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Spaceport America in New Mexico provided the backdrop for the launch of a new partnership for Virgin Galactic which will see Y-3 take on the challenge of jointly designing and then producing the complete range of garments required for our commercial spaceflight operations. Y-3 is the collaboration between Japanese design guru Yohji Yamamoto and Adidas, which for more than ten years has been at the forefront of the high-end sportswear industry. Under the agreement with Virgin Galactic, Y-3 will be responsible for everything from flight-suits for our future astronauts and pilots, to garments worn by our operations and maintenance teams as well as our hosting staff.
Virgin Galactic has always recognised that the quality of every aspect of the customers' journey, across the whole spaceflight experience, will ultimately determine the company's success and is therefore delighted to collaborate with internationally renowned specialist organisations which share the same ethos.
Y-3 has a technical know-how and an approach to style which emphasizes the use of advanced fabrics, special techniques and bespoke specifications to ensure fit, comfort and performance. As such it is ideally placed to imagine and create the future of operational apparel for the world's first commercial spaceline.
During the launch, the Design Heads from both Y-3 and Virgin Galactic revealed the prototype flight-suit to be worn by our space pilots.
Adam Wells, Head of Design at Virgin Galactic, commented, "Our evolution into a fully-functioning spaceline presents unprecedented opportunities to create original designs in support of our unique customer experience. Together with the incredibly talented team at Y-3, we will explore the potential to create innovative apparel and accessories – both for our staff and for our pioneering customers – that is appropriately functional and fit-for-purpose, is thoughtfully and elegantly crafted, and is fulfilling and fun to wear and use. Our design teams' shared values will doubtlessly result in the creation of some extraordinary, special and highly treasured products, and we look forward to sharing their development stories as Virgin Galactic steps closer to commercial operations".
Credit: virgingalactic.com


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On Saturday September 24th Habitat was invited to participate in a community day being hosted by Home Depot. The Home Depot in Bracebridge raised in excess of $2000 in support of Habitat Muskoka in their paper hammer campaign and the Home Depot in Huntsville raised over $4000 and Home Depot Parry Sound raised over $700. All dollars raised through the paper hammer campaign are directed to build programs across Muskoka and Parry Sound
Habitat sends a huge thank you to all who participated. Special thanks goes to the staff of all the stores for all they do and thanks also to Home Depot for their donations of extra product.
Pictured with me is Tom Heindle, Bracebridge store manager.
Ellen Frood
Executive Director
Habitat for Humanity Muskoka
Tel: 705-646-0106, Ext. 6
Thank you for your support - your giving makes a difference

subset: commoncrawl


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When I was a kid, my mom sent us off to school with lunch packed in brown bags. Between the weight of the apple and the constant shuffling of stuff against the bag in my backpack, sandwiches never stood a chance. It was a good day when the cookie wasn't crumbled. The earth shifted on the day that my mom decided to pack tortellini for me in a plastic container.
Today's kids are so much luckier. There's no shortage of amazing lunchbox options out there and thankfully, they don't necessarily involve smushed sandwiches or bruised fruit.
We have six lunchboxes that we have been happily relying on for the last several years (PlanetBox, Yumbox, Lunch Buddy Official, Omiebox, Monbento and Lunchbots)
Each option has pros and cons. I love that the PlanetBox is stainless steel with perfectly sized compartments and a small area for a treat (available in the Rover). We have the carrying bag that has a perfect space for a bus snack and a water bottle. The PlanetBox is expensive, but we've been using ours for over 5 years without any issues so I view it as an investment. There are also stainless steel containers that fit inside so you can pack liquids or things like yogurt and not worry about leakage. We have the Shuttle, the Rover, and the Launch which all fit a great amount of food for lunch. The Launch fits a ton of food - it's great for growth spurts!
We have two versions of the Yumbox – one with three compartments and one with five. Both are easy to open, a great size and leakproof so I can pack things like hummus without concern that it'll be all over the apple slices. I wish it were easier to clean the skinny grooves on the underside of the tray, but these boxes have been in our arsenal for years and are still going strong.
Thanks to our friends at Kivanta, we now have a great new Lunch Buddy Official lunchbox. It has been a wonderful new addition to our lunchbox collection!
This is a stainless steel 3-in-1 two tiered box (second tier not shown here). You don't need to use both levels every time, so it's got built in flexibility for lunch packers. It's easy to clean and I love the simple design, but if you're outside of the EU (like I am), this might be pricey to ship.
The Omiebox has a neat design that makes it possible to pack both hot and cold foods for school. Score! Here's a tip to keep hot foods hot: fill the thermos part with boiling water and let it sit for one minute. Pour out the water and fill with hot food. That'll extend the amount of time that hot food stays hot. Similarly, pop the thermos into the freezer for a few minutes before filling it with cold food (like yogurt). This box is heavier than other lunchboxes and the top of the thermos is sometimes a challenge for my kids to open, but their teachers have been helpful in those situations.
The Monbento is my oldest child's favorite box. She likes that it has two tiers, and says that it feels like a lunchbox designed for older kids. I like that it makes her happy! The box is plastic and comes in many colors. You can pack just one layer or two, and I like having that flexibility. This box also fits in a wide range of insulated lunch bags. I use silicone cupcake liners to separate items in this box. My favorite part about this Monbento is that it is super easy to clean. Really, you can't go wrong with that. p.s. here's the link to that cute panda salad dressing container.
The Lunchbots container is great because it's compact and fits into a variety of lunch bags. It's also super easy to clean and fits a surprisingly large amount of food. I wish that it were leakproof and I wish that the top had a sturdy clasp to stay put, but we have had no problem keeping it closed with a rubber band.
Lunch quantity sometimes is a difficult thing... there are days that my kids are super hungry and days that they seem to exist on fumes. It's comforting to know that some of these boxes have room to accommodate an extra large lunch, for those days when the lunches that my kids pick in advance are on the large side.
While there's never a shortage of information out there about what to pack, it's also fun to think about where to pack lunch. Check out more of our favorite lunch accessories here. For lunch packing ideas and inspiration, be sure to check out our Instagram where we post daily pics.
* note: This page contains affiliate links. While I am not paid to provide these reviews, I will receive a tiny commission if you make purchases from here. These purchases will help to keep this blog going, so thank you in advance!


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Holiday CraftMorristown is celebrating its 26th year at the Morristown National Guard Armory. Shoppers flock to this final show of the year to discover the most distinctive one-of-a-kind holiday gifts. Savvy shoppers have the chance to wow their loved ones with gifts they will never forget. In addition are various demonstrations and a gourmet specialty food boutique.
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: December 3South Boston Holiday Market
Later Event: December 10SOWA Holiday Market


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Tweet This article is the second in a series by Georgie as she and her husband four wheel drive to Cape York and through central Australia. This piece focuses on choosing recovery and emergency gear, tents, sleeping kit and vehicle selection. You can read the first article here – The Big Trip – 4wd adventuring to the […]
The Big Trip – Adventuring to the far north of Australia
Off to Tassie for a couple of overnighters…..
Tweet Just a quick update to let you know we fly out tonight to our beloved Tasmania. It has been a day of packing and trying to not exceed Jetstar's baggage limits. We have dehydrated a few meals but will do most of the shopping in Launceston tomorrow before we head up to Cradle Mountain. […]
Back in Cambodia
Cradle Mountain – Free guide and day walk map
We have been thinking about creating a free resource for visitors to Cradle Mountain (and Tasmania) for some time. There is a great Parks Tasmania website plus many others that focus on accommodation at Cradle Mountain. We saw a "hole" in the market which combines lots of information about Cradle (and animals, walks, activities) with accommodation reviews etc.
To encourage visitors to the site we have created two free offerings, a Cradle Mountain guide and day walk map.
Kep – Cambodia – Paradise amidst wanton destruction
Jungle trekking – Rainbow Lodge – Cambodia – waterfalls and leeches!
Tweet We are not sure what convinced us to do the full day trek at Rainbow Lodge. Was it the chance to explore the Cambodian Jungle with an experienced guide? Or the opportunity to see some unusual wildlife, creatures and/or bugs? Or was it that we both have English relatives back somewhere and the need […]
Rainbow Lodge – Paradise in Cambodia?
Smokin'pot Cooking – Battambang – Cambodia
Tweet Cooking classes are a great way to meet other travelers and experience how food is created in a country you are visiting. One of the interesting things about Asian countries is their fresh food markets and we always take a wander through them to get an understanding of how things are done and what […]


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St. Louis thumps Atlanta 11-3
(Professional Sports ~ 08/06/05)
Pujols becames first to hit 30 home runs in each of his first five seasons. ST. LOUIS -- The Atlanta Braves appreciated Albert Pujols' milestone home run a lot more than he did. Pujols became the first player in major league history to hit 30 home runs in each of his first five seasons, helping Mark Mulder and the St. Louis Cardinals end John Smoltz' eight-game winning streak with an 11-3 victory on Friday night...
American athletes begin quest in Helsinki
(Professional Sports ~ 08/06/05)
HELSINKI, Finland -- Olympic champion Justin Gatlin climbs into the blocks for the 100-meter preliminaries, the American men go for a shot put sweep and Britain's Paula Radcliffe begins her quest for atonement after her Athens debacle. The world track and field championships, one of the largest athletic gatherings outside the Olympics, begin today with the first of nine days of suspense, surprise and subplots...
NCAA bans use of Indian nicknames, images in postseason
(College Sports ~ 08/06/05)
Parts of the new policy will be implemented in February. INDIANAPOLIS -- Fed up with what it considers "hostile" and "abusive" American Indian nicknames, the NCAA announced Friday it would shut those words and images out of postseason tournaments, a move that left some school officials angry and threatening legal action...
Hiroshima still splits United States, Japan
(International News ~ 08/06/05)
HIROSHIMA, Japan -- Minoru Hataguchi gently opens a box in his office and pulls out a corroded belt buckle -- the one his father wore the day he died with tens of thousands of others in the American atomic blast that wiped out Hiroshima. For Hataguchi, who was still in his mother's womb on Aug. 6, 1945, the context of the A-bomb -- Tokyo's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, America's reluctance to invade Japan by land -- takes a back seat to the human suffering it caused...
Bond says highway bill isn't 'pork barrel' legislation
(Local News ~ 08/06/05)
The federal highway bill doesn't involve "pork barrel" projects in Missouri, but rather needed transportation improvements, U.S. Sen. Kit Bond said Friday. Meeting with about 30 Southeast Missouri civic and city leaders at the Jackson City Hall, Bond defended the five-year, $286.5-million highway bill...
Cape vet saw A-bombs' aftermath
(Local News ~ 08/06/05)
Kenneth Bender can still recall the ring of fire that burned at the outskirts of Nagasaki. A conversation with Kenneth Bender can make history unfold. Like many veterans of World War II, Bender has a plethora of stories, but one in particular still stands out clearly in his mind. ...
Leadership Cape graduates pitch TV show, leashless dog park
(Local News ~ 08/06/05)
The class of 2005 made project presentations at the First Friday Coffee. Imagine a half-hour television program that highlights scenic vistas and off-the-cuff interviews with local characters, all with an underlying theme of promoting Cape Girardeau...
Ruling may threaten online sex stings
(State News ~ 08/06/05)
PLATTE CITY, Mo. -- A federal judge's decision to override a jury conviction in an Internet sex case has called into question a law enforcement tactic used to nabbing potential child molesters across the country. A federal jury convicted a 42-year-old lawyer, Jan P. Helder, of using a chat service to solicit sex from someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl...
Health data shows life expectancy hits record
(State News ~ 08/06/05)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missourians are living longer lives and having fewer abortions, the latest state health statistics show. The state hit a record for life expectancy, increasing four-tenths of a year to 76.8 years in 2004, but still lagging behind the national figure of 77.6 years in 2003, the state Department of Health and Senior Services said, citing provisional data...
Britain could deport foreigners under new anti-terror measures
(International News ~ 08/06/05)
LONDON -- Prime Minister Tony Blair proposed strict anti-terror measures Friday that would allow Britain to expel foreigners who preach hatred, close extremist mosques and bar entry to Muslim radicals. "The rules of the game are changing" following last month's bomb attacks, he declared...
Israelis miss warning signs about young Jewish gunman
(International News ~ 08/06/05)
JERUSALEM -- The 19-year-old who killed four Israeli Arabs on a bus deserted the army to protest Israel's impending withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and took refuge in a militant Jewish settlement with his military-issued rifle. Israeli security forces missed that and other warning signs -- including a plea by his father to find him -- raising questions about Israel's ability to rein in Jewish extremists even as it demands Palestinian leaders act against Muslim radicals...
Britain and U.S. rush to aid crew on Russian submarine
(International News ~ 08/06/05)
Estimates of how long the sailors could continue to breathe ranged from 18 hours to a couple of days. VLADIVOSTOK, Russia -- Trapped under countless crushing tons of frigid water, seven sailors waited to see if their mates far above could find a way to pull them to safety before the oxygen in their tiny craft gives out...
Blackhawks make splash, sign goalie Khabibulin
(Professional Sports ~ 08/06/05)
CHICAGO -- Stanley Cup-winning goalie Nikolai Khabibulin signed a four-year, $27 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, leaving the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Khabibulin played in 55 regular-season games for the Lightning during 2003-04, posting a 28-19-7 record with three shutouts, a 2.33 goals against average and a .910 save percentage...
NBA unveils plan for 2007 All-Star Game in Las Vegas
(Professional Sports ~ 08/06/05)
LAS VEGAS -- The NBA is going "all-in" with its All-Stars. The 2007 NBA All-Star game is headed to Las Vegas, the first time a city without a franchise has been chosen to host the event. The festivities will take place just off the Strip, at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus...
Smoker makes bid for No. 2 QB spot
(Professional Sports ~ 08/06/05)
ST. LOUIS -- The learning curve remains steep for St. Louis Rams backup quarterback Jeff Smoker. With No. 2 quarterback Jamie Martin sitting out with a groin pull, Smoker received the bulk of the repetitions during Friday morning's workout at Rams Park...
Newspaper seeking fond memories and fair photos
(Local News ~ 08/06/05)
Is it the food? The competition? A special date with a special someone? Maybe it's the midway and the thrilling carnival rides. What do you remember about the SEMO District Fair? The SEMO District Fair board and the Southeast Missourian are looking for old fair photos from the 1800s to the 1950s...
Nation briefs 8/6/05
(Local News ~ 08/06/05)
Lobbyists gave to defense funds despite bans; Prison for one WorldCom exec, probation for another; Jurors: Death row inmate not mentally retarded
World briefs 8/6/05
(Local News ~ 08/06/05)
U.N. appeals for $80 million for Niger; Delegation pays respects to new Saudi king
Sikeston man had role in A-bomb project
(Local News ~ 08/06/05)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sixty years ago, the world became a different place with the test detonation of the atomic bomb on July 16 and its first use as a weapon on Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6. The path that led to Lennie Whitworth of Sikeston being part of the team that developed the atomic bomb started when he joined the U.S. Army in 1943 after serving in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...
Fire report 08/06/05
(Local News ~ 08/06/05)
Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday: * At 5:50 p.m., emergency medical service in the 1900 block of Delwin Street. * At 7:14 p.m., emergency medical service in the 700 block of William Street. * At 7:45 p.m., water rescue on North Main Street at First Street...
Deadly heat
(Editorial ~ 08/06/05)
Three area people, including an elderly woman and the son she shared a house with, succumbed to the heat wave that engulfed the Midwest last month with heat indexes above 100 degrees. The circumstances in the first case were unusual. The mother and son kept their windows closed because the son suffered from asthma. The Cape Girardeau house was not air conditioned. The occupants depended on fans to keep them cool...
Zion Lutheran Church 8/6
(Community News ~ 08/06/05)
Driving along Highway 25, it's hard not to notice the brick and white steeple set against a backdrop of green trees and blue sky just outside Gordonville. The steeple, topped with a white cross, has stood on that spot for 90 years. The history of the church it belongs to goes back five decades further though, to a group of farmers intent on founding a strong German liturgy in Southeast Missouri...
Roush team seeks first Brickyard win
(Professional Sports ~ 08/06/05)
INDIANAPOLIS -- Jack Roush can hardly wait until Sunday. Heading into the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, the owner of Roush Racing's five-car Nextel Cup juggernaut likes his chances of winning the event he considers second only to the Daytona 500 in prestige...
Duke joins list of young stars in Pittsburgh
(Professional Sports ~ 08/06/05)
PITTSBURGH -- What a time to be a rookie in Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisberger enjoys the best season by a rookie quarterback in NFL history on a 15-1 Steelers team. Jason Bay is the NL rookie of the year, the Pirates' first such recipient. Hockey wunderkind Sidney Crosby is on his way to the Penguins, first stopping over for a Thursday night visit with Jay Leno...
Police reports 8/6/05
(Police/Fire Report ~ 08/06/05)
Cape Girardeau...
World Youth 8/6
(Community News ~ 08/06/05)
Andrew Williams glanced up from his "Got Jesus?" T-shirt with a look of dawning realization on his face. "It's just seven days, Ms. Teresa," he said. "Just seven days." Williams and another local teen, Amanda Myer, have gathered in Teresa LeGrand's office at St. Mary Cathedral on a Wednesday night to talk about a trip that has been in the making for three years...
Religion briefs 8/6/05
(Community News ~ 08/06/05)
Homecoming service set at Lutesville church; KMHM radio marks 10th anniversary this week; Westminster presents five-day family VBS; Today; Sunday; Friday
Sports briefs 8/6/05
(Other Sports ~ 08/06/05)
Reminder to smokers at gas pump
(Letter to the Editor ~ 08/06/05)
To the editor: Recently I witnessed a gas station attendant asking a man to put out his cigarette. The guy was astounded and puzzled, unable to figure out what the problem was. As a public service, I thought I would prepare this list that smokers could cut out of the paper and read before heading into a gas station:...
Sex-ed issues more complex now
(Letter to the Editor ~ 08/06/05)
To the editor: Sex education -- more-or-less comprehensive or more-or-less rigorously limited -- has been around in human societies since the dawn of time. The cultural background of that education, however, has changed, and thus the type and kind of education has changed. Even chimps practice a sort of sex ed, and young tortoises have to learn ... well, you get the picture...
Abstinence only method that works
(Letter to the Editor ~ 08/06/05)
To the editor: Alan Journet writes that, thanks to President Bush, the government is promoting teen pregnancy, single mothers and sexually transmitted diseases with its abstinence-only education policy. He advocates continuing the disastrous sex-education programs of the past 32 years as a solution for these increasing problems, in spite of the evidence they don't work. All of these problems have increased dramatically since sex education was first introduced...
Bond secures needed road funds
(Letter to the Editor ~ 08/06/05)
To the editor: Passage of the new five-year federal transportation bill will provide added impetus and the additional funding necessary for Southeast Missouri to achieve the safer and more efficient transportation system toward which we are all working. ...
Hosea Thomas
(Obituary ~ 08/06/05)
WEST FRANKFORT, Ill. -- Hosea Auburn Thomas, 84, of West Frankfort died Friday, Aug. 5, 2005, at Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, Ill. He was born Dec. 23, 1920, in Hamilton County, Ill., son of William C. and Etta Engram Thomas. He and Jylonda Irene Murphy were married May 29, 1945...
Speak Out 8/6/05
(Speak Out ~ 08/06/05)
Thursday-night games; Talking, not stopping; Stand makes sense; Ill-conceived marketing; For better health; Restored standing; Even more pork; Misplaced subsidies; Better lease deal; A citizen in wartime; Sign would help; Sharing the pie; Guilty pleasure; Time to wake up
Roy Lee All-Stars go 3-0
(Community Sports ~ 08/06/05)
Southeast Missourian The Roy Lee All-Stars boys basketball team for 13-and-under boys won its first three games Friday in the Mid America Youth Basketball national tournament in Wichita, Kan. The Roy Lee All-Stars, based in Southeast Missouri, completed pool play with a 3-0 mark and has a first-round bye in the bracket, which includes all 56 teams at the tournament...
Carl Schott
(Obituary ~ 08/06/05)
PERKINS, Mo. -- Carl "Punkin" Schott, 55, of Perkins died Friday, Aug. 5, 2005, at his home. He was born April 24, 1950, in Cape Girardeau, son of Leo and Faye McDaniel Schott. He and Mary James were married July 11, 1970. Schott was a 1968 graduate of Oran High School. He was a farmer and owner of Schott Trucking Co. in Advance, Mo. He was a member of Knights of Columbus and Guardian Angel Catholic Church in Oran...
Births 8/6/05
(Births ~ 08/06/05)
Meyer; Gruenewald
Darcy Gaffigan
(Obituary ~ 08/06/05)
The graveside service for Darcy J. Gaffigan of Baton Rouge, La., has been changed to 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Cape County Memorial Park. The Rev. Ron Watts will officiate. Gaffigan, 61, died Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2005, at her home. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements...
Out of the past 8/6/05
(Out of the Past ~ 08/06/05)
25 years ago: Aug. 6, 1980 When all the vote counting had been completed last night, Cape Girardeau County Clerk Rodney Miller was smiling; the county's new punch-card voting system was used for the first time in the primary election, and the reaction from both voters and election officials appeared to be one of enthusiasm...
Rosann Mansker
(Obituary ~ 08/06/05)
ORAN, Mo. -- Rosann Mansker, 57, of Shiner, Texas, formerly of Oran, died Thursday, Aug. 4, 2005, at Geary Community Hospital in Geary, Kan. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel at Oran is in charge of arrangements.
Area digest Aug6
(Community Sports ~ 08/06/05)
Run with "ShowMe results Aug6" RUN WITH PICTURE OF CARLY SMITH (Mug) and standalone of Brett Slaten, golfer. ** Smith goes on run in Australia Carly Smith, a recent graduate of Meadow Heights High School and a 99th-place finisher last fall at the Missouri Class 1 cross country meet, competed in the International Sports Specialist Inc. Down Under International Games in Australia...
ShowMe results Aug6
(Community Sports ~ 08/06/05)
code for z-rec standalone listing ** Show-Me Games results for local teams, as posted on the Show-Me State Games Web site. The event concludes this weekend. ** July 22 to 25 Basketball Twin City Jays (12 and under boys competitive) -- Coached by Tommy Delph, silver medal...
Speak Out 8/6/05
(Speak Out ~ 08/06/05)
A citizen in wartime...
Mayfair leads International field
(Professional Sports ~ 08/06/05)
There aren't many players who make more eagles and birdies than Billy Mayfair. And there aren't any tournaments that reward below-par shooters the way the International does. Mayfair, who ranks second behind only Vijay Singh in birdies and eagles this season, rolled in a 70-foot putt for eagle on No. 17, then finished with a birdie to take the lead after the first round of one of the tour's most unique events Friday in Castle Rock, Colo...
Redhawks take flight
(College Sports ~ 08/06/05)
Southeast Missouri State football coach Tim Billings and his staff always try to keep a wary eye on the heat when preseason practice begins every summer. And as the Redhawks prepare for today's opening workout -- set for 5:30 p.m. at Houck Stadium -- coaches and trainers will perhaps be even more on the lookout due to the recent death of Missouri's Aaron O'Neal during a voluntary summer conditioning drill...
Wal-Mart Stores, facing billions in damages, wants bias case tossed
(National News ~ 08/06/05)
SAN FRANCISCO -- Has Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest private employer, grown too big for the U.S. justice system? That provocative question is the key to Wal-Mart's defense against a lawsuit filed on behalf of 1.6 million former and current women employees. Attorneys pursuing the class action claim Wal-Mart systematically denied raises and promotions to women and paid them less than their male counterparts...
Loving the world as it is now
(Column ~ 08/06/05)
I have long been a seeker, seeking to create a peaceful existence where I might experience calm amid the clamor of daily life. It was only after searching within myself that I finallysaw how I could love with the world as it is today. It wasn't that I changed so much on the outside, but I changed within. ...
NASA checking if repairs may have caused foam piece to break off
(National News ~ 08/06/05)
SPACE CENTER, Houston -- NASA is investigating whether repairs to a small crack in the foam on Discovery's fuel tank may have caused a 1-pound section of the insulation to break off during liftoff, officials said late Friday. The shallow crack -- just six-tenths of an inch long and two-tenths of an inch wide -- was sanded away at the Louisiana manufacturing plant before the tank was shipped to Cape Canaveral, Fla. No new foam was applied to the spot...
Goodlatte, Emerson meet with area growers groups
(Local News ~ 08/06/05)
U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, spent Friday afternoon with representatives of Missouri growers. Goodlatte, who chairs the House Agriculture Committee, and Emerson toured the Delta Center in Portageville, Mo., and met with members of groups representing rice, soybean, corn and cotton growers as well as the Missouri Cattlemen's Association and the Missouri Farm Bureau. ...
Rehnquist's second hospital visit restarts speculation on possible retirement
(National News ~ 08/06/05)
CRAWFORD, Texas -- Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist's second trip to the hospital in less than a month raises new questions about whether his battle with cancer will force him to leave the bench -- and who will fill his seat if he steps down. Already, President Bush's decision to nominate John Roberts to the Supreme Court has been scrutinized for clues into the type of candidate he'd pick if he got a chance to name a chief justice...
State has no plans to correct letter with wrong Medicaid number
(State News ~ 08/06/05)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri officials have opted to rely on the good will of a Montana woman to point confused Medicaid callers to a state help line instead of telling them directly about a typographical error in a toll-free telephone number. Hundreds of Missourians have called Sharon Rivera of Columbia Falls, Mont., after the Department of Social Services mistakenly listed her number for the hearing- or speech-impaired to call about impending cuts to Medicaid benefits...
Hiring in July beats predictions with 207,000 added to payrolls
(National News ~ 08/06/05)
Jog growth in May and June proved to be stronger than was previously thought. WASHINGTON -- Hiring shifted into a higher gear in July, with the largest expansion of payrolls in five months. The unemployment rate held steady at 5 percent. The latest snapshot, released by the Labor Department on Friday, offered strong evidence that the job climate is improving considerably, good news both for the overall economy and those seeking work...
Guardsmen ship out
(Local News ~ 08/06/05)
After a short ceremony and lots of tearful goodbyes, about 50 soldiers left Friday morning from the Missouri National Guard Armory in Cape Girardeau for training that will eventually take them to Iraq. The soldiers, mostly from the 1140th Engineer Battalion, will join the 110th Engineer Battalion in Kansas City before traveling to Fort Riley, Kan., to complete their training. They could be sent to Iraq anytime within the next one to three months. They will remain there for about a year...
Group doubts guilt of executed prisoner
(State News ~ 08/06/05)
Two cases have renewed scrutiny of the death penalty in Missouri. ST. LOUIS -- Many death row inmates proclaim their innocence, but Roy "Hog" Roberts, a big man, loud and profane, was adamant. In the waning days before his 1999 execution for the murder of a prison guard, he demanded a polygraph test...
U.S. military hits insurgents in western Iraq with bombs
(International News ~ 08/06/05)
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- U.S. Marines and Iraqi troops pounded insurgents with bombs and tank cannons Friday during a major offensive along a stretch of the Euphrates River valley where 22 Marines were killed this week. About 800 U.S. Marines and 180 Iraqi soldiers moved into Haqlaniyah, one of a cluster of western towns in Anbar province around the Haditha Dam that is believed to be a stronghold of Iraqi insurgents and foreign fighters...
Stories from Saturday, August 6, 2005
Browse other days


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I've been editing for the last two weeks so apologies for the lack of blogs. I taught a writing workshop yesterday and this is the list I gave the writers at the end of the class (along with other notes that I'll post at a later stage). I love good books about writing and here are some of my favourites. I'd advise every anyone interested in writing to invest in and read Stephen King's book, it's excellent. Yours in writing,
Sarah X
On Writing by Stephen King Inspiring and full of good advice.
From Pitch to Publication by Carole Blake Invaluable guide to getting published from an experience agent.
The Right to Write by Julia Cameron One of the best books about being a writer and living a writer's life I've ever found. Succinct, direct and truthful, a book I come back to over and over again if I'm in need of a little writerly pick me up.
Write Away by Elizabeth George Excellent if you want to write crime.
See Jane Write by Sarah Mlynowski and Farrin Jacobs Tips on writing fiction for a female audience – American book – useful if you are interested in writing popular fiction.
Writing for Success by Patricia O'Reilly Sensible advice with a useful Irish slant.
Write a Book in a Year by Jacinta McDevitt Another great Irish book – I think it's out of print, but you might find a copy in the library.
How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman Funny, light humored book about how to avoid common writing pitfalls.
The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers by Betsy Lerner (American) A fascinating book described as 'a riveting safari through the wilds of a writer's brain.' Ever wondered what exactly editors think about when faced with a manuscript, then this is the book for you!
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott More memoir than writing guide, but very entertaining.
Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg How to 'free the writer within'. Some interesting thoughts and ideas about writing.


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The participants were quite literally left to their own devices today, with D-lab and the other workshops the hub of all activity. Teams were tasked with having prototypes, posters and two minute presentations ready for the all important showcase at 4pm tomorrow. The idea behind the posters and the presentations is that teams will be able to give some basic background information on the context of the problem they have been working on, the design techniques and processes they have applied and the ultimate innovation they achieved. The final presentations represent for us a chance to celebrate the work participants have put in over the last four weeks but it also should be seen as an opportunity for the teams to gain useful contacts with a view to hopefully bringing their projects to the next stage. I, for one, am excited about the potential of the prototypes I have seen so far!
Here are some shots of the participants at work today:


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Gefilte Fish–Kosher Food Recipe
Gefilte fish is a Jewish staple on Shabbat, but becomes predominant at all first seders on passover dinners. What is gefilte fish? It is basically fish fillets ( carp, pike … Read More
Gefilte fish is a Jewish staple on Shabbat, but becomes predominant at all first seders on passover dinners. What is gefilte fish? It is basically fish fillets ( carp, pike … Read More
Mitzuyan is a Kosher catering Toronto company which provides full service catering. Tips For Hiring Your DJ The right DJ can make all the difference between a wedding where the … Read More
Breaking the fast usually involves ordering a pizza, bagels with lux and dairy dishes or delicatessen. I was looking for something different and I found it "the twice-baked challah. I … Read More
A summertime Shabbat is often a less formal affair, even for those who are pretty informal to begin with. For one thing, Shabbat starts late; here in Toronto sundown is around 9 pm in … Read More
Mitzuyan Kosher Catering Kosher at its best Under the supervision of COR Now Offering All Inclusive Catering Packages Starting at $55.00 pp It's time to expand the horizons … Read More
Happy Canada Day everyone! If you're entertaining friends, or are a guest asked to bring something to nosh on, we've have ideas for food you can share whilst keeping everything kosher … Read More
If our Executive Chef is the heart of our kosher catering business, the mashgichim who work with us are certainly the soul. A mashgiach is a person trained and certified … Read More
I hope everyone had a nice Shavuot and Victoria Day weekend! If any major city in North American has earned a place in the springtime sun, it's got to be … Read More
Saturday evening marks the start of the two-day holiday of Shavuot, the "Feast of Weeks" that marks 50 days since the start of Passover and commemorates Moses' delivering the Ten Commandments … Read More
This has been a killer winter for Toronto. Here at Mitzuyan Kosher Catering, it was a real fershtinkiner. Honestly, it was our customers and supporters who kept us going with a … Read More
Mexican food is a popular kosher catering request at Mitzuyan Kosher Catering.


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Tweetcloud for @albinwallace Twitter feed for past 3 yearsOctober 10, 2011
Googling through the ResearchJanuary 23, 2011
I had the privilege for the past two days of running a seminar on educational research for our Master's level teacher leader programme at Sheffield Hallam University. During the seminar we talked about the eclectic methodologies one can use when evaluating data. The discussion inevitably turned towards the tension that sometimes exists between qualitative and quantitative methodologies and the unhelpful binary that this sometimes creates. We also examined some of the free tools that are available to both the professional and the occasional researcher, and between us we uncovered a rich mine of easily accessible tools. Without meaning to sound like a Google zealot, the Google suite offers a range of helpful applications in this field. Google Scholar is a great alternative to the sometimes unwieldy online university library resources, offering access to many online journal articles. Narrow you search by include the metatag 'pdf' in the search criteria. Google Docs has a powerful spreadsheet that offers the facility to create simple aggregated statistics. For the analysis of qualitative data, free applications such as Weft QDA (Qualitative Data Analysis) can help with thematic analysis of text based data and the mighty and majestic Wordle.net creates word clouds based on text files that not only analyse but present data in an attractive and readable form. For online surveys and questionnaires, both zoomerang and survey monkey are good applications that allow data to be collected quickly and efficiently online. I wish I was doing my Master's now. Back in 1984 I used a manual typewriter and spent an eye-watering amount of money on a scientific calculator that proved to be totally counter-intuitive and ill-suited to the purpose for which I bought it. The tools available now offer huge affordances to the teacher researcher. I can hardly wait to read the research reports from the people doing our teacher leader programme.


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Home » World Maps » Europe » Greece
Greece Map and Satellite Image
Greece Bordering Countries:Albania, Bulgaria, Republic of North Macedonia, Turkey
Regional Maps:Map of Europe, World Map
Where is Greece?
Greece Satellite Image
Greece Information:Greece is located in southern Europe. Greece is bordered by the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and Sea of Crete; Albania, Republic of North Macedonia, and Bulgaria to the north; and Turkey to the north and east.
Explore Greece Using Google Earth:Google Earth is a free program from Google that allows you to explore satellite images showing the cities and landscapes of Greece and all of Europe in fantastic detail. It works on your desktop computer, tablet, or mobile phone. The images in many areas are detailed enough that you can see houses, vehicles and even people on a city street. Google Earth is free and easy-to-use.
Greece on a World Wall Map:Greece is one of nearly 200 countries illustrated on our Blue Ocean Laminated Map of the World. This map shows a combination of political and physical features. It includes country boundaries, major cities, major mountains in shaded relief, ocean depth in blue color gradient, along with many other features. This is a great map for students, schools, offices and anywhere that a nice map of the world is needed for education, display or decor.
Greece On a Large Wall Map of Europe:If you are interested in Greece and the geography of Europe our large laminated map of Europe might be just what you need. It is a large political map of Europe that also shows many of the continent's physical features in color or shaded relief. Major lakes, rivers,cities, roads, country boundaries, coastlines and surrounding islands are all shown on the map.
Greece Cities:Agrinion, Aharnes, Alexandroupolis, Amfissa, Argostolion, Arta, Athina (Athens), Corinth, Drama, Edhessa, Edirne, Florina, Gianitsa, Greyena, Igoumenitsa, Ioannina, Iraklion, Kalabaka, Kalamata, Kallithea, Kardista, Karpenision, Kastellion, Kastoria, Katerini, Kavala, Kerkia, Khalkis, Khios, Kifissia, Kilkis, Komotini, Kozani, Lamia, Larisa, Levadhia, Levkas, Mandra, Megara, Mesolongion, Messolongi, Mitilini, Navplion, Orestias, Patra (Patrae), Piralevs, Pireas (Piraeus), Pirgos, Poliyiros, Preveza, Ptolemaida, Rethimnon, Rodhos, Salamina, Samos, Serrai, Sitia, Sparta, Thessaloniki (Salonica), Thivai, Tirnavos, Trikala, Tripolis, Veroia, Volos (Iolkos), Xanthi and Yithion.
Greece Locations:Aegean Sea, Amvrakikos Kolpos, Ionian Sea, Limini Himaditida, Limni Amvrakia, Limni Ioaninon, Limni Kastorias, Limni Kerkinis, Limni Koronia, Limni Mikri Prespa, Limni Petron, Limni Trihonida, Limni Vegoritida, Limni Volovi, Oros Parnonas Mountains, Oros Taigetos Mountains, Pindos Oros Mountains, Sea of Crete, Strimonas River, Struma River, Thermaikos Kolpos, Vardar River and Vjose River.
Greece Natural Resources:Greece has fuel resources which include lignite, petroleum, and the potential for hydropower. Mineral resources include iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite and salt. Marble is also a resource.
Greece Natural Hazards:The natural hazards which occur in Greece include severe earthquakes.
Greece Environmental Issues:The country of Greece has environmental issues which include air pollution and water pollution.
Copyright information: The images on this page were composed by Angela King and Brad Cole and are copyright by Geology.com © 2008. These images are not available for use beyond our websites. If you would like to share them with others please link to this page. The satellite image was produced using Landsat data from NASA and the map was produced using data licensed from and copyright by Map Resources © 2008.


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Our Values – In Action
Engage 2017 is a Town and County Planning initiative to get public feedback on updates to workforce housing, natural resource, parking, and Town character regulations. These updates are part of a large-scale effort to implement the 2012 Comprehensive Plan vision. Public feedback is imperative. These updates will define the future character of our community
Click here to see current status of Engage 2017.
The Jackson/Teton County community has a joint Comprehensive Plan and jointly plans much of its land use, transportation, and housing policy. Each year the community prioritizes the policy and regulation updates it will pursue. The community's current priority is to complete the following 5 projects by July 2018.
- Update Town Zoning (outside the Downtown). The purpose of this project is to update zoning in the residential and highway-commercial areas of Town to reflect the desired future character described in the 2012 Comprehensive Plan.
- Town Parking Study (outside the Downtown). The purpose of this project is to evaluate parking alternatives that enable the desired intensity of land use and transit described in the Comprehensive Plan and 2015 Integrated Transportation Plan.
- Natural Resource Protection Regulations Update. The purpose of this project is to update the environmental assessment process and regulations for protection of wildlife habitat and other natural resources in the community.
- Housing LDR Requirements Update. The purpose of this project is to update the
- community's requirements that new development provide affordable housing to mitigate the need for such housing generated by the development. The policy basis for these regulations needs to be updated to reflect the Comprehensive Plan and 2015 Housing Action Plan; as does the data justifying the requirements.
- Housing Rules and Regulations Update. The purpose of this project is to update the rules and regulations that govern the design, occupancy, and transfer of deed restricted housing units managed by the Jackson/Teton County Housing Department.


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For years, it has been expensive for Americans to visit Europe because of the strength of the euro.
But the currency has just fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade, meaning a European vacation is suddenly within reach for more thrifty travelers.
We've come up with the ultimate bucket list of travel destinations in countries that are on the euro.
From biking along the canals of Amsterdam to tasting Chianti in Tuscany, here are 35 things you should do in Europe now that the euro is crashing.
Julie Zeveloff, Megan Willett, Jennifer Polland, and Eliza McKelvey contributed to this post.


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System and method for presenting survey data over a network
A computer system and method for generating web pages for displaying formatted customer satisfaction display information and/or presentations on a user computer which may be located remotely and connected to the system by a computer network. The formatted customer satisfaction survey information enables a product or service provider to evaluate the quality of goods and/or services received based on database data obtained by performing surveys of customers, employees, and/or staff. This information can then be compared to normative information, national standards, or other available data. The system utilizes HTML templates, applets, and web servers to generate the web pages. i The HTML template process also allows for generation of the HTML templates by programmers. The system and method can be utilized in a quality improvement program.
Latest Quality Data Management, Inc. Patents:
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/992,126, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,889,230 which was filed on Nov. 5, 2001, and which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/245,753 filed on Nov. 3, 2000 and is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a system and method for designing web page display software, and a system for automating the displaying of data to end users over Internets and Intranets. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method for designing survey results display software, and a method and system for displaying, to a user, customer satisfaction survey information that enables a product or service provider to evaluate the quality of goods and/or services received based on ratings and reports obtained by performing surveys of customers, employees, and/or staff.
Conventional approaches for surveying consumers of products and services, such as health care services, generally use standard survey forms or questionnaires, whereby an agent calls or visits a survey participant and performs the survey. Alternatively, the participant may be mailed a survey form for completion. Traditionally, the data from such surveys are compiled into large books of cross-tabulations ("banner books") or are analyzed by special-purpose computer programs.
However, these methods of analyzing surveys and displaying their results are inefficient and untimely. Books of cross-tabulation are heavy and consume much paper, and finding a desired table requires considerable effort. The displays are usually numerical, and thus difficult for many readers to comprehend. Custom analyses require trained staff, who usually have a masters or doctorate degree. The production of banner books or custom analyses is a discrete task, which may be time-consuming and expensive.
It would be advantageous to automate the data display process to reduce the number of human beings utilized in the survey process, to reduce the costs, improve the efficiencies, and overcome the shortcomings of current techniques identified above. Modern computer and networking technologies provide potential solutions to these problems. It would also be useful to automate the process of designing the display of survey information, so that programmers with minimal programming experience can design useful and informative display charts, graphs, and reports with less effort and greater consistency than is typically found in programming environments today.
A software design system and method organized to limit the necessity of using experienced programmers to only those situations where advanced skills are necessary, thus reducing the cost of developing software by reducing the number of more experienced programmers, would be advantageous. Accordingly, it would be useful to separate tasks such that those that require less skill to implement are identified, because those tasks can utilize programmers with lower skill levels, and thus reduce labor costs. Further, a standardized format of the various software modules/components could ensure that the tasks can be completed efficiently and competently according to precise specifications. This standardization is able to increase the efficiency of the programmers similar to the way an assembly line increases the efficiency of a mechanical assembly operation, further reducing costs while simultaneously increasing the quality of the product because standardization allows for precise quality control.
Currently, there exist web servers, JAVA servlet engines, database engines that are standard commercial products that can be used for designing the required programs, and computer graphics libraries. However, the commercially available products would require much custom programming, and are typically larger and more complicated than necessary, and so they take longer to transmit and initialize than necessary. Further, developing custom applets would allow greater control over the appearance of the output displays. Writing servlets based on HTML pages similar to the Java Server Pages (JSP) development system would be useful. However, JSP is typically not capable of a separable design process using a programming team or HTML visual design tools, nor is it typically used with macro substitution. The JSP design process is typically substantially more complicated than the design process described herein (the SParser design process). Thus, new methods are necessary.
Improvements could be partially accomplished with available commercial products. The best of the alternatives would be application generators for databases, such as the IBM Informix Red Brick® Warehouse. The Survey Processing System Implementation differs from this type of product in focus and efficiency. An implementation that uses an Internet-based analysis system with tools for manipulating databases is needed, whereas competing products are just tools for making database queries. The difference is evident at both levels. At the user level, it would be useful to have an implementation that integrates data with a detailed description and classification of the data to guide the analysis path, whereas the users of commercial database products are left to understand on their own what the data pertain to and how they fit together.
At the system design level, a more flexible and efficient system than currently available would be useful. Existing systems such as Red Brick are capable of producing simple displays such as bar charts, for example, but they typically cannot produce control charts within the boundaries of Red Brick®, nor could they produce anything comparable to cross-concept integrated displays. Components that are enabled for interaction (e.g. the user can click on parts of the display to show extra information) would be beneficial, but the graphics in the Red Brick® system are not interactive. Database companies normally provide general application programming tools that permit basic access through server programming languages such as PERL or JAVA. The Survey Processing System Implementation provides the system developer with SParser tools that are written in Java.
An even less satisfactory alternative would be to design a system based on a combination of Microsoft® products, such as FrontPage® and Visual Basic® Script, or the newer ".net" platform of tools. This type of system does not incorporate the generality of the HTML templates based on the SParser-enabled macro programming, nor does it allow a sequenced development strategy. Indeed, the resulting systems are orders of magnitude more complicated yet less functional.
The previous state of the art of survey results display is inadequate for a real-time survey analysis program to be used for the purpose of quality improvement by medical personnel and their executives. Existing data analysis tools are not sufficiently embedded in the context of a survey—the content of the survey and the responses, the hierarchical relationships between survey questions, the relationships between survey questions and external data, and typically cannot incorporate multimedia such as the actual voice of the respondent. Existing survey analysis tools (such as the SAS product) are command-driven, not interactive, and are too complicated for the intended consumers of survey, who are not professional analysts. Further, these tools are not adequate for presenting information in a way the user, often uneducated in statistical analysis, can easily interpret.
Although web-based graphical display tools exist, they are often so complicated that they work slowly, if at all, on many users' browsers, and they are very difficult to program—relying on explicit system programming of all database access and relying on skilled programmers often in short supply. Almost all of the statistical graphics available on the web are prepackaged images—inflexible and not interactive. It would be useful to provide a software development environment and tools that mitigate some of the difficulties of programming complex statistical images in a web-based environment. This environment would utilize a set of procedures and development tools to facilitate the programming of statistical display software and report generators into a library of standard forms and programs. Further, it would also be useful to provide a platform that utilizes these standard forms and programs to generate the desired output utilizing a web-based networking system, allowing remote data transfer and retrieval, formatting the information in a manner useful to end users in implementing a quality improvement process.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention consists of a process and a toolkit for implementing statistical analysis on the web (the SParser module), together with a library of lightweight applets and simple hypertext documents and database structures. These have been brought together in a functioning survey analysis system.
In particular, the invention utilizes a method for generating a web page for display on a user computer, the primary steps of the method including:
- receiving a web page request for generating a display presentation from a user computer;
- executing a servlet corresponding to the received web page request;
- retrieving an HTML template corresponding to the executed servlet;
- interpreting the HTML template including the following steps:
- retrieving retrieved data from a database according to the servlet execution;
- executing commands referenced in the HTML template, said commands for generating a display web page utilizing the retrieved data;
- serving the display web page to the user computer for generating a display presentation on the user computer.
The system implements this process to provide a local or remote user with graphical displays, tables, and/or multimedia presentations of survey data for use, for example, in a quality improvement process.
The design process for generating the SParser module starts with one or two custom-written small components which are executed on client computers (commonly known as lightweight applets). These contain instructions to draw simple statistical displays, such as bar charts, based on specified parameters. The statistical display designer creates a simple hypertext document demonstrating how the lightweight component is to be used. For example, there is an applet to draw a histogram or vertical bar chart, another to draw a horizontal bar chart, another to draw a control chart, one to draw a comparative display element, one to organize an array of comparative displays, etc. The histogram is useful for conveying the general distribution of survey responses that are obtained from the Integrated Communication System, and whether there are enough negative responses to suggest something needs to be done. The control chart is useful for detecting sudden changes or trends in the data. The database programmer then adds an example of data that might be produced by a database query. For a histogram, these might be counts of data in cells and the labels for those cells. A general design programmer may then modify the hypertext layout to produce a pleasing overall appearance. This person may have a bachelors or masters degree and knows HTML and JavaScript. The design programmer has the benefit of being able to work with test data and actually see the results without concern for the database access issues. Finally, the database programmer completes the design process by adding the SParser instructions. This programmer may use visual design tools such as Macromedia DreamWeaver® or Microsoft Front Page®.
The Survey Processing System And Method has two important aspects. The first is a system of data analysis and presentation over Internet or Intranets to end users of the system. The second is a core tool that makes developing and extending the system straightforward and efficient.
The Survey Processing System And Method can be utilized by an automated survey system, such as the Integrated Communication System [ICS], described in application Ser. No. 09/871,279 and incorporated herein by reference. The ICS provides a tool that can be used to automate the survey process to reduce the number of human beings utilized in the survey process, to increase the accuracy, reduce the costs, improve the efficiencies, and overcome the shortcomings of current techniques identified above. The ICS combined with the system and method disclosed herein can be implemented in a quality control program in a system such as disclosed in the Physician Office Viewpoint Survey System and Method [POVS] by McEachern, disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 10/008,027, incorporated by reference. All of these systems and methods can utilize a quality improvement process and display methodology disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 10/011,014 Method And System For Presentation Of Survey And Report Data by Neilson.
The system of data analysis discussed in the above references and utilized herein, makes a unique use of metadata—data that describes what is being analyzed that is itself a part of the analysis. It also provides a unique simplicity, being implemented for a particular survey using database structures that may be created automatically from the survey script. The system advances the state of the art in terms of interactivity and breadth of the types of data analyzed.
The system as a whole utilizes a series of HTML templates that describe how a certain analytical display is produced. The templates and the template processor (described herein as the SParser application) bring together various aspects of the system—the data and the applets. Each template is a blueprint for obtaining the necessary metadata that describes that structure of other data, the other data themselves, and specific set of instructions for laying out a particular type of analytic graph or table, or presenting written or spoken survey response content, plus references to any specific applet or applets to assist the display process.
The SParser application, the core tool of the data display aspect of the invention, is shown in
The core tool—based on the SParser application—is unique in its ability to divide the labor of a complex design process into three separable tasks that can be performed by distinct individuals with distinct skills who are available for reasonable salaries. The skilled developers—in statistical graphics, web-page design, and database programming—are available for reasonable salaries. The core tool advances the state of the art for visual design of web pages in a data-reliant framework, allowing less skilled computer programmers to develop relatively complicated outputs with relative ease. The system reduces the amount of work required to build or extend the data analysis system by providing common tools and utilizing commonplace programming skills.
The data in the database server is obtained from a number of sources. Survey data 320 is supplied by survey respondents 20, which can be obtained by utilizing an automated survey system such as the ICS and POVS, referenced above. Administrative data 330 (such as the date of a medical visit that was the subject of a survey, for example) can be provided by the user's organization, i.e., a survey client 30. External comparative data and/or normative data 340, can be obtained from surveys or survey clients, or by external analysis 40, such as government or academic studies, or other surveys, providing data similar or related to the particular client whose survey is the subject of analysis.
A request comes from a user query—initially, the user types in the name of the site in a web browser, for example, and from there the queries are generated by clicking the mouse on links or graphical elements displayed by the web browser, being operated by the user on a user computer. This computer can be remotely located from the display system, utilizing the Internet for network connectivity.
The request is passed up to the web file server 210, which turns it over to the servlet processor 100. The servlet processor 100 invokes a standard servlet (not shown) which immediately brings in the SParser 110. Based on the nature of the request, the SParser 110 finds the correct template 120 and reads it in. Templates are normally written in two parts. The first part looks up the metadata, and the second part looks up the data. The data, combined with HTML from the template, are passed back to the servlet processor 100, which in turn feeds them back to the web file server 210, which serves it to the client computer 50, together with any Java applets which may have been referenced (such as a graphing applet 220, a table producing applet 230, and/or a multimedia applet 240). Thus, the system can flexibly utilize stored data, templates, and applets to generated the desired charts, graphical displays, and reports to the user. The templates, applets, and data structure are all pre-defined by programmers utilizing the programming method described hereinbelow.
Small clusters of custom-written applets and hypertext pages specify the capabilities of the system as perceived by the client. For example, there is a custom written applet to draw histograms or bar charts with vertical bars and another applet to draw bar charts with horizontal bars. The hypertext documents specify where the histograms or bar charts are to be drawn, and they contain SParser 110 instructions for accessing the data and data descriptors. The SParser application 110 contains a macro language so that the exact data request for the histogram or bar chart is determined when the request for display is received from the end user. Since this system produces histograms or bar charts in general, it applies to any histogram or bar chart that the system designers may wish to produce.
There are many small groups of Java applets and hypertext templates. One set, described above, draws histograms and creates control charts. The same applets and other hypertext templates show several histograms or bar charts comparing results of different survey questions for one group of survey respondents or one question for several different groups of survey respondents. Another set produces control charts—displays of performance over time with methods to detect change. Other types of hypertext templates display verbal comments by survey respondents, correlations between survey components, allow the download of parts of the database, assist users in changing passwords, and allow selection of program options, navigation, etc
Database tables that support the display process include a database of completed or partially-completed surveys, survey response data covering all persons on whom surveys were attempted, descriptions of survey data elements and derived variables, sample and/or administrative data, descriptions of data values, normative data values, and user password and preference data.
The servlet engine 130 then loads a tiny servlet which immediately invokes the SParser 110 system together with a cache of data pertinent to this particular user, such as the identity of the user and restrictions on the data that may be in force. The SParser 110 performs some housekeeping, the system reads the HTML template page and transmits it back to the web server 200 using the logic of the servlet engine 130 until the web server 200 finds a set of instructions meant for it. When it finds SParser 110 instructions, the SParser 110 follows those instructions to locate information stored within or makes the necessary connections to the database to find structural information and/or data summaries. Depending on the instructions, the SParser 110 may invoke special-purpose code in the servlet. Depending on the results, SParser deletes its own instructions and the test data and may set up one or more macro substitution rules, and then it sends to the web server 200 any data that have been requested in web page format. In the Survey Processing System Implementation, these data may consist of survey, sample or administrative databases, normative data, and structural definitions.
The actual Implementation of the Survey Processing System is based on the content of the html templates and the database structures. The key database table ("Structure") contains fields which describe the name of the data column containing a piece of data, labels for it in various display contexts, details about its origin, such as the question text, its possible range of values, the types of values employed, and the hierarchical structure of that column in the analytic framework.
SParser 110 then continues to read from the HTML template with any modifications due to macro processing, and sends the results to the web server 200. When the page is finished, the web server 200 then sends the produced HTML web page to the Internet user's computer 50 who originated the query, together with the class files from any referenced applets, to the originating browser. The output HTML file together with the applets, are executed by the browser on the user's client computer 50. By clicking on elements of the produced page, the user may initiate another query to the web server, and the process is repeated.
The SParser services include, but are not limited to, (a) storing and translating on input simple phrase substitutions based on query elements, stored phrases, or data vectors; (b) executing SQL queries; (c) managing database connections and result sets to minimize server resource consumption; (d) formatting information from queries useable HTML or JavaScript commands, (e) detecting and classifying errors and providing branching logic if they occur, and (f) deleting test data or other HTML.
The SParser application is the core tool of the invention. It is a computer program that reads hypertext templates and modifies them prior to sending them to the web server for display by the user's (client) browser. There is one template for each type of display in the system, potentially an infinite number depending on the complexity of the system. The operation of use consists of deleting test data used for design purposes and substituting actual survey data summaries. This is accomplished through compact statements containing Structured Query Language (SQL) queries and instructions about how to display the results through hypertext markup language (html) web pages and JAVA applets. The SQL statements are embedded in a specifically-designed macro language. The SParser module 110 also contains facilities for recognizing and validating user queries, substituting content based on stored information, processing errors, and efficiently executing JAVA-written special purpose instructions.
The web server 200, JAVA servlet engine 130, and database server 300 all may be drawn from convenient commercial or freely available choices. The system has been successfully implemented on both a MS Windows® and a Linux platform using the Apache server, JServ JAVA servlet engine, and MySQL database server.
When the SParser generates live data, it deletes test data used for design purposes and substitutes actual survey data summaries. Data acquisition is accomplished through compact statements containing Structured Query Language (SQL) queries to the database. SParser templates contain instructions about how to display the results through hypertext markup language (html) web pages and JAVA applets. The SQL statements are embedded in a specifically-designed macro language that allow an example to represent a family of similar queries. The SParser module also contains facilities for recognizing and validating user queries, substituting content based on stored information, processing errors, and efficiently executing JAVA-written special purpose instructions.
The following is an example of a set of SParser commands:
- <@ REQUEST(list) GMACRO(Grestrict=GlobalRestrictSurveySelectVector) SQL("SELECT Labels.Dataval AS OrderNo, Labels.Color AS ColorBar, Count(Data.QQQ) AS Cases, FROM Labels LEFT JOIN Data ON Labels.Dataval=Data.QQQ WHERE (Grestrict) GROUP BY Labels.Dataval") ARRAY(OrderNo,ColorBar,Cases) DISCARD . . . (test data) @>.
The request command defines the type of request. In this case "list" means that the results of the query will be listed out. GMACRO sets a macro for use in all following lines. In the example, the macro Grestrict is set to a variable stored internally as GlobalRestrictSurveySelectVector. Variables like that can be saved in one user request and used later in the session to keep track of sites, genders, or age groups selected. The next line contains a SQL query inside the double quotes. The ARRAY command specifies that SParser is supposed to output the list as JavaScript arrays—in this case 3 arrays named OrderNo, ColorBar, and Cases. QQQ is a macro defined in a previous SParser command sequence containing the column in the Data table that is set in a previous request from the Structure table. Finally, the DISCARD command indicates that all further command input is to be ignored as SParser produces its results. The entire SParser sequence is contained between delimiters <@ and @>. The table below contains further examples of the SParser macro language:
- <@ REQUEST(list) GMACRO(Grestrict=GlobalRestrictSurveySelectVector) SQL("SELECT Labels.Dataval AS OrderNo, Labels.Color AS ColorBar, Count(Data.QQQ) AS Cases, FROM Labels LEFT JOIN Data ON Labels.Dataval=Data.QQQ WHERE (Grestrict) GROUP BY Labels.Dataval") ARRAY(OrderNo,ColorBar,Cases) DISCARD . . . (test data) @>.
The macro language allows the user to set macros based on query parameters, the results of a query, or from saved context. Once the macro is set, all remaining input from the HTML template is scanned for the macro substitution phrase. If the phrase is observed, the value is substituted. In a typical HTML template, an early sequence of commands is used to obtain metadata, and then the metadata are used to structure the queries for other types of data, as in the example immediately above.
Referring to
A database programmer 602 is a programmer who knows Structured Query Language (SQL), the lingua franka of major databases such as MySQL®, Oracle®, Microsoft® SQL server, and IBM's DB2®. The database programmer 602 is also familiar with the contents of the databases used by the database server 300. The database programmer 602 understands and adds the SParser instructions necessary to utilized the Java applet using the appropriate data. The database programmer 602 produces a test html page 606, which is an HTML page that combines the test program 602 from the applet designer 600 with an example of data from the database. Apart from the SParser instructions, it is usually a mechanical reformulation of the test code for the applet. The reformulation is needed so that the data are actually passed to the applet. This step is completed when the graph, table, or other display is browsed with the test data (without regard for esthetics).
The esthetics or style programmer 608 is a person who is familiar with designing web sites and formatting web pages. This kind of programmer usually knows little about statistics or databases, but may have extensive artistic training. A visual design program (such as Macromedia's DreamWeaver®) may be used at this step as a design tool. A nearly-finished HTML template is thus produced by the programmer 608. Only a final review by the database programmer 604 is necessary to supply any data that may have been missed previously and to ensure that the SParser commands are correct and operational. The final result is a data display 612 that is created by the process described in
The system and method is ultimately easier to use than current technology because the data may be found in the well-organized hierarchical structure. Data are divided into Satisfaction, Functioning, Cost, and Clinical quality/outcome measures, plus personal data such as age, gender, and diagnosis. Satisfaction data are further divided into categories such as Initiating Care, Receiving Care, Discharge and Billing, and Overall Satisfaction. A nurse, doctor, or quality improvement specialist can easily see performance, compared over medical unit, over time, by age or sex, or by any other variable in the system.
The system (in the larger sense) is also easier to maintain since it depends upon database tables rather than hard-coded logic. To implement a new survey, one need only supply a new structure table and the necessary data labels and (if desired) normative information. Indeed, these structure tables can be automatically generated based on survey scripts used in other parts of the applicant's system. In this sense, this application is related to co-pending applications describing the ICS and the POVS, referenced hereinabove.
The invention has been described hereinabove using specific examples; however, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various alternatives may be used and equivalents may be substituted for elements or steps described herein, without deviating from the scope of the invention. Modifications may be necessary to adapt the invention to a particular situation or to particular needs without departing from the scope of the invention. It is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular implementation described herein, but that the claims be given their broadest interpretation to cover all embodiments, literal or equivalent, covered thereby.
1. A method for generating a web page for displaying a display presentation on a user computer comprising the steps of:
- storing a plurality of HTML templates in advance;
- receiving a web page request from a user computer, said web page request for generating said display presentation on the user computer;
- executing a servlet corresponding to said web page request;
- retrieving one of said HTML templates according to said executed servlet, said one of said HTML templates corresponding to said web page request, wherein said one of said HTML templates refers to one or more applets;
- interpreting said one of said HTML templates, said interpreting including the steps of: retrieving display data from a database for serving to the user computer, said display data included in one or more structure tables, generating a web page based on said one of said HTML templates, and retrieving said one or more applets referred to by said one of said HTML templates,
- serving said web page to the user computer;
- serving said one or more applets to the user computer;
- displaying said display presentation on the user computer using said web page and said one or more applets executing on the user computer to generate a graphical image, wherein
- said display presentation is for presenting survey results of a previously conducted survey based on said structure table, and further wherein
- a display presentation of another survey can be presented by substituting another one or more structure tables for said one or more structure tables.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more applets are for analyzing said display data for the purpose of drawing a graph for inclusion in said display presentation, and wherein said graph is updated using updated display data from said another one or more structure tables.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more applets is a member of the group consisting of: a graphing applet for generating a graphical diagram on the user computer; a table producing applet for generating a table on the user computer; and a multimedia applet for generating a multimedia presentation on the user computer.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein said HTML template comprises: title information; descriptive data for labeling said display presentation; and JavaScript code to communicate size and location information to said at least one applet for directing the size and location of a graph or a table included in said display presentation.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein said database comprises a plurality of sub-databases including: a template sub-database; a survey data sub-database; a sample and administrative data sub-database; and a normative data sub-database.
6. A system for generating display presentations on a user computer, said system comprising:
- a communication network for connecting a user computer to the system;
- a web server for receiving a web page request from the user computer and for serving a presentation to the user computer over said communication network;
- a servlet engine for executing servlets served by said web server according to said web page request from the user computer;
- a memory for storing an HTML template comprising test data, wherein said HTML template corresponds to said web page request and wherein said HTML template refers to at least one applet;
- an interpreter for interpreting said HTML template, said interpreter activated by the execution of said servlet, wherein
- said interpreter strips said test data from said HTML template and embeds previously collected survey data in said HTML template for said web server to serve to said user computer, and wherein
- said web server serves said at least one applet to said user computer for execution by said user computer for generating a graphical image for providing said display presentation according to said HTML template.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein said applet is for drawing a graph for inclusion in said display presentation, and wherein said graph is updated using updated data provided by said web server to update said display presentation.
8. A method for displaying survey results in a display presentation on a user computer, comprising the steps of:
- storing survey data from a previously conducted survey;
- storing updated survey data based on an updated survey conducted after said previously conducted survey;
- storing a plurality of HTML templates created in advance;
- receiving a web page request from the user computer;
- in response to receiving said web page request, retrieving one HTML template from said plurality of HTML templates, wherein said one of said HTML templates is utilized for generating a format of said display presentation, and wherein said HTML template is comprised of test data and refers to at least one applet;
- substituting display data for said test data of said one HTML template;
- serving said applet to said user computer based on an interpretation of said one HTML template;
- serving said display data to said user computer;
- serving HTML to said user computer based on the interpretation of said HTML template, said HTML for generating a display presentation on said user computer by executing said applet on said user computer, said applet analyzing said display data for generating a graphical display presented as a web page formatted according to said HTML.
9. A method for generating a web page for displaying a display presentation on a user computer comprising the steps of:
- storing a plurality of HTML templates in advance, wherein said HTML template comprises one or more of: title information, descriptive data for labeling said display presentation, and/or JavaScript code to communicate size and location information to said at least one applet for directing the size and location of a graph or a table included in said display presentation;
- receiving a web page request from a user computer, said web page request for generating said display presentation on the user computer;
- executing a servlet corresponding to said web page request;
- retrieving one of said HTML templates according to said executed servlet, said one of said HTML templates corresponding to said web page request, wherein said one of said HTML templates refers to one or more applets;
- interpreting said one of said HTML templates, said interpreting including the steps of: retrieving display data from a database for serving to the user computer, said display data included in one or more structure tables, generating a web page based on said one of said HTML templates, and retrieving said one or more applets referred to by said one of said HTML templates,
- serving said web page to the user computer;
- serving said one or more applets to the user computer;
- displaying said display presentation on the user computer using said web page and said one or more applets executing on the user computer to generate a graphical image, wherein
- said display presentation is for presenting survey results of a previously conducted survey based on said structure table, and further wherein
- a display presentation of another survey can be presented by substituting another one or more structure tables for said one or more structure tables.
|October 9, 2001
|Yang et al.
|December 11, 2001
|April 30, 2002
|Caughran et al.
|August 27, 2002
|Griffin et al.
|May 13, 2003
|Baber et al.
|September 23, 2003
|Barrick et al.
|November 11, 2003
|November 22, 2001
|April 18, 2002
|Rochon et al.
|May 30, 2002
|Hackney et al.
- Mehra et al, "Designing a flexible services-based architecture for Internet applications" ACM 2000, pp. 31-32.
Type: Grant
Filed: Apr 27, 2005
Date of Patent: Sep 27, 2011
Patent Publication Number: 20050192931
Assignee: Quality Data Management, Inc. (Cleveland, OH)
Inventor: William H. Rogers (Newton, MA)
Primary Examiner: Uyen T. Le
Attorney: Pearne & Gordon LLP
Application Number: 11/115,785
International Classification: G06F 7/00 (20060101); G06F 17/30 (20060101);


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Book Review: Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older/
by Daniel José Older
Goodreads | Amazon
Rating: A for out of the box plot element and potential
Shadowshaper follows Sierra Santiago a sixteen-year-old living in Brooklyn as she discovers that she is the heir to powers that she never imagined. The book is inspired by Carribean folklore which is unusual enough that it felt very fresh. It is not a predictable story, and many of the elements surprised me.
There was a whole lot of action in this novel. It would have benefitted from a bit of slowing down and some more introspection. Of course, I think almost all books need more introspection in them. Having said that the pacing is excellent. The story is propelled forward at a furious pace, and I really resented when I had to stop reading. The imagery was also top shelf.
Character wise I think that this book was a bit ambitious. There is a very large cast of characters, all beautifully and realistically diverse, but the author didn't seem to have time to develop any of their characters arcs. No one changes. I was most disappointed with Sierra's development because she starts out in such a strong place character wise. She is tough, funny, and both self-aware and self-confident. The sass factor is also high. There were a few flashes of vulnerability that hinted at Sierra's full complexity. I also loved that she pulls a Hermione and runs to the library to find out more at the first opportunity. Is this a magical realism element? Maybe I am misreading things
Her friends and family were colorful and vibrant. I especially liked her friend, Izzy, who is like this tiny little loud mouth with no filter. Sierra starts a semi-romantic/ potentially romantic/ I think they are together relationship with Robbie, another Shadowshaper. This is another area where I wish that more time has been taken. I could feel the chemistry between them and the relationship progressed, but it was never emotionally processed. In the end, it felt like a hookup that might be something more.
There is a whole lot of weirdness going on in this book. Paintings come to life, zombies, The White Man of Doom, etc. Sierra doesn't keep anything a secret. She pretty much tells the whole world, "Hey! Magic! I have it." And everyone just goes with it. No one asks her to prove it to them or worries that perhaps she is losing her mind. Don't get me wrong, I love her support group of friends and family, but no one turns a hair. Even the one character who decided not to help her doesn't refuse because he doesn't believe but because the situation to "too freaky" for her.
Shadowshaper felt like a Middle-Grade novel but with aspects of YA. Or I initially thought that it was MG and was surprised that it was YA. Sometimes expectations do that to us. I was a bit miffed at the ending. I felt as if there was a lot more that needed to be explored and that Sierra still had a lot of growing to do. The major plot was finished, but there seemed to be more to tell. Fortunately, there is a sequel.
Which I am going to be reading.
From Goodreads:
Cassandra Clare meets Caribbean legend in SHADOWSHAPER, an action-packed urban fantasy from a bold new talent.
Sierra Santiago was looking forward to a fun summer of making art, hanging out with her friends, and skating around Brooklyn. But then a weird zombie guy crashes the first party of the season. Sierra's near-comatose abuelo begins to say "No importa" over and over. And when the graffiti murals in Bed-Stuy start to weep.... Well, something stranger than the usual New York mayhem is going on.
Sierra soon discovers a supernatural order called the Shadowshapers, who connect with spirits via paintings, music, and stories. Her grandfather once shared the order's secrets with an anthropologist, Dr. Jonathan Wick, who turned the Caribbean magic to his own foul ends. Now Wick wants to become the ultimate Shadowshaper by killing all the others, one by one. With the help of her friends and the hot graffiti artist Robbie, Sierra must dodge Wick's supernatural creations, harness her own Shadowshaping abilities, and save her family's past, present, and future.


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Leadership for me is a highly fascinating and sophisticated topic. There is no such thing as "the one right style", in fact, I think that research on this field is even still debating whether it's something acquired or innate. There are different approaches to it and while I think they all hold some truth, I doubt they are complete enough to be applicable to the multitude of situations that require one or another form of leadership (when does an action qualify as leadership anyway?)...
That said, there are some leadership philosophies that quite resonate with me and which come close to what I, personally, consider good leadership. One of these concepts is called "Level 5 Leadership" and is a guiding theme throughout Jim Collins' book "Good to Great". I haven't read the book yet (it's been on my shelf for far too long), but I did read a case study by HBS on it.
In summary, the author analyzed 1,435 Fortune 500 companies and only found only 11 that achieved and maintained greatness (defined as: garnering stock returns at least three times the market's – for 15 years after a major transition period). What Collins found out was that the leaders of these companies were such Level 5 leaders who, by his definition, blend the paradoxical combination of deep personal humility with intense professional will.
I wasn't much surprised by the latter part of the definition, but deep personal humility? Could humility really be that much of a key differentiator I thought? As I kept on reading, I learned that these type of Level 5 leaders routinely credit others, external factors and good luck for their companies' success. They credit others for their successes and take the blame for the collective mishaps.
I further learned that their willpower and drive (the part that didn't really surprise me) are channeled into the cause of the endeavor. They don't make it about themselves. It doesn't matter how they look to the public or how what they do will reflect on their careers, the money or the power. It's just about their cause and the mission. And they have this utterly stoic desire to do whatever it takes to succeed for the sake of that cause.
As I thought about it, I got reminded of another interesting piece of research that I read in the book "Give and Take" which is very much aligned with this characteristic of humility. The author, Adam Grant, was introducing the concept of "Givers" and "Takers." Givers being people who constantly give their time, effort and resources to help others without any expectation of return whereas Takers do the exact opposite (take other people's time, effort and resources with no intention of returning).
Grant was mentioning three examples that were indicators of givers (who are generally very humble). First factor he identified was the gap in compensation between the CEO and the next highest-paid executive. The gap of Giver-type CEOs was significantly lower than that of Taker-type CEOs.
The second cue was based on how these CEOs spoke. The takers tended to use first-person singular pronouns, like "I" and "me," as opposed to "us" and "we," when talking about the company.
The third indicator was that the takers thought it was all about them: I am the most important and central figure in this company. When you looked at their photos in the company's annual reports, they actually had larger photos. They were even more likely to be pictured alone.
My own experience has shown that the best and most successful managers in my career have been the ones who were the humblest. The ones who really made it about the mission, not their ego. Once again, there are many important traits, but the next time I hear someone say "I did this, I built that," this research on humility can help put things into perspective!


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Abercrombie's look policy has consistently come back to bite the retailer in the rear, thanks to the strict requirements it puts on its employees. Seven years ago, a young Muslim applicant, Samantha Elauf from Tulsa, was denied a job because she wears a hijab, so she took Abercrombie to court saying the company didn't hire her because of her religion.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will have to decide whether Abercrombie's actions infringed on Elauf's religious rights or if the failure to hire her is just the retailer sticking to a company look policy. This is not the first time the retailer has come under fire over its treatment of employees who wear the hijab. In 2010, Meni Khan sued the company for firing her after she declined to remove her hijab for work. Abercrombie argued that the look policy is the foundation of its brand, insinuating that allowing anyone to go outside those rules creates "undue hardship" for the retailer.
This "undue hardship" clause is what could win Abercrombie this case, if the company can prove that allowing Elauf to work with her hijab on would create a situation for the retailer. The retailer also says that when it interviewed Elauf for the job, she made no mention that she wore her headscarf for religious purposes. It claims to have thought she was wearing a headscarf for other reasons. In the cases leading up to this, one federal judge ruled in favor of Elauf, while the other ruled against in appeals, saying she should have informed the company that she was wearing the hijab because of her faith.
Now it's up to the highest court in the land to decide. Was it Elauf's responsibility to specify the reason for her headscarf, or should Abercrombie have just known? While Abercrombie could have a convincing case, we wonder how "undue" or "hard" it is really to allow employees to wear something as simple as a headscarf? What damage is that doing to the image of the company? Indeed, some may argue that allowing this young woman to work would be a good look for Abercrombie since the company has become as famous for its discriminatory policies as it has for offensive T-shirts. It would show that the company is turning over a new leaf and attempting to be more inclusive. But for now, it seems the Abercrombie ideal of all-American beauty does not include religious people. The retailer has also barred employees from wearing cross necklaces, a symbol of Christianity. Former CEO Mike Jeffries said the retailer was "absolutely" "exclusionary," and Abercrombie has more than lived up to those statements since.
[via USA Today]