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Paul Holmes 08 Sep 1993 // 11:00PM GMT
It is less than ten years since Buck Rogers, the former head of marketing for IBM, published The IBM Way, a book which begins with the comment that "the only sacred cow in an organization is its principles" and goes on to discuss what was at that time among the most hallowed of those principles: full employment.
IBM weathered the Great Depression without laying off a single employee. During the economically troubled years from 1969 to 1972, it moved more than 12,000 employees to new assignments rather than cut employment. In 1975, during severe recession, 3,000 workers were retrained for new positions. Said Rogers: "It cost a lot of money, but it was important. When people enjoy their work and know the company cares about them, they want to contribute to its growth."
Indeed, the relationship Rogers describes between IBM and its employees is the same one upon which most American enterprises were, until recently, based: "An employee who produces always has an assignment, preferably a meaningful one. In nearly 50 years, no person employed on a regular basis has lost as much as an hour of working time because of a lay off."
In his remarks in the company's 1990 annual report, then CEO John Akers declared that IBM's people were what gave the company its competitive edge, and assured employees it was "reasonable to assume" the full employment principle would be upheld. By the end of the year, Akers had announced that the company would cut 20,000 jobs. Ultimately, he slashed the IBM workforce from 400,000 to around 300,000. His successor, Lou Gerstner, has already announced plans for additional lay-offs.
The IBM story is a microcosm of what has happened in all of corporate America over the past five years. Companies that once promised talented, hard-working employees a job for life are suddenly reneging on that bargain. The old social contract between business and society has been replaced by a new pact, one that employees may have some difficulty adjusting to.
"The old unwritten contact was that as long as you did your job well and the company was stable and profitable you had a job," says Elliot Schreiber, senior vp of corporate communications at Miles, the Pittsburgh pharmaceutical and chemical company which has itself restructured and shed employees in recent years. "The new contract is that if you do your job well and there is recognized value by your management in the job you do, you will have a job."
Downsizing, restructuring, rightsizing, delayering and a dozen other euphemisms for what used to be called firing people, have resulted in approximately half a million lost jobs so far this year. In addition to the toll at IBM, Sears is shedding 50,000 jobs; Boeing 28,000; Procter & Gamble 13,000; Eastman Kodak 12,000. Perhaps more important, for the long term, this trend has resulted in a reassessment by employees (and, incidentally, by whole communities) of their relationships with corporate America.
This is an issue that most if not all corporate communications professionals will be forced to face over the next few years, and communications must be a vital part of the downsizing process, not only in its most obvious role of helping an organization rebuild the morale of those employees who are left, but in assessing the impact of any changes before they are made, and in redefining the relationship between the company and its stakeholders.
The first challenge is to ensure the company understands all the implications of downsizing: not only the financial, operational and legal implications, which are routinely considered, but also the reputational implications. The impact of downsizing on the way an organization is viewed by employees, communities and even consumers can be devastating and long-felt, and to make a decision without considering that impact is clearly foolish.
During the planning stages, communications professionals should employ research and analysis to determine the opinions and attitudes of the people who will have to buy into the concept, says Gary Grates, president of New York PR firm Brown Boxenbaum and an expert on employee communications.
"Most CEOs are quantitative people, and they look at the numbers first, not the human side of the equation," says Grates. "They are also likely to be closer to Wall Street and the financial community than they are to their own employees, and they are going to be feeling the pressure from the Street, which is almost certain to be demanding job cuts.
"If you look at a company like Eastman Kodak, which is a profitable company, the Street was not going to be satisfied until it heard that 10,000 people were being let go, and then the first question from many analysts was why wasn't it 20,000 people. But Wall Street is notoriously short-term, and it doesn't necessarily care about the long term impact on employee loyalty and morale, which doesn't show up on the balance sheet."
Nevertheless, there are a few dissidents who believe that the negative long-term impact of downsizing on employee morale and corporate culture outweighs the short-term benefit in terms of Wall Street's reaction and shareholder optimism. They point to the devastating impact of mass layoffs on the company's relationship with its employees.
The unwritten compact between companies and their employees encouraged employees to see their own long-term interests as inextricably bound up with the fortunes of the company, and made it possible - and logical - for workers to invest time and effort educating themselves about their firm's specific products, technologies and consumers: education which made them more valuable to the company for which they worked but was of much less use to other prospective employers.
So powerful can these psychic benefits be that many Japanese companies continue to cling to their policies of lifetime employment despite economic pressures at least as powerful as those felt in this country. In those instances in which U.S. companies have followed the Japanese model - GM's Saturn plant, for example - productivity outstrips that at more conventional plants.
By contrast, few downsizings result in significant increases in productivity or in value relative to competitor companies. In Rethinking the Corporation, consultant Robert Tomasko says: "Many - possibly most - downsizings fail." He cites a study by the University of Michigan which found that of 1,000 companies which had downsized during the '80s:
- 90% wanted to reduce expenses, but fewer than half actually did;
- 75% hoped for productivity improvements, but only 22% achieved them;
- more than half wanted to improve cash flow or increase return on investment, but fewer than 25% were able to do so; and
- more than half expected to reduce bureaucracy, but only 15% succeeded.
"Corporations commonly streamline operations to improve their competitive position," says Tomasko. "But only 191 of these 1,000 businesses reported increases in competitive advantage resulting from their downsizings."
One reason for this failure, Tomasko says, is that companies cut muscle instead of fat (this is particularly true when companies downsize through early retirement programs, which mean that individual employees, rather than management, decide who leaves); the other is that the human cost of downsizing is underestimated.
"A manager of a major New York bank became very cynical about the results of the bank's continual reductions of staff," says Tomasko, by way of an example. "He observed that while too many good employees were thrown out on the street, the same top management team that got the bank into all its problems was still in place. He felt that the post-downsizing atmosphere was one in which, instead of trying to get work done, people are constantly covering their ass."
A recent National Study of the Changing Workforce by the Families and Work Institute - a group funded by Sears Roebuck, American Express, AT&T, Du Pont and others - found declining employee loyalty, and more than 65% saying they considered open conununication in choosing their current job - more than any other criteria, including job security or compensation.
Itomasko also contrasts western-style thinking with that of the Japanese, pointing out that differences in accounting practices mean that U.S. companies are likely to view employees as an expense, while the Japanese are more likely to regard them as an investment. He also points to U.S. companies that have adopted. a more Japanese view, including 3M, which managed to avoid layoffs among its 90,000 employees worldwide while reducing labor and manufacturing costs by 35%, largely through improvements in process efficiency.
All of which is not to say that public relations and employee relations considerations should be allowed to override financial considerations when a company considers restructuring, merely that they should be part of the equation. Ultimately, reflecting upon all the consequences of a decision - financial, operational, legal and reputational - leads to more efficient decision-making.
Once a decision to downsize has been taken, PR professionals should also be involved in deciding what form that downsizing should take. Elliot Schreiber says that offering early retirement has sometimes been seen as "the good PR way" of downsizing, since any departures are voluntary and the company thus avoids the guilt that goes with firing people. However, Schreiber and other PR advisors have counseled management against offering early retirement because it allows executives no control over who goes.
"Often a lot of good people leave and these are the very people you want to stay," Schreiber says. "They leave because they are the ones who are most confident that they can find another position. Often what ends up happening is that companies find themselves hiring the very people who left back as consultants. It's much better to bite the bullet and eliminate a certain number of jobs and do it on merit."
Early retirement programs, Schreiber says, can be expensive, and they are an abdication of management's responsibility. They also contribute to the impression that people are commodities, interchangeable parts, rather than individuals.
"One of the priorities for the committee is to make sure that no business unit manager handles things in such a way that the company's reputation is damaged," Schreiber says.
George McGrath, a counselor with Osgood Global Group in New York and past president of the International Association of Business Communicators, says that another mistake companies make is "the death of a thousand cuts" approach, in which the company announces and executes layoffs over a four or five month period.
"People feel the axe hanging over their heads," says McGrath. "It can paralyze the entire organization. Companies should act swiftly and decisively, and preempt the kind of informal communications channels - the rumor mill, leaks from management, stories that circulate via the secretaries' network - that create an atmosphere of uncertainty."
Aetna Life & Casualty has had two major downsizings in recent years. The first time the company got it wrong, says senior vp Elizabeth Krupnick; the second time it did it right.
"In the second instance we were much more candid with employees and with the press," she says. "We were very specific about how many people were being cut and in what areas, and we were much more forthcoming about why we were doing it. We absolutely insisted that middle management talk with every employee within 48 hours of the corporate announcement to answer their questions."
McDonnell Douglas is another company that has gone out of its way to communicate with survivors, even offering psychological counseling to help them deal with the complex feelings of relief, guilt and fear that often result. Chairman John McDonnell has held a series of "town meetings" to address employee concerns on a personal level, as well as sending a videotaped message to the homes of all 112,000 employees explaining the reasons for the downsizing.
Says Michael Becker, vp of human resources: "You have to communicate, communicate, communicate."
Jeff Taufield, executive vp at Kekst & Co. in New York, says that communication should start long before a restructuring takes effect, with companies taking greater steps to educate their employees about the impact the national economy has on the organization and other financial matters, on the principle that the more they understand about the external influences on a company the better able they are to understand management decisions.
Taufield also urges companies that are restructuring to be more open with customers, suppliers, the media and local community officials. "Understand where employees obtain information they consider credible and ensure that those sources are fully informed. Rumor and speculation are heightened at these times."
However, it is clear that many companies do not communicate effectively during downsizings. A recent survey of 1,020 personnel chiefs by Right Associates of Philadelphia found that only 44% of companies that had downsized in the previous five years shared details of their plans with employees and only 34% told survivors how they would fit into the company's new strategy.
These same personnel chiefs appeared to recognize that this lack of communication created problems: two thirds said that since restructuring employees had lost trust in the company, while only 55% thought survivors were prepared for their roles in the restructured organization. "Many of these new initiatives are typically doomed because very few executives understand the role and impact communications has on the ultimate success of the process," says Gary Grates. "In times of turmoil and change and shrinking budgets, communications is often seen as expendable. But it is during these difficult times that executive communication is needed the most."
Grates says that concepts of change are often sold at the top of the organization and then pushed down through the organization. "Those charged with making it happen, long-term, rarely fully understand or appreciate their roles, or the objectives of the process. Management overlooks the need to explain these ideas or, worse yet, believe they have explained things because the mechanical tools of communications - letters, memos, videos - have been used."
It is important for PR people not only to understand these mechanics, but also to understand the psychological factors at work.
"Any manager who tells people they don't have to worry, that they will not be affected, is just being insensitive," Schreiber says. "People are affected whether they are let go or kept on. They are disturbed, they are fearful, they are angry, sometimes they even feel guilty that they still have a job when their friends are out of work, particularly if they don't understand how the decision was reached."
Employees are not, of course, the only audience that communicators need to consider. McGrath says balancing the needs of the various stakeholder groups, which may have very different reactions to the news, is one of the greatest communications challenges.
"The analysts will be dancing in the street," says McGrath. "Employees will be wailing and gnashing their teeth. A PR person should be able to give an honest, accurate assessment of all of these groups and how they are likely to respond, and what the barriers may be to acceptance of the company's message."
The reaction of communities is particularly important. General Motors, for example, has run into legal problems in Ypsilanti, where it plans to close its Willow Run plant, throwing 2,300 employees out of work. The town has accused GM of breaking promises to provide long-term employment. Clearly, from a public relations standpoint, making such promises in today's uncertain economic climate can be extremely damaging. Companies need to deal candidly with all audiences.
Not everyone agrees that the impact of downsizing upon morale is necessarily negative, however. Al Geduldig, president of Geduldig Communications Management and a consultant to many major corporations, says restructurings are so routine nowadays that they are not necessarily damaging to an organization's external reputation. "It's an unfortunate occurrence, but it is expected," he says. "If it is done right people don't feel more vulnerable, they feel less vulnerable, because they see the company taking steps to protect their future and they are grateful."
George McGrath agrees. "You have to ask whether restructuring can be turned into an opportunity," he says. "Presumably it is being done for a reason, to make the company stronger and more competitive, and if you can explain that to employees you might be able to generate renewed enthusiasm and sweep employees along."
On the other hand, says Schrieber, it would be a mistake for management to assume that employees will see things in that light. Schreiber says there are managers who espouse the view that since many employees are also shareholders they should be supportive when companies downsize. "In fact, if you talk to employee shareholders, what they are really investing in is the future and welfare of themselves and their colleagues and friends," he says.
Perhaps most important, however, is making sure that those employees who remain have a sense of the company's mission, and have common goals towards which they can work.
"Chief executives like Gerstner at IBM who dismiss things like vision don't understand what it's all about," says John Budd, former head of PR for Emhart Corporation and now president of his own consulting firm The Omega Group, in New York. "The attitude of survivors is shell-shocked, and they need to understand the purpose of the downsizing: not the short-term financial reasons, but how it will make the company stronger, how it fits into the vision of the CEO. The CEO has to be able to articulate that vision, and explain to the people who are left what their role in the new corporation will be."
Geoff Nightingale, president of the SynerGenics management consulting division of PR agency Burson-Marsteller, agrees. The most important role for public relations in restructurings, he says, is to help the CEO articulate a future that he or she is committed to, to explain what he or she is trying to create.
"Management has to recognize that it is going to change the nature of an organization when it downsizes," says Nightingale. "Public relations people must force management to concentrate on what that new organizations is going to look like, what will its mission be, what will be its strategic intent, what will be the impact on customers and suppliers and employees and what needs to be said to those audiences to make sure they remain as allies."
Even so, it is clearly going to be difficult to construct a trusting relationship between the company and those employees who survive, however many platitudes about "empower ment" and "our people are our most valuable assets" emanate from senior management.
"If someone tells you that gold is his most precious resource, you might believe him - until you saw him throwing handfuls of gold into the gutter," says John Dodge, retired management consultant, writing in a recent issue of Whirlpool Management Journal. "What is happening in corporate America today is certainly analogous. General Motors plans to reduce its workforce by 74,000 people. AT&T has already `downsized' by well over 120,000 people. IBM has terminated more than 50,000 over the past four years.
"People are a resource, to be sure, but they are a commodity resource. Like factory floor footage or production capacity, they are expendable if and when the company encounters a scarcity in its truly precious resources - markets, customers and shareholders. People can be replaced. The whole purpose of a corporate organization is to maintain an infrastructure of systems and processes and methodologies capable of surviving the continuous replacement of people."
All of this may well create a long-term problem for U.S. corporations that management appears to have spent little time considering during its frenzied efforts to cut overhead and appease analysts.
IBM, among others, has seen a drain of major talent since it started restructuring, with star employees attracted to smaller, more entrepreneurial companies where they feel they have more control over their own destiny. To try to staunch the hemorrhaging, chairman Gerstner has met with many key employees personally, and the company is offering more performance bonuses to employees at all levels, although it is doubtful whether the solution to this problem is purely financial.
"When the recession ends, western firms will find that retaining good employees and motivating mediocre ones is far more difficult," opined The Economist in a recent editorial. "Worried about their next job or career-switch, workers will not care much about any firm's long-term fortunes unless given good reason to do so. To succeed bosses will need to reach a new understanding with employees."
John Budd warns that few CEOs who are brought in to cut costs and pander to shareholders will be able to transform themselves into popular nor will they have credibility as leaders once the restructurings are over, when they talk about rebuilding if they are seen as the people who tore down the old structure.
"I don't know whether even Jack Welch at GE will be able to turn that image around," says Budd. "That's a company that has invested in retraining and education and communications and yet, even now, people there don't entirely trust Welch and his frustration at that is evident in interviews.
"The most difficult time is not during the changes but immediately afterward. In the initial phase, targets are tangible - a bloated workforce, high costs. But the old bureaucracy is remarkably resilient. It is the rehabilitation phase that is fraught with danger."
Schreiber admits that there is an apparent contradiction between the current management enthusiasm for "employee empowerment" and continuing downsizing. It is difficult to empower people who fear that they may not have a job tomorrow, just as it is difficult to convince them that the organization believes people are its most valuable resource. But employees must be given an opportunity to help lead the organization back to profitability.
Ron Rhody, former head of corporate communications for Bank of America and now president of his own California-based consulting firm, Rhody & Co., believes motivating employees in the wake of the recent wave of restructurings may be the single most crucial challenge facing American managers today.
"The old pact between management and its workers is dead," Rhody says. "But if you assume that in order for an organization to be effective it has to have teamwork, it has to have people working together towards a common vision, towards common goals, then I think a new pact needs to take its place."
Instead of assuring employees that their jobs will be safe as long as they work hard and the company remains profitable, there is a need for a new contract between companies and the people who work for them, and a need for organizations to articulate that new contract.
"I think companies have to say: `Come and work for us, and as long as we have a place for you we will treat you decently and honestly, we will pay you well and respect you, we will give you a job that is challenging and we will empower you to do that job to the best of your ability, and we will train you, but the truth is we might not need you tomorrow morning.' If everyone understands that situation I think you have a basis upon which to move forward. Its very similar to the model upon which pro football operates."
Rhody admits that it will be easier for the younger generation to understand this new pact than for many of their older colleagues. Indeed, many of them showed an implicit understanding of the situation for several years, and have taken advantage of the "free agency" it offers by selling their services to the highest bidder, changing jobs far more frequently than was the case in the past.
In this view, firms will be forced to experiment with new patterns of employment, patterns that accommodate the needs of highly, skilled workers as well as those of the company: job-sharing, flexible hours, lengthy sabbaticals, consulting arrangements, telecommuting, subsidized education. In lieu of lifetime employment, companies will be forced to offer greater flexibility.
"There will still be loyalty, but it won't be loyalty in the old sense," says Aetna's Elizabeth Krupnick. "Employees won't expect a promotion every 18 months in return for good behavior, and all the things that corporations used to promise. There will be a lot of morale issues to manage. But a new deal will be struck."
It may also involve management admitting that in an atmosphere of constant, unpredictable change it does not know from month to month whether jobs and plants will be there tomorrow.
"I think it is incumbent upon the company to make it clear that things have changed, to be honest with its employees and its communities, to define the new contract," Krupnick says. "Employees are not stupid. They know things have changed. They don't really expect a job for life. What they expect is honesty, and they have a right to expect that."
Krupnick too counsels candor. She says there is no need for companies to be defensive about the changes they are going through, because virtually every company in America, regardless of the quality of management, is facing the same challenges.
The same goes for local communities, Schreiber adds. Management should sit down with the leaders of cities in which plants are located and be honest about the prospects for the future. It should explain what its current needs are in terms of people, but also that it cannot guarantee those same jobs will be there in six months or a year. In Elkhart, Ind., Miles did just that, meeting with the Mayor and with a Congressional delegation to explain its decision to lay people off and to present the company's analysis of the likely economic impact upon the area.
Challenges such as that created by downsizing are helping to redefine corporate America and the profession of public relations, Schreiber says. "Making people feel good is old style PR. Putting a positive spin on a story about the company eliminating 100 jobs is old-style PR. Sitting down with those who are affected and explaining to them that you can't look into the future and predict with any certainty what it holds, being honest about the changes affecting your business, that's the new PR."
Ultimately such an approach - born from a major crisis - could help reverse the loss of confidence in American business that began in the '50s and has been escalating since.


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I have not lost my mind. I am not offering a "get rich scheme" or a secret way of "timing the market." The truth is these teachings usually found at high-energy seminars are full of hot air.
Profiting in investment real estate takes time. There may be a few outliers who tell you how they doubled their money in three months flipping a property, but these are not all that common.
Knowing the real estate cycle can give you a strategy of when to buy, hold and sell as well as what to look for in a potential investment property.
In part one, I provided you an overview of the first two phases of the real estate cycle, recovery, and expansion. Phase 1, recovery, is when the market starts looking better after a recession. You may find vacancy rates decreasing, the Federal Reserve potentially lowering interest rates, and people begin to find jobs.
Phase 2, expansion, is when confidence in the markets grows. Rents and property values are on the rise and vacancy rates continue to decrease. More construction projects come online, and the potential for a "real estate bubble" starts to become apparent.
Be sure to review part one to learn the strategies to follow in purchasing investment real estate for phases one and two. Next in the cycle is phase two and three.
Phase 3 – Hyper supply
The new construction that was in the works years ago comes online, and vacancy rates start to rise because of the increase in supply. Rental growth slows down, and competition for tenants becomes fierce.
The first indication of trouble is an increase in unsold inventory and higher vacancy rates.
Developers see the slow down in the market and put their new construction projects on hold. New construction projects in the pipeline continue to come online while demand continues to fall. Occupancy averages start to decrease as we enter phase four.
Your strategy – some investors in core properties may decide to sell before the market goes into recession. Most likely you could ride out the coming downturn if you have credit tenants with leases exceeding five-years. For the investor looking for opportunities, it is all about pricing. Many property owners may be in a weak position financially and will need to liquidate.
Phase 4 – Recession
Supply starts to increase with demand decreasing producing higher vacancy rates. Followed by an increase in interest rates from the Federal Reserve to fight inflation caused by the now higher prices.
The second indication of trouble are occupancy rates that start falling below the average–vacancy rates increase, followed by the fourth indication–a rise in interest rates.
The combination of below average occupancy, lower rents, increased interest expense and decreasing values causes investors to sell and developers to stop building. If investors are unable to sell, this may force them to lose the property.
Your strategy – this would be an opportune time for a well-capitalized investor to purchase distressed properties. It is essential to pay attention to the local market and property classes as a recession hits areas and classes differently.
Burt M. Polson, CCIM, is an active commercial real estate broker. Reach him at 707-254-8000, or [email protected] Sign up for his email newsletter at BurtPolson.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. both surpassed Nokia Oyj in smartphone shipments for the first time last quarter as the Finnish company sold fewer units from its aging Symbian product lines.
Apple accounted for 18.5 percent of global smartphone shipments in the second quarter, compared with 13.5 percent a year earlier, Strategy Analytics said today. Nokia dropped to third place, falling behind Samsung after its market share shrank to 15.2 percent from 38.1 percent, the analysts said.
Nokia remains the biggest handset producer overall, even though its market share has fallen to the lowest level since 1999, Strategy Analytics said. The stock is down 47 percent this year, reflecting Nokia's difficulties in competing with the iPhone and handsets using Google Inc.'s software. Apple, which posted record profit last quarter, has jumped 21 percent.
"This shift in market share has been going on since the introduction of the iPhone, and Nokia has been unable to find an answer," said Leon Cappaert at KBC Asset Management in Brussels, who helps manage 400 million euros ($570 million), including Apple shares. "Component availability seems to be easing and the second half will be very good for iPhones and iPads."
Global handset shipments grew 13 percent to 361 million units last quarter, led by 76 percent growth in smartphones, which are more advanced handsets with computer-like capabilities for running applications and playing media, Strategy Analytics said. Sales of smartphones totaled 110 million units.
Nokia's share of the global handset market, which includes smartphones and more basic models, fell to 24.5 percent last quarter from 34.7 percent a year earlier, the research firm said.
"Samsung is breathing down Nokia's neck," Neil Mawston, a London-based analyst at Strategy Analytics said. "An unexciting touch-phone portfolio, inventory correction, wavering demand for the Symbian platform and limited presence in the huge U.S. market continued to weigh on Nokia's near-term performance."
Nokia declined less than 1 percent to 4.02 euros in Helsinki trading. Samsung, which today reported second- quarter profit that beat analysts' estimates because of higher mobile-phone sales, has fallen 11 percent this year.
Apple dropped $2.19 to $389.63 at 10:42 a.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The shares had climbed 21 percent this year before today.
Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple, the world's most valuable technology company, counts the iPhone as its biggest source of revenue.
IPhone sales rose to 20.3 million units last quarter, buoyed by overseas demand, particularly China, Apple said this month. The product accounted for 46.6 percent of revenue at Apple, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Apple is said to be planning a new iPhone with a faster chip for September that also boasts of a more advanced camera, two people familiar with the product said in June.
In contrast, Nokia had its first quarterly loss since 2009 after handset sales slumped following an accord to shift to Microsoft Corp. software.
Chief Executive Officer Stephen Elop, who joined from Microsoft last September, is struggling to sell handsets based on Nokia's 10-year-old Symbian software that he is phasing out as he prepares new models based on Microsoft's Windows Phone.
The market for low-end phones known as feature phones contracted 4 percent in the second quarter, Framingham, Mass.-based IDC. said in its market share report.
The shrinkage was the first since the third quarter of 2009 and was most noticeable in richer countries where users were shifting to smartphones, the IDC researchers said.
IDC calculated second-quarter handset shipments growing at 11.3 percent to 365.4 million units, owing partly to higher estimates for shipments from smaller vendors. LG Electronics Inc., Apple and ZTE Corp. rounded out the top five handset makers, according to both research firms.


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If there are three things that go together better than blues, barbecue, and gymnastics, we can't imagine what they are.
Archery, waffles, and ikebana (the Japanese art of flower arrangement)? Demolition derby, aspic, and dance marathons? Corn mush, ping pong, and The Marriage of Figaro?
Try as we might, we can conceive of nothing that makes quite as much nonsense as the BBBQGI. For you see, in the warped world of Suicidefoodistan, nothing is coherent. Baffling is the new reasonable. Hence, a pig done up like the Blues Brothers sticks the landing on the sagging balance beam before tumbling onto the butcher's knife.
In the hushed auditorium, no one snickers when they see him. No one clears his throat nervously. No one shifts in her seat. Because this is run-of-the-mill insanity. While the portly pig takes his bows and blows kisses to the judges' table, the people applaud and lick their lips.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Blues & BBQ Gymnastics Invitational
Posted by Ben at 12:01 AM
Labels: 2 nooses, pig, sport, sunglasses
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Our wonderful 24 Hours A Team
The fabulous 24 Hours B Team
After some beautiful nosecone artwork by Morgan, Howard and Ashley and an hour's qualifying that left us with two gorgeous fighting machines ready for battle, Team A managed to qualify a lofty 8th among the 46 teams taking part, with hopes of a podium to come in the race. However, an unlucky Team B, struggling with traffic, a difficult kart and poor grip, were only able to put their wheels 41st on the grid. As the time struck 1pm, this epic race got underway. With excellent starts, Rhianna (starting for Team A) managed to jump up to 7th, with Henry in Team B making up a stunning six places to end the first lap in 35th place. The race quickly settled into a rhythm, with clusters of drivers bunching together but struggling to overtake at this challenging circuit. After a quiet opening few hours, interrupted only by the occasional Maccy D's trip and an accidental case of arson by another team on an undeserving bin, the team strategy of throwing caution to the wind and running as long as possible on a tank of fuel was beginning to pay off, with the A Team up to sixth and sniffing a place in the top three, while B Team continued their impressive climb up this elite field, running 28th at the six-hour mark.
As darkness fell across Middlesbrough, Team A's gambit on fuel was really beginning to pay dividends, moving up to 4th as other teams came in earlier for fuel stops, a podium now achingly close. Sadly, Team B's hopes of a top-20 finish would soon take a major blow, a clutch failure hampering the team and costing them around 20 minutes while a replacement was fitted, dropping them down to 38th place. With the breaking of dawn came yet more bad news for our exhausted little troopers, as engine failures on both karts formed a coalition of chaos to end Team A's podium aspirations as the massive amount of time cost dropped them to 6th, while 40th place was little more than salt in the wounds for a crestfallen Team B. In the race's final couple of hours, an excellent stint by Kamil was enough to haul Team A up to their eventual finishing position of 5th (by far the best finish for a UoB team at the 24 hours), while Team B made it home in 41st place. Although both teams felt more was possible, this was still an unforgettable experience, especially for those experiencing the BUKC 24 Hours for the first time. Now let's try and go one better next year!
Our thanks go out to Team Ware for their support, to the British Universities Karting Championship for organising such a spectacular event, to the committee members for their strong and stable leadership in preparing the team, and to the entire team for taking part in this wonderful race!


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A Web Service is a program that allows two computer systems to interact over a network. The Web of Science Web Services allows a customer's system to request information from the Web of Science and returns a limited set of data to the requesting system.
As a subscriber to the Web of Science® the library can now access to source data for Web of Science records such as topic, title and author information with Web of Science Web Services. Web Services allows for a real-time lookup of Web of Science source record information against Web of Science, using HEC Paris library subscription entitlements. If a match is found, Web Services will return Web of Science article information such as: article title, authors, source data, author supplied keywords, and more.
Among the services provided, the possibility of automatic, real time querying of multiple records eliminating the need for manual searches, and the deliverability of real-time Web of Science information into multiple institutional applications such as department web pages.
If you want to know more about the Web of Science Web Services, please contact the library or see the FAQ on Thomson web site.


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2005, A Sound of Thunder, bankrupt, Ben Kingsley, Edward Burns, errors, flops, Franchise Pictures, investors, Movies, Pierce Brosnan, Ray Bradbury, Renny Harlin, science fiction, special effects, Time tourists
A Sound of Thunder (Warner Brothers, 2005)
A Sound of Thunder was a 2005 science fiction thriller movie flop. A Sound of Thunder was based on Ray Bradbury's short story of the same name. "Time tourists" accidentally interfere too much with the past which completely alters the present. A Sound of Thunder starred Edward Burns, Catherine McCormack and Ben Kingsley.
A Sound of Thunder was originally announced in 2001. It was to be directed by Renny Harlin and star Pierce Brosnan. Bradbury fired Harlin after a dispute and Brosnan moved on too. During post-production, Franchise Pictures went bankrupt. The remaining backers only ponied up $30 million instead of the $80 million they were supposed to have. This led to shoddy special effects (as well as terrible performances and scientific errors) that tanked this film. A Sound of Thunder grossed just under $2 million in the U.S. and over $11.5 million worldwide.


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Since I my late-teens, I've had chronic stomach issues. Attributed to heredity (my mother has a "nervous stomach"), I'd come to accept it as a permanent burden. Granted, it's been a longtime nuisance, but never been quite bad enough to derail me from doing what I've wanted to do. In more recent years, though, let's just say that it became severe enough that I knew the precise location of every port-a-pottie and shielded patch of roadside woods within a 10+-mile radius of my house.
Among the suspected culprits of my gastrointestinal woes have been Celiac disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, lactose intolerance, and food allergies. As a beer-loving aficionado of the carbohydrate-driven lifestyle, though, I embraced the traditional United States' government food pyramid (below) like a gospel.
But, despite my ostensibly "healthy" low-fat diet, I never felt quite right. There's the obvious GI distress in the form of stomach aches and extended post-meal bathroom sessions (no one wants their kids to say "See you in two hours, Dad . . ."). My sleep patterns have been a mess since adolescence. I have experienced daily energy spikes and crashes. I needed to end every meal with a sweet dessert. I couldn't sit in a movie theater without a box of Milk Duds or Twizzlers. Oh, and there's was my much-beloved IPA life stage. But, all along, I was at war with myself. And, after years of constant training, racing, experimenting, it only seemed to get worse. To this day, I think often about my fueling travails at the 2011 Boston Marathon, where I ran my PR of 3:08+ despite being unable to take any fuel after about Mile 14. I know I was in shape to run faster. But I didn't, so the marathoner I thought I'd become was tempered by the actual marathon I ran that day. And, frankly, I haven't even been as good a runner, on any level, since.
So, I did what skeptics do. I questioned myself, my beliefs, my behavior. I consulted learned sources who have found a different way. I shed that unquestioned orthodoxy and kept an open mind.
And, I'm rather glad that I did.
My first attempted foray into a full-scale diet modification came in the Fall of 2012, when I paid for a "Metabolic Typing" assessment. The 25+-page report and analysis was enlightening, but the proscription for how to combine foods soon became unworkable for me. The two main positive changes for me at that time were that I gave up soy and soda completely. But, after feeling notably better for a few weeks, I went back to my old ways, where grains and sugars made up most of my daily caloric intake.
After another year of sub-par training, medication-assisted sleeping, and continued facially-okay-but-actually-fundamentally-poor nutrition, I decided to try something radically different. Thanks to information received from accomplished runner/athlete friends (Abby, Tamy, Wes, Tim, Ernesto), as well as from experts such as Drs. Jeff S. Volek & Stephen D. Phinney, Dr. Tim Noakes, and the knowledgeable-but-occasionally-bloviating Vinnie Tortorich, I adopted a different dietary approach just before Halloween 2013.
The key resources for me have been Drs. Volek & Phinney's book, "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living"; a few select episodes of Vinnie Tortorich's "Angriest Trainer" podcast, and a cornucopia of excellent Paleo recipe sites, including PaleOMG, NomNomPaleo, and and the useful recipe compilation site Paleo Grubs. Another unexpected benefit has been that I've discovered that I actually enjoy cooking and baking, and appreciate the challenge of preparing delicious dishes and treats within my newly discovered dietary parameters.
Since I despise labels, I call this new way of eating a low-carb/Paleo/NSNG (no-sugar-no-grain) approach. It's not any one of those things exclusively. I do consume some carbs, notably sweet potatoes and some honey/maple syrup. I do consume dairy, but only whole-milk/full-fat. I do eat peanuts, beans and some other legumes. So none of the strictest labels fits me, and I'd have it no other way. And, because a lot of folks ask, I most certainly DO NOT CALL IT A DIET.
The results since I started doing this have been - for me - nothing short of remarkable. I have managed to increase my running mileage from 25-30 miles per week to over 60, and have been playing soccer once a week, to boot. I've run back-to-back long runs of 15 and 20 miles, with one small chia bar or a single nut butter packet to fuel me. I am less sore after running longer than I could have imagined.
Bear in mind that while I have been slowly ramping up my running mileage, I now eat more fat in a day than I used to consume in a week. And I now eat fewer carbohydrates - especially sugar - in a week than I used to consume in a day (sometimes even in a single sitting, like breakfast).
But, more importantly, my mental focus and acuity have improved to the point that I don't know how I was getting by before. My friend Ernesto addressed this quite well in his own recent blog post: http://www.ernestoburden.com/2013/12/low-carb-iq-boost-ketosis-and-cognitive-function/.
And here's the most recent, taken a couple of days ago (about 10 weeks in):
Of course, this remains an experiment, but the initial results and transformative feeling are so overpowering that I cannot imagine going back. Have I cheated? Of course. In New York City. In Italy. During the holidays. But every lapse reminds me in stark physiological terms just how much better suited I am to this new approach to eating.
Much bigger tests are coming. Stay tuned . . . :-)
Thanks for reading. -Ron


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- TCU drops 2013 opener Wyoming 4-3, Bobbi Clemmer, Liz O'Reilly, Michelle Prokof
TCU drops 2013 opener at Wyoming 4-3
Published 8/24/2013 8:58:25 AM by staff from dallas
It was a wild one. It was also one that the TCU women should never have lost. Despite outshooting Wyoming and having a whopping 10-1 advantage in corner kicks, TCU lost the match 4-3 Friday afternoon.
Some games you just have to shake your head about. Missed chances and defensive mistakes marked the match as the Lady Frogs allowed 4 goals on only 7 shots. Even worse was the fact that all 4 Wyoming goals came on set pieces.
TCU started on the front foot and jumped ahead in the opening minutes when
Michelle Prokof
scored from close range off a pass from Kelly Johnson. Wyoming answered right back though through Sarah Paul. The home side made it 2-1 through Molle Ramsay, but TCU sent the match to halftime all tied when
Bobbi Clemmer
curled in a corner kick.
Once again TCU opened well after the restart. TCU led 3-2 within the opening two minutes where Makenzie Koch scored a perfect freekick placing it it high into the corner of the net.
The match would completely be turned on its head in the 76th minute when Wyoming would score a pair of goals within a two minutes. In the 76th Wyoming would score on their only corner kick of the afternoon with Lucie McDowell heading home. Then just a minute later they would grab the winner as
Liz O'Reilly
fired home a freekick from just outside the penalty area.
Definitely a tough way to lose.
"Obviously, we are disappointed with the results," said head coach Eric Bell. "I thought we played well enough to win, but we gave up four set-piece goals which is not normal for us and is something we must fix.
TCU returns to the field on Sunday as they face old conference rival Air Force at 11:30am.
TCU drops 2013 opener Wyoming 4-3, Bobbi Clemmer, Liz O'Reilly, Michelle Prokof
Dallas Area Soccer Articles
Villarreal showing their class at Dallas Cup
Added: 4/16/2019 8:31:48 AM
So far Villarreal is just as good as advertised. The Spanish side arrived in Dallas with a sparkling season under their belts and have proceeded to look as one of the favorites after two group matches at the prestigious Dallas Cup.
Read More
Tigres open Dallas Cup 40 with impressive win over Liverpool
Added: 4/15/2019 3:07:43 PM
Tigres signaled their intentions with an impressive 4-2 win over Liverpool to open Dallas Cup 40 Sunday evening at the Cotton Bowl.
Read More
Machu Picchu - The best way to see & enjoy Peru's Wonder
Added: 3/12/2019 3:11:02 PM
A wonderful advice piece on getting the most out of your trip to Machu Picchu in Peru!
Read More
Sidekicks beat El Paso behind big night from Jamie Lovegrove
Added: 12/16/2018 11:19:56 AM
The Dallas Sidekicks won their first home game of the 2018-2019 MASL season, beating the El Paso Coyotes, 7-4 behind a big night from Jamie Lovegrove.
Read More
FC Dallas to gain a new rival in Austin FC
Added: 8/23/2018 12:29:35 PM
Well well well. It looks like FC Dallas will be gaining a new rival very soon. The Columbus Crew are going to be relocating to Austin and becoming Austin FC.
Read More
TCU opens with win over Alabama in womens soccer
Added: 8/18/2018 8:05:54 AM
What an opening night in Fort Worth as TCU took care of visiting Alabama 1-0 on a late Kayla Hill header. It was a mouth-watering matchup featuring a pair of teams that made the NCAA Tournament last year.
Read More
Favorites having tough time at Russia 2018 World Cup
Added: 6/19/2018 1:24:54 PM
Well with the opening group matches in the books for all the groups at the 2018 Russia World Cup the one thing we have learned is that we knew nothing as only 2 of the top 8 in the FIFA rankings managed a win.
Read More
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Spoil sports: 7 activities that damage the environment
AP Photo by Mark Humphrey
Not all sports were created equal--at least, not in the eyes of the environment. Some--hiking, running, swimming--represent the best of man in harmony with nature. Others--monster truck rally races, say--are just flat out environmentally offensive, and seem to be little more than a raised middle finger to our global warming-imperiled earth. To consider environmental impact, we need to examine these sports on several different levels: Basketball for example, when played as a neighborhood pickup game, can be nearly as harmless as taking a stroll. But factor in worldwide popularity, hundreds of jet flights every year, and you've got yourself one mega carbon footprint. The following seven spoil sports cause serious damage to the environment:


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What You Need to Consider When Going for The Automotive Paint Colors
You are likely to spend most of your time in the showroom when you are selecting the automotive paint colors for your vehicle. It is through the color of your vehicle that people get to know the person that you are and attain uniqueness. You should consider the following tactics in selecting the best automotive paint colors for your newly acquired motor vehicle or when you are considering the touch up paints.
Ensure That the Vehicle Matches Your Personality
It is important that you follow your personality when selecting the automotive paint colors of the vehicle. You should not shy away from your most favorite colors when selecting the automotive paint colors to be used. You can go for the neutral colors when other family members will also be using the same car.
Consider the Places Where You Will Be Driving Most of The Time
It is important that you consider the environment of the place that you will be using your car. When your work includes driving during the day and you live in a hot area, it is important that you identify the light automotive paint colors. Most of the carjackers are attracted to the light custom paint colors and you should ensure that you drive them in safe areas.
Be Sure of The Costs
The quality of the paint will determine on the amount that you will pay when you are considering the touch-up paint colors. The size of your car plays a role in determining the prices that you will pay. It is important that you select the best automotive paints that will last for long and will make your vehicle look new.
Consider the Design of Your Vehicle
Some kinds of designs will only work with certain colors of the touch-up paint colors. You can increase the sale value of your car by ensuring that you go for the best designs and use the touch-up paint colors. You're likely to spot that most of the best-designed cars will have the yellow, orange, blue, cream, black and yellow colors. Ensure that you consult with the vendors who have been working in the vehicle industry to advise you on the color that works best for the designs you have chosen.
Whenever you're selecting any kind of automotive paint color, you need to be careful to go for the best one. You need to be very flexible to identify the colors that you love and use them on your vehicle. It is important that you make your own decision on the touch-up paint colors that you will use for your vehicle as opposed to the already painted ones.


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10 Warnings Signs of Full-Blown Health
Sounds weird, doesn't it? Usually we hear, "watch for these 10 warning signs of __________ (fill in the blank with XYZ disease)." How often do we learn the 10 warning signs of full-blown health? Hardly ever or never!
And what does full-blown mean? It is a trip to even think that we could have full-blown, wholehearted health. That would mean that we are fully healthy, mentally, physically and emotionally. Wow! Since health is not just the absence of disease, what would full-blown health look like?
The 10 warning signs of full-blown health are:
- Persistent presence of a support network
- Chronic positive outlook
- Sense of spiritual involvement
- Increased sensitivity to our environment
- Tendency to adapt to change
- Increased appetite for physical activity
- Tendency to communicate feelings
- Episodic gratitude, generosity and joy
- Compulsion to contribute to society
- Persistent sense of humor
We will explore these in more detail.
First, the support network: who is on your team? If you are single, who will help you out at home, or in the hospital if you need assistance? Cultivate new friendships. Value old friendships. Make an effort to stay in touch. I know it sounds cliché, however, it rings true that if you want a friend, first be a friend to others. Nurture friendships that are a two-way street, not just your energy going out to others. After the September 11, 2001 tragedy, researchers learned that those people who experienced deep grief at the loss of a loved one recovered more quickly and deeply if they had a core support team of friends and family.
Coming up in the next blog: a chronic positive outlook.


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I just recently installed the SDS Capacitor replacement board on my two Dynaco MKIIIs.
These amps were bone stock, factory assembled units.
After installing the SDS boards, I fired them up, and attempted to bias.
What I found was that I could not get the bias voltage (measured at the stock test point) down to 1.56, about 2.4 is the lowest I could get it.
So I started checking voltages. What I found is that I'm only getting 372 volts DC at pin 8 of the Rectifier tube. The PT is putting 425 Volts AC onto pins 4/6 of the rectifier. Even if I disconnect the wire going from pin 8 of the Recto to the SDS cap board, I still only get about 390 VDC.
Bad rectifier, you say? I have 4 GZ34 rectos and all give me the same reading.
I must be missing something simple, because, like a moron, I did the mod to TWO amps at the same time, not firing one up and leaving the other for reference. Both amps behave exactly the same, so I 'm thinking I missed something simple...
Before me messing with them, they both worked fine, biased to 1.56 V, The Recto was out-putting around 500 Volts(seeing that is what scared me into replaceing the Cap can.) Everything was cool. Let me see if I can upload some pics of the boards inatalled into the chassis.
Thanks for any help.


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The sequel to the popular "Farming Simulator" contains plenty of new features and improvements. Take on the role of a young farmer on an island and experience everyday life in the countryside. Choose from many vehicles and equipment and explore the island which is over 4 km square in size and freely accessible.
Play the improved career mode, beginning with a sparsely equipped farm and some old outdated vehicles. Your goal is to whip the farm into shape, extending the vehicle fleet and becoming a successful farmer. Through various activities such as plowing fields, seeding, pressing bales and the final harvest, you build up the financial resources necessary to allow you to buy better equipment. Visit the local agricultural machinery store to buy new vehicles and equipment or sell your old machines. You can choose from 7 very elaborate tractors, 4 combine harvesters and over 20 machines including ploughs, seeders, balers and a self-loading wagon. Thanks to the co-operation with the AGCO corporation, owner of the famous Fendt brand, you take control of very sophisticated tractors and combine harvesters. Due to the additional collaboration with Poettinger there are also many of their authentic tools available. And if this variety of machinery still does not meet your needs, you can download plenty of vehicles, equipment and other modifications from the Internet. Because of the improved mod system you are able to install the new content easily and automatically.
The new "Farming Simulator" also contains many different missions and tutorials as well as a realistic day and night cycle with changing weather conditions. Furthermore you can activate computer-controlled vehicles which help you to get your work done faster!


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LPI Reviews DevOps at OSEC Forum
Linux Professional Institute (LPI) invites you to the Open Source Education Centre (OSEC) Forum on June 6th, 2017 in Warsaw, Poland to tap into the evolving world of open source technology and the fun, thriving open source community.
The OSEC Forum is the perfect event to attend whether you are an IT Manager, a System Administrator, or a Product Owner -- regardless of the industry in which you work or your skill level.
That's because OSEC is designed for IT professionals who are passionate about growing their careers and exploring how building a knowledge of open source helps achieve this goal.
Attend any OSEC lecture, workshop, or open discussion (for free) and you will get an inside look into the topics that are shaping organizations and software around the globe such as DevOps, IT automation, and future-looking management skills.
LPI's Elzbieta Godlewska will be speaking at OSEC about how its newest certification, LPIC-OT DevOps Tools Engineer reflects the rapidly evolving DevOps landscape.
This is particularly relevant for anyone who wants to capitalize on companies' rapidly growing demand for IT candidates with DevOps skills. Elzbieta's workshop is at 11:15am in the E-room.
As the world's first and largest vendor-neutral Linux and open source certification body, LPI is pleased to be one of the leading sponsors of the OSEC Forum. By all means, seek out any LPI team member throughout the conference in the discussion area.
Follow LPI at @LPIConnect for live tweeting at the event


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Core Credit Union offers Members the chance to have control over their finances by making their own savings work for them with our range of products & services.
It's the money that Members save that provides the money to lend to other Members. The money you save is held as shares and it is this pooling of shares that creates the loan fund from which you and other Members can borrow. When borrowing, it is important that you borrow wisely ensuring that you protect your shares and the shares of your friends, family and neighbors.
As well as loans, Core Credit Union also offers a range of services including Budget accounts, Insurance, Online access to you account 24/7 and Foreign Exchange.
Credit Unions were set up to serve local communities and are not-for-profit. Any surplus made goes towards improving services in the Credit Union, the Community or is returned to Members.
These are some of the products & services Core Credit Union provides for its Members:
- Savings / Stamps
- Personal Loans
- Car Loans
- Education Loans at reduced rates
- Home Loans (€40,000 – €200,000)
- Budget Accounts
- Loan Protection Insurance
- Death Benefit Insurance
- Life Savings Insurance
- Bill Pay
- Credit Transfers
- On-line Accounts
- Foreign Exchange
To work out loan repayments for the amount you would like to borrow use the loan calculator below or contact one of the Core Credit Union offices.


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Did you know ViSalus Body by Vi Shakes leads in healthy nutrition? There is less fat, salt and sugar in the Vi-Shape Shake Mix compared to other shake mixes used for weight loss, weight maintenance and as a meal replacement. And there are more vitamins and nutrients in the Vi-Shape Shake Mix. The best healthy breakfast shakes need to provide you with the vitamins and minerals you need and less of the fat, salt and sugar we do not need.
To help you make the best decision for a healthy breakfast shake, review the nutrition facts label found on the package. The proposed new recommendations for what to list on the new nutrition labels are based on the latest nutrition science and the connection of what we eat and our health. New nutrition labels in the future may require information on "added sugars" – the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that intake of added sugar is too high in the US population and should be reduced. Vi-Shape has less than 1 gram of sugar.
Other vitamin and nutrient information that may be required in the future for nutrition labels include added Vitamin D and potassium. These are nutrients that some in the US population are not getting enough of, which puts them at higher risk for chronic disease. Vitamin D is important for bone health and potassium is beneficial in lowering blood pressure.
As a nod to the proposed overhaul of the nutrition facts label on food packages, here are some of the vitamins and minerals and nutrients in your Vi-Shape Shake Mix – definitely something to feel good about! All the values below are based on a 2,000 calorie diet and one serving of the Body by Vi Shape Shake Mix (2 scoops of the protein powder):
- Vitamin D – 30% (for bone health)
- Potassium – 4% (for heart health)
- Vitamin A – 30% (for growth and repair of body tissues)
- Calcium – 30% (for building bones and teeth)
- Vitamin K – 30% (helps with blood clotting and bone health)
- Riboflavin (B2) – 30% (antioxidant)
- Vitamin B6 – 30% (helps with liver detoxification and brain health)
- Vitamin B12 – 30% (helps keep nerve and blood cells healthy)
- Vitamin C – 30% (antioxidant and helps with maintaining collagen)
- Pantothenic Acid (B5) – 30% (helps with fat metabolism)
- Iodine – 30% (for thyroid health)
- Zinc – 30% (helps with immune system)
- Copper – 30% (for blood antioxidants)
- Chromium – 30% (to help metabolize carbohydrates)
- Iron – 5% (helps get oxygen to all the cells in the body)
- Vitamin E – 30% (antioxidant and helps lower blood pressure)
- Thiamin (B1) – 30% (helps with nervous system support)
- Niacin (B3) – 30% (helps with energy metabolism and antioxidant)
- Phosphorus – 30% (helps with healthy nerves and efficient mental activity)
- Magnesium – 30% (helps with proper functioning of muscles)
- Selenium – 30% (helps with anti-aging)
- Manganese – 30% (antioxidant)
- Molybdenum – 30% (helps promote normal cell formation)
The Body by Vi Shake Mix nutrition label has always provided the information you need to make the right decision on the right healthy breakfast shake for you, whether your goal is weight loss, weight management or for a meal replacement shake. See the complete nutrition label for the Vi-Shape Mix.


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Corey Williams Changes Agents
In what can only be interpreted as the sign of a young player getting ready to get paid, defensive tackle Corey Williams apparently switched agents a few weeks ago, firing the only agent he's ever had, Jeff Courtney, to sign with mega-shop Impact Sports.
I can't say I blame the kid. As much as we want the Everyman agent to succeed, you can hardly blame Williams for dumping a guy who's employer, the Victory Sports Group, can't even keep an active website.
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text: Exclusive Design Half Silk Saree 0 Review(s) categories: Hot Deals, Saree Availablity: in stock SKU: S1506 Fabrics: Half silk. Fashionable & comfortable. Length (Measurement): 13.5 Hands. With matching un-stitch blouse piece. Color: As same as picture. ৳ 1,400.00 Quantity Add to cart Add to Wishlist Product added! Browse Wishlist The product is already in the wishlist! Browse Wishlist Compare Share Facebook Twitter Google Plus


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Encouraging and informing people to get ready for the coming ascension of Earth and its inhabitants to a higher dimension; and for the arrival of the Galactic beings from various star systems.
Monday, February 5, 2018
Zorra Special Call - February 3, 2018
Posted by Manuel Pineda at 4:35:00 AM
4 comments:
When come the RV / G.C.R. ? ? ?ReplyDeleteReplies
The RV GCR won't happen until after the event. The event is when this energy comes out from the center of the sun and hits planet Earth. The Galactics are the ones that spreads it to the surface of the planet, I think it will come in waves. It is a wave of positive energy and love. Once the event happens every single person on Earth will be awakened.ReplyDelete
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Not too long ago, building a website was a time consuming and tedious process. You always had multiple options of how to go about creating your online presence, but most were costly and required a level of expertise that most of us don't possess.
Those days, thankfully, are over.
With do-it-yourself simplicity and much lower price points, getting that website of yours up and running now comes down to which platform best serves the needs of you and your site.
There are plenty of providers to choose from, and most fall into one of two categories: self-hosted or a hosted website platform, with the latter service at times also described as an all in solution.
From the self-hosted side, the single most popular solution is WordPress. Even if you have only limited knowledge of websites, chances are you've heard of WordPress. Without question, it is the largest content management system in the world.
For an all-in-one solution, one of the top choices today is Squarespace. They've advertised enough, including a weird little Super Bowl spot starring Keanu Reeves, that there's a possibility you've heard of them too. Even if, at the time, you had no idea what services they provided.
Trying to compare these two vastly different platforms is not the most natural thing to do. It certainly is not apples to apples. As you'll see they provide two very different approaches to the same solution.
So why try and compare the two?
They may be different, but both offer powerful tools that can help you create an amazing website. It's worth taking a look at which approach may best serve your needs.
First though, let's define the primary distinction between WordPress and Squarespace and what that means for your initial setup with each provider.
WordPress Defined
Of all the means available to create a website, WordPress is the most popular and most widely known. There are two versions of WordPress:
WordPress.com – Hosted Version
This version is similar to an all in one option like Squarespace. There is a monthly fee to use their platform to host, build, and create your website. However, it's a very limited system as you still need to utilize (and pay) for third-party upgrades and tools to get the most from the service.
WordPress.org – Self Hosted
For this option, you seek out your own hosting, typically through a third party, and then download the WordPress software to your (or the hosting services) server.
With this choice, you get a full, open-source tool in which to create your site. This method is easily the most flexible, in terms of development, as you, a developer, or anyone else with coding knowledge can build out a website in almost any way they choose.
For our comparison, we will be referencing this version, the self-hosted WordPress.org, as it is the more common and widely used of the two WordPress choices.
Squarespace Defined
Squarespace is the number two all in one website building platform, in terms of market share. They are positioned behind the industry-leading Wix and ahead of entry-level Weebly. More so than almost any other provider, Squarespace is know for the visual appeal of their websites.
As a one-stop shop, Squarespace provides hosting, design, and administrative support which allows you to worry less about the technical side of having an online presence and focus on your website's content and promotion.
The Squarespace solution utilizes an anyone can do it drag and drop editing function, although it does have a steep learning curve than most other platforms. We'll get into this later on, but it is meant to attract novices and the non-technically inclined to build their own site.
In a similar vein to WordPress, Squarespace also allows a certain level of coding for those who are comfortable doing so.
With that basic understanding of what each platform is about let's start our comparison with pricing.
It's here you get your first indication of the decisions you'll need to make when choosing between these two options.
Squarespace pricing is very straightforward. In fact, of all the website building platforms and providers available, we believe that Squarespace has the easiest to understand price structure.
Four plans, each with a distinctive set of features, offer a clear choice of services depending on your needs. The tiers include:
- Personal: $12 per month; for simple personal or small company websites
- Business: $18 per month; aimed at small to medium size businesses; includes limited ecommerce functionality; customization available through CSS and JavaScript
- Basic Online Store: $26 per month; first of two online store options; unlimited product sales and direct checkout
- Advanced Online Store: $40 per month; second online store tier; offers abandoned cart recovery
Each option includes hosting and the opportunity to acquire a free domain, if necessary (you can bring your own domain if already purchased elsewhere). In addition, each tier gives you a standard set of features that include unlimited pages and bandwidth, mobile optimization, SSL security, and 24/7 customer support.
WordPress costs, on the other hand, are a bit more involved and far more difficult to pin down. By no means complicated, you do have to sort through a lot more detail when determining what to pay and what exactly those costs entail.
First, let's dispel a common myth, WordPress.org is not free. At least, not in the traditional sense. True, you don't have to pay anything to download the software, but there are several costs related to getting the most out of the platform. They initially include hosting and the purchase of a domain. This is purchased through a third party such as Bluehost, for example.
Using Bluehost, one of the most popular WordPress hosting services, as an example, you can anticipate your costs breaking down as follows (note that pricing is non-promotional):
- Basic: $7.99 per month shared hosting includes one website, one domain, and limited web space
- Plus: $10.99 per month shared hosting includes unlimited websites, one domain, and unmetered web space
- Prime: $14.99 per month shared hosting includes the Plus items as well as additional marketing extras
- Pro: $23.99 per month private hosting includes dedicated IP, SSL Certificate, and domain privacy
The Basic and Plus services also include the SSL Certificate, but in some cases, you may have to activate this protocol manually.
There are some additional services thrown in at each level, but the overall point is that for baseline hosting services, the first two Bluehost plans are far cheaper than anything Squarespace has to offer.
However, that's not the whole story with WordPress pricing.
To ensure an effective, professional website on WordPress, chances are you need to pay for additional services like a theme and apps for added functionality. Options for both items can be found and used at no cost, but to ultimately maximize your websites potential paid options become a necessity, and that can quickly drive your annual costs north of $500.
Overall, Squarespace pricing is what it is, and there's a lot to be said for that uniformity. Your yearly costs, based on the plan you choose will be either $144, $216, $312, or $480.
WordPress, on the other hand, requires you make some decisions. Could you, in theory, run your WordPress site for less than $100 per year? Yes. Could the need for additional functionality put your annual investment at more than $500 every 12 months? Absolutely.
Design, Ease of Use, and Functionality
If the pricing wasn't a clear indication that these two platforms have contrasting styles, then the nuts and bolts of each system certainly will be. Here we'll review a few of the critical elements that you'll have to use or need to be aware of when engaging with either platform.
Themes and Plugins
After your onboarding, the next step in the website build process is selecting a theme or template in which to create your site.
Both platforms have plenty of choice in this regard, with Squarespace offering close to 100 total options. All of these templates maintain optimization for mobile devices, are highly responsive, and above all else are designed incredibly well. If the look of your site is the most important factor to you, then Squarespace should be your top option.
WordPress, for its part, can provide you with literally hundreds upon hundreds of options, both free and premium. As open-source software, almost anyone can create and post a theme in the WordPress store, which results in a multitude of high-quality choices. It also means there will be some duds.
Additionally, WordPress offers a lot of increased functionality by way of plugins, which we briefly touched on in the price section. These are pieces of software that can either improve upon a current themes existing functions or add new ones.
Squarespace doesn't utilize a typical plugin ecosystem, for now, and added functionality can be only be inserted through the platforms limited coding interface.
Again, if a visually stunning theme is of vital importance, it's hard to overlook Squarespace's offerings. WordPress though gets our final nod here based on their volume and availability of plugins to make a template even more dynamic.
Ease of Use
When editing your theme, the disparity between the two platforms can be summed up as complete control (WordPress) versus completely controlled (Squarespace).
Squarespace, with its drag and drop WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editing interface, will be a far easier undertaking. Albeit a more rigid system than the open-source WordPress, you should be able to master the Squarespace editor more quickly, and get your website up and running faster.
You can manipulate a number of presets to customize your website, but you are bound by a specific templates functionally as far as which items can be configured and by how much. Even though the editor itself is a bit more challenging to master than other all in one providers, you'll have most of it figured out in a couple of hours.
With WordPress, the sky is the limit. Although to get there does take more than just dragging and dropping in your areas of content. Much of the editing takes place without the benefit of visual cues, which requires you preview your work separately before publishing.
It's not as confusing as it sounds, but it does take a short adjustment period to acclimate yourself.
Each platform works well, and regardless of the system, after a few hours, both are relatively simple to navigate through. That said, Squarespace is the easier editor in which to get accustomed to, and in turn, your site will be up sooner.
Coding and Flexibility
WordPress, by design is a developers dream. An open-source platform means that the coding is available to anyone to customize as they see fit and WordPress users take advantage of this every day.
For our price comparison, we used lower tiered costs to keep the evaluation on a reasonably even level. However, WordPress software can be used to develop websites that may cost $20,000 to $40,000 once completed. That, in a nutshell, reflects the power of the platform.
The massive ecosystem of themes and plugins simply cannot be matched. The ability to make a simple (or complex) coding fix should the need arise also distinguishes WordPress from all in one providers.
The upside to open source software is also its biggest drawback. With so many hands in the virtual cookie jar, not all themes and plugins offer the same level of quality. Since there is no central oversight, it is up to you ensure that any outside resource you pull into your project is reputable and supported in some way.
Squarespace has no such issue. Everything surrounding the all in one platform is vetted and tightly controlled to ensure a consistent level of quality across the board. Also, as we will touch on in a bit, there is guaranteed built-in support should you encounter problems with any aspect of the Squarespace service.
Beyond that, as an all in one solution, Squarespace is designed to be limited to make the website build process easier for you. (Almost) everything you'll need to complete that build is available, and there is very little guesswork involved in fleshing out your site.
Squarespace does offer some limited coding functionality, but it's better in fixing minor omissions or problems in a theme. In most cases, whatever coding adjustment you make will not be supported by Squarespace help. Which is fine. If you're preferential to an all in one provider, chances are you aren't going to concern yourself with coding anyway.
Ultimately, you cannot beat the sky's the limit possibilities that WordPress offers. Even with the pitfalls that come with not having 100% certainty about everything that goes into your sites, it's hard to look past building something to your exact specifications.
It all of that sounds like a giant headache, then Squarespace is certainly a viable alternative.
Along with how you interface and work within each platform there are several additional items that you'll want to understand before choosing between the two. These are particularly important with vital inclusions like SEO or platform support.
Both platforms offer highly workable solutions should your aim be an online store or another form of ecommerce.
Squarespace's store option comes with the platform and is available, in limited form, beginning with their Business plan. The robustness of their online store functions kicks in with the Basic and Advanced ecommerce options. Some of these include integrated accounting and advanced shipping tools. They also cover the necessary payment needs by accepting both Stripe and PayPal methods.
Although not as extensive as a dedicated all in one ecommerce provider like Shopify, Squarespace's option can serve both small-scale sellers and large volume retailers.
The WordPress method, like most of its other larger integrations, is serviced with a plugin. The are multiple options available, but the most popular is WooCommerce. In terms of quality, store options, and functionality, WooCommerce is on the level of Shopify, while at the same time providing the open source flexibility of WordPress.
We won't get into to everything that comes in the WooCommerce plugin since that could be an entirely separate article (or two). However, its safe to say that if you have a specific need for your ecommerce store, the WooCommerce plugin can provide it.
Again, this is about personal preference and your specific needs. Squarespace offers a reliable and perfectly capable platform on which to sell any good or service, physical or digital.
Though if your goal is to one day best Amazon at the retail game, WordPress' WooCommerce plugin is the better starting point.
There are plenty of misconceptions about SEO (search engine optimization). While the type of platform you build your website with can make a minor difference in your it showing up on Google, Yahoo, or Bing, there is no replacement for high quality, timely content.
Where your platform will help you is by providing tools and shortcuts to maximize your SEO reach. In short, Squarespace does this well. WordPress does it better.
Squarespace lets you edit custom URLs, title tags, and meta descriptions, which for the typical site developed on the platform is sufficient. They also add some Google-friendly functions like mobile optimization, clear HTML, and XML sitemaps.
WordPress has a much wider range of options. You still need to provide the editing, but you can directly edit the HTML language and also leverage the power of a plugin to get the most out of your SEO.
One of the more popular plugins is a free offering called Yoast SEO. With it installed, you get a far more advanced suite of options including image titles, XML sitemaps, and page analysis that checks off things you are and are not doing to optimize your SEO.
Depending on who hosts your WordPress site, your speed may also be better, which is another SEO plus.
On paper, WordPress is a close winner, but again, it's by virtue of the platforms overall flexibility and support from a plugin. If you're still looking for a more straightforward, less involved process, Squarespace fits the bill.
Long-Term Management
This may be one of the biggest differences between the two services, and potentially a make or break decision depending on your level of commitment.
You may be asking, commitment to what?
Consider for a minute the difference between renting an apartment and owning a home. With the apartment, your management company handles any maintenance concerns and the repairs made are done so at no cost to you. It's part of the monthly rental fee.
Home ownership, on the other hand, revolves around you addressing, and paying for, any ongoing upkeep. Broken a/c or fridge? That's on you. Leaky roof? Same story.
As flexible and open-ended as WordPress is, it is the house in this scenario. As such, you need to remain on top of a lot of little things to ensure it runs correctly and securely.
WordPress, like any other software, requires updating. When those updates are released, it's up to you to download them. This goes for your custom theme (if you're running one) and any plugins you might be using.
Of particular importance is how getting lax in the managing of your WordPress site can result in security problems or worse, your site being hacked or compromised.
Squarespace is the apartment. They address any and all updates or improvements made to the existing structure of the platform. Your only worry is about creating and marketing your website's content in the best way possible.
Much like renting versus owning, this part of the equation comes down to personal preference, which is why we consider this a draw.
There is a lot of convenience with someone else addressing mundane ongoing tasks. If you prefer to avoid handling those issues, Squarespace is a clear choice. However, if you don't mind, and in some cases even enjoy, the details of maintaining the backend of your website, WordPress affords you the flexibility and freedom to do so.
As with almost every single all in one provider, Squarespace's level of support is, in a word, excellent. Resources include email and 24/7 live chat support, an extensive online help page, and a vast repository of how to guides and instructional videos.
It's those last two items that help to reinforce that you are being supported by a larger group aimed at ensuring your investment with them is a success.
For the WordPress platform, good help can be hard to find. It's not a knock against the system itself, its that as an open-source there is no central group or support network to call upon directly.
There is a massive community forum that most users access to get their help (Squarespace also has forums but on a much smaller scale), but it can sometimes be a free for all. If you cannot find particular answers, Google is your next best option, followed by hiring a developer versed in WordPress to assist you. This obviously can cost you money depending on the extent of your needs.
As far as overall support goes, Squarespace takes this in a landslide.
Final Verdict: It's About What Works for You
As we noted in the beginning, WordPress and Squarespace provide two different methods for achieving the same goal, building the best website possible.
Neither platform is perfect, but both, even with some of the drawbacks mentioned, hit on key criteria to ensure you have a stylish, functional, and effective website.
So which one to choose?
If you were keeping count, the WordPress self-hosted option bests Squarespace by a final tally of six to five (including draws). Now, depending on what's important to you, a completely different score could have emerged. And therein lies your answer.
WordPress is a much more involved platform, but that does yield an endless amount of flexibility and control over the site you're building. This is particularly true if you have coding knowledge or plan to employ a developer to help build out your project.
Further, if your goals are open-ended without a clear finish line in sight, WordPress may better serve that need to break off in different directions and experiment with the various solutions the plugin ecosystem can provide.
Conversely, Squarespace, while a powerful tool in its own right, is better suited to those who are less interested in all the technical aspects of a site build and would rather work on the content and promotion of your brand.
This is the benefit to the all in one solution. Somebody else handles the details while you can take care of the front of the store. With Squarespace's focus on a dynamic design for each of its themes, we also see it as a better fit for those that prefer a lot of form to go with their function.
With both services, anyone can hop into the respective ecosystem and string together a decent looking site. But the final verdict of which platform is better will depend on you determining what your goals are and which service will best help you meet those objectives.
For our money, we do prefer Squarespace based on the simplicity and straightforwardness of their platform. Then again, our needs are simple and straightforward, so it fits well.
That though does highlight the equal standing of both WordPress and Squarespace. Both are excellent tools, and you cannot go wrong with either option.
You can only choose the one that is right for you.


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09 Dec Monterrey Mexico Succumbs to Drug Violence
Monterrey Mexico is not a city that would immediately come to mind when discussing the hot spots in Mexico's current drug war. As Mexico's most modern city and just under 150 miles from the US border, Monterrey sports gleaming skyscrapers, shopping malls, and world-renowned universities. In 2005, the city ranked as the safest city in Latin America. As a result of free trade agreements with neighboring countries, such as the United States, Monterrey experienced an influx of money and investment, especially in the manufacturing industry. Cemex, a world leader in cement, FEMSA, a beverage maker, and General Electric are a few of the major corporations that do business in Monterrey. In 2002, Monterrey hosted a UN conference on development; George Bush called it a "model" city.
Recently, however, Monterrey has suffered through intense drug violence the likes of which it has never experienced. For instance, a college student was recently killed by a bullet to his head during open gunfire at a popular downtown mall; other bystanders suffered serious injuries.
Because Monterrey is Mexico's wealthiest city, it was inevitable that the fighting would find its way there and into the lives of its four million residents. Two rival gangs, the Gulfs and Zetas, have laid claim to Monterrey and are openly warring with each other for control. Commentators observe that the fighting came to Monterrey almost without warning about four years ago, with inadequate law enforcement and drug lord corruption providing for easy access. About half of the police force have been fired due to links to the drug war. There has been an increase in civilian casualties, as well as an increase in killings of politicians and journalists. In response to the invasion at Monterrey, the government of Mexico has (belatedly) ordered an increase in military presence and federal police in the region.
Most residents of Monterrey now live in fear of being carjacked or caught in the crossfire of the two gangs, a far cry from the days when industrial leaders were able to freely move about the city in luxury vehicles to visit trendy and expensive restaurants and shops. In 2010, over five hundred people have been killed due to the drug trade, a ten-fold increase from 2009.
What started as collateral damage, however, has turned personal. In an effort to supplement proceeds of the drug trade, Monterrey's legitimate business community leaders have become targets of extortion and kidnapping schemes concocted by area drug lords. The head of the city's commerce, retail and tourism chamber estimates that over sixty percent of business owners received extortion threats in 2010. He also estimates that companies are spending as much as five percent of cash flow on security, which has benefited companies that sell alarms, locks and cameras.
The US Government has responded to the increase in violence in Monterrey by ordering all US diplomats to relocate their families from the area; a recent shooting outside the prestigious American Foundation School has rattled American parents. Citing security concerns, the Jonas brothers cancelled a concert in Monterrey this past October.
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+ Post New Thread
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Make IdeaSpaces Separate Configuration Documents
Sean Burgess6178 - 20 2012 / (0)
I would like to see the IdeaSpaces removed from the configuration document and managed using an IdeaSpace form. The form should have the following fields/attributes:
Get links in Activity Summary email to automatically log you in so you can vote straight away
Emily Graham321 - 28 2013 / (0)
I'd be 90% more likely to actually vote on an idea if the links from the IdeaJam Activity Summary actually logged me into the site. If I have to go and dig out my login details, most of the time I just don't bother.


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Karolina Nieduza, her daughter and her daughter's cousins created an offering in Devon.
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