text:
Browsing DRUID Working papers by Title
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Now showing items 64-83 of 83
Effects on Performance in Danish and Swedish BiotechnologyValentin, Finn; Dahlgren, Henrich; Lund Jensen, Rasmus (København, 2006)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Although biotech start-ups fail or succeed based on their research few attempts have been made to examine if and how they strategize in this core of their activity. Popular views on Dedicated Biotech Firms (DBFs) see the inherent uncertainty of research as defying notions of strategizing, directing instead the attention to the quality of their science, or the roles of boards, management, and collaborative networks etc. Using a unique comprehensive dataset on Danish and Swedish biotech start-ups in drug discovery this paper analyzes their research strategies. Adopting a Simonean point of departure we develop a contingency view on complex problem solving which structures the argument into three steps: 1) Characterising the problem architectures addressed by different types of DBFs; 2) Testing and confirming that DBFs form requisite research strategies, by which we refer to problem solving approaches developed as congruent responses to problem architectures; 3) Testing and confirming that financial valuation of firms is driven by achievements conforming to requisite research strategies. These strategies, in turn, require careful combination of multiple dimensions of research. Findings demonstrate that Shonhoovens classical argument that "strategy matters" is valid not only for the larger high-tech firms covered by her study, but also for small research-based start-ups operating at the very well springs of knowledge where science directly interacts with technologies. Even though a lot more research is needed along these lines, these findings offer new implications for the understanding, management, and financing of these firms. JEL Codes: L25, L65, O32 URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7214
Files in this item: 1wp06-11.pdf (254.6Kb)
Effects on Performance in Danish and Swedish Biotechnology ByValentin, Finn; Dahlgren, Henrich; Lund Jensen, Rasmus (Frederiksberg, 2006)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Although biotech start-ups fail or succeed based on their research few attempts have been made to examine if and how they strategize in this core of their activity. Popular views on Dedicated Biotech Firms (DBFs) see the inherent uncertainty of research as defying notions of strategizing, directing instead the attention to the quality of their science, or the roles of boards, management, and collaborative networks etc. Using a unique comprehensive dataset on Danish and Swedish biotech start-ups in drug discovery this paper analyzes their research strategies. Adopting a Simonean point of departure we develop a contingency view on complex problem solving which structures the argument into three steps: 1) Characterising the problem architectures addressed by different types of DBFs; 2) Testing and confirming that DBFs form requisite research strategies, by which we refer to problem solving approaches developed as congruent responses to problem architectures; 3) Testing and confirming that financial valuation of firms is driven by achievements conforming to requisite research strategies. These strategies, in turn, require careful combination of multiple dimensions of research. Findings demonstrate that Shonhoovens classical argument that "strategy matters" is valid not only for the larger high-tech firms covered by her study, but also for small research-based start-ups operating at the very well springs of knowledge where science directly interacts with technologies. Even though a lot more research is needed along these lines, these findings offer new implications for the understanding, management, and financing of these firms. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7879
Files in this item: 1DRUID_06_11.pdf (254.6Kb)
An Assessment and Diagnosis of ProblemsFoss, Nicolai J. (Frederiksberg, 1997)[More information][Less information]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7858
Files in this item: 1DRUID_97_1.pdf (167.9Kb)
Laursen, Keld (Frederiksberg, 1998)[More information][Less information]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7843
Files in this item: 1DRUID_98_30.pdf (115.7Kb)
what types of firms use universities as a source of innovation?Laursen, Keld; Salter, Ammon (København, 2003)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Abstract This paper examines the factors that influence whether firms draw from universities in their innovative activities. The link between the universities and industrial innovation, and the role of different search strategies in influencing the propensity of firms to use universities is explored. The results suggest that firms who adopt "open" search strategies and invest in R&D are more likely than other firms to draw from universities, indicating that managerial choice matters in shaping the propensity of firms to draw from universities. Key words: University-industry links, innovation, external search strategies JEL Codes: C25, C42, O31, O32 URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7260
Files in this item: 103-16.pdf (758.8Kb)
Interpreting and Learning from the Rise and Decline of the Oticon Spaghetti OrganizationFoss, Nicolai J. (Frederiksberg, 2001)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Infusing hierarchies with elements of market control has become a much-used way of simultaneously increasing entrepreneurialism and motivation in firms. However, this paper argues that such "internal hybrids," particularly in their radical forms, are inherently hard to successfully design and implement, because of fundamental credibility problems related to managerial promises to not intervene in delegated decision-making ¾ an incentive problem that is often referred to as the "problem of selective intervention." This theoretical theme is developed and illustrated, using the case of the world-leading Danish hearing aids producer, Oticon. In the beginning of the 1990s, Oticon became famous for its radical internal hybrid, the "spaghetti organization." Recent work has interpreted the spaghetti organization as a radical attempt to foster dynamic capabilities by imposing loose coupling on the organization, neglecting, however, that about a decade later, the spaghetti organization has given way to a more traditional matrix organization. This paper presents an organizational economics interpretation of organizational changes in Oticon, and argues that a strong liability of the spaghetti organization was the above incentive problem. Motivation in Oticon was strongly harmed by selective intervention on the part of top-management Changing the organizational structure was one means of repairing these motivational problems. Refutable implications are developed, both for the understanding of efficient design of internal hybrids, and for the more general issue of the distinction between firms and markets, as well as the choice between internal and external hybrids. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7894
Files in this item: 1DRUID_01_16.pdf (186.7Kb)
past debates, central questions, and future research possibilitiesFoss, Nicolai Juul (København, 2002)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The role of transaction cost economics in developing research in strategy has been a hotly debated topic over the last decade. This paper presents the radical argument that transaction cost insights are more than merely useful complements to existing approaches to strategy. Rather, they are necessary for adequately understanding the nature of strategizing. This is because transaction costs are essential aspects of processes of creating, capturing and protecting value. If transaction costs are zero, these processes do not pose any strategic problems; strategizing is trivialized in such a world. When transaction costs are positive, on the other hand, opportunities for value creation through the reduction of inefficiencies caused by transaction costs exist, and protecting and appropriating value are costly activities that dissipate value. Also, contracting and expectations enter as central aspects of strategizing. Arguments are provided for why economizing (with transaction costs) is more fundamental than strategizing (in the sense of exploiting market power). Thus, the paper argues that models in which the fullest possible account of transaction costs is made be used as the proper foundations and benchmarks for economics-based strategy research, rather than the patched-up competitive equilibrium models that are now used, more or less implicitly, as the benchmark in important parts of strategy research, most notably in the resource-based view. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6911
Files in this item: 1druid02-04.pdf (448.9Kb)
Mahnke, Volker; Foss, Nicolai J. (Frederiksberg, 1998)[More information][Less information]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7844
Files in this item: 1DRUID_98_29.pdf (107.6Kb)
Laursen, Keld; Drejer, Ina (Frederiksberg, 1997)[More information][Less information]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7855
Files in this item: 1DRUID_97_14.pdf (254.6Kb)
A Property Rights Perspective on The Nature of The FirmFoss, Kirsten (Frederiksberg, 1998)[More information][Less information]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7853
Files in this item: 1DRUID_98_10.pdf (120.7Kb)
A Paradigmatic ApproachLlerena, Patrick; Matt, Mireille (Frederiksberg, 2000)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The main objective of the paper is to provide an analytical framework based on evolutionary arguments, explaining the role and rationale of technology policies based on inter-organisation cooperations. We try to combine different arguments developped in the literature in order to define a coherent approach of technology policies : organisational, failure and paradigmatic approaches. We will argue that the role of technological policies and their design are contingent on whether knowledge creation emerges in an existing technological paradigm or will be at the origin of a new one. In the first part of the paper, we will define two broad kinds of cooperative policy : one (pre-paradigmatic) devoted to create radically new knowledge by exploring new avenues in order to initiate a new technological paradigm and the other (paradigmatic) devoted to create new knowledge by using exploitation mechanisms in order to maintain technological options and variety, inducing innovation and reducing negative lock-in effects. We specify also for each situation the kind of intervention (coordination, institutional structure) compatible with the objective of the policy. In the second part of the paper, we will illustrate our theoretical arguments by focusing on two types of cooperative programme : one devoted to create a new knowledge base in a pre-paradigmatic phase (the development of a digital switching system in France) and the other more devoted to foster knowledge in existing paradigms (the case of Brite-Euram). URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8084
Files in this item: 18778730864.pdf (82.27Kb)
A Stocktaking and AssessmentFoss, Nicolai J.; Klein, Peter G. (Frederiksberg, 2005)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Ever since its emergence in the 1970s the modern economic or Coasian theory of the firm has been discussed and challenged by sociologists, heterodox economists, management scholars, and other critics. This chapter reviews and assesses these critiques, focusing on behavioral issues (bounded rationality and motivation), process (including path dependence and the selection argument), entrepreneurship, and the challenge from knowledge-based theories of the firm. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7890
Files in this item: 1DRUID_05_03.pdf (363.9Kb)
Precursor of The Competence-Based Approach to The FirmFoss, Nicolai J. (Frederiksberg, 1996)[More information][Less information]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7865
Files in this item: 1DRUID_96_15.pdf (129.0Kb)
Insights from Austrian Capital and Entrepreneurship TheoryFoss, Nicolai J.; Ishikawa, Ibuki (Frederiksberg, 2006)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Over the last two decades the resource-based view ("RBV") has become dominant in the strategic management field. It has often been observed that the RBV is lacking in the dynamic dimension. For example, processes of building competitive advantages by means of combining existing complementary resources in novel ways are not inquired into. We argue that the RBV may profitably draw on insights in entrepreneurship and capital theory, drawn from Austrian economists as well as Frank Knight, in order to strengthen its dynamic dimension. We link the RBV and Austrian ideas in the context of the theory of complex systems pioneered by Herbert Simon. We draw a number of implications for strategic management from this synthesis, notably into resource value and sustainability of competitive advantage. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7877
Files in this item: 1DRUID_06_16.pdf (174.5Kb)
Examples From The Fruit and Vegetable MarketFoss, Kirsten (Frederiksberg, 1996)[More information][Less information]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7859
Files in this item: 1DRUID_96_9.pdf (135.8Kb)
A Coordination TheoryFoss, Nicolai J. (Frederiksberg, 1999)[More information][Less information]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7839
Files in this item: 1DRUID_99_3.pdf (105.1Kb)
Residual Rights Of Control and Appropriable Control RightsFoss, Nicolai J.; Foss, Kirsten (Frederiksberg, 1999)[More information][Less information]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7838
Files in this item: 1DRUID_99_4.pdf (96.53Kb)
The case of Hewlett-PackardSøren Nymark (Frederiksberg, 2000)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Learning organizations' enable companies to remove hierarchical levels and to introduce a flatter organizational structure, which can lead to reduced costs and increased productivity. A recent Danish study has proved coherence between a flat, integrative organizational structure and an increased productivity. This enables a kind of management in which the managerial form is not as direct as it is in more traditional structured companies. Value-based management is advanced as a possible answer to the question of which managerial form that is appropriate for these kind of companies. In the article, value-based management is described as well as the underlying factors that are affected by such a managerial form. Required managerial elements in relation to value-based management are advanced. Examples from Hewlett-Packard are used to illustrate both the use of value-based management in practice and the underlying factors. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8077
Files in this item: 18778730945.pdf (123.9Kb)
Maskell, Peter; Kebir, Laïla (København, 2005)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Abstract: This paper investigates the theoretical backgrounds of the "cluster" and proposes a framework aiming at drawing the contour of cluster theory. The profundity of the notion of 'clusters' is arguably conditional on the coherence of four fundamental issues associated with the concept: 1) the economic and social benefits that may accrue to firms when clustering or co-locating (the existence argument); 2) the diseconomies encountered when clustering exceeds certain geographical and sectoral thresholds (the extension argument); 3) the advantages obtained by exploiting intra-cluster synergies rather engaging in external interaction (the exchange argument); and, finally, 4) the possible erosion of economies and onset of diseconomies over the lifecycle of the cluster (the exhaustion argument). Each of these four issues is examined in terms of three relevant major theoretical frameworks that can be brought to bear on the cluster concept. The paper considers approaches based on the idea of externalities (illustrated by the Marshall's work on 'Industrial district'); on competitiveness issue (illustrated by Michael Porter's theory of cluster growth); on a territorial perspective (illustrated by the GREMI approach). The analysis acknowledges the general shift in explanatory emphasis from considerations of static cost efficiency towards more dynamic interpretations that highlight the creation and use of knowledge as their pivotal theoretical element. By placing these changes within a common conceptual framework the paper shows how different theoretical solutions provide distinct points of departure for subsequent policy recommendations. Three distinctive groups of solutions are identified focussing respectively on local spillovers, on competitiveness and on the region and its development. The paper concludes by identifying areas of particular ambiguity where further theoretical work is most urgently needed. Key words: Cluster, cluster theory, industrial district, innovative milieu, regional policy JEL Codes: L22, R10, R58 URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7211
Files in this item: 1maskell05-09.pdf (260.6Kb)
Balance Sheet and Patent Data as Sources of Investor Information During Volatile Market TimesRamb, Fred; Reitzig, Markus (Frederiksberg, 2005)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: We originally investigate the comparative usefulness of patent data as a source of investor information depending on the market cycle (bull/bear market). Based on comprehensive data for firms listed on German exchanges between 1997 and 2002, we demonstrate that patent data contain complementary explanatory power to accounting data irrespective of the standard used to prepare the financial statement (German GAAP, IAS and US GAAP). Moreover, we provide original evidence that only patent data are able to provide plausible investor information in both bull-market and bear-market periods, whereas accounting information overvalues intangible assets in bull markets and undervalues them in bears. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7886
Files in this item: 1DRUID_05_15.pdf (457.5Kb)
Previous Page
Now showing items 64-83 of 83


text:
Letter from Europe- Consulting's New Breed...
About the author
Angelo Kehayas
Angelo is a Public and Key Note Speaker, a Business, Executive and Leadership Coach. He has served at senior level in blue chip companies and has established and run successful ventures in multiple industries. He has designed and delivered corporate development programmes, focused speaking events, and has coached executives, business leaders and entrepreneurs. He specialises in challenging assignments, solving systems problems and facilitating group and team planning sessions. He is certified as a Master Coach, Certified Management Consultant and NLP Practitioner.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
PERTH, Australia — After weeks of searching vast swaths of ocean, investigators now have their "most promising" lead yet in efforts to find Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
A pinger locator in the Indian Ocean has detected signals consistent with those sent by a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder, said the head of the Australian agency coordinating search operations.
The signals were picked up Sunday by the Ocean Shield, an Australian navy ship that's towing a sophisticated U.S. pinger locator through an area about 1,750 kilometers (1,100 miles) northwest of Perth. The first detection lasted for more than two hours; a second lasted for about 13 minutes.
The sounds were heard in a part of the ocean that's about 4,500 meters (about 14,800 feet) deep, retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston said Monday.
"We've got a visual indication on a screen, and we've also got an audible signal. And the audible signal sounds to me just like an emergency locator beacon," he said.
"We are encouraged that we are very close to where we need to be."
But it could take days before officials can confirm whether the signals came from the plane, which fell off radar on March 8 with 239 people on board.
"In very deep oceanic water, nothing happens fast," Houston said. "I would ask all of you to treat this information cautiously and responsibly. … We haven't found the aircraft yet."
"We have a promising lead, but we have yet to get confirming evidence."
At least one investigator has described the search not as finding a needle in a haystack, but rather trying to find the haystack.
"It's very exciting, very exciting," forensic audio expert Paul Ginsberg said Monday. "I think we have finally found the haystack."
And Malaysian authorities are hopeful there will be a positive development in the next few days, if not hours, acting Transportation Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters Monday.
But some friends and relatives of passengers said they're not putting too much stock in Monday's news.
"Until they physically locate the bulk of the plane with the black box intact and passenger bodies, I won't believe it," said Sarah Bajc, the partner of American passenger Philip Wood.
Teams are also still investigating pings detected Friday and Saturday by a Chinese ship about 600 kilometers (375 miles) southwest of the area that the Ocean Shield is searching.
But time could be running out in tracing the sounds. In a few hours or days, the pingers aboard the plane could stop transmitting for good.
The batteries inside the beacons, which are designed to start sending signals when a plane crashes into water, last about 30 days after the devices are activated.
Monday marks the 31st day of the search.
New flight details
While searchers may be getting closer to the plane, a fresh mystery has emerged about what happened during the flight.
The jet skirted Indonesian airspace as it went off the grid and veered off course, a senior Malaysian government source said Sunday.
After reviewing radar track data from neighboring countries, officials concluded that the plane curved north of Indonesia before turning south toward the southern Indian Ocean, the Malaysian source said.
Whoever was flying the plane could have been trying to avoid radar detection, the source said.
But why?
Like most details in the case that's baffled investigators ever since the plane dropped off Malaysian military radar, it depends on whom you ask.
Law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes cautioned against assuming a nefarious reason for steering the plane around Indonesia's airspace.
"I think the plane's being intentionally flown there, but I think it's still a mystery as to why. … I think they would probably guess they're not avoiding anybody's radar, because there's a lot of radar in the area," he said. "I think they're avoiding getting shot down or colliding with another airplane."
Aviation analyst Miles O'Brien said the new route includes designated waypoints that pilots and air traffic controllers use.
"This particular route that is laid out happens to coincide with some of these named intersections," he said. "So what it shows is an experienced pilot somewhere in the mix on this."
Investigators haven't said who they think might have flown the plane off course or why.
But Hishammuddin, Malaysia's acting transportation minister, said Monday that Indonesian military authorities told the Malaysian defense force that they had "no sighting" of the plane the night it disappeared.
The possibility that the plane was hijacked by someone who knew how to fly a commercial jet is still on the table. Authorities have also been investigating the plane's captain and co-pilot. And they haven't ruled out mechanical problems as a possible cause of the plane's diversion.
So far, no physical evidence of the plane's eventual whereabouts has been found, leaving many relatives of those on board trapped in uncertainty.
Zeroing in
The Ocean Shield, whose high-tech pinger locator was borrowed from the U.S. Navy, will continue to pursue the sound it heard. If that lead turns cold, it will move to another detection area, a journey that will take at least a day, officials said.
The HMS Echo, a British navy ship equipped with advanced detection gear, sailed into the area of the southern Indian Ocean on Monday morning (Sunday afternoon ET) where a Chinese crew had detected two audio signals.
The arrival of the Echo will be critical to the search for the missing Boeing 777. It has state-of-the-art sonar and is capable of mapping the ocean floor.
It should be able to help determine more confidently whether audio signals picked up Friday and Saturday by the Chinese patrol ship Haixun 01 came from the plane.
The Chinese said the electronic pulses — detected only 2 kilometers (1.25 miles) apart — were consistent with those emitted by pingers on an aircraft's "black boxes."
Houston, the head of the Australian agency coordinating the search, said sounds travel long distances underwater, making it difficult to find their sources. If detectors were near a pinger, they would pick up the signal for a more sustained period.
The signals detected by the Chinese weren't as sustained as those picked up by the Ocean Shield, and the Chinese vessel's detection gear isn't thought to be as advanced as the U.S. pinger locator. But officials say they can't discount anything at this point.
Houston said the pulses detected by the Chinese ship are particularly notable because they occurred in an area that fits with the latest expert calculation of roughly where the plane likely entered the water.
Despite the new hints that the plane may be in the ocean, some relatives of passengers are still hoping for the best.
"If the plane is there, it's there. We can't change it," the husband of one passenger said. "But I am still hoping for a miracle to happen."
™ & © 2014 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.


text:
The short answer is yes, in my opinion. An association or organization is structured and organization and structure is important in defining commitment. For example, if you were looking for answers to lets say the benefits of CPR in post cardiacarrest victims, would you seek your answers from a forum of loosely group parties that have little to no vested interest or would you goto the AHA (American Heart Association) that has proven its commitment.Originally Posted by brdad
These forum offer great information but lack a unified voice. We all have an idea of what geocaching should be but how do we pursue one agenda when several will be presented. We don't speak with one voice and as a result their has already been some folks that have splintered off and formed there own organization. When new cachers come along and see forums versus organization, especially one with the name MGA, I believe they will first look to the MGA for answers. This will further weaken these forums in the long run.
You asked me a question now let me pose one. How would organizing these forums hurt them or change them? Would it be so detrimental to have many voices internally but speak out publicly with one voice?
We can debate this back and forth all day long. I don't disagree with the folks here but what I'm afraid of is that when it comes time for policy that effect geocaching in the state of Maine, this group of folk will not have a voice. It will be hard to go to a policy/lawmaker and say, "we at the forums decided....", whereas the MGA will be able to say, "We have x number of vested members who have decided this is the course of action......" I understand that anything like that is a big if, but what if. I don't know which state it is but I'm under the understanding that geocaching is banned on all public property there. Who were the opposing parties to that law. Was there an organized group opposed to that legislation? I don't know the answers. On the other hand I don't see how organizing would be dangerous to these forums. We all donate and we all abide by rules set forth in the user agreement. The only thing lacking is the structure of an official organization/association.
Cache On!!!!


text:
Celebrating Illinois' French roots at Lincoln Log Cabin
Creole fiddling & storytelling Jan. 19
Send a link to a friend
[January 09, 2013]
Louisiana isn't the only state with French heritage to
celebrate. Illinois has French roots of its own, and they're being
celebrated Jan. 19 at the
Log Cabin State Historic Site near Charleston.
Louis Jolliet and Father Marquette, French missionaries and
explorers, arrived in Illinois in 1673, nearly 150 years before the
region became a state. Their arrival ushered in the French Colonial
period of Illinois history with forts and settlements along the
Mississippi, Illinois, Ohio and Wabash rivers. Early French and
French-Canadian colonists intermarried with Native Americans to
create a unique Creole culture different from the populations of
Louisiana and Canada.
The Jan. 19 program is co-sponsored by the Lincoln Log Cabin
State Historic Site and the Lincoln-Sargent Farm Foundation. It's
produced in part by the Illinois Humanities Council's Road Scholars
Speakers Bureau, a program that provides organizations statewide
with affordable, entertaining and thought-provoking humanities
events for their communities.
The Road Scholars program features topics in history, literature,
music, politics, science and many more.
"The contagious passion our speakers have for their topics is
what makes this program so dynamic and appealing. We don't need to
change lives; we just want audiences to feel curious again," said
Mallory Laurel, the Humanities Council coordinator for the program.
[to top of second column]
Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, administered by the
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, is an 86-acre pioneer
farmstead that was the last home of Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln,
Abraham Lincoln's father and stepmother. It is located eight miles
south of Charleston and is open Wednesday through Sunday for free
public tours.
For more information about Lincoln Log Cabin, its programs or
volunteer opportunities, call 217-345-1845, visit the Facebook page
www.facebook.com/lincolnlogcabin or the website at
[Text from file received from the
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency]
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Letters to the Editor


text:
Hilton Hotels bag white elephant, turn it around
Getting consumers to part with disposable income has become a national mission, and one success story in this regard is the increasing popularity of higaeri, or one-day excursions where travelers go someplace, enjoy that place, and return home without staying the night. Morning news and information programs are filled with suggestions for higaeri, and one of the most talked about destinations is the Hilton Odawara Resort and Spa, located on the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture. Until Feb. 28, the Hilton is offering a special higaeri deal on weekdays. For ¥4,000, a person can partake of the resort's lavish all-you-can-eat lunch buffet and use all of their spa facilities, which includes onsen (hot spring), sauna, Jacuzzi, an Olympic pool and more. Normally, the buffet itself is ¥3,850 and access to the spa facilities is as much as ¥3,000 for the day. In addition there's free shuttle-bus service to the hotel from the JR Odawara or Nebukawa stations on the Tokaido line, about an hour from Tokyo Station.
A lot of resort hotels have higaeri deals, but what makes the Odawara one appealing is the Hilton name. In fact, it appears that many young women are taking advantage of the deal simply because they think it's the only chance they'll ever get to patronize a Hilton Hotel; and that, of course, prompts another question: What is Hilton, one of the grandest luxury hotel brands in the world, doing with a hot spring resort in the mountains of Shizuoka?
Hilton, in fact, doesn't own the resort. It's owned by Odawara city, which purchased the property from the Koyo Noryoku Kaihatsu Kiko (Employment and Human Resources Development Organization), one of those national bureaucratic organs whose main purpose is to justify its own existence. Nominally, the EHDO is charged with managing the funds collected through the workman's compensation insurance program. In the not-so-distant past these funds were used to construct concert halls (Nakano Sun Plaza is one of the more famous EHDO projects) and other white elephants, the vast majority of which never made money. In fact, almost all of them lost money, a lot of money, including the elaborate hot spring resort they built in Odawara.


text:
"The deteriorating climate should be ASEAN's top concern, given that the region is experiencing frequent and more intense extreme weather events due to climate change caused by carbon emissions," said Amalie H. Obusan, Regional Climate and Energy Campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia. "The ASEAN region, with its rapid pace of economic and population growth should play an important role in this global solution as the E[R] report clearly shows that a low carbon development path is possible." Jointly commissioned by Greenpeace and the Global Wind Energy Council from the German Space Agency (DLR) and regional scientists, the Energy [R]evolution outlines some of the key results on renewable electricity generation, where new renewables like wind, solar photo voltaic and geothermal energy could comprise 70% of the total electricity generation by 2050.
In fact, the report illustrates the democratization of energy production - previously power was only generated by a few big owners, but now hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people can become their own energy providers. With solar panels, poor Southeast Asian communities - which have had no access to electricity - can now generate power to light up their homes. The Energy [R]evolution also gives projections on ASEAN's future investment prospects (US$ 2,752 billion), fuel cost savings (US$ 2,698 billion), job generation potential (1.1 million in 2030) which could flow if green energy is adopted. "There is already a strong global movement for reducing the dependency on fossil fuels by increasing the share of renewable energies," said lead author Sven Teske, Renewable Energies Director at Greenpeace International. "The ASEAN countries have more than enough natural resources to become a leading player for clean, renewable energies. Renewable energies are more competitive than coal, utilize indigenous local resources and create more employment. Using more renewables is now an advantage for the economy, not a burden, and reduces their dependence on dirty, imported fossil fuels like oil and coal. Greenpeace also said that the future of renewable energy development in the ASEAN region will depend strongly on the political will of its member governments. By choosing renewable energy, coupled with far-reaching energy efficiency measures, ASEAN will be able to contribute to stabilizing global carbon emissions while at the same time achieving the economic growth that it rightfully deserves. "Climate change is a wholesale problem requiring wholesale solution, one that needs the absolute cooperation of every nation in the region," said Obusan. "For the sake of a sound environment, political stability and thriving economies, now is the time for ASEAN to commit to a truly secure and sustainable energy future – one built on genuinely clean technologies, economic development and the creation of hundreds of thousands of green jobs".
----------------------------- For more information: Amalie Obusan, Regional Climate and Energy Campaigner Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Hindun Mulaika, Climate and Energy Campaigner Greenpeace Indonesia, Rahma Shofiana, Media Campaigner Greenpeace Indonesia,
Feature story


text:
Kentucky RCFL
Upon request, the KRCFL will provide digital forensics services and training to any law enforcement agency with jurisdiction in the state of Kentucky.
440 North Whittington Parkway
Louisville, KY 40222
Participating Agencies
The Kentucky RCFL is a unique partnership that promotes quality and strengthens computer forensics capacity. Computer forensics professionals from the following organizations are staffing the RCFL:
Local Government
- Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
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I received this announcement from Family Tree University:
Give Thanks for Your Family This Holiday Season!
Learn more about them with a course from Family Tree University. Register for any upcoming course and save 25%. Enter coupon code THANKS10 when you register.
Courses Start November 8:
• New! German Genealogy 201: Strategies and Skillbuilding
Building on our course Find Your German Roots: From America to Deutschland, this class focuses on skills German researchers need to dig deeper into their families' pasts. You'll learn tricks for reading German script and type, what the Family History Library system can contribute to your research, and how to track down German ancestors who lived outside of today's Germany.
• New! Source Documentation: How to Cite Genealogy Sources Accurately and Effectively
"There is no truth without proof." Successful genealogists abide by this, and it will be your new motto after this course. Knowing how to accurately cite your sources helps you work smarter and faster, gives your research credibility and helps you bust down brick walls. This course will focus on the Evidence! style of citation, the one most commonly used by genealogists.
• New! Discover Your Family Tree: Genealogy for the Absolute Beginner
When you're a family history newbie, the prospect of diving into your roots research can seem overwhelming. This course will start you on the fun and rewarding journey of discovering your roots. Learn how to begin, where to look for information to extend your family tree, what to do with what you find and how to put it all together.
• Google Tools for Genealogists: Four Resources to Enhance Your Family History
Go beyond simple web searches and take advantage of Google's other built-in tools, which can be just as helpful for family tree research. This course will explore four of the tools best suited to help you with your genealogy: News Archive and Timeline, Book Search, YouTube and Google Earth.
• Reverse Genealogy: Working Forward to Break Down Brick Walls
When we first begin researching our family tree, we're taught that we should start with ourselves and work backward. Starting at the end of someone's life and working backward is the most efficient and accurate way to research—in most cases. But two genealogical challenges call for a change in strategy: overcoming brick walls and finding living relatives.
• Death Records 101: Find What Your Ancestors Left Behind
Ben Franklin said the only things certain in life were death and taxes—genealogists can add paperwork to that list. When our ancestors passed, many records were created in their wake. This course will explore death records and related sources, including wills, obituaries, funeral home records, burial permits and coroner reports.
• Cemetery Research 101: Dig Up Your Family History
You know you've been bitten by the genealogy bug when cemeteries cease to be creepy and turn into a place you can spend hours. Cemetery Research 101 will get you excited about exploring the final resting places of your ancestors and give you the knowledge you need to read tombstones, decipher plot maps and keep your research organized.
• Newspaper Research 101: Find Your Ancestors in American News Sources
Newspapers are essentially a time capsule for your ancestors. Papers can provide clues to major and minor events in your ancestor's life through obituaries, social columns, birth announcements and other news stories. In this class you'll learn how to find and use newspaper archives—online, on paper and on microfilm—to put together missing pieces of your genealogical research.
• Trace Your Polish Roots: Strategies for Searching in the US and Poland
Poland's long history is fraught with border changes, ethnic strife and an ongoing quest for autonomy. If you're among the more than 9 million Americans with Polish roots, we'll help you find your Polish ancestors by debunking myths, explaining history and pointing you to the most useful records.
• Organize Your Genealogy: Get Your Research in Order (and Keep It That Way)
A successful genealogist often ends up with an embarrassment of riches: too much information in too many places. Whether you work on paper or do everything online, getting your research organized is essential to keeping track of ancestors and making sure you know where to put new ones in your family tree. This course will rescue you from unhelpful habits and get your workspace—virtual or physical—tidy again.
• Digital Photography Essentials: Techniques to Capture and Preserve Your Family History
Photography is an essential tool for genealogists—not only for capturing family memories now, but also for preserving old documents and heirlooms. This course will help you master the basics of using digital cameras, photo editing software and scanners in your genealogy work.
• Creating a Family History Book: Start-to-Finish Guidance for Assembling and Printing a Family Keepsake
You've worked hard to uncover your family's history, and you want to preserve your research in a form that will stand the test of time—a keepsake book that can be shared today as well as archived for future generations. If you've ever thought such a project was too overwhelming or that you had to complete you research before you could create your book, this simply isn't true. Family history books come in all flavors, from collections of family recipes to compilations of oral history interviews. This course will show you how to make the process manageable and enjoyable from start to finish.
• Finding African-American Ancestors in Newspapers: Research Strategies for Success
Conducting research on African-Americans ancestors is a challenging proposition and one must use all the available resources. Newspapers can provide a critical link to research success once the genealogist learns some important general knowledge along with a few essential skills. This course will equip you with key background information for newspaper research, expose myths pertaining to the use of white newspapers, give you the skill and confidence to seek out and utilize African-American newspapers, and furnish you with invaluable tips and strategies designed to optimize your success.
• US Military Records: Trace Your Ancestors' Service
With so many military conflicts throughout America's history, it's likely your ancestors were involved. Finding records of their service will help you round out the portraits of their lives and honor their memory. Military files also can reveal information about widows and children—and even ancestors who didn't serve might have left behind draft records. This course will teach you what to look for and how to locate the records you seek.
• Exploring City Directories: How to Trace Your Family in Yesterday's Yellow Pages
City directories are indispensable tools for genealogists, but they go far beyond just listing your ancestor's address. They connect an ancestor to a certain place in time and lead to a multitude of sources and present a fuller picture of your ancestors' lives. In this course, we'll explore city directories and their applications so you can fully take advantage of this comprehensive source.
• Tracing Immigrants: How to Research Your Family's American Arrivals
Many people get interested in genealogy because they want to learn more about where their family came from—specifically, to find out which ancestors came over from the "old country" and when. This course will teach you how to identify an immigrant ancestor in your family tree. You'll learn how to pinpoint when and where he or she left and locate records documenting his or her immigration. Each of the four lessons includes an assignment designed to help you progress in your research of an immigrant ancestor.
• Research in Foreign Records: How to Find Your Family Across the Pond
After you've identified the immigrant in your family tree and pinpointed the place your family came from, you're ready to begin exploring resources in the country. The third course in our immigrant research series walks you through the steps to successfully cross the pond and find your family in foreign records.
• Writing Your Family Memoir: Create a Capitvating Record of Your Family's Story
The story of your own or your family's history is likely to be the most personal, emotionally satisfying and overwhelming writing project you'll ever undertake. You've collected oral histories, personal memories, journal entries, photographs, letters and countless other documents—now find out how to weave them together into a compelling story. In this course, you'll work with a published writer to craft an outline for your book and start putting your family's legacy down on paper.


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Penguins Recall Goaltender Jeff Zatkoffby Staff Writer / Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled goaltender Jeff Zatkoff from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, it was announced by executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero.
Zatkoff, 25, has posted a 21-19-0 record in 43 games for WBS this season. He currently leads the AHL with a 2.00 goals-against average, while his .919 save percentage ranks 13th in the league.
Prior to joining the Penguins organization as an unrestricted free agent this year, the 6-foot-3, 179-pound Zatkoff played four seasons in the Los Angeles Kings organization for their top minor-league affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs.
Zatkoff, a native of Detroit, Michigan, played in 114 career games with Manchester, going 52-45-6 while posting a 9.15 save percentage and a 2.64 goals-against average. Last year, he posted a 21-17-1 record, 2.49 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage in 44 regular-season games – earning him an AHL All-Star Game berth.
Zatkoff played three seasons of collegiate hockey at Miami University (Ohio) from 2005-08, going 55-21-5 with a 1.96 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. His best season came as a junior when he went 27-8-1 with a 1.72 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage when he was a CCHA Second-Team All-Star. He was also named CCHA All-Conference honorable mention as a sophomore and conference rookie of the year as a freshman.


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Frequently Asked Questions
- How is Banzai free?
Banzai is 100% free for educators and students. Completely. No strings, no catch. Hundreds of banks and credit unions around the country, who care about teaching young people to be financially responsible, generously sponsor Banzai in their local communities.
Do I have a sponsor?
When you sign up and tell us which school you're at, Banzai will reveal your sponsor. If you don't have a sponsor, don't worry! You can still use Banzai on the web, at no cost, with no sponsor. Banzai's software is completely open and ready to use by any teacher, anywhere.
- How does Banzai align with my curriculum?
Click here to see how Banzai aligns with standards of learning (SOLs) in your state.
- What does Banzai teach?
Banzai features three financial literacy courses: Banzai Junior, for elementary-age students, Banzai Teen, for junior and senior high schools and Banzai Plus, a new, advanced course for high school-age students. Banzai is supplemental, however, it's designed to teach your students about finance using experience-based learning techniques to make its curriculum memorable and impactful.
See the Banzai Junior course overview here, the Banzai Teen overview here and the Banzai Plus course overview here.
- How long does it take?
Banzai is flexible. It is designed to fit your schedule. At a minimum, plan two to five classroom hours to complete Banzai. If you are looking to fill more classroom hours, consider teaching from the Teacher's Edition of Life Scenarios, which contains additional resources to expand the curriculum, while your students complete the activities online.
- What age groups is Banzai appropriate for?
In Banzai, there are three courses: Banzai Junior for elementary grade students (ages 8 thru 12), Banzai Teen, designed for middle, junior high, and high school students (ages 13 to 18) and Banzai Plus, for advanced classes (ages 16 and up).
When you sign up, you can manage multiple classes and choose the courses that fit best.


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Archaeological Sites at Ramat Hanadiv
Accessibility arrangements at Ramat Hanadiv
Ramat Hanadiv works hard to make its services accessible to people with disabilities in order to afford them a visiting experience that meets their unique requirements.
In accordance with the law, our accessibility manager, Racheli Schwartz-Tzachor (Ph.D.), is available. If you encounter unique accessibility requests you're welcome to contact us in one of the following ways:
Telephone: 04-6298127 Fax: 04-6399117
or Email: To Racheli
The Memorial Gardens and Visitor Center are accessible except for the mausoleum.
Disabled parking:
Designated disabled parking bays may be found in the main and secondary parking lots.
Disabled restrooms:
Every facility that offers restrooms also offers designated disabled restrooms.
Disabled Aids:
Wheelchairs may be hired from the InfoShop - for on-site visits.
Website accessibility:
Ramat Hanadiv invests effort and resources to make the organization's website accessible so that disabled people will also be able to enjoy it.
Restrictions to accessibility:
As a general rule, all of the website's pages were built to meet level AA conformance to web content accessibility. Nevertheless, despite our efforts to make all of the website's pages accessible, it is possible that some parts of the site are still inaccessible. We note that a number of pages contain external components that are beyond our control and inaccessible. Therefore, the following pages do not meet the accessibility standard:


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As a manager, you are developing schedule for your project.
How do you specify time estimates for project activities?
From analysis,usually, single-point, most-likely estimates are used for activity duration estimating. But these estimates does not represent accurate information and it may lead to schedule overrun situation.
Project manager's ultimate goal is to create a realistic project schedule that provides a basis for monitoring project progress for the time dimension of the project. Adapting better estimating technique is needed for project success.
Three-point estimating is one of the general estimating methods that helps project managers produce better estimates. Instead of providing discrete activity duration estimates like 3-weeks, 2-days, etc., the accuracy of it can be improved by considering the amount of risk in the original estimate.
Three-point estimates are based on determining three types of estimates: optimistic, most likely and pessimistic. (i.e. Optimistic – 2 weeks, Most Likely – 4 weeks, Pessimistic – 6 weeks)
* Most likely(approx. realistic scenario): The duration of the schedule activity, given the resources likely to be assigned, their productivity, realistic expectations of availability for the schedule activity, dependencies on other participants, and interruptions.
* Optimistic(best-case scenario): The activity duration is based on a best-case scenario of what is described in the most likely estimate.
* Pessimistic(worst-case scenario): The activity duration is based on a worst-case scenario of what is described in the most likely estimate.
An activity duration estimate can be constructed by using an average of the three estimated durations. Three-point estimates are needed for PERT estimates and Monte Carlo simulations.
The PERT is a more rudimentary approach to quantitative risk analysis. PERT applies a weighted average favoring the most likely outcome: (O + 4M + P)/6


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Magill's six in spot start not enough for ailing Dodgers
Recalled from Triple-A to start for Ryu, rookie allows four homers
DENVER -- Rookie Matt Magill made history Sunday, and he probably won't ever forget it, as much as he'd like to.
An emergency starter for the injured Hyun-Jin Ryu, he walked nine and served up four home runs in a 7-2 Dodgers loss to Colorado, a combination of hittable and unhittable pitches so rare that in the modern era (since 1916), it had never been done.
It happened in part because Magill was required to take one for the team, to keep throwing almost regardless of the results. Not known at the time, the Dodgers will likely go through the same "emergency" drill Monday, when Stephen Fife fills in for an injured Chris Capuano, so the club was desperate for Magill to eat innings.
He ate six of them, but the taste was pretty sour. He needed 110 pitches (55 strikes, 55 balls) and was charged with seven runs (six earned) on only five hits (four homers), striking out five in addition to the nine walks (one intentional).
Manager Don Mattingly acknowledged it was hard to watch and harder to manage.
"I feel like I had my hands tied behind my back today," he said. "You do what you have to do."
For Magill, he had to rest a bullpen after back-to-back 10-inning games. Magill even flew into Denver on Saturday night to get sufficient rest. But he allowed a home run to the first batter he saw -- the first of two by Dexter Fowler -- then issued a walk and trailed, 2-0, after the first inning.
Mattingly said games like Sunday's can test the mettle of any young ballplayer.
"That's what you worry about," Mattingly said. "He's a tough kid who works hard. It can [damage him], but only if you let it."
Skip Schumaker's two-run double off Jorge De La Rosa tied the score in the second, but Magill never got untracked. He allowed homers in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to Todd Helton, Michael Cuddyer and Fowler again, while running up his pitch count with the nine walks that fell three short of Stan Williams' franchise record set in 1961.
"I just couldn't find it today," said Magill, who had a 5.50 ERA in four previous starts, all no-decisions in games the Dodgers eventually lost. "I didn't feel my legs underneath me. I knew it would be a battle from the beginning. I just tried to go as long as I could. I knew my job was to go as long as I could."
Magill was pitching on seven days' rest, as management held him out of Triple-A Albuquerque's rotation because of the uncertain health of Ted Lilly, Ryu and Capuano. He threw a bullpen session Thursday that put him on schedule to start Sunday.
Magill acknowledged that he had never moved between classes until doing it twice this year and he's dealing with the necessary adjustments. Still, he already had an alarming 13 walks in 18 innings.
"Today was different than the other starts," he said. "Then I was trying to be too fine. Today, I was just missing. Not missing by inches, but missing by feet."
He abandoned his fastball by the third inning and was just tossing sliders and changeups the rest of his outing. And as Mattingly pointed out, until Fowler's two-run blast in the sixth inning, Magill actually kept the Dodgers within reach, despite all the walks.
"He's shown flashes, and we know his stuff is good enough, but you're not able to walk that many and have success here," said Mattingly.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers lineup -- which had three players from the Opening Day batting order and three that started the season in the Minor Leagues -- couldn't get a baserunner past second after the second inning, as De La Rosa finally beat the Dodgers after losing his previous eight decisions against them.
"First time I pitched like that against them," said De La Rosa. "I'm glad to get my first win against them."


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Teach adults or children in Asia. Up to £3000 ($3800) per month. Housing, flights + more benefits. Non-experienced welcome. Min requirement is native speaker + degree. Contact us 24/7!
Posted By: RGT Recruit <[email protected]>
Date: Saturday, 8 February 2020, at 7:52 p.m.
We are hiring ESL teachers for our partners in Asia, who have private schools and language centers founded 10 years ago with 100+ branches in 20 cities with 350 teaching staff. They are highly reputable, well-established, and employ many expatriate teachers.
Job & Package Details:
• Choose to teach adults or children.
• Up to £3000 ($3800) per month.
• 20-25 teaching hours per week.
• Flight Allowance.
• Free hotel at beginning of contract and help finding apartment.
• Many bonuses.
• Paid leave.
• Airport pickup and full induction and training provided.
• Medical insurance provided.
• Advancement opportunities throughout the company.
• Regular social events.
• Native English speaker from: USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa.
• Bachelor's degree.
• TEFL certificate (if no previous experience).
• Experienced and non-experienced welcome.
• Maximum age is 55 due to work visa restrictions.
Please send your CV, copy of your passport page, and copies of education certificates to we will respond promptly - [email protected]
Please let your friends know too, and we will pay you $100 referral fee if they start work.
Contact us on Skype (rgt_recruit) any time 24/7 for a chat, or UK office Mon-Fri +442081233324
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Dear Miss Manners: I am a father of three, with No. 4 on the way. This time, my wife and I decided to find out the sex of the baby before the birth. I am proud to say that we are expecting a girl, and I would like to share the news with my buddies with the traditional cigar. Do I wait until the birth to pass them out? Or is it OK to pass them out now?
Gentle Reader: You have three children, and you haven't learned patience?
Yet there are other things Miss Manners hopes you never learn, such as that not all pregnancies go smoothly, and not everyone is as charmed by embryos as by babies. (Some people even find cigars offensive, but that's another matter.)
Your daughter is not ready yet for her debut. Please give her a chance to get ready to face the world, and, for heaven's sake, to put something on.
Keep conversation light
Dear Miss Manners: Last year, after four years of relative happiness, my male partner and I ended our relationship. It was not amicable, a particularly unpleasant experience that took me the remainder of the year to accept, cope with, and gradually begin to heal from.
Several months ago, I began to very slowly and casually date another gentleman. Things are going rather well, and he and I attended a friend's barbecue over the weekend.
My friend knew about my circumstances and was pleased and excited to see that I seemed to be moving on. However, we ran into a few problems from the "friends of friends." Many of these are people I've met and do like, but time and distance being what they are, I just don't see them more than once or twice a year at such events.
One person, excited upon seeing me, ran over to hug me, introduced herself to my male companion, and then exuberantly asked, "But where is Eric?" (my former partner).
I was able to reply with a lighthearted, "I'm not sure! Did he not come with you?" To my relief, she received the message immediately.
Others, however, didn't really get the hint. One guest asked three times during the introduction and when I was chatting with several others, saying, "Wait - did you and Eric break up?" Another remarked to my companion, "Ohhh, so YOU are the new Eric," and with a playful hip bump added, "You are definitely more handsome."
How do you politely respond to queries from friendly acquaintances about your former lovers?
Gentle Reader: As these people seem to be in a teasing mood, Miss Manners suggests you tease back. You might do this by turning to the gentleman you brought and saying, "I'm sorry to embarrass you by exposing you to this. They're really very nice people who mean well, just a little primitive socially. But I'm fond of them anyway."


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Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Two Grand Slams in One Game vs. Perfect Games
Two Grand Slams in One Game
Perfect Games
The first player to hit 2 grand slams in one game was Tony Lazzeri, in 1936. Maybe it is not surprising no one did it before 1920, in the dead ball era, when HRs were rare. So I use 1920 as the starting point for the comparison between these two rare events. I only include regular season games, so Don Larsen's perfect game in the World Series will not count. And I also include all games where a pitcher had 9 perfect innings from the start of the game, regardless of what happened after the 9th inning. So I include Harvey Haddix's 1959 game and Pedro Martinez's 1995 game. After all, it was not their fault their teammates could not score just one run for them. They did match what these other pitchers did.
Using the data from the Baseball Almanac site, that leaves 15 perfect games since 1920. That is two more than games when a player hit 2 grandslams. There were about 149,000 major league games played from 1920-2008. So prior to this year, a perfect game happened once every 10,642 games. Two grandslams in one game happened once every 12,416 games.
Looking at the Baseball Almanac sites, you can see that in 1968, 1995, 1998 and 1999 both events occurred. So 2009 is the 5th year that both happened. But this time it was only 4 days apart. In those other years the two events were always atleast a month apart.
2 comments:
- Devon said...
That is fascinating! I hadn't thought of comparing these before. It raises a few questions tho...
If you include Haddix & Martinez since they matched the feat & it wasn't their fault, you should think of the fact that they were in the NL and therefore...they were batters in those games too. So, they did have some control over the runs scored for their team. Maybe that should disqualify them in this list?
Also, on the same reasoning... what about pitchers like Jonathan Sanchez, who tosses a perfect game a few weeks ago but it was spoiled by a teammates error? You shouldn't penalize him for the mistake of his teammate, if you're going to include Haddix & Martinez for the same reason that their teammates kept them from being official perfect games.
BTW, there were more HR's from 1892-1896 (2,392) than 1920-1924 (2,288). In fact, 1894 saw 627 HR's. So maybe you should start from 1925?
- July 28, 2009 at 11:04 AM
- Cyril Morong said...
Thanks for dropping by and commenting. You raise some good points. On the error issue, I would have to find all of the games where a pitcher had a no-hitter but also would have had a perfect game if not for errors. This got discussed on the SABR list recently and there are about 11 games (including 2 where the errors were made by the pitchers themselves). 7 were between 1920 and 2008. So that would make the two grand slams in one game much rarer.
On HRs, it looks like you are comparing the NL from 1892-1896 to the NL of 1920-24. Using the Lee Sinins complete Baseball Encylopedia, the NL from 1920-24 had a HR% of 1.07. The HR% from 1892-96 was .82%. The NL from 1892-96 had .596 HRs per game while it was .746 from 1920-24. In some of those years from 1982-1896, there were 12 teams in the league so alot of games got played. So I think it is still okay to say that the HR era starts in 1920. Using either HRs per AB or per game, the latter period had a rate that was about 30% higher.
Using the Lee Sinins complete Baseball Encylopedia, I see that there were 4,498 HRs from 1920-24. The HR% for both leagues was 1.06% from 1920-24. In HRs per game it was .733.
- July 28, 2009 at 11:44 AM


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BBC's The Village looks on the bright side of life
BBC drama The Village has switched filming for its second series to the spring in the hope better weather will rid it of its "misery-fest" label and bring back viewers.
The gritty drama was in a ratings battle with Downton Abbey, its Sunday night rival on ITV1.
After pulling in six million viewers when it first aired last year, BBC1 audiences began deserting the story of 100-year-old Derbyshire farmer Bert Middleton as he recalled his time as a boy in the First World War.
The hard-hitting storylines, which included poverty, domestic violence, alcoholism and the war, painted a bleak picture of life for the labouring classes in Edwardian England.
Yet so too did the locations in the Peak District, which suffered its wettest autumn in decades during filming.
For the second series, set during the roaring Twenties, the cameras will not start rolling until late March when there is a chance of sunshine and blue skies to lighten things up.
Actors Maxine Peake (Grace) and John Simm (John), who starred in the first series, will appear again.
An insider claims producers were stung by criticism of The Village and decided to act to win viewers back. Some viewers had called it a "misery-fest" on Twitter.
Last night a BBC source said: "They switched to the spring in the hope things will look a little less bleak... they're hoping for early spring sunshine, blue skies and green fields.
"It's one thing trying to portray the gritty realism of working-class life a century ago, but Sunday night's depressing enough without everything look drab and grey.
"They've said the schedule's all about when the stars were available, but a big factor choosing when to film was the weather.
If more series are commissioned they could be set in the Second World War and up to the modern day
The first series was filmed in and around Hayfield, Edale, Glossop, Chapel-en-le-Frith and Charlesworth during the winter of 2012.
The second series, which will be aired later this year, will see villagers leave the conflict behind and enjoy the Twenties before The Depression.
If more series are commissioned they could be set in the Second World War and up to the modern day.
John Yorke at Company Pictures, which produces The Village, said: "It's the first chapter in a story that we hope will span a century." BBC1 controller Danny Cohen said he was "delighted" the drama was coming back for a second series.
He added: "The Village is drama of the highest quality. It is brilliantly written, beautifully produced and performed with huge talent and imagination. I'm proud to have it on the BBC."
Creator Peter Moffat said: "I'm thrilled at the prospect of bringing to the screen the plans I've got as the life of the village moves away from the horror of war and into the Twenties."


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Simple Lifeforms necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 72 diseños de 21 diseñadores freelance.
We recently ran a competition to design the logo for our web game Spell Souls, which gained 444 entries. Now we have our new competition, to design a home page for the game.
We want you to design that page. The game is a magical battle game, and so you can include the following (if you want to) as a part of the design: Orbs, Arenas, Towers, Zodiac symbols, Elemental powers (Earth, Air, Fire, Water), Magical energy (lightning, etc).
We have included many support assets to help you get started, including the winning logo, some wireframes of how the page might work etc. Good luck!
Spell Souls
A home page design for Spell Souls,using the logo from our previous competition.
About Spell Souls:
Spell Souls is a game of magical battles, set against abackdrop of a changing modern world. It is intended to be a less-than-seriousmodern fantasy game in which players will compete to be the most powerful magein the world. The game will have a visually vector-art kind of theme, a mix ofthe slightly cute and slightly scary. Players will use spells, magic items andother secrets to battle with each other, with each having a mix of comedy andhorror.
The game is essentially epic in scale but occasionallyfunny. Some spells that players can use, for example have terrible names likeCreeping Doom or The Dark Angel, whereas others are more light-hearted, like"Hanna's Herds" or "The Sylvan Pox".
The game is aimed at an adult game-playing audience that mayhave some slight familiarity with games on Facebook or the web already, and soit seeks to charm and entice them in equal measure. We have developed a functional spec for thegame and some designs internally but we are looking for some differentperspectives on how the game might look visually.
What We Want:
We are looking for a home page design for the game. Thedesign needs to be evocative and magical, more modern, cool and web-friendlythan a Dungeons and Dragons style. The design should work with our previouswinning logo.
Thegame is a standard html, PHP and CSS browser application. Data will be drivenby a database and will contain dynamic text and content such as profilepictures, graphics, text and metadata being pulled from a centralised databaseor the Facebook platform.
Designers should design with the idea that dynamictext may be longer or different character sets than in the wireframes providedand may eventually be in other languages.
Avoidusing too many fonts and stick to a consistent link style. Usability isimportant here. Remember that 10% of users are colour-blind. Try and stick to simple elegantclean layout and graphic design to present the information.
Make sure whatever elements you want to use are compatible across all major browsers. A lot of subtle CSS effects such as shadowing or rounded corners table are not necessarily supported by all browsers.
Source material: http://sites.google.com/a/simplelif…ompetition
- Navigation bar/column
- Use of our winning logo
- A player's profile picture
- Space to show key player statistics
- A way to show the player updates and game news
- An indicator showing the player's Jewel and Pearl stats as a part pf the navigation
- A call to action for 'Get More Jewels'
- Total page width must be 760px.
- 130px of width must be reserved for sky-scraper format ads.
- The page background must be able to scale as the page height will likely be variable.
- Table backgrounds also need to be able to scale as tables will likely be variable.
- Use web safe fonts for regular text and links.
- Useful elements that you can use would be: Orbs, Arenas, Towers, Zodiac symbols, Elemental powers (Earth, Air, Fire, Water), Magical energy (lightning, etc).
- User images are always 200px wide, or 50x50 'postage stamp' size.You can find source material to work with here:
- Don't use white as a background colour. Any other colour, light or dark, will do just fine, but not white.
- Don't use deep blue, for the overall colour scheme.
- No dragons. No elves. No dwarves. No knights in shining armour or wizards with tall hats and long robes.


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Even though he wears a business suit and tie, there is no way that Dad knows best. Today I am going to show you " how to draw Dad", step by step and as you can see he is a pink colred rabbit that has no brains at all. Normally it is the Dad that brings home the bacon as he supports his family. In this case Gumball and Anais' Dad just sits around the house all day long, watching dumb TV shows and plays video games. What kind of father does that anyway? Well I guess if you have a cartoon father that is supposed to play a useless role, this is the type of guy you want to create. Anyways, Dad is going to be easy to draw as well, and you should have no problems with recreating this Cartoon Network star. I have a funny feeling that The Amazing World of Gumball is going to be a smash hit. I guess that's all I really have to say about Dad, except have fun learning "how to draw Dad". When his character is more developed you and I will have a better idea as to who he is. Enjoy the drawing day guys and keep those artistic eyes peeled to see what turns up next on Dragoart.com.
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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Les Mills BODYPUMP
February 18 @ 5:45 am - 6:45 am
|Recurring Events (See all)
An event every week that begins at 5:45 am on Tuesday, repeating until June 2, 2020
The original barbell workout for anyone looking to get lean, toned and fit..The key to BODYPUMP™ is THE REP EFFECT™, a breakthrough in fitness training focusing on high repetition movements with low weight loads. This will help you achieve strength and introduce lean body muscle conditioning.


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What to Do in Tyler This Memorial Day Weekend
There will be plenty to do this Memorial Day weekend in the East Texas area. There will too many pool parties and BBQs to count. Why not do something a little bit different this Memorial Day? Try one of these Memorial Day events.
Want a little music?
You could head to Stanley's BBQ Friday for some great music, a full bar, and some of Texas' best BBQ. The Effinays, from Dallas, and Tyler's very own Stefan Cotter and the C-Otters will be playing starting at nine that evening. Check out their Facebook page for more info.
Also, the Coffin Shop in downtown Tyler will be having its last show until the Fall brings cooler weather. Just off the square, the Coffin Shop will be giving a showcase of some of Tyler's best local bands. Blanket M, The Rest, and The Beer Munkees will start the show at 8 p.m. Check out the Coffin Shop Facebook for more.
Looking for a little bit more than just music?
Try the Party in the Pines. The 8th annual Party in the Pines will be going on from May 24 through the 26. They will have lots to do including; a bike rodeo, the Texas Burn Out Challenge, a tattoo contest, music, and plenty of games in an annual event to honor our veterans. Check out their website for information and how to register to come.
Want to do something a little more serious to celebrate Memorial Day right?
Tyler Memorial Funeral Home Cemetery and Mausoleum (12053 Texas Highway 64 West) is hosting a Memorial Day service. Starting at 11 a.m. on Memorial Day Monday. With a fallen warrior ceremony procession, a veterans honor table, the "Armed Forces Medley," the Adorning of the Wreath, and a rifle salute. Their speakers will be Captain Jim Darwin and FBI Special Agent David Mohr.
A Memorial Day service will also be held at Rose Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery at 1 p.m. Monday. The cemetery is located near Gresham at 2003 Blue Mountain Blvd. Speakers will be Mayor Barbara Bass, retired Lt. Col. John Davis, and Matt Schaefer, a lieutenant commander in the Navy Reserve. They will have food, drinks, and patriotic music by Steve and Camilla Charles.
I wish you all the best of Memorial Day weekends, no matter what you choose to do.


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Simi Valley Tennis Partners. Everyone welcome. Join in below and look thru the partners one the right.
Location: Simi Valley, CA
Members: 37
Latest Activity: May 13, 2017
Started by Lucile Bosche´. Last reply by Lucile Bosche´ Jul 31, 2014. 2 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Chuong. Last reply by ETHAN Sep 8, 2013. 1 Reply 0 Likes
Started by Chris. Last reply by rommel Sep 5, 2010. 1 Reply 0 Likes
Hi there 3.5-4.0 player here looking to play mainly in the week after 5pm. I work on the east side of Simi but should be fine anywhere and possibly surrounding Simi. If anyone is interested call/text me at 530-318-0440, thanks Dean.
Comment by Oscar Wegner 1 second agoDelete Comment
Everyone in Simi Valley should check http://www.tennisteacher.com
I am not far, in Oxnard, if you have any questions.
Best wishes, Oscar
I'm guessing nobody is interested in 5:30am tennis during the week? Trying to fit tennis in before work.
Anyone want to play tennis today (6/2) or tomorrow (6/3)? Erringer/Royal?
39 yo Male.3.5 - 4.0..Live in Simi valley.available to play after 6:00 PM
Hey folks, I'm a 25M 4.0 player in Simi (though, it'll probably be more like 3.0-3.5 until I work the rust out). Looking for anything, singles, doubles, whatever.
My availability is: M-F any time after 6:00, and any time on weekends, hit me up!
Dhruv, we are play at Porter Ranch Renessance complex. We are 4.0-4.5
Hi, I am strong 4.0 in Porter Ranch. Have access to free tennis courts with lights in my community. If interested in hitting, please ping me at
[edit: please share private info via PM or Friend Request]
Check out this amazing new iPhone app debuting at Indian Wells BNP Paribas Open this weekend:
You'll want to have it; a must for team captains, players, coaches and parents!
© 2020 Created by Mark / The Mayor. Powered by


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Oh boy. This is amazing. If you've seen disgraced R&B star R. Kelly's incredible Trapped in the Closet (if not, begin), well, this is a flash game based on Trapped in the Closet.
The game's instructions are as follows:
Click on R. Kelly's face whenever he says "Oh shit!" Maybe some other stuff too. If you lose, reload to try again.
Simple. Start playing. It's the best thing you'll play all day.
LaserTube Sneak Preview: Trapped In The Closet [Information Superhighway, via SpindleyQ and IndieGames]


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Socialization? No problem!
Every parent who homeschools has been through the drill: "Oh, you homeschool. Aren't you concerned about your child's socialization?" Even TIME magazine picked up on the question: "Homeschooling may turn out better students, but does it create better citizens?" ("Seceding from School," TIME, August 2001.)
Homeschooling parents have known the answer for years: "No problem here!" But critics demand proof. Today, the first generation of homeschooled students has "grown up," and there are enough homeschool graduates to begin to see how they are succeeding in their homes, in their work, and in their lives.
In 2003, the Home School Legal Defense Association commissioned the largest research survey to date of adults who were home educated. Conducted by Dr. Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute, the study surveyed over 7,300 adults who were homeschooled. Over 5,000 of these had been home educated at least seven years, and the statistics in this synopsis are based on their responses. The results confirm what homeschoolers have thought for years: "No problem here."
|Printer Friendly Version


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PlayStation Network amazement-inducer Journey is very much a PS3 exclusive. But let's just pretend, for a moment, that it was also on the Nintendo 3DS. It might look like this!
This may look like simple fan art, but it's actually been drawn on the new 3DS version of painting suite Colors!, called Colors3D!
Oh. And it's also not fan art because it was drawn by Journey's art director Matt Nava.
Colors3D! is now out and available on the 3DS store. You can check out more images users have already come up with here.


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ESET Cyber Security Pro integrates very well with my MacBook Pro computer and the user interface is simple and streamlined.
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I guess it's the sculpt that I like so much from the SA Clone that they used for Gree. I do realize that it's not film accurate, but my only real gripe is the shoulder straps. I'm willing to overlook that for some reason. Maybe because green is my favorite color.
So I take it Gree's head does not come off ala Jango Fett
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A full colour periodic table poster (A2 size, approximately 23.4 x 16.5 inches, 59.4 x 42 cm) showing atomic numbers, atomic weights, element symbols, element names, atomic radii, electronic configurations, electronegativities, common oxidation states, densities, melting points, boiling points, and other information.
A series of 3-D graphs show some of these properties at the right of the chart. The name panel for each element box is coded black, grey, or white according to whether the element is a metal, semi-metal, or non-metal. The element symbol is displayed as black, blue, or red according to whether the element is solid, liquid, or gaseous.
With each order we'll send you a free silky periodic table bookmark and a free glossy laminated postcard sized periodic table for your noticeboard! This wall chart is printed on a heavyweight (170 gsm) paper and gloss laminated for durability to the front. This poster will be shipped in a cardboard tube.


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American Pop Foreverarr. Mark Brymer, with staging & choreography by John Jacobson - Hal Leonard Corporation
American Pop Foreverarr. Mark Brymer, with staging & choreography by John Jacobson - Hal Leonard Corporation
Click to review
The American pop music phenomenon continues for choirs of all ages with this showstopping revue, which honors each decade from the 50's through the 90's with a special mini-medley of pop hits. This entertaining 30-minute mix of hits will let you bridge the generation gap and have a whole lot of fun in the process! For special convenience, staging and choreography suggestions are included in both the director's score and singer's edition. The revue is � divided into seven sections. I. Opening: American Pop. II. 50's - The Birth Of Rock: Rock Around The Clock; Jailhouse Rock; Lollipop; Blue Suede Shoes; Tutti Frutti; Hound Dog. III. 60's - American Bandstand: Bandstand Boogie; Baby Love; Doo Wah Diddy Diddy; You Keep Me Hangin' On; Let's Twist Again; I Heard It Through The Grapevine. IV. 70's - Dance And Romance: Close To You; I Feel The Earth Move; I'll Be There; Ain't No Mountain High Enough; Boogie Fever; I Will Survive; Y.M.C.A. V. Rockin' The 80's: It's Still Rock And Roll To Me; The Eye Of The Tiger; Flashdance; Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go; Danger Zone; We Built This City; I Love Rock And Roll. VI. 90's NOW!: Hold My Hand; Someday; Gonna Make You Sweat; End Of The Road; Rhythm Nation; River Of Dreams. VII. Finale: American Pop Forever Remix. �
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An interview with Gerard appears in the new issue of Banter Magazine, Scotland's not-for-profit and youth led magazine. Thanks to Ritchie Marshall for the link. Read below or click here…
Variety highlights their recently named International Star of the Year with a two-part feature, including Gerard's comments about his work with Kids Kicking Cancer and why he believes the cause us so special.
Part One: Butler plays diverse, dangerous
Part Two: Butler's extra-curricular activities
Visit PowerPeacePurpose.com for more information on Kids Kicking Cancer.
Gerard Butler Dot Net is proud to be sponsoring a chance for one lucky fan to have dinner with Gerry as well as other fabulous opportunities to watch him work or receive a special autographed gift through our ongoing campaign in support for Kids Kicking Cancer. To date, we have received over 500 proof of donation receipts totaling more than $18,000. The campaign continues until February 13, 2010. Click here for more details…
Only a few more days left to cast your vote for Gerry as the People's Choice Awards Favorite Action Star. Voting ends December 8!


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The Toas-Tite™ Grill recalls a nostalgic era for many baby boomers and their parents. Made of die cast aluminum, with steel rods and hardwood handles, just like the original, it comes packaged in a retro box along with reprints of the 1949 Instruction and Recipe Booklets.
Sandwich maker can be used over gas or electric stove, electric hot plate, outdoor grill, fireplace or campfire. Quickly turns two ordinary slices of bread and your favorite sandwich filling into a hot, sealed toasted sandwich. The delectable little taste thrills made with the grill look like miniature pies, crispy brown outside and sealed all around the edge so the filling won't drip out the back while you're biting the front. Made in the USA!
- Item #: 7TT01


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Investing.com – The dollar advanced against its rivals Monday following a slump in the pound amid growing uncertainty about the future of UK Prime Minister Theresa May as Brexit talks remained at an impasse.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, rose by 0.30% to 95.73.
The Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party, which props up Prime Minister Theresa May's minority government, will support an amendment proposed by rebel Brexiteer lawmakers, The Telegraph reported.
This comes in the wake of rumors that May is set to face a leadership challenge as her attempts to unlock Brexit talks by considering an extension to the transition period beyond the end date of December 2020 has angered pro- and anti-EU factions in her Conservative Party.
GBP/USD fell 0.80% to $1.2974.
The euro also helped the dollar's upbeat start to the week as the single currency gave up early-session gains on fears over a further rift between the EU and Italy over that country's spending plans.
Rating agency Moody's downgraded Italy's credit rating on Friday, keeping the outlook at stable, rather than junk, which many had feared.
EUR/USD fell 0.37% to 1.1471.
USD/CAD, meanwhile, rose 0.02% to C$1.3109 as falling crude prices pressured the loonie. But gains were limited amid expectations for a Bank of Canada rate hike later this week.
The yen, meanwhile, struggled to pare losses even as a report from Axios, citing unnamed sources, suggested that the U.S.-China trade war was set to intensify as President Donald Trump wants Beijing to "suffer more."
USD/JPY rose 0.18% to Y122.75.
The dollar's strong start to the week comes as analysts at JPMorgan continued to tout further upside momentum, noting that the greenback's "non-cyclical characteristics as the preeminent global funder particularly into emerging markets, and its ongoing role as the liquidity haven of choice" should keep it "broadly supported through year-end."
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A prayer vigil will be held Saturday, June 29 at Trojan Field for Taylor Davis. Davis, an LCCHS grad, has fought a long battle with leukemia and is in critical condition at the intensive care unit at Scottish Rite Hospital.
The vigil will be held rain or shine at 6 p.m. at the parking lot at the football stadium.
Taylor Davis at his high school graduation ceremony.
Prayer vigil for Taylor Davis
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Discover: ELS/Hollywood
محرم 13, 1438 4:00 ص
In "Discover: ELS/Hollywood" students at ELS\Hollywood, at the Los Angeles Film School, discuss their experience at the Center.
Students describe the city's safe and welcoming atmosphere and access to restaurants and theatres.
At the Center, students are able to study mechanics, writing skills, and listening from passionate and caring teachers. Students and teachers discuss their relationships and how student matriculation is the main goal for both the students and the teachers.
At the Los Angeles Film School, students are able to prepare for the school's Music Production program, where they can study topics like arranging, composing and Music Business. Students interested in film are able to study directing, cinematography, set design, and more programs related to the film industry.
In this video, students discuss the positives coming out of the ELS program at ELS/Hollywood, and what their time learning English means to them.
To learn more about ELS/Hollywood, click here!