execute synchronized choreography! Duos can gang up on people backstage. The mother and daughter act 2Steel Girls knew they had an uphill battle as duos are traditionally eliminated early on in this competition. Gracia set out to prove "Just one of me is powerful enough to beat both of them." Blake selected "Sin Wagon" by The Dixie Chicks, and it was a full-on country smackdown -- at times it appeared as if the 2 Steel daughter was doing a lot of the fighting while her mother was there to offer helpful advice like "Pull on her hair!" Gracia's grace under pressure coupled with her resemblance to Carrie Underwood carried her into the next competition while even Cee Lo, who said he preferred the mother and daughter 's performance, was not tempted to steal 2Steel Girls.
Winner: Gracia Harrison
Team Cee Lo: Amanda Brown vs. Trevin Hunte
Why did Cee Lo pit his two soul powerhouses against each other? "Because he's stooopid!" teased Adam. Maybe Cee Lo thought Amanda, a backup singer for Adele, wouldn't command the stage like a lead singer or that Trevin's insecurities would get the best of him in a one-on-one competition. With both trying to out-Mariah-Carey each other on "Vision of Love," they elicited a standing ovation from the crowd and a chair-stand from Adam who said he would steal whoever Cee Lo didn't pick. Blake went so far as trying to bromance Trevin by calling him sexy. Christina called this the best battle round performance so far and all three coaches were poised to poach whoever Coach Cee Lo dropped. In the end, Cee Lo picked the underdog Trevin who showed so much growth and who he felt he could help more. Amanda went with her gut and wound up picking Team Adam, now back at 16 strong.
Winner: Trevin Hunte
Steal: Amanda Brown goes to Team Adam
CeeLo Green from the singing competition series "The Voice," during a mentoring session in Los Angeles that aired on Oct. 8, 2012. NBC is shelling out big for attention-grabbing scripted series and for premiere sports events and shows like "The Voice" that invite live viewing to overcome ad skipping.
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Full profile →'">
The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.
In the first part of this two-part article, published here on January 20, 2014, I outlined the four growth issues for omnichannel retailers to consider in setting their strategic course for a largely unknown future. Part Two picks up the thread of this conversation, discussing the strategic priorities implicit in each of the four growth issues.
The Strategic Priorities
Each of the four growth issues for omnichannel retailers (quicker and easier access to consumers, differentiated and personalized value offerings, international growth opportunities, and transforming the structural business model) has strategic priorities to support transformational change.
1. "Big Data" and "Omnichannel" mastering preemptive distribution.
Both of these two rather overused terms are nonetheless relevant, and are driven by new technologies that are complex to understand and can be complicated to implement. The combination of big data analytics and omnichannel distribution should be understood as multiple touch points in preemptively connecting with the consumer.
In terms of big data, there are powerful analytical systems to identify each and every customer, and to understand everything about them, both online and in the store. There are also new technologies that can track the consumer both outside and in the store, matching real-time behavior with transactional data. This type of information is used for precision marketing, greater personalization, and heightened interactivity with each customer in everything from cross-selling, upselling, and managing sales associates' time and behavior to planning assortments, pricing, layout, and presentation.
Omnichannel means more than just operating an Internet site in tandem with the store. It includes multiple distribution points. And the superior implementation of a true omnichannel strategy is that all distribution platforms must be seamlessly integrated and interchangeable for shopping, ordering and purchasing; pickup, delivery and returns. To be able to achieve this, all operational points in the entire value chain must also be seamlessly integrated and 'un-siloed.'
The necessity for multiple distribution platforms beyond the Internet, mobile devices, and the physical store, is to be able to achieve preemptive distribution. The goal is to get to the consumer, or get the consumer to come to you, first, faster and more often than the multitudes of equal competitors, wherever, whenever, however and how often the customer desires.
Multiple distribution platforms include smaller neighborhood stores (facilitating personalization/localization); kiosks; magazines; TV; airplanes and airports; catalogues; pop-up stores; mobile vans; and operating on other retailers' platforms (even potential competitors). A few successful examples are Bonobos, Brooks Brothers, and Top Shop operating on Nordstrom's platform; Sephora in JC Penney.
2. Experience trumps product, which is just the price of entry.
In oversaturated markets in which consumers have unlimited and instantaneous access to hundreds of equally compelling choices, it's critical to create authentic experiences both online and in the store. A great example is what I call Burberry's 'hi-tech, hi-touch' highly interactive experience. Their omnichannel is seamlessly integrated, both online and in the store, delivering a rich, interchangeable shopping experience: LED screens with streaming videos of fashion shows, music, storytelling, education, and more.
Traditional brick-and-mortar retailers have a competitive advantage over today's pure e-commerce retailers when it comes to creating compelling experiences. First, they are able to compete on dual platforms, online and in-store. Second, they can create a 3-dimensional, high-touch, personalized, addictive in-store experience that pure e-commerce retailers simply cannot provide. Research reveals that consumers who shop both online and in store spend two to three times as much as shoppers who only shop one distribution point. More and better experiences and more time spent shopping equals more sales and more repeat visits.
Finally, integral to building experiences that satisfy consumers' desire for more new product, more often, (e.g. fast fashion), retailers and brands must continue to shrink their product development cycles.
3. International expansion, an ultimate imperative.
The Internet and technology actually facilitated and hastened globalization, essentially integrating the entire planet, providing universal access for everybody to everything, anywhere, all the time. Thus, it also spawned a 'one-world consumer' so to speak, with similar interests and desires wherever they may be. Additionally, as the slow-to-no-growth, over-saturated U.S. market continues to intensify the 'share wars' environment, in which growth is achieved painfully at best, international expansion becomes both an imperative and an opportunity.
Globalization, therefore, amounts to a lot more than what it has come to mean in our everyday references to it, and actually provides significant international growth opportunities. Retailers and brands must first identify the global markets that best match the positioning of their brands with consumers in those markets, and then develop the most effective business models for competing in each of those countries. The few successful global retailers have learned that they may think globally, but they need to operate locally, being sensitive to the customs, mores and traditions of overseas markets.


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Many people offer help with immigration services. Unfortunately, not all are authorized to do so. While many of these unauthorized practitioners mean well, all too many of them are out to rip you off. This is against the law and may be considered an immigration services scam.
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This site can help you avoid immigration services scams. Remember: Know the facts when it comes to immigration assistance, because the Wrong Help Can Hurt.


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The mysterious goddess, Isis, has enlisted you to battle Set and his evil minions. The challenge will not be an easy one. Use your mystical winged scarab to shoot magical spheres and destroy the approaching colored spheres by making matches of three or more. Stop them all before they can reach the pyramids at the ends of the paths... or all of Egypt is doomed!
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The GOP-controlled House voted Friday to cripple President Barack Obama's health care law as part of a risky ploy that threatens a partial shutdown of the government in a week and a half.
The fight is coming on a stopgap funding measure required to keep the government fully running after the Oct. 1 start of the new budget year. Typically, such measures advance with sweeping bipartisan support, but tea party activists forced GOP leaders — against their better judgment — to add a provision to cripple the health care law that is the signature accomplishment of Obama's first term.
Republicans welcomed the vote, saying the new health care law is a disaster that is forcing cutbacks in workers' hours, raising health insurance premiums and being implemented unfairly. House Republicans have voted more than 40 times to disable all or part of the health care law.
"There's no reason the American people should have to face this train wreck," said Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga.
The partisan 230-189 vote sets the stage for a confrontation with the Democratic-led Senate, which promises to strip the health care provision from the bill next week and challenge the House to pass it as a simple, straightforward funding bill that President Barack Obama will sign.
"Republicans are simply postponing for a few days the inevitable choice they must face: Pass a clean bill to fund the government, or force a shutdown," said Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. The White House promises Obama will veto the measure in the unlikely event it reaches his desk.
At a post-vote rally by House Republicans, Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, called the measure's approval "a victory today for the American people" and turned the spotlight on the Democratic Senate.
"Our message to the United State Senate is real simple: The American people don't want the government shut down, and they don't want Obamacare," he said to cheers from his GOP colleagues. "The House has listened to the American people. Now it's time for the United States Senate to listen to them as well."
The temporary funding bill is needed because Washington's longstanding budget stalemate has derailed the annual appropriations bills required to fund federal agency operations.
The fight over the must-do funding bill comes as Washington is bracing for an even bigger battle over increasing the government's borrowing cap to make sure the government can pay its bills. Democrats say they won't be held hostage and allow Republicans to use the must-pass measures as leverage to win legislative victories that they otherwise couldn't.
Obama said at a unionized Ford Motor Company plant in Liberty, Mo. , Friday: "If you don't raise the debt ceiling, America can't pay its bills."
"If Congress doesn't pass this debt ceiling in the next few weeks, the United States will default on its obligations. That's never happened in American history. Basically, America becomes a deadbeat," Obama said.
The No. 2 House Democrat, Steny Hoyer of Maryland said the GOP ploy is a "blatant act of hostage-taking" fueled by Republicans' "destructive obsession with the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and its unrestrained hostility towards government."
Republicans countered that the measure is required to prevent a government shutdown that would delay pay for federal workers, send non-essential federal workers home, close national parks and shutter passport offices. Essential programs like air traffic control, food inspection and the Border Patrol would keep running, and Social Security benefits, Medicare and most elements of the new health care law would continue.
Even before Friday's House vote, lawmakers were looking a couple of moves ahead on the congressional chessboard to a scenario in which the Democratic Senate would remove the "defund Obamacare" provision and kick the funding measure back to the House for a showdown next weekend.
GOP leaders haven't said what they'll do then, but with the deadline looming at midnight on Monday, Sept. 30, a further volley of legislative ping pong that prolongs the impasse could spark the first shutdown since the 1995-96 battle that helped resurrect President Bill Clinton's popularity.
"We will not accept just a clean CR at this point. There will be a fight," said Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La., using shorthand for the stopgap spending bill, which is officially called a continuing resolution.
An earlier plan by Boehner and other GOP leaders was designed to send a straightforward bill to keep the government running through Dec. 15, but ran into too much opposition from tea party members who demanded a showdown over the Affordable Care Act, the official name of what Republicans have branded Obamacare.
Boehner has sought to reassure the public and financial markets that Republicans have no interest in either a partial government shutdown when the budget year ends or a first-ever default on a broader set of U.S. obligations when the government runs out of borrowing ability by mid- to late October.
"Let me be very clear," Boehner said Thursday. "Republicans have no interest in defaulting on our debt — none."
GOP leaders want to skirt the shutdown confrontation and seek concessions when addressing the need to raise the debt ceiling next month, but Obama says he won't be forced into making concessions as he did in the 2011 debt crisis, when he accepted $2.1 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years.
Republicans held a meeting Friday morning with the rank and file to discuss the debt limit measure. Lawmakers said the GOP's debt limit plan could permit new borrowing for a year, paired with a mandate to permit construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, a framework to reform the loophole-cluttered U.S. tax code, limits on medical malpractice lawsuits and higher Medicare premiums for higher-income beneficiaries. Even with the grab bag of GOP chestnuts, some ardent conservatives are likely to balk at voting for any debt limit measure.
At the very least, Republicans want to cause political pain for vulnerable Senate Democrats. At their rally Friday, Republicans cheered as House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., cited four Senate Democrats who face re-election next year in GOP-leaning and said he wanted to know where each stands on Obama's health care law.
The four were Sens. Mark Begich of Alaska, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.
In interviews Thursday, Pryor and Begich indicated that they did not support the effort to defund the health care law.
"We voted on Obamacare," Pryor said. "It's the law of the land; it's been to the Supreme Court. It's not perfect, but let's work to make it better, don't repeal it."
Associated Press Writer Alan Fram contributed to this report.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.