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The Esteemed 52rd Masters Concludes With Four New Masters Champions
53rd Masters - Day 1 | 20th Jr. Masters
Pine Mountain, GA – Yesterday's conclusion of the 53rd Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament at Callaway Gardens brought four new Masters Champions including Men's Trick champion Alexandre Poteau, Slalom champion Nate Smith, Jump champion Ryan Dodd and Women's Wakeboard champion Meagan Ethell plus a new course record in Women's Trick pulled by the Ski Nautique 200. In Women's events, Natallia Berdnikava set a new course record in Women's Tricks with a score of 9,520 points and claimed the Masters title followed by Iris Cambray and Whitney McClintock. Top seed Regina Jaquess skied a half a buoy more than Whitney McClintock to earn the Women's Slalom title. Berdnikava claimed her second title of the day in Women's Jump with a score of 173 feet with Jacinta Carroll and Marion Mathieu rounding out the podium. In the Men's disciplines, Alexandre Poteau from France tricked 10,560 points earning his first Masters Trick title. Nate Smith who was seeded second in the finals ran 5@39-off taking the lead and earning his first Masters Slalom title followed by Thomas Degasperi and Aaron Larkin. Defending Masters Champion Freddy Krueger who was last off the dock was no match for Ryan Dodd who jumped 225 feet earning his first Masters Jump title! During the Wakeskate finals, the wind picked up drastically changing the conditions from the previous day. Grant Roberts had a good run and attempted the 540, which has never been tried in a contest, but was unable to ride away from it scoring 65.00. Last off the dock was defending wakeskate champion Reed Hansen making his destiny with a run of 70.00 and preserving his Masters title for the second year in a row. Women's wakeboarding finals was top level riding that has ever been seen in competition and Meagan Ethell was the first female to ever land a wake to wake crow mobe as her wild trick earning her first Masters wakeboard title. During the men's finals we saw some of the most progressive runs ever in a contest behind the all-new Super Air Nautique G23 and attempts at tricks that have never been tried before. Aaron Rathy set the bar, but had two falls that did not allow him to complete as many tricks as defending Masters Champion Harley Clifford and Phil Soven. Clifford knew what he had to do, but a fall in his pass put him in second as Soven had two flawless passes that included a whirly 7, amongst other technical tricks and spins earning the coveted Masters title. For complete up-to-date scores of the 53rd Masters or to view the action, please visit masterswaterski.com. An invitation to compete in the Masters is universally considered an acknowledgement of achievement for reaching the pinnacle in a given watersports discipline - only the world's most elite athletes compete at the Masters. This tournament is IWWF/USA Water Ski and WWA sanctioned.Wake ResultsPro Men Final1. Soven, Phillip (USA) - 85.002. Clifford, Harley (AUS) - 83.333. Rathy, Aaron (CAN) - 70.004. Lafferty, Steel (USA) - 62.50 Pro Women Final1. Ethell, Meagan (USA) - 80.002. Butler, Nicola (GBR) - 75.003. Wing, Amber (AUS) - 60.004. Merritt, Raimi (USA) - 30.00 Pro Wakeskate Final1. Hansen, Reed (USA) - 70.002. Roberts, Grant (USA) - 65.003. Thomas, Brandon (USA) - 55.004. Grubb, Brian (USA) - 50.00
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Brussels, 26 September 2011
The Single Market through the eyes of the people: a snapshot of citizens' and businesses' 20 main concerns: Frequently Asked Questions
Concern No. 1 is about social security. What can the EU do?
The Commission co-ordinates national social security systems but has no power to harmonise them. Member States retain responsibility for determining the details of their own social security systems including which benefits shall be provided and the conditions of eligibility. The EU law establishes common rules and principles which must be observed by all national authorities when applying national law. These rules ensure that the application of the different national legislations respects the basic principles of equality of treatment and non-discrimination.
For healthcare protection for instance, a person moving to another Member State will be treated under the same conditions as a national of that Member State. But as procedures might be different from his home country, he cannot expect to experience a system which would be exactly the same as that in his home country.
The EU legal framework has been modernised (EC Regulation 987/2009) with the aim of simplifying and clarifying the rules applicable. The main objective of the modernisation of social security systems is to make the coordination system work more efficiently and provide better protection for citizens. In this context, given the challenges existing in this field, the Commission has been undertaking a set of actions. It has provided detailed guidance to Member States and their national institutions and organised a number of training seminars with the direct participation of local social security institutions to encourage cooperation and exchange of best practices.
A major progress of the modernised social security coordination represents the gradual building and implementation of electronic exchange of information between the different national social security institutions.
Concern No. 2 is about patients' rights in cross-border healthcare. What can the EU do?
The Commission has improved information on patients' rights by revamping some of its information websites such as Your Europe. Specific information materials have been made available, in particular on the role and use of the European Health Insurance Card and on healthcare abroad.
The recently adopted Directive on Cross-border Healthcare (2011/24/EU) will bring further improvements which will enable patients to make better informed decisions. Member States have to transpose this Directive into national law by 25 October 2013. The Directive brings:
Concern No. 3 is about residence cards for non-EU family members of an EU citizen. What can the EU do?
The Commission continues to work together with the Member States to tackle outstanding issues relating to the transposition of the Free Movement Directive (2004/38/EC) and to improve the application of its rules on the ground with a view to ensuring the full effectiveness of this fundamental right of EU citizens and their family members. To this end, the Commission will carry out, in 2012, a study evaluating the knowledge of free movement rights by national, regional and local authorities and the training systems in place in the Member States.
On the basis of its Green paper on the free circulation of public documents and on the recognition of the effects of civil status records, the Commission has also launched a public consultation that ended recently. The results are available on http://ec.europa.eu/justice/newsroom/civil/opinion/110510_en.htm; the Commission is currently in the process of analysing them.
As regards future steps, there are two potential legislative proposals foreseen in the Action Plan implementing the Stockholm Programme, scheduled for 2013. They are related, respectively, to the free circulation of documents through dispensing with the legalisation of documents between Member States and to the recognition of the effects of certain civil status documents (e.g. relating to affiliation, adoption and name).
Concern No. 4 is about professionals who have difficulties getting their qualifications recognised in another Member State. What can the EU do?
The Professional Qualifications Directive facilitates the free movement of EU-professionals within the European Union, regardless of where in the EU they have acquired their professional qualifications. The modernisation of the Professional Qualifications Directive is one of the 12 key actions in the Single Market Act.
After extensive consultations with stakeholders, on 22 June 2011, the Commission published a Green paper on the modernisation of the Professional Qualifications Directive (IP/11/767). The Green Paper develops new ideas for facilitating free movement of citizens in the single market, such as the European Professional Card. It explores ways to build on achievements under the Directive but also sets out options for modernising automatic recognition. A broad consultation on these ideas will help the Commission assess the different options for the modernisation of the Professional Qualifications Directive. A legislative proposal to amend the existing Directive is planned for the end of 2011.
Concern No. 5 is about workers who face discriminatory employment practices. What can the EU do?
All forms of discrimination on the grounds of racial and ethnic origin, religion and belief, disability, age and sexual orientation are banned under EU anti-discrimination legislation (see Council Directives 200/78/EC and 200/43/EC). The goal now is to ensure that this legislation is applied in practice. If a public authority is directly or indirectly involved in such practices, the Commission can intervene through the infringement procedure and SOLVIT can mediate. Where private employers discriminate, EU law applies but the workers concerned have to fight their case in front of national courts or seek the help of national administrations.
Concern No. 6 is about tax barriers for cross-border workers and employers. What can the EU do?
The Commission is required to take action against any provisions of Member States' tax laws that discriminate on the grounds of nationality or impede EU freedoms. To this end, it monitors continuously EU Member States' compliance with the principles on the taxation of cross-border workers. Where a Member State fails to comply with EU law, the Commission has the power to take action to try to bring the infringement to an end and, in the case of continued non-compliance, will refer the case to the European Court of Justice. SOLVIT may also offer practical assistance to settle the case with public administrations.
As regards tax problems such as red tape and the inability to obtain correct information that cross-border workers may face, the Commission is currently considering, in cooperation with Member States and stakeholders, what action could be taken to make citizens' lives easier. Solutions could include setting up one-stop shops for foreign tax queries, improved information provision, translating forms and information into all commonly used languages and speeding up refund claims.
Concerning the problem of double taxation, the European Court of Justice has made it clear that double taxation which results from the parallel exercise of taxing rights by two or more Member States is not per se contrary to EU law. Nevertheless, the Commission considers that double taxation carries the risk of jeopardising the smooth functioning of the internal market and should be eliminated. The Commission will consider these double taxation problems in detail in a Communication that it aims to adopt this year, with a view to presenting possible solutions in 2012.
Concern No. 7 is about opening a bank account abroad. What can the EU do?
Access to a basic bank account is one of the priorities of the Single Market Act. It has the potential to improve the lives of millions of Europeans.
According to recent studies, around 30 million consumers over the age of 18 in the European Union do not have a bank account. Out of these 30 million 'unbanked' citizens, it is estimated that between 6 and 7 million do not have a bank account because they have been denied access to one. These individuals cannot currently benefit fully from the Single Market.
In July 2011, the Commission adopted a Recommendation to encourage Member States to ensure that all consumers have access to basic payment accounts (IP/11/897). These accounts would offer basic services, but not overdraft facilities, and would be provided either free or at a reasonable charge. The Commission will assess the situation in one year's time and propose any further measures as may be necessary, including legislative measures.
Concern No. 8 is about students facing discrimination regarding recognition of diplomas, fees, and financial support. What can the EU do?
The Commission actively supports the Bologna process, which aims to create a European Higher Education Area. In this context, it promotes and supports tools to facilitate the recognition of foreign diplomas by national authorities. In addition, the European Qualifications Framework aims to relate different national qualifications systems to a common European Reference framework, so that all new qualifications issued as of 2012 carry a reference to an appropriate EQF level. The Commission finally coordinates the National Academic Recognition Centres (NARIC), which provide authoritative advice and information concerning the academic recognition of diplomas and periods of study undertaken in other countries.
As concerns the respect of students' rights to free movement and equal treatment, the Commission has published guidance1 for national authorities and stakeholders. This guidance covers issues such as access to educational institutions, recognition of diplomas, the portability of grants, and other rights of students in the host country or in the country of origin. It should help to establish the rights of students to free movement as a clear area of EU law, underpinning the trend already established by the Court.
Concern No. 9 is about cross-border pension and inheritance tax issues. What can the EU do?
One problem that appears to have been largely resolved as a result of Commission action is that of discrimination in the tax area against contributions to foreign pension schemes. In its Pension Taxation Communication of 20012 the Commission presented a comprehensive strategy to deal with the tax obstacles to the cross-border provision of occupational pensions. Following this, it launched infringement proceedings against several Member States that gave tax relief for payments of pension contributions to domestic pension providers but did not grant it for payments to foreign providers. As a result, all Member States now comply with EU law in this respect and therefore mobile workers will not suffer tax discrimination if they remain in the pension scheme of their State of origin after they take up a job in another Member State.
As the Court of Justice has clarified that taxing outbound transfers of pension capital while exempting domestic transfers is against EU law,3 the Commission is now examining whether all Member States comply with that rule.
As regards the double taxation of pensions, the Commission has plans (see concern no. 6) for an initiative aimed at tackling in a comprehensive manner the remaining double taxation problems in the EU which are not resolved by existing double taxation conventions or EU legislation.
As far as cross-border inheritance tax problems are concerned, the Commission is planning to present suggestions for solutions later this year.
Concern No. 10 is about cross-border car registration and tax issues. What can the EU do?
As regards tax issues, the Commission intends to present a Communication, in the future, to clarify the rights and obligations of citizens and Member States' administrations where citizens move to another Member State taking their car with them, and to make some recommendations to Member States about how to avoid double taxation in this situation.
With regard to the problems of car registration, the main victims are citizens who are still facing tremendous difficulties when they transfer their car from one Member State to another or when they purchase a second-hand car in another Member States. Cross-border workers also suffer from major difficulties when they use a company car registered in the Member State of their employer. Therefore, the first thing that we need to do is eliminating burdensome procedures and paperwork. The Commission intends to make a legislative proposal to solve these problems by mid 2012.
Concern No. 11 is about passenger rights. What can the EU do?
The application and enforcement of the EU law for passenger rights falls under the responsibility of the Member States. The Commission is monitoring and ensuring an effective application of the applicable rules in the EU, through swift complaint handling procedures and regular exchange of views and meetings with competent national authorities.
An informed passenger is in a better position to exercise its rights. The Commission is therefore carrying out a vast EU wide passenger rights information campaign, which aims at reaching as many citizens as possible by using various means of communication.
In order to improve the passengers' situation when they are buying transport and accommodation together, the Commission is currently working on the revision of the Package Travel Directive (90/314/EEC). The Directive contains rules concerning the liability of package organisers and retailers, and rules on information that must be given to consumers at different points in time.
One of the main purposes of the ongoing review process is to simplify citizens' lives when buying combined travel services on-line. The adoption of a legislative proposal is scheduled for the third quarter of 2012.
Concern No. 12 is about complex and costly banking and financial services. What can the EU do?
Presently, the Commission is working with the banking industry on a self-regulatory initiative to bring about transparency and comparability of bank account fees. This work will address the issues of complex fees terminology as well as the provision of price lists and fees statements for consumers. An outline solution at EU level, for implementation in each Member State, is due by early autumn 2011.
With regard to the clarity and comparability of fees to enable consumers to choose and, if necessary, switch bank accounts, the Commission is currently monitoring, through a mystery shopping study, the effectiveness of the Common Principles on Bank Account Switching, in operation in the EU since November 2009. Results are expected by the end of 2011. On consumer credit the Commission has ensured transparency and comparability through the Consumer Credit Directive (2008/48/EC).
Poor comparability of banking fees offers may sometimes stem from deliberately misleading actions. EU law provides an instrument to protect consumers from such actions, through the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (2005/29/EC). This Directive also applies in the financial services sector. A report on the overall application of the Directive, to be possibly accompanied by a new legislative proposal, is scheduled for spring 2012.
Concern No. 13 is about consumers' confidence in on-line shopping. What can the EU do?
The Commission is actively committed to making things work better online. Its vision and strategy will be presented in a Communication on e-commerce in the single market at the end of 2011. As many barriers still need to be removed, the Commission will present an action plan entirely devoted to the development of on-line services. It will integrate possible new actions and put in perspective initiatives already made public, such as:
Concern No. 14 is about the best choice and price for of the energy supply. What can the EU do?
Energy bills are important tools for the improved management of energy consumption. Consumers need a correct, clear, concise energy bill that facilitates comparison of alternative offers. A good bill should be both informative and help them to make the choices that best fit their budget and lifestyle. The European Commission has developed a guideline on billing and templates of what such bills could look like. The Commission is working with stakeholders to make sure that more and more people get energy bills that comply with these standards. For more information see: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/citizen/my_rights/energy_en.htm
As a follow up to a study into the functioning of retail electricity markets for consumers, the London Citizens Energy Forum4 mandated the national regulators to develop guidelines for providing information to consumers more effectively, for making it easier to compare prices and to switch suppliers. For more information see:
Concern No. 15 is about quality and price of Internet and telephony services. What can the EU do?
The Commission took action already in 2007 to limit the excessive charges paid by consumers for using their mobile phones while travelling in the EU. The EU Roaming Regulation introduced caps on roaming prices ("Eurotariffs"), as well as transparency measures.
As this Regulation expires in 2012, the Commission has proposed a long-term solution to the continued high cost of using mobile phones and other mobile devices whilst travelling in the EU (roaming).
It proposed in July 2011 a Regulation to introduce structural measures to boost competition by allowing customers from 1 July 2014, if they so wish, to sign up for a cheaper mobile roaming contract, separate from their contract for national mobile services, whilst using the same phone number. The proposal would also give mobile operators (including so-called virtual mobile operators, who do not have their own network) the right to use other operators' networks in other Member States at regulated wholesale prices, and so encourage more operators to compete on the roaming market. By 1 July 2014, roaming consumers would pay no more than 24 cents per minute to make a call, a maximum 10 cents per minute to receive a call, maximum 10 cents to send a text message and maximum 50 cents per Megabyte (MB) to download data or browse the Internet whilst travelling abroad (charged per Kilobyte used). For more information see: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/roaming/index_en.htm
Concern No. 16 is about businesses being discouraged from participating in foreign public tenders. What can the EU do?
Public contracts define the arrangements for public expenditure on buildings, goods and services and relate to the purchase of all manner of goods and services, from computer systems, waste water treatment systems and shipbuilding to consultancy. It is estimated that all the public contracts awarded in the EU represent, together, some 17% of GDP. The open and transparent rules for public contracts imposed by the EU reinforce competition, provide better protection against corruption and allow taxpayers to benefit from more effective services and better value for money.
The Commission is launching a reform of the legislation on public procurement. This is one of the 12 priority actions of the Single Market Act. The Commission assessed the impact and effectiveness of EU legislation on public procurement and held a consultation process on the basis of a Green Paper on the modernisation of EU public procurement policy. The information gathered will serve as a basis in preparing the Commission's legislative proposals before the end of this year.
Also, to improve the situation the Commission has published a European Code of Best practices, facilitating access by SMEs to public procurement contracts (http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/publicprocurement/docs/sme_code_of_best_practices_en.pdf).
Concern No. 17 is about businesses access to finance. What can the EU do?
With regard to financing for regular business investments, EU funds are allocated to financial intermediaries to help SMEs find seed money, start up, expand and transfer their business, by using equity financing and guarantees. The operational management is performed by the European Investment Fund (EIF).
SMEs wishing to apply for an equity investment need to contact the funds that have signed an agreement with the EIF and, for guarantee financing, one of the financial intermediaries that have signed an agreement with EIF. Further details and lists of the EIF partners can be found in the Access to Finance website: http://www.access2finance.eu.
EU funds are also allocated to national and regional authorities via the Structural Funds. SMEs wishing to benefit from those should locate the relevant national/regional managing authorities for more information. For other sources of financing locally available, SMEs can refer to their closest Enterprise Europe Network branch.
Concern No. 18 is about burdensome rules and procedures preventing entrepreneurs and investors from doing business in another country. What can the EU do?
The process of implementation of the Services Directive is starting to bear fruit by removing legal and administrative barriers to trade in the services sector.
On his visits to Member States, Commissioner Michel Barnier is meeting the relevant Ministers to determine on the ground what practical problems are being encountered in the implementation of the Directive. This has lead to valuable exchanges of views and of best practice.
In particular, Member States have already removed a considerable number of unjustified and disproportionate requirements in areas like trade, regulated professions, construction, tourism or business services and have simplified procedures and formalities that service providers need to comply with. The Commission is currently running a first analysis of the economic effects of the Directive based on the actual results of the implementation (available at the beginning of 2012) and which should highlight the potential that remains to be tapped.
The Commission is also dedicating important resources to the assessment of the quality of the work done by the Member States, including through studies, and will not hesitate to play its role of guardian of the treaties to ensure correct and complete implementation.
Moreover, in the coming months, the Commission, together with the Member States, will run a series of "performance checks" of the various European rules that apply in the field of services in order to identify, based on concrete examples, possible incoherencies and overlaps, with the aim of proposing solutions for the improvement of the functioning of the internal market.
A concrete and visible outcome of the directive has been the set up of Points of Single Contact through which businesses can obtain all relevant information and deal with all administrative formalities electronically and across borders. As required under the Directive, 24 Member States have already set up such operational portals and the Commission is actively supporting them in this project by offering technical assistance for the further development of the Points of Single Contact.
In addition, businesses can count on the support provided by the Your Europe Portal and the Enterprise Europe Network to help them.
Concern No. 19 is about VAT cross-border refund procedures. What can the EU do?
A new VAT Refund Directive came into force on 1st January 20105. It allows for the refund of VAT on business expenses incurred in another Member State through a fully electronic procedure whereby the taxable person submits his application on a web portal developed by his national tax administration.
Although this new system is more efficient than the old paper procedure, some businesses have complained about the divergences between the different Member States in some of the technical details relating to the practical operation of the national web portals. The Commission has already taken steps to come to an agreement with Member States on improvements in this area. It has made a proposal for a new Directive (COM(2010)381) to harmonise some features of the national VAT refund web portals in order to make them more interoperable and accessible for taxpayers. Pending the adoption of this proposal, the Commission has set up a working group consisting of experts from Member States and businesses to agree on some key improvements.
Concern No. 20 is about protection of the intellectual property rights. What can the EU do?
Intellectual property rights (IPR) comprise: patents, trademarks, designs and geographical indications, as well as copyright (authors' rights) and rights related to copyright (for performers, producers and broadcasters).
The Commission already launched proposals in April 2011 for a unitary patent protection under enhanced cooperation (IP/11/470) that will radically reduce the cost of patents in Europe by up to 80 %.
Trade marks:
While trade mark registration in the EU has been harmonised in Member States for almost 20 years and the Community trade mark was established 15 years ago, there is an increasing demand for more streamlined, effective and consistent registration systems. The Commission intends to present proposals in 2011 to modernise the trade mark system both at EU and national levels and to adapt it to the Internet era.
In July 2011, the Commission published a Green Paper on the online distribution of audiovisual works in the European Union (see IP/11/868 – consultation ongoing) which looks at the ways in which the audiovisual sector is changing in response to technological developments and consumer expectations. It invites stakeholders to comment on the challenges and opportunities facing audiovisual media service providers, and in particular whether the regulatory and legal framework poses barriers to the cross border availability of online services in the EU.
The Green Paper focuses in particular on the copyright licensing framework, and discusses a number of regulatory approaches to licensing. In addition, it looks at the remuneration of authors and performers for the online use of their works; and deals with certain special uses of audiovisual works.
Counterfeiting and piracy
The European Commission and EU Member States are fighting counterfeit and other intellectual property rights (IPR) infringements on various fronts. At strategic level a Customs Action Plan was adopted by the EU Council in 2009 to effectively combat illicit trade.
The Commission is currently working on two initiatives that should help to address the problem on the high costs of enforcement of intellectual property rights. The first is the revision of the enforcement of the Intellectual Property Rights Directive (Directive 2004/48/EC). The second is a major initiative on trade secrets that are key (low cost) means for SMEs to protect their IP across the Union.
Finally, the European Commission funds two services to help businesses and others find information on protecting their intellectual property rights. The first of these is the IPR Helpdesk www.iprhelpdesk.eu and the second is www.china-iprhelpdesk.eu, the China IPR SME Helpdesk, which offers information on IPR problems in or arising from China. Both Helpdesks also collaborate with the Enterprise Europe Network to get useful IPR information to European businesses, particularly SMEs.
In addition to these services, the Commission supports a network of national intellectual property offices and arranges periodic exchanges of best practices so that national experts can improve their service provision to citizens and enterprises.
1. What is the aim of this snapshot?
It is to show how citizens and businesses experience the Single Market in practice.
2. Why take this snapshot now, barely a year after the Commission has unfolded a set of actions to reduce obstacles for people exercising their rights within the single market, through its Single Market Act and the EU Citizenship agenda?
The Single Market Act (IP/11/469) and the 2010 EU Citizenship Report (IP/10/1390) indicate the political will of the Commission to restore citizens' and businesses' confidence in the single market and to remove obstacles to the effective enjoyment of their EU rights. They point to a series of shortcomings and announce a number of actions which the Commission is undertaking to tackle those shortcomings, often together with the EU Member States.
At the same time, these documents call for a stronger culture of dialogue and evaluation. The Commission wants to restore the dialogue with people, to ensure that actions produce their intended effect and meet citizens' and businesses' real concerns. The report presented today should be seen in this context. It presents a snapshot of the single market, seen through the lens of citizens' and businesses' everyday's experiences. This snapshot helps us better understand what works already, and where more needs to be done. It is part of an ongoing effort to keep channels and dialogue, debate and evaluation open.
Today's snapshot is a basis for discussion – that is why it is presented just before the first Single Market Forum which will take place in Krakow from 2-4 October. These discussions will, in turn, inform the political processes that were started via the Single Market Act and the EU Citizenship Report.
3. But if concerns were identified and addressed in documents such as the Single Market Act and the 2010 EU Citizenship Report, why are they still present?
Measures take time to produce their intended effects all across Europe. It is not sufficient for the Commission to propose a measure: measures must be turned into legislation, or otherwise be endorsed by all political players. And once adopted, measures must be implemented all across Europe. For some recent measures, it is simply too soon to see the effects on the ground.
That is why the Commission intends to repeat this exercise. Future snapshots should reflect how citizens' experiences change over time, as the effects of measures taken will be felt on the ground. This will help all stakeholders and policy makers – at European but also national level – to assess the effects of policy actions already undertaken, and to define the need for further actions.
4. How were the main concerns determined?
Evidence is based on two types of data: firstly, cases and complaints handled by the Commission and its assistance services such as SOLVIT, Your Europe Advice, the European Consumer Centres, EURES (the European Employment Service), the Enterprise Europe Network and the Europe Direct service. These data give a good overview of the kind of obstacles people are facing.
These data have been compared to the findings of a large-scale survey (a special Eurobarometer6) and focus group discussions7 that tested citizens' and businesses' experiences and expectations.
By comparing these data we end up with a snapshot of people's everyday concerns: they enable us to assess not only what obstacles are they faced with, but also how important they are if we compare them to people's overall experiences and to what they expect from the single market.
5. What selection criteria were used to determine the 20 "main" concerns?
The data gathered offered lots of concrete experiences, problems and expectations. To select the 20 most important concerns, the following criteria were used:
6. Are the problems mentioned in the report the only problems with the functioning of the Single Market?
No, they are not. The evidence used for the report reveals the 20 concerns that are the most problematic and the most frequently encountered, if Europe is taken as a whole.
But the evidence itself, whilst offering very rich and objective data, reflects particular angles and situations at a given moment in time. It may therefore not necessarily be exhaustive.
In addition, the process of selecting 20 main concerns, whilst based on objective criteria, meant that choices had to be made.
Finally, the report reflects the situation for Europe as a whole. There are of course geographical differences, and different groups of people may have different experiences and expectations, but these are not reflected in here.
7. If lack of information is a cause of problems, how can citizens and businesses be better informed?
This snapshot reveals a strong need for better information. People don't know or understand their rights, and they do not know where to turn for help. In practice, there is a lot of information out there, but often it is hard to find and may not offer the kind of practical help you need.
That is why the Commission has committed to further develop the Your Europe portal as a single gateway to all information and help, at both national and EU level. Your Europe aims to bring all sources of information and help together. It builds bridges to other initiatives – for instance, to the Points of Single Contact set up for service providers, and to help services such as the European Consumer Centers and SOLVIT.
8. If lack of legislation is another key cause, how can this be dealt with in areas where there is no basis for EU law, or where Member States cannot find agreement?
It is time to clarify what can be done where, by whom, and how. The Commission is taking action in a great number of areas covered by the 20 main concerns report. It is taking action to modernise the system for professional qualifications and EU public procurement law for instance. It is also taking action to facilitate access to finance. These are just a few examples.
But there is a limit to what the Commission can do: in some areas, the EU has no mandate to legislate; in others, it is very difficult to legislate given unanimity requirements or strong differences between Member States' views.
9. If poor implementation is the key cause of problems with the functioning of the Single Market, how can we make sure that Member States are fulfilling their obligations?
The Commission is taking a series of actions to improve the way the Single Market is being governed. The Internal Market Information system, for instance, enables public authorities at all levels of government to exchange information, so as to facilitate controls and approvals in a cross-border context. SOLVIT offers fast and informal solutions to citizens and businesses encountering problems when public authorities breach EU law. Through initiatives such as Your Europe and the Points of Single Contact under the Services Directive, the Commission, together with the Member States, seek to ensure that people find information and help and can work out often complex procedures via electronic means. For consumers, new and better-performing ADR solutions are being put in place. The internal market scoreboard indicates that the transposition deficit is decreasing thanks to joint efforts at EU and national level. Where there are clear breaches of EU law, the Commission stands ready to follow up with infringement proceedings.
But good implementation is the responsibility of each and every one of us. EU rules must be made into rights within the context of national legal systems and national administrative procedures. While the Commission has a clear role to play, good implementation stands or falls with the Member States' commitment to make the single market work.
10. Is the Single Market benefiting disadvantaged people?
Social concerns, the public interest and protection of the vulnerable (e.g. disabled people), are increasingly pursued through social enterprises. Their primary objective is to make an impact in society, rather than to maximize their profits. Such enterprises often adopt an organizational model that involves workers, consumers and other stakeholders in an open and accountable way. In this context, the Commission will propose this autumn actions promoting "social entrepreneurship" in a more inclusive single market.
The documents can be found here:
Commission vs. Belgium, Case C-522-04
to learn more on Citizens' Energy Forum initiative see: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/gas_electricity/forum_citizen_energy_en.htm
Council Directive 2008/9/EC –
Special Eurobarometer 363 "Internal Market: Awareness, Perceptions and Impacts" - http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_363_en.pdf
Qualitative survey about Obstacles citizens face in the Internal Market
Qualitative survey about Local Authorities and the governance of the Single Market
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14-16 November 2012, Bonn, Germany - The changing nature of the environment, pressure on natural resources and the challenges posed by climate change necessitate a transition from energy- and material-intensive growth to green, low-carbon, climate-resilient growth. The greening of the economy implies changing skills needs as new industries and occupations emerge, alongside new skills profiles in many existing occupations. These transitions have important implications for building expertise, skills and capacity of existing employees through training, as well as training delivery.
In order to build a better understanding of the role of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) within the framework of sustainable development, the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre convened the International Forum of the UNEVOC Network in transforming TVET for a Sustainable Future in Bonn, Germany, from 14-16 November 2012. The Forum brought together over 100 participants from over 80 countries and was designed to enable international partners to share ideas, good practices and lessons learned to enhance knowledge effectively, to research ways to transform TVET for a Sustainable Future, and to foster regional and global partnerships with existing networks such as the Inter-Agency Working Groups and Regional Economic Communities.
The broad theme of the International Forum was on promoting better teaching and learning for green economies and green societies through the strengthening of the UNEVOC Network. Under this theme, the discussions over the three days focused on how to strengthen the UNEVOC Network and to promote better TVET teaching and learning for greening society.
UNITAR's contribution to the Forum was focused on supporting a panel discussion on Greening TVET and Skills Development. Other panelists included representatives from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDFOP), the European Training Foundation (ETF), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre. Panelists presented the work of their respective organizations in the area of skills development and green learning, including challenges in the implementation of programmes, as well as potential areas for cooperation and synergies with global UNEVOC centres.
Rob Visser, Adviser to UNITAR, presented the work of the Institute in strengthening individual and institutional capacities to scale up learning for a green transformation, highlighting the UN CC:Learn initiative as well as the green economy e-learning project. He also pointed out that challenges exist including on how to upscale e-learning and building partnerships with other training institutions, as well as the need to incorporate and strengthen the green economy curriculum in universities and other training institutions. At the same time, there is potential for cooperation particularly in the area of knowledge and resource sharing.
Several other messages were reinforced during the Forum, including the importance of networking and partnerships in empowering TVET teachers and trainers as agents of change for a sustainable future, as well as engaging with the private sector in training for sustainable development.
In parallel, an Inter-agency Working Group (IWG) on Greening TVET and Skills Development meeting took place on 15 November to discuss the IWG's work plan for 2013, andwas attended by representatives from CEDEFOP, ETF, ILO, OECD, UNESCO-UNEVOC and UNITAR. The IWG brings together expertise from a wide range of international organizations working in the field of TVET, skills development and the green transformation of the economy and society.
For additional information, please contact Ms. Roshni Dave (email@example.com) or Ms. Naing Yee Mar (email@example.com).


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Former hurricane director Robert Burpee dies
Robert Burpee, a prominent hurricane scientist who served for two years as director of the National Hurricane Center, died Tuesday after a long illness. He was 65.
Colleagues said Burpee died at 5:40 a.m. at Mercy Hospital in Miami. He suffered from pneumonia and a variety of other ailments, they said. He had been under treatment and frequently hospitalized for several years.
Burpee was in charge of the hurricane center from July 1995 to August 1997, when he requested reassignment because of health problems and was succeeded by Jerry Jarrell.
''We're saddened by the loss and offer our condolences to his family,'' said Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman for the center in West Miami-Dade County. ``He was a great asset to the National Hurricane Center and to the meteorological community. He will be missed.''
During his tenure there, Burpee was known for his rock-solid adherence to the data, and his sometimes stolid appearances on television. He was not the sort of person who gravitated to the spotlight.
''I'm not a performer,'' he told The Miami Herald in 1995. ``I'm not trying to act like a performer. I'm trying to act like a meteorologist.''
It was no act.
''He was one of the most brilliant, one of the most ethical persons I have ever met,'' said Judy Drucker, the well-known classical music impresario, who was close with Burpee for many years. ``He took me into a whole new world, the world of science.''
Educated at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Burpee quickly emerged as a leading -- and courageous -- hurricane scientist, flying through the eyes of the storms more than 260 times aboard hurricane hunter aircraft.
Soft-spoken and precise, he served for many years as a researcher and director at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Hurricane Research Division on Virginia Key, where he helped pioneer the incorporation of aircraft-collected data into hurricane forecasts.
One major contribution: Burpee's idea to fly research jets in the environment that surrounds hurricanes, adding that information to computerized forecast models.
''Studies show a 10 to 15 percent improvement in track forecasts when the jet data is ingested,'' said Max Mayfield, who retired in January as the hurricane center's director. ``Everyone living in hurricane-prone communities in the United States owes thanks to Bob Burpee for this tremendous contribution.''
Burpee also conducted important early studies on the role played in hurricane development by tropical waves from Africa and on the Florida sea breeze, responsible for South Florida's daily afternoon showers and thunderstorms during the summer.
News of Burpee's death spread quickly around the NOAA facility on Virginia Key, casting a cloud over employees. He had counseled many of them during times of personal turmoil.
''It's a sad day for us here,'' said Howard Friedman, the research division's deputy director. ``We were like his family and he had a very positive effect on a lot of these folks.''
Burpee is survived by a brother, Richard Burpee, and a sister, Nancy Cutter. A memorial service is scheduled at 1 p.m. Friday at Plymouth Congregation Church, 3400 Devon Road in Coconut Grove.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breakin ... 88188.html


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"Today something happened."
Those three simple words caused a rush of emotions for several members of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Wednesday, especially for Gina Grubb and Beth Myers.
"Today something happened."
Those three simple words caused a rush of emotions for several members of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Wednesday, especially for Gina Grubb and Beth Myers.
Grubb spoke those words as she expressed her feelings about marriage equality with members of the congregation — and her partner of 15 years — about the Wednesday morning Supreme Court decisions on marriage equality.
During a special celebration service held at the church, Grubb spoke briefly about her feelings on marriage equality and her own personal struggle with her sexuality and how the decisions made by the Court took her back to a more confusing time in her life.
She said she heard the news through a text message Wednesday as she was "sitting in a Driver's Ed car with a student."
"No one saw the tears," she said.
Though she and Myers consider themselves a married couple, Grubb said she never thought marriage would be a possibility. She held up a small zip drive and said, "Now maybe I won't have to carry this around."
She said the zip drive contained personal legal documents.
"Heterosexual couples celebrate wedding anniversaries," she said. "But we (same-sex couples) celebrate first dates.
"We shared a plate of nachos," Grubb recalled of she and Myers first date in November 1997.
"Thousands fought relentlessly for this," she said of Wednesday's decision on DOMA.
The Supreme Court wiped away part of the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal anti-gay marriage law, making legally married gay couples on equal federal footing with all other married Americans and allowing them to receive the same tax, health and pension benefits.
Before the ruling there was a "sense of incompleteness," Grubb said. "Today, something happened. That is huge.
"I can truly imagine what it could feel like to be married," she said, bringing tears to her partner's eyes.
Grubb also expressed her feelings for church members, telling them "I'm very excited, very proud and very thankful to you."
ORUUC minister Jake Morrill said the Supreme Court decision "enhances my marriage with Molly."
He added that "Gina and Beth are a couple who had courage."
The minister in an earlier statement said, "As one ordained to spread the good news of the unending power of love in this world, today I celebrate the Supreme Court decisions on marriage equality and that the Defense of Marriage Act has been declared unconstitutional."
During Wednesday's church celebration service, Morrill read from the Old Testament book of Isaiah referencing love and justice.
"Today is a day of justice and celebration," he said to the small congregation of about 20 people. But the minister also said the "the work of love and justice in the world is not yet done" and he challenged his congregation to be the "voice that cries out for freedom."
In his earlier statement, the minister said his faith challenges him to speak and act for justice for all who express their love in the commitment of marriage.
"Support for marriage equality is in scriptures and traditions which proclaim overriding messages of love, justice and inclusion of those on the margins of society," Morrill stated. "Many religious traditions already perform marriages for same-sex couples; at least a dozen Christian denominations and Jewish movements allow their clergy to perform marriage or union ceremonies for same-sex couples. … As all religious traditions affirm, where there is love, the sacred is in our midst.
"I affirm that religious denominations must have the right to discern who is eligible for marriage in their own tradition. In addition, all clergy should be free to solemnize marriages without state interference based on their own traditions and conscience."
Beverly Majors can be contacted at (865) 220-5514.


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Debug Server Configuration
In some cases you may need to alter other preset configuration values at the start of wingdbstub.py. These values completely replace the corresponding values set in Wing's Project or File Properties, which are relevant only when the debug program is launched from within Wing. The following options are available:
- The debugger can be disabled entirely with kWingDebugDisabled=1. This is equivalent to setting the WINGDB_DISABLED environment variable before launching the debug program.
- Set kWingHostPort to specify the network location of Wing, so the debugger can connect to it when it starts. This is equivalent to setting the WINGDB_HOSTPORT environment variable before launching the debug program. The default value is localhost:50005. Note that hostname will still be localhost if you are debugging over an SSH tunnel. See Manually Configured Remote Debugging for details if you need to change this value.
- You can control whether or not the debugger's internal error messages are written to a log file by setting kLogFile. You should set this only at the request of Wingware Technical Support. Use <stdout>, <stderr>, or a file name. If the given file doesn't exist, it is created if possible. Multiple similarly named files are created if multiple processes are being debugged. Note that using <stderr> may cause problems on Windows if the debug process is not running in a console. This is equivalent to setting the WINGDB_LOGFILE environment variable before launching the debug program (use a value of - to turn off logging to file).
- Set kEmbedded to 1 when debugging embedded scripts. In this case, the debug connection will be maintained across script invocations instead of closing the debug connection when the script finishes. When this is set to 1, you may need to call wingdbstub.debugger.ProgramQuit() before your program exits, or before it discards an instance of Python, in order to cleanly close the debug connection to the IDE. This is equivalent to setting the environment variable WINGDB_EMBEDDED.
- Set kAttachPort to define the default port at which the debug process will listen for requests to attach (available in Wing Pro only). This is equivalent to setting the WINGDB_ATTACHPORT environment variable before launching the debug program. If this value is less than 0, the debug process will never listen for attach requests. If it is greater than or equal to 0, this value is used when the debug process is running without being in contact with Wing, as might happen if it initially fails to connect to the above-defined host and port, or if the IDE detaches from the process for a period of time. For Wing Pro, this is described in more detail in section Attaching and Detaching.
- Set kPWFilePath and kPWFileName to define the search path and file name used to find a wingdebugpw file for the debugger. The environment variables WINGDB_PWFILEPATH and WINGDB_PWFILENAME will override these settings. The file path should be a Python list of strings if set in wingdbstub.py or a list of directories separated by the path separator (os.pathsep) when sent by environment variable. The string $<winguserprofile> may be used to specify Wing's User Settings Directory for the user that the debug process is running as. The password file name is usually wingdebugpw but may be changed in cases where this naming is inconvenient.
- Optionally, set WINGHOME, which is the Wing installation directory (or the name of Wing's .app folder on OS X). This is set up during installation, but may need to be altered if you are running Wing from source or copied the debugger binaries over from another machine.
Setting any of the above-described environment variable equivalents will override the value given in the wingdbstub.py file.


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|2012-12-05, 12:15
|Link #23
( ಠ_ಠ)
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep
Can be seen at the Marineford War as well.
He doesn't "warp in" "warp out", he can switch places within his field of "room", which doesn't cover an entire island, and certainly doesn't give him enough space to "warp into an island".
I don't think you understand how his power works.
Last edited by aohige; 2012-12-05 at 12:25.
|2012-12-05, 12:17
|Link #24
Anime & Manga Reviewer
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: England
Age: 25
Chapter was pretty good, however I am really eager to find out about Doflamingo's past and I felt bad for when Ceaser unleashed the gas even though it meant his being left behind. However can't wait too see Luffy send off ceasser with his Bazooka attack with the arnament haki.
Last edited by james0246; 2012-12-06 at 13:20. Reason: deleted youtube link...
|2012-12-05, 12:33
|Link #25
Join Date: Oct 2009
lo..think outside the box a bit....the room he create to cut the entire mountain...its freaking wide u know..and if he can just create a room freely...warp to the edge of the room then create another room then warp again...rinse and repeat...its still a bloody gay warp....
if he can SLICE horizontally to cut apart the mountain....WHAT if...he slice Vertically..nt sure if it can get deep enough to slice till the roots but who knows.
the only crap i dont understand about his power is the Counter Shock thingy..seems nothing related to his Room ability/surgeon at all.
|2012-12-05, 13:32
|Link #27
( ಠ_ಠ)
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep
If was to cast room, cast shambles, cast room, cast shambles, it's not any faster than, oh I dunno, Geppou and soru through a field.
You're blowing this whole Law is OP-ness thing way out of proportion.
As for counter shock, you've never seen those in the operation room? They're called defibrillators.
They are completely related to operation/surgeon thingy.
You should watch more ER themed shows!
Also, can we please stop... this... pointless... spamming... of.... periods.... everywhere... because... you're making ... me... fall... asleep....
omg that is annoying as all hell to read, especially when I just got off a long day's work.
Last edited by aohige; 2012-12-05 at 13:43.
|2012-12-05, 14:03
|Link #28
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Some people are saying this or that ability is overpowered, but what do you guys expect? Now that we've entered the New World portion of the story, you can bet that we're going to be seeing lots of haxness to come. The top dogs either have freakishly strong haki, a dangerous combination of haki with a hax devil fruit, or just hax devil fruits. The real challenges await.
|2012-12-05, 15:24
|Link #30
Know who you are
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Resides within the depths of Ned infested Glasgow
Colour page was awesome, seeing all the Marines from before is great stuff.
Usopp really does get some great lines some times, I still truly hope we'll Sogeking at some point, yes he's gotten stronger and he doesn't need that alter ego now but come on, it's Sogeking!
Everyone wants to see Sogeking sing his song!
And now Luffy about to lay some real smack down on Ceasar's face
I just wonder how they will deal with the gas is the big question, actually kinda hope it's a life or death situation needed in order to stop it.
That would certainly put a real kick to things this arc.
|2012-12-05, 15:39
|Link #31
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Canada
Atta boy, Caesar. Keep at it.
We love it when the baddie pisses Luffy off, it makes for one hell of a show. He's gone from "I'm going to right wrongs!" to "Your a** is grass, and I'm the lawnmower."
Great setup chapter.
|2012-12-05, 15:41
|Link #32
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Damn, I didn't notice that Kanon had posted the color page before my earlier post. That's what I get for rushing my posts, I guess:
Anyways, this is AMAZING. And I'm actually kinda surprised that so few people commented on it so far (c'mon BDK, where's the marine love, man? ). I love how we even see younger versions of guys like T-Bone, that one marine who destroyed Zoro's Yubashiri at the EL Buster Call, Saul, and even Vergo! Though I can't tell whether Bogart appears in that spread or not....
BTW, Aokiji is looking a LOT like Rob Lucci in that pic, which is something I find hilarious because I remember back when the EL arc was running a lot of people had assumed the two of them were brothers.
And going back to the current chapter..... As I said before, I think it would have been smarter if Law just took Vergo's heart. As things are now, the dude's most likely going to escape the SAD room (probably with the help of Dofla's reinforcements), and seek revenge on Law.....
Been saying it for years now: Blackbeard's ultimate ability will involve time manipulation. Mark my words.
|2012-12-05, 16:01
|Link #33
100Shots100Hits LuluLaLu
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Inside your heart...
Age: 29
|2012-12-05, 16:05
|Link #34
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Probably Tsuru, though I think Ain (Film Z villain who's also a former marine) could be a good guess as well, I think.
And actually, looking at the spread again, that's probably Bogart's face that's shown to Sengoku's right (though he's kinda obscured by Z's arm).....
|2012-12-05, 16:50
|Link #35
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
|2012-12-05, 18:21
|Link #36
Know who you are
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Resides within the depths of Ned infested Glasgow
And I too actually did think that guy could have been Bogart(was looking for anyone that resembled a faceless guy lol)but then thought nah don't think so.
Oda hasn't shown his face since the start and I think it would be a big let down to do so now with a simple but yes a rather awesome colour spread.
He has to have his epic moment in the story and even then Oda could still continue to cover his face till the end.
It's part of his character
Would totolly love to see side story adventure of Garp and Sengoku at that time period, seeing all the marines as they were before.
|2012-12-05, 19:51
|Link #38
Annie Leonhart
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Indiana
Chapter 691
That was a pretty good chapter. Law or Smoker should have finished Vergo off, but instead they leave him in the SAD room thinking he will die. They may live to regret this decision. Luffy needs to finish this, CC is just having a fit now.
Dolfamingo's option
My thinking have the two (Baby Five & Buffalo) you sent to save Monet and Vergo. Have them regroup and intercept the Straw Hats and Law, to save CC. The Sad factory may be destroyed but the knowledge is not.
One Piece Z Film art cover
Garp looks like Zoro. Seeing everyone at a young age is kinda weird.
|2012-12-05, 19:59
|Link #40
Emperor of the Expected
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Florida
|Thread Tools


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Upcoming and recent grads may be sweating the job hunt and ready to sign on to any offer, but experts caution against making a rash decision that could impact their career and lifestyle.
Continue Reading Below
Admittingly finding a job in this current labor market is tough, but grads should consider their overall satisfaction and potential future at a company when evaluating job opportunities, says Kimberly Baker, career services manager at Bryant & Stratton College Online.
"Since we all spend most of our waking hours at our place of employment, ensuring you will receive the satisfaction level you desire is imperative," she says. "Having a sense of stability allows you to immerse yourself in the functions of the job without that nagging worry in the back of your mind that can hinder your participation and success."
What makes a job stable or satisfactory varies by worker, and a recent study by employee survey company WorkplaceDynamics, shows that the top five industries that stood out as the most positive were real estate, construction, hospitality, logistics, and financial services,
"In any sector, the focus should be less about career stability and more about career flexibility…it's about ensuring that you have developed your skills to be flexible as change and technology continue to accelerate," says Doug Claffey, CEO of WorkplaceDynamics. "That will serve you throughout your career and across every sector."
No matter the industry or position, here's how the experts say graduates can prepare themselves to find a job that will be a good fit in terms of career satisfaction and stability.
Match Up Strengths with Openings
The experts recommend students and grads look closely at their own experiences and skill sets to identify companies and positions that best match their skills and experience.
"They should take those ideas and look for job descriptions where their natural strengths can help solve the challenges companies face," says Baker.
Besides thoroughly researching job descriptions and the qualifications that professionals in the industry have under their belts, Baker suggests grads use LinkedIn's 'Skills and Expertise' section to find out what job titles match their strengths and passions.
Sharpen Soft Skills
To increase the chances of building a long and successful career, grads should continuously work on developing both hard and soft skills, the latter of which is arguably the number one thing hiring managers look for in any field, according to Rasmussen College Career Service Advisor Shantelle Kane.
"I have heard several times from several different employers that you can train everything else, but you can't train attitude," she says.
"You have to know how to relate to people, in any occupation that you choose to go into--those are things that are not quantified on a resume, but rather in an interview setting."
Ask the Right Questions
To help candidates determine if a company or industry is a good match for them, it's essential to ask probing questions during the interview process to find out more about the day-to-day work environment.
"Ask questions like 'why is this work meaningful to you?', 'where is this company headed?' and 'what are the values and ethics that this company lives up to?'" says Claffey.
Kane suggests that graduates find out specifics about the position they are vying for, especially to determine if there is room for growth and professional development.
"'What type of environment will I be working in? Will I be working independently or with a team? What are the challenges of the position? What do your most successful employees have in common?'"
Learn How to Spot Red Flags
Besides checking companies' social media pages and their standing with the Better Business Bureau, Baker suggests grads look at what current and former employees say on employer- review sites such as Glassdoor.com or JobeeHive.
"If something rubs you the wrong way during the job search process, maybe a job seems too good to be true or a potential employer is a little too unprofessional, it is a sign that you should walk away," she says.
Claffey warns that grads should not be swayed by added extras such as gourmet coffee and massage chairs when looking for a good fit for the long run.
"Top workplaces take care of their people…but there are a lot of places where you have perks just bolted on to lousy workplaces--don't being conned by perks."


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NEW YORK (AP) Voting has started for the NBA All-Star game, and for the first time fans can participate through Twitter and Facebook.
The 120-play ballot, featuring 60 players from each conference, was announced Tuesday in Houston, site of the All-Star game on Feb. 17, 2013.
Fans can vote for one player each day by tweeting his first and last name along with the hashtag NBABALLOT. There is a custom application on Facebook that allows fans to fill out one full ballot per day.
Voting can also still be done on NBA.com, through text messaging by texting the player's last name to 6-9-6-2-2 (MYNBA), and via Sina Weibo and Tencent QQ in China.
The All-Star ballot is presented by Sprint.
Balloting runs through Jan. 14 and starters will be announced Jan. 17.


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Available To: Faculty, Staff
President Haeger and his cabinet have tasked Information Technology Services with implementing a new security policy that will apply critical and security updates to all computers logging on to the NAU domain. Effective Wednesday, September 3, 2003, updates that apply to your workstation will be downloaded to your computer. Effective Tuesday, August 9, 2005 Windows product updates that apply to your workstation will also be downloaded to your computer. When the download is complete, you will be prompted by the Automatic Updates service to install the updates. You may install the updates at that moment or allow the Automatic Updates service to perform a scheduled installation at 3:00am. If you shutdown your computer after the updates have been downloaded, but you didn't choose to install the updates, you will be prompted to let your computer install the updates and shut down itself when the install is finished. Automatic Updates can be used on Windows XP Professional, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003 family, and Windows Server 2008 family. If a Service Pack is needed on your machine, it will be installed upon computer startup. You will notice a message box stating "Installing Windows ?? Service Pack xx." Do not reset your computer while this message box is displayed. The installation may take up to 20 minutes. Historically, Service Packs are released no more than twice a year.
Installation Behavior:
Automatic Updates can occur under different conditions. The most common scenarios are outlined below. Available Updates During the Day: You may notice a "balloon" popup in your lower right hand corner of your taskbar indicating new updates are available to install. If you click on the "balloon", a dialog box will be displayed asking you to install the updates now. You have the option of clicking on the "X" in the right hand corner to dismiss the message and wait for the scheduled installation to occur at 3:00am. When No User is Logged On and Computer is On: If no user is logged on at 3:00 am, Automatic Updates will automatically install and reboot the machine if required. When Someone is Logged On (workstation could be locked) at 3:00am: Automatic Updates will not restart a computer automatically during a scheduled installation if a user is logged in to the computer. Instead, Automatic Updates will prompt the user to restart the computer to complete the installation when the user returns to their workstation. To keep your system current on updates, the computer must be restarted in order for Automatic Updates to detect any additional updates that might be applicable to the computer. When the Computer is turned Off: If the computer is powered off at 3:00am, when it is powered back on, Automatic Updates will wait 1 minute after the logon prompt is displayed before proceeding with a scheduled installation. A reboot will occur if the user does not login. If the user does login, they will be notified to install the updates and to restart the computer to complete the installation. To keep your system current on updates, the computer must be restarted in order for Automatic Updates to detect any additional updates that might be applicable to the computer.


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All wrapped up in a thousand years of history, our Romantik Hotel hugs the protective walls of the Markus Tower.
Way back in the 11th Century this lovingly restored building was a guesthouse and tavern, the first port of call for travelers on foot and on horseback visiting the town. Even in those days the wines were stored in our roomy, vaulted cellar.
If you are interested in the history of this wonderful building, please do not hesitate to ask us about the many things that have happened here over the past 1,000 years.
Or check it out on the Internet – we have free wireless access in the entire hotel. Modern meets medieval.
Your hosts, the Berger family.


text:
Lewis Hamilton
An afternoon drizzle fell over the grounds of the Grande Prêmio do Brasil as the banshee wail of the fastest racecars in the world ricocheted through the team paddocks. It was November 2-the final lap of the last race of the 2008 Formula One season.
Ferrari's Felipe Massa, the race leader the entire day, gingerly negotiated the last succession of turns, clawing through a capricious mist onto the front straightaway. As he broke across the finish line, an impressive 13 seconds separating him from the rest of the field, his teammates exploded in a frenzied embrace. With the victory in the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, Massa had reclaimed Ferrari's rightful spot atop Formula One.
Or so the Italians thought.
When it rains, a racecar driver must adjust what he knows about the theoretical limit of a curve, then accelerate to it as close as he dares. For the last three Formula One seasons, no one has been better on a rain-soaked racetrack than 24-year-old Lewis Hamilton. Any remaining doubts were put to rest after last year's spectacular finish in Brazil.
As the celebration over Massa's victory grew in intensity, a lone member of the Ferrari pit crew peeled away from the group. "No," he muttered, staring at the screen showing the official race results. "No! No! No!" he shouted, frantically slapping the others-on their arms, shoulders, anywhere to get the team's attention. "No!" he implored. While it was true that Massa had won the race, he'd lost the championship-by one point, it turned out-to Hamilton, the young racing phenom from arch-rival team McClaren-Mercedes.
The disbelieving Italians fell silent, left only to wonder how it had happened. Then, an eruption of shattered glass as a team member threw his fist into a sign emblazoned with Ferrari's iconic rearing stallion.
Across the track, the McClaren-Mercedes team waited for the results to post. Hamilton had been the Formula One driver's points leader before the start of the race and needed to finish only fifth to become the youngest world champion ever. The watchword for this contest was caution-just finish it in one piece, the team instructed. But as Massa's Ferrari blasted past the waving checkered flag, Hamilton was stuck in sixth place-a spot that would hand the second-year driver a second-place finish in the world championship by a single point for the second agonizing season in a row.
A late-race rain shower, however, proved to be the difference maker. A few laps from the finish, just as the drizzle was starting to soak the track, Hamilton roared into the pits for a changeover to rain tires. Then it was back on the course in a desperate bid to regain lost ground. Wheel to wheel, Hamilton and the driver ahead of him battled through the final series of bends. They were inches apart as Hamilton cut round the last turn as close as possible, flicked a gear and accelerated past the other car-barely, breathlessly-to claim the world championship by the slimmest of margins.
Despite a tumultuous 2009 season that nearly destroyed Formula One, Hamilton has put his own abysmal start to the year in the rearview mirror. He scored his first win at the Hungarian Grand Prix in July, and in doing so served notice that McClaren-Mercedes will be back in the championship hunt next year.
Hamilton sat down with us in his adopted home city of Geneva to talk about his thrilling 2008 finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix, what's gone wrong in 2009 and his marketing agreement with Bombardier, which supplies him with free flights aboard Learjets in return for a certain number of public appearances each year.
Nothing was decided last season until that final race in São Paulo, Brazil-in the final corner of the final lap of that final race, where you managed to pull ahead and win the Formula One world championship. What was that moment like?
Brazil was spectacular. Obviously I've been privileged to have finally made it to Formula One and had the chance to race for McLaren-Mercedes. A lot of racing drivers, they get to Formula One and they might be with a lesser team and not have the chance to really show what they're capable of doing. I was fortunate in that I was in the right place at the right time. I was 13 when I was signed up. I met [McClaren team owner] Ron Dennis when I was 10 at the Autosport Awards in London, and I told him that I wanted to be world champion and race for him one day. And it turned out that when I was 22 he gave me that chance.
Fortunately, Kimi Räikkönen had gone to Ferrari and McClaren had a spare seat, so I took it. We missed the first championship in 2007 by one point. I was leading through the whole season-and that was completely unexpected, racing against the two-time world champion- and it comes to China, the second to last race, and I went off [the track] and lost the race. Then in the last race I had a technical glitch in my car, which left me in second place for the season, unfortunately.
But last year had been a great year throughout. In the last race there was so much pressure because I was up alongside this other driver who I couldn't overtake. Felipe Massa had to win the race and I had to finish at least fifth to claim the world championship. Normally our approach is we always want to win, but this weekend the team's approach was just to finish to get those points.
We qualified fourth and I was up to third place, and so it felt great during the race. I was like, I'm third, if I can just finish here I've won it. But I fell back to fourth, and then fifth place. I just had to keep this position, but I had this guy behind me pushing me all the way. It was nerve-wracking. I managed to keep my nerves, but he was much faster than me and he overtook me. I fell back to sixth place, and at that point I knew if it finishes like this I'm not world champion; I lose it by one point.
My dad's advice to me has always been, never give up. So I pushed and pushed and pushed as hard as I could. I never lost faith, I never thought for one second that I couldn't do it. It had started to rain a few laps earlier, and it got to the point where there were only two corners left. I had to catch this guy and overtake him, but I couldn't catch him. And it just so happens another guy was out on slick tires and he was skating around and that allowed me to overtake the other car at the last bend. I came across the line and had no idea that I'd won because the finish was so close. I waited patiently for the team-usually they come across the radio and tell me what's going on-but they didn't tell me because they didn't know. Ferrari was celebrating that they had won.
I was nervous as hell, my heart was in my mouth, but they finally came across the radio and said you're world champion. Those last couple of laps it felt like my whole life kind of flashed before my eyes. I've worked since I was eight years old to be world champion, and to finally get it was so incredibly special.
Have you watched that race back to relive the moment?
No. I very rarely even speak about it. A lot of people ask about the last race. The question they always want to know is, how did you feel the last few laps, but I never want to revisit it. It was a very, very special moment in my life, but it took everything out of me. I'm just happy I came out in front for once and I feel blessed to have become a world champion.
Fast-forwarding to 2009, it's been a tough year. What went wrong?
This year they changed the rules quite a lot. We used to have grooved tires, but they gave us back slick tires, which has given us a good 50-percent increase in grip, and then they took away 50 percent of our downforce, which is just like a plane but it works the opposite way because we generate a lot of downforce for the speed we build up. At really high speed we have so much force pushing down on the car that we can take 90-degree corners at 170 miles per hour.
This year everyone had a fresh start with new cars, and unfortunately we undershot and couldn't deliver the car we wanted. When we arrived for testing in Barcelona before the first race we were two-and-a-half to three seconds slower than everyone else. It was a really big shock to the team. I talked it over with them and said, "Look, I can't win with this car." We've been working nonstop to improve it, but it's such a lengthy process.
How do you like your chances for the rest of the season?
I'm pushing as hard as ever, as well as pushing my team. The problem is that as we develop, the other teams also develop. We're chasing them while they develop, and we've got to do it twice as fast. With all these new rules limiting the budget, limiting the wind-tunnel use, it makes it hard for us to do so. Our car is good in the low-speed corners, but at a high-speed circuit like Barcelona it shows our true pace, which is poor. At a slower track like Bahrain it's a much better result for us. But I feel optimistic that we can improve the car and begin to compete.
How do you prepare for a Formula One race?
You can't really put into words what it's like to drive a Formula One car. It's light, the RPMs are so high, the engine's screaming all the time, there's tremendous g forces through the car. I have 20 buttons on my steering wheel that I have to play with during the race to help keep the consistency of the car.
You can imagine if you're not fit enough and your body starts to feel weak and you start to think about it, it will start to sap the energy from your mind. It's all about training. I'm fortunate living here in Geneva. We do a lot of mountain biking, a lot of swimming, a lot of running. You don't have to be big or bulky, you just have to have great cardio fitness. We train up to six hours a day before the season, and in the season you don't really have the time or the energy to be able to do that, so it's about maintaining that level of fitness during the season.
Mentally, I recharge my batteries here in Geneva, I recharge my batteries when I'm with my family back home [in England]. I like to live a private, normal life, but with my hectic schedule, all the commitments I have take up so much of my free time. Fortunately, working with Bombardier and flying on the Learjets has given me a huge amount of time to put back into my private life.
Having access to a business jet is important to you?
Definitely. Through kart racing when I was 13, I started traveling all around Europe flying commercial. In 2007, when I started in Formula One, nobody knew who I was and I was flying commercial all the time, which was absolutely horrid. Bit by bit I started to do well and was getting noticed. The cameras started to appear and suddenly I had all these appearances to do. And then my teammate left and I had his appearances to do also.
I was traveling so much that it really became impossible to be able to do that all commercially. I'm fortunate to have become associated with Bombardier and fly on the Learjet 45, which is a beautiful machine, or the Learjet 60 if I'm lucky.
You had a fast ascent once you finally got to Formula One. Are you used to traveling by business jet yet?
I wouldn't say I'm used to it. I would definitely say about everything in my life I feel privileged, blessed to have been given the opportunity I have. But every time I get on a private jet I almost have to pinch myself. I can't believe that where I come from has led to this. I grew up in a rough area in Stevenage, England, and to think down the line that I'm sitting on a private plane, it's pretty incredible.
It seems you've got a sweet deal with Bombardier, getting to travel for free in return for doing appearances, but do you see yourself ever owning an airplane?
I do love planes, but I think I'm just in an early stage of my life. I would love to have one, for sure. When I look down the line and I think about family, and the convenience of it, I would love to. But like most people who have to save up for the things they want, that's where I am in my life.
How aware are you of options like fractional jet ownership and jet cards?
I've discussed it with the people I have around me, my management, but I took the decision that I'm happy with the way things are at the moment. Since I've been where I am, I haven't really spent any money. I'm hoping to buy my mom a house eventually. I bought my mom and dad a car. But like I said, one day I'd love to be like some of my friends who have their own planes because I've seen how great it's been for their families and how much joy it's brought to them. I hope that I'm able to do that for my family one day.
What was it like racing-and beating-a Learjet 60XR last year at the Farnborough Airshow?
It was quite scary. We drivers, we generally don't have much fear, but I was driving down the runway and I was expecting a plane to land on me or near me. I was kind of nervous, looking for the plane, and I could only hear it just above me. I was accelerating through the gears flat out-the cool thing in a Formula One car is you accelerate with the sequential gearbox, and you press a clicker and it shifts within 0.2 seconds. I think I got up to 205 miles an hour, and the plane was level with me, and then I was told to slow down and I saw it pull off and just shoot up into the air. It was phenomenal. I've never seen anything like that before, so it was very special.
How did you feel after winning the British Grand Prix last season?
That was awesome. I qualified fourth. I knew that weekend that I wasn't quick enough. I'd made a setup change to my car, and once you enter qualifying you can't change the car. My teammate qualified me, which was one of the first times he had done so. But then it rained, and when it rains I know I have a much better chance. I've won all my wet races since 2007 except two.
It's incredible, you can't see much when you're driving in those conditions. It's slippery, and you have to go out and find the grip. In the rain it's really about feel. I don't know how I did it, but I won by a minute and eight seconds. I lapped everyone up to third place. While everyone was spinning off, I didn't have any of those problems. It was really phenomenal, but I think the support from all my British fans is what made it really special.
What do you need to do to repeat as world champion?
You need a good car. Unfortunately, I have not been given a car this year to win the world championship. There's nothing anyone can do about it. It's very sad. I have a great team. It's not that they haven't worked hard or they're not doing they're best job, it just so happens that something went wrong in the pipeline. And once you go down a route, sometimes it's too late to turn around and go back the other way. We went down this route and we don't have time to turn it around. By the time we've turned it around, the other guys have already won four out of five races.
Fast Facts
NAME: Lewis Hamilton
BIRTHDATE: Jan. 7, 1985
OCCUPATION: Formula One racing driver for British team McClaren-Mercedes and the youngest ever Formula One world champion.
TRANSPORTATION: Free flights aboard Learjet 45 and 60 in return for making appearances at Bombardier-sponsored events.
PERSONAL: Born in Stevenage, England, where he began racing go-karts as a kid. Now lives in Geneva. Dates Pussy Cat Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger.
Only on the Web
To relive Lewis Hamilton's exhilarating world championship victory at the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix-including the visceral reaction of the Ferrari team on realizing the championship had slipped their grasp-go to
www.formula1.com/video, click "I agree" and then "08 Brazil." Choose your preferred connection speed to start playing the three-minute HD clip.


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At age 11, all I wanted was breasts. Hunching in my gymnastics leotard, I'd push my shoulders forward and press my arms into my sides. "Look, Mom, cleavage," I'd say, batting my eyelashes.
"Be careful what you wish for," my mother, ample on top herself, always told me. "Big boobs run in our family."
Voluptuousness fascinated me, but it frightened me, too. A thigh-high stack of Playboys filled a corner of my parents' bathroom. I'd lock the door and cradle a copy in my lap, glasses sliding down my nose. I'd immediately turn to the Playmate data sheets that accompanied each month's centerfold. Next to "Turn Ons" (Strawberries!) and "Ambition" (To be an actress!) were three childhood photos—to my mind, the only authentic part of the spread. I recognized myself in the prepubescent Playmates' crooked smiles. One factor seemed to account for the difference between these children and the scary adult centerfolds: big boobs. Apparently, breasts, once they made an appearance, could recast a girl as someone else.
My own breasts didn't appear until eighth grade, when I fractured my wrist dismounting the uneven bars and was forced to sit out the rest of the gymnastics season. As my body rested, my womanhood blossomed: Out came the family heirlooms, ripening like garden plums. That summer before freshman year of high school, I traded in my glasses for contacts and bought 32B bras in pale purple at Victoria's Secret.
Meanwhile, my plums matured into melons. By September, I was a 5-foot-2-inch freshman with a DD-cup, gunning for varsity gymnastics. I layered on sports bras for support, but my back handspring still fell apart. My bouncing breasts didn't only throw me off balance; they left me feeling like a performer in a peep show. My teammates said their brothers were gawking at me from the stands. When the coach didn't tap me for varsity, he blamed it on my wrist. We both knew it was the boobs.
The following summer, I took a job as a lifeguard at a local swim club by the New Jersey shore. The chance to wear a bathing suit as a uniform simultaneously made me nervous and filled me with devilish glee. As a lifeguard, I could be the focus of attention and the observer. Through dark sunglasses, I watched myself being watched. Perched on my pedestal in the sky, my body was an asset instead of a liability. I was a perfect 10, despite what the gymnastics coach said.The mirrored guest bathroom at my parents' house became my teenage temple of self-scrutiny. Every morning, I'd try on my newest bikini. Thirty images of me ricocheted from the medicine chest to the towel rack. I even sprawled on the floor to see my reflection on the ceiling, my breasts spreading out under my armpits like wet batter.
I blamed my mother for both my boobs and our tacky mirrored bathroom, but it was my father who resented the complaints most. "I built my meatpacking business from two nickels to furnish this house," he'd say. Then he'd tell me to be proud of how my body looked in those mirrors, that at least my boobs were round, not long and narrow, "like flank steaks." I knew it was more complicated than that, the spectacle of my breasts. One day, my boyfriend, a Cornell student who swore he fell for me when I gave him a run for his money in a crossword-puzzle race, brought his frat brothers to the club to see me in my bathing suit. His ogling pals made me feel disgraceful and immodest. But I also felt secretly triumphant. "Admit it, you're flattered," my boyfriend cajoled, and I did.
Still, although I was considered popular because of my looks, I was terribly lonely. I took pains to be cordial to any man who approached, lest I be known as a bitch. Toward women, I was syrupy sweet, almost apologetic for the attention I attracted from the opposite sex. I had few real friends. I'd snagged center stage, but my breasts were stealing the spotlight.
During my breaks at the club, I'd wear my boyfriend's oversize sweatshirt, retreat to an umbrella in the snack bar and do my crosswords. One day, the leather-faced retiree who checked members' badges rose from his chair and called out, "Why do you put on that shirt? You ruin your whole appearance!"
Clearly, I was a muddled tangle of boobs and brains—Virginia Woolf on Baywatch, Pamela Anderson to the lighthouse. It was tough being both stacked and smart, a precarious balance not even a former gymnast could maintain.
By the end of college, I opted out of the bombshell role, adopting a zero-tolerance policy toward ogling. When a frat boy smirked to his pal, "You see the rack on that chick?" in the library, I spun him around, squatted and stared at his crotch.
I would have traded a dozen salivating guys for one real girlfriend, but women didn't trust bombshells; we weren't in the sisterhood. Of course, the hardest woman to convince of my worth was myself. When a judge short-listed me for an internship senior year, I met with his two law clerks, ballerina blondes, all legs and neck. My breasts distracted me in the interview. The clerks hung their blazers on their chair backs. Do as the Romans do, I thought. Remove your jacket. But as I shimmied out of the sleeves, the safety pin I'd rigged between the buttons of my blouse to prevent gapping unlatched with a ping. Suddenly, I was flashing my cleavage. Needless to say, I didn't get the internship.
After college, I took a job in book publishing and moved to Manhattan, into my aunt's vacant apartment. Like my mom, she'd inherited the Cohen cantaloupes. I asked her for the name of the doctor who did her breast reduction, and she made my appointment when I couldn't get up the nerve.
Which is how I found myself topless, facing a mirror, a doctor mapping incisions on my breasts in purple marker. He drew a violet circle around one nipple and an anchor shape underneath it. As he colored, I told him the safety pin story. "It'd be hard for you to look appropriate in a judge's chambers or a white-shoe law firm," he said, matter-of-factly popping the marker closed. "Breasts this size are somewhat déclassé."
It was the worst possible thing to tell a striving New Jersey girl freshly transplanted to the sophisticated city. I got myself out of the paper gown and out of that office, pronto. Humiliated, I cried to my mother from a pay phone on the street, feeding in coin after coin as I relayed every detail of the consultation. I don't know what I expected her to say, something profound perhaps. So I nearly hung up when I got "Will that marker come off with soap and water?"
That weekend, the two of us went for a walk around the reservoir in Central Park. "Your father is the one having a rough time with this," she told me of his reaction to my plans. "When he got wind of that surgeon's déclassé remark, he called the doctor a Park Avenue prick, pardon my French. If you needed a nose job, I think your father would probably understand. For the life of him, though, he can't see why you're bothered by having a body that can stop traffic."
As we strolled, I relished the skyline, the water and the fact that everyone circled in the same direction. If people were approaching head on, I'd have been too flustered for conversation, too busy bracing for the constriction in my solar plexus, that sharp blow of a passerby sneaking a peek at my chest. "There are times when I don't want to be noticed," I said to my mother. "There are times when I want just to be."
I thought of the peace I'd found under the swim-club umbrella with my baggy sweatshirt and crosswords. Then I remembered the leather-faced man. According to him, my appearance would be ruined without big breasts. He was hardly a prophet, I told myself—he checked badges at a swim club in New Jersey. By now, he was most likely dead. Still, his words haunted me. I went back in my memory to a time before breasts. As a preteen, glasses-wearing gymnast, I'd always been cute. Even if, post-reduction, some men wouldn't notice me, I knew there'd be others who would find me adorable.
I thought of my father with his stacks of Playboy, then asked my mom, "Do you live with your big boobs because Daddy likes them?" In part, she said, but also because she believed in living as God made her.
I believed in living that way, too, but I couldn't, gagged and bagged in an hourglass figure. My voice cracked and my mother fished out a tissue. "Here," she said. Then, "I know of a fine female surgeon in Brooklyn," she sighed, putting her arm around my waist and letting her hip bump against mine.
After my breast surgery, the first card I opened in the hospital came from the women at the office. "We think you are very brave," it read. Anything but brave, I thought. I hadn't possessed the moral strength to be able to defy people's assumptions about well-endowed women, to prove that we, too, could be both bodacious and brainy. In a way, though, maybe I had been courageous. Mine is a story, after all, about fighting for self-definition and winning. As a B-cup, I can finally stroll through Central Park or down busy New York City streets without wondering who is staring. My breasts no longer dictate who I am. That's up to me.
Photo Credit: Andreas Kuehn/The Image Bank/Getty Images