text:
Program Description
Master in Economics and Business Administration - Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management (MSc)
The focus area of the profile is Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Students on this profile will have greater knowledge within the main subjects that are relevant for central aspects of Global Logistics, Supply Chain Management, and Operations Management. The profile in Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management comprises four constituent courses: Supply Chain Inventory and Production Planning, Supply Chain Links and Enterprise Resource Planning, Strategic Issues in Supply Chain Management and Management Accounting. These courses combine the strategic, the tactical and the operational aspects of supply chain management. Cost accounting and ERP outlines certain control and incentive problems both in relation to the individual partner in the chain and the total chain which are analyzed more closely in the 2nd-semester courses.
Furthermore, the student will gain knowledge about and skills in using tools and models designed to analyze, plan and optimize core areas of a firm. Strategic, tactical and operational aspects of Operations and Supply Chain Management are the main focus areas on this profile.
The teaching methods on the program vary and will consist of both lectures and teaching in smaller groups. Many students form study groups, either for the entire two-year program or maybe just for a single course.
The exams will be both oral and written exams according to the individual courses. An internship is often finished with some sort of report and the Master's thesis is a major written project that finishes up the entire degree.
In all sorts of reports and exams, it is important that you are able to argue and refer correctly to the source material. Otherwise, you may be accused of plagiarism.
The University of Southern Denmark Campus Odense is a modern university with great facilities both for lectures and leisure.
In 2012 a brand new student bar opened at the university and in the summertime, there are many outdoor facilities where you can socialize with your fellow students.
Career opportunities
The MSc program in Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Campus Odense gives you an excellent versatile foundation for future career opportunities. The courses offer a unique combination of theory and practice to ensure a solid theoretical basis and tools readily employable in your first job.
The competencies obtained during the studies in Odense can be used in curriculum development, ranging from becoming an individual business entrepreneur, working as a specialist in large multinational companies or as a consultant internationally.
Whether you want a career as self-employed or as a manager in public or private companies this degree will boost your future career. You can, for example, work in discovery and research of new ideas to planning, management, and realization of business concepts in Danish and international companies.
About the School
University of Southern Denmark has created an institution of higher research and education which provides first-class educational opportunities and is cooperation partner for both public and private b ... Read More


text:
XML Interview Questions and Answers
Ques 6. Describe the role that XSL can play when dynamically generating HTML pages from a relational database?
Ans. Even if candidates have never participated in a project involving this type of architecture, they should recognize it as one of the common uses of XML. Querying a database and then formatting the result set so that it can be validated as an XML document allows developers to translate the data into an HTML table using XSLT rules. Consequently, the format of the resulting HTML table can be modified without changing the database query or application code since the document rendering logic is isolated to the XSLT rules.
Is it helpful? Add Comment View Comments
Ques 7. What is SGML?Ans. SGML is the Standard Generalized Markup Language (ISO 8879:1986), the international standard for defining descriptions of the structure of different types of electronic document. There is an SGML FAQ from David Megginson at http://math.albany.edu:8800/hm/sgml/cts-faq.htmlFAQ; and Robin Cover's SGML Web pages are at http://www.oasis-open.org/cover/general.html. For a little light relief, try Joe English's ?Not the SGML FAQ? at http://www.flightlab.com/~joe/sgml/faq-not.txtFAQ.
SGML is very large, powerful, and complex. It has been in heavy industrial and commercial use for nearly two decades, and there is a significant body of expertise and software to go with it. XML is a lightweight cut-down version of SGML which keeps enough of its functionality to make it useful but removes all the optional features which made SGML too complex to program for in a Web environment.
Is it helpful? Add Comment View Comments
Ques 8. Aren't XML, SGML, and HTML all the same thing?Ans. Not quite; SGML is the mother tongue, and has been used for describing thousands of different document types in many fields of human activity, from transcriptions of ancient Irish manuscripts to the technical documentation for stealth bombers, and from patients' clinical records to musical notation. SGML is very large and complex, however, and probably overkill for most common office desktop applications.
XML is an abbreviated version of SGML, to make it easier to use over the Web, easier for you to define your own document types, and easier for programmers to write programs to handle them. It omits all the complex and less-used options of SGML in return for the benefits of being easier to write applications for, easier to understand, and more suited to delivery and interoperability over the Web. But it is still SGML, and XML files may still be processed in the same way as any other SGML file (see the question on XML software). HTML is just one of many SGML or XML applications?the one most frequently used on the Web. Technical readers may find it more useful to think of XML as being SGML-- rather than HTML++.
Is it helpful? Add Comment View Comments
Ques 9. Who is responsible for XML?Ans. XML is a project of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), and the development of the specification is supervised by an XML Working Group. A Special Interest Group of co-opted contributors and experts from various fields contributed comments and reviews by email.
XML is a public format: it is not a proprietary development of any company, although the membership of the WG and the SIG represented companies as well as research and academic institutions. The v1.0 specification was accepted by the W3C as a Recommendation on Feb 10, 1998.
Is it helpful? Add Comment View Comments
Ques 10. Why is XML such an important development?Ans. It removes two constraints which were holding back Web developments:
1. dependence on a single, inflexible document type (HTML) which was being much abused for tasks it was never designed for;
2. the complexity of full question A.4, SGML, whose syntax allows many powerful but hard-to-program options.
XML allows the flexible development of user-defined document types. It provides a robust, non-proprietary, persistent, and verifiable file format for the storage and transmission of text and data both on and off the Web; and it removes the more complex options of SGML, making it easier to program for.
Is it helpful? Add Comment View Comments
Most helpful rated by users:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
DesignBoom brushes up on its Swedish for a look at Salongen 35, a cluster of super-cute — and super-efficient — PassiveHaus apartments in Malmö. The recently completed project is the work of Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture.
Co.Design remembers recently departed Dick Clark by touring his completely bonkers Malibu cave home. Highlights of the one-bedroom Flinstonian abode — on the market for $3.5 million — include "rough-hewn chairs with rawhide-style seat backs around a table that looks like an ice floe and kitchen fixtures that may or may not have been carved from a huge slab of sedimentary rock."
Natural Home & Garden takes an extensive tour of Matt and Kelley Grocoff's cutting-edge net-zero energy home in Ann Arbor, Mich., which was built — wait for it — in 1901. Click here for my look at this remarkable project from a couple years back.
The New York Times explores (somewhat misleadingly so) what happens when going the prefab route to save cash winds up breaking the bank. After their minimalist glass and galvanized steel prefab home (a kit home, really) in the Catskills wound up costing $100,000 more than anticipated, Zoe Bissell and Bryan Buryk resorted to borrowing money from friends and family, doing much of the construction work themselves, and forgoing things like flooring, landscaping ... and a shower. "We would never have built this house if a competent general contractor told us from the start that it would cost so much. But because we were determined to make it work, we managed to finish a house we normally could never afford to live in," says Bissell.
The Wall Street Journal prepares to put a bird on it for a visit to the Brooklyn headquarters of online handicraft marketplace, Etsy. The mission? To learn more about the website's Marketplace Integrity and Trust & Safety teams (AKA the "Craft Cops.") Comprised of about 16 eagle-eyed Etsy employees, the teams "spend their days scouring Etsy's site to uphold its rules: No factory-made goods, items that violate copyright, or offensive material. They shut down sellers' shops that break its rules." And now I have the "Cops" theme song as sung by Zooey Deschanel stuck in my head, thank you very much.
Jetson Green admires 20 Senlac Road, Toronto. Developed in partnership with Nexterra Green Homes, the Ray Kappe-designed, LEED Platinum-seeking abode is Santa Monica-based prefab powerhouse LivingHomes' first Canadian residence and is just one of four homes that will make up a new LivingHomes eco-enclave.
Dwell ascends a mighty British Columbian hemlock tree for a peek at former software engineer Joel Allen's egg-shaped treehouse that's built, in part, from $10,000 worth of materials procured from Craigslist. Remarks Allen of the building process behind his Whistler, B.C., hideaway: "People thought I had gone a little bit mad. I was compulsively refreshing Craigslist every two minutes waiting for that next item to come up and grab it before anyone else." Yep, that would do it.
SmartPlanet chitchats with Windowfarms founder Britta Riley about crowdsourcing, hydroponic gardening, and the fine art of the R&DIY (research and develop-it-yourself) business model.
Architectural Digest frolics in the lush, Brian Sawyer-designed backyard garden of Sarah Palin-channeling West Village resident Julianne Moore. Says the actress of her initial stabs at DIY garden design: "I had several goes at the garden, and it was just a disaster. It looked like a dog run. Tragic. Everything kept dying." So I guess there's one thing that Moore isn't brilliant at.
Earth911 breaks out the spider plants and patchouli for a particularly groovy Earth Day timewarp back to 1970, the event's inaugural year. Special content focuses on how things have changed, mostly for the better, over the past 42 years in the water, waste, energy, and air departments.
Core77 check in with the savvy scavengers of Build it Green! NYC, an organization that "relies on a network of volunteers to scour and sort the various things thrown away by NYC that still have plenty of life left in them. In addition to retrieving materials from buildings about to be demolished or renovated, they also take materials from surplus donors, regular Joes and even movie shoots, which explains how they've amassed a 75-ton collection of useable stuff."


text:
Passion and ingenuity make YMCA at One KX London's most exciting space for the mind, body and spirit. This brand new centre is a hub for teacher training and public classes housing one of the best-equipped Pilates studios in the Capital. We are the UK's only STOTT PILATES® Licensed Training Centre (LTC). Why not train here or hire our facilities.
We have one of the best equipped studios in London for yoga and Pilates. All of our studio spaces provide a relaxed and comfortable setting for you to fully enjoy one of our Pilates, yoga and meditation classes. Spaces are used to deliver classes and private sessions as well as instructor training and workshops. Our classes are taken by some of the finest instructors in the UK. So, embrace this truly inspirational environment and enjoy world-class instruction in our stunning, welcoming venue.
Room hire
Our selection of well-equipped and easy to reach rooms and studios are available for hire throughout the week as well as weekends. The spaces can be used separately or in a variety of combinations to suit a wide range of events. Set conveniently in the Kings Cross area of London, One KX has meeting rooms, a semi-sprung floor dance rehearsal space and business suite. You'll find all rooms are beautifully maintained and make the ideal location for business meetings, workshops, conferences, castings and rehearsals.


text:
|view of the interior of the built in bra in the Chaturanga
I tried on the Chaturanga tank tonight and was very tempted to get it. The only things that held me back were that I haven't been doing much besides running lately so I wouldn't get too much wear out of it and the fact that I splurged on the Power Class tee Monday night. I thought the support on the Chaturanga was fantastic. I jogged a little in the store and it almost felt like I could run in it but I don't want to punish my girls like that. All four of the straps are reinforced with a strip of elastic inside them (similar to the Push UR Limit tank) so they aren't super stretchy like a luxtreme-only strap would be. The bra portion fit on the snug side but I liked how supportive it felt. Hmm, I just read that the bra is kind of like a deep V on the inside (see the second photo). No wonder it felt so supportive. The jacquard mesh back felt cool and I always am a sucker for luxtreme tanks anyway. The tummy portion was not too tight. All in all, a great tank and one you should consider if you'd like more support.
I also tried on the Power Class tee. I wanted to make sure I ordered the right size and color. I sized down on it and it was the right call. I ordered the Fossil but I also tried on the Concord Grape. I definitely prefer the Fossil for me. I also tried on a size eight, two sizes down, since the top part is so big, but it fit much too tight at the bottom and made the top drape oddly. I need to play with it once it gets here - I want to see how my Energy and Free to Be bras look underneath but based on how it looked in the store it's a keeper. I think it will make a great coverup for after the gym or a good top to wear on hot summer days.
I also tried on the Dune Studio pant. These are lined. I really liked the color but I think I would prefer them in a crop for my climate.
Finally, I wore my Flash Swiftly headband to run in at the gym today (finally hit the elusive 5K distance!) and it bled all over my face. I did not wash it ahead of time but I was kind of surprised it bled since my Paris Swiftly tank (which I also wore today with no problems) hasn't bled. I thought the Swiftly fabric wasn't an issue in the bright colors but it looks like Flash might be. Just wanted to warn you.


text:
Austria is third-richest EU country
According to preliminary estimates from the EU statistics office Eurostat , in 2015 gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in purchasing power standards (PPS) ranged from 47% to 264% of the EU average (100%).
With a value of 128% each, Austria and the Netherlands have the highest GDP per capita of all EU member states except Luxembourg (264%) and Ireland (177%) sharing therefore third place. It is followed by Denmark (127%) as well as Germany and Sweden with 124% each. Other countries which were above the EU average were Belgium (119%), Finland (109%), the United Kingdom (108%) and France (106%).
GDP per capita was slightly below the EU average in Italy (96%) and Spain (90%). The two countries with the lowest GDP per head in terms of the EU average were once again Romania (57%) and Bulgaria (47%).
Norway (160%) and Switzerland (162%) were the only countries outside the EU with higher GDP per capita than Austria.


text:
Social media reacts hilariously, thoughtfully to college admissions scandal
The college admissions fraud scandal, which led to charges against more than 30 parents accused of cheating their children into elite universities, sparked a rare moment on social media Tuesday: thoughtful analysis and self-contemplation.
Many Twitter personalities wrote that they didn't need a "fancy" college degree to succeed in life; others acknowledged the immense privilege that enabled them a spot at a top school.
"The whole system of college admissions is broken," wrote Laurens Gunnarsen, one of many people tweeting about the inequity of the college admissions process.
ALSO: How were students in admissions scandal able to cheat on SAT so easily?
"Even after decision-makers have imposed (unreasonably) stringent threshold SAT and GPA requirements," he continued, "they're left with many thousands of applicants they cannot distinguish objectively."
Actress Zoe Kazan issued a "casual reminder," raising the issue that "lots of upper middle class parents (perfectly legally) improve their kids' SAT scores by paying tutors to teach them to game the system."
"Mine did," she added.
Soul-searching aside, the scandal also inspired — you guessed it — hilarious memes, generally featuring actors Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, who were indicted Tuesday for their participation in the corrupt scheme.
ALSO: Tweets by Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin take on new meaning after scandal
One tweet features the opening sequence of "Full House" — Loughlin appeared on the show as the aunt character, Rebecca, between 1988 and 1995 — with the text, "If you squint, you can see Alcatraz."
Another clever meme-maker created a March Madness-style bracket to determine who will play Felicity Huffman in the "College Cheating Film."
Some jokes were more self-directed. Wrote journalist Ben Dreyfuss, the son of actor Richard Dreyfuss, "I got into college the old fashioned way: by letting my father's celebrity speak for itself."
You can see more memes and reactions in the above gallery.
Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news.


text:
What will I be reading? Not sure yet, but I do have 3-4 must-read contemporary collections in mind for this challenge. You'll just have to wait and see what else I come with as time goes on.
1. The Wrong Miracle by Liz Gallagher
2. The Guilt Gene by Diana Raab
3. Your Ten Favorite Words by Reb Livingston, which will be the book club selection for my stint on Linus's Blanket's That's How I Blog! on Tuesday, April 13, 2010. I hope you will join us.
4. Questions of Fire by Gregg Mosson
Consider joining in the fun, expanding your poetry reading horizons!
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title links or images will bring you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary.


text:
Hey guys, so recently I brought a shit ton of stuff from Lime Crime. Why? Because I love the stuff they sell and it was finally time for me to buy some Velvetines. I've heard so much about them but I was a little shy to spend £13 + £8 postage on something that wasn't going to be very good. So here is what I thought!
Except for Riot, these are the shades I brought! Red Velvet, Fetish, Pumpkin, Wicked ( and Polly but I forgot to photograph it as it had already been put in my bag!) So I'm just going to write a little about the application and what I think about the shade itself.
Red Velvet is a shade that I brought because my best friend brought it too, its a lighter red, but a very strong toned colour. A little bit like MAC RED. For application it was one of the easier ones to apply. A massive warning though if this stuff dries on your skin.. it is very very hard to get off.
Wicked is a deeper red, very very dark and for application... well lets say after three times I gave up on the first day. The colour applies very unevenly and if you get this on your skin you'll be stuck with a rose light red patch for the rest of the day. After my first few tries I did get a little better with these, but the pigment is so bright and dark that it is so hard to remove if you miss apply. But once on your lips it looks stunning and I found that only very milky coffee and very oily foods removed it from your lips!
Pumpkin which on the website was described as a "Brick Red" is a stunning colour. Its between an orange and red and is very much like MAC Brick ( if you have this shade you will understand) It's beautiful and easily the best for application, the mixture seemed to apply so much better and dried a lot quicker on the lips than the other, maybe within 20 seconds or so and was a lit easier to get off skin. ( I 100% recommend it)
Fetish (alongside Polly) were the first of the valentines collection to be released. Fetish which is a very dark purple. I love this shade, it applies very well and a lot better than any other shade of purple I have including Instigator by mac ( this is the only purple I can't think of that is similar to this). The only think with application is getting this off your skin/ face if your a little messy with it, it is almost impossible to wipe off. The pigment within the shade is so strong that I struggled to get it off but I'm very happy with it apart from this.
I'm really happy with all of this haul from LimeCrime, I am so happy with the quality. I brought a couple of Polly and Fetish as they are Limited Edition so I ended up spending well over $100. I was very worried about how they would apply etc being a completely lip stain newbie, but it worked out well and I would suggest this to anyone who wants try lip stains or Lime Crime for the first time!
I will be adding a post as a little comparison to the mac shades, as I have almost all of the matching MAC Shades to this as I think it would be really fun. But let me know what you think and thank you for reading!


text:
Back in October our Cliveden Spa project was featured in "Laps of luxury: 17 jaw-dropping pools around the world".
The stunning refurbished swimming pool is the only historically listed swimming pool in the country. The spa includes a gym, indoor heated pool, infrared sauna, aromatherapy steam room, indoor Jacuzzi, outdoor hot tubs, seven treatment rooms, and a manicure, pedicure and hair-dressing studio.
This isn't the first time Cliveden Spa has been featured in the press, read more here.


text:
After our jaunt through a black ash swamp, the North Woods Native Plant Society group moved down the road a little ways to walk out into a bog – a very wet, squishy walk. You all know how I love bogs. Here's a sample of what we saw.
Totally, totally worth getting my boots and socks soaked through!


text:
Kardashian Vibes.
After years of having this coat in my closet, I was finally able to wear it! I love duster coats, they just look so nice! In Miami you will low key suffocate with it but I was finally able to wear a few that I had for my New York trip.
This look gave me strong Kardashian vibes, I was definitely digging it. It's super simple to put together and perfect for a day out or night out. The jeans are from Free People, the body suit is from Fashion Nova I think. The duster coat is from Boohoo and the boots are from Gojane.
P.S. The pictures weren't so great because it was one of the coldest days, the sun was coming down and Sophy (the homie taking the picture) was literally about to freeze to death lol.


text:
Game analysis and system construction for socialization of employment service system of college students From view of multi-objective decisionAuthor(s): Duan Min, Lv Yongbo
The socialized service system for employment of college students is one key support to maintain the rights and interests of college students and promote employment. The governmental and university's employment service organizations of college students and socialized employment agents of college students have different targets. They will directly game with each other. The game results are the key for implementation of the multiobjective utility. This paper analyzes the game balance and proposes to construct the socialized employment service system of college students by deepening the socialization philosophy of the employment service system of college students, scientific orientation of the governments, further mining of social resources, and establishment of socialized network of the service system.


text:
Avail. November 15, 2010
It seems no one knew what to expect when Josh Groban teamed with super-producer Rick Rubin for the singer's fifth album, Illuminations – least of all Groban and Rubin. Fittingly, the results both defy and exceed any possible expectations as each of the collaborators stepped out of his zone and together they created an entirely new zone, one where folk meets classical, where art meets intimacy, where immediacy meets timelessness and where, most importantly, Groban was free to express himself more fully, more truly than ever before.
"These are my stories," says Groban, who co-wrote 11 of the 13 songs on the collection, complemented by personalized if surprising selections written by Nick Cave and the poignant mother-son collaboration by Kate McGarrigle and Rufus Wainwright. "Every one of these songs, someone's going to know it's about them. I'm going to get a text message about every one! This is a very personal record."
Groban teamed with singer-songwriter Dan Wilson (former leader of the band Semisonic and co-writer of several pieces on the Dixie Chicks' Not Ready to Make Nice including the 2007 Grammy song of the year title track) on most of the songs. Most of the recordings were done live in a casual setting with Groban playing piano and singing alongside acoustic guitarists Matt Sweeney and Smokey Hormel and, on some songs, iconic organist Spooner Oldham. From those sessions, orchestrations were crafted by David Campbell for nine songs and James Newton-Howard for two, while Brazilian great Carlinhos Brown created the dynamic setting for "Voce Existe Em Mim (You Exist In Me)" in his Bahia home, including the power of an all-girl drum corps – the only drums on the album.
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Band Members:
The 29-year-old Los Angeles native, Josh Groban, first broke through in 2001 with his self-titled 5x-platinum debut, followed by 2003's 5x-platinum Closer and 2006's double-platinum Awake. In 2007, Groban became the best-selling recording artist of the year thanks to sales of Awake and his blockbuster 5x-platinum Christmas album, Noël, which spent five consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. He has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide.


text:
Humidifier Maintenance Tips and Operating Cost
As we have already known that a humidifier is an equipment which increases moisture in a room or the whole building. When the weather is too hot such as in desert, or when the temperature drops too low since low, what we can do to prevent our bodies from severe diseases? How can we save our furniture from being ruined, cracked, especially things made by wood? The answer is buying a humidifier, which will solve your problems immediately. Indeed, the number of people buying humidifier is more and more rising.
The fact that many people now are using humidifier makes it become a familiar appliance with most of us. However, do we have a right look on how to protect it properly? Maintaining humidifiers correctly is very essential if you do not want your helpful device become a disaster because it is an ideal refuge for bacteria, germs, mold and so on. More seriously, an improper-maintenance humidifier results in severe consequences. It affects not only sick people who suffer from asthma and allergies but also healthy people as it brings in lung-infection and flu-like symptoms. In this text, I will recommend you guys a few tips to protect your moisturizing device. Hope you will find it useful!
Humidifier Maintenance Tips
Firstly, remember to clean your humidifier thoroughly at least once a week. The best option is using natural white vinegar, which doubles the ability of disinfectant and deodorizer. Empty your appliance, fill it with a mix of water and white vinegar in 4:1 ratio, keep it in about half an hour, then rinse. It's very simple and easy to do, right?
Secondly, build up a routine of changing water in your humidifier daily. The best way is that you don't have to change water regularly but it should be the distilled or de-mineralized one because it makes your humidifier less likely to expel white mineral dust into the indoor air, which means decrease the possibility that dust invade your lungs.
Thirdly, we need to consider about replacement parts. For example, one use UV germicidal light or a special germ-reducing insert. To do that, find out carefully about the unique features of your device and be familiar with them. Moreover, it's a good idea to have your replacement parts on hand, so you can change your unit immediately instead of being busy with finding things.
Last but not least, the storage part is also important as when the humidifying season is over, if you do not keep your device in a good condition, you will ruin all the process of maintaining humidifiers. Make sure that before putting it away, you have already cleaned and dried your unit completely. Do not forget doing again before using it when the season is coming. It's necessary too.
Operating Cost
Another issue that I want to mention in this text is the operating cost of a humidifier. Humidifiers are an essential part of our daily life, and we use them throughout the whole season on account of its benefits. So, how much will it cost to run a humidifier in each house? Does it use a lot of energy? Many questions like that will be concerned, I bet.
Generally, humidifiers of all types use as little energy as possible, except those with heating elements which consume more power than other types. The cost of humidifiers depends on capacity: the higher capacity, the more money you pay. Below are some examples that I want to give you to have a comparison:
|Power rating
|Per hour
|Per day
|Per week
|£0.020.10 kWh
|£0.181.20 kWh
|£1.288.40 kWh
|£0.040.25 kWh
|£0.463.00 kWh
|£3.1921.00 kWh
|£0.080.50 kWh
|£0.916.00 kWh
|£6.3842.00 kWh
|£0.110.75 kWh
|£1.379.00 kWh
|£9.5863.00 kWh
|£0.151.00 kWh
|£1.8212.00 kWh
|£12.7784.00 kWh
|£0.231.50 kWh
|£2.7418.00 kWh
|£19.15126.0 kWh
For most people, a room with humidifier will add few dollars per month to your power bill. Apart from paying bill for energy, you should pay attention to the cost of replacement parts, such as UV light bulbs and so on. One way to save your money if you want to buy a new humidifier is that purchasing several replacement parts with the initial order, at least enough for you to survive in the whole season.
Being well-knowledge of appliance in your daily life is very useful. We not only know how to take full advantages of that thing but also can save money from not destroying our device because of the lack of information. I hope my piece of paper will give you an overall look of a familiar appliance, humidifier. Thank you!


text:
I'm home alone today working (as usual) with no real plans to spend money or go anywhere, but in the back of my mind I'm thinking "Hmmmmm... Chinese food sounds good."
I'm trying to justify it by telling myself:
1. I've not been feeling well (thanks to the virus BA sent me)and Chinese would make me feel better.
2. It's the end of a long week that saw The Midge head off to 2nd grade and she loves Chinese food so it would be a nice treat for her.
3. The Midge is having hot dogs for lunch at school and our dinner plans tonight called for grilled burgers and dogs, so this way she'd get to eat something different for dinner -- plus something healthier.
On the other hand, the rational, smart, thrifty side of me is saying I should stay home, grill the burgers and tofu instead of hot dogs, and thus have a no-spend/no-drive day.
Someone STOP THE MADNESS please....
Someone, please talk me off the ledge....
I'm home alone today working (as usual) with no real plans to spend money or go anywhere, but in the back of my mind I'm thinking "Hmmmmm... Chinese food sounds good."
11 Responses to "Someone, please talk me off the ledge...."
August 22nd, 2008 at 05:42 pm 1219426941Is it in your budget? If you don't have it in your budget, SOL.
You creat the budget, but after it is made, it rules you.
Ima saver
August 22nd, 2008 at 05:47 pm 1219427236Hamburgers sound soooooooooooo good!!
Broken Arrow
August 22nd, 2008 at 05:50 pm 1219427405I didn't mean it! *sniff cough*
compulsive debtor
August 22nd, 2008 at 05:56 pm 1219427770It's kind of in the budget, Merch. Like next week's budget.... This is so why I shouldn't go, right? I should stay home, eat my grilled burger and feed the kid her grilled tofu. Go to bed early and hopefully get rid of this headache/hack/sore throat I've been sporting all week. Why, oh, why did I have to think "Chinese!"
August 22nd, 2008 at 06:00 pm 1219428040If you can cook it you can have it.
August 22nd, 2008 at 06:48 pm 1219430897Kinda on the budget? It is either is or is not.
On the plus side, you have something to look forward to next week.
August 22nd, 2008 at 09:34 pm 1219440897
Next year, plan for it. My DKs were all off to school on Wed (1/2 day) and while we had a special dinner at home (DH grilled steaks and corn-on-the-cob, sparkling apple juice, plus grapes and cheese/crackers for the picky eaters) we did splurge and get shakes from Steak 'N Shake (with some free coupons from the library's summer reading program and a $1 off from the Sunday Paper) OOP: $4.00
But Chinese does sound good though!
compulsive debtor
August 22nd, 2008 at 09:37 pm 1219441060OK, you guys won. I'm staying home. (I might haul The Midge to the swimming pool for a quick dip -- for her, not me. But definitely not going for Chinese....)
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:00 pm 1219442443you could really dress up those burgers so they seem llike "something special." Mmmm, raw onion, lettuce, pickle, ketchup.... Life's simple pleasures are the best.
August 23rd, 2008 at 02:14 am 1219457652Congrats on staying home... my weakness is the cheap Chinese buffets. And the worst part is, the food I like to go there for isn't really even Chinese! (Potato Skins with Cheese?!)
August 23rd, 2008 at 02:53 am 1219460032Think MSG. Maybe the Chinese food will make you feel better, maybe it won't. Defer it...maybe tomorrow, maybe next day.


text:
The primary question of fact Barton addresses is Jefferson's faith. He says Jefferson was unorthodox in the last 15 years of his life. Jefferson was unorthodox as an older man but he began his skepticism of the Trinity before 1788 (he died in 1826), if we can believe his letter to J. P. Derieux — a letter that Barton does not cite in The Jefferson Lies.
I'm a libertarian lawyer and college professor. I blog on religion, history, constitutional law, government policy, philosophy, sexuality, and the American Founding. Everything is fair game though. Over the years, I've been involved in numerous group blogs that come and go. This blog archives almost everything I write. Email your questions or comments to email@example.com
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Throckmorton on Barton's Response
Warren Throckmorton has a new response to Barton's recent attack on his critics. I agree with Throckmorton that Barton misrepresents when Jefferson became heterodox. As Dr. Throckmorton writes:
Posted by Jonathan Rowe at 9:51 AM No comments:
Whatever Happened to Hell? . . . A Response
By George W. Sarris here. This post could have been written by me. It wasn't; but I do take credit, however, for helping to spread the Benjamin Rush quotation in the post all over the Internet.
Posted by Jonathan Rowe at 9:22 AM No comments:
Friday, July 27, 2012
The Blaze Series on David Barton
The Blaze is associated with Glenn Beck who has associated himself with David Barton. So we are dealing with something that is trying to rehabilitate Barton's reputation. Here is part 1 which explores the criticisms. And here is part 2 where Barton goes on the attack.
Posted by Jonathan Rowe at 8:26 AM No comments:
Monday, July 23, 2012
Elhanan Winchester on the Universal Reconciliation
Elhanan Winchester was specifically mentioned by Benjamin Rush as key in his conversion to theological universalism. The following is the text -- The Universal Restoration -- which makes what EW saw as the biblical case for the notion that all men will eventually be saved.
Posted by Jonathan Rowe at 5:50 PM No comments:
Friday, July 20, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
David Barton: Logical Fallacy Machine
From Ed Brayton here.
Posted by Jonathan Rowe at 8:43 AM No comments:
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
What is the Least Credible History Book in Print?
From HNN. Find out here.
Posted by Jonathan Rowe at 5:04 PM No comments:
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Thomas Kidd on CSPAN
Posted by Jonathan Rowe at 8:32 PM No comments:
David Barton Finally Answers his Critics – by Attacking Them
By Hrafnkell Haraldsson here.
Posted by Jonathan Rowe at 10:53 AM No comments:
Friday, July 13, 2012
Fea on Barton Responding to Critics
Posted by Jonathan Rowe at 9:33 PM No comments:
Throckmorton Responds to Barton
Posted by Jonathan Rowe at 9:29 PM No comments:
David Barton Responds to Critics
Posted by Jonathan Rowe at 9:26 PM No comments:
Fea and Throckmorton on Newcombe's show
Jerry Newcombe is a Christian Nationalist. He does get credit for having John Fea and Warren Throckmorton on his show, however.
Posted by Jonathan Rowe at 9:20 PM No comments:
More on John Barry's Roger Williams
Posted by Jonathan Rowe at 9:01 PM No comments:
Monday, July 02, 2012
A Must Listen: Should Christians Have Fought in the US War of Independence?
Here. I witnessed "the panel" that Dr. Gill refers to because I was on it. I was one of the "yes" votes; I'd pick up arms and fight against the British, but since I am not a Christian (at least not in the "orthodox" sense; I am a baptized Catholic) I don't have Romans 13 on my conscience. I am kind of like Jefferson; since I don't believe St. Paul wrote divine revelation with the Holy Spirit -- 3rd Person in the Trinity He -- guiding Paul's pen, it wouldn't be an issue for me. Though I wouldn't go so far as Jefferson did and term Paul's writings "corruption"; I have more respect for St. Paul than Jefferson did.
Posted by Jonathan Rowe at 11:46 AM No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Our Services
Vetlife Oamaru is a "Best Practice" clinic. We offer a wide range of services for both companion and large animals. The Vetlife building is purpose built and has a range of fantastic features including: a huge reception/waiting area/shop, heated kennels, two surgeries with positive pressure ventilation, two consult rooms, X-ray room and laboratory. The small animal clinic is well equipped with an array of medical and surgical facilities and our experienced small animal vet is able to offer your pet the best care around. The clinic provides in house blood analysis, great X-ray facilities, ultrasound, full dentistry services, fluid therapy, advanced anaesthetic monitoring equipment, and orthopaedic equipment. We also offer a range of other services to make owning a pet a rewarding and enjoyable experience including puppy pre school and a weight loss management programme. Our large animal team offers a wide range of new and novel gizmos and ideas, as well as the usual procedures large animal vets are well known for. Some new and innovative things we offer farmers include: aged pregnancy testing with minder mobile, a heifer weighing programme, healthy hoof, and a teat sealing service. We pride ourselves in our one on one service whereby clients are allocated their own vet. We feel this provides the client and the animals with the best possible care.
281 Thames Street,
Oamaru 9400.
Phone: (03) 433 0411
Fax: (03) 434 8059
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday: 8.00am – 5.30pm
Saturday: 9.00am – 12.00 Midday
After Hours Emergency:
(03) 433 0411
We accept these members as 20th of the month accounts:
We accept these credit cards:


text:
Purchase this article with an account.
Vijaya Juturu, Fatih Akdemir, Cemal Orhan, Mehmet Tuzcu, Nurhan Sahin, Ismet Yilmaz, Kazim Sahin; Lutein and Zeaxanthin isomers (L/Zi) Modulate Photo-Oxidative Retinal Damage in an Animal Model. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2017;58(8):240. doi: https://doi.org/.
Download citation file:
© ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)
Purpose :
Lutein and Zeaxanthin isomers (L/Zi) able to protect against photoreceptor cell degeneration and neutralize free radicals produced by oxidative stress. We tested this hypothesis to determine the effects of L/Zi in ocular tissues and plasma of rats exposed to dark and intense light.
Methods :
Male Wistar rats (age: 8 weeks, weight: 180 ± 20 g) were housed in a controlled environment with a 12:12-h light-dark cycle at 22°C and provided with rat chow and water ad libitum. All experiments were conducted under the National Institutes of Health's Guidelines for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Inonu University. Rats were randomly divided into treatment groups (with and without L/Zi supplementation) and exposed to intense light (LED, light [L] and dark [D] adaptation). Group I rats exposed to 12 h L and 12 h D (+/- 100 mg L/Zi/kg BW); Group II to 16 h L and 8 h (+/- 100 mg L/Zi/kg BW) and Group II exposed to 24 h L (+/- 100 mg L/Zi/kg BW) for 60 days. Vision and brain health markers such as Rhodopsin (Rho) Rod arrestin (Sag), G Protein Subunit Alpha Transducin 1 (Gnat1), nuclear factor-kappa B (NFkB), neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), growth-associated protein-43 (GAP43) , glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP), nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) and Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) were analyzed. Oxidative stress and anti -inflammatory markers were also analyzed. The data were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS (SAS Institute: SAS User's Guide). The treatments were compared using ANOVA and student's unpaired t test; P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results :
Increased NFkB and GFAP and decreased Rho, Rod arrestin (Sag), Gnat1 , NCAM, GAP43 , Nrf2 and HO-1 observed in 24 h light intensity adaptation followed by 16h IL and 8 h DA. L/Zi administration significantly alleviated oxidative stress (NFkB and GFAP) and improved antioxidant capacity gene proteins (Rho, Rod arrestin (Sag), Gnat1, NCAM, GAP43, Nrf2 and HO-1) in retinal tissues. SOD and GSH-Px improved with L/Zi. No gross lesions, no mortality and no adverse events were observed.
Conclusions :
These observations suggest that L/Zi may be considered as an adjunct therapy to prevent photoreceptor cell degeneration and neutralize free radicals produced by oxidative stress and visual health.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.
This PDF is available to Subscribers Only


text:
Lyon: France's Best Kept Secret (V).
By ARA.
Adventure Gear
Cosmic Cat - A cosmic, free game
Free American Roulette
Free European Roulette
3 Card Poker Gold, Free
Free Blackjack
Green Energy
Free games
Sports info and betting
Independent funding for a free lifestyle
|Attractions include:
* Many art galleries including the Museum of Contemporary Art, located at the heart of the Cité Internationale and designed by the architect Renzo Piano
* The Museum of Gallo-Roman Civilization (the leading French archaeological collection)
* The Palais Saint-Pierre, the biggest French Fine Arts museum after the Louvre
* The Institut Lumière, located in the Auguste and Louis Lumière town mansion, which retraces the history of the invention of the cinema.
Lyon is also an attractive destination for music fans. One can attend all kinds of musical performances here including ancient, classical, contemporary and world music. Lyon is also known for dance, theater, and the theater-café venues where the famous Guignol theater was invented.
The city promotes creativity and hosts productions from all over the world at the Opéra, redesigned by the famous architect Jean Nouvel, or at the Maison de la Danse or the famous Halle Tony Garnier, which can accommodate up to 15,000 spectators.
Lyon is famed for its exciting events which attract a world-wide audience. The Biennale Dance Festival makes Lyon the dance capital of the world for a few weeks each year, when professional dance companies from all over the globe parade in the streets. The Fouvriere and Old Lyon music festivals, and Biennale Art Contemporain also draw performers and art from all over the world. The yearly lights festival, (Festival Lyon Lumieres) is an exceptional event, and unique in Europe.
The Search Engine for Exploration, Survival and Adventure Lovers © - Andinia.com ©


text:
Serious Grey Suede - Food Diary Organiser
Grey Suede ~ Fabulous Organiser
Please note: Insert Photos are taken inside the Honeycomb Organiser as an example. This may differ to your selected Organiser. Make sure to view all photos to be sure.
Forget 👋 Princes & Princesses , these Organisers are made for Queens & Kings. 👸🤴
Using only the finest materials, whilst still contributing to 🌱 Carbon Neutral Projects 🌲 (see here for more) - these Fabulous Organisers are a whole new level of ✏ Fabulous Planning.
With over 200+ 🤩 unique pages, ✍ hand-drawn & designed entirely by the people behind Fabulous Planning - these Organisers are a sight to behold 👀. Now with Weekly Meal Planning, Gold Foil Tabbed Dividers, Finance Planning, and so much more 🙌. (Literally, there's not enough room to say everything). 🤭
These Organisers have been designed with Body Positivity in mind. No need for any expensive "add ons" or "extras". It's all in one, ready for you to use. 🙌
🎨 Life's better with colour, that's why we designed all of the Organiser Inserts to be extremely colourful & inviting. No thin black & white pages here, just thick premium pages which are fun to use! 😄
3 Month Food Diary
- These Organiser inserts are made to last 3 Months, so that's 13 weeks worth of trackers! Once you've finished, you can refill your Organiser here - for a fraction of the cost!
Premium Padded Organiser
- Thick cushioning inside the Organiser makes it feel great in your hands, or your bag. Soft & squishy!
Stylish & minimal branding
- A muted embossed logo on the inside & outside make your Organiser not only stylish, but minimal. 🙅♂ You won't find giant logos slapped on these Organisers 🙅♀. Which makes them great for every day use. 👏
High capacity ring binder 📄
- A strong metal binder, finished with either gold or monochrome black to hold all of your Inserts.
Elasticated pen loop 🖊
- Handy elasticated pen loop inside of your Organiser, positioned just right. Holds small to large pens, thanks to the extra stretchy elastic.
- Perfectly fits the included Chunky Inspirational Pen.
Experienced design
- As a family having collectively lost over 10 stone over various dieting styles, we know what works & what doesn't, what motivation is needed, and what isn't. We've designed all of these inserts with this in mind, so we know they'll be perfect for you. 😍
Tabbed dividers
- 13 Premium Tabbed Dividers embossed with gold foil every week . Each divider splits your Organiser into 1 week, for all 3 months. So you can easily jump between each week & plan. Every divider has a hand-drawn design or inspirational quote, 🥰 and they're simply amazing.
Weekly meal planning
- Every week starts with a double page spread of Meal Planning 🍎, so you'll have plenty of space to write inside your Organiser. Filled with fun & motivational quotes and ideas to keep you going. 😋
Weekly Rewinds & Catch-a-breaths
- Brand new page concepts from FP™. These pages act as a safe space 😌, for you to slow down - appreciate your week, reflect on what has happened and what you want to happen. Plan your Peanut Goals 📝, and so much more.
Weekly Activities
- Each week features a weekly activity, ranging from doodling 📝, to empowering statements 🤩 & productivity boxes ⚙. They really keep your Organiser exciting.
Daily Motivation
- We can't be with you in person to tell you how amazing you are.. but we can make your Organiser tell you - and that's exactly what we did. Every single day (for the whole 3 months) there are inspirational & motivational messages littered throughout your daily pages. Ranging from power statements, to challenges & encouragement. There's never been anything like this before, in any Food Diary. A Fabulous Planning exclusive. 👏🙌
Fabulous Front Pages
- From Weekly Weigh Ins, Weight Graphs, Weekly Measurements, A-Z About Me, Dream Catchers, Non-Scale Goals, About Me, Finance Planning, Recipes, Countdown Cards, and so much more - this Organiser is jam packed with Fabulous Front Pages to help keep you powering through your Journey. It is stationery heaven. 📄🤩
⛔ Single Use Plastic - not here, honey. ⛔
- It's 2019, and it's time to act like it. That's why we spent a lot of time sourcing materials that are not only friendly for Mother Nature, but are free from Single Use Plastic. So your Organiser will ship in a secure recyclable cardboard book wrap, and won't be suffocated by nasty single use plastic.


text:
Changes to our License Authorization Certificate
Posted by Panagiotis Mantzouranis on 26 January 2015 04:58 PM
Some of you might have already noticed the changes to both are Forums and our Helpdesk. These changes where accompanied with a migration to a newer and (hopefully) more robust server.
The migration procedure also required an update to the Gizmo License Authorisation Server and its Certificate. Unfortunately, due to a Microsoft Security Update, the Certificate now requires a specific Windows Patch to be applied to Servers running Server 2003 or Windows XP. In the event you are experiencing an error message during Gizmo Launch "The underlying connection was closed: Could not establish trust relationship for the SSL/TLS secure channel." you will need to install this Windows Update: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968730
If you are having trouble applying the patch, feel free to contact us. You can read more about the error here
We are once again sorry for any inconvenience


text:
Do you wash once a week or a few times during the week. I have to wash through the week. Previously I had a great ironing lady but since the move, I need to go on a search again. I am not a fan of ironing and it piles up. We are still settling in to the new house and unpacking so the washing routine is still getting back on track. Below are two free downloads to spruce up you laundry. I printed them out and framed them. They then were hung in the laundry. Unfortunately they are still in a box so I have to wait to get them up.
Category: Printables
Cleaning Schedules
During the week I posted about Meal Planning. As it is the start of the year, I am revamping all my schedule sheets. The next on my list was my Cleaning Schedule. I feel better having one as I am not the type of person that can spend one solid block cleaning. Due to working part-time and running kidlets around, I need to spread the load as this keeps me semi – sane. I organise the cleaning on a weekly schedule, around all the activities. This does not include the laundry as this is a separate schedule. Did I say I like schedules. Click on the image below to take you to the free download.
School Holiday Planner (Free Printable)
Blog Planner (To Date)
Yeah, I finally have something to show for the Blog Planner I have been working on. There are still some pages I would like to add but this is a good start. Graphics are courtesy of Petit Tatti
The Planner consists of:
Cover Page
3 blank monthly planner pages – different colours for more choices
* You will need 12 copies, one for each month of the year
* Write the month at the top and then use the Yearly Calendar to see where 1st goes for each month. Fill in the days in the coloured circles.
Weekly blog planner page
* You will need 52 of these should you be blogging every week. I do 10 at a time in case I don't blog in a particular week.
Blog expense tracker sheet
* Print out sheets as needed
Blog statistics page
* You should only need one of these
More details of how I use these pages will be in a later post.
You are able to download the pages for free by clicking on the pictures below. I also use a Yearly Calendar and insert this after the cover page. This is used to circle significant dates for the year ahead. I only ask that you use it for personal use and not sell or download it to share as your own.
Blog Planner (Sneak Peek)
Organising is always something I strive to be better at. The Mum on the Run blog is no different. There are so many gorgeous Blog Planners out there but I thought I would design my own. Once complete it will be free to download, for a short time. I am also working on adding a shop to the blog where all free printables and new cheap ones will be available to download. Below there is a sneak peak of what the cover looks like. Stay tuned for the rest.


text:
Our Mission
Boys & Girls Clubs
of Metro Atlanta
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta works to save and change the lives of children and teens, especially those who need us most, by providing a safe, positive, and engaging environment and programs that prepare and inspire them to achieve Great Futures.
Who We Serve
By 2020, we are working to make sure that 90 percent of the kids coming to our Clubs three days or more per week are on track to graduate on time, live healthy, and give back to their community
Why We Do It
Many children in and around Atlanta are fighting an uphill battle. Georgia reports elevated rates of high school dropout, teen pregnancy, and obesity compared to national averages. Many kids don't have the resources or role models they need to change their path.
How We Do It
Our 20+ Clubs, located in some of our city's most underserved communities, open their doors every day to nearly 3,000 kids and teens. We provide a safe, positive, and engaging environment for kids with a focus on helping them reach their full potential.
Programs help kids build…
Academic Success + Healthy Lifestyles + Character & Leadership
These Programs Help Kids Succeed
Success Stories
"It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead." – Nelson Mandela
At Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, we see success day in and day out! From our kids to our staff to the supporters that make our work possible, we're surrounded by everyday heroes. Find out how our Club family is helping make their communities and the world a better place.
Want to Learn More?
Check out more about our Clubs and find out how you can get involved.


text:
Search The Site:
Download our research and data below to get details on the quality, cost, and education of travel nurses. This information will also help you learn more about how travel nurses can help your organization balance scheduling and budget challenges while continuing to deliver great patient care.
Learn more
Request more information by calling (866) 437-5815 or completing our request more information form below. We will get back to you as quickly as possible. Request More Information Today
Page 'Breadcrumb' Navigation:
Site 'Main' Navigation:


text:
How old, if you see what I mean, are young-people? To whom (I hate using "whom" but, Sarah & Tessa, the grammar police will be on to me otherwise) is youth work aimed?
The Government currently think that they are 13-19 years old, however they also think that youth work is about working with young people in their "transition from dependence to independence." Does this mean that the government think that all 19 year olds are independent? Does it mean we should stop working with them at 19 because they ought to be? (perhaps I'm being a bit harsh because there is provision above 19 but the majority of funding is certainly 13-19). I've come across definitions of young people that go up to 21 and to 25, while in speaking to young people (always more pragmatic) they've said that it should be about need not age and recognise that not all young people are at the same stage at the same time! Seems sensible. Some of the most successful Faith based work I've seen has been about stage not age in terms of joining.
The lower age bracket becomes even more complicated. Churches that talk about "youth groups" are often referring to work with 11 plusses? Not to say that's not youth work and it does present interesting challenges, 12 year olds for example: The Girls look about 17 and the boys are often, very much still, boys. However I guess the Government class these as Children?
Now there's also the interesting sub-phenomena of "Tweenagers," this according to the Marketing people is the "stage between the childhood
and teenage years" (Mindbrand Market research). Talking to practitioners I reckon it's a combination of children's work and youth work skills that are needed with this age range. However what age range is that? Peter Brierley reckons 10-14, Martin Lindstrom reckons 8 -14's and Sutherland and Thompson concentrate on 9-11's! My own conclusion is that we are talking, mainly, about 9's -12's!
In many respects all of the above is just academic (although I find it interesting). Our youth work/ministry is about accompanying young people on the journey to adulthood in a way that is age appropriate and stage appropriate, chronology and maturation.
That doesn't really answer the question though, when people ask,
"What age-group do you work with?"
What age-group do you work with?
How old, if you see what I mean, are young-people? To whom (I hate using "whom" but, Sarah & Tessa, the grammar police will be on to me otherwise) is youth work aimed?


text:
This is a cross-post with the Software Adoption Project. My take on why stakeholders need to be included early in any enterprise software deployment project.
Filed under: siem, Uncategorized | Leave a comment »
This is a cross-post with the Software Adoption Project. My take on why stakeholders need to be included early in any enterprise software deployment project.
Filed under: siem, Uncategorized | Leave a comment »
As a young man I remember talking to my Dad and telling him that Microsoft was the most important and powerful company in the world. He kind of laughed and gave me that knowing Dad look. He "knew" that the real powerful and important companies were the likes of GE and GM. I tried to argue my point, but to no avail. He always countered with, "What am I going to do with a computer?"
Clearly the world has shifted. Today, software is a fundamental element of every organization's infrastructure, and if that software is not operating as intended, the organization will suffer. Every effort is made to ensure that the software works well, and most companies do a great job of making sure the technical side of that need is addressed. What frequently gets missed is the people side of the equation. What if users are unwilling to use the software? One of my favorite sayings is,
If the user resists, the project fails, no matter how good the technology is.
I am writing this whitepaper to look at software adoption and user engagement as critical components of any software deployment.
Software adoption refers to the level of use a software system achieves as compared to the intended level of use. The successful deployment of a software system is typically predicated on user adoption reaching intended levels. When user adoption does not reach intended levels, the anticipated benefits of the system will not be realized.
There is no single, clear-cut way to ensure or measure software adoption, as every instance has unique circumstances that must be considered. Though, there are practices that can increase the probability of a successful software deployment by taking a planful approach to software adoption factors. This paper outlines that set of practices.
Many studies over that past several years (e.g. 1, 2, 3) point to a disturbingly high incidence of software deployment failures that are products of low levels of adoption. When users choose not to use a new system the consequences can include:
Software adoption improvement practices can address these types of problems at a fraction of the cost of the losses otherwise incurred. A strong software adoption improvement program can also generate discrete benefits, beyond loss avoidance, in the areas of innovation and increased user engagement.
There are three fundamental elements to be considered when addressing user adoption of a new software system. They are:
Each of these disparate disciplines must be integrated to create an effective software adoption improvement program.
For the purposes of this discussion, I define organizational change as the behavioral and procedural changes that are necessary within the organization to achieve the desired outcomes of the software deployment initiative. To effectively deal with these changes it is necessary to:
All of this must be done within the context of the business objectives behind the software implementation initiative.
As stated previously, users must actually use software in order for it to have impact. To get users to adopt new software, they need to be prepared for the changes involved. If we look at the Prosci ADKAR framework of change, we see that the first two elements of change are "awareness" and "desire". For software users to be aware of the change and for them to have a desire to use the software, the project owners need to do three things.
These activities are crucial to creating user engagement.
In any endeavor that promises to deliver a solution, there must first be clarity around the question, "What is the problem we are trying to solve?" More often than not, projects lead with technology, features, and solutions without explicitly stating the problem. Without clarity, different stakeholder groups may well be trying to solve different problems. This one factor leads to more problems in communication than any other. Ultimately this miscommunication yields frustration and resistance by the users.
Before any active work on technology or features begins, there should be clarity and alignment around a common understanding of the problem statement.
Project transparency is about letting stakeholders see the process from start to finish. When users can see the process, and the decisions that are made during a project implementation, they will have a better awareness of why the project is needed. It will also give them the opportunity to raise red flags before problems have gone too far downstream. The visibility into the process and the ability to interact, gives users a sense of ownership and will increase the odds of engagement and adoption once the software is delivered.
The mechanics of transparency will differ based on the organization and type of project. The key thing for the project team to remember is to proactively consider what transparency will look like for their particular situation. The one action that will always be necessary is to generate a comprehensive stakeholder map, making sure that every group that will be impacted by the change is accounted for.
For any software implementation project to succeed, more than lip-service needs to be paid to listening to the users. It is possible to do more damage than good with surveys and focus groups if the users do not believe the efforts are genuine. Empathy is important. The project team must truly understand the situation from the point of view of the user, and not assume they know what the user is thinking.
The manner in which a user experiences new software plays a huge role in their willingness to use that software. When a project team is tasked with deploying software, user experience design should play a major role in the project. The user experience should be considered ahead of software features. If a user has difficulty accessing even the most basic functionality then they will form a long-lasting negative impression of the system. New features can always be added over time, but that initial experience can never be revisited.
Designing an excellent user experience leans heavily on one of the concepts introduced earlier, empathy. The designer must see with the user's eyes to design an experience that will not be a barrier to adoption.
To understand if your software deployment has achieved the desired level of adoption, appropriate measurements must be defined in advance. These measurements must cover more than just usage levels, they must also address business value received. Usage metrics and business metrics must be combined to identify how adoption levels and user engagement have contributed to the overall outcomes.
The business metrics need to be related the identified problem statement. If that problem is not solved, the desired business value has not been obtained.
The most important usage metrics should relate to the change in usage. There is typically no specific number that defines good usage, but an increasing rate of usage is usually a positive indicator.
A software adoption improvement program (SAIP) is stakeholder driven. An SAIP can be broken down into four primary stages:
These stages are not necessarily linear steps, but rather an indication of the maturity of the stakeholder relationship to the project. For this discussion we will look at the evolution of the maturation process as linear for easier understanding.
Throughout each stage of an SAIP each of the elements are considered: organizational change, user experience, and measurement.
"We need to do something." And so it begins, a new project is started. The catalyst may be a top-down edict, a grassroots movement, or anything in between, but in any instance, it will be a small group that will take the first few steps. The first question that should be addressed is "what is the problem we are trying to solve?" This initial group should have a pretty good idea of the answer. More importantly they should understand that various stakeholders of the project may have different answers to this question, and it is the job of the project team to fully understand those viewpoints. Therefore the first task of the core project team should be to draft an initial stakeholder map, a best guess of impacted stakeholders and what that impact might look like.
With the initial stakeholder map in hand, the next step is to confirm the map's veracity. This is an outreach process, but not with the intent of delivering information. Stakeholder map confirmation is about listening. Approach representatives of each stakeholder cohort with a general concept of the project and its objectives, then listen to their reactions. Do not attempt to convince or coerce at this point. The purpose is to learn as much as possible in an effort to design the software for success.
Along with gauging reactions, you should also mine deeper and find out if there are other stakeholder groups that have been overlooked.
This stage should be seen as the opening of a dialogue with the stakeholders, and an invitation to them to be active participants and partners in the project. This establishes the clarity, transparency and empathy that should endure through the course of the project.
Stakeholder communication escalates the dialogue beyond stakeholder representatives to the entire stakeholder populations. The conversation will begin with a more filled out description of the project, its objectives, and deliverables. The intent of this stage is to ensure broad awareness of the initiative, and to open a channel for feedback from stakeholders. For best results, this stage should occur at a time when modifications and improvements to the software and supporting processes can still be accomodated.
This stage should evolve over time from a place where information flows primarily from the project team to the stakeholders, to a state where the stakeholders are directly engaging the project team and are comfortable providing feedback.
Several tactics can be used at this stage including the use of champions, gamification, and recognition.
If the stakeholder relationship has moved successfully through each of the previous stages, and a positive and trusting relationship has been established, the interaction between the team and the stakeholders should become natural and self-sustaining. If this stage is reached, the project team and the stakeholders will evolve to a partnership, where the roles between those delivering the software and those using the software become blurred, leading to an active and ongoing conversation.
This stage can only be reached when clarity, transparency, and empathy are core tenets of the project team's operating model.
If we consider a standard software deployment initiative, the project phases will look something like this:
Setting aside distinctions between project methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, etc.), this model is consistent with my experience. I use this model here to highlight the differences between the stakeholder driven SAIP methodology described above, how software adoption issues are typically handled, and when stakeholders are an afterthought to technical considerations.
|Project Phase
|Stakeholder Driven SAIP
|Typical Deployment
|Technical Deployment
|Stakeholder Map Creation
|Stakeholder Map Confirmation
|Identify Stakeholders
|Stakeholder Communication
|Limited focus groups and surveys
|Self-Sustaining Stakeholder Network
|Hand-picked users asked to help with testing
|Hand-picked users asked to help with testing
|Self-Sustaining Stakeholder Network
|Mass communication about the initiative; Training opportunities listed
|Mass communication about the initiative; Training opportunities listed
|Self-Sustaining Stakeholder Network
|Ad Hoc training and problem resolution as needed
|Ad Hoc training and problem resolution as needed
The stakeholder driven SAIP approach does require more effort up front, but that effort will be significantly less that the effort required by the support function in the other scenarios. When users are not aware of the pending changes until the last minute, have no desire to make the change, and have no knowledge of how to change, support costs will increase dramatically. On top of that, delays are common as unplanned efforts to convince users of the value of the project are required.
Engaging stakeholders early and often provides multiple benefits, including:
I have tried to make a case here for including stakeholders early in the software development and deployment process. My experience is that this involvement in most instances does not happen early enough. My recommendation is that any software initiative should include a stakeholder advocate as part of the core team from day one.
Software Adoption: Improving Software Deployment Through User Engagement by Lee White is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://insideconversation.wordpress.com/2015/12/21/software-adoption-improving-software-deployment-through-user-engagement/.
Filed under: siem, Uncategorized | Leave a comment »
How people deal with change has been an interest of mine for most of my professional career. It is now becoming the focus of my future career track. I am in the midst of doing research to be sure I am up to date on the latest research and thinking in the area. I just found this presentation that shows strengths and weaknesses of five different organizational change models. Interesting reading (if you happen to be an OD geek). 🙂
I am particularly interested in the PROSCI:ADKAR model. I find it closely aligned to my own philosophy of addressing organizational change, particularly with respect to technology adoption.
Filed under: siem, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
You know the saying about the cure being worse than the disease? Probably the best example of that adage these days are new IT systems that are deployed across an organization with great fanfare … and no forewarning. The common results include:
I would be surprised if these outcomes were not familiar to you. Many IT projects are plagued with these results. One key to getting better results is to include people, culture, and process considerations along with technical specifications from the beginning of the project. Wouldn't it be nice if the people that will be using a new system were an integral part of the design and deployment of that system? With this thought in mind, I would like to ask for your help.
I have been out of work now for more months than I care to count. Recently, I reached the point where I needed to re-evaluate what I was looking for and how I was going about it. The bottom line is that I have been shooting too broadly, hoping to connect with any position that was generally connected with my experience.
I have spent the last few weeks trying to re-focus on what I really want to do and what I do well. I want to articulate that vision in a way that an organization can see the value I bring to the table. So here it is: I am looking for situations where organizations are deploying new technology, and need help with the people and process aspects of the deployment. Studies have shown that many IT deployments fail, not for any technical reason, but because little planning or thought was put into how to engage end-users and other stakeholders in the system design and deployment. I have 20+ years experience doing just this, deploying technology so that users "get it" and willingly make the necessary changes in process and behavior to achieve desired results.
If you know of any organization or situation where a technology adoption specialist would be of value, please pass my resume along as appropriate. I am interested in either full-time positions or any sort of part-time/temporary/freelance situations. I am focused primarily on working in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area of North Carolina, but I am willing to work remotely from my home, and/or travel as necessary.
Lee White | Phone: (919) 280-5925 | Email: email@example.com
Filed under: siem, Uncategorized | Leave a comment »
There is no secret that the success of information technology projects ultimately depends on whether or not the technology gets used. If you deploy it and no one comes to play, what good has it done. Getting users engaged is a critical element of project success. Gartner pointed this out almost 10 years age in their report, "The users view of why IT projects fail". The key to success is to have a plan for user engagement and adoption as an integral part of the overall project plan. This is not something that can be tacked on at the end "if we have some money left".
Didier Bonnnet of Capgemini recently published and article in Harvard Business Review that is on point here. He says:
When these platforms are introduced, organizations too often focus only on deployment, not adoption. It's remarkable how commonplace it is for leaders to lose sight of the true ROI of their digital investments.
As organizations turn more and more to technology solutions to improve efficiency and effectiveness, there needs to be increased effort put into the people and process aspects of these deployments.
Filed under: siem, Uncategorized | Leave a comment »
Ultimately the success of any IT system boils down to, "Is it being used?". No matter how good the ROI projections are, or how advanced the technology is, or how little it costs, if users are resistant to making necessary behavioral changes, the final result will be seen as a failure.
I found this post by Nuvem Consulting that details the potential issues with implementing Salesforce. For the most part these issues have nothing to do with the technology per se, but instead with human nature. Their key points for failure are:
Success of most IT projects will hinge, in part, on the people and process aspects of the deployment. Dealing with these issues requires a very different set of competencies than traditional IT project management. Including resources within any deployment initiative that are specifically focused on user adoption should be standard practice for any project.
Filed under: siem, Uncategorized | Leave a comment »
This morning I was thinking about the nature of problems, so, of course, I googled: "nature of problems". What I found was this great blog post by Frank Chimero. It resonated with my own thoughts. (I am always amazed by what you can find just by looking.)
The post highlights four common mistakes we often make when considering problems:
Essentially all of what he says rings true with my own experience. I might add another mistake that I see:
My take away from this is that we tend to not spend enough time understanding and articulating problems in our rush to reach solutions. Finding a better way to talk about problems, is a problem worth solving.
Filed under: siem, Uncategorized | Leave a comment »


text:
The Gefu Spice Colander Gusto is perfectly suited for improving soups, stews or hot spiced wine. Simply put the herbs of your choice into the colander and leave it in the pot to add amazing flavour as you would use a normal bouqet garni. The volume can be easily adapted to different pot sizes. Thanks to the silicone cord, the spice colander is always ready to reach and can be easily affixed to the pot rim. The stainless steel bowls are interconnected by the silicone cord.
- Stainless steel and silicone
- Dishwasher safe


text:
Hearst and the Food Network are planning to test Food Network magazine with a pair of market test issues this fall.
Initial circulation will be 300,000, the company says.
The first issue—carrying 160 total pages, 50 of them advertising—is scheduled to hit newsstands on October 14; a second test issue is planned for January. Maile Carpenter, former executive editor of Every Day with Rachael Ray, has been tapped as the Food Network's editor-in-chief.
The magazine will offer "pages of accessible recipes and tips, as well as unprecedented access to America's favorite Food Network stars," the company says.


text:
Who we Are
Alan Whitehead founded the Kona Run race event in 2003 in Northville. Since then, created the Wicked Halloween Run in 2011, Shamrock Race in 2012, Kona Chocolate Run in 2013 all held in Plymouth, Kona Strawberry Run in 2015 & Kona Cheesecake Run in 2016 plus the Buffalo Wild Wings Race & Strohs Legend Run in 2017. Alan then founded the Jolly Pumpkin Run and the Moonlight Run at Fox Hills in 2018. Alan derived the name Kona Running Co. from his frequent visits to Hawaii & drinking Kona Coffee. Alan was on the Race Staff at the Detroit Free Press Marathon in 1999-2001 & Race Director of the Parade Company's annual Detroit Turkey Trot in 2004-2005. The Kona Running Company donates to local charitable organizations like the Karmanos Cancer Institute, University of Michigan CS Mott Children's Hospital, Northville Educational Foundation & the Farmington YMCA. Alan also has part ownership in USA in Motion.


text:
The New England Mutiny improved to 5-2 Sunday afternoon after taking down the New York Surf, 2-0, at East Longmeadow High School.
A number of veteran performers returned to the lineup for New England, with forward Abby Sotomayor seeing action for the first time since the first two games of the season. Forward Chanel Johnson and midfielder McKenzie Hollenbaugh also returned to the pitch in the contest.
The Mutiny got off to a strong start -- capitalizing in the 14th minute off of a corner kick. After Sotomayor drove the ball to the net, defender Jennifer Cafferky collected the ball and fired it over to midfielder Charlie Branch, who blasted it past New York netminder Colleen Hickey to make it a 1-0 game.
The Surf generated plenty of pressure later in the first half, but Mutiny goalie Gabby Arruda posted two saves in the 28th and 36th minute to keep New York off the board. Arruda finished the game with three saves.
New England clung to its 1-0 lead entering the second half, adding an insurance goal in the 65th minute off of a beautiful passing sequence. Gathering the ball in the midfield, Sage Dieterle fed a pass over to Brenna Brown -- who promptly redirected the offering to team captain Kate Howarth.
Bringing the ball to the front of the net, Howarth sent off a pass that found Johnson, who headed in the ball for the final tally of the game. The Mutiny outshot the Surf by a 6-3 margin in the contest. New England will resume play on Saturday, July 1 when they take on the New Jersey Copa on the road.


text:
|Message view
|« Date » · « Thread »
|« Date » · « Thread »
|"Paul Fremantle" <pzf...@gmail.com>
|Re: [PROPOSAL] Stonehenge
|Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:21:41 GMT
Bertrand Great feedback. I think we should keep a clear statement in the SVN and distros that identifies which parts of the project use which dependencies. I also think we should structure the build so that each different framework implementation of each application is a separate build target. We can then put together an overall build that does cross-framework build and test. Thanks Paul On Wed, Nov 12, 2008 at 7:47 AM, Bertrand Delacretaz <email@example.com> wrote: > On Tue, Nov 4, 2008 at 5:34 PM, Paul Fremantle <email@example.com> wrote: > >> ...The full proposal is here: http://wiki.apache.org/incubator/StonehengeProposal.. > > That says "future contributions could depend on proprietary systems > such as Microsoft .Net or commercial JEE servers", which IIUC means > that some parts of Stonehenge might not be buildable or testable using > open source tools. > > We certainly already have some such code in our projects, and I'm no > against that - but I'd like the Stonehenge people to keep such parts > well separated, to allow people who only use open source tools to > benefit from the project as well. > > As the project is about interoperability, that's somewhat obvious > anyway, but still worth mentioning IMHO. > > -Bertrand > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: email@example.com > For additional commands, e-mail: email@example.com > > -- Paul Fremantle Co-Founder and CTO, WSO2 Apache Synapse PMC Chair OASIS WS-RX TC Co-chair blog: http://pzf.fremantle.org email@example.com "Oxygenating the Web Service Platform", www.wso2.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: email@example.com For additional commands, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
|View raw message


text:
It seems like just yesterday that we heard the news: Yes, Beyonce is pregnant. Yes, it's a girl (thanks, for the heads up, Kelly Rowland). And yes, someone checked into the exclusively luxurious birthing suite at St. Luke's. But until we have confirmation — concrete confirmation — that B and J are in the building, we're gonna try to maintain our cool. And by maintain our cool, we of course mean dream up baby names (Jayonce?) and think about what kinds of playground gossip she'll exchange with Suri Cruise. Of course, we don't envision Jayonce wearing wear glittery heels at age three... she'll probably wait until at least the age of five. But seriously, share your best guesses for the baby name in the comments. We're all ears (ditto, when it comes to actual news). (Hollywood)
Photo: Via Hollywood


text:
Malware, MongoDB and Map/Reduce: A New Analyst Approach
For those who read my blog and follow my research then you know I chose MongoDB as my backend database to store my PDFs […] Why not standard SQL? Well, I wanted the data to be returned without having to parse a blob everytime (JSON/BSON), PDF files contain a lot of data that are often unique to themselves (document based storing) and Mongo also made it easy to handle dynamic content (no columns). […] I wanted to highlight an interesting way of collecting data and answering questions about my malware using Map/Reduce.
via NoSQL databases


text:
I have been recalling how it felt when my first child arrived – ecstatic, scared, awed. Awed – that's a good word. I was awed at the new life in my arms. Looking at him, how could anyone doubt that there was a God when they saw the beauty of this boy? I remember attending Mass a couple of Sundays afterward and, as the Eucharistic prayer began, just weeping in a loving awe at the realizations sweeping over me:
The first was in regard to Jesus: My little boy, the most important person in the world to me, was loved by Jesus. Jesus had stretched out His arms and let nails be driven through them for my child. I was grateful that Jesus had died for me, but now I felt an unspeakably deeper gratitude because He had laid down His Life for my child !
The second was in regard to God the Father: I know that theologians have explored why the Son became incarnate instead of one of the Other Persons of the Trinity. But what I saw, becoming a new dad, was that the Father's sending of His Son was an even greater act of Love for us than if the Father had come Himself. In sending His Son, the Father sent the One He Loves and cherishes even more than Himself ! And the Father sent Him, knowing how we would treat Him, knowing that we would torture and kill Him. Paul's words from Romans never penetrated me so deeply, "God proves His love for us in this: that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
There's fatherhood, and then there's Fatherhood. And I stand in awe.


text:
|August 26, 1999
|Written by
|Luis Santeiro
Big Bird's Sunny Day Camp Out is a 1999 Sesame Street Live show.
Big Bird and Snuffy go on a camping trip and are soon accompanied by the rest of the Sesame Street gang. They try to go camping in many places including Snuffy's cave, the Count's castle, Bert and Ernie's apartment, the roof of 123 Sesame Street, and Elmo's World.
Production notes
Sesame Street Live productions are limited to 17 performers per show. As Snuffy is built for two performers, only 16 characters appeared. While most productions have three "silent full-bodied under-studies", essentially dispensable Anything Muppets that can be removed from a production if a replacement performer is needed, this show had four such characters.
As the 20th anniversary SSL show, many traditional songs from the television show were sung (except for the Sesame Street Theme, although the tune for the theme can be heard in the opening number). In addition, some songs were created just for the show, including "Telephone Talk," and "This Cave is Jumpin'."
This is the only Sesame Street Live show that will not be revamped for another tour season.
- Big Bird, Snuffleupagus, Elmo, Zoe, Cookie Monster, Bert, Ernie, Oscar the Grouch, Count von Count, Grover, Rosita, Telly Monster, Honkers, Prairie Dawn, Jodie
- 2000: Yram Rivera as Jodie[1]
- ↑ Email correspondence with performer.


text:
July 2011 Slideshow
Thanks to the Erin Bardwell Collective, who played at The Yeah Baby Free Rock Festival, for the soundtrack on this, the July 2011 slideshow. I'm off to Yorkshire for our summer holidays so this post will probably be the last for a week.
5 Comments July 29, 2011


text:
I had the privilege of listening to Gary Stager online at the TEDX NY this weekend. He is an engaging speaker and he finished his talk with four words: Less Us, More Them.
Profound words: Words we educators need to heed. Too often we as educators spend too much time "teaching" and don't allow enough time in our classes for LEARNINING. Our students need t ime,support and coaches, not lecturers, expositors, and experts. In this globally connected world, students need to see us guiding their learning, but not scripting everything in their lives.
Thanks again Gary for your sage words. You said in four words what I believe about education.


text:
"The toughest color grading work isn't getting the right tinge around an actor battling giant insects on a meteor hurtling to Mars look real, it's the simple things, like making bacon and cheese look good on a burger."
Colorist Mark Todd Osborne had to color correct Big Boy's recent television commercials. The Big Boy burger is as iconic as the logo of the actual Big Boy in red and white checkered pants. When people see a Big Boy television commercial, there is an expectation of seeing a perfect meal. But perfection cannot come at the price of looking unrealistic. So Mark had to walk a fine line.
Warming up the Eggs, Bacon and Burgers
"Clients in the food arena are so incredibly particular about every piece of food. It is not just about looking appetizing; the food has to also look beautiful and stunning. It is tough, exacting work, but once you have food on your reel, people know you can handle the tough assignments," said Mark.
Working freelance for Lightborne Post out of Cincinnati, which handled the production and post production for the spots, Mark used Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve for all of the color correction. He was tasked with color correcting three national commercial spots for Big Boy, including 15 and 30 second spots for breakfast and a 30 second spot for dinner. This included color correcting images of the Big Boy double burger and all of its condiments, eggs, bacon and the kitchens they were being cooked in.
"I spent a lot of time on the eggs really highlighting them. It's all about the food. We don't want the viewer focusing on the stainless steel knife or coffee cup. With Resolve's tracker, I could easily track every part of the eggs and the items around them. With a couple of clicks, I got right to work on getting the color just right on the eggs," explained Mark.
Resolve's powerful 3D tracker locks Power Windows to objects and reduces the need for extensive key generation. With this, Mark was able to track any object in a frame and create grades and effects around it. No matter how the eggs were moved during the spot, Resolve's Power Window kept a tight lock around them.
"I threw a Power Window around the eggs and was able to focus on finding the right shading and lighting without having to worry about constantly recreating anything. Resolve allows my grades to follow the action, so I can focus on grading and not reinventing the grade with every new shot," Mark said.
The Big Boy Burger
A Big Boy is a double patty burger on a sesame seed bun with all the fixings. Changing how it looks or using color correction to make it something other than what it is would not work. The problem was that no matter how amazing a burger is in real life, food is not uniform. No grill or fry pan cooks every single inch of a burger to exactly the same color. Plus the lights, heat and other factors a piece of food suffers by being on a commercial production set cannot be seen in the final TV product.
"With one burger, just a tiny piece of meat was slightly red. On a plate, it was perfect, but for a TV spot it had to be fixed. I used Resolve's tracker to quickly brown up that one spot on the burger. The great thing is that I did this right in front of the head of the advertising agency, who had come in to approve the look of the spots. I am sure that when she suggested touching up that small brown spot, she thought she would not get to see her vision until the next day. With Resolve, I work in real time, and I made the change right in front of her," Mark said.
Beyond the burger, Mark faced the real challenges of the Big Boy spot: the lettuce and bacon. "With the bacon, some of the slices looked a bit rare for television. In reality, they were fine, but in a food spot it has to be uniform. The client wanted a nice warm tone that looked pleasing on every part of the bacon. The challenge was doing that and keeping the look of crisp bacon intact."
This had to be done while at the same time making the lettuce stand out. And both had to remain distinct from the sharp, clean metallic look of the kitchen. "I use Resolve to create extra flair for lighting around the food. With this spot, I created special lighting specifically around the lettuce. I drew Power Windows around each item and threw on a blur or other effect quickly. I then jumped in and started to fine tune the shots," he continued. "Resolve's blur tool was especially useful here, since I easily created a slight blur around the Power Windows and sharpened them up, while toning down the very strong stainless steel look around them. Using keyer, I was able to isolate certain colors in any point in the shot. With Resolve's node structure, I reused and keyed those grades in with only a couple of clicks."
With food shots, finesse and meeting tight deadlines are what is needed. And Resolve allowed Mark to get into the very fine areas quickly. It's powerful and has a ton of little tricks that make it easy to focus on the art and not the technology.