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"Agribusiness exports to the Arab countries generated US$ 1.75 billion between January and May this year, an increase of 37.3% when compared to the same period in 2006. Total sector sales, which reached US$ 21.7 billion, grew 26.8% in the period. The figures were supplied by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply.
The main products shipped between January and May were chicken meat and cattle beef, with growth of 53% in the value of exports, sugar, with expansion of 20%, the soy complex, especially grain, up 5.7%, forestry products, mainly plywood and sawed wood, which grew 44.5%, and coffee, which rose 88.2%."
Sunday, June 17, 2007
More to Brazil than the carnival
Posted by Rami Zurayk at 1:12 PM
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Price : $ 1,348.00
Available at : Adorama | B&H | Amazon
Key features
- ZEISS T* coating delivers superior contrast and resolution
- 5 Aspherical lenses for low distortion and corner sharpness
- Large Advanced Aspherical element for wide-angle performance
- 3 Extra Low Dispersion elements reduce chromatic aberration
- Constant F4 max aperture maintains exposure / depth of field
- Dust and moisture resistant design
The Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS is a prosumer lens built with Zeiss standard. With constant F4 aperture this full frame lens extends the range of ultra wide angle performance. The lens is ideal for taking beautiful landscape, cityscape, architecture and indoor pictures. The weatherproof design ensures the lens will operate effortlessly in unfavourable shooting environment.
Product Photo
Sample Image
|Lens configuration (group/element)
|10 / 12
|35 mm-equivalent focal length (APS-C)* (mm)
|24 – 52.5
|Angle of view (APS-C)*
|83° – 44°
|Angle of view (35mm full frame )
|107° – 63°
|No. of aperture blade
|7 (circular aperture)
|Min. aperture (F)
|Max. magnification ratio (x)
|Min. focus (m)
|Filter dia. (mm)
|Hood shape / mount
|petal / bayonet
|Dimensions: Dia. x L (mm)
|78 x 98.5
|Weight: (approx.) (g)

subset: commoncrawl


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90% of Students Say Reliable Wi-Fi is Important to Their Success as a Student*
Read about how the University of Northern Iowa overcame their campus-wide WLAN challenges. In this case study, you will learn:
How to handle the explosion of new devices brought on to campus.
How AP and throughput problems were found and fixed with state-of-the-art Wi-Fi sensors.
How to manage campus Wi-Fi with a performance management system is used for ongoing assurance.


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As of two weeks ago tomorrow I officially quit my job as a ceramic lab at the local community college. Should I rant now or hold off …… I still can't believe I'm not working there anymore, it's an adjustment, well honestly the "no paycheck" is the adjustment. All that said: Wow, am I happy to be back in my studio and working for that all around taskmaster, speed demon, I'll sleep when I'm dead and all around bitch; Me!
I did love the job and my eldest kid said to me when I got the job: "Mom, you have an academic brain, you'll be great!" Well I might have an academic brain but I sure don't have the political fortitude to play nice with lazy dept. heads. And so we know how this ends…… the guy with tenure stays and lab tech gets to drive home and vent on her blog. (and I have not even started yet!)
Seems with working, the gallery, shows and other stuff that seems to hit the fan weekly there has not been one minute to blog! But then I found other social media outlets like Instagram and Periscope! I cannot lie, I am hooked! No words, just pictures and live streaming from my studio, with no filter or delay on my mouth! Whoa! But I miss blogging and in two weeks I have realized how much of my soul I traded for $15 an hour. Granted, I miss the audit students a bunch! They were totally great and a reason to go to work.
I was ready to quit at Christmas but thought I'd hang on a bit longer so I returned from the mountains of Colorado and returned to work. Then in March I attended my first wood fire workshop, ever. If you're gonna go big, go to the NCECA pre conference workshop. Thank you Marcia Selsor for inviting me and putting up with me for a week! Lori Leary too! We survived too much testosterone, too much reduction, too much bull shit and as I look back I think this was an excellent warm up for the good times to come. Older woman who come to participate, are pretty much invisible and ignored and it was frustrating and kind of shocking but alas we survived and are stronger for this experience……. and you gals from Homer, Alaska just rock! I'd fire with you girls anywhere, anytime! And that goes double for Marci and Lori!
Pots from the wood fire and mugs purchased.
Mug#1: Josh DeWeese, Mug#2 Lorna Meaden, Mug #3 Matt Hylack,
Shotglass, Lori Leary. The rest are all mine from the wood fire.
The universe tests those of the us who question what the hell we are doing. Turn in keys on Tuesday. Wednesday, belts break on second wheel. Thursday, walked out to the kiln, flashing error code 8. Your bottom elements are fried but I guess that is too hard to put into computer code. Friday get an email; company is coming. And so it goes……. I'm still fixing the kiln but everything else is fixed. The house was napalmed for company and the pantry stocked.
and then I blew the gallery apart because it was time for big changes….. the paint is still flying but the place will look great for Third Fridays!
and then a jewelry store called and asked if I would do a pop up gallery on a Saturday and I said; Sure!
and on the family front…..
the one in overalls is driving to Alaska to start her new job as an Asso. Professor at Alaska Pacific University but will be guiding for Alaskan Wilderness Adventures all summer…… Wow, her life just sucks. LOL!
Her partner in crime for the last two years is staying in Gunnison to finish her degree at Western Colorado and moving into a new apartment with Neil the cat……. who was last seen under the bed clutching his catnip stuffed mouse and lamenting; not again…..
and they killed it for Mothers Day …..
and that is all I will bore the blog-o-sphere with tonight…… well one other thing. It's so great to be back at home and in the studio I went for my nightly walk in the cemetery and played hide and seek with a pair of deer! How cool is that? Yes, I'm back! Alert the deer! Oh yeah and I kayaked two Sundays back! Sublimely awesome to be paddling again!
The next blog will have my rant on the dark ages of academia and my opinion on how to fix every damn thing….. and ya it's an election year since I'm on a roll :) and I am the Dalimama!


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I love this story!
What an awesome video (above) that demonstrates God's incredible love for His children. Such good stuff! This story was the inspiration for Matthew West's new song, Hello My Name Is. His new album comes out this week and I've got 3 autographed copies of the Deluxe Edition to give away here on the blog, too! Want to get in on the fun? I'll choose winners at random next Monday morning – to get a chance just leave a comment on this post right now!


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What is Head and Neck cancer ?
Most head and neck cancers begin in the cells that line the mucosal surfaces in the head and neck area, e.g., mouth, nose, and throat. Mucosal surfaces are moist tissues lining hollow organs and cavities of the body open to the environment. Normal mucosal cells look like scales (squamous) under the microscope, so head and neck cancers are often referred to assquamous cell carcinomas. Some head and neck cancers begin in other types of cells. For example, cancers that begin in glandular cells are called adenocarcinomas.
Types of Head and Neck Cancer.
- Nasaopharyngeal Cancer :The nasopharynx is the airway passageway at the upper part of the nose at the back of the nose.
- Salivary Gland Cancer :Saliva produced by the salivary gland is the fluid that is released within the mouth in order to keep the mouth moist. Mouth helps in breaking down the food as it contains certain enzymes
- Hypopharyngeal and Laryngeal Cancer :A tube shaped organ located in the neck used for swallowing, breathing and talking is the larynx. The hypopharnx, also referred to as gullet, is the lower part of the throat surrounding the larynx.
- Oropharyngeal and Oral Cancer :Both tongue and the mouth is included in the oral cavity. The middle part of the throat is included in oropharynx.
- Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cavity Cancer :The air-filled areas surrounding the nasal cavity is known as the paranasal sinuses. The space at the back of the nose from where air passes on the way to the throat is known as the nasal cavity.
Symptoms of Head and Neck Cancer.
These are common symptoms of head and neck cancer in general.
- an ulcer or sore area in the head or neck that does not heal within a few weeks
- difficulty in swallowing, or pain when chewing or swallowing
- trouble with breathing or speaking, such as persistent noisy breathing, slurred speech or a hoarse voice
- a numb feeling in the mouth or on the lips
- an unexplained loose tooth
- a persistent blocked nose, or nose bleeds
- a constant sore throat and earache affecting one side
- ringing in the ear, or difficulty in hearing
- a swelling or lump in the mouth or neck
- pain in the face or upper jaw
- in people who smoke or chew tobacco, pre-cancerous changes can occur in the lining of the mouth, or on the tongue. These can appear as persistent white patches (leukoplakia) or red patches (erythroplakia). They are usually painless but can sometimes be sore and may bleed.
Head and Neck Cancers Diagnosis:-
- Physical Examinationmay include visual inspection of the oral and nasal cavities, neck, throat, and tongue using a small mirror and/or lights. The doctor may also feel for lumps on the neck, lips, gums, and cheeks.
- Endoscopy: a laryngoscope is inserted through the mouth to view the larynx; an esophagoscope is inserted through the mouth to examine the esophagus; and a nasopharyngoscope is inserted through the nose so the doctor can see the nasal cavity and nasopharynx.
- Laboratory testsexamine samples of blood, urine, or other substances from the body.
- X-rayscreate images of areas inside the head and neck on film.
- CT (or CAT) Scanis a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the head and neck created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (or MRI)uses a powerful magnet linked to a computer to create detailed pictures of areas inside the head and neck.
- PET Scanuses sugar that is modified in a specific way so it is absorbed by cancer cells and appears as dark areas on the scan.
- Biopsyis the removal of tissue. A pathologist studies the tissue under a microscope to make a diagnosis. A biopsy is the only sure way to tell whether a person has cancer.
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Ex-portfolio manager at SAC Capital convicted of $275M insider trading
Former SAC Capital Advisors analyst Mathew Martoma was convicted Thursday of using confidential information about an Alzheimer's drug to trade on pharmaceutical stocks in a $275 million insider-trading case, the most profitable ever prosecuted.
Martoma was the sixth employee of the powerful Connecticut hedge fund convicted of insider trading, and the firm itself agreed to a $1.2 billion fine in 2013. Martoma resisted pressure from prosecutors to cooperate against multibillionaire SAC founder Steven A. Cohen, but his gamble on a trial didn't pay off.
"In the short run, cheating may have been profitable for Martoma, but in the end, it made him a convicted felon," Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said. The conviction marked the 79th insider-trading conviction in a four-year campaign against Wall Street fraud by Bharara's office and the FBI.
Martoma faces up to 45 years in prison after being accused of using nonpublic information from a doctor about poor results in a clinical trial of the Alzheimer's drug to guide trades and avoid losses in drug companies Elan and Wyeth. The 39-year-old married father of three is from Boca Raton, Fla.
He was impassive when the jury verdict was read, but his wife, Rosemary, a pediatrician, was crying as the couple left court holding hands. His lawyer, Richard Strassberg, said through a spokesman, "We're very disappointed and we're planning to appeal."
The government's star witness at the monthlong trial was Dr. Sidney Gilman, the University of Michigan professor accused of leaking the information about the tests to Martoma in July 2008.
According to evidence at trial, Martoma spoke to Cohen just after learning of the poor results, and just before SAC made massive trades in the two stocks, liquidating a $700 million position. Martoma, a portfolio manager, got a $9 million bonus.
At trial, the defense -- which SAC underwrote -- claimed Gilman's testimony was unreliable and argued that Martoma used other information to form his opinions about the investment in Elan and Wyeth.
U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe kept out evidence that Martoma fainted at the time of his arrest in 2011, and that he was expelled from Harvard in 1999 after falsifying his law school grades on resumes and later trying to cover his tracks.
The jury deliberated over three days. Jurors declined to comment leaving court.
SAC, once a hedge-fund powerhouse, is exiting the business in the wake of its guilty plea. Cohen, who grew up in Great Neck, has been sued by the SEC but has never been charged. The 2008 trades are subject to a five-year statute of limitations on securities fraud.
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As most of you know, or should know, I am horrible at making anything. Well, except babies. I'd say I'm pretty good at that! But as far as food, or clothes, or food, I'm just about as bad as it gets. But I stumbled upon a blog recently that I fell in love with… Liz Marie's Blog. She is one talented inspiring lady!! Per her blog, one of the first DIY projects that I am going to make is some make-up magnetic boards.
I also found inspiration at Laura Thoughts. Her make up boards were amazing, ant the one specifically that I am going to try to replicate is mustard and black and all gorgeous!
I'm really pumped about this and will be blogging every moment of it! Today I ordered the fabric online and I will be trying to buy/borrow the rest of the items I need soon.
Related articles
- Magnetic Fabric Bulletin Board (thehappyhousewife.com)


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Best Birthday Messages
Genuine companions are elusive. Having one closest companion is as of now an extraordinary gift. Your closest companion will never abandon you notwithstanding when your down. He/she is somebody you can converse with at whatever point you have a few issues. That is the reason, when your closest companion's birthday is getting closer you should accomplish something exceptional for him/her. A birthday is an exceptional event for the celebrant. It just comes once per year and amid this day you can demonstrate your affection to your closest companion by sending him/her birthday wishes for companion. It can without a doubt make his/her birthday really uncommon.
Best birthday messages:
Get best birthday wishes for her from our website and send to your lover on her/his birthday.


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Difference Between HX6732 and HX6733
If you are interested in getting a brand new Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush, specifically either the HX6732 or the HX6733 package/model, however are unsure as to which is best for you? Then you've found the right comparison guide. Below, we will contrast both their differences as well as their similarities with respect to their aspects and features (basically what comes in both packages & what each can offer you) -- and from this you will be able to easily identify which electric toothbrush bundle (from the two) will best serve you & your dental needs (as well as which offers the best value for money, with respect to their price tags).
Fitted Technology
HX6732/02 (aka. HealthyWhite R732): Sonicare Technology
HX6733/90 (aka. HealthyWhite, Platinum Edition): Sonicare Technology
They both utilise the same unique sonicare technology that allows the brush head to operate at 31,000 movements per minute -- this in turn drives fluid (toothpaste etc,) deep in between the gaps of your teeth (giving them a thorough clean). Sonicare technology has been clinically to effectively remove plaque (100% more than manual toothbrushes), stimulate your gums and removes other harmful bacteria right up that lies right up against the gum line. Hence, these premium toothbrushes provide you with a complete & quality overall oral healthcare.
Amazon Price: $124.98 Buy Now
(price as of Dec 5, 2016)
However, what makes these electric toothbrushes particularly unique (in comparison to standard electric toothbrushes and other sonicare models) is that they specialise in 'whitening' your teeth through removing wine, tea & coffee shades etc. Where they are (again) clinically proven to "whiten teeth up to 2 shades in 2 weeks" with regular usage (2-3 mins each morning and night) & with continued use you will get your teeth shining in no time.
Cleaning & Brushing Modes
HX6732: Clean | Clean & White | Sensitive |
HX6733: Clean | Clean & White | Sensitive |
You are also able to customize your toothbrushing experience as they both offer three distinct 'cleaning' settings that cater for differing oral issues -- i) the 'clean' mode: which is just your basic 'full' oral clean, ii) the 'clean & white': providing you with the basic clean mode but then an additional further 30 seconds of 'pure focus' on removing food and drink stains on the visible parts on the front of your teeth -- through increasing in intensity (and differing brush movements) and finally iii) 'sensitve': where it eases power gently for those with sensitive gums & teeth.
Amazon Price: $249.99 $163.95 Buy Now
(price as of Dec 5, 2016)
Practical Features
HX6732: 1 to 2 weeks run time| Easy Start, SmarTimer & Quadpacer |
HX6733: 1 to 2 weeks run time| Easy Start, SmarTimer & Quadpacer | UV Sanitizer
From a 24 hour charge, the electric brushes should last you roughly 10 days (or more) -- which is approximately just over 20 uses (for morning & night). They also feature an 'EasyStart' feature which slowly introduces you to how the sonicare toothbrush works etc. through gradually building in power over your first 14 uses.
Moreover, they also encourage good dental cleaning habits through their integrated smartimer and quadpacer -- which act to make sure you clean your teeth for the full recommended 2 minutes along with offering an audible beep reminder every 30 seconds reminding you to switch quadrant (i.e your upper left teeth, down to your lower left teeth and so on).
The HX6733 model also comes with an ultra violet sanitizer stationary system which you can use after every cleaning session (which works for approximately 10 mins) that kills 99% of bacteria & viruses from your brush (e.g. ecoli) along with charging your electric toothbrush -- so you are fully prepared every time to get that 'just been to the dentist' feel.
Brush Heads
HX6732: Compact & Standard ProResults Brush Head
HX6733: 2 x Diamond Clean Brush Heads
There is now very little difference between the ProResults brush head and Diamond heads (although latter is said to be marginally more effective) -- they both incorporate a contour fit that acts to fit the shape of your teeth whilst increasing tooth coverage in order to maximise the removal of plaque (yet still being comfortable to use) right up to and along your gum line. A slight difference between the compact and standard is that the former is intended for more 'tricky' and problem areas, so is perfect for use on braces, gum pain etc. whereas the latter is for effective wholesome cleans.
Further Information
Warranty Information
Both electric toothbrushes are covered on a 24 month period (from the date of purchase).
Dimensions & Weight
HX6732 - 3.8 x 6.8 x 9.6 inches | 1.1 lbs -- HX6733 - (each) 3.8 x 6.8 x 9.6 inches | 1.1 lbs
What's in the Box (package)?
HX6732 - You get the actual Sonicare HX6732 toothbrush (see image above), the 2 updated ProResults brush heads (i.e one compact, one standard), a deluxe 'travelling' charger which also comes with a cord wrapper, brush head container, 2x travelling caps and one travel case to fit it all in. Great for an individual purchase.
HX6733 - With this package you are getting two of the sonicare toothbrushes as well as the UV sanitizer, diamond brush heads instead of pro-results along with an extra travel case (in addition with the other accessories mentioned with the HX6732).
Average Review Rating (sourced Amazon.com)
HX6732: 4.4 out of 5 stars (88%) from 200 + reviews.
HX6733: 4.7 out of 5 stars (94%) from 150 + reviews.
Conclusion: Should You Buy a HX6732 or HX6733 ?
As you can see both models are very similar -- offering practically the same features with regards to integrated sonicare technology and brush modes. The HX6733 comes with the slightly more advanced Diamond brush heads but for those with particular oral issues that they need to clean around or take extra care of -- might feel the compact ProResults brush head is better suited. Also, with the HX6733 package you also get the UV sanitizer which may appeal particularly to those are after an even more advanced and healthy clean.
But, the main difference between the HX6732 and HX6733 is that the latter comes with an extra toothbrush (and hence is a bit more expensive, but as it is in a bundle it is cheaper than buying them both separately) -- so it is pretty simple as to which one to buy: if you are getting one just for yourself, get the HX6732 (and if you like the sanitizer you can buy that separately) but if you know someone else who is after one in your household, then it could be wise (and economical) to opt for the HX6733 package.
My Recommended Electric Toothbrush...
Amazon Price: $219.99 Buy Now
(price as of Dec 5, 2016)
Also, if you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding the comparison overview of the HX6732 Vs HX6733 or about either model specifically (e.g. if you are still unsure on the aspects and features of the HX6733 for instance -- or if you want us to go over something we haven't covered) then we urge you not to hesitate to make them in the comments section (just below) and we will be sure to get back to you as soon as possible.


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26 'your' references. suggest cutting back some where possible
Many workers who find themselves stagnating in their current jobs may decide to start looking for a new one. It's understandable, but it's also difficult; many career experts say that looking for a job is, itself, a full-time job.
So if you're on the lookout for new opportunities, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with some of the best ways to find a new job without rocking the boat for your current position. Below are several great tips to do just that:
1) Make sure you're easy to find
Perhaps the best thing to do when looking for a new job is to let offers come to you, according to Top Resume. That means you should update your LinkedIn profile with the most recent job information you have, and also make sure your other professional social media accounts follow suit and are active. That way, you might not have to find a job, because a hiring manager could find you first.
2) Don't post your resume publicly
Employers frown on their employees looking for new jobs, for obvious reasons, so it's a bad idea to put your resume on job sites or start circulating it publicly, Top Resume warned. If you are going to apply for jobs, keep your head down about it and make sure your boss won't stumble upon your resume while looking to fill other roles at your current company.
3) Keep up a good work ethic
Whether you're just trying to avoid being caught or because you don't want to end up getting a negative reference, it's important to make sure your work remains of the highest quality throughout your job search, Top Resume further noted. Put another way: If your work quality starts to slip, that could raise some red flags with your supervisors that cast you in a negative light.
4) Don't let anyone know
Even if you have some really good, trusted friends at your company, it's a better idea to keep them in the dark about your job search, according to Forbes. Basically, you should aim to control the information about your job search, and if you tell people at your office, it can very quickly become a game of telephone.
5) Keep why you're unhappy to yourself
Along similar lines, even if you're leaving due to unhappiness, venting to co-workers is not a good idea, Forbes advised. While people might understand your frustration or even agree with you, it's still unwise put that information out there. The same goes for job interviews at other companies when they ask why you're leaving your current job.
6) Use personal/non-work accounts for searches
Don't sign up for any job alerts or communicate via your work email, or even browse for jobs on employer networks, according to The Balance Careers. Many companies monitor communications via these channels or log what websites you're visiting, and your job search could be uncovered.
7) Search during off hours
Along similar lines, it's also not a good idea to "steal time" and search for a job while you're on the clock, The Balance Careers added. This is just another issue that could end up affecting your perceived work performance.
Find a job near you now.Search Jobs


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Over the last 3 months my family and I have gone from vegetarian to vegans. I am happy to say I have never felt better. It has been relatively easy for me, probably because I worked at a vegan restaurant for two years, where I learned many cool things. The hardest part about becoming a vegan is having a baby, I find myself always questioning if she is getting enough of the proper nutrition, ie: good fats.
I give her Udos DHA oil in her food, and lots of avocado (she loves that stuff:) I am still breastfeeding her, mostly at night but I give her a bottle in the day, usually consisting of rice milk. Recently I did some research on if it was okay to give rice milk to babies, and I came across a few articles, that rice milk contains arsenic and should not be given to babies, which completely freaked me out. So I am giving her half oat milk, half almond milk. Fortified of course. I think that the whole milk thing for kids is really misleading.There are so many other foods in the world that have equal if not more beneficial properties. Take the fortified "health" milks, not only do they have the same amount of calcium and vitamin D as cow's milk, but they also contain B vitamins and a whole lot of others.
So I did a little clean up of my blog, because some of the earlier recipes contained eggs and dairy.
Which I'm not into anymore. Don't worry though, I will revise the recipes and make them vegan!
A little love for the ppk.com


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The Best Methods of Acquiring a Used Car
Buying the latest new car is a dream come true for everyone. Mostly this just remains a fantasy due to today's economic fluctuations. Nowadays most people earn just enough money to pay their bills and feeding their family. There not even left with a small amount to save in case an emergency occurs before they are paid their next salary. The dream comes true for the millionaires only. On the other hand, if you have enough savings you can consider owning a used car. Most people in our society, the thought of owning a brand new car is equivalent to applying for a loan.
Most people with such budget cannot qualify for a loan to buy a brand new car of their dream. They can only be eligible for a credit of purchasing a pre-used vehicle. I don't see the need of applying for a huge loan to buy a brand new car. The simplest way of owning a brand new car of your dreams is through listing your desired features that are found in your dream car. Once you have done that, you should visit a local dealer who sells used cars Birmingham and communicates with their sales staff members to see whether they have a used car with such features. It's also advisable to talk with their financial team members to find out whether it's possible to get a car with such features as the money you have.
Used cars are as good as new concerning functionality. The principal reason for going for used cars is their low pricing compare to the new vehicles. The moment a brand new car is driven from the lot it immediately starts depreciating. By the time the new car is hitting two years the value would have decreased by over thirty percent.
Buying Used Cars Newcastle-Upon-Tyne do not mean it will be unreliable. A used car can cover more miles without requiring a significant repair while a new brand car cannot handle many miles without needing a significant replacement. There are instances where some new vehicles cause accidents due to faulty brakes. The best way to get the full history of a used car is though getting a CarFax Report. The report will help you learn about the accident history of the vehicle you are about to purchase, odometer issues, services, and repairs and whether that car has ever been rented. Being equipped with such information will help you make the best decision about whether or not you will purchase that vehicle.


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By Red Arse
How do you rate a player's performance in a game?
After our dismal second half performance against Spurs on Saturday, I thought to myself, how do I explain that outcome? Well, I cannot know what either 'Arry or Arsene's role was in the dramatic change of fortune but I can offer an opinion on the players' performances, but how can I rate them meaningfully?
Here is a suggestion for you to consider.
So you have been to the game, read the reports in the papers and now your eye drops to the box which shows the players' names, and the reporter's rating of each player's performance, marked out of 10.
The usual outburst tends to follow. "What? That's outrageous! 8 my arse! He gave him an 8? That's a ridiculous score. He had a terrible game; he missed that tackle on the edge of the box, and also missed what should have been a simple tap in, from the winger's cross. It should have been a 6, at best!" — And so on, and so on –.
The rating of a player's performance is very subjective but causes much irate discussions between fans. And that is not surprising because there is no standard formula for comparing individual performances.
For example, — is the player being marked against his own expected standards, based on previous games played, or against the standards of the best player, in a particular position? Is an allowance to be made for the age or relative inexperience of the player? Or is it subjective, because you have a soft spot for the home players, commonly known as describing all your "ugly ducklings as swans".
Clearly there is no agreed formulaic method, so I am going to propose one!
First, we need to go back and see what we can learn from history.
Throughout the Roman Empire, games were held every holiday or festival, indeed not unlike our Saturday football ritual, which usually entailed gladiators fighting animals, and the performance ratings were straight forward. You either killed the wild animal, and were treated as a hero, or you were killed and it was game over!
But there was another massively popular type of entertainment, a gladiator versus gladiator match up. Each man selected a weapon of choice, be it a sword and shield, or a spear and net, or a mace and dagger.
After a usually bloody encounter, there was often an outright winner where one of the gladiators was killed, leaving the survivor to be greeted as a hero and winning all the accolades.
Just occasionally, one man would be exhausted, disabled and lay prostrate before the victorious gladiator. The accepted practise was for the crowd to then decide the outcome. They would recommend the "coup de grace", (killing strike), if they thought the loser had put on a poor show. If the crowd thought the fight had been entertaining, and the loser had fought well, they would sometimes recommend clemency, and his life would be spared.
So how was this "rating" communicated?
The crowd, apart from howling their exhortations to the Emperor, would gesticulate, holding their hands aloft and clenched into fists with the thumb extended.
Crucially, if the thumb was held pointing aloft, they were beseeching the Emperor to spare the life of the loser, if, however, the thumb was pointed downward, they were showing their disapproval of the performance and demanding that the loser be fatally dispatched!
So how can we use this simple, straightforward method of "rating"?
I PROPOSE: that the losing team are to be individually subjected to the fans judgement, using the same simple old Roman system of choice. To encourage fans' participation, we could also use the power of the word to expedite matters, so that amusing chants would be awarded an extra point for the team.
So here we go;
A good, albeit losing, performance would receive a "thumbs up" and the player would be free to play the next game.
A mediocre performance would receive a trembling, horizontally held thumb and the player would only be suspended for the next game.
Then, the finale — a player who clearly had played poorly, in the opinion of the fans, or who had broken the leg of any Arsenal player, would see the execution paraphernalia rolled out, accompanied by the downward pointing of myriad thumbs and, the sombre sound of the fans displeasure, baying for his head, and chanting;
"He needs a short, sharp shock from a cheap chippy chopper on a big black block."
"Bing bang bong, it's your head or your dong!"
This would have the immediate effect of;
· Standardising players' ratings;
· Ridding the game of the clogging leg breakers;
· Ensuring only fabulous Wengerball would be played;
· Improving the standard of the fans' chants.
All those in favour say AYE! ———— "AYE!"
OK, OK, I can hear some of you saying what a load of twaddle. We need something more modern to gauge our players' performances by.
Well what about putting your thinking caps on, and make some suggestions of your own as to how we should rate performances, in a consistent manner, in the real world?
Should we, for instance;
· Make allowances for age? Those players under 20 would get an extra 2 point weighting, so a 5 out of 10 becomes a 7?
· Make allowances/comparisons for previous performances? A player who rated a crappy 5 last time out, but played much better in the current game, would get an extra 1 for the effort?
· Perhaps Goal Keepers, who only need to make one mistake to lose a game, but who can play brilliantly in a poor team performance and save a point, should be rated separately and marked out of 12?
· Should an extra mark be awarded/deducted for wearing a particularly fetching pink outfit, a la FabiPinkski?
· Perhaps points should be deducted for any player wearing bilious Bendtner type boots.
· Or, should we say — sod all that, let the reporter give the marks he wants, and then tear him an extra one if we disagree with him?
Let us have your views, the majority view will prevail!


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As most people who have read this blog for a while, you know that I try to bring you raw perspectives on things that a lot of people don't want to talk about. Plus, I don't mind arguing the other side of topics in order to provide a more well rounded view of an important topic. One of my main goals is to provide the information necessary for doctors to make great decisions.
I recently got into a lengthy discussion with someone about EHR vendor selection. They suggested that doctors should look to the 5 EHR market leaders in their EHR selection process (I believe he sold one of those EHR market leaders). He made some very good points about the market leaders ability to support all stages of meaningful use, that they have a solid business model that will support doctors for the long term, and that they have the resources to support an EHR software for the long run. He also provided some reasonable cautions around small EHR vendors with skeptical business models that might not be around a few years from now.
Certainly the points he makes have merit and are worthy of consideration. Although, unlike this person, I'm not so ready to throw the rest of the non-top 5 EHR vendors out and I think it's a mistake for a doctor or practice manager to do so as well.
As I considered on this discussion, I realized that over the past 5-7 years, it's many of the big EHR vendors that have closed up their EHR software. Possibly even more than the various startup EHR companies. Here are just a few examples of large companies shuttering their EHR: Misys (billion dollar company if I remember right), Epocrates and GE Centricity Advance (one of GE's suite of EHR). Of course, Misys merged with Allscripts (if you call it a merger since they were going bankrupt), but I know a lot of unhappy Misys users that don't know what to do now. GE has many other Centricity products as well and seems to have made a smoother transition for their Centricity Advance users. At least that's within the same company. Epocrates is a large company, but didn't have many EHR users.
My point of course is that even EHR software from large EHR vendors aren't safe from possible future issues. In fact, I could make a reasonable case for why a smaller EHR vendor that's grown in a sustainable way over a long period of time is in a better financial position than a HUGE company with a lot of overhead. Plus, I know personally A LOT of these small EHR vendor CEOs. They love what they're doing and they're in this for the long haul.
Now with 600+ EHR vendors out there, I'm certainly not saying that all of them have great business models. I was blown away when I met one at MGMA who had 1 doctor using their system. I hope whoever they sign up second is aware of the situation and is going in with both eyes open. There are certainly risks associated with being the second doctor on an EHR software, but there are also plenty of benefits as well. When you suggest something be changed, there's a good chance you'll get that change.
There are good small EHR companies.
There are good large EHR companies.
There are bad small EHR companies.
There are bad large EHR companies.
I guess what I'm saying is that size doesn't matter in EHR selection. There are much more important factors to consider.


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Previous: Thursday 12th June
MEXICO vs CAMEROON (5pm)
Mexico - Chicken enchiladas with red mole sauce
While it could have been easy to go with a bog-standard enchilada or fajita, the red mole sauce made this slightly different the usual bog standard Mexican. The red mole sauce being mainly chocolate and tomatoes.
Cameroon - Brochettes a la Camerounaise & Sese Plantains
While the Brochettes with a Cameroon sauce is a simple skewer with beef and peppers, the plantains were an interesting for me. Is it a vegetable? Is it a banana in disguise?
Verdict: Mexico were always going to look good here with Mexican being the king of food. Despite it being a disappointing meal (in part to my poor cooking), nothing could prepare me for Cameroon. The skewers were fine. Good solid marinade. But then came the plantain. Possibly the worst thing I have ever eaten. Looks like a banana but tastes of shame. Comfortable Mexico win.
Mexico Win (£5 @ 13/10)
SPAIN vs HOLLAND (8pm)
Spain - Chorizo, potato & cheese omelette
The omelette is a classic and with a Spanish twist of chorizo to add even more depth to the dish.
Holland – Spekpannenkoek & Appelstroop
A bacon pancake with apple sauce is a Dutch classic (apparently) with the sauce meant to be a treacle based one for maximum coverage.
Verdict: Yes, that is a pancake. Maybe I have inadvertently created a metaphor for the Dutch World Cup campaign. A shambles. Even the apple sauce was too watery. Spain, solid and did the job. Like they should do for the game in Salvador. I made that Dutch dish back in February and it looks even worse now. Terrible.
Spain Win (£5 @ 5/6)
CHILE vs AUSTRALIA (11pm)
Chile - Chancho a la chilena & Salsa de ají colorado
A sexy dish of slow cooked pork, with a salsa sauce and finished off with some veg and rice. Early contender for dish of the tournament.
Australia - Kangaroo Burgers & Bush Tomato Chutney
Aussies love their meat. And what more Australian meat is there than Kangaroo? (Maybe apart from Koala but that is hard to find in London) Make it into a burger and "stick it under the barbie" to make it proper Australian.
Verdict: If you've never had Kangaroo meat, there is really nothing wrong with it. Quite tender and a decent taste and it goes well with the Bush Tomato Chutney. However, when you put it against the might of that slow cooked pork and the salsa sauce, the sexyness comes through. Is Australia sexy? Are Kangaroos sexy? No to both.
Chile Win (£5 @ 4/9)
Previous Winnings:
£5 on Brazil @ 3/10 – WIN = £6.50


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A book about vigilantes is no novelty. And the broad story arc of Gregg Hurwitz's The Kill Clause is entirely predictable. The magic is in the… execution.
Tim Rackley is a decorated Deputy US Marshall, former military. When his only child, a little girl, is kidnapped, raped, and murdered, and the killer gets let off on a technicality, something dies inside him. He is approached by a representative of a secret group, "The Commission." Their high-sounding mission is to find people clearly guilty of terrible crimes, who have been released by the courts. They will "execute" them in a fair, just manner. Tim's job is to carry out the executions.
But his integrity and compassion are too great to work long that way. As the Commission comes apart and two dangerous members go rogue, Tim learns terrible secrets about his own tragedy. He finds himself racing against time to protect the very men he had planned to kill – including the killer of his daughter.
The conclusion of the book is a masterpiece of irony.
Gregg Hurwitz is a big writer, with a screenwriter's sensibilities. That means high drama, high tension – and a certain level of improbability in the plot. What makes The Kill Clause work so well is the treatment of the characters – even the most repellant of them have their private stories, which are treated with empathy and respect. And the depiction of Tim's grieving process (and his wife's) is moving.
Cautions for language, violence, and mature themes. Otherwise, highly recommended.


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Darn those vexing annual reports! They arrive each year, piling up on our desks or coffee tables. We mean to read them, but we often just don't make the time to do so. That's too bad, because they can be rather informative. Warren Buffett, for example, gleans a lot from the many annual reports he reads. Just imagine if we could pore through the annual reports of 100 of the world's biggest companies each year. Imagine the impressions we could form of the various CEOs, after reading their letters to shareholders.
Well, here's some good news: The folks at Rittenhouse Rankings do that reading for us each year, and they recently released the results of their 2007 Rittenhouse Rankings CEO Candor Survey. I reviewed their 2006 results, where they found CEO candor to be slipping. Well, the situation doesn't seem to have improved. This year, they cite higher levels of "truthiness," which is a term coined by comedian Stephen Colbert to reflect not the truth, but "something that seems like truth -- the truth we want to exist."
They also claim that "dangerous fog," defined as confusing and misleading statements, is up 66% from five years ago. Meanwhile, "benign fog" -- statements needing a little more explanation, or statements that add clutter -- has fallen sharply. Overall, "fog" is up 21% in the past year and 85% over the past five years. This is a big deal, reflecting much movement away from clarity. (And clear communications are what we need if we're to be able to assess a company and its management.)
Here are the five companies that were ranked best for CEO candor, based on efficiency, comprehensive content, and fog:
Wells Fargo
- Novartis
- Target
And the five at the bottom:
- ServiceMaster
Estee Lauder
News Corp.
Fog gets in my eyes
Seeing the list made me eager to seek out some examples of fog, so off I went. Let's start with Humana Chairman David Jones and CEO Michael McCallister. Note that the health benefits company has actually done well until recently. Over the past five years, it has averaged a whopping 29.7% annual gain, but it's fallen more than 30% so far this year. Here's a snippet from the men's 2007 letter to shareholders addressing the potential business impact of the 2008 presidential election:
[W]e believe each of the [presidential] candidates brings a thoughtful perspective to the many health care challenges our nation faces. All of their proposed plans can lead to opportunities for our sector as a whole and Humana specifically. With respect to Medicare, we have a long history of working successfully with leaders of both parties in Congress and the White House.
That might ease shareholder worries, but it offers no specific information.
But I actually liked much of what I saw in their letter, including the words "Significant Shareholder" under both of the executives' names. They clearly want us to see that their interests are aligned with shareholders'.
And don't forget that size can matter. While CEO letters often go on for several pages, Estee Lauder CEO Leonard Lauder's 2007 letter to shareholders was a mere 264 words, about as long as the first three paragraphs of this article. As you might suspect, there were few details in it.
A shareholder letter with substance
Here's a snippet from the 2007 letter to shareholders from Eaton CEO Alexander Cutler, laying out the company's strategy: "Since this decade began, Eaton has been on a mission to achieve diversification across three key dimensions: business balance, geographic balance and balance through the three phases of the economic cycle."
He offers many specific numbers reflecting the company's growth and progress, and outlines a list of acquisitions and what they bring to the company. One interesting tidbit stood out to me:
For the first time in Eaton's modern history, Eaton's profits increased in a year in which the North American heavy-duty truck business declined. During the year, North American heavy-duty truck markets declined by a whopping 44% while our fully diluted EPS grew by 6%.
Find your own winners
You can find impressive managers on your own, by reading lots of annual reports. Or take advantage of some leads from those you respect.
If you'd like pointers about companies that have impressed our stock analysts with their performance, their promise, and their management, consider taking advantage of a free trial of our Motley Fool Inside Value newsletter. You'll get full access to all past issues and in-depth write-ups for every stock recommendation. The analysts look for, among other things, companies well positioned to turn themselves around, thanks to effective managers.


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Brilliant Cream Foundation Ivory
Holy coverage! This mineral-based foundation is great on all skin types, glides on smooth for easy application and offers a full coverage look to even out dry, normal and oily skin types. It's light-weight and not heavy on your skin, so no need to worry about fine lines and wrinkles being enhanced. Full of moisture, this foundation ensures a natural, even-toned finish and the perfect base for your makeup regimen. Use our Slay Blender to apply on skin for best results.


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Supa Yew and also Supa Yew & Apricot Boost Supplement is great for use every day! Want a little "Booste"
Through innovative natural technologies developed by master herbalist Gerry Amena sea minerals which contain all the nutrients of this earth have been carefully blended with a number of different nutritional herbs
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People have used if for migraines, cancer, low immune systems, magnesium and better absorption of nutrients.
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Same Label and bottle but has a little Apricot Emblem on left side of Bottle.
Call for more information 510-750-7055
No customer reviews for the moment.


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1998 Dodge Dakota Replace Speed Sensor
From WikituneUp - The Free Service Manual
The transmission speed sensor on a 1998 Dodge Dakota is located in the overdrive gear case. This sensor actively monitors the speed of the transmission output shaft and relays this information to the powertrain control module, or PCM. The PCM uses this information to make decisions about how to properly manage the engine, transmission and other vehicle systems. When this sensor fails, the PCM gathers information from the vehicle speed sensor, or VSS. Replacement transmission speed sensors are available from most local auto parts stores and licensed Dodge or Chrysler dealerships.
Tools Used[edit]
|Battery terminal wrench
|Automotive jack
|Jack stands
|Wheel chocks
|Metric socket set
|Drain pan
|Transmission fluid
- Shift the vehicle into park, engage the parking brake and turn off the engine. Open the hood and disconnect the negative battery terminal using a battery terminal wrench. Place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels.
- Raise the front of the vehicle using an automotive jack and support it with jack stands. Crawl underneath the vehicle and locate the transmission speed sensor; it protrudes from the rear-left side of the transmission's tailshaft housing and has a two-wire connector attached to it.
- Disconnect the sensor's electrical connector. Place a drain pan beneath the sensor to catch any transmission fluid that may drip out. Remove the sensor and O-ring seal using a metric socket and a ratchet.
- Install a new O-ring seal on to the new speed sensor. Install the sensor into the transmission using a ratchet and metric socket. Tighten it to 20 foot-pounds using a torque wrench.
- Reconnect the sensor's electrical connector and exit from underneath the vehicle. Lift the vehicle using the automotive jack, remove the jack stands and lower the vehicle back to the ground.
- Pull the transmission dipstick from underneath the hood and add in the same amount of Mopar +4 automatic transmission fluid, if any, that spilled out during the installation and removal of the speed sensor.
- Replace the dipstick and reconnect the negative battery terminal using a battery terminal wrench. Close the hood and test drive the vehicle in order to ensure that it operates properly.
Tips & Warnings[edit]
- Never crawl underneath a vehicle when it's resting on the jack. Seals inside the jack can give out at any moment, causing serious injury or death. Always ensure a vehicle is securely supported by jack stands before working near or underneath it.


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Three Points Elementary Resources
Elementary Campus Handbook
This handbook for parents includes general information, transportation and discipline policies.
School Forms & Information
Forms regarding procedures, health, and various logistics necessary for attending school are available at this link. Access informational documents such as classroom supply lists, school procedures, and emergency preparedness.
Three Points Post
View upcoming events and important reminders and news items for Three Points Elementary.
Three Points Library
Access library hours, reading lists, the online catalog and more!
Parent Teacher Fellowship (PTF)
Access campus-specific information regarding PTF.
Volunteer Spot
Access the Volunteer Spot page where you can view and sign up for volunteer opportunities.
Class Webpages
Access teacher-maintained webpages listed below which keep parents informed of homework assignments and upcoming events in their classroom.


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It has been a busy morning. I have been out with the flu for a few days BAD, (my own fault for not getting a flu shot this year, a must when you are as sickly as I am ). Today I feel I got some energy back.
This morning it was really cold, and when S woke up her diaper was so wet her PJs was wet too. I changed her and then we both jumped into my bed to warm up a bit. Stan the dog was there too, and we had a lazy half hour just cuddling. After breakfast I took S to her school, where she goes every Tuesday and Thursday. I have since then been working, sending out invoices and other things.
We are having a birthday lunch for K, since he turns 40 on Tuesday. I made arrangements for us at 1 PM at the Beach House, a really nice place on Anna Maria Island, with an amazing view of the Gulf of Mexico. I also ordered an ice cream cake, which K doesn't know about. I will pick it up tomorrow and drop it off at the restaurant, so it will be a surprise for him. We should be about 9 adults and 3 kids. Should be fun!
I have a hair appointment right before the party, and I can't decide if I should get bangs or not... I am just a bit tired of the same old hair... We will see!
I better get online to book a hotel, we are going to K's grampa's birthday party next weekend, in West Palm Beach. He turns 97! It is just such a long drive, almost 4 hours one way, so I thought it would be better if we arrived the day before and stayed the night.
See ya!


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The team came in to review our security and help with GDPR compliance. They identified so many things that we hadn't even considered and left us fully compliant and safe.
Office Manager
Unity Metrix specialise in Information Security auditing, consultancy and systems monitoring. Information security is a critical component of any modern business.
The IT department is constantly in a state of vulnerability, unable to control many aspects of Information Security from their technical position, whilst the board, who are ultimately responsible, often incorrectly see Information Security as an IT function.
We provide affordable expert consultancy, training and advice on matters of GDPR compliance and cyber security to small businesses and organisations.
In order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations and soon to be the updated Data Protection Act 2018, organisations need to do more than just fill out a few forms. The new regulations are built around a central core of security and unfortunately most organisations don't really know where there most significant attack surfaces lie or what their vulnerabilities are.
At Unity Metrix we help to de-mystify the regulation, assure your technical and organisational compliance and give you practical and truly useful help and advice.
Our endeavour is to protect your business metrix Read More. Your business relies on systems that are interconnected with other systems and so on. All too often companies and individuals spend so much of their time concentrating their efforts in the protection of a single component, that they neglect to understand the bigger picture of interconnected systems and components.
The Unity Metrix Enterprise guardian system protects and supports businesses and IT departments in four major areas that are consistently managed poorly..
Training advice and consultancy services that enable you to secure your business systems and become GDPR compliant
We are pleased to announce this new program, designed to take the load off of you and ensure your company is both secure and compliant.
Virus/Malware Protection
In today's world of cyber-crime Viruses per-se are actually less of a worry than you might think. That said, of course every business needs protection and, what is more, most enterprise virus protection these days comes in the form of Host-based Intrusion Prevention Systems (HIPS).
We work with all the major vendors including ESET, Sophos, Trend Micro, McAfee and Fortigate.
Having a virus-guard is however completely useless if it is not configured and maintained correctly. As one of our Four Enterprise-Guardian components, we take the worry of IT departments and boardrooms alike by managing the installation, configuration, maintenance, monitoring and support of these packages on your behalf.
The IT department are the constant focus for anything that goes wrong. Issues often caused by malicious activity are often unidentified and yet they affect virtually everyone. Network speeds suffer, but they are unaccounted for. Technicians are constantly asked to firefight and paper over cracks, but rarely is there a proper, top-down methodology in place to ensure that every department, including IT, is working together towards the same goals.
The team came in to review our security and help with GDPR compliance. They identified so many things that we hadn't even considered and left us fully compliant and safe.
They came in and assessed everything in fine detail. At the end of the audit we were left with no uncertainty about what risks we faced and what we should do about them. They were very friendly and helpful and produced a very professional result.
The program runs in two or three distinct phases depending on your requirements:


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In this work we compare Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of electron-transport properties with reflection electron energy-loss measurements in diamond and graphite films. We assess the impact of different approximations of the dielectric response on the observables of interest for the characterization of carbon-based materials. We calculate the frequency-dependent dielectric response and energy-loss functions of these materials in two ways: a full ab initio approach, in which we carry out time-dependent density functional simulations in linear response for different momentum transfers, and a semi-classical model, based on the Drude–Lorentz extension to finite momenta of the optical dielectric function. Ab initio calculated dielectric functions lead to better agreement with measured energy-loss spectra compared to the widely used Drude–Lorentz model. This discrepancy is particularly evident for insulators and semiconductors beyond the optical limit (q≠0) , where single-particle excitations become relevant. Furthermore, we show that the behaviour of the energy-loss function obtained at different accuracy levels has a dramatic effect on other physical observables, such as the inelastic mean free path and the stopping power in the low energy (<100 eV) regime and thus on the accuracy of MC simulations.
Date of publication:
Published in:
Carbon 118 (2017) 299 - 309


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Sumter High School
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This question will be very relevant when the European Financial Transaction Tax (FTT), vigorously supported by France and Germany, is introduced in the 11 European Member States (MSs) that have agreed to it. The UK's challenge to the tax has just been rejected by the European Court of Justice.
The FTT been proposed by the EC to harmonise the efforts of countries to claw money back from the banks that were bailed out in the 2008 meltdown of the financial system. Hence it is being pejoratively dubbed the "Robin Hood" tax.
Europe's original proposal to make the FTT apply to all MSs has not been adopted, but Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, Greece, Estonia, Slovakia and Slovenia are going ahead anyway, using a mechanism entitled "enhanced cooperation",
According to Euractiv[1] "A declaration by the bloc on the future form of the tax is expected at the ECOFIN meeting of finance ministers on 6 May".
Without harmonisation and without details of the exact nature and scope of the tax in each of the 11 countries it is difficult to say exactly what the impact will be. But under enhanced cooperation even those MSs who are not adopting the FTT will be required to collect the tax on behalf of those MSs that are.
Some Clues from the Proposed Directive
According to the proposed Council Directive implementing enhanced cooperation in the area of financial transaction tax[2] "Derivative contracts relating to commodities are covered, while physical commodity transactions are not." Hence my question: are forward contracts physical or financial?
The proposed Council Directive says that "Each exchange …. shall be considered to give rise to two financial transactions." So the FTT applies when opening and closing a position and is not levied on the net amount of the gain or loss. Hence a hedger who places its hedges in a near forward month because it is more liquid would be taxed each time it rolled its positions forward to more closely mirror its underlying risk.
Are we to understand that spot gas transactions at, say, Zeebrugge are outside the scope of the FTT, while contracts for delivery next month may be in or out depending on whether or not they are cash-settled before delivery or whether they actually proceed to delivery? Are NBP forward transactions in the scope of FTT if they are transacted by a French or German company but not if they are transacted by, say, a Swedish and UK company? What about companies based in Switzerland or the USA that deal in the European gas market?
Ditto for forward oil contracts; if they are booked out, i.e. cash settled, are they within the scope of the FTT? Whereas if forward cargo deals are ultimately nominated into chains and go to physical delivery are they outside the tax net? Precautionary avoidance of book outs to circumvent the FTT has huge implications for using up the credit lines of companies that trade oil.
Taxation Basis Risk
For hedgers the introduction of the FTT will add a further layer of complexity to the decision of how many hedge contracts to enter into the protect the price risk of a given quantity of physical risk. Already hedgers have to scale their hedges to reflect a different rate of physical and derivative transactions. The hedge ratio[3] will have to be further adjusted to reflect whether the FTT applies to a particular deal and at what rate. That will vary depending on the location of the counterparty and the individual FTT rate of the participating MS.
The Winners
The proposed directive suggests that "In order for a financial transaction to be taxable in the participating Member States, one of the parties to the transaction needs to be established in the territory of a participating Member State." The big winners than are going to be estate agents handling commercial properties, as companies move location to take themselves outside the catchment area of the FTT. But don't move too quickly. There is still a lot of detail to be worked out before a rational response can be worked out.
A Postscript for Colleagues in the Environmental Space
It is often said that emissions trading is too complex and that greenhouse gas emissions should instead be subject to a "pure and simple tax". Get a load of this lot before saying taxation is pure and simple!
[1] http://www.euractiv.com/sections/euro-finance/uk-legal-challenge-rebuffed-euro-nations-prepare-ftt-statement-301857
[2] http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/resources/documents/taxation/com_2013_71_en.pdf
[3] See "Trading Crude Oil: the Consilience Guide", pages 149-153 https://www.ceag.org/shop/uncategorized/trading-crude-oil/


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Coronavirus: As an on-line business operating in a rural area we are open! Click here for more information
We are still able to despatch most of our products, however, the ones listed below (that are made by other manufacturers) will not be available for a while.
Tableware (Coasters & Placemats) and Wallpaper.
Our despatch times are normal, but Royal Mail & Parcelforce delivery times are varying depending on location - some parcels arrive next day and others are taking up to 10 days, which we have no control over.We will update this message as anything changes.
Wickhambreaux, From The Bridge 1903
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Apparently, The Willows was occupied in 1911 by Alexander Baird, a retired Bank Manager, his wife, Elizabeth, son Capt Henry Hume Chisholm Baird DSO and Capt Henry's wife. Alexander Baird was born in Alloa, Scotland, in 1841, the son of a shipowner. He and his family had lived previously at Robeston Hall, Haverfordwest, (...Read full memory)
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I understand my great grandfather worked in this forge. He was born Charles Holness around 1830 and married Ann Marsh in the 1850s. My father's mother Agnes Annie Holness was one of their children. She had an older sister Alice, brothers Fred and Bert and William Henry who died of smallpox in May 1902. He worked (...Read full memory)
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More companies today are waking up to the idea of becoming insight-driven. As a recent Forrester report makes clear, the businesses that use ongoing customer insight are on their way to dominating their industries in the next decade.
But companies like Nordstrom, the Biltmore Company and the Center for Creative Leadership started their journey to becoming insight-driven long before it became fashionable. For 10 years now, these companies have been engaging with their customers through insight communities and have been using customer feedback to make better decisions.
At the Customer Intelligence Summit, these companies shared solid strategies and tactical takeaways on how to establish insight communities that last for years. The special session featured Joelle Cann, manager of strategy for Nordstrom, Peggy Dalman, senior manager of research and CRM at the Biltmore Company, Paula Morrow, global marketing research manager at the Center for Creative Leadership.
Here are their top 10 lessons from 10 years of managing insight communities.
1. Be a strategic partner to other departments.
If you're just starting your insight community, you might need to convince multiple divisions that customer intelligence is a valuable investment. The idea of engaging with customers for insight may be new for many of your colleagues, who may be more used to making decisions based off gut feeling.
Dalman from the Biltmore Company overcame this challenge by partnering with different divisions in the company. She takes the time to understand what stakeholders need and help them accomplish their goals using feedback from the insight community. Doing this not only raised the profile of the insight team, it also filled in critical knowledge gaps across the company.
Cann added that building trust for your insight community takes time, but it is well worth the effort. In the community's early days, only a few Nordstrom merchant leaders used it. But as one merchant after another began tapping into the community, more leaders saw the value of it. Today, merchant teams are some of the biggest fans of the Nordstrom insight community.
2. Leverage and showcase the speed of your insight community.
Because the retail industry is being disrupted by technology, traditional retail has to move faster. One way to move faster, according to Cann, is to quickly test and iterate offers, messaging and design with your insight community. You can quickly share messaging and design with your community members, get their feedback and refine it as necessary. According to Cann, engaging the insight community allows Nordstrom to get customer-validated insight in a matter of hours or days instead of weeks or months.
3. Market your insight community internally.
Thinking like marketers will help you increase adoption. For example, Dalman shares infographics about the company's insight community to new members of the marketing team to familiarize them with the value of the community. In addition, she takes the opportunity at monthly staff meetings to ask the entire marketing department what questions they would like to ask their community. Directly involving stakeholders in community activities is one of the fastest ways to create buy-in and momentum.
4. Set expectations early.
Once internal stakeholders get excited about having an insight community, you need to set the expectations about protocols for engaging with the insight community. Doing so ensures that community members don't feel like they're taken advantage of. It's important to respect people's time: shorter surveys are better, for instance, than longer ones, and activities need to be engaging for members.
Morrow shared, "I train our stakeholders to get used to the rhythm of our insight community. The more upfront boxes you can check off, the better and the quicker you can get insights." Morrow also ensures community activities have clear objectives, specific target audience and focus, adding, "I have learned, for example, not to program a survey until it is final and has the necessary approvals."
5. Plan and prioritize.
There are endless questions internal stakeholders would like to ask their customers. Dalman shared a simple process she uses to plan and prioritize what to ask their community, and when. To start, she asks each business unit leader what they need to know from their community over the next 12 months. From there, she prioritizes the questions based on how closely they're tied to business results.
Training your team on insight community best practices should also be part of planning, added Cann. When new people join her team, she takes the time to familiarize them with the Vision Critical platform. Cann and her team also developed guidelines for questionnaire design and regularly talk to the Vision Critical customer success team to explore engagement strategy.
6. Take results in context.
Insight communities provide an invaluable window into what your customers are thinking; however, it's important to remember that your customers may not be as invested in some things as you are, according to Cann. She explained, "It's essential for stakeholders understand what's really important to our customers so they can invest strategically to improve the experience. Learning something we think is a great idea doesn't work for our customers is great insight to have to help re-evaluate our efforts before implementing them."
7. Determine what's in it for your customers.
Exchanging gift cards for customer feedback will work in the short term, but may not be the best strategy for building a strong relationship. Morrow explained, "Intrinsic incentives are more important and effective than extrinsic incentives. We don't offer monetary incentives in our insight community. We incent them with leadership information."
Morrow's advice: Take the time to find out what really matters to your customers, especially if you're running a B2B insight community. Meeting that need will put you on a path to a long-term mutually beneficial relationship with your customers.
8. Learn from other customer-led brands.
To be at the forefront of customer-centricity, Morrow shared that she prioritizes going to the Vision Critical Customer Intelligence Summit. "Each year I go to the Summit and make a list of the cool things people are doing with their communities," she explained. "They might not always work perfectly with your community as presented, but you can normally figure out a way to change it up so it does. Use other community ideas as a spark."
9. Keep it interesting.
Traditional surveys can get stale for longtime community members, causing engagement to go down and the quality of insight along with it. Morrow prioritizes new and interesting ways of keeping her community engaged, including an "Ask an Expert" activity where a subject matter expert engages in a two-way dialogue with customers. Community members get to ask the expert anything, and in return, the brand gains new insight from its members.
10. Adopt an experimental mindset.
Finally, Morrow perfectly summarized the most effective mindset for research teams: "Don't ever be afraid to try something new. Even if it tanks, you will have learned something. Be brave. Don't overthink it. It doesn't need to be perfect."
Some lessons can only be learned through trial and error over a long period of time. As Cann, Dalman and Morrow shared at the Summit, you won't be able to anticipate every insight community hiccup, but if you plan, prioritize, and remain open to new ideas, you can improve the adoption and stickiness of your insight community over time.


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Philip Davenport, who guest-edited the recent issue of Ekleksographia dedicated to the inspiration of William Blake and entitled the Naked Tea Party, has been in touch to draw attention to another event with which he is currently involved.
"this work im doin i dont kno what it is" is a series of poems for the eye, combining visual objects with text and exhibited and hidden at the Henry Moore Institute Library. It will run from April 27 to June 7 and, in addition, Philip will be reader in residence on May 5.
"Heart-shape pornography" uses pornography as a found object to create a poem from a cross-section in fruit, while "Spreadsheets of Light" poems are written into spreadsheets which present moral dilemmas such as war crimes, celebrity or simple shopping as a tangled series of accountancy questions. These poems in turn are accompanied by eggshells in which fragments of the poems are written, emphasising the dual visual/literal nature of such objects.
Philip offers the following explanation of his work: "For the last decade I've made poems by collecting the words surrounding me and cutting them up to create poems. Journalism, porn, missing person notices, advertising, misheard conversations… I like being freed from using my own vocabulary to describe the world. I often work off the page, putting poems onto objects to complement ideas held in language. More recently, I find my own words, thoughts, self reappearing in the work. Many of these new pieces are about moral dilemmas, written as spreadsheets balancing up violence/love, fame/anonymity, and so on. I am struck by how often we try to explain the world using numbers, so that statistics have an authority they don't really own. Here, I am totting up words as if they are numbers, trying to use the form of the spreadsheet to shape a poem."
You can find more details of "this work im doin i dont kno what it is" at the Henry Moore Library web site.


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Last September we went on holiday to Kyoto for a week with our young twins. I have to admit that Japan wasn't very high on our list of places to visit for a long time, but we kept seeing friends' photos of Kyoto and it looked so nice that we thought we'd go and see for ourselves. I'm so glad we did! It was absolutely beautiful. There is so much to see in the area and we didn't see half of it, but we loved what we saw and really enjoyed our time there. I thought I'd share with you some of the things we saw and did and hopefully encourage you to go for yourselves!
So let me start with the time of year – we went in September as I already mentioned, which is a fairly low season in Kyoto. We chose that time because the flights were pretty reasonable from Hong Kong, and it was warm but not too hot (I hear July and August are pretty hot). However, some days were a bit wet too. If you want to see Kyoto at its best, you should go in March, April or May to see the cherry blossoms in bloom, or in October or November to see the fall (autumn) colours. I've seen photos of both and they are spectacular. However, it does get really busy in those periods.
One of my main concerns was that I had heard that there is very little English (spoken or written) in Japan, despite so many people going to visit. I had wondered how they managed but actually there was enough English to get around. Most people that we came across spoke a little (including, separately, two old men on trains who were very pleased to have an opportunity to practice their excellent English!), and most restaurants had English menus – or you could just point to the plastic food that you like the look of (see below)!
Whilst on the subject of restaurants, we found that most restaurants were fairly child friendly. I think all of them had plastic bowls and spoons, and our children are happy eating noodles, rice or dumplings so we could find something for them in most places. However, very few have high chairs and in fact many don't have chairs at all (you sit on tatami mats) so if your children (like ours) are not used to the freedom of unrestrained meals they will probably want to run around a lot!
One thing that I thought was quite neat was that there were drinks vending machines everywhere on the streets – so handy if you're out and about all day.
Japan is not so expensive at the moment because the Yen is quite weak and we were actually surprised by how affordable it was. Eating out was pretty cheap and none of the tourist attractions cost more than a few pounds to get into. I think the Yen is even weaker now than it was when we went so it makes for a fairly cheap holiday if you can get cheap flights to Japan!
Getting to Kyoto
Kyoto has no airport so we flew to Kansai (Osaka) and took a train to Kyoto. This was fairly straightforward – we just followed the signs from the airport to the train station and bought a ticket in the JR ticket office for the Haruka train to Kyoto. It takes about 75 minutes. While buying the train tickets we also bought ICOCA cards which are the equivalent of Oyster cards in London or Octopus cards in Hong Kong i.e. you use them to pay for travel. That made it very easy to get around in Kyoto and the surrounding area.
Where we stayed
We stayed in a traditional Japanese townhouse, run by a company called Machiya Residence Inn (the specific house we stayed in was Konruri-An). As a young family of four, it worked out very nicely for us. It was a small house but was very well equipped with a kitchen, living room, bathroom and two spacious bedrooms. They were able to provide two cots for us which easily fitted in one of the bedrooms. The townhouses are traditional in style with low furniture and not all are equipped with a sofa or a proper bed, which is why we picked the one we did! They are great to stay in though and (in my opinion) more fun than a hotel!
Getting around Kyoto
Our townhouse was a 10 minute walk from Omiya station, which made it very easy to get around. We mostly used the metro system but occasionally ventured onto buses as well. My tip for you if you want to use buses is to download or print a bus map before you leave so that you know which buses go where since most of the bus stops do not have any information in English. Once on the buses, the stops are announced in English so you will at least know where to get off!
We actually found that Google maps was a great way to find out how to get from A to B. It was accurate for everything we used it for and always gave a few options to choose from. We also downloaded this offline maps app of Japan, which was useful for getting around when we were out and about.
The metro is great, although a little more dated than we were expecting, given Japan's high-tech reputation. The trains are a little confusing though, since not all of them stop at all the stations on a given line. Maps like the one below which can be found on the platform show which train types stop at which stations, so when a train comes along you have to check if it will stop at the one you want. Thankfully, the trains are colour coded so it's pretty easy to spot which is the one you want. I think that all the metro stations we went to had information in English.
One further complication of the metro system is that it is run by multiple companies, so not all the intersecting rail lines join up. You may find that you have to exit a station, walk a few minutes down the road and go into another station to get to where you want to go! In cases like this, I felt that taking a bus would have been quicker, but we didn't have a bus map which made it impossible for us (hence the tip for you!).
For those of you with strollers (or wheelchairs) we found Kyoto pretty accessible. All the metro stations we used had lifts, although only one exit per station had a lift so you couldn't choose where you came out. There were lifts in buildings and ramps on most stepped areas.
What we did
I wrote about all the things we did and where we ate in these two posts:
Kyoto (Nijo Castle, Arishayama, Osaka)
Kyoto (Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi-inari, Tofuku-ji, Nara, Nanzen-ji)
Check them out if you're looking for some inspiration!
Thanks for reading!


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When Tim Tebow meets the assembled media later today at Florham Park – (you can hear it LIVE here on WFAN beginning at noon) – Jets' owner Woody Johnson, head coach Rex Ryan & GM Mike Tannanebaum will not be there. So needless to say their planned absence played a prominent role in the manner Boomer & Craig opened-up today's edition of the Morning Extravaganza.
Boomer & Craig agreed that this is going to be the biggest press-conference in the history of the Jets organization and the fact that none of those guys will be present, is an absolute joke. With that said, let the circus really begin.
One silver lining Craig was able to extract from this nonsensical move by the Jets to bring Tebow in – Mark Sanchez and Santonio Holmes' well-documented, fractured relationship should improve, because there is no way that Holmes wants Tebow starting under center for the Jets. So from a human relations standpoint, that could be good.
Craig also imagined that somewhere Boomer's old coach with Jets, Rich Kotite is grinning from ear-to-ear. Craig is also holding out hope that today's press-conference will begin with the announcement, 'Jets Fans for Jesus & the Jews'.
One never never knows, so tune-in today at noon to find-out…
LISTEN: Tebow Circus To Begin Without Woody, Rex & Tannenbaum (03/26)


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Led by murder victim family members speaking out... Telling their stories of love, forgiveness and understanding. Hoping for an end to the cycle of violence.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Reflections on the death penalty in America
The issue of the death penalty is among the most talked-about conundrums in American society, for it attempts to determine a point at which it is acceptable to end a human life. The recent execution of Troy Davis, a man who many believed was wrongly convicted of a murder in 1989, has brought the issue once again to the forefront of public discussion.
Such an issue is inherently precarious, though practicing states seem to ignore the inherent hypocrisy of sentencing people to death. Practitioners of execution seem to want to have their cake and eat it too, in that they use a form of killing to atone for that same act.
A state-sanctioned execution is naught more than the intentional killing of a person as allowed by existing laws. A murder, by contrast, is the intentional killing of a person in violation of the law. The only non-circumstantial difference between murder and execution is that the latter is permitted by law.
This key difference, which makes one form of killing acceptable and the other intolerable, produces an interesting hypocrisy, for laws are nothing more than societal constructs set in place by humans.
To fully understand the contradiction, one must first accept the old adage that "might does not make right", insofar as the majority does not necessarily make "right" decisions, merely popular decisions. For example, democratic elections put numerous members of the Nazi party into the German Reichstag in the 1920s.
Though the majority typically attempts to seek the greatest good for the greatest number, their attempts are not universally successful. Hence, it can be accepted that mere numbers do not make something correct in an objective sense.
This casts the concept of laws in a somewhat dimmer light. While laws can be considered honest attempts at shaping society for the better, they certainly cannot be considered to be universally infallible.
In a world where laws are not objective, laws have no more moral validity than the capricious whims of a man who commits murder, and herein lays the problem. When the motivations of the murderer are no less valid than the whims of the society which demonizes him, the majority's use of might against him constitutes hypocrisy.
Society likes to pretend that acting under the law absolves them of the same sin they demonize by executing murderers. Unfortunately, the inherent subjectivity of these matters means that, though this may be true in the minds of believers, such a statement is syllogistically false.
There are those who may accept their hypocrisy, and instead argue the point that, regardless of the cognitive dissonance associated with execution's logical inconsistencies, the practice is beneficial.
Such arguments stress the point that the end of a safer society justifies whatever means is necessary to achieve it, even the commission of hypocritical acts. However, the use value of execution over imprisonment is questionable.
When a person is sentenced to prison time, it is incumbent on the prison to ensure the safety of society. Some argue that, because prisons can be escaped, the death penalty is preferable to ensure that violent criminals can never reappear.
While the death penalty ensures that escape is impossible, society can be adequately protected by reinforcing the existing practices and structures of prisons. Such improvements greatly diminish the use value gap between the two methods.
The financial aspect is also a concern in this respect, and while there is no denying that keeping people alive on the taxpayer dime is far costlier than executing them, this problem lies not with the principle of imprisonment, but with the implementation.
This establishes the role of the death penalty not only as a source of hypocrisy, but as a cop-out for those who do not wish to devote time and resources to developing a better solution that does not necessitate hypocrisy.
While people are quick to draw criticisms of the financial burden placed on society by long-term imprisonment, fewer people raise an eyebrow at the societal impact of the practice of execution.
A typical point made to this end is the lack of focus on rehabilitation. Should society's good be considered the chief goal, as is done throughout the criminal justice system, civilization benefits more from rehabilitating a man than killing him.
If felons, even murderers, were to spend years in an environment of positivity, some stand a chance of being conditioned to refocus their emotions into more positive channels, which allow them to cope with and cathartically express their negativity.
People are largely products of socialization, and this fact can be used to produce immense change, even in criminals. Though not possible in all cases, the general ignorance of rehabilitation is a gross oversimplification and insult both to the practice of psychology and to felons themselves.
The safety aspect of criminal justice is handled as well by a good prison as by a syringe of potassium solution. The cross into punishment and the disregard of rehabilitation is evidence of something more than emphasis on society's wellbeing.
The sociological and psychological roots of capital punishment's popularity are rather frightening. They date back to the very roots of civilization, and help to establish vengeance as a universal principle under the guise of justice.
The concept of an eye for an eye dates back to Hammurabi's Code, and was reinforced by many later religions wherein a god figure would smite disobedient humans. In modern times, god is replaced by the state, but, hypocritically, the principle of objectively-justified vengeance lives on.
The practice of capital punishment falsely gives a majority of humans the sense of superiority over the minority and the individual. Vengeance becomes a universal principle, but bloodlust becomes synonymous with law.
A society which practices the death penalty cannot be emulated, for it is a society that accepts killing as a social norm. Death is the status quo, and disingenuous killing becomes preferable to killing which, if nothing else, has the courage to stand up for that which it truly is.
2 comments:
- RJ Advocate said...
I pretty much agree with everything you say. One correction--execution is more expensive economically than life in prison. This is difficult to grasp intuitively, but it's true. To begin with, the trial is $1 million plus more expensive than a non-death penalty trial. The jury must be death-penalty qualified (say they could sentence someone to death). There are two trials--one to determine guilt, one to determine penalty.
The Supreme Court mandates numerous, taxpayer paid, appeals. It takes 3 to 5 years for an appeals-qualified lawyer to be appointed. Housing someone on death row is hugely more expensive than the general population. In California, the general population expense is $47 K/prisoner. On death row it's $137,000. Those are the major expenses I can think of off the top of my head, but you get the idea.
- October 28, 2011
- CN said...
Thanx RJ advocate for your well-spoken comments and facts.
- October 28, 2011


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A Sinking State: Coastal State Discussion Feb.14
Join us on Wednesday, February 14 for a discussion on the impacts land subsidence has on Rhode Island as projected sea levels continue to climb.
Although Rhode Island is losing only one millimeter of ground annually, it plays a meaningful role in present-day flooding along a coastal state that is mostly at sea level or 10 to 30 feet above.
"This may seem minimal compared to projected sea levels, but is still a significant contributor to sea level rise at present," said Simon Engelhart, a URI researcher reconstructing past sea level rise to gain a better understanding of how the land responds to better inform resiliency measures by coastal managers.
"[Land subsidence] is going to be important in the short-term even though it's small because it's still a component of what we're seeing," he says, referring to "nuisance flooding." These events, which are expected to increase with sea level rise, can cause road closures, overwhelm storm drains, and damage surrounding infrastructure. "The Newport tide gauge [measures] about 2.7 millimeters per year of relative sea level rise since it was started in 1930. A little more than a third of that is coming from land subsidence."
Engelhart will discuss these findings and what it means for coastal communities seeking resiliency as part of the annual Coastal State Discussion Series.
When: Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Time: 4:30–6:00 p.m.
Where: Coastal Institute Auditorium | URI Narragansett Bay Campus
Light refreshments will be served. RSVP requested.