source stringclasses 1
value | snapshot stringclasses 3
values | text stringlengths 264 621k | size_before_bytes int64 269 624k | size_after_bytes int64 185 235k | compression_ratio float64 0 0.01 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
warc | 201704 | Valeant Turns From Buyer to Seller as Debt Repayments Loomby and Embattled drugmaker seeks to unload only ‘non-core’ businesses ‘It’s not so much ‘Can they get a sale?’ It’s at what price.’
Over the last six years, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. piled up a mountain of debt building its business through more than 50 acquisitions. It now may have to sell some of those very same assets to help pay off almost $5 billion that will come due by or during 2018.
If that sounded bad enough, there’s a related challenge looming.
“It’s not so much ‘Can they get a sale?’ It’s at what price,” Piper Jaffray analyst David Amsellem said. Many of Valeant’s acquisitions were made under far different circumstances -- before the drugmaker attracted harsh scrutiny over its business practices and was forced to moderate or even cut drug price increases that were a key part of its ability to generate cash.
“You buy dodgy assets at relatively high prices, you jack up the prices of the underlying products, cut costs to the bone and now you’re facing your moment of reckoning,” said Amsellem, who has an “underweight” rating on the stock. “It’s pretty ugly.”
The bills are approaching fast. There are about $3.37 billion of bonds and loans that come due by 2018, according to a financial filing for the first quarter. The company also has a revolver due in 2018 that has $1.45 billion drawn from it. So far Valeant has said it would pay back $1.7 billion this year. The company reports second-quarter financial results Tuesday.
Laurie Little, a spokeswoman for Valeant, declined to comment. Chief Executive Officer Joseph Papa said in June that the company had a “strong liquidity position” and that Valeant was comfortable with its debt obligations.
Asset Sales
Valeant has already started to consider sales or offers for some small assets, according to people familiar with the situation. These may include its constipation treatment Relistor, which could be valued at $400 million to $500 million, and dermatology units Obagi Medical Products and Solta Medical, which could fetch as much as $500 million, according the people.
It’s not clear that the leaders of the company have the same viewpoint on what needs to be done. In May, then-new CEO Papasaid he didn’t see the need to sell any assets to pay down debt, though the company might consider it. In June, he said he’d look at selling “core” assets at the right price. Then in July, activist investor Bill Ackman, who sits on the board of the company, said there were non-core assets worth as much as $10 billion that could be for sale.
Crown Jewels
So far, the company has said it won’t give up crown jewels like Bausch & Lomb, bought for $8.7 billion in 2013. Even if Valeant tried to sell the eye-care supplier, it’s not clear what it would get for it. Wells Fargo analyst David Maris said in a research note that he’s “surprised by what appears to us to be very little growth” under Valeant’s ownership.
In 2012, before being acquired by Valeant, Bausch & Lomb’s sales totaled $3.04 billion, according to Maris. Four years later, in June 2016, Valeant reported that the division, when combined with skin care and other over-the-counter drugs, delivered $3.5 billion in global sales for the year ended March 31. The addition of other assets to B&L’s sales figures makes it impossible to know whether the core business has grown.
Valeant has previously said it has no plans to sell the Bausch & Lomb unit. Little, the spokeswoman, declined to comment.
There’s another question -- hold on to the cash flow from existing businesses, or sell them off now to quickly deleverage. Money from the sales may not be enough to offset declines in the cash flow that analysts are expecting, and could put the company at risk of violating loan covenants that require it to keep Ebitda above certain thresholds relative to debt and interest expenses.
What to Sell?
“We don’t think that Valeant should sell more than they have to,” Rodman & Renshaw analyst Ram Selvaraju said. “They only should get rid of declining businesses.”
By that he means businesses where Valeant is losing money. On its most recent earnings call in June, the company said it was losing money on some of the dermatology prescriptions it was selling through a distribution program with Walgreen Boots Alliance Inc. drugstores, but it was unclear exactly which lines of business those were from.
“The longer they wait, the worse the situation becomes,” Selvaraju said. “They have to sell these things as quickly as possible.”
Analysts say there’s a chance that when Valeant reports results Tuesday, it may cut its full-year Ebitda guidance, a measure often used to asses how much cash a company can generate for debt payments. Ebitda stands for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.
“They have many challenges,” said Michael Levesque, an analyst with Moody’s Investors’ Service. “The ratings are under pressure but there is some time given that the maturities do not really increase until 2018. If the business were to erode much faster than expectations, then the need to do asset sales would grow.” | 5,444 | 2,558 | 0.000414 |
warc | 201704 | Managing data quality for the NIOSH claims tracking system.
Authors
Rafales-LS; Kuo-N; Wallace-PW; Wierowski-JV; Schuste-DG
Source
Health Phys 2003 Jun; 84(Suppl):S149
Abstract
A database system has been developed to track claims processed by NIOSH under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program. The management of data quality is a critical element to the success of this effort. Four core objectives define the data quality program: 1) to define intended uses for the data and establish data quality standards, 2) to prevent the introduction of erroneous information, 3) to diagnose and track data quality, and 4) to correct known errors or mitigate their influence. This presentation focuses on the use of data quality standards that are specific and quantifiable and which have been used to develop an ongoing historical picture of data quality that corresponds with the development and evolution of the database. Data quality indicators, such as the logical consistency of selected data elements (or the lack thereof), are presented along with diagnostic procedures that detect data anomalies in predicted patterns.
Keywords
Dose-response; Exposure-assessment; Radiation-exposure; Radiation-measurement; Nuclear-energy; Nuclear-radiation; Data-processing; Computer-software; Dosimetry; Quality-standards; Employee-exposure; Information-processing; Information-retrieval-systems; Diagnostic-tests; Computer-models
Contact
Advanced Technologies Laboratories International, Inc., 2100 Sherman Avenue, Suite 250, Cincinnati, OH 45219
Document Type
Abstract; Conference/Symposia Proceedings
Identifying No.
Contract-200-2002-00593
Source Name
Health Physics | 1,697 | 937 | 0.001079 |
warc | 201704 | Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This study quantified the particle size effect on the performance of elastomeric half-mask respirators, which are widely used by firefighters and first responders exposed to combustion aerosols. METHODS: One type of elastomeric half-mask respirator equipped with two P-100 filters was donned on a breathing manikin while challenged with three combustion aerosols (originated by burning wood, paper, and plastic). Testing was conducted with respirators that were fully sealed, partially sealed (nose area only), or unsealed to the face of a breathing manikin to simulate different faceseal leakages. Three cyclic flows with mean inspiratory flow (MIF) rates of 30, 85, and 135 L/min were tested for each combination of sealing condition and combustion material. Additional testing was performed with plastic combustion particles at other cyclic and constant flows. Particle penetration was determined by measuring particle number concentrations inside and outside the respirator with size ranges from 20 to 200 nm. RESULTS: Breathing flow rate, particle size, and combustion material all had significant effects on the performance of the respirator. For the partially sealed and unsealed respirators, the penetration through the faceseal leakage reached maximum at particle sizes >100 nm when challenged with plastic aerosol, whereas no clear peaks were observed for wood and paper aerosols. The particles aerosolized by burning plastic penetrated more readily into the unsealed half-mask than those aerosolized by the combustion of wood and paper. The difference may be attributed to the fact that plastic combustion particles differ from wood and paper particles by physical characteristics such as charge, shape, and density. For the partially sealed respirator, the highest penetration values were obtained at MIF = 85 L/min. The unsealed respirator had approximately 10-fold greater penetration than the one partially sealed around the bridge of the nose, which indicates that the nose area was the primary leak site.
Keywords
Humans; Aerosols; Pollutants; Air-contamination; Air-quality; Exposure-levels; Risk-factors; Preventive-medicine; Materials-testing; Particulates; Smoke-inhalation; Combustion-gases; Face-masks; Respirators; Respiratory-equipment; Respiratory-protection; Respiratory-protective-equipment;
Author Keywords: combustion aerosol; half-mask; manikin; particle size; penetration; respirator fit | 2,446 | 1,150 | 0.000872 |
warc | 201704 | Selected statistics 93% Percentage of Aboriginal Australians who think Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians are prejudiced against each other [20]. 71% Percentage of non-Aboriginal Australians who think the same [20]. What is a stereotype?
Before we discuss stereotypes we need to know what a stereotype is.
Definition: ‘Stereotype’
The Wikipedia defines a stereotype as [5]
a generalised perceptionof first impressions, judging with the eyes/criticising ones outer appearance, a conventional and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image, forms of social consensusrather than individual judgements.
The word ‘stereotype’ comes from the Greek ‘stereo’ and ‘typos’ = ‘solid impression’.
Stereotypes surface when you are with a group of people and you hear them affirming that, for example, “all Aboriginals are lazy”. If you asked that person you would probably find out that they actually have never met an Aboriginal person which would have allowed them to reach an informed opinion.
Stereotypes are dangerous and
can lead to prejudice and racism. Stereotypes are incomplete and inaccurate beliefs that some people hold about groups of other people [7]. Example: Aboriginal Associate Professor Karen Martin teaches university students in Queensland. She found that of the 600 students in her classes, fewer than one third had ever had a conversation with an Aboriginal person. “And yet most had a strongly held opinion or belief about Aboriginal people—generally negative,” she says [18].
Scientists found that our brain responds more strongly to information about groups who are portrayed unfavourably [24], which is often the case with Aboriginal people in the media. The negative groups then become treated as more and more negative.
When we cluster people into groups with a variety of expected traits we are less overwhelmed by information. But negative stereotypes are more difficult to reverse, and if you haven’t been brought up in a liberal family you might have more difficulties unlearning prejudice. [24]
I once received an email asking for “information on this wonderful history” of Aboriginal people in Australia. Had the author known more about Aboriginal history they wouldn’t have used the word “wonderful”.
Test: Do you hold stereotypes?
Many reduce their perception of Aboriginal people to either be disadvantaged or talented exceptions. Is the following all you do?
You celebrate individualssuch as Rover Thomas, the Bangarra Dance Theatre or Cathy Freeman. You admire dot paintingson lounge room walls. You condemn endemic violenceand out-of-sight Third World conditions. You hope the Australian government will do something, anything, about it. You ignore the drunkson the street and avoid walking the streets of Redfern. I’m Aboriginal, But I’m Not…
Listen to Aboriginal people who don’t fit the common stereotype:
Unfortunately a large portion of the majority – that is, white Australians –
accept a certain level of prejudice. You can tell when you listen carefully: “I don’t have a problem with [insert minority group], provided they come the right way / assimilate…” “Aboriginal people need to get over the past and get on with things…” “I don’t have a problem with racism, I just don’t like [insert minority group], that’s different…” “Don’t be so politically correct, it’s all in good fun [usually said after racist remark]...” “I’m not racist, my [insert friend, colleague etc] is [insert race reference]...” Homework: How would you respond to statements like these? Stereotypes about Aboriginal Australians
Research has found “entrenched negative stereotypes” of Aboriginal people in Australia [19].
Stereotypes can take many forms and shapes. Some of the more common ones say that Aboriginal people… [4,6]
are primitiveand nomadic, lack complex lawsand social organisation, are drunks, are violent, live in the outback, are un-educatedno hopers, are involved in too much crime, receive too much from welfare, get morethan the whites, eat the wrong foods(white sugar, flour, McDonalds, etc.), don’t have a religion, have sinned and need to pray for forgiveness, don’t use the landthey get for free, get treated too lenientlyby police and courts, do not want to work and are lazy, must fit the image of a dark-skinned, wide-nosed person (i.e. a ‘full-blood’), live a traditionaltribal/ancient lifestyle, are not really attached to their land because they live on the fringeof towns and cities, are like leechesand drain away each others’ resources, are problems(‘the Aboriginal problem’) and Aboriginal people have problems.
In a parody of One Direction’s song
What Makes You Beautiful, Frankie Jackson takes to comedy to portray some of the stereotypes about Aboriginal people. How many can you find in this clip?
Stereotypes are myths we copied from others without inquisitive verification. But you’ll be surprised that most of the myths about Aboriginal culture are not true.
Besides individuals who readily believe those stereotypes, the mainstream media’s focus on negative Aboriginal issues creates much hurt when it presents the problems of individual Aboriginal people as problems of all Indigenous Australians.
The education system also contributes to stereotypes when students learn of the negative aspects of Aboriginal history rather than contemporary Aboriginal studies which can be very positive, especially with regard to sporting (such as Rugby League) and educational achievements.
Further, many Australians believe that ‘we are not responsible for the past’ and don’t owe Aboriginal people anything, a view advocated for many years by former Prime Minister John Howard.
The racist stereotyping is alive and well in Australian culture. Never mind that these stereotypes can be shown for the lies that they are, racists never let truth or facts hold them back. I'm Aboriginal and I am aware of the crap
everyfreakin' day!—wotzthepoint? on Yahoo Answers [3] Homework: Spot the stereotype!
The following text is a comment from Creative Spirits’ Facebook page in response to a post about the Western Australian government considering shutting down Aboriginal communities.
Examine the comment carefully:
“Has anyone considered that leaving these communities open is continuing to keep the aboriginal community out of site and out of mind. By all means keep your cultural heritage which is vital for any race, but let’s get real. A community that has no chance of a sustainable income producing industry, no chance of continuing employment and small family populations is going no where. What about the children in these communities who never learn to speak english and have trouble putting a sentance together. What chance are they going to have in the real world.”
Questions How many stereotypes are in the text above? Which ones are they? Stereotypes can be subtle and hidden
The following short clip is about a university professor who had written racist emails. But notice how Wochit, a New York-based video producer, chose to illustrate this broadcast when referring to Aboriginal people.
They call you…
They call you Boong, they call you Abo, they call you Coon. They see your skin and think it’s dirty.
When you smile they say ‘they’re a happy one’. They see you work hard and say ‘they must be one of the good ones’.
They congratulate you not for what you have done, but just that you were able to do it… ‘they have potential’. When you argue with your intellect, they are surprised by your intelligence… ‘they’re smart for one of them’.
They don’t see your culture, they don’t see your pride, they don’t see that you are a person in your own right. Yes, you are a good black man. But you are also a good man.
They say you are smart for a black woman. This discounts your intelligence; you are a smart woman. We call you strong, we call you proud, we call you black.
We see your skin as a coat of armour, protecting your spirit and your Dreaming.
You smile because your spirit is strong. You smile because they cannot harm you with their hurtful words.
You work hard, not for their accolades, but for your own and you work for your family. This, they do not understand… but they have potential.
Intellectually you are beyond their par, for you know their world and your own. They only know their way… but they are smart for one of them.
Every day you carry your culture, every day you carry your humanity, every day you carry with you your Dreaming. This makes you a strong black person.
Yes, you are a good man. And I feel strong that you never lose sight of the fact you are a good black man.
You are a smart woman. And I am proud to say you are an intelligent and inspirational black woman.
They call you names. All but your own.
I will call to them, and say ‘these may be your words’ but he is my brother, she is my sister, and today your hurtful words mean nothing. [13]
Resource Susans Birthday Party is a short 5-minute film about a six-year-old Aboriginal girl with red hair and fair skin who’s teased at school as she is not the stereotypical Aboriginal.
Written and directed by Maureen Logan, the film is available through Keeaira Press.
An old stereotype is in your wallet
Did you know that an old stereotype about Aboriginal Australians is in your wallet? Take out one coin each for five cents, ten cents, twenty cents, one dollar and two dollars, then see what you get.
What do Australias coins show you? One cent: feathertail glider, two cents (not shown): frill-necked lizard, five cents: echidna, ten cents: lyrebird, twenty cents: platypus, one dollar: a mob of kangaroos, two dollars: a blackfella. Can you spot the stereotype?
Australia’s coins as shown above represent Australia’s fauna—or do they? Which coin is the odd one out?
Most coins were designed and introduced in February 1966 [14], more than a year before Aboriginal people were counted as citizens in their own country. It was a time when they were still thought to ‘die out’ eventually and politics of the Stolen Generations would be carried on for at least another ten years.
The series of coins suggests that Aboriginal people were seen as part of the landscape. Ironically the ‘native tree’ shown next to the head of the Aboriginal man used to be called ‘blackboy’, a reference to Indigenous people not only because the grass tree, as it is now known, has a black stem after a bushfire, but also because it develops a spear-like shoot which holds the flower and can be up to two metres in height.
You see, this is where we fit into the white scheme of things, as fauna, part of the animal kingdom, part of the landscape.—'Craig', an Aboriginal character in John Damalis' book
Riding the Black Cockatoo
One might argue that the one dollar and two dollars coins are not really part of the others because they were designed and added in 1983 and 1987. The fact remains, however, that Aboriginal people might be offended and think otherwise.
Where do stereotypes come from?
The definition of a stereotype above implies that people who communicate them rely on unverified first impressions and oversimplified concepts. Because they don’t want to or cannot find out the truth they rely on views readily available to them.
The media is a prime supplier of these simplified views and itself prone to, and a distributor of, stereotypes.
How many times did you read about a dysfunctional, violent Aboriginal community or drunk Aboriginal people getting into trouble?
And how many times did you read a success story about an Aboriginal person, in health, sport or business?
This is where the media forms and reinforces Aboriginal stereotypes. Racial stereotyping in the media is institutional and results from news values and editorial policies [7].
For Aboriginal artist Bindi Cole this leads to a disconnection between the broader community and the Aboriginal community. “People don’t even understand that in urban areas there [once] were Aboriginal people. They see what they see on TV and think ‘that’s what Aboriginal people are’ and, if you don’t fit into that, you’re not Aboriginal. They think there can’t have been any evolution of Aboriginal people in the last 200 years.” [17]
Politicians who fail to visit a broad range of Aboriginal communities to discuss matters with people first hand are susceptible to stereotypes which then influence their politics. John Howard’s first visit to an Aboriginal community came in February 1998, two years after he took office, and during his 12 years as Prime Minister he never visited any communities other than in far north Queensland and the Northern Territory [8].
People stereotype the Aboriginal race,
But theirs I never do disgrace. Drugs, no school, drinkers that's all they know Of a people with so much more to show. I hold my head up so high For my race I would die…—Salote Bovoro, 14-year-old girl [11] Aboriginal youth become the stereotypes they see
A dangerous thing about stereotypes is that they can influence a young Aboriginal person growing up. As they realise their different heritage and start searching for their identity, they are
vulnerable to internalising the beliefs and misconceptions their fellow Australians hold about them.
“If this is what people think that being Aboriginal is, then maybe that’s what I’m supposed to be,” says young Aboriginal woman Belinda Huntress from northern NSW about this identity-searching time in her life.[23] “So what I started doing was colluding to these stereotypes.”
Watch her full speech on TEDxYouth:
How can I avoid stereotyping?
It is not easy to detect that you are holding stereotypes when you are on autopilot. Follow these steps to change:
Become aware that you hold stereotypes.We are all human and hold stereotypes of some kind. The first step is to raise your awareness that you do without judging yourself for it. Realise that you copied certain beliefs from others without verification (this is much easier anyway). Question statements.With your sharpened awareness you can now detect generalising statements like “All Aboriginal people are lazy”. Start questioning them by asking “Why do you think so?” Question not only people, but also any media you consume. Inform yourself.Well done for reading Creative Spirits. Information is the best cure to stereotypes. Start investigating, ‘Are Aboriginal people really lazy?’ Check out publications from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It is vital that you go to trustworthy, authoritative sources as others might just offer a different stereotype. Help disproving them.Armed with knowledge you can now offer the real view and say ‘I disagree, the ABS found that in the last decade the number of Aboriginal students in higher education grew by 20%’.
After experiencing Aboriginal culture first-hand for 4 weeks during the series First Contact, Bo-dene Stieler realised her false beliefs:
“Before the journey, I would never have thought that my biggest life inspiration would come from Aboriginal people. Looking back, I can’t believe the ignorance I showed and the disrespect I showed by not even taking the pro-active approach to find out more and just believing everything that I had been told.” [22]
I never realised that I would share so many connections with Aboriginal people. I always thought that there was some huge divide that could never be crossed. But I was wrong.—Bo-dene Stieler, participant in
First Contact[22] ‘Good’ stereotypes: Australia’s tourism industry
Stereotypes don’t need to be bad. The tourism industry of Australia relies heavily on the stereotype of an ancient and mythical Aboriginal Australia to sell its products.
Using good stereotypes to promote Australia. The Tourism Australia website readily uses the common stereotype of ‘Australia = friendly Aboriginal people’. The caption of the image, however, reads ‘Mossman Gorge, North Queensland’ [9]. Why wasn’t the Aboriginal tour guide acknowledged? Aboriginal people still seem to be nobodies.
In the history section the website stops to tell about Aboriginal people beyond the 1967 Referendum. The ‘Culture’ section refers to the Bangarra Dance Theatre’s style as ‘traditional’ whereas it is, in fact, contemporary.
The tourism industry has perfected the art of creating the good stereotype in the minds of readers of their promotional material without saying anything that’s untrue.
Read the following extract of a text by Tourism Australia which appeared in a German newsletter about Australia [10]: “The Aborigines of Australia are the keepers of one of the oldest existing cultures. They are proud of their culture and traditions. They love to share their traditional music, ritual dances and knowledge about their land. Tourists who let themselves into meeting Aborigines during a tour into the outback can visit unique places, sense the spirituality of ancient customs, experience the spectacular nature or get close to how these people live during a stay in an Aboriginal community.
“You meet Aboriginal art and culture everywhere in Australia. If along the coast, in the heart of Australia or even at Circular Quay in Sydney or the Botanic Gardens of Melbourne - Aboriginal art and culture is present in the entire country. Tourists have many options to experience it. In urban regions, for example, galleries and exhibitions offer views into contemporary Aboriginal Australia.”
Die Ureinwohner Australiens sind die Hüter einer der ältesten noch bestehenden Kulturen. Die Aborigines sind stolz auf ihre Kultur und Traditionen. Ihre überlieferte Musik, ihre rituellen Tänze und ihr Wissen über ihr Land teilen sie gerne mit Besuchern. Touristen, die sich auf die Begegnung einlassen, sehen bei Touren im Outback einmalige Plätze in Australien, spüren die Spiritualität der uralten Bräuche, erleben die spektakuläre Natur oder erfahren bei einem Aufenthalt in einer Aborigine Gemeinde hautnah die Lebensweise der Menschen.
Auf die Kunst und Kultur der Aborigines trifft man überall in Australien. Ob entlang der Küste, mitten im Herzen Australiens oder sogar am Hafen von Sydney oder in den Botanischen Gärten Melbournes - die Kunst und Kultur der Ureinwohner ist im ganzen Land präsent. Touristen haben viele verschiedene Möglichkeiten, sie zu erleben. In urbanen Regionen etwa bieten Galerien und Ausstellungen Einblicke in das zeitgenössische aboriginale Australien.
Wouldn’t you agree that you just saw a fur-clad Aboriginal person holding a spear and boomerang?
Analysing the text we find words and attributes such as ‘keepers’, ‘oldest’, ‘traditions’, ‘ritual’ and ‘ancient’. The text serves the stereotype of Aboriginal people ‘living a traditional tribal/ancient lifestyle’ mentioned earlier. It’s all in the words. ‘Contemporary’ is only mentioned in conjunction with galleries and exhibitions.
95% of Australian tourists want to experience Aboriginal culture during their trip and that’s why Tourism Australia has chosen to feature the image of an Aboriginal tour guide prominently on their website (see image above). But I have to disappoint you.
Many Aboriginal people struggle to get jobs, even in the tourism industry. Some Aboriginal people might not even know about their own culture, have lost their family ties or don’t practise any traditional customs at all.
We don't practise our Aboriginal culture much because my nanna was stolen when she was eight years old and put in a dormitory and required to work for a white couple, so we're missing a part of our ancestry.—Stephen Pitt, Sunshine Coast, QLD [1]
Stephen’s nanna was ‘stolen’ because she is a member of the Stolen Generations, Aboriginal people who were taken away by the Australian governments “for their better” and to be trained as domestic servants or workers.
Here is another example for a ‘good stereotype’, also by Tourism Australia:
‘Good stereotypes’. Tourism Australia’s 2010 campaign There’s nothing like Australia called for photo submissions of Australian “holiday moments” [12]. They received “tens of thousands” of photos but the ones they selected to represent Aboriginal culture deny the fact that 80% of Aboriginal people live in capital cities. What tourist advertising does not tell
Australian tourists want to be served the good stereotypes of Aboriginal Australia. Imagine what would happen if we told them the truth about the contemporary situation Indigenous people are in:
The text on the left hand side is taken from Tourism Australia’s website australia.com in 2008 [2]. Next to it I’ve put my version, written with the background of more than a year’s study of Aboriginal affairs by reading the National Indigenous Times and Koori Mail. I don’t want to discredit australia.com, but show how different a picture you can get if you read elsewhere.
What the tourist industry says [2] What the news tells us 1
“You’ll transcend your five senses when you see Australia through the eyes of its first inhabitants. For Aboriginal people, ‘country’ is not just a collection of hills, cliffs, creeks, rock outcrops and waterholes. It is a magical network of land and living things, elements and seasons, Dreamtime stories, spirits and songs.”
You won’t believe your five senses when you see Australia through the eyes of its Aboriginal people. For Aboriginal people, ‘Australia’ is not just a collection of obstacles, racism, neglect, ignorance and ill-information. It is a magical maze of bland, unforgiving things, elements and treasons, disappointing stories, alcoholic spirits and deaths.
Verify it: Racism | Discrimination | Alcohol consumption | Life expectancy 2
“This is the land that Aboriginal people have lived in harmony with for more than 50,000 years. Every river, tree, mountain, star and sandy hill was shaped by a spirit ancestor during the Dreamtime of the world’s creation. Listen to these stories and you’ll begin to understand the birth of our land, its cragginess, spirituality and mystery. Visit the sacred places and feel your own sense of wonder come alive.”
This is the society that Aboriginal people have lived in struggle with for more than 200 years. Every river, tree, mountain, forest and resource was acquired by a white man during the invasion time of the white nation. Listen to these stories and you’ll begin to understand the birth of their struggle, disadvantage, hopelessness and sickness. Visit the sacred places and feel your own sense of wonder why they’re not protected.
Verify it: Land | Health | Spirituality | Pilbara strike 3
“Trace the path of spirit ancestors as you walk around the base of Uluru with an Anangu guide. Learn about the intricate system of life they created in the rock art of World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park. See Ngunawal campsites dating back to the last Ice Age in Namadgi National Park. Go walkabout and see bark and body painting in the Blue Mountains, just outside of Sydney.”
Trace the path of white ancestors as you walk on top of Uluru without any Aboriginal consent. Learn about the intricate system of disrespect whites show towards the rock art of not only Kakadu National Park. See construction worker’s campsites and toilets built over sacred sites. Go walkabout and see how bark and oil paintings are sold without passing on their revenue to the artists just outside of Sydney.
Verify it: Rock art | Art profits | Toilet on sacred site (and [16]; see also sidenote below) 4
“Hear Adnyamathanha creation stories over the campfire in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges. Trace Aboriginal trading routes more than 18,000 years old in Victoria’s Gippsland. Fish, snorkel and hunt for mud crabs with the Aboriginal communities of Western Australia’s Dampier Peninsula. Traverse the treetops with the Wujal Wujal people in Queensland’s primeval, magical Daintree Rainforest. Discover your own story in amongst this ancient, living story of creation.”
Hear massacre creation stories over the campfire near South Australia’s Rufus River. Trace Aboriginal fights for fair wages of over more than 500 million dollars in New South Wales. Hunt for Aboriginal rock engravings destroyed by gas and mining industries on Western Australia’s Dampier Peninsula. Traverse the broken family lines of Aboriginal people in Queensland’s brutal mission history. Discover your own point of view in amongst this ancient fog of tourist advertising.
Verify it: Massacres | Stolen wages | Dampier Peninsula rock art | Stolen Generations Sidenote: On 10 January 2011, the Supreme Court of Australia dismissed an appeal against a $500 fine imposed on the company who had built the drop toilet on sacred ground in November 2007. Under Northern Territory Intervention laws, evidence should have been presented citing the “detrimental effect of the desecration”. The sacred site is considered ceremonially significant to many clans in the region of Arnhem Land, and is used several times during the year by local Aboriginal men and women [15]. | 26,064 | 10,800 | 0.000097 |
warc | 201704 | Sam was a financial consultant who worked in an investment company. Typhoon Signal No. 8 was hoisted on a Thursday and Sam was not required to return to work. Sam resumed duty on the following day and his supervisor, Mrs. Leung, came to him. "As you know, Sam, we have to submit our proposal to our client next week," Mrs. Leung said, "so let's finish it up this Sunday."
Sam, however, did not want to return to work on Sunday, which was his normal rest day, because he had to attend Parents' Day organized by his son's school. But Mrs. Leung demanded it, arguing: "You must come back because we have already lost a working day yesterday!"
Can Mrs. Leung force Sam to work on Sunday to compensate for the loss of a working day due to the hoisting of Typhoon Signal No. 8?
* It is unlawful for an employer to reduce his/her employee's entitlements to rest days or other holidays to compensate for the loss of working hours resulting from the hoisting of Typhoon Signal No. 8 or above.
* Under the Employment Ordin-ance, an employee, except young persons under the age of 18 employed in industrial undertakings, may work voluntarily on a rest day. However, an employer must not compel an employee to work on a rest day except in the event of a breakdown of machinery or plant or in any other unforeseen emergency. For any rest day on which the employee is required to work, the employer should substitute another rest day within 30 days after the original rest day.
* An employer who fails to grant rest days to his/her employees according to the law is liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, to a fine of $50,000. Mrs. Leung, therefore, should not compel Sam to work on Sunday to make up for the day lost as a result of the typhoon attack.
A guide to rest days
Eligibility for Rest Day
An employee employed under a continuous contract is entitled to not less than one rest day in every period of seven days.
Definition of a Rest Day
A rest day is defined as a continuous period of not less than 24 hours during which an employee is entitled to abstain from working for his employer.
The above case only serves as an illustration of the provisions of the Employment Ordinance on rest days. The Employment Ordinance, however, remains the sole authority for the provisions explained above and in case of dispute, the final decision rests with the court.
Q&A on work arrangements in times of Typhoons
Q1 There is no prior work arrangement in times of typhoon between the employer and employee. If Typhoon Signal No. 8 or above is hoisted before the commencement of the working hours, can the employer deduct from the wages of an employee who fails to return to work after the lowering of the typhoon signal? A1 Generally speaking, employees should return to the workplace and resume duties as soon as practicable after the Typhoon Signal No. 8 is lowered. If an employee is absent from duty, according to section 32(2)(a) of the Employment Ordinance, the employer could deduct from his wages the amount proportionate to the period of absence. However, the employee might have encountered difficulties in reporting for duty immediately after the lowering of the typhoon signal as it is possible that heavy rain, road flood or landslide occurs in the district where the employee lives but not in the district of the workplace. Under such circumstances, an employer should adopt a considerate attitude towards the employee's reasons for absence. If the employee's reasons are valid, as a considerate employer, you should not make any wage deduction. An employer should immediately work out a satisfactory work arrangement with his/her employees for the benefit of both parties.
Q2 The prior work arrangement is that employees have to report for duty in times of Typhoon Signal No. 8 or above. The employee failed to report for duty for safety reasons but his explanation is not supported by evidence. Under such circumstances, could the employer take disciplinary action or summarily dismiss the employee? A2 If the employee fails to report for duty for reasons of safety, the employer should not assume that the employee intends to take unauthorized leave. He should ascertain from the employee his circumstances and consider whether his explanation is reasonable before making any decision. The employer should not take disciplinary action or dismiss the employee lightly. Summary dismissal is a serious disciplinary action. It normally applies to cases where an employee has committed very serious misconduct or fails to improve himself after the employer's repeated warnings. If an employer summarily dismisses an employee solely because he has failed to report for duty or arrived late at work due to the hoisting of Typhoon Signal No. 8 on a single occasion, the employer may have difficulties in establishing his case.
Source : Labour Department | 4,872 | 2,043 | 0.000492 |
warc | 201704 | Meet Your Local Kidney Expert
Register for a no-cost, 90-minute training session taught by a certified instructor.
The facility administrator (FA) at a dialysis center is the person who manages the entire center. The FA is responsible for all aspects of a center’s operation and is a problem solver for any issues that may arise.
Most DaVita facility administrators are dialysis nurses, although some are social workers, dietitians or have a background in business. By excelling in their jobs, and demonstrating administrative, management and leadership skills, they were promoted to FAs.
Ensuring the safety of patients and employees is the most important task of the FA. Being able to prioritize and multitask are qualities that make an FA successful. In addition to overseeing dialysis treatments and making sure the clinical outcomes are the best they can be for their patients, the FA will make sure their dialysis team members come to work as scheduled and that the center is in top condition. Performing these duties requires attention to many details. A facility administrator’s job can be divided into three main areas: Patient Care Manager, Employee Manager and Facility Operation Manager.
Before someone becomes a DaVita patient, they may meet with an FA. The FA welcomes prospective and new patients by giving tours of the dialysis center, explaining about the process and answering initial questions.
When patients first begin dialysis, the FA will make sure they fill out all the necessary paperwork. Because success at a DaVita dialysis center is measured by how well patients respond to their dialysis treatments, the FA will monitor each patient’s clinical outcomes with the center’s nurses. In an effort to provide service excellence to all DaVita patients, a DaVita Quality Index (DQI) was established. The DQI is a score that measures how well each clinic is doing by looking at several factors regarding patient outcomes. The FA monitors the DQI score for their center.
Each month the FA will have a patient care conference with the center’s nephrologists (kidney doctors) and other members of the health care team to discuss how each patient is doing. The FA will coordinate with doctors and nurses to make sure each patient is receiving the best care and education so they can get the most out of dialysis.
In order to give patients the best care, the FA will put together the best team of nurses, dietitians, social workers, patient care technicians, reuse technicians, biomedical technicians and all the others that keep the center running smoothly.
Some of the responsibilities the FA must focus on in regard to employees include:
In addition to overseeing patient care and managing a team of employees, the FA is responsible for the complete operation of the center. Everything from ordering supplies and making sure the center is clean to completing paperwork and attending meetings.
Each center must adhere to public health and safety regulations. This will include meeting with state surveyors from the Department of Health. The FA will make sure their center is clean, the water supply is up to dialysis standards and the building is safe and adheres to all necessary codes.
Some administrative functions include:
Each day brings many challenges for a facility administrator. In addition to their planned duties, FAs may be called on to handle any emergency that arises. Relentless follow up is needed to make sure all jobs are completed on time and correctly. An FA will also spend time working with new nephrologists (kidney doctors) and building relationships with medical directors and other doctors. For FAs that are registered nurses, many times they will work directly with patients.
It takes a multi-skilled person who is comfortable running the entire show to be a facility administrator. One that can accept many responsibilities, make quick decisions and be able to relate well with people.
If you possess strong leadership skills, enjoy assisting patients and managing a variety of people, we’d like to meet you
. DaVita is always enthusiastic about meeting qualified candidates who share our values.
Get a free recipe collection from the DaVita® kitchen.Get the Cookbooks
283,082 Enjoyed So Far!
Register for a no-cost, 90-minute training session taught by a certified instructor in your neighborhood.Find a Class Near Me
Call
1-800-424-6589 now to talk to one of our placement specialists.
Learn which DaVita service may best fit your lifestyle.Explore Options
Visiting from India? Discover DaVita.in: | 4,606 | 2,092 | 0.000484 |
warc | 201704 | There is some controversy as to when the vote was taken in the Texas Senate on the abortion bill. Some say it was taken before midnight on June 25, 2013 while others insist it was taken at 12:02 a.m. on June 26, two minutes after the current session of the Senate ended. In the end, it didn’t matter; Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said he was unable to sign the bill into law on June 25 due to the noise of the “unruly mob” in the legislative chamber. The bill was effectively killed.
Abortions in Texas: Senate Bill 5 Would Have Had Significant Impact
Senate Bill 5 has been described as one of the most stringent abortion laws in the United States. As well as prohibiting abortions after the 20
th week of pregnancy, the proposed legislation required all abortion clinics to meet the requirements of an ambulatory surgical center. Currently only five of the state’s 42 clinics meet that requirement.
Another requirement of the bill was that doctors who perform abortions in the state must have admitting privileges in a hospital no further than 30 miles away from the clinic where abortions are performed. This would effectively prevent most abortions from being performed in rural areas of the state, and would require many women to travel hundreds of miles to obtain a legal abortion in Texas.
Republicans and pro-life supporters argued the purpose of the proposed changes was to improve women’s health care although some admitted they wanted to see the clinics closed. Democrats and groups such as Planned Parenthood viewed the bill as eliminating or drastically reducing legal abortions in the state, which could lead women to seek illegal and unsafe terminations.
As a result of the conflict, the Democrats decided to filibuster the bill on the last day of the session, hoping to run out the clock before midnight when the current session of the Senate was ending.
Senator Wendy Davis Conducted the Filibuster
The Democrats chose Senator Wendy Davis to conduct the filibuster. The senator began speaking at 11 in the morning with the intention of continuing to speak until midnight in order to run out the clock.
Under the parliamentary procedure governing the Texas Senate, the speaker conducting the filibuster must be standing at all times. Even leaning on a desk is impermissible. As well, the person conducting the filibuster must speak continuously, and is not entitled to take a break for meals or even a moment in the restroom.
Another requirement is that the speaker must not stray off topic. Anything he or she says not directly affecting the matter being debated is improper. If a lawmaker believes any of these rules are broken, they can raise a point of order. If the speaker sustains three points of order, the Senate can vote to end the filibuster.
Republicans raised a point of order when a colleague of Davis’s helped her put on a back brace, and two others when they felt she had gone off topic.
Around 10 p.m., after Davis spoke for about 11 hours, the Republicans, who have a majority in the Senate, moved for the filibuster to end. After almost two hours of arguing, the vote was taken shortly before midnight. The bill passed by a vote of 19 to 10.Decoded Science | 3,230 | 1,533 | 0.000661 |
warc | 201704 | Find a Job Executive Director Direct Support Professional Director of Community Living Medicaid Service Coordinator Director of Program Services
Federal officials are highlighting the responsibilities of everyone from police to courts and attorneys in ensuring that people with developmental disabilities are treated fairly.
Inspired by their son, a Texas couple is planning a 29-acre development for those with autism designed so that residents can feel safe without being isolated from the surrounding community.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
A unique coffee shop is aiming to teach valuable lessons to the students in special education that work there — and the customers they serve.
A small change to Google Maps could make a big difference for people with disabilities.
With a new hiring goal, the federal government plans to use affirmative action to grow the number of people with disabilities on its payroll.
Children's entertainment center Chuck E. Cheese's is looking to make its offering more accessible to kids with autism and other special needs.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has warned of a discredited link between vaccines and autism, said the president-elect asked him to lead a commission "on vaccine safety and scientific integrity."
Researchers say there may be a simple way to reduce challenging behaviors among those with autism and similar disorders during the school day — add in some exercise.
Despite national mandates, one family's strikingly different experience when they moved illustrates how sharply special education services can vary from place to place.
Federal officials are chiming in on how to balance independence and safety for people with disabilities who have a tendency to wander.
Looking for a cost-effective means to help their son with autism and Down syndrome become more independent, one family built a 288-square-foot accessory dwelling unit next to their home.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Hate crime charges have been filed against four people shown in a Facebook video attacking a man with mental disabilities, cutting his scalp and punching him while yelling obscenities.
A documentary about a boy with autism that has been short-listed for this year's Academy Award nominations will have its television premiere.
Families of children with special needs provide billions of dollars in unpaid medical care each year, researchers say, significantly compromising their own ability to earn a living.
Get the latest developmental disability news from Disability Scoop sent straight to your inbox. | 2,631 | 1,330 | 0.000761 |
warc | 201704 | Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/
10419/24453
Full metadata record
DC Field Value Language dc.contributor.author Bertschek, Irene en_US dc.contributor.author Kaiser, Ulrich en_US dc.date.accessioned 2009-02-16T14:56:20Z - dc.date.available 2009-02-16T14:56:20Z - dc.date.issued 2001 en_US dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/10419/24453 - dc.description.abstract This paper analyzes the relationship between investment in information and communication technologies (ICT), non-ICT-investment, labor productivity and workplace reorganization. Firms are assumed to reorganize workplaces if the productivity gains arising from workplace reorganization exceed the associated reorganization costs. Two different types of organizational change are considered : introduction of group-work and flattening of hierarchies. Empirical evidence is provided for a sample of 411 firms from the German business-related services sector. We develop and estimate a model for labor productivity and firms' decision to re-organize workplaces that allows workplace reorganization to affect any parameter of the labor productivity equation. Our general and flexible methodology allows to properly take account of strategic complementarities between the input factors and workplace reorganization. The estimation results show that changes in human resources practices do not significantly affect firms' output elasticities with respect to information and communication technologies (ICT), non-ICT-capital and labor although most of the point estimates of the individual output elasticities and of the control variables for observable firm heterogeneity are larger if workplace reorganization is realized. We therefore apply Kernel density estimation technique and demonstrate that for firms with organizational change the entire labor productivity distribution shifts significantly out to the right if workplace reorganization takes place, indicating that workplace reorganization induces an increase in labor productivity that is attributable to complementarities between the various input factors and workplace reorganization. By contrast, firms without organizational change would not have realized significant productivity gains if they had reorganized workplaces. en_US dc.language.iso eng en_US dc.publisher |aZentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW) |cMannheim - dc.relation.ispartofseries |aZEW Discussion Papers |x01-32 en_US dc.subject.jel C25 en_US dc.subject.jel D24 en_US dc.subject.ddc 330 en_US dc.subject.keyword workplace reorganization en_US dc.subject.keyword ICT-investment en_US dc.subject.keyword labor productivity en_US dc.subject.keyword endogenous switching regression model en_US dc.subject.keyword Kernel density estimation en_US dc.subject.stw Arbeitsproduktivität en_US dc.subject.stw Arbeitsorganisation en_US dc.subject.stw Reorganisation en_US dc.subject.stw Computergestütztes Verfahren en_US dc.subject.stw Informationstechnik en_US dc.subject.stw Schätzung en_US dc.subject.stw Theorie en_US dc.subject.stw Deutschland en_US dc.title Productivity effects of organizational change: microeconometric evidence en_US dc.type Working Paper en_US dc.identifier.ppn 85613242X en_US dc.rights http://www.econstor.eu/dspace/Nutzungsbedingungen - dc.identifier.repec RePEc:zbw:zewdip:5387 -
Files in This Item:
Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated. | 3,504 | 1,529 | 0.00066 |
warc | 201704 | Discussion paper Series 1 / Volkswirtschaftliches Forschungszentrum der Deutschen Bundesbank 2009,05
Abstract:
From time to time, economies undergo far-reaching structural changes. In this paper we investigate the consequences of structural breaks in the factor loadings for the specification and estimation of factor models based on principal components and suggest test procedures for structural breaks. It is shown that structural breaks severely inflate the number of factors identified by the usual information criteria. Based on the strict factor model the hypothesis of a structural break is tested by using Likelihood-Ratio, Lagrange-Multiplier and Wald statistics. The LM test which is shown to perform best in our Monte Carlo simulations, is generalized to factor models where the common factors and idiosyncratic components are serially correlated. We also apply the suggested test procedure to a US dataset used in Stock and Watson (2005) and a euro-area dataset described in Altissimo et al. (2007). We find evidence that the beginning of the so-called Great Moderation in the US as well as the Maastricht treaty and the handover of monetary policy from the European national central banks to the ECB coincide with structural breaks in the factor loadings. Ignoring these breaks may yield misleading results if the empirical analysis focuses on the interpretation of common factors or on the transmission of common shocks to the variables of interest.
Subjects:
Dynamic factor models structural breaks number of factors Great Moderation EMU | 1,559 | 826 | 0.001215 |
warc | 201704 | Economic and financial reports / European Investment Bank 2010/02
Abstract:
We consider the impact of both cyclical and structural changes in the fiscal stance on public spending composition for a panel of EU countries, including individual components of public investment. We find that both cyclically-induced and structural changes in the fiscal stance affect the composition of public spending, with fiscal tightening of both types increasing the relative share of investment and loosening favouring consumption expenditure. Of the components of public investment, infrastructure and redistribution respond to cyclical changes in the fiscal stance, while investment in hospitals and schools responds most clearly to structural changes. | 742 | 383 | 0.002625 |
warc | 201704 | Corporations, Globalisation and the Law series Chapter 3: Fundamental Features of the US Chapter 11 Extract
2. Corporate restructuring law in the UK INTRODUCTION This chapter looks at the main features of corporate restructuring law in the UK, namely: receiverships, administrations and company voluntary arrangements (CVAs) plus schemes of arrangement under the Companies Act. Attention is principally directed at administration. First however, it is necessary to set the law in context. CONTEXT In the last decade corporate restructuring law in the UK has been radically reshaped – principally by means of the Enterprise Act. The Act must be seen against the backdrop of the stakeholder rhetoric of the ‘New Labour’ government elected in 1997.1 One might argue that the Enterprise Act 2002 aimed at a paradigm shift – to make the UK the best place in the world to do business. The statute can be viewed in the context of the late 1990s economic boom that was fuelled by the technology and Internet sectors.2 At the same time however, the government feared a return of the economic downturn and recession of the 1 For a full theoretical discussion of these issues see Vanessa Finch Corporate Insolvency Law: Perspectives and Principles (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2002) and in particular chapters 8 and 9 and see also Finch ‘Re-Invigorating Corporate Rescue’ [2003] JBL 527. The specialist insolvency journals Insolvency Lawyer, Insolvency Intelligence and Insolvency Law and Practice also contain a wealth of literature on the new administration procedure and practical problems thrown up by the same. 2 See generally on the flavour of the times John Cassidy dot.con (New York,...
You are not authenticated to view the full text of this chapter or article.
Elgaronline requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books or journals. Please login through your library system or with your personal username and password on the homepage.
Non-subscribers can freely search the site, view abstracts/ extracts and download selected front matter and introductory chapters for personal use.
Your library may not have purchased all subject areas. If you are authenticated and think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian. | 2,310 | 1,188 | 0.000855 |
warc | 201704 | SOPs for SEO
By Alex Ford
CEO, EMS1.com
In this day and age, the question “Do you have a Web site?” is no longer relevant. Businesses of all types, shapes and sizes have recognized the ever increasing importance of online, and even the most resistant have been forced to acknowledge that a Web site is a necessity, not a luxury, for doing business.
Whether you’re an ardent fan of the Web or a reluctant participant, it’s important that you realize the battle only begins when you design and launch your site. Your site may be great looking (and may have cost a bundle), but if no one can find it, you’re doing yourself a huge disservice and costing yourself sales.
In a perfect world, you’d launch a Web site, populate it with relevant content about your company and products, and your customers would naturally find you. But in reality, the sheer — and growing — volume of information online means that you need to take specific steps to ensure that your site is accessible by potential customers. And that means, in many cases, dealing with the gate-keepers of the Web: search engines.
This process is called “search engine optimization”, or SEO. Broadly defined, SEO is the process of optimizing your web site to improve the volume and quality of traffic from search engines via "natural" or "organic" search results. And like it or not, SEO is a critical component to the success of your site.
Google drives roughly 60-70% of traffic to most web sites, a percentage which can be even higher for ecommerce or distributor sites that feature a wide range of products. That’s not surprising, given that more than 25% of Google searches are for products.
To borrow a quote from the legendary Ricky Bobby in “Talladega Nights”, when it comes to search engine placement, “If you’re not first, you’re last.” While that’s a bit dramatic, the significance of ranking on the first page for relevant keyword searches - the terms for which your site is relevant - cannot be overstated.
One recent study indicated more than 60% of search engine users click on a result on the first page, and more than 40% will change their query if they don't find what they want on the first page of results. What’s more, trends suggest that the first page is becoming even more important, with fewer and fewer users going beyond first page of search results.
As a company marketing to emergency services, you have additional motivation to pay attention to SEO. Like most online trends, SEO started in the mainstream and has steadily trickled down into niche markets. The good news is that less than one in 20 companies in the EMS market are actively engaging in SEO. This means there is ample opportunity for companies to yield big returns by taking some basic steps toward optimizing their sites.
If your competitors haven’t yet figured out how to optimize their sites for search, you can swoop in and steal a considerable amount of traffic with a well-executed SEO strategy. When paramedics/EMT’s search for your product keywords, they’ll find your site slotted above your competitors, and that counts for a lot.
Putting together the SEO puzzle Successful SEO requires a complex recipe of many different ingredients. In one sense, you can view your SEO strategy as a puzzle, with four distinct pieces. They all fit together to form a successful SEO program; without any one of them, your SEO efforts are incomplete. The SEO “puzzle” is comprised of the following pieces: Content: The single greatest factor in search rankings; the more relevant useful content you can work into your site, the better. It is best to have a lot of targeted pages with very specific topics and subject matter than a small number of more broadly relevant pages. Underlying Technology: Think about the technology on which your site runs and consider content management systems that support search engine optimization. If you don’t have a platform that abides by the rules of the search engines, it is almost impossible to optimize and continually adjust for changes in search engine algorithms - particularly if you have a site with a lot of pages. Page Structure: Search engines look for certain key cues and details when scanning your site, so it’s important your Web pages are structured in such a way that they willingly provide them. That means your browser headers, <h1> tags, and content must be well thought out and relevant. External Linking: Your place in the overall Web community is a significant consideration for search engines in deciding where to place you, so the more links to your site from relevant partner sites, the more legitimate you are to Google, Yahoo and others.
If all of these items are executed well, they form a strong foundation for building a comprehensive SEO strategy.
10 Key SEO Tips
There are literally hundreds of little tips and tricks you can employ in the name of SEO. Googling “SEO” will return an avalanche of results, with tips both broad and extremely granular.
While it’s virtually impossible to employ every single tip you run across, here are some of the most basic and essential SEO tactics to consider using on your own site. Due to the limited use of SEO tactics among emergency service companies, we have found that by employing just a few of these, you can achieve meaningful results.
1. Identify the right keywords A critical exercise to go through at the outset of your SEO evaluation is determining which keywords are going to bring you the greatest benefit. While keyword selection will vary based on the breadth of your product offerings, there are likely a few critical keywords related to your products that you’ll want to identify and use consistently throughout your site.
The keyword process is primarily comprised of three steps:
Keyword analysis — a check into what keywords consumers are using to find products and services relevant to your company Keyword selection — culling down the list above for the most targeted, relevant and most used keywords Keyword placement — artfully placing your few keywords throughout your site in a manner that will bring you maximum benefit
Some of the keyword selection process is common sense, but don’t neglect the value of tools like Google’s Keyword Tool in identifying your ideal keywords. For example, you may consider yourself a manufacturer of “EMS footwear”. But if “EMS boots“ is getting 80 percent more searches, go with the masses. Also, it is always good practice to bold the most relevant keywords when they appear in your Web site copy.
2. Load up on relevant content The fundamental objective of search engines is to deliver users to genuinely useful content that corresponds with their searches. With that in mind, your best bet for enhancing your search ranking is to load up your site with as much quality, relevant content as possible - the more detailed, the better.
If you’ve ever written a contributed article or whitepaper, post it on your site in full. Search engines are increasingly giving preference to pages with longer content. Likewise, post any and all of your press releases. If you’re getting media coverage, create a News section and post those articles as well.
One of the hottest trends in content-related SEO is the creation of a company blog that covers news, trends and issues in your company’s market and relevant to your company’s products. If you have the time and material to generate regular blog posts on issues relevant to your business, by all means do it. Blogs do very well in search engines because they’re content-heavy, refreshed often, and keyword-rich.
If you haven’t gotten into the habit of writing, this is good motivation to start. You may not be a great writer, but you have a good understanding of your product and your market. Creating quality content takes time, but it pays off big in the SEO world.
3. Optimize your Web site’s title, meta content, content headers and URLs These are HTML scripted tags that appear in between the open and closing <HEAD> tags on your Web page. Title tags, which appear at the top of your browser, are among the most significant factors in search engine ranking, and it is very important you carefully evaluate which keywords to use in them.
More than just dropping a keyword in and walking away, the title tag should closely correspond with the content on the page and the keywords for which it is optimized. For one, it will appear in search engines as the title of your link result. Make sure that the keywords you choose for your title tag are repeated frequently in the body of your text and used as your <h1> header.
Meta content, or “metadata”, is included within the code of a Web page to provide description and keywords about the information contained on the page. While the value of meta content — which includes description and keywords — has decreased, it is still important. The meta description tag is often shown in search engine results as one or two sentences that briefly explain what the Web page is about. Keep in mind that there are restrictions to the format of your meta content. For example, Google only displays the first 150 characters of your meta description and you may be penalized for including more than 10-15 meta keywords.
Keep in mind how you structure your URLs. Your URLs should include the relevant keywords for the page and not include any question marks or strange characters. For example:
Lastly, make sure that all of the above — title, meta content, content headers and your URLs — are consistent and all use the same keywords. Also, while it might be tempting to recycle your headers and meta info for all pages on your site, it’s important you take the time make them unique and relevant to the page.
4. Create a Sitemap Your sitemap, while serving little functional purpose, is very important for search engines. It serves as a cheat sheet for search engine spiders, the technology search engines use to learn about your site. Make sure your site map is clean and without a lot of extraneous text or images. Envision a spider crawling through every page and link on your site; it is in your best interest to make it as easy as possible for the spiders to do their thing.
There are two kinds of sitemaps: one for site navigation, and an XML sitemap for spidering purposes. Once your sitemap is created, you can convert to XML using a number of free online tools (just Google “XML sitemap”). Then, submit the XML sitemap to Google directly using the sitemap component of their Webmaster Tools service.
5. Pay attention to page load time This is an important factor both for user experience and search rankings. Naturally, you don’t want to negatively affect your customers’ experience on your site by making them wait around for your site to load — even if it is great looking when it does. But perhaps more important is the negative effect high load times can have on your search ranking.
Search engine spiders factor in the page’s size, and if it hangs or takes an excessive amount of time loading, the spider won’t hang around to index the entire page. That means your page won’t rank for the keywords it’s been optimized for. We recommend that to keep your load time down you set strict limits on your use of images — especially large ones (i.e. more than 10-20K).
6. Start a reciprocal link program One of the most important factors in search rankings is the number of inbound links to your sites, meaning other Web sites that link to yours. A high number of good, relevant reciprocal links tells search engines that your site is credible and valuable, and it will rank you accordingly in search results.
To help drive this process, it’s a good idea to put together at least a basic reciprocal link program, whereby you’re regularly approaching respected, relevant sites about posting links to your site in return for you posting their link on your site (thus “reciprocal”).
While the sheer volume of inbound links is helpful, the quality of the sites linking to you is also a consideration. Google assigns a “page rank” to all sites, and the better, more established sites are likely to carry a higher page rank. Inbound links from these sites go a long way toward bumping up both your page rank and search engine ranking. Also, there is significant value in having third parties link to internal pages on your site and not just the homepage.
One more helpful tip — when your partner adds your link to their site, ask that they use relevant keywords rather than just your URL. For example, the text “A great source for vehicle lights” linked to your site is much better than “www.yourcompany.com”.
7. Don’t fall in love with Flash and images You can do a lot of cool things with Web graphics and Flash these days, and there is the temptation to turn your site into a living, breathing piece of interactive art. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with creating a visually appealing online experience for your customers, SEO considerations must be factored in as well.
Search engine spiders cannot crawl images and still haven’t mastered the indexing of Flash content, so if you’re relying heavily on these elements, you’re sacrificing a considerable amount of SEO value.
Employ graphics and Flash, but do so in moderation. If your site takes a graphics-intensive approach, make sure you’re placing text links so spiders can find them. Label all images with alt text and include descriptions so that spiders can make their way through and identify them more easily.
8. Avoid “black hat” SEO tricks With the importance of search rankings, it’s natural that some companies seek out any opportunity to gain an advantage. In some cases, this takes the form of somewhat underhanded SEO tactics — known as “black hat SEO” — such as cloaking (sending spiders to different, more optimized sites than users see), keyword stacking and title stacking. These are shortcuts designed to create an unrealistic level of keyword value.
While the temptations are understandable, in reality it’s more likely that these tricks will backfire than pay off. Google and Yahoo are no dummies, and they’re wise to most tricks. What’s more, they don’t take too kindly to being misled, and they’ll penalize or blacklist you for abuse. It’s just not worth the risk.
9. Stay up on the latest SEO news Google and other search engines use very complex algorithms to determine where your site is placed in the results for various keyword searches. SEO is essentially the deciphering of these algorithms and the specific tactics and techniques that can be employed. One of the reasons SEO must be an ongoing effort is the fact that search engines are constantly tinkering with their formulas in the quest to provide ever better search results to their users, as well as close the door on any vulnerabilities being exploited.
Because of this, it pays to keep an eye on the latest news in the world of SEO for any such updates. Here are a few good sites to bookmark and check from time to time:
10. Do the little things There are many second-level SEO tactics that bear acknowledging as you’re building and updating your site. Doing any one of them isn’t going to propel you to #1, but they’re all ingredients in your SEO recipe. They include steps like:
- using “alt tags” for all images that describe what they are
- including descriptive text with keywords below product images - use plenty of keyword-rich interior links to other pages within your site, in addition to external links - using 301 redirects for all permanent internal redirects - making use of the webmaster tools on Google and Yahoo to optimize your site: http://www.google.com/webmasters/ and http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com Clearly, SEO is no walk in the park — it’s more like an Olympic decathlon crossed with an ultra-marathon. Doing SEO right means maintaining a close eye over all aspects of your Web site, and being vigilant about making changes that will help better position it in the eyes of Google and Yahoo.
Fortunately, you don’t have to do it alone; there are countless SEO firms and specialists that can assist you, both in initial setup and your ongoing efforts. Costs vary, but with the inarguable importance of search engine rankings, it can be a wise investment.
Join the discussion
The comments below are member-generated and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EMS1.com or its staff. If you cannot see comments, try disabling privacy and ad blocking plugins in your browser. All comments must comply with our Member Commenting Policy. | 17,070 | 7,128 | 0.000145 |
warc | 201704 | Corporate intellectual capital reporting: the case of Germany Abstract
This study investigates potential motivations for intellectual capital (IC) reporting in management reports of 428 German companies for the accounting year 2010. To infer motivations, agency theory and legitimacy theory are applied to test which theory better explains IC reporting. To approach methodological issues regarding how to measure IC value and IC reporting, the study is structured in three research projects. The first two research projects analyse methodological approaches, providing the basis for testing theories in project three. In the first project, a novel measure to estimate IC value is identified in the area of mergers and acquisitions research and innovatively applied to the area of IC research. This novel long-run value-to-book measure allows testing of previously untested IC-related hypotheses. The second research project supports a parsimonious design of a research framework for an IC content analysis and specifies which IC components are important to focus on. In the final project, the results show that legitimacy theory better explains IC reporting compared to agency theory. According to the findings, IC reporting is motivated to legitimise a company’s market position and to justify the use of intangible resources. The findings of this study contribute to the research areas of measuring IC value, analysing IC content, and applying theories to IC reporting. | 1,479 | 720 | 0.001396 |
warc | 201704 | Description The root cause of housing inflation.
Canada’s housing bubble is the economy’s biggest risk—and its biggest driver. Now governments want to cool it down. Are change and pain are headed for Canada’s housing market?
What will be the nature of an adjustment? How effective are recent policy changes? Is rental activity the solution?
Joic CIBC Deputy Chief Economist Benjamin Tal as he leads discussion on the root cause of housing inflation in Canada.
Benjamin Tal Deputy Chief Economist, CIBC World Markets Inc.
Mr. Tal is responsible for analyzing economic developments and their implications for North American fixed income, equity, foreign exchange and commodities markets. He also acts in an advisory capacity to bank officers on issues related to wealth management, household/corporate credit and risk.
Well-known for his ground-breaking published research on topics such as labour market dynamics, real estate, credit markets, international trade and business economic conditions, Mr. Tal not only contributes to the conversation but also frequently sets the agenda. | 1,109 | 636 | 0.001613 |
warc | 201704 | Blog ShareFacebook Twitter AddThis
Nut butter and nut milks are on the rise - in fact - any products with nuts seems to be growing in popularity thanks to the high energy and nutrition given by the ingredient.
This infographic from
Kaitlyn Richert looks at nuts with a particular focus on nut butters and milks.
It starts by offering up some of the most popular nuts for cooking before explaining how to make butter and milk using each one.
It’s a really simple infographic with basic suggestions but it’s a great place to start if you’re looking to inject some nuts into your diet. | 604 | 375 | 0.002767 |
warc | 201704 | Select Cancer Program or Service
Nutrition is an important part of cancer treatment. Eating the right kinds of foods during and after treatment can help you feel better and stay stronger.
Many cancer patients undergoing treatment may experience various problems such as nausea , diarrhea and/or swallowing difficulties, which can interfere with their nutrition status. Our oncology dedicated nutritionist will help restore digestive health, prevent malnutrition and provide dietary recommendations during treatment. As a registered dietitian, she understands many of the common challenges related to treatment for cancer and recovery from cancer. Our goal is to help you stay strong and nourished. This service is FREE to cancer patients.
To learn more about our registered dietitian Gayla Comer, click here. | 813 | 468 | 0.00215 |
warc | 201704 | Publications Odanacatib for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis: development history and design and participant characteristics of LOFT, the Long-Term Odanacatib Fracture Trial Abstract
Odanacatib is a cathepsin K inhibitor investigated for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Phase 2 data indicate that 50 mg once weekly inhibits bone resorption and increases bone mineral density, with only a transient decrease in bone formation. We describe the background, design and participant characteristics for the phase 3 registration trial. INTRODUCTION: Odanacatib (ODN) is a selective cathepsin K inhibitor being evaluated for the treatment of osteoporosis. In a phase 2 trial, ODN 50 mg once weekly reduced bone resorption while preserving bone formation and progressively increased BMD over 5 years. We describe the phase III Long-Term ODN Fracture Trial (LOFT), an event-driven, randomized, blinded placebo-controlled trial, with preplanned interim analyses to permit early termination if significant fracture risk reduction was demonstrated. An extension was planned, with participants remaining on their randomized treatment for up to 5 years, then transitioning to open-label ODN. METHODS: The three primary outcomes were radiologically determined vertebral, hip, and clinical non-vertebral fractures. Secondary end points included clinical vertebral fractures, BMD, bone turnover markers, and safety and tolerability, including bone histology. Participants were women, 65 years or older, with a BMD T-score </=-2.5 at the total hip (TH) or femoral neck (FN) or with a prior radiographic vertebral fracture and a T-score </=-1.5 at the TH or FN. They were randomized to ODN or placebo tablets. All received weekly vitamin D3 (5600 international units (IU)) and daily calcium supplements as needed to ensure a daily intake of approximately 1200 mg. RESULTS: Altogether, 16,713 participants were randomized at 387 centers. After a planned interim analysis, an independent data monitoring committee recommended that the study be stopped early due to robust efficacy and a favorable benefit/risk profile. Following the base study closeout, 8256 participants entered the study extension. CONCLUSIONS: This report details the background and study design of this fracture end point trial and describes the baseline characteristics of its participants.
Type Journal ISBN 1433-2965 (Electronic) 0937-941X (Linking) Authors Bone, H. G.; Dempster, D. W.; Eisman, J. A.; Greenspan, S. L.; McClung, M. R.; Nakamura, T.; Papapoulos, S.; Shih, W. J.; Rybak-Feiglin, A.; Santora, A. C.; Verbruggen, N.; Leung, A. T.; Lombardi, A. Garvan Authors Publisher Name OSTEOPOROSIS INT Published Date 2015-02-01 00:00:00 Published Volume 26 Published Issue 2 Published Pages 699-712 URL http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25432773 Status Published In-print | 2,857 | 1,503 | 0.000666 |
warc | 201704 | After becoming President of Egypt in June 2012, Mohamed Morsi had to face the difficult tasks of appointing a new representative government, extricate the military from governing structures and stimulate the economy. Above all, he had to “forge a new polity – to cultivate, alongside Egyptians, a new relationship between the people and the political realm.” Drafting a new transformative Constitution was supposed to incarnate Egypt’s democratic aspirations and popular participation. Yet, the process remained opaque and “there was no sustained effort to engage Egyptians about what they wanted in their constitution.” Considering the vast array of conflicting interests and grievances within the opposition, a genuine political decentralization will be the only way to reach what could one day be described as an Egyptian sovereign nation.
By Paul Sedra December 10, 2012
The lines are now drawn. Five months ago, when Muhammad Mursi presented himself as a revolutionary to Tahrir, there was still room to conceive that he might take up the principles for which hundreds of Egyptians had given their lives since 25 January 2011 – bread, freedom, and social justice. When he claimed that he was an Egyptian just like the Egyptians in the square, and that he derived his authority only from the people, there was still room to conceive that Egypt was finally on a starkly different path from that of the sixty years prior.
At that time, back in June, the president was given a remarkable opportunity. Despite the enormous challenges that the country faced and still faces, not least in the economic sphere, he had received a mandate from the people – the first democratic mandate that Egyptians have had the opportunity to deliver in their lifetimes. With this mandate, he was empowered not merely to appoint a new government, but in an important sense, to forge a new polity – to cultivate, alongside Egyptians, a new relationship between the people and the political realm.
Much to his credit, the president succeeded in largely extricating the military from governance and thus fulfilling one of the central demands of the revolution. This was substantive change – a stark reversal of course for a government that had, for sixty years, remained led by military men.
One can well understand the frustrations that the president faced in dealing with the courts. In particular, the decision of the Supreme Constitutional Court to dissolve Egypt’s first democratically elected parliament seemed regressive in the face of the movement towards popular sovereignty. That the court was populated by appointees from the Mubarak era hardly gave one confidence that the best interests of revolutionary Egypt motivated the decision. Further, the failure of the prosecutor-general and the judicial system as a whole to deliver what the families of the revolution’s martyrs could regard as ‘justice’ only heightened these frustrations.
Nevertheless, in spite of the apparent resistance from the courts, and in spite of the skeptics who doubted the Muslim Brotherhood’s capacity to rule, the all-important opportunity to forge a new polity remained – and there was no venue more important to this task than the Constituent Assembly. In contrast to Egypt’s past constitutions, drafted behind closed doors to contain rather than promote political participation, this was a constitution that might finally have meaning and impact.
But rather than foster a national dialogue about the central issues this constitution would address – the bounds of Egyptian citizenship, for instance – debate was vouchsafed exclusively to the members of the assembly. Leaks and rumors emerged at times from the deliberations, but there was no sustained effort to engage Egyptians about what
they
If the president indeed believed that he was an Egyptian like all the rest who were in Tahrir on 29 June when he took his memorable symbolic oath of office, if he believed that the people were the only source of sovereignty in Egypt, one wonders why he failed to spearhead this national dialogue himself. Why not lead Egypt through a constitution-writing process that would transform the country as much as the revolution had – a process that would value the contributions not merely of the ‘expert’ or the ‘technocrat,’ but of the countless Egyptians who had confronted Mubarak in the streets in February 2011?
Regrettably, we got the answer to this question this past week. Despite the fact that the revolution seems forever on the president’s lips, the principles of the revolution weigh very little on his decision-making. In handing down his constitutional declaration, the president professed that he sought merely to ‘protect’ the revolution. But of course, in making his rule immune to oversight from all who might challenge and criticize him, he made himself no less a dictator than Mubarak was.
The president insisted that the declaration was only a temporary measure. And we have now discovered why: The Constituent Assembly would press ahead to pass the existing constitutional draft, approving article after article with each passing minute. This constitutional draft, written behind closed doors, with the input of scarcely the 100 members of the assembly let alone the millions of Egyptians who made the revolution, would be presented to the nation as a
fait accompli.
The lines are now drawn. Five months ago, Muhammad Mursi presented himself as a revolutionary to Tahrir. Now, we know better. Now, we know that he is not committed to the change that millions of Egyptians demanded in the revolution. Now, we know that his idea of sovereignty is much like Mubarak’s, and a world away from the truly popular sovereignty of which he spoke on 29 June. | 5,883 | 2,551 | 0.000403 |
warc | 201704 | Abstract
Since the end of 2013, the Ebola virus disease has been ravaging the economies and societies of Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea-Conakry, infecting over 20,000 people by the end of 2014. The disease also spread to Nigeria, though it was quickly contained. An estimated $1 billion in international public and private aid has been dispersed to these countries to try to stem the epidemic (Grépin 2015). Corruption played a key role in the outbreak, spread, and slow containment of Ebola in these affected countries.
Citation
Dupuy, K.; Divjak, B. Ebola and corruption: Overcoming critical governance challenges in a crisis situation. U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, CMI, Bergen, Norway (2015) 4 pp. [U4 Brief, March 2015: 4] | 746 | 485 | 0.00209 |
warc | 201704 | Entitlement: WTC entitlement - Qualifying remunerative work: Students R(FIS)1/83 and R(FIS)1/86
The work that students (including postgraduate students) do in studying for a degree or other qualification is not qualifying remunerative work. Any grant or loan that they receive is a contribution to their maintenance and is not paid in return for work done on the course.
Student nurses
Student nurses, like other students, are not considered to be in qualifying remunerative work even though their studies may involve practical experience on the wards. The NHS Bursary and other grants or loans they receive are not payments for work done on the course (and, by extension, do not count as income for tax credit purposes). | 726 | 400 | 0.002517 |
warc | 201704 | At GovX, we honor every person who wears a uniform, and we know that the military is a well-oiled machine that only works when every person is doing their part. Soldiers can’t do their jobs on empty stomachs. That’s where Daniel and his crew come in. From eager high school kid to career soldier.
I’ve served over 16 years in the United States Army. I enlisted as a food service specialist right out of high school with the intent to only serve a few years in order to pay for college when my enlistment ended. My 3-year plan turned into a 20-year plan, and I don’t regret a thing. Now I’m a Sergeant First Class and the senior enlisted leader within my food service program. I’ve been all over the world and met so many great people, especially during my deployments and when I was on recruiting duty.
Keeping soldiers nourished.
Ever come home from a long day of work and enjoy a hot, delicious meal for dinner? Know how good that feels? Now imagine what that meal would taste like if you just got back from a stressful patrol in Afghanistan. That’s what I do for my soldiers. They don’t have to cook or reheat something up in the microwave. They can just come in, relax, and enjoy their meal. These people burn calories quickly, and expend all their energy on time-consuming missions. To prepare a meal for them so they can replenish their strength and maintain a healthy weight … I consider that a privilege.
Soldier. Husband. Father.
When I’m not in uniform, I enjoy sight-seeing, camping, going to the beach, snowboarding, paintballing, and of course, cooking. I love spending time with my wife and kids, and I work out with my wife on a daily basis. It’s great to have a routine like that at the end of the day, and it’s useful for relieving stress. I know military wives and spouses can experience a lot of stress, and I’m grateful to have such a loyal and patient partner, who’s raised our children with me being away so much. When my daughter was just six years old, she was diagnosed with Leukemia and I watched her fight a tough battle. She’s currently in remission. If I ever have a bad day, I just think about what my girl went through at such an early age, and that negative mindset vanishes.
My family, cooking, mentoring my soldiers, and serving as best I can. These are the things I most value. | 2,395 | 1,258 | 0.000823 |
warc | 201704 | Top10Doctor insights on:Can Caucasians Get Sickle Cell Anemia 8doctors agreed: 8doctors agreed:
Caucasian, to most people, means a white person. But by the racial classification made in the 19th century, it ranged from people with light skin (no. Europe) to darker (parts of no. Africa & india). These people were felt to be originally from the caucases region of southeastern europe. At it's current core meaning, it is a white person, or ...Read more
2doctors agreed: 2doctors agreed: Inherited:Sickle cell anemia is hereditary. But it comes in several varieties depending what was inherited from parents. S-s is severe & usually diagnosed in infancy. S-a is carrier state & may go undetected into adulthood. Many variants are possible. This refers to how hemoglobin proteins are manufactured by red cells programmed by genes. See: http://ghr.Nlm.Nih.Gov/condition/sickle-cell-disease....Read more 3doctors agreed: 3doctors agreed: No:No. Possibly:Other indications would include a recent splenic sequestration crisis (occurs in childhood), or in a patient receiving chronic transfusions for complications of sickle cell disease whose transfusion requirement increases due to collection and destruction of blood cells in an abnormally enlarged spleen. The latter is rare in sickle cell disease....Read more 2doctors agreed: 2doctors agreed: 1doctor agreed: 7What to do if I have to do a report on sickle cell anemia and I was wondering do people with sickle cell anemia usually get splenectomies? 1doctor agreed: No:The disease usually results in the self destruction of the spleen as a functional organ by the age 3. At that point it would have no impact on the disorder and cease to be of any importance....Read more 2doctors agreed: 2doctors agreed: Why tested for sickl:There are carriers of sickle cell disease which is called sa or sickle cell trait.For a child to have sickle cell disease he/she has to have sickle cell trait present in both parents.Only if both parents test positive for sickle cell trait then there is one in four chance to have baby with sickle cell ss, anemia, and 2in four chances of sc, or sickle cell trait and1 in four chance normal infant....Read more 1doctor agreed: 9If neither parent shows signs of having sickle cell anemia, does this guarantee that their children will not get it? 1doctor agreed: Another possibility:One sickle cell syndrome is a combination of sickle cell trait and beta thalassemia. The symptoms are most like sickle cell disease. If this person had children, they could pass on the beta thalassemia and not the sickle cell. Otherwise, people sickle cell disease will have children with either trait or disease....Read more 348doctors shared insights
This is a genetic disorder in which hemoglobin is abnormally made., more common in people of african descent. This abnormality causes red blood cells to become stiff and fall apart. This can cause very specific symptoms: pain, pneumonias, strokes, spleen problems, and many other problems. Some have mild disease, some ...Read more
1,239doctors shared insights Talk to a doctor live online for free Sickle cell anemia in caucasians How can you get sickle cell anemia? Can white people get sickle cell anemia? Ask a doctor a question free online Can sickle cell anemia be passed on to offspring? Can you develop sickle cell anemia as an adult? Can you die from sickle cell anemia? Can sickle cell anemia be diagnosed with a karyotype? Talk to a hematologist online for free | 3,488 | 1,559 | 0.000643 |
warc | 201704 | These concentrations are used in the calculation of the supersaturation degree using the computer program PHREEQC (18). The supersaturation degree calculated for the control and the system with acetate present was the same, within error, at 10.55 and 10.56 respectively. This is to be expected, from the concentrations listed in table 2. In the presence of citrate however, much higher concentrations of calcium and phosphate were necessary for precipitation to occur. The higher concentration is partly due to complex formation with citrate in the solution, which decreases free ion concentration of calcium and phosphate. However the supersaturation degree is calculated based on free ion concentration, and therefore excludes the effect of complexation. In other words, variations in the degree of supersaturation imply an effect at the mineral surface. The supersaturation degree in the presence of citrate was found to be 11.33, which is significantly higher than the control or the acetate experiment. As this is not an aqueous effect, it has to be the result of a surface inhibition. It is therefore likely that it is due to citrate binding onto active sites of the newly formed nuclei and inhibiting growth, until there is enough critical mass of phosphate and calcium in solution for precipitation to occur regardless.
The precipitate was studied by X-ray diffraction. In figure 3 the pattern of one of the precipitates is given in comparison with the pattern of natural hydroxylapatite; all precipitates showed a similar pattern.
Figure 3.XRD-pattern of the precipitate formed in comparison with natural hydroxylapatite. | 1,634 | 765 | 0.00131 |
warc | 201704 | Local police departments have access, via the BCA, to Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) data on driving records for law enforcement purposes only. Therefore, access to DVS data through BCA systems for employment or licensing is prohibited. The reason for this is that police departments have access to private data that is only authorized by Minnesota statute to be used for law enforcement purposes (for example, home addresses of persons who fear for their safety and have specifically asked to not have it released, medical data, or other private data).
To obtain business partner records access agreement forms: Kim Jacobson 651.201.7607 Kim.Jacobson@state.mn.us Driver and Vehicle Services.
The DVS is the best source for information on driving records of Minnesota residents. The division does offer cities (and other organizations) the option of entering into a “business partner records access agreement.” Cities can obtain driving records online (currently without charge) by signing this agreement.
There are several private companies that conduct criminal history checks as part of an overall background checking fee-based service. These companies likely have access only to public conviction data and the data may not be up to date. While these companies can save the city time and effort, the city will want to question the company about what data they will be receiving as part of the criminal history check and how often it is updated.
800.925.1122 651.281.1200 HRbenefits@lmc.org
If you have any additional questions, please contact the League’s Human Resources and Benefits Department.
League of Minnesota Cities Information Memo: Background Checks: The ABCs of BCA Data
1/14/2014 Page 7 | 1,738 | 895 | 0.001133 |
warc | 201704 | I live in Riverside, California -- mid-way between Los Angeles and PalmSprings -- where the summer temperatures often exceed 100 degrees.I have a 30' by 20' garden containing about a dozen roses and othershrubs. Years ago, I planted gazanias as a groundcover. For the firstfew years, the gazanias looked great: luxurient growth with continuousflowers and full-coverage. But, since then, the gazanias have becomeunattactive: sparse, lanky and gangly growth with few flowers.I'd like to replace the gazanias with a different groundcover that hasattactive foliage, that flowers more-or-less continuously and hasfull-coverage.What are good candidates?
While there are evergreen groundcovers that will fill that area nicely,there are few that are everflowering. According to my copy of Sunset's"Western Garden Book", Riverside is borderline between zones 18 and 19.In those zones, consider:Persica capitata (pink clover). The leaves are somewhat colorful,turning bright red (but remaining on the plant) with winter frosts. Itrepeatedly has small, pale pink flowers resembling clover flowers.Under the right conditions (especially with part shade in your area),this can grow vigorously or even invasively.Pontentilla neumanniana (cinqufoil). Dark green leaves. Occasionalsmall, bright yellow flowers. Resembles strawberries in its growthpattern. Slower growing than P. capitata, but this too can becomeinvasive.Iberis sempervirens (candytuft). Not invasive at all with somewhat anopen pattern of growth. Very low but upright growth. Covered with tinywhite flowers in the spring and sometimes again in the summer or fall.Instead of a ground cover, also consider Cuphea hyssopifolia (falseheather) planted close together to form a single mass. This is anevergreen subshrub, growing only a foot high. Mine are covered withflowers all year long. I have scattered plants of this with whiteflowers and a mass planting with dark pink (almost purple) flowers. Oneyear, frost burned some of these. On a single plant, half was obviouslyburned; but the other half continued to bloom through the winter.You might also consider mixing two or more of the above. My massplanting of C. hyssopifolia has both P. capitata and P. neumannianagrowing through it. In one area of my garden, P. neumanniana is growingunder my I. sempervirens.
--David E. RossClimate: California Mediterranean
HomeOwnersHub.com is a website for homeowners and building and maintenance pros. It is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners. | 2,607 | 1,364 | 0.000735 |
warc | 201704 | How do you know an engineer has completed the adequate level of training for the job at hand? Or that a child development associate adheres to the standards of his or her profession?
The answer: through licensing and certification, made possible for many organizations through IACET.
Get more information about how IACET works with Regulatory officials and agencies here or download your FREE whitepaper "A Regulatory Guide to Maintaining Integrity in Professional Education Programs."
IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs) provide the foundation for licensing, and certification programs worldwide; enhancing quality, safety, efficiency and professionalism across all sectors of the economy.
With CEUs, organizations, professional associations, agencies and others are able to more effectively monitor and enforce the standards that help them meet regulatory mandates and earn the trust of the people they serve. All IACET Accredited Providers develop and deliver their programs in accordance with ANSI/IACET Standard for Continuing Education and Training.
From health care to education to engineering and construction, IACET CEUs play a vital and multifaceted role.
At the individual level, the CEU is an essential tool for professional development and certification or recertification. At the industry level, certification and licensing programs that use CEUs help industries strengthen their credibility, institutionalize their best practices and cultivate the next generation of practitioners.
Information may be free, but an education is priceless. | 1,567 | 822 | 0.001225 |
warc | 201704 | The Agile Scaling Model (ASM) is a contextual framework for effective adoption and tailoring of agile practices to meet the unique challenges faced by a system delivery team of any size.
The ASM distinguishes between three scaling
categories:
Core agile development. Core agile methods, such as Scrum and Agile Modeling, are self governing, have a value-driven system development lifecycle (SDLC), and address a portion of the development lifecycle. These methods, and their practices, such as daily stand up meetings and requirements envisioning, are optimized for small, co-located teams developing fairly straightforward systems.
Disciplined agile delivery. Disciplined agile delivery processes, which include Dynamic System Development Method (DSDM) and Open Unified Process (OpenUP), go further by covering the full software development lifecycle from project inception to transitioning the system into your production environment (or into the marketplace as the case may be). Disciplined agile delivery processes are self organizing within an appropriate governance framework and take both a risk and value driven approach to the lifecycle. Like the core agile development category, this category is also focused on small, co-located teams delivering fairly straightforward systems. To address the full delivery lifecycle you need to combine practices from several core methods, or adopt a method which has already done so. Agility at Scale. This category focuses on disciplined agile delivery where one or more scaling factors are applicable. The eight scaling factors are team size, geographical distribution, regulatory compliance, organizational complexity, technical complexity, organizational distribution, domain complexity, and enterprise discipline. All of these scaling factors are ranges, and not all of them will likely be applicable to any given project, so you need to be flexible when scaling agile approaches to meet the needs of your unique situation. To address these scaling factors you will need to tailor your disciplined agile delivery practices and in some situations adopt a handful of new practices to address the additional risks that you face at scale.
The first step in scaling agile approaches is to move from partial methods to a full-fledged, disciplined agile delivery process. Mainstream agile development processes and practices, of which there are many, have certainly garnered a lot of attention in recent years. They’ve motivated the IT community to pause and consider new ways of working, and many organizations have adopted and been successful with them. However, these mainstream strategies (such as Extreme Programming (XP) or Scrum, which the ASM refers to as core agile development strategies) are never sufficient on their own; as a result organizations must combine and tailor them to address the full delivery life cycle. When doing so the smarter organizations also bring a bit more discipline to the table, even more so than what is required by core agile processes themselves, to address governance and risk.
The second step to scaling agile is to recognize your degree of complexity. A lot of the mainstream agile advice is oriented towards small, co-located teams developing relatively straightforward systems. But once your team grows, or becomes distributed, or you find yourself working on a system that isn’t so straightforward, you find that the mainstream agile advice doesn’t work quite so well – at least not without sometimes significant modification. Each of the scaling factors introduces their own risks, and when addressed effectively can actually reduce project risk, and for your project team to succeed you will want to identify the scaling factors applicable to the situation that you face and act accordingly. Unfortunately, this is a lot easier said (OK, in this case blogged about) than done.
IBM Rational advocates disciplined agile delivery as the minimum that your organization should consider if it wants to succeed with agile techniques. You may not be there yet, still in the learning stages. But our experience is that you will quickly discover how one or more of the scaling factors is applicable, and as a result need to change the way you work.
Further reading:
Modificado por ScottAmbler
When I talk to people about scaling agile techniques, or about agile software development in general, I often put describe strategies in terms of various risks. I find that this is an effective way for people to understand the trade-offs that they're making when they choose one strategy over another. The challenge with this approach is that you need to understand these risks that you're taking on, and the risks that you're mitigating, with the techniques that you adopt. Therein lies the rub, because the purveyors of the various process religions ( oops I mean methodologies) rarely seem to coherently the discuss the risks which people take on (and there's always risk) when following their dogma (oops, I mean sage advice).
For example, consider the risks associated with the various strategies for initially specifying requirements or design. At the one extreme we have the traditional strategy of writing initial detailed speculations, more on this term in a minute, and at the other extreme we have the strategy of just banging out code. In between are Agile Modeling (AM) strategies such as requirements envisioning and architecture envisioning (to name a few AM strategies). Traditionalists will often lean towards the former approach, particularly when several agile scaling factors apply, whereas disciplined agile developers will lean towards initial envisioning. There are risks with both approaches.
Let's consider the risks involved with writing detailed speculations (there's that term again):
You're speculating, not specifying. There is clearly some value with doing some up-front requirements or architecture modeling, although the data regarding the value of modeling is fairly slim (there is a lot of dogma about it though), but that value quickly drops off in practice. However, the more you write the greater the chance that you're speculating what people want (when it comes to requirements) or how you're going to build it (when it comes to architecture/design). Traditionalists will often underestimate the risks that they're taking on when they write big requirements up front (BRUF) , or create big models up front (BMUF) in general, but in the case of BRUF the average is that a large percentage of the functionality produced is never used in practice -- this is because the detailed requirements "specifications" contained many speculations as to what people wanted, many of which proved to be poor guesses in practice.
You're effectively committing to decisions earlier than you should. A side effect of writing detailed speculations is that by putting in the work to document, validate, and then update the detailed speculations the decisions contained in the speculations become firmer and firmer. You're more likely to be willing to change the content of a two-page, high-level overview of your system requirements than you are to change the content of a 200-page requirements speculation that has been laboriously reviewed and accepted by your stakeholders. In effect the decision of what should be built gets "carved in stone" early in the process. One of the principles of lean software development is to defer decisions as late as possible, only making them when you need to, thereby maximizing your flexibility. In this case by making requirements decisions early in the process through writing detailed speculations, you reduce your ability to deliver functionality which meets the actual needs of your stakeholders, thereby increasing project risk.
You're increasing communication risk. We've known for decades that of all the means of communication that we have available to us, that sharing documentation with other people is the riskiest and least effective strategy available to us for communicating information (face-to-face communication around a shared sketching environment is the most effective). At scale, particularly when the team is large or the team geographically distributed, you will need to invest a little more time producing specifications then when the team is co-located, to reduce the inherent risks associated with those scaling factors, but that doesn't give you license to write huge tomes. Agile documentation strategies still apply at scale. Also, if you use more sophisticated tooling you'll find it easier to promote collaboration on agile teams at scale.
You're traveling heavy. Extreme Programming (XP) popularized the concept of traveling light. The basic idea is that any artifact that you create must be maintained throughout the rest of the project (why create a document if you have no intention of keeping it up to date). The implication is that the more artifacts you create the slower you work due to the increased maintenance burden.
There are also risks involved with initial envisioning:
You still need to get the details. Just because you're not documenting the details up front doesn't imply that you don't need to understand them at some point. Agile Modeling includes several strategies for exploring details throughout the agile system development life cycle (SDLC), including iteration modeling performed at the beginning of each iteration as part of your overall iteration planning activities, just in time (JIT) model storming throughout the iteration, and test-driven development (TDD) for detailed JIT executable specification.
You need access to stakeholders. One of the fundamental assumptions of agile approaches is that you'll have active stakeholder participation throughout a project. You need to be able to get information from your stakeholders in a timely manner for the previously listed AM techniques to work effectively. My experience is that this is fairly straightforward to achieve if you educate the business as to the importance of doing so and you stand up and fight for it when you need to. Unfortunately many people don't insist on access to stakeholders and put their projects at risk as a result.
You may still need some documented speculations. As noted previously you may in fact need to invest in some specifications, particularly at scale, although it's important to recognize the associated risks in doing so. For example, in regulatory compliance situations you will find that you need to invest more in documented speculations simply to ensure that you fulfill your regulatory obligations (my advice, as always, is to read the regulations and then address them in a practical manner).
The ways that you approach exploring requirements, and formulating architecture/design, are important success criteria regardless of your process religion/methodology. No strategy is risk free, and every strategy makes sense within given criteria. As an IT professional you need to understand the risks involved with the various techniques so that you can make the trade-offs best suited for your situation. One process size does not fit all.
My final advice is to take a look at the Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD) framework as it provides a robust strategy for addressing the realities of agile software development in enterprise settings.
People who are new to agile are often confused about how agile teams address architecture, but luckily we're seeing more discussion around agile architecture
now in the community so this problem is slowly being addressed from what I can tell. But, what I'm not seeing enough discussion about, at least not yet, is how is enterprise architecture addressed in the overall agile ecosystem. So I thought I'd share some thoughts on the subject, based on both my experiences over the years (see the recommended resources at the bottom of this posting) as well as on an enterprise architecture survey
which I ran in January/February 2010.
My belief is that effective enterprise architecture, particularly in an agile environment, is:
Business driven. Minimally your EA effort should be driven by your business, not by your IT department. Better yet it should be business owned, although this can be a challenge in many organizations because business executives usually aren't well versed in EA and view it as an IT function. Yes, IT is clearly an important part of EA but it's not the entirety of EA nor is it the most critical part. In many organizations the IT department initiates EA programs, typically because the business doesn't know to do so, but they should quickly find a way to educate the business in the need to own your organization's EA efforts. Evolutionary. Your enterprise architecture should evolve over time, being developed iteratively and introduced incrementally over time. An evolutionary approach enables you act on the concrete feedback that you receive when you try to actually implement it, thereby enabling you to steer its development successfully. Collaborative. The EA survey clearly pointed to "people issues" being critical determinants of success, and of failure, of EA programs. My experience is that the best enterprise architects, just like the best application architects, work closely with the intended audience of their work, both on the business side of things as well as on the IT side. They will "roll up their sleeves" and become active members of development teams, often in the role of Architecture Owner on agile teams or Architect on more traditional teams. Their mission is to ensure that the development teams that they work with leverage the EA, to mentor developers in architecture skills, and to identify what works and what doesn't in practice so that they can evolve the EA accordingly. Enterprise architects, architects in general, who don't participate actively on development teams (holding architecture reviews isn't active participation) run the risk of being thought of as "ivory tower" and thus easy to ignore. Focused on producing valuable artifacts. The most valuable artifacts are useful to the intended audience, are light weight, and ideally are executable. Many EA programs run aground when the enterprise architects focus on artifacts that they've always wanted but that development teams really aren't very excited about -- yes, it might be interesting to have a comprehensive comparison of cloud technologies versus mainframe technologies, but a collection of reusable services would be fare more interesting to them. A detailed enterprise data model indicating suggested data attributes would be intellectually interesting to develop, but a list of legacy data sources with a high-level description of their contents would be immediately valuable to many development teams. A detailed model depicting desired web services would be useful, but an actual collection of working services that I can reuse now would be even better. An explicit part of development. In Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD) architectural activities are an explicit part of the overall delivery process. Part of the architectural advice is that delivery teams should work closely with their organization's enterprise architects so that they can leverage the common infrastructure, and sometimes to help build it out, effectively. Disciplined agile teams realize that they can benefit greatly by doing so.
The Agile Scaling Model (ASM)
calls out addressing enterprise disciplines, such as enterprise architecture, as one of eight scaling factors which may apply to a given project. The interesting thing about this scaling factor is that it's the only one where things get potentially easier for development teams when we move from the simple approach, having a project focus, to the more complex approach, where we have an enterprise focus. By having a common infrastructure to build to, common guidelines to follow, and valuable artifacts to reuse project teams can benefit greatly. So, I guess my advice is to seriously consider adding enterprise disciplines to your agile strategy.
Recommended Resources:
Recently I spent some time in the UK with Julian Holmes of Unified Process Mentors
. In one of our conversations we deplored what we were seeing in the agile community around certification, in particular what the Scrum community was doing, and he coined the term “integrity debt” to describe the impact it was having on us as IT professionals. Integrity debt is similar to technical debt
which refers to the concept that poor quality (either in your code, your user interface, or your data) is a debt that must eventually be paid off through rework. Integrity debt refers to the concept that questionable or unprofessional behavior builds up a debt which must eventually be paid off through the rebuilding of trust with the people that we interact with.
The agile community has been actively increasing their integrity debt through the continuing popularity of Scrum Certification, in particular the program around becoming a Certified Scrum Master (CSM). To become a CSM you currently need to attend, and hopefully pay attention during, a two-day Scrum Master Certification workshop taught by a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST). That’s it. Granted, some CSTs will hold one or more quizzes which you need to pass, an optional practice which isn’t done consistently, to ensure that you pay attention in the workshop.
Scrum Masters, as you know, take the leadership position on a Scrum team. The idea that someone can master team leadership skills after two entire days of training is absurd. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a firm supporter of people increasing their skillset and have no doubt that many of the CSTs deliver really valuable training. However, there is no possible way that you can master a topic, unless it
is truly trivial, in only two days of training. From what I can tell the only thing that is being certified here is that your check didn’t bounce.
The CSM scheme increases the integrity debt of the IT industry by undermining the value of certification. When someone claims that they’re certified there’s an assumption that they had to do something meaningful to earn that certification. Attending a two-day course, and perhaps taking a few quizzes where you parrot back what you’ve heard, clearly isn’t very meaningful. The problem with the term Certified Scrum Master is two-fold: not only does the term Certified imply that the holder of the certification did something to earn it, the term Master implies that they have significant knowledge and expertise gained over years of work.
It is very clear that people are falling for the Scrum certification scheme.
A quick search of the web will find job ads requiring that candidates be CSMs, undoubtedly because they don’t realize that there’s no substance behind the certification. Whenever I run into an organization that requires people to be CSMs I walk them through the onerous process of earning the designation and suggest that they
investigate the situation themselves. Invariably, once they recognize the level of deception, the customer drops the requirement that people be CSMs.
Another quick search of the web will find people bragging about being a CSM, presumably being motivated by the employment opportunities within the organizations gullible enough to accept Scrum certification at face value. My experience is that the people claiming to be CSMs are for the most part decent, intelligent people who 99.99% of the time have far more impressive credentials to brag about than taking a two-day course. Yet, for some reason they choose to park their integrity at the door when it comes to Scrum certification. I suspect that this happens in part because they see so many other people doing it, in part because they’re a bit desperate to obtain or retain employment in these tough economic times, and in part because the IT industry doesn’t have a widely accepted code of ethical conduct. These people not only embarrass themselves when they indicate on their business cards or in their email signatures that they’re Certified Scrum Masters they also increase the integrity debt of the agile community as a whole.
Yet another search of the web will find people bragging about being Certified Scrum Trainers (CSTs), the people whom have been blessed by the Scrum Alliance to deliver Scrum master certification courses. Once again, my experience is that these are intelligent, skilled people, albeit ones who have also parked their integrity at the door in the pursuit of a quick buck. Surely these people could make a decent living via more ethical means? I know that many of them have done so in the past, so I would presume that they could do so in the future. The actions of the CSTs increase our integrity debt even further.
The group of people who have most embarrassed themselves, in my opinion, are those whom we consider thought leaders within the agile community. Leaving aside the handful who are directly involved with the Scrum certification industry, the real problem lies with those who have turned a blind eye to all of this. The Scrum certification scheme was allowed to fester within our community because few of our thought leaders had the courage to stand up and publicly state what they were talking about in private. This of course is all the more galling when you consider how much rhetoric there is around the importance of courage on software development projects. As Edmund Burke once observed, all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
There are several things that we can do today to start paying off some of our integrity debt:
Be discerning, not deceptive. If you’re going to list credentials on your email signature or business card then only choose to list the ones that actually mean something. Educate human resources people. Make them aware of what “Certified Scrum Master” really means and let them think for themselves. I highly suspect that if HR people realized what was going on the demand for CSMs would plummet, and in turn people wouldn’t be tempted by Scrum certification. Act professional, don’t just claim to be certified. Instead of signing up for every easy certification that comes your way why not simply do a good job and let the people you work with be your claim to fame? The good news is that for the past few years the agile community has tried to pay down some of the IT industry’s integrity debt that we have with our stakeholders by providing better return on investment (ROI), delivering systems which are more effective at addressing the needs of your stakeholders, by working in a more timely manner, and by producing greater quality work. All of these claims are borne out by the 2008 Software Development Project Success Rate Survey by the way. Recognize that adding a test doesn’t address the underlying problems. For the past year there’s been a move afoot to have people pass a test as part of earning their CSM (apparently it’s been a challenge to create a non-trivial test to validate your understanding of a topic that you can master by taking a two-day training course). This is something that should have been done from the very beginning, along with some sort of peer review, not years later when the damage has been done. Adding a test at this late date isn’t going to remove the stink that’s built up over the years, but sadly it will fool a few people into believing that they’ve covered it up. Recognize that there is a demand for certification. The agile community needs to put together a decent certification program, something that the Scrum Alliance has clearly failed at doing. My article Coming Soon: Agile Certification provides some thoughts as to what we need to do. The good news is that people such as Ron Jeffries and Chet Hendrickson, and others, are putting together a developer certification program. The really good news is that these are the right people to do this. The really bad news is that they’re doing it under the aegis of the Scrum Alliance, so whatever they accomplish will unfortunately be tainted by the fallout of the CSM debacle.
If we're going to scale agile software development strategies to meet the range of challenges faced by modern organizations, we need to be trustworthy. Is claiming to be a certified master after taking a two-day course an act which engenders trust? I don't think so. As individuals we can choose to do better. As a community we need to.
Suggested Reading
Agile Certification -- A humorous look at certification. IT Surveys -- A great resource for statistics about what IT people are actually doing in practice. Modificado por ScottAmbler
I'm happy to announce that A Practical Guide to Distributed Scrum by Elizabeth Woodward, Steffan Surdek, and Matthew Ganis is now in print. I've been talking this book up in presentations and with customers the past few months and promised that I would let everyone know once it was available. I was one of several people who wrote forewords for the book, Ken Schwaber, Roman Pichler, and Matthew Wang also did so, and I've modified my foreword below to help you to understand a bit better what the book is about.
If you’re thinking about buying this book, you’re probably trying to answer one or more of the following questions: “What will I learn?”, “Should I spend my hard earned money on this book?”, “Will it be worth my valuable time to read it?”, and “Is this a book that I’ll refer to again and again?” To help you answer these questions, I thought I’d list a few user stories which I believe this book clearly fulfills:
As a reader I want:
a book that is well-written and understandable real-world examples that I can relate to
quotes from actual people doing this in the field
to understand the challenges that I’ll face with distributed agile development
As someone new to agile I want to:
learn the fundamentals of Scrum
understand the fundamentals of agile delivery
learn about what actually works in practice
discover how extend Scrum into an agile delivery process
As an experienced agile practitioner I want to learn:
how to scale agile approaches for distributed teams
how to overcome the challenges faced by distributed teams
how to tailor existing agile practices to reflect the realities of distribution
bout “new” agile practices which we might need to adopt
techniques so that distributed team members can communicate effectively
how to extend Scrum with proven techniques from Extreme Programming, Agile Modeling, and other agile methods
how to address architectural issues on a distributed agile team
how agile teams address documentation
how agile teams can interact effectively with non-agile teams
As a Scrum Master I want to learn how to:
lead a distributed agile team
facilitate a distributed “Scrum of Scrums”
facilitate the successful initiation of a distributed agile project
facilitate communication and collaboration between distributed team members
As a Product Owner I want to learn:
how to manage a product backlog on a distributed team
about different categories of stakeholders whom I will need to represent
about techniques to understand and capture the goals of those stakeholders
how to manage requirements with other product owners on other sub-teams
what to do during an end-of-sprint review
how I can streamline things for the delivery team that I’m working with
As an agile skeptic I want to:
see examples of how agile works in practice
hear about the challenges faced by agile teams
hear about where agile strategies don’t work well and what to do about it
I work with organizations around the world helping them to scale agile strategies to meet their real-world needs. Although this book is focused on providing strategies for dealing with geographical distribution, it also covers many of the issues that you’ll run into with large teams, complex problem domains and complex technical domains. An important aspect of scaling agile techniques is to first recognize that’s there’s more to scalability than dealing with large teams, something which this book clearly demonstrates.
At the risk of sounding a bit corny, I’ve eagerly awaited the publication of this book for some time. I’ve known two of the authors, Elizabeth and Matt, for several years and have had the pleasure of working with them and learning from them as a result. Along with hundreds of other IBMers I watched this book get written and provided input where I could. The reason why I’m so excited about it is that I’ve wanted something that I could refer the customers to that I work with and honestly say, “yes, we know that this works because this is what we do in practice”.
IBM is doing some very interesting work when it comes to scaling agile. We haven’t published enough externally, in my opinion, due to a preference for actively sharing our experiences internally. This book collects many of our experiences into a coherent whole and more importantly shares them outside the IBM process ecosystem. Bottom line is that I think that you’ll get a lot out of this book.
Related Reading:
Modificado por ScottAmbler
One of the scaling factors called out in the Software Development Context Framework (SDCF) is domain complexity. The general idea is that agile teams will find themselves in different situations where some teams are developing fairly straightforward solutions, such as an informational website, whereas others are addressing very complex domains, such as building an air-traffic control system (ATCS). Clearly the team building an ATCS will work in a more sophisticated manner than the one building an informational website. I don't know whether agile techniques have been applied in the development of an ATCS, although I have to think that agile's greater focus on quality and working collaboratively with stakeholders would be very attractive to ATCS delivery teams, I do know that agile is being applied in other complex environments: The 2009 Agility at Scale Survey found that 18% of respondents indicated that their organizations had success at what they perceived to be very complex problem domains,.
Increased domain complexity may affect your strategy in the following ways:
Reaching initial stakeholder consensus becomes difficult. One of the risk reduction techniques called out in Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD) is to come to (sufficient) stakeholder consensus at the beginning of the project during the Inception phase (called Sprint 0 in Scrum or Iteration 0 in other agile methods). Stakeholder consensus, or perhaps "near concensus" or "reasonable agreement" are better terms, can be difficult to come to the more complex the problem domain is because the stakeholders may not fully understand the implications of what they're making decisions about and because there is likely a greater range of stakeholders with differing goals and opinions. The implication is that your project initiation efforts may stretch out, increasing the chance that you'll fall back on the old habits of big requirements up front (BRUF) and incur the costs and risks associated with doing so.
Increased prototyping during inception. It is very common for disciplined agile teams to do some light-weight requirements envisioning during inception to identify the scope of what they're doing and to help come to stakeholder consensus. The greater the complexity of the domain, and particularly the less your team understands about the domain, the more likely it is that you'll benefit from doing some user interface (UI) prototyping to explore the requirements. UI prototyping is an important requirements exploration technique regardless of paradigm, and it is something that you should consider doing during both initial requirements envisioning as well as throughout the lifecycle to explore detailed issues on a just in time (JIT) manner.
Holding "all-hands reviews". One strategy for getting feedback from a wide range of people is to hold an "all hands review" where you invite a large group of people who aren't working on a regular basis with your team to review your work to date. This should be done occasionally throughout the project to validate that the input that you're getting from your stakeholder represenatives/product owners truly reflects the needs of the stakeholders which they represent. The 2010 How Agile Are You? Survey found that 42% of "agile teams" reported running such reviews.
Increased requirements exploration. Simple modeling techniques work for simple domains. Complex domains call for more complex strategies for exploring requirements. The implication is that you may want to move to usage scenarios or use cases from the simpler format of user stories to capture critical nuances more effectively. A common misunderstanding about agile is that you have to take a "user story driven approach" to development. This is an effective strategy in many situations, but it isn't a requirement for being agile.
The use of simulation. You may want to take your prototyping efforts one step further and simulate the solution. This can be done via concrete, functional prototypes, via simulation software, via play acting, or other strategies.
Addition of agile business analysts to the team. Analysis is so important to agile teams we do it every day. In situations where the domain is complex, or at least portions of the domain is complex, it can make sense to have someone who specializes in exploring the domain so as to increase the chance that your team gets it right. This is what an agile business analyst can do. There are a few caveats. First, even though the domain is complex you should still keep your agile analysis efforts as light, collaborative, and evolutionary as possible. Second, this isn't a reason to organize your team as a collection of specialists and thereby increase overall risk to your project. The agile analyst may be brought on because their specialized skills are required, but the majority of the people on the team should still strive to be generalizing specialists. This is also true of the agile analyst because their may not be eight hours a day of valuable business analysis work on the team, and you don't want the BA filling in their time with needless busy work.
The important thing is to recognize that the strategies which work well when you're dealing with a simple domain will not work well for a complex domain. Conversely, techniques oriented towards exploring complex domains will often be overkill for simple domains. Process and tooling flexiblity is key to your success.
Contrary to popular belief, agile development teams do in fact model and yes, they even do some up front requirements and architecture modeling. Two of the best practices of Agile Modeling are Requirements Envisioning
and Architecture Envisioning
where you spend a bit of time at the beginning of the project doing enough initial modeling to get you going in the right direction. The strategy is to take advantage of modeling, which is to communicate and think things through without taking on the risks associated with detailed specifications written early in the lifecycle
. In this blog posting I will focus on requirements envisioning, in a future posting I'll cover architecture envisioning.
The goal of initial requirements envisioning is to identify the scope of your effort. You need to do just enough modeling early in the project to come to stakeholder concurrence and answer questions such as what you're going to build, roughly how long it's going to take (give a range), and roughly how much it's likely to cost (once again, give a range). If you can get the right people together in the room, which can sometimes be a logistics challenge but not one that you couldn't choose to overcome, there are very few systems (I suspect less than 5%) that you couldn't initially scope out in a few days or a week. I also suspect that most of the remaining systems could be scoped out with less than 2 weeks of modeling, and if not then I'd take that as an indication that you're taking on too large of a project. I'm not saying that you'll be able to create big detailed specifications during this period, and quite frankly given the problems associated with "Big Requirements Up Front (BRUF)
" you really don't want to, but I am saying that you could gain a pretty good understanding of what you need to do. The details, which you'll eventually need, can be elicited throughout the lifecycle when you actually need the information. A common saying in the agile community is that requirements analysis is so important for us that we do it every single day, not just during an initial phase. I'll discuss just in time (JIT) approaches to requirements modeling in a future posting.
To envision the requirements for a business application, you might want to consider creating the following models:
High-level use cases (or user stories). The most detail that I would capture right now would be point form notes for some of the more complex use cases, but the majority just might have a name. The details are best captured on a just-in-time (JIT) basis during construction. User interface flow diagram. This provides an overview of screens and reports and how they're inter-related. You just need the major screens and reports for now. User interface sketches. You'll likely want to sketch out a few of the critical screens and reports to give your stakeholders a good gut feeling that you understand what they need. Sketches, not detailed screen specifications, are what's needed at this point in time. Domain model. A high-level domain model, perhaps using UML or a data modeling notation, which shows major business entities and the relationships between them, can also be incredibly valuable. Listing responsibilities, both data attributes and behaviors, can be left until later iterations. Process diagrams. A high-level process diagram, plus a few diagrams overviewing some of the critical processes, are likely needed to understand the business flow. Use-case diagram. Instead of a high-level process diagram you might want to do a high-level use case diagram instead. This is a matter of preference, I likely wouldn't do both. Glossary definitions. You might want to start identify key business terms now, although I wouldn't put much effort into settling on exact definitions. I've seen too many teams run aground on "analysis paralysis" because they try to define exact terminology before moving forward. Don't fall into this trap.
For small teams simple tools such as whiteboards and paper are usually sufficient for requirements envisioning. But what happens at scale? What if you're working on a large agile team, say of 50 people, 200 people (IBM has delivered software into the marketplace with agile teams of this size), or even 500 people (IBM currently has teams of this size applying agile techniques)? What if your team is distributed? Even if you have people working on different floors of the same building, let alone working from home or working in different cities or countries, then you're distributed (see my postings about distributed agile development
). Suddenly whiteboards and paper-based tools (index cards, sticky notes, ...) aren't sufficient. You're still likely to use these sorts of tools in modeling sessions with stakeholders, but because of one or more scaling factors you need to capture your requirements models electronically.
In January Theresa Kratschmer and I gave a webcast entitled Agile Requirements: Collaborative, Contextual, and Correct
which overviewed agile approaches to requirements elicitation and management, including requirements envisioning. We also showed how Rational Requirements Composer (RRC)
can be used to electronically capture critical requirements information, enabling you to address the needs of large and/or distributed agile teams, while still remaining lightweight and flexible. I suspect that you'll find the webcast to be very illuminating and RRC something that you want to take a look at (the link leads to a trial version). Of course RRC can be used in other situations as well, but that's not what I'm focused on right now.
Teams which find themselves in regulatory environments will likely need to do more than just use RRC, as might very large teams. Regulatory compliance often requires more complex requirements documentation, which in turn requires more sophisticated tools such as DOORS or Requisite Pro, and I would consider using those tools in the types of situations that warrant it. One of the things that people often struggle to understand about agile approaches is that you need to tailor your strategy to reflect the situation at handle. One process size does not fit all, so you will end up using different tools and creating different artifacts to different extents in different situations. Repeatable results, not repeatable processes
, is the rule of the day.
Further reading:
[Read More
]
Again and again I've seen IT organizations suffering from what I call the "Bureaucracy is Discipline" antipattern. For example, filling out forms and reviewing documents are both bureaucratic activities, neither of which require significant skill nor discipline to accomplish. However, agile practices such as developing potentially shippable software every iteration is easy to say but requires great discipline to accomplish. Respecting the decisions of your stakeholders, particularly those pertaining to requirements prioritization, is easy to talk about but proves to require great discipline in practice (particularly when you don't agree with a decision). It's easy to talk about taking a test-driven approach to development
, but in practice it requires significant skill and discipline to actually do.
A "process smell" which indicates that your organization is suffering from this antipattern is a focus on following repeatable processes instead of focusing on repeatable results. An example of repeatable processes is following the same route to work every day regardless of driving conditions. An example of repeatable results is getting to work on time every day, but being willing to change your route as required, bicycling into work instead of driving, taking public transit, and so on. Nobody really cares how you get to work each day (the process), what they really care about is that you got to work on time (the result). Sadly, we've been told for decades now that repeatable processes are critical to our success in IT, yet when you step back and think about that's really a reflection of a bureaucratic approach. On the other hand, a focus on repeatable results is a reflection of a more disciplined approach. Interestingly, the DDJ 2008 Process Framework survey
found that given the choice that people would much rather have repeatable results over repeatable processes
when it comes to IT.
Mistaking bureaucracy for discipline, or rigour if you prefer that term, is a reflection of the cultural damage that has occurred over the years in IT organizations as the result of traditional philosophies and techniques. Unfortunately, this mistaken belief is a significant inhibitor to software process improvement (SPI) efforts, in particular agile adoption efforts
, which must be addressed if you're to be successful. Overcoming this challenge will require a significant cultural shift in some organizations, and many people (particularly the bureaucrats) will find this uncomfortable.
Further reading:
I'd like to leave you with this parting thought:
Bureaucracy is bureaucracy and discipline is discipline, please don't confuse the two
.[Read More
]
A few days later someone asked a series of questions that I thought would make an interesting blog posting, so here goes:
How much of IBM's projects (in percentage) are agile at the moment?
I don’t have exact numbers, but I believe that 90%+ of our teams in SWG are applying agile techniques in practical ways that make sense for their projects. The primary goal is to be effective – in frequent releases, higher quality, and happy customers – not just agile. By the way, there is roughly 30,000 developers in SWG.
Can all of IBM's projects work with an agile methodology?
It’s certainly possible, but it may not always make sense. Products that are in maintenance mode with few bugs or feature requirements may not benefit as much from agile practices -- those teams will likely continue to do whatever it is that they have been doing. Having said that, it's still highly desirable to apply agile techniques on maintenance projects.
Also, agile methods can be harder to use on some projects than others, for example, around hardware development. As a general rule, I believe that the majority of software projects can benefit from agile techniques. The primary determinant of whether a team can adopt agile techniques is culture and skill – not team size, the domain, or the degree of geographic distribution. That notion surprises many people who think that large agile teams
or geographically distributed agile teams
can’t succeed in adopting agile practices.
Are agile projects sub-parts of large waterfall projects?
In some cases, that may happen. I’m sure it’s also true in reverse. We see many customers who are migrating from waterfall projects to a more agile way of doing things, and they often start this migration with smaller sub-projects. At IBM, we have tens of thousands of developers worldwide on hundreds of teams, so we have examples of pretty much any combination of agile, iterative, and traditional practices that you can imagine. There’s definitely not one size that fits all, which is a key aspect of the Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD)
process framework.
What do you think the impact of these numbers will be on the PM community?
The IBM PM community is embracing agile. And the reality is that a majority of development organizations around the world are moving to agile now as well (as much as 80% in some of the recent studies I’ve seen). I look forward to the increased adoption of agile methods by the PM community in general. The fact that PMI now offers an Agile Certified Practitioner training program certainly underscores the fact that agile practices are being adopted widely in the mainstream which is a great thing to see.
I was recently in Bangalore speaking at the Rational Software Conference, which was really well done this year, and visiting customers. In addition to discussing how to scale agile software development approaches, particularly when the team is distributed geographically and organizationally, I was also asked about what I thought about a software factory approach to development. My instinctual reaction was negative, software factories can result in lower overall productivity as the result of over specialization of staff (I prefer generalizing specialists
), too many hand-offs between these specialists (I find close collaboration to be far more effective), and too much bureaucratic overhead to coordinate these activities. I initially chalked it up to these people still believing that software development was mostly a science, or perhaps an engineering domain, whereas my experiences had made me come to believe that software development is really more art than it is a science. Yet, the consistent belief in this strategy by very smart and experienced people started me thinking about my position.
Just let me begin by saying that this blog posting isn't meant to be yet another round in the age old, and relatively inane, "art vs. science" debate within the software development community. That debate is a symptom of versusitis
, a dread disease which particularly plagues the IT industry and which can any of us at any time. There is no known cure, although the combination of experience, open-mindedness, and critical thought are the best inoculation against versusitis that we have so far. In that vein, let me explore the issues as I see them and I will let you think for yourself.
On the one hand software development has aspects of being an art for several reasons. First, the problem definition is never precise, nor accurate, and even when we have detailed specifications the requirements invariably evolve
anyway. The lack of defined, firm requirements requires us to be flexible and to adjust to the situation that we find ourselves in. Second, teams typically find themselves in unique situations, necessitating a unique process and tool environment to reflect this (assuming that you want to be effective, otherwise there's nothing stopping you from having a "repeatable process" and consistent tool environment). Third, software is built by people for people, requiring that the development team have the ability to build a system with a user interface which meets the unique needs of their end users. One has only to look at the myriad UI designs out there to see that surely there is a bit of art going on. Fourth, if software development wasn't at least partially art then why hasn't anyone succeeded at building tools which take requirements as inputs and produce a viable solution that we can easily deploy? It's been over four decades now, so there's been sufficient time and resources available to build such tooling. Fifth, regardless of how much of a scientific/business facade we put over it, our success rate at producing up front detailed cost estimates and schedules speak for itself (see Funding Agile Projects
for links to articles).
On the other hand software development has aspects of being a science for several reasons. First, some aspects of software development have in fact been automated to a significant extent. Second, there is some mathematical basis to certain aspects of software development (although in the case of data-oriented activities the importance of relational theory
often gets blown way out of proportion and I have yet to see a situation where formal methods proved to be of practical value).
What does this have to do with Agility@Scale. As you know, one of the agile scaling factors
is Organizational Complexity, and cultural issues are the hardest to overcome. Whether your organization believes that software development is mostly an art or mostly a science is a cultural issue which will be a major driver in you choice of methods and practices. Organizations which believe that software development is more of a science will prefer strategies such as software factories, model-driven architecture (MDA),
and master data management (MDM)
. And there is ample evidence to support the claims that some organizations are succeeding at these strategies. Although you may not agree with these strategies, you need to respect the fact that many organizations are making them work in their environments. Similarly, organizations which believe that software development is more of an art will find that agile and lean strategies are a better fit, and once again there is ample evidence that organizations are succeeding with these approaches (there's also evidence that agile projects are more successful
than traditional projects, on average). Once again, you may not agree with these strategies but you need to respect the fact that other people are making them work in practice.
Trying to apply agile approaches within an organization that believes software development is mostly a science will find it difficult at best, and will likely need to embark on a multi-year program to shift their culture (likely an expensive endeavor which won't be worth the investment). Similarly, trying to apply a software factory strategy in an organization that believes that software development is mostly an art will also run aground. The bottom line is that one size does not fit all, that one strategy is
not right for all situations and that you need to understand the trade-offs of various strategies, methodologies, techniques, and practices and apply them appropriately given the situation that you face. In other words, it depends! If you are embarking on a software process initiative, and you don't have the broad experience required to effective choose between strategies (very few organizations do, although many believe otherwise), then you should consider Measured Capability Improvement Framework (MCIF)
to help increase your chance of success.
There is a distinct rhythm, or cadence, at different levels of the agile process. We call this the agile 3C rhythm, for coordinate, collaborate, and conclude (which is sometimes called stabilize). The agile 3C rhythm occurs at three levels in Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD):
Day. A typical day begins with a short coordination meeting, called a Scrum meeting in the Scrum method. After the daily coordination meeting the team collaborates throughout most of the day to perform their work. The day concludes with a working build, hopefully you had several working builds throughout the day, which depending on your situation may require a bit of stabilization work to achieve. Iteration. DAD construction iterations begin with an iteration planning session (coordinate) where the team identifies a detailed task list of what needs to be done that iteration. Note that iteration modeling is often part of this effort. Throughout the iteration they collaborate to perform the implementation work. They conclude the iteration by producing a potentially consumable solution, a demo of that solution to key stakeholders, and a retrospective to identify potential improvements in the way that they work. Release. The DAD lifecycle calls out three explicit phases - Inception, Construction, and Transition – which map directly to coordinate, collaborate, and conclude respectfully.
The agile 3C rhythm is similar conceptually to Deming’s Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) cycle:
Coordinate maps to plan Collaborate maps to do Conclude maps to check and act Modificado por ScottAmbler
IBM Rational recently published an update to my Agility@Scale e-book, which can be downloaded free of charge. The e-book is a 21 page, 2.3 meg PDF (sorry about the size, guess the graphics did it) . It overviews the Agile Scaling Model (ASM) (which has since been replaced by the Software Development Context Framework (SDCF) ), Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD), the scaling factors of agility at scale, and ends with some advice for becoming as agile as you can be. In short it's a light-weight coverage of some of the things I've been writing about in this blog the past couple of years. Could be a good thing to share with the decision makers in your organization if they're considering adoption agile strategies.
A recurring discussion that I have with experienced agile developers is what it means to take a disciplined agile approach. The conversation usually starts off by some saying "but it already requires discipline to do agile", something that I fully agree with, followed by "therefore 'disciplined agile' is merely a marketing term", something which I don't agree with. The challenge with the "standard" agile discipline is that it is often focused on construction activities within a single project team, clearly important but also clearly not the full picture. There's more to an agile project than construction, and there's more to most IT departments than a single development project. In short, there are many opportunities for IT professionals to up their discipline, and thereby up their effectiveness, opportunities which we make explicit in the Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD) framework.
Let's explore the many aspects to taking a disciplined agile approach:
You adopt "standard" agile discipline
. Aspects of agile which require discipline
include adopting practices such as test-driven development (TDD), active stakeholder participation, working collaboratively, shortening the feedback cycle
, and many more. These strategies are a great start to becoming disciplined IT professionals.
You take a goal-driven approach
. When we first started working on the DAD framework I didn't want to create yet another prescriptive framework, particularly given Rational's track record with the Rational Unified Process (RUP) framework. Rational has been pilloried for years for the prescriptive nature of RUP, which is unfortunate because there are a lot of great ideas in RUP that agile teams can benefit from, some of which we adopted in DAD and many of which are being actively reinvented with the agile community even as you read this. Furthermore, there are many prescriptive elements of the Scrum method that can get teams in trouble. For example, Scrum prescribes that you hold a daily stand up meeting, often called a Scrum meeting, where everyone should answer three questions. That's a great approach for teams new to agile, but it proves problematic in many situations due to it's prescriptive nature. Do you really need to do this once a day? I've been on teams where we held coordination meetings twice a day and others only once a week. Do you really need to stand up? I've been on geographically distrubited agile teams where many of us were sitting down during coordination calls. Do you really need to answer three questions, two of which are clearly focused on status regardless of claims otherwise? I've been on lean teams where we met around our Kanban board and focused on potential blockers. The answers to these questions depends on the context of the situation you find yourself in. The challenge, at least from the point of view of a process framework, is how do you avoid falling into the trap of being overly prescriptive. The strategy we adopted in DAD is to take a goal-driven approach. The observation is that regardless of the situation you find yourself in there are common goals your team will need to fulfill. For example, at the beginning of a project common goals include developing an initial plan, initially exploring the scope, initially identifying a technical strategy, and securing initial funding (amongst others). Throughout construction you should coordinate your activities, improve the quality of your ecosystem, and produce a potentially consumable solution on a regular basis (more on this below). So, instead of prescribing a daily stand up meeting the DAD framework instead indicates you should coordinate your activities, and gives several options for doing so (one of which is a Scrum meeting). More importantly DAD describes the advantages and disadvantages of your options so that you can make the choice that's best suited for the situation your team finds itself in (see this blog posting
for a detailed example of the types of tables included in the DAD book to help you through such process tailoring decisions). In short, our experience is that it requires discipline to take a goal driven approach
to agile delivery over the prescriptive strategies in other agile processes.
You take a context-driven approach
. There are many tailoring factors, which I describe in the Software Development Context Framework (SDCF)
, which you need to consider when making process, tooling, and team structure decisions. For example, a large team will adopt a different collection of practices and tools than a small team. A geographically distributed team will adopt a different strategy than a team that is co-located. You get the idea. Other tailoring factors include compliance, team culture, organization culture, technical complexity, domain complexity, and project type. It requires discipline to recognize the context of the situation you find yourself in and then act accordingly.
You deliver potentially consumable solutions
. One of the observations that we made early in the development of the DAD framework was that disciplined agile teams produce potentially consumable solutions, not just potentially shippable software. Although delivery of high-quality, working software is important it is even more important that we deliver high-quality working solutions to our stakeholders. For example, not only are we writing software but we may also be updating the hardware on which it runs, writing supporting documentation, evolving the business processes around the usage of the system, and even evolving the organizational structure of the people working with the system. In other words, disciplined agilists focus on solutions over software
. Furthermore, "potentially shippable" isn't sufficient: not only should it be shippable but it should also be usable and should be something people want to use. In other words it should be consumable (a concept DAD adopted from IBM's Outside In Development
). Minimally IT professionals should have the skills and desire to produce good software, but what they really need are the skills and desire to provide good solutions. We need strong technical skills, but we also need strong "
soft skills"
such as user interface design and process design to name just two.
The incremental delivery of potentially consumable solutions on an incremental basis requires discipline
to do successfully. DAD teams focus on repeatable results not repeatable processes
.
You are enterprise aware
. Whether you like it or not, as you adopt agile you will constrained by the organizational ecosystem, and you will need to act accordingly. It takes discipline to work with enterprise professionals such as enterprise architects, data admistrators, portfolio managers, or IT governance people who may not be completely agile yet, and have the patience to help them. It takes discipline to work with your operations and support staff in a DevOps
manner throughout the lifecycle, particularly when they may not be motivated to do so. It requires discipline to accept and potentially enhance existing corporate development conventions (programming guidelines, data guidelines, UI guidelines, ...). It requires discipline to accept that your organization has an existing technology roadmap that you should be leveraging, building out, and in some cases improving as you go. In short, enterprise awareness requires a level of discipline
not typically seen on many agile teams.
You adopt a full delivery lifecycle
. Empirically it is very easy to observe that at the beginning of an agile project there are some activities that you need to perform to initiate the project. Similarly at the end of the project there are activities that you need to perform to release the solution into production or the marketplace. The DAD process framework addresses the effort required for the full delivery effort, including project initiation, construction, and deployment. Our experience is that it requires discipline on the part of IT professionals to include explicit phases
for Inception/Initation, Construction, and Transition/Deployment and more importantly to focus the appropriate amount of effort on each. One danger of explicit phases is that you run the risk of taking what's known as a Water-Scrum-Fall
approach, a term coined by Dave West the person who wrote the forward for the DAD book, where you take an overly heavy/traditional approach to inception and transition in combination with a lighter agile approach to construction. Water-Scrum-Fall occurs because many organizations haven't made a full transition to agile, often because they think it's only applicable to construction. Our experience is that you can be very agile in your approach to inception and transition, experience we've built into the DAD framework. Having said that it clearly requires discipline to keep inception activities short
and similarly it requires discipline to reduce the "transition phase" to an activity
.
You adopt a wider range of roles
. An interesting side effect of adopting a full delivery lifecycle is that you also need to adopt a more robust set of roles. For example, the Scrum method suggests three roles - Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Team Member - a reflection of the Scrum lifecycle's construction focus. DAD suggests three primary roles - Team Lead, Product Owner, Team Member, Architecture Owner
, and Stakeholder - as well as five secondary roles which may appear at scale.
You embrace agile governance
. Governance establishes chains of responsibility, authority and communication in support of the overall enterprise’s goals and strategy. It also establishes measurements, policies, standards and control mechanisms to enable people to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively. You do this by balancing risk versus return on investment (ROI), setting in place effective processes and practices, defining the direction and goals for the department, and defining the roles that people play with and within the department. It requires discipline to adopt an agile approach to governance
, and that's something built right into the DAD framework.
I'm happy to announce that a revised version of the Lean Development Governance
white paper which I co-wrote with Per Kroll is now available. This version of the paper reflects our learnings over the past few years helping organizations to improve their governance strategies.
There's a more detailed description of the paper here
.
Modificado por ScottAmbler
A common misunderstanding about agile software development is that it’s only for co-located teams. Things are definitely easier for co-located teams, and as I found with both the Dr. Dobb’s 2007 and 2008 Agile Adoption surveys (www.ambysoft.com/surveys/) co-located agile teams appear to have a higher success rate than distributed teams, Having said that, many organizations are in fact succeeding at distributed agile development.
I’d like to share some strategies that I’m seeing work in practice, and in this blog posting summarizes generic strategies for distributed teams whether or not they’re agile. These strategies are:1. Do some up front planning. Distributed development is higher risk than co-located development, and one way to address that risk is to think things through. That doesn’t mean that you need to create a monolithic, 1000+ task Gantt chart, but it does mean that you should identify your major dependencies and milestone dates. Effective teams do this planning with the distributed developers actively involved (they are part of the team after all), they strive to consider all associated costs, and in particular they don’t overlook the low probability/high impact risks which often prove to be project killers.
2. Organize the team effectively. Once of the practices of Lean Development Governance (https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/iwm/web/preLogin.do?lang=en_US&source=swg-ldg) is to organize your team structure around either your architecture or the lines of business (LOB) supported by the programme that you’re working on. Ideally each sub-team should be responsible for one or more subsystems or modules, something that can be difficult if some of your team works alone from home, to reduce the amount of information sharing and collaboration required between disparate teams. In other words, maximize the responsibilities of the “offshore” team(s) as much as possible. A very common mistake is to organize the subteams around job specialties – for example the architects are in Toronto, the developers in Mumbai, and the testers in Singapore – because to support this team structure you have to create a phenomenal amount of documentation to support communication between the teams.
3. Do some up front modeling. The implication of organizing your team around the architecture (or LOB) is that you also need to do a bit of architecture envisioning up front. Your architecture efforts should provide guidance regarding the shared infrastructure as well as critical development conventions such as coding guidelines and data naming conventions. Architecture envisioning is also a good idea for co-located agile teams too. See http://www.agilemodeling.com/essays/initialArchitectureModeling.htm for strategies to get the benefits of architecture modeling without the costs of needless documentation.
4. Recognize that communication is critical. GDD puts many barriers to communication in place, increasing overall project risk. To overcome these risks you will first need to be aware of them and act accordingly, and second, you’ll need to write more documentation than you would likely prefer. The risks associated with long-distance communication include cultural differences, time-zone differences, and the challenges with written documentation (which is the least effective way to communicate information). I make it a habit of asking open-ended questions so that I can determine whether or not the other people understand the topic under conversation. Particularly I will never ask a yes/no style of question because the simple answer of yes can mean a range of things depending on the culture. It may mean “Yes, I heard you”, “Yes, I understand what you’re saying”, or “Yes, I understand and agree with you”. When you’re dealing with people at other locations it’s good practice to ask them to summarize the conversation in writing, in particular to identify key action items and ownership of them, to ensure that everyone agrees with what was discussed. A good approach is to have the team lead on other end to do the summary so that they own it going forward.
5. Put a good technical infrastructure in place. Automate, automate, automate. In a GDD environment you need to work with collaborative multi-site tools such as ClearCase, ClearQuest, and Jazz Rational Team Concert (www.jazz.net) which enable you to share and evolve your work products (i.e. test scripts, code, documents) effectively.
In my next posting I'll describe a collection of agile-specific strategies for distributed software development teams.[Read More
]
I'm happy to announce that IBM Rational's RP252 Advanced Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD) workshop
is now available. This is a 3-day, hands-on workshop which teaches students the fundamentals of Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD)
. This workshop is offered both publicly and privately.
During 2007 Per Kroll and myself invested a significant amount of time development a framework for lean development governance. This effort resulted in a series of three articles that were published in Rational Edge and a recently published white paper. The articles go into the various practices in detail whereas the paper provides an overview aimed at executives. I also recently did a webcast which is now available online. The URLs are at the bottom of this blog posting.
Development governance isn’t a sexy topic, but it critical to the success of any IT department. I like to compare traditional, command-and-control approaches to governance to herding cats – you do a bunch of busy work which seems like a great idea in theory, but in the end the cats will ignore your efforts and stay in the room. Yet getting cats out of a room is easy to accomplish, as long as you know what motivates cats. Simply wave some fish in front of their noses and you’ll find that you can lead them out of the room with no effort at all. Effective governance for lean development isn’t about command and control. Instead, the focus is on enabling the right behaviors and practices through collaborative and supportive techniques. It is far more effective to motivate people to do the right thing than it is to try to force them to do so.
This framework is based on the philosophical foundation provided by the 7 principles proposed in the book “Lean Software Development” by Mary and Tom Poppendieck. The 7 principles are:1. Eliminate Waste. The three biggest sources of waste in software development are the addition of extra features, churn, and crossing organizational boundaries. Crossing organizational boundaries can increase costs by 25% or more because they create buffers which slow down response time and interfere with communication. It is critical that development teams are allowed to organize themselves, and run themselves, in a manner which reflects the work that they’re trying to accomplish. 2. Build Quality In. If you routinely find problems with your verification process then your process must be defective. When it comes to governance, if you regularly find that developers are doing things that you don’t want them to do or are not doing things that they should be then your approach to governance must be at fault. The strategy is not to make governance yet another set of activities that you layer on top of your software process but instead should embed into your process to make it as easy as possible for developers to do the right thing. 3. Create Knowledge. Planning is useful, but learning is essential. 4. Defer Commitment. You do not need to start software development by defining a complete specification, but instead work iteratively. You can support the business effectively through flexible architectures that are change tolerant and by scheduling irreversible decisions to the last possible moment. This also requires the ability to closely couple end-to-end business scenarios to capabilities developed in potentially several different applications by different projects. 5. Deliver Fast. It is possible to deliver high-quality systems fast and in a timely manner. By limiting the work of a team to their capacity, by not trying to force them to do more than they are capable but instead ask them to self-organize and thereby determine what they can accomplish, you can establish a reliable and repeatable flow of work. 6. Respect People. Sustainable advantage is gained from engaged, thinking people. The implication is that you need a human resources strategy which is specific to IT, that you need to focus on enabling teams not on controlling them. 7. Optimize the Whole. If you want to govern your development efforts effectively you must look at the bigger picture, not just individual project teams. You need to understand the high-level business process which the individual systems support, processes which often cross multiple systems. You need to manage programs of interrelated systems so that you can deliver a complete product to your stakeholders. Measurements should address how well you’re delivering business value, because that is the raison d’etre of your IT department.
Based on our experiences, and guided by the 7 principles, Per Kroll and I identified 18 practices of lean development governance. We've organized these practices into 6 categories:1. The Roles & Responsibilities category: - Promote Self-Organizing Teams. The best people for planning work are the ones who are going to do it. - Align Team Structure With Architecture. The organization of your project team should reflect the desired architectural structure of the system you are building to streamline the activities of the team.
2. The Organization category: - Align HR Policies With IT Values. Hiring, retaining, and promoting technical staff requires different strategies compared to non-technical staff. - Align Stakeholder Policies With IT Values. Your stakeholders may not understand the implications of the decisions that they make, for example that requiring an “accurate” estimate at the beginning of a project can dramatically increase project risk instead of decrease it as intended.
3. The Processes category: - Adapt the Process. Because teams vary in size, distribution, purpose, criticality, need for oversight, and member skillset you must tailor the process to meet a team’s exact needs. - Continuous Improvement. You should strive to identify and act on lessons learned throughout the project, not just at the end. - Embedded Compliance. It is better to build compliance into your day-to-day process, instead of having a separate compliance process that often results in unnecessary overhead. - Iterative Development. An iterative approach to software delivery allows progressive development and disclosure of software components, with a reduction of overall failure risk, and provides an ability to make fine-grained adjustment and correction with minimal lost time for rework. - Risk-Based Milestones. You want to mitigate the risks of your project, in particular business and technical risks, early in the lifecycle. You do this by having throughout your project several milestones that teams work toward.
4. The Measures category: - Simple and Relevant Metrics. You should automate metrics collection as much as possible, minimize the number of metrics collected, and know why you’re collecting them. - Continuous Project Monitoring. Automated metrics gathering enables you to monitor projects and thereby identify potential issues so that you can collaborate closely with the project team to resolve problems early.
5. The Mission & Principles category: - Business-Driven Project Pipeline. You should invest in the projects that are well-aligned to the business direction, return definable value, and match well with the priorities of the enterprise. - Pragmatic Governance Body. Effective governance bodies focus on enabling development teams in a cost-effective and timely manner. They typically have a small core staff with a majority of members being representatives from the governed organizations. - Staged Program Delivery. Programs, which are collections of related projects, should be rolled out in increments over time. Instead of holding back a release to wait for a subproject, each individual subprojects must sign up to predetermined release date. If the subproject misses it skips to the next release, minimizing the impact to the customers of the program. - Scenario-Driven Development. By taking a scenario-driven approach, you can understand how people will actually use your system, thereby enabling you to build something that meets their actual needs. The whole cannot be defined without understanding the parts, and the parts cannot be defined in detail without understanding the whole.
6. The Polices & Standards category: - Valued Corporate Assets. Guidance, such as programming guidelines or database design conventions, and reusable assets such as frameworks and components, will be adopted if they are perceived to add value to developers. You want to make it as easy as possible for developers to comply to, and more importantly take advantage of, your corporate IT infrastructure. - Flexible Architectures. Architectures that are service-oriented, component-based, or object-oriented and implement common architectural and design patterns lend themselves to greater levels of consistency, reuse, enhanceability, and adaptability. - Integrated Lifecycle Environment. Automate as much of the “drudge work”, such as metrics gathering and system build, as possible. Your tools and processes should fit together effectively throughout the lifecycle.
The URLs for the 3 articles:Principles and Organizations: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/library/jun07/kroll/Processes and Measures: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/library/jul07/kroll_ambler/Roles and Policies: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/library/aug07/ambler_kroll/
The URL for the white paper:https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/iwm/web/preLogin.do?lang=en_US&source=swg-ldg
The URL for the webcast:https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/iwm/web/preLogin.do?lang=en_US&source=dw-c-wcsdpr&S_PKG=112907C[Read More
]
Agile requirements
activities are evolutionary (iterative and incremental) and highly collaborative in nature. Initially requirements are explored at a high level via requirements envisioning
at the beginning of the project and the details are explored on a just-in-time (JIT) basis via iteration modeling
and model storming
activities. The way that you perform these agile practices, and the extent to which you do so, depends on the situation in which a project team finds itself. The Agile Scaling Model (ASM)
is a contextual framework for effective adoption and tailoring of agile practices to meet the unique challenges faced by a system delivery team of any size. To see how this works, let's apply the concepts of the ASM to see how we would scale our agile approach to requirements.
First, let's consider how a small, co-located team would work. The first two categories of the ASM are core agile development and disciplined agile delivery
, the focus of both are small co-located teams in a fairly straightforward situation. In these situations simple techniques such as user stories
written on index cards and sketches on whiteboards
work very well, so the best advice that I can give is to stick with them. Some teams will take a test-driven development
(TDD) approach where they capture their requirements and design in the form of executable specifications
, although this sort of strategy isn't as common as it should be (yet!), likely because of the greater skill and discipline that it requires. Traditionalists often balk at this approach, believing that they need to document the requirements in some manner. But, for a small co-located team working in a collaborative manner, requirements documentation proves to be little more than busy work, often doing nothing more than justifying the existence of a business analyst who hasn't made the jump to agile yet. Don't get me wrong, there are good reasons to write some requirements documentation, and we'll see this in a minute, but you should always question any request for written specifications and try to find more effective ways to address the actual goal(s) motivating the request. Never forget that written documentation
is the least effective communication
option available to you.
Although inclusive tools
such as whiteboards and paper work well for requirements, for development activities you will need electronic tools. You will either put together an environment from point-specific tools or adopt something more sophisticated such as IBM Rational Team Concert (RTC)
which is already fully integrated and instrumented. RTC is a commercial tool, but luckily you can download a 10-license environment free of charge, which is just perfect for a small team. Larger teams, of course, will need to purchase licenses. One of the things that a disciplined agile delivery approach adds to core agile development is it addresses the full delivery life cycle, which is important because it explicitly includes pre-construction activities such as requirements envisioning. The first step in scaling agile techniques is to adopt a full delivery life cycle which covers the full range of activities required to initiate a project, produce the solution, and then release to solution to your end users.
More interesting is the third category of the ASM, Agility@Scale, and how its eight agile scaling factors
affect the way that you tailor your process and tooling strategy. Let's explore how each one could potentially affect your agile requirements strategy:
Geographical distribution. The majority of agile teams are distributed in some manner -- some people are working in cubicles or private offices, on different floors, in different buildings, or even in different countries -- and when this happens your communication and coordination risks goes up. To counter this risk you will need to perform a bit more requirements envisioning up front to help ensure that everyone is working to the same vision, although this doesn't imply that you need to write detailed requirements speculations which would dramatically increase the risk to your project. Remember, agilists do just barely enough modeling and are prepared to iteratively elicit the details when they need to do so. The more distributed the team is the more likely they will need to adopt software-based requirements modeling tools such as IBM Rational Requirements Composer (RRC) which supports streamlined, agile requirements elicitation throughout the delivery life cycle. Index cards and whiteboards are great, but they're difficult to see if you're outside the room where they're posted. I've written a fair bit about distributed agile development in this blog. Team size. Some organizations, including IBM, are successfully applying agile techniques with teams of hundreds of people. A team of one hundred people will naturally work much differently than a team of ten people, or of one thousand people. Large teams are organized into collections of smaller teams, and the requirements for the overall project must be divvied up somehow between those teams. The implications are that as the team size grows you will need to invest a bit more time in initial requirements envisioning, and in initial architecture envisioning for that matter; you will need to use more sophisticated tools; and may need to use more sophisticated modeling techniques such as use cases and functional user interface prototypes. See large agile teams for more advice. Compliance requirement. When regulatory issues – such as Sarbanes Oxley, ISO 9000, or FDA CFR 21 – are applicable you are likely going to be required to capture requirements specifications in some manner and to enact traceability between those requirements. However, I highly recommend that you read the actual regulations yourself and don't let bureaucrats interpret them for you (doesn't it always seem that their interpretation always results in an onerous, documentation heavy solution?) because I have yet to run into a regulation which required you to work in an ineffective manner. Managing your requirements as work items in RTC can often more than meet your regulatory requirements for documentation and traceability, although you may want to consider a tool such as IBM Rational RequisitePro for complex regulatory situations. Domain complexity. The manner in which you elicit requirements for a data entry application or an informational web site will likely be much simpler than for a bio-chemical process monitoring or air traffic control system. More complex domains will require greater emphasis on exploration and experimentation, including but not limited to prototyping, modeling, and simulation. Although user stories may be effective as a primary requirements artifact in simple domains, in more complex domains you are likely to find that you need to drive your requirements effort with more sophisticated modeling techniques. Organization distribution. Sometimes a project team includes members from different divisions, different partner companies, or from external services firms. In these cases, particularly where the work is strictly organized between the various organizations (perhaps for security concerns), you may need a more sophisticated approach to managing the requirements. RTC enables you to organize the requirements between teams, and then to automatically track progress in real time via the RTC project dashboard. Technical complexity. The technical complexity of a solution can vary widely, from a single platform silo application to a multi-platform application working with legacy systems and data to a full-blown systems engineering effort. Complex technical domains, just like complex business domains, require more complex strategies for requirements elicitation and management. The requirements for your legacy systems are likely to have been captured using tools and techniques appropriate for that platform, for example the requirements for your COBOL application may have been captured using data flow diagrams and data models, whereas the requirements for your Java legacy application where captured using UML diagrams. The subteam working on the COBOL system might be using IBM Rational Application Developer (RAD) and RTC for Z whereas the Java subteam may use Eclipse with RTC. Because systems engineering projects can stretch on for years, particularly when the hardware is being developed in parallel to the software, sophisticated tooling such as IBM Rational DOORS is often used in these situations. For more information about systems engineering, see the IBM Rational Harmony process. Organizational complexity. Your approach to requirements elicitation and management will be affected by a host of organizational complexities, including your corporate culture. When the culture is flexible and collaborative you can be very agile in your approach to requirements, but as it becomes more rigid you become more constrained in what is considered acceptable and thus take on greater project risk. For example, many organizations still struggle with their approach to funding projects, often demanding that the project team provides an "accurate" estimate up front to which they will be held to. This in turn motivates risky behavior on the part of the development, including a "big requirements up front (BRUF)" approach where a detailed requirements speculation is developed early in the project. This is just one example of how questionable corporate culture can impact the way in which an agile team works. Enterprise discipline. Some organizations have enterprise-level disciplines, such as enterprise architecture, enterprise business modeling, strategic reuse, and portfolio management in place. These disciplines can easily be agile and from what I can tell the more successful efforts appear to lean more towards the agile end of the spectrum rather than the traditional end. Having an enterprise business modeling effort underway will affect your project-level requirements strategy -- you'll be able to leverage existing models, have access to people who understand the domain at an enterprise level, and will likely need to map your project efforts back to your enterprise models. The enterprise modelers will likely be using tools such as IBM Rational System Architect or IBM Websphere Business Modeler. It is important to note that the way that you tailor the agile practices that you follow, and the tools that you use, will reflect the situation that you find yourself in. In other words, you need to right size your process and the Agile Scaling Model (ASM) provides the context to help you do so. As you saw above, in simpler situations you will use the simpler tools and techniques which are commonly promoted within the core agile development community. But, when things become a bit more complex and one or more of the scaling factors applies you need to modify your approach -- just don't forget that you should strive to be as agile as you can be given the situation that you find yourself in. Further reading: Preview
Although it might not be obvious, and important success factor in adopting agile techniques
is to be able to determine whether a team is agile or not. The challenge that many organizations face is that many teams will claim to be agile, yet management, who often has little or no experience with agile approaches, cannot tell which claims are true and which are over zealous (I'm being polite). The following are the criteria that I suggest you look for in a disciplined agile team:1.
Produce working software on a regular basis
. This is one of the 12 principles behind the Agile Manifesto
, and in my experience is a critical differentiator between the teams that are agile and those that are merely claiming it. Ideally the team should produce potentially shippable software each iteration. That doesn't mean that they'll deploy the system into production, or the marketplace, each iteration but they could if required to do so. Typically the team will deploy into a pre-production testing environment or a demo enviroment at the end of each iteration (or more often for that matter).2.
Do continuous regression testing, and better yet take a Test-Driven Development (TDD) approach
. Agile developers test their work to the best of their ability, minimally doing developer regression testing via a continuous integration (CI) strategy
and better yet do developer-level TDD
. This approach enables development teams to find defects early, thereby reducing the average cost of addressing the defects, it also helps them to deliver higher quality code and to move forward safely when adding or changing functionality.3.
Work closely with their stakeholders, ideally on a daily basis
. A common practice of agile teams is to have an on-site customer or product owner who prioritizes requirements and provides information on a timely manner to the team. Disciplined agile teams take it one step further and follow the practice active stakeholder participation
where the stakeholders get actively involved with modeling and sometimes even development.4.
Are self-organizing within a governance framework
. Agile teams are self-organizing, which means that the people doing the work determines how the work will be done, they're not told by a manager who may not even be directly involved with the work how it will be done. In other words the team does its own planning, including scheduling and estimation. Disciplined agile teams are self governing within an effective governance framework
.5.
Regularly reflect on how they work together and then act to improve on their findings
. Most agile teams hold a short meeting at the end of each iteration to reflect upon how well things are working and how they could potentially improve the way that they are working together. Sometimes this is done in a more formalized manner in the form of a retrospective
, but often it's done informally. The team then acts on one or more of their suggested improvements the next iteration. Disciplined agile teams take this one step further and measure their software process improvement (SPI) progress over time: the act of taking these measures, perhaps via a product such as Rational Self Check
, helps to keep the team on track in their SPI efforts.
I have yet to discover an ad-hoc development team which met all five criteria, and most of them rarely meet two or three.
Further reading:
[Read More
]
An inhibitor that I run into again and again within organizations that are still in the process of adopting agile development techniques is something that I call the "We're Special" anti-pattern. The people involved believe that their situation is special, that some unique factor in their environment makes it all but impossible to adopt agile techniques, and therefore they need to continue to work in the manner that they've always worked, regardless of the obvious inefficiencies of doing so.
An organization suffers from this agile adoption anti-pattern when they start giving domain-based or technology-based excuses for why they can't become more agile. For example, I've heard bank employees claim that "Agile works fine for building web sites, but we're building financial systems therefore agile won't work for us", telecom employees claim "Agile works fine for building financial systems, but we're building embedded systems therefore agile won't work for us", and government employees claim "Agile works fine for embedded systems, but we're building web sites therefore agile won't work for us." Needless to say I often struggle to not roll my eyes.
The reality is that the business domain that you're working in doesn't dictate your ability to adopt agile strategies. I've seen very successful agile projects in banks, insurance companies, manufacturing companies, retail companies, pharmacueticals (yes, life critical applications), telecoms, and government agencies. I've also met people working in those domains claim that they're special because of the inherent challenges of the domain.
Similarly, technology isn't an issue. I've seen project teams that were successful at applying agile approaches using Java, VB, COBOL, C, Linux, Windows, System Z, on PCs, and so on. Granted, some technology platforms suffer from a plethora of "agile tooling", PL/1 comes to mind and I'm sure that there's a few more niche platforms where this is the case, but with a little online searching it's often possible to find good open source tools out there (or what's stopping you from starting such a project?).
The primary issues around agile adoption are cultural in nature. Can you become more flexible in your thinking? Can you become more disciplined (agile requires greater levels of discipline than traditional approaches)? Can you build a collaborative environment with your business stakeholders? Can you move away from bureaucratic processes to ones which focus on adding real value? Can you invest in your IT staff to give them modern development skills required for test-driven development (TDD), continuous integration, and agile database techniques (to name a few)? Addressing the "people issues", the cultural issues, is the hard part of moving towards agile.
If you're looking for valid excuses for why your organization can't move to agile, here's some valid adoption inhibitors that I see in organizations all the time:
Our project management office (PMO) has been trained and certified in traditional strategies and struggles to come to grips with agile project management techniques We don't have the funding to train, educate, and mentor people in agile techniques Middle management is threatened by agile strategies because their role clearly needs to change Senior technical staff, in particular our architects, don't accept the need to roll up their sleeves and be actively involved on project teams Our IT governance effort is not itself being governed effectively and is all but out of control, focusing on bureaucracy instead of enabling development teams to succeed Our data management group insists on working in a serial and documentation heavy manner Our QA/testing group insists on detailed requirement specifications Our staff is overly specialized, resulting in numerous hand-offs between analysts, developers, architects, testers, and so on
The above list is just the tip of the iceberg. The point is that the real problems that you face are cultural in nature, not domain-based nor technology-based. It is possible to overcome these inhibitors to success, but you need to understand that you're suffering from them, what the implications are, and how to overcome them. This is one of the facets of the Health Assessment portion of our new Measured Capability Improvement Framework (MCIF) service, the goal of which is to help organizations improve their internal IT processes. Although MCIF isn't specifically about becoming more agile, the reality is that there are a lot of great agile practices out there, and some of them are good options for your organization. Assuming of course you get over your misconception that you're special for some reason and instead accept the need that you've got some hard slogging ahead of you to improve your IT game.
Further reading:
[Read More
]
On Nov 16 2011, Kim Werner, Agile Coach from ATSC and Liz Parnell, Solution Design Manager from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC), gave a webcast
sharing their experiences regarding how BCBSNC adopted a few Agile techniques, with the help of some good coaching, and adopted some IBM Rational Jazz tools
(Rational Team Concert and Rational Requirements Composer) to reduce time to market and lower development costs. BCBCNC works in the highly-regulated healthcare industry, so faced a few interesting constraints when adopting agile.
During the second week of August the Agile 2011 conference was held in Salt Lake City (SLC). As you likely know the Agile Manifesto was formulated 10 years ago in SLC so it was apropos to hold it there. There was some excitement around the 10 year anniversary of the manifesto, with a panel session with the 17 authors of it. Sadly there seemed to be little excitement around the efforts of the 10th anniversay agile workshop
in February which proposed a potential path forward for the agile community. I found the conference to be an evolutionary improvement over the conferences of the past few years, which is a very good thing because the focus since 2008 has moved beyond the "cool" new programming techniques to include the issues that enterprises face.
Starting at the Agile 2008 conference I've seen an uptick in interest in what I would consider some of the more mature topics in agile development, although I'm unfortunately still seeing significant confusion out there too, in part due to over-exuberence of people new to agile. For example, there's people still asking about basic issues about agile architecture
and agile database
techniques, although I was really happy to see more coherent discussions around scaling agile
. My own presentation about the Agile Scaling Model
was well attended and I suspect I opened a few people's eyes regarding the realities that we face (yes, there's a lot more to it than holding a "scrum of scrums", yeesh). We have a long way to go until people really start to understand scaling issues, but we're clearly on the path to getting there.
The conference show floor was interesting, with a wide range of vendors offering services and products focused on agile and lean. One thing that I noticed was many vendors had large monitors showing off their ability to support lean task boards, which for the most part they all looked the same. At the IBM booth we were showing off some of the Jazz tools
, in particular Rational Team Concert (RTC)
. For a long time now we've been giving away fully functional, with no time limit, licenses of RTC for teams of up to 10 people. Something worth checking out.
The Agile 201x conferences hosted by the Agile Alliance are always a good investment of your time and money, and Agile 2011 was no exception. See you at Agile 2012 in the great state of Texas!
The explicit phases of the Unified Process -- Inception, Elaboration, Construction, and Transition -- and their milestones are important strategies for scaling agile software development to meet the real-world needs of modern organizations. Yes, I realize that this is heresy for hard-core agilists who can expound upon the evils of serial development, yet these very same people also take a phased approach to development although are loathe to admit it. The issue is that the UP phases are like seasons of a project: although you'll do the same types of activities all throughout a project, the extent to which you do them and the way in which you do them change depending on your goals. For example, at the beginning of a development project if you want to be effective you need to do basic things like identify the scope of the project, identify a viable architecture strategy, start putting together your team, and obtain support for the project. Towards the end of a project your focus is on the activities surrounding the deployment of your system into production, including end-of-lifecycle testing efforts, training, cleaning up of documentation, piloting the system with a subset of users, and so on. In between you focus on building the system, including analysis, design, testing, and coding of it. Your project clearly progresses through different phases, or call them seasons if the term phase doesn't suit you, whether your team is agile or not.
The UP defines four phases, each of which address a different kind of risk:1. Inception. This phase focuses on addressing business risk by having you drive to scope concurrence amongst your stakeholders. Most projects have a wide range of stakeholdres, and if they don't agree to the scope of the project and recognize that others have conflicting or higher priority needs you project risks getting mired in political infighting. In the Eclipse Way this is called the "Warm Up" iteration and in other agile processes "Iteration 0".2. Elaboration. The goal of this phase is to address technical risk by proving the architecture through code. You do this by building and end-to-end skeleton of your system which implements the highest-risk requirements. Some people will say that this approach isn't agile, that your stakeholders should by the only ones to prioritize requirements. Yes, I agree with that, but I also recognize that there are a wide range of stakeholders, including operations people and enterprise architects who are interested in the technical viability of your approach. I've also noticed that the high-risk requirements are often the high-business-value ones anyway, so you usually need to do very little reorganization of your requirements stack.3. Construction. This phase focuses on implementation risk, addressing it through the creation of working software each iteration. This phase is where you put the flesh onto the skeleton.4. Transition. The goal of this phase is to address deployment risk. There is usually a lot more to deploying software than simply copying a few files onto a server, as I indicated above. Deployment is often a complex and difficult task, one which you often need good guidance to succeed at.
Each phase ends with a milestone review, which could be as simple as a short meeting, where you meet with prime stakeholders who will make a "go/no-go" decision regarding your project. They should consider whether the project still makes sense, perhaps the situation has changed, and that you're addressing the project risks appropriately. This is important for "agile in the small" but also for "agile in the large" because at scale your risks are often much greater. Your prime stakeholders should also verify that you have in fact met the criteria for exiting the phase. For example, if you don't have an end-to-end working skeleton of your system then you're not ready to enter the Construction phase. Holding these sorts of milestone reviews improves your IT governance efforts by giving senior management valuable visibility at the level that they actually need: when you have dozens or hundreds of projects underway, you can't attend all of the daily stand up meetings of each team, nor do you even want to read summary status reports.
These milestone reviews enable you to lower project risk. Last Autumn I ran a survey via Dr. Dobb's Journal (www.ddj.com) which explore how people actually define success for IT projects and how successful we really were. We found that when people define success in their own terms that Agile has a 71% success rate compared with 63% for traditional approaches. Although it's nice to that Agile appears to be lower risk than traditional approaches, a 71% success rate still implies a 29% failure rate. The point is that it behooves us to actively monitor development projects to determine if they're on track, and if not either help them to get back on track or cancel them as soon as we possibly can. Hence the importance of occasional milestone reviews where you make go/no-go decisions. If you're interested in the details behind the project, they can be found at http://www.ambysoft.com/surveys/success2007.html .
Done right, phases are critical to your project success, particularly at scale. Yes, the traditional community seems to have gone overboard with phase-based approaches, but that doesn't mean that we need to make the same mistakes. Let's keep the benefit without the cost of needless bureaucracy.[Read More
]
Modificado por ScottAmbler
In my previous blog posting, http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/ambler?entry=strategies_for_distributed_agile_teams , I overviewed several strategies for improving your effectiveness at geographically distributed development (GDD). Those strategies were fairly generic and directly applicable to both traditional and agile development teams. In this posting I focus on strategies which are more agile in nature, although they could also be applied to more traditional approaches as well. These strategies are:
1. Get the whole team together at the beginning of the project. Your goals are to build rapport amongst the team, to get to know the people that you’re working with to facilitate communication later on, and to better understand the situation on the ground. The implication is that you will need to fly some people around, increasing your initial expenses, an investment that many organizations balk at. The reality is that you will eventually end up paying for travel anyway, either because you actually flew people around or because your communication costs are higher throughout the project. In short, don’t be penny wise and pound foolish.
2. Organize your team around the system architecture. The most effective way to organize a distributed team is around the architecture of the system that you are building, not around the job functions of the people involved. In other words, if your team is in Toronto, Rome, and Bangalore then each subteam should be responsible for one or more subsystems. It would be a mistake to organize the teams around job function, for example to have the architects and analysts in Toronto, the developers in Rome, and the testers in Bangalore because this structure would require significantly more documentation and other forms of communication to coordinate the teams, increasing both cost and risk. As I mentioned in my previous blog posting you will need to invest in some initial architecture envisioning at the beginning of a project to identify the subsystems and their public interfaces, and that to do that you’ll also need to do some initial requirements envisioning to drive this architecture effort. I suggest that you take an Agile Model Driven Development (AMDD) approach to this to enable you to gain the value from modeling without the costs and risks associated with up-front comprehensive modeling and documentation that get many traditional project teams in trouble.
3. Have “daily stand-up meetings”. A common practice on co-located agile teams is to have daily stand-up meetings where people share the status of what they did yesterday, what they intend to do today, and whether they’re running into any problems. These short meetings enable team coordination. Distributed teams can do this as well, the people in a given geographical location can hold local stand-up meetings and then representatives from each location can hold a shared meeting to coordinate the subteams. Whereas local stand-up meetings are held first thing in the morning, distributed daily stand-up meetings may need to be held at unusual times so as to include people at distant locations.
4. Have Ambassadors. Ambassadors are people who travel between sites, often technically senior people or senior business experts, to share information between the subteams. Getting the team together at the beginning of the project sets the foundation for communication, but without continual investment in maintaining effective collaboration between teams you run the risk of your subteams deviating from the overall strategy. These are typically short engagements, a week or two in length, because of the pressures it puts on the people doing the actual traveling. The implication is that you’ll have several people flying between sites at any given time on a reasonable rotation schedule. Because you’ll have some people flying around, your local team rooms should accommodate visitors by having one or more desks available for them to use when they’re visiting.
5. Have Boundary Spanners. A boundary spanner is someone who is located on site who focuses on enabling communication between subteams as well as within their subteam. On large distributed teams you’ll find that you have three flavors of boundary spanners – team leaders who take on project management responsibilities on the subteam, product owners who are responsible for representing the business within the subteam, and architecture owners responsible for technical direction on the team. These boundary spanners will work closely with their peers, having regular coordination meetings across all subteams as well as impromptu one-on-one meetings to deal with specific issues between individual subteams.
6. Ensure that the global team gets the credit it deserves. In both offshoring and nearshoring environments it’s common to see small teams in North America or Europe driving the efforts of significantly larger teams in another country. Yet, at the end of the project it always seems as if the smaller team, often because they work for the direct customer, gets the lion’s share of the credit – unless of course the project failed, then the subcontracting team often seems to get virtually all of the “credit”. This clearly isn’t fair, and it clearly doesn’t promote effective teamwork between the subteams in the future.
7. Take a lean approach to development governance. As I’ve written in the past, effective governance is based on enablement and collaboration instead of the traditional approaches of management and control. Good governance measures progress through regular delivery of working software, not through status reports or delivery of detailed specifications. Good governance is based on the idea of having a living process which changes to reflect lessons learned as your project progresses. In a previous blog posting at http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/ambler?entry=lean_development_governance I’ve discussed lean development governance in greater detail.
The strategies that I’ve described are clearly nothing more than common sense, something that can be said of all agile strategies. Sadly, as Mark Twain lamented, common sense isn’t very common in practice.[Read More
]
Modificado por ScottAmbler
I was recently involved in an online discussion about how to calculate the benefits realized by software development teams. As with most online discussions it quickly devolved into camps and the conversation didn’t progress much after that. In this case there was what I would characterize as a traditional project camp and a much smaller agile/lean product camp. Although each camp had interesting points, the important thing for me in the conversation was the wide cultural and experience gap between the people involved in the conversation.
The following diagram summarizes the main viewpoints and the differences between them. The traditional project camp promoted a strategy where the potential return on investment (ROI) for a project would be calculated, a decision would be made to finance the project based (partly) on that ROI, the project would run, the solution delivered into production, and then at some point in the future the actual ROI would be calculated. Everyone was a bit vague on how the actual ROI would be calculated, but they agreed that it could be done although would be driven by the context of the situation. Of course several people pointed out that it rarely works that way. Even if the potential ROI was initially calculated it would likely be based on wishful thinking and it would be incredibly unlikely that the actual ROI would be calculated once the solution was in production. This is because few organizations are actually interested in investing the time to do so and some would even be afraid to do so. Hence the planned and actual versions of the traditional strategy in the diagram.
The agile/lean camp had a very different vision. Instead of investing in upfront ROI calculation, which would have required a fair bit of upfront requirements modelling and architectural modelling to get the information, the idea was that we should instead focus on a single feature or small change. If this change made sense to the stakeholders then it would be implemented, typically on the order of days or weeks instead of months, and put quickly into production. If your application is properly instrumented, which is becoming more and more common given the growing adoption of DevOps strategies, you can easily determine whether the addition of the new feature/change adds real value.
Cultural differences get in your way
The traditional project camp certainly believed in their process. In theory it sounded good, and I’m sure you could make it work, but in practice it was very fragile. The long feedback cycle, potentially months if not years, pretty much doomed the traditional approach to measuring benefits of software development to failure. The initial ROI guesstimate was often a work of fiction and rarely would it be compared to actuals. The cultural belief in bureaucracy motivated the traditional project camp to ignore the obvious challenges with their chosen approach.
The agile/lean camp also believed in their strategy. In theory it works very well, and more and more organizations are clearly pulling this off in practice, but it does require great discipline and investment in your environment. In particular, you need investment in modern development practices such as continuous integration (CI), continuous deployment (CD), and instrumented solutions (all important aspects of a disciplined agile DevOps strategy). These are very good things to do anyway, it just so happens that they have an interesting side effect of making it easy (and inexpensive) to measure the actual benefits of changes to your software-based solutions. The cultural belief in short feedback cycles, in taking a series of smaller steps instead of one large one, and in their ability to automate some potentially complex processes motivated the agile/lean camp to see the traditional camp as hopeless and part of the problem.
Several people in the traditional project camp struggled to understand the agile/lean approach, which is certainly understandable given how different that vision is compared with traditional software development environments. Sadly a few of the traditionalists chose to malign the agile/lean strategy instead of respectfully considering it. They missed an excellent opportunity to learn and potentially improve their game. Similarly the agilists started to tune out, dropping out of the conversation and forgoing the opportunity to help others see their point of view. In short, each camp suffered from cultural challenges that prevented them from coherently discussing how to measure the benefits of software development efforts.
How Should You Measure the Effectiveness of Software Development?
Your measurement strategy should meet the following criteria:
Measurements should be actioned. Both the traditional and agile/lean strategies described above meet this criteria in theory. However, because few organizations appear willing to calculate ROI after deployment as the traditional approach recommends, in practice the traditional strategy rarely meets this criteria. It is important to note that I used the word actioned, not actionable. Key difference.
There must be positive value. The total cost of taking a measure must be less than the total value of the improvement in decision making you gain. I think that the traditional strategy falls down dramatically here, which is likely why most organizations don’t actually follow it in practice. The agile/lean strategy can also fall down WRT this criterion but is much less likely to because the feedback cycle between creating the feature and measuring it is so short (and thus it is easier to identify the change in results to the actual change itself).
The measures must reflect the situation you face. There are many things you can measure that can give you insight into the ROI of your software development efforts. Changes in sales levels, how often given screen or function is invoked, savings incurred from a new way of working, improved timeliness of information (and thereby potentially better decision making), customer retention, customer return rate, and many others. What questions are important to you right now? What measures can help provide insight into those questions? It depends on the situation that you face, there are no hard and fast rules. For a better understanding of complexity factors faced by teams, see The Software Development Context Framework.
The measures should be difficult to game. Once again, traditional falls down here. ROI estimates are notoriously flakey because they require people to make guesses about costs, revenues, time frames, and other issues. The measurements coming out of your instrumented applications are very difficult to game because they’re being generated as the result of doing your day-to-day business.
The strategy must be compatible with your organization. Once again, this is a “it depends” type of situation. Can you imagine trying to convince an agile team to adopt the traditional strategy, or vice versa? Yes, you can choose to improve over time.
Not surprisingly, I put a lot more faith in the agile/lean approach to measuring value. Having said that, I do respect the traditional strategy as there are some situations where it may in fact work. Just not as many as traditional protagonists may believe. | 121,547 | 43,542 | 0.000023 |
warc | 201704 | The Infona portal uses cookies, i.e. strings of text saved by a browser on the user's device. The portal can access those files and use them to remember the user's data, such as their chosen settings (screen view, interface language, etc.), or their login data. By using the Infona portal the user accepts automatic saving and using this information for portal operation purposes. More information on the subject can be found in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By closing this window the user confirms that they have read the information on cookie usage, and they accept the privacy policy and the way cookies are used by the portal. You can change the cookie settings in your browser.
The paper evaluates the qualitative aspects of the Czech Republic position in the global economic flows in terms of their knowledge intensity. The stress is being put on structural characteristics of value-added, FDI and R&D and the innovation activities indicating the change of competitive advantage towards the increasing role of internal innovation capacity and unique product and processes. This change, however, may not be fast enough to compensate for weakening cost-based competitiveness. Despite the increasing share of FDI companies in domestic R&D activities, their average knowledge intensity remains low. The prevailing competitive strategy relies on adoption of foreign technology knowledge to local needs, possibly with minor adjustments.
Financed by the National Centre for Research and Development under grant No. SP/I/1/77065/10 by the strategic scientific research and experimental development program:SYNAT - “Interdisciplinary System for Interactive Scientific and Scientific-Technical Information”. | 1,729 | 928 | 0.001086 |
warc | 201704 | Gold Coast city is one of the fastest growing in Australia and the economy is built on tourism. Around 10 million people visit the area each year and, with 100,000 hectares of nature reserve, 500 restaurants, 40 golf courses and five major theme parks in the city, the tourism and services sector is a major jobs provider for people working in Gold Coast.
Other industries include marine, education, information communication and technology, food, sports, and environment industries. The film industry is also an important contributor to the local economy. Warner Brothers have studios located at Oxenford on the outskirts of the city, and the Gold Coast coastline is a popular film location for Bollywood films.
Because two of the main types of visas are the Employer Nomination Scheme and Skilled Independent Migration, it is likely that you already have a job transfer through your current employer, or have a new job lined up.
If not, national newspapers such as The Australian and the Sydney Morning Herald regularly publish job listings and advertisements. Local newspapers and niche publications are also worth a look, such as the Gold Coast Bulletin, the city’s daily newspaper.
The income taxation rates for Australian residents are as follows: | 1,264 | 700 | 0.001441 |
warc | 201704 | Last year, the Holy Spirit expressly to my heart that 2015 was the year of new beginnings. That rang true in my life and in the lives of many, many people who God called from the waiting room to the delivery room.
2015 was a challenging year in many ways, a year of stretching and transitioning from the old to the new—and now we’re going to the next. With regard to 2016, I heard the Holy Spirit say it’s a year of “shifting seasons and suddenlies.”
Those rhythmic words got my attention. What, exactly, does He mean? On the surface, it sounds like more change, more transition—and at least a few unexpected twists and turns along the way. I decided to press into pray and study out what this practically means. In this first article, I’m giving a general overview at the personal level. I will follow up with more specific details in the weeks ahead.
Embracing Shifting Seasons
We all know what a season is, but we don’t always know what season we’re in. Spiritually speaking, a season is a period of time—that can be specific or indefinite. We know that to everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven (see Ecc. 3:1). We know that we’re not supposed to grow weary in well doing because we’ll reap if we don’t give up—in due season (see Gal. 6:9).
JOIN JENNIFER ON FACEBOOK FOR SPIRITUAL COMMENTARY AND ENCOURAGEMENT. CLICK HERE.
We know that if we meditate on the Word day and night we will stand like trees planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in its season and prospering in whatever we do (see Psalms 1:2-3). But we must also know that it is God who changes the times and seasons (see Dan. 2:21). We can’t change our own season, but we can position ourselves for a season shift.
Merriam-Webster describes a “shift” as to exchange for or replace by another; to change the place, position or direction of; to change gears; to go through a change.” When the Holy Spirit said, “shifting season,” it’s easy to discern that He means changes are ahead. Some of you are going to shift from a time of sowing to a time of reaping. Others will shift from weeping to laughing. Still others will shift from lack to prosperity.
I’m reminded of the what God told Jeremiah, “For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11). God has good plans for us in 2016. He wants to shift us out of what has held us back from His best and into His good, perfect and acceptable will (see Rom. 12:2).
Creating a Climate for the Shift
Our part is to position ourselves for the shift—and that means creating a climate that sets the stage for God to move in our lives. Scientists will tell you that the earth’s seasons have shifted in recent years—and they point to climate change as the foundation for the shift.
If we translate this to a spiritual reality—as natural surroundings often correspond to spiritual conditions—it’s clear that changing our spiritual climate sets the stage for a shift in spiritual seasons. We can’t shift our seasons—God does that. But we can create a climate that invites Him to do the work in our hearts that prepares us for the next season.
What is the spiritual climate over your life? If you are angry, ungrateful, complaining, angry, greedy, controlling, critical, impatient, indifferent, discouraged, jealous, frightened, frustrated, unforgiving, resentful, bitter, selfish, or something of the like, you’re creating a spiritual climate over your life that repels the Holy Spirit. He loves you, yes, but your flesh is warring against His Spirit.
If, by contrast, you are thankful, peaceful, prayerful, joyful, generous, forgiving, loving, content, self-less, hopeful, faithful, inspired, worshipful, you are creating a atmosphere that attracts the presence of God. And the presence of the Holy Spirit is the ultimate key to spiritual change and growth. Put another way, we need to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives and reject the works of the flesh. In doing so, we position our hearts for God to shift us into fruitful seasons of harvest.
Wait for the Suddenlies
When you change your climate unto a season shift, it will lead to a suddenly. Merriam-Webster defines “suddenly” means “happening or coming unexpectedly; a changing angle or character all at once; marked by or manifesting abruptness or haste; made or brought about in a short time.”
After weeks of praying in unity, “Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind” and the 150 in the Upper Room were filled with the Spirit” (see Acts 2). When Paul and Barnabus experienced persecution for Christ’s sake, suddenly an earthquake rose up and opened the doors to the jail (Acts 16:26). Suddenly.
Suddenly you may shift into a promotion. Suddenly you may shift from sickness to health. Suddenly you may shift into greater authority in the spirit. Suddenly you may shift from a dark night of the soul to greater revelation of Christ. Suddenly you may shift from feelings of oppression to new levels of freedom. Suddenly.
Believe for the suddenlies in 2016. Expect them to happen. Wait with anticipation, but understand that you have to do your part. Like the disciples in the Upper Room, you need to pray. Like Paul and Barnabus in the prison, you need to praise. In other words, you need to create a spiritual climate over your life that invites the Holy Spirit to work in your heart, in your life and in your circumstances. Your climate change will eventually lead to a season shift that will bring a suddenly you could never make happen in your own strength.
Take heart in Isaiah 48:3: “I have declared the former things from the beginning and they went forth from My mouth, and I announced them. Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.”
Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, co-founder of AwakeningTV.com, on the leadership team of the New Breed Revival Network and author of several books, including The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening; Mornings With the Holy Spirit, Listening Daily to the Still, Small Voice of God; The Making of a Prophet and Satan's Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter. Jennifer's Periscope handle is @propheticbooks. | 6,653 | 3,141 | 0.00033 |
warc | 201704 | New Mexico small businesses helped by Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists Contact Steve Sandoval Communications Office (505) 665-9206 New Mexico Small Business Assistance Program provides technical expertise, assistance
LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO, December 11, 2012—Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists Harshini Mukundan of the Physical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy group and Mark E. Smith of the Chemical Diagnostics and Engineering group received Principal Investigator Excellence (PIE) Awards from the New Mexico Small Business Assistance program (NMSBA) for assisting several New Mexico small businesses.
Los Alamos National Security, LLC, the NMSBA and Northern New Mexico Connect sponsored the recognition event.
Mukundan was recognized for the assistance she provided to small businesses on two separate projects; bovine tuberculosis detection and better diagnostics for traumatic brain injury.
Her work bovine tuberculosis detection, which has grown to include ranchers and veterinarians throughout the state, began in 2009. Mukundan and her team use clinical studies to evaluate the use of biomarkers and antibodies to develop a reliable diagnostic assay for bovine TB. “The assay will not only be able to detect active infection, but also discriminate it from non-specific infection by non-pathogenic bacteria,” said Mukundan.
Mukundan also is helping a Los Alamos medical technology company explore better diagnostics for traumatic brain injury. With the increased incidence of traumatic brain injury among soldiers in combat the condition has become one of significant concern for the U.S. Department of Defense.
Smith was recognized for his expertise in assisting an Albuquerque company that patented a process for staining wood through natural mineral reaction rather than binders, petroleum-based products or chemical solvents. Smith conducted experiments to determine the chemical make up of minerals in solution. Smith also assessed the surface properties of wood substrate after the company’s coloring solutions were applied. This included understanding the structures created and characterizing the chemical interactions. All of Smith’s data, observations and findings were compiled in a final report and provided to the company.
"The NMSBA program provides a tremendous means to accelerate the application of innovative ideas that are generated by the businesses of New Mexico,” said Smith. “I have always found that the projects provide a two-way benefit of knowledge, especially the unexpected barriers that require us to understand the nuances of the technologies.”
At no cost to them, small businesses with technical challenges can seek assistance from Laboratory scientists or engineers for projects that require testing, design consultation, or access to special equipment or facilities. Assistance takes the form of staff hours valued at up to $20,000 per calendar year for businesses located in rural New Mexico counties, and $10,000 for businesses located in Bernalillo County. The total amount of assistance is capped at $2.4 million annually for each of New Mexico’s two national laboratories. Los Alamos joined the NMSBA program program in 2007.
In 2011, NMSBA assisted 342 small businesses across the state.
Information about the New Mexico Small Business Assistance program is available at http://www.nmsbaprogram.org/.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, BWXT Government Group, and URS, an AECOM company, for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns. | 4,096 | 1,947 | 0.000522 |
warc | 201704 | Personal Statement
Lybrate.com has a number of highly qualified Homeopaths in India. You will find Homeopaths with more than 39 years of experience on Lybrate.com. You can find Homeopaths online in Pune and from across India. View the profile of medical specialists and their reviews from other patients to make an informed decision.
Info Location Book Clinic Appointment Consult Online Services Antiageing Treatment Chin Reduction Treatment Weight Management Treatment Acne Treatment Allergy Treatment Asthma Management Program Dengue Treatment Gastrointestinal Disorders Hair Restoration Techniques Head And Neck Pain Treatment Hyperthyroid Treatment Hypothyroid Treatment Vaccinations Treatment of Migraine Treatment Nosebleed (Epistaxis) Treatment Treatment of Thyroid Disease in Children Thyroid Disorder Treatment Thyroid Problems Treatment Vaccination Viral Fever Treatment Feed Sir my father has done by pass surgery in year 2001. Last year we have done angiography for regular course, Dr. Has told again all veins are block except lima I .e ok. Now what you suggest that again we should go for by pass or it should by medical treatment drugs. Pls suggest your best views on same, he is 67 at present. Regards. 8 reasons why workaholics have dysfunctional relationships
It's good to work hard but is it ok to be a workaholic?
Relationships and career both require a lot of time, focus, and energy to be successful. But sometimes your career gets so demanding that it takes all your energy and effort and your personal life gets totally ignored and unattended
Sometimes your relationships start in a very balanced state. But as you start thriving in your profession, things start getting difficult on the personal front.
There are a lot of reasons why people who are obsessed with their work (especially business owners) because of which they fail to keep up with their personal relationships.
Here are a few of them:
1. They take everything as a project, even their personal lives. They are always on a mission and take everything as an assignment. What they don't realize is that in their personal relationships they are dealing with people, who have emotions and feelings.
2. They are so used to seeing the profit and loss graph that even in their personal life, they sometimes start measuring the returns of their time and emotional investments.
What doesn't strike them is that one can never calculate or quantify their personal life.
3. Being highly accomplished at work requires a lot of discipline and focus. They obviously have to be a master at organizing their day. And sometimes it gets difficult for their partner to catch up with it and adjust to their highly personalized schedule.
4. As they climb the ladder of success, their ego starts to accompany it too. Big achievers usually have big egos. They are used to seeing themselves as the top honcho. So it gets difficult for them to pay heed to the needs of the other person.
5. They are addicted to work. They prioritize work over everything else in their lives. They have an intense focus on work and they totally ignore the other spheres of their lives.
6. A lot of times they justify their disregard of the emotional needs of their partner by emphasizing that they are giving their spouse or partner a higher financial and social status (better lifestyle etc.).
7. They feel that the gifts and presents can replace and make up for the quality time they need to spend with their partner.
8. Long stretches of time spent at work leads to a disconnect with their partner. It further leads to lack of communication, leaving her lonely and frustrated.
Don't let your professional success come at the cost of your personal relationships. Though it's hard to do but you need to find a balance between your work and family life.
Don't ignore the needs and feelings of your partner as this will only lead to personal strife and will also adversely affect your productivity at work | 3,976 | 1,870 | 0.000538 |
warc | 201704 | The burden posed by the coming medical device tax is more than a 2.3% cut of revenues – it means millions in administrative costs and months of preparation to decipher new tax codes and develop systems for compliance.
Medical device industry lobbying groups warned that the tax slated to take effect on January 1 will cost the industry more than the $30 billion it's slated to raise over 10 years - it could cost upwards of $660 million annually in implementation costs alone.
Based on a small survey of 81 respondents representing a broad range of medtech companies, the sales tax will require months of preparation and millions in yearly administrative costs, adding to the 2.3% top-line cut the measure is designed to yield in support of healthcare reform. | 768 | 449 | 0.002254 |
warc | 201704 | Alphagan P
Alphagan; Alphagan P; Apo-Brimonidine; Brimonidine P; PMS-Brimonidine; ratio-Brimonidine; Sandoz-Brimonidine
It is used to lower high eye pressure. It is used to treat glaucoma. For all patients taking this drug: If you have an allergy to brimonidine or any other part of this drug. If you are allergic to any drugs like this one, any other drugs, foods, or other substances. Tell your doctor about the allergy and what signs you had, like rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other signs. If you are taking certain drugs used for depression like isocarboxazid, phenelzine, or tranylcypromine, or drugs used for Parkinson’s disease like selegiline or rasagiline. If you are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed. Children: If your child is younger than 2 years of age. Do not give this drug to a child younger than 2 years of age. Tell all of your health care providers that you take this drug. This includes your doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists. Avoid driving and doing other tasks or actions that call for you to be alert or have clear eyesight until you see how this drug affects you. Have your blood pressure and heart rate checked often if you have heart disease. Have your eye pressure and eyesight checked as you have been told by the doctor. Talk with your doctor before you drink alcohol or use other drugs and natural products that slow your actions. Tell your doctor if you have an eye infection, eye injury, or will be having eye surgery. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan on getting pregnant. You will need to talk about the benefits and risks of using this drug while you are pregnant. WARNING/CAUTION:Even though it may be rare, some people may have very bad and sometimes deadly side effects when taking a drug. Tell your doctor or get medical help right away if you have any of the following signs or symptoms that may be related to a very bad side effect: Signs of an allergic reaction, like rash; hives; itching; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin with or without fever; wheezing; tightness in the chest or throat; trouble breathing or talking; unusual hoarseness; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat. Change in eyesight, eye pain, or very bad eye irritation. Eyelid swelling. Eye irritation. Burning. Stinging. Blurred eyesight. Feeling that something is in the eye. Dry mouth. Headache. Feeling tired or weak. Feeling sleepy. For the eye only. Some of these products are not for use if you are wearing contact lenses. Be sure you know if you need to avoid wearing contact lenses while using this product. Do not touch the container tip to the eye, lid, or other skin. Tilt your head back and drop drug into the eye. After use, keep your eyes closed. Put pressure on the inside corner of the eye. Do this for 1 to 2 minutes. This keeps the drug in your eye. If more than 1 drug is being used in the same eye, use each drug at least 5 minutes apart. Do not use if the solution is cloudy, leaking, or has particles. Do not use if solution changes color. Use a missed dose as soon as you think about it. If it is close to the time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your normal time. Do not use 2 doses or extra doses. Store at room temperature. Keep all drugs in a safe place. Keep all drugs out of the reach of children and pets. Check with your pharmacist about how to throw out unused drugs. If your symptoms or health problems do not get better or if they become worse, call your doctor. Do not share your drugs with others and do not take anyone else’s drugs. Keep a list of all your drugs (prescription, natural products, vitamins, OTC) with you. Give this list to your doctor. Talk with the doctor before starting any new drug, including prescription or OTC, natural products, or vitamins. Some drugs may have another patient information leaflet. If you have any questions about this drug, please talk with your doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or other health care provider. If you think there has been an overdose, call your poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened.
2016-05-19 | 4,251 | 1,915 | 0.000524 |
warc | 201704 | Abstract
The nucleus is an intricately structured integration of many functional domains whose complex spatial organization is maintained by a nonchromatin scaffolding, the nuclear matrix. We report here a method for preparing the nuclear matrix with improved preservation of ultrastructure. After the removal of soluble proteins, the structures of the nucleus were extensively cross-linked with formaldehyde. Surprisingly, the chromatin could be efficiently removed by DNase I digestion leaving a well preserved nuclear matrix. The nuclear matrix uncovered by this procedure consisted of highly structured fibers, connected to the nuclear lamina and built on an underlying network of branched 10-nm core filaments. The relative ease with which chromatin and the nuclear matrix could be separated despite extensive prior cross-linking suggests that there are few attachment points between the two structures other than the connections at the bases of chromatin loops. This is an important clue for understanding chromatin organization in the nucleus. | 1,053 | 555 | 0.001807 |
warc | 201704 | The ability to quantify the number and kinds of microorganisms within a community is fundamental to the understanding of the structure and function of an ecosystem. The simple morphology of most microbes provides few clues for their identification and physiological traits are often ambiguous. In addition, many organisms resist cultivation, which is essential to their characterization. Recombinant DNA techniques have provided a means whereby many of the obstacles associated with cultivation and description can be overcome and subsequently has allowed many new insights into the complexity of natural microbial communities. Molecular approaches based on 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequence analysis allow direct investigation of the community structure, diversity, and phylogeny of microorganisms in almost any environment, while quantification of the individual types of microorganisms or entire microbial communities may be addressed by nucleic acid hybridization techniques. Furthermore, the use of fluorescently labeled population-specific rRNA probes allows microscopic examination of individual cells in complex microbial assemblages as well as their interactions in situ. In this review, we discuss strategies for characterizing microbial communities without the need for cultivation. | 1,295 | 696 | 0.001439 |
warc | 201704 | Inconsistent results in studies of cost-effectiveness of home health care have led to the need for identification of target populations for whom cost-savings can be anticipated if expanded home care programs are introduced. This analysis of results of a randomized controlled study of efficacy of a physician/geriatric nurse practitioner/social worker home care team identifies such a potential target population. The team provides round-the-clock on-call medical services in the home when needed, in addition to usual nursing and other home care services, to home-bound chronically or terminally ill elderly patients. Overall health services utilization and estimated costs were not substantially different for the patients who did not die while in the study; however, for those who did die, team patients had considerably lower rates of hospitalization and overall cost than controls, and more frequently died at home. Of 21 team and 12 control patients who died but had at least two weeks of utilization experience in the study, team patients had about half the number of hospital days compared with controls during the terminal two weeks, and although they had more home care services, had only 69 per cent of the estimated total health care costs of the controls. Satisfaction with care received was significantly greater among the total group of team patients, and especially among their family caretakers, than among controls. This model is effective in providing appropriate medical care for seriously ill and terminal patients, and in enabling them to die at home if they so wish, while at the same time reducing costs of care during the terminal period. | 1,665 | 811 | 0.001235 |
warc | 201704 | The Parts of a Laboratory Report
Introduction:› What is the context in which the experiment takes place?
The primary job of any scientific Introduction is to establish the purpose for doing the experiment that is to be reported.› When scientists do research, the main purpose that guides their work is to contribute to the knowledge of their field.› That's why the scientific context they establish in their introductions usually consists of summarizing previous research reports published in the field.› A scientific contribution to the knowledge of the field can be understood only within the context of what other scientists have done.
The main purpose of writing a lab report, of course, is not to contribute to the knowledge of the field; but to provide you the opportunity for learning.› That's why it's important to begin the lab by establishing that learning context.› The
learning context provides a way for you to situate the lab report within the overall purpose for doing the lab in the first place:› to learn something about the science of the course you are taking.
An effective introduction to a lab report typically performs the following tasks, generally in the order presented:
1.
it establishes the learning context for the lab by: a. saying what the lab is about, that is, what scientific concept (theory, principle, procedure, etc.)› the researcher is supposed to be learning about by doing the lab; and b. giving the necessary background for the learning context by providing
pertinent›information about the scientific concept (this information can come from the lab manual, the textbook, lecture notes, and other sources recommended by the lab manual or teacher; in more advanced labs you may also be expected to cite the findings of previous scientific studies related to the lab).
2.
it provides the primary goals of the lab by: a. presenting the objective(s) for the experimental procedure (what is being done in the experiment, such as to measure something, to test something, to determine something, etc.); and b. defining the purpose of the lab (the way the experimental procedure is linked to the learning context).
3.
it offers a hypothesis for the experimental procedure by: a. stating the hypothesis, or the best estimation of the outcome of the lab procedure; and b. explaining the scientific reasoning that leads the researcher to that hypothesis.
Materials and Methods:› What did you do and how did you do it?
There are various other headings one may find for this section of the report, such as "Experimental Procedure," "Experimental," or "Methodology."› Sometimes Materials and Methods may be separated in different sections.› But however it is titled, the main tasks of the Materials and Methods are to describe (1) the lab apparatus and the laboratory procedure used to gather the data and (2) the process used to analyze the data.
Materials and Methods takes the reader step by step through the laboratory procedure that the experimenters followed.› The rule of thumb in constructing this section is to provide enough detail so that a competent scientist in the field can repeat, or replicate, the procedure.› The challenge, however, is to do so as efficiently as you can.› This means, for example, not including details that the same competent scientist already knows, such as descriptions of standard procedures that most everyone in the field would already be familiar with.
Go to the Materials and Methods of the Annotated Sample Lab Report
Results:› What did you find?
This is the heart of the scientific paper, in which the researcher reports the outcomes of the experiment.›
Report is a key word here because Results should not contain any explanations of the experimental findings or in any other way interpret or draw conclusions about the data.› Results should stick to the facts as they have been observed.
Generally speaking, the Results begins with a succinct statement (a sentence or two) summarizing the overall findings of the experiment.› After that the Results integrates both visual (graphs, tables, drawings) and verbal (words) representations of the data.› The verbal descriptions consist of series of findings (general statements that summarize or give the important point of a visual) and support for the findings (further details about the data that give pertinent information about the findings).
Discussion:› What does it mean?
The purpose of the Discussion is to interpret your results, that is, to explain, analyze, and compare them. ›This is the point at which the researcher stands back from the results and talks about them within the broader context set forth in the Introduction.› It is perhaps the most important part of the report because it is where you demonstrate that you understand the experiment beyond the level of simply doing it.› Do not discuss any outcomes not presented in the Results.
The Discussion section often begins by making a statement as to whether the findings in the Results support or do not support the expected findings stated in the hypothesis.› It's important to make such a comparison because returning to the hypothesis is crucial to basic scientific thinking.› The statement of support or non-support then leads to the next logical issue, an explanation of why the hypothesis was or was not supported by the data.› The explanation might focus on the scientific reasoning that supported the original hypothesis (based on the scientific concept on which the lab is founded) and on changes to or errors in the experimental procedure and how they could have affected the outcomes.› The Discussion also provides the opportunity to compare the results to the research of others.
Conclusion:› What have I learned?
The Conclusion returns to the larger purpose of the lab, which is presented as the learning context in the Introduction:› to learn something about the scientific concept that provides the reason for doing the lab.› This is where you demonstrate that you have indeed learned something by stating what it is you have learned.› This is important because it helps you to understand the value of the lab and convinces the reader that the lab has been a success.› It's important, then, to be specific, providing details of what you have learned about the theory or principle or procedure at the center of the lab.
Abstract:› What is the essence of the report?
The Abstract is a miniature version of the lab report, one concise paragraph of 80-200 words.› Its purpose is to present the nature and scope of the report.› In the scientific literature, abstracts must be stand-alone documents, whole and self-contained, because they are often published by themselves in research guides.
To create a miniature version of the report, abstracts usually consist of one-sentence summaries of each of the parts of the report (sometimes two sentences are necessary for especially complex parts).› And those sentences are arranged on the order that the parts come in the report:› Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion/Conclusion.
Title:› What is the report about?
The main job of the title is to describe the content of the report.› In science, a title usually tells the reader what the subject of the experiment and the key research variables are, and it often gives an indication of what research methodology was used.› Titles are especially important to scientists because articles are typically indexed according to key words that come from the title.› So when scientists are searching for research articles, it is those key words that lead them the articles they need.› It's necessary, then, that titles be fully informative about the content of the report.
References:› What sources were used?
This is a list of the references that were cited in the lab report, including the lab manual, any handouts accompanying the lab, the textbook, and sources from the scientific literature.› The format for references differs in different fields and even within the same field.› It's important that you check with you teacher or lab manual to find out what is expected of you.
Appendices:› What additional material is included?
Appendices are places where you put information that does not deserve to be included in the report itself but may be helpful to some readers who want to know more about the details.› The kinds of information you might find in an appendix are: | 8,663 | 3,356 | 0.000308 |
warc | 201704 | Introducing your new look clear and simple bill We’ve been listening to your feedback:
"No jargon, simple and transparent."
"I want a bill that is clear and easy to understand."
Over the past 2 years we have talked to hundreds of customers about the design and content of our new bill. We’ve listened to your feedback and made our bill clearer and easier to understand.
Your new bill is now broken down into simple, easy to read sections. It uses colour coding, to help navigate between sections so that all the important information you need is clear and upfront. It is now easy to see how much energy you’ve used, how much it costs and if you’re on the best tariff available.
This is just one of the ways we’re providing simple and clear energy for our customers.
View our new bill video to find out more
Introducing your new look clear and simple energy bill.
Customers told us that energy bills are far too complicated which is why we’ve made our bill simpler, clearer and easier for you to understand
We’ve used icons and bold colours so all the important information is clear and much easier to find. It’s also easier to see how much energy you’ve used and how much it costs.
This video shows each section of an npower bill, using a monthly direct debit bill as an example.
‘Your energy statement’ contains important information, including the address we send your bills to, your customer account number, which you’ll need every time you contact us, and the time period covered by this statement.
Your monthly payment amount is shown here. This important information will be the first thing you see when you look at your bill.
If we need to alter your payment amount to cover the cost of the energy you use, we will let you know here and tell you when this will change will happen.
‘Your energy details’ gives you useful information about your tariff and an overview of your energy use.
You will see your most recent meter readings for electricity and gas and whether this reading was taken by you, one of our meter readers or if it has been estimated.
Sending us regular meter readings online or by phone will mean more accurate bills - so you only pay for the energy you actually use.
You can provide a meter reading at any time online or by calling our automated meter reading telephone service, and if you manage your account online you can get regular reminders to send us a meter reading before we produce your bill.
Here, you can see at a glance how much energy you have used in kilowatt hours, and how much it has cost you in pounds and pence.
You will also see the average amount of energy you have used (or spent) each day, and a handy comparison to show if you are using more or less energy than the same time last year.
‘About your tariff’, gives you more detailed tariff information, which can be used to make direct comparisons - making sure you are on the best tariff for your energy needs.
Your personal projection shows the total cost of the energy we predict you to use over the next 12 months, based on how much energy you’ve used in the previous year.
‘How your energy adds up’ gives you a breakdown of how we have calculated your energy bill.
Your meter readings for electricity and gas are used to calculate the amount of energy you have used.
Electricity is measured in kilowatt hours but we have to convert gas units into kilowatt hours. In the gas section you will see a calorific value, this relates to the amount of energy contained in the gas you burn, which varies due to the different sources of gas.
We then use this equation to convert your gas units into Kilowatt hours.
Once we know the total amount of energy you have used in kilowatt hours, we apply our prices to work out the cost of your energy.
On most tariffs you pay a daily standing charge, which covers the fixed costs of supplying electricity or gas to you.
If you’re entitled to a discount for paying by Direct Debit this will be taken off your daily standing charge."
We multiply the cost per kilowatt hour by the number of units you have used and add VAT to give you your total energy cost
'What you’ve paid’ outlines the payments made since your last statement and shows if there is anything left to pay.
To work this out we add together the amount left to pay from your last statement and the total cost of energy used during the current period. We then take off any payments you have made, to leave you with an account balance. This is for your information only as we will continue to request your monthly payments from your bank account.
‘Your monthly payment’ clearly shows your new payment amount, split down by fuel and combined to give a total.
If your payments haven't covered the cost of energy used you will see an outstanding balance. If you pay this within 10 working days, your monthly payment will reduce to the amount shown here. If you choose not to pay it, this debit amount has already been included in your new monthly payment.
On the final page, ‘Energy explained’ helps you to understand how much energy you are using in your day-to-day life and shows you how far a kilowatt hour of energy actually goes. Useful tips on how you could save money on your energy bills can be found on our website.
‘Where to get help’ gives you all of the contact details you might need, as well as all of your reference numbers so that we can help you as quickly as possible. You will also find contact details should you need any independent advice on energy and details of who you should contact in an emergency.
npower - Making things clearer for customers
What our customers think?
Our customers helped us design our new bill, so we asked them what they think of it.
(TC: 00:00:09)
Carole: So this is the new bill, it’s much more colourful, it’s very clear and stands out. The first thing you actually see is the bill amount which is probably what most people are really interested in. So it’s looking more, on paper, like the kind of information that you get when you look at your bill on line, in terms of additional information. It seems to be quite a big emphasis on helping to save money, which is good. Very consumer friendly, it looks clear and colourful and informative.
(New respondent 00.55)
Charlotte: Right, so the new bill, it’s much more colourful which feels like it make it easy to read. The amount you have to pay is much more obvious, and when you need to pay it. The bit about helping you save money is really nice, with the suggested tariffs. That’s really useful I think. I really like this bit here, the bit about helping you save money, a kilowatt hour and what it gives you because as I was saying before, I’ve got no idea. No idea on how much you use, and the ‘On an average day you use’ that’s really good to know, because if we felt we were using too much and we need to save some money, we could think about how we could reduce what we were using.
(New respondent 01.46)
Claire: Okay, so I guess with the new bill, it’s nice and clear, you can see what you need to pay. That’s quite interesting, it tells you what your kilowatt hour gives you, well I didn’t know that so that’s quite nice, that’s quite interesting to know. To be honest, it’s not something I’m bothered about knowing but I suppose it’s quite nice to know exactly what you’re paying for. I like this kind of thing, where they have a little picture of what you’ve used and what you used in the last year. That gives you an idea, if you are trying to energy save, that gives you an idea if you are actually achieving it or not. Other people might look at it more in-depth than me, but that’s really the only bit that I’m really interested in.
(New respondent 02.31)
Donald: Oh yes, this is a different ball game altogether. This gives you no end of information, it even explains your tariff and things like that which they’ve no mention of it on the old bill. You’ve got all sorts, you’ve got the comparison sites where you could compare your gas from one year to the last year, your electricity from one year to the last year, and then how it adds up at the end and how it’s changed from meter readings into pounds and pence, which is the all-important bit. Then you’ve got your estimates on how much you’re going to use over a whole year, so that you could just work it out and know exactly how much you’re going to spend on power for the whole year. This is amazing, this is great, this is a good as a smart meter really.
(New respondents 03.19)
Ian: I think pictures are good to understand on, you know what a kilowatt of electricity does, so we know that it produces five litres of boiling water. It tells you what they estimate your usage would be following on last year’s estimate. It compares electricity and gas with other years, how your energy adds up, how it’s estimates, how you’re going total cost. I’d find that would be very easy to understand after a little bit.
Betty: Once you got used to it, it’s like anything else when you change, you have to get used to a change don’t you?
Ian: Yes.
(New respondents 03.58)
Elizabeth: I like the set out of it and I like the fact it’s saying, like, you have a section that’s your energy bill, this is how much you own. Then you’ve got the second bit which is helping to save you money. It actually tells you, ‘This is our cheaper tariff and this is our cheapest tariff, this is where you could go to make your bills cheaper again.’ I think that makes a really big difference.
Ann: They are giving you, by the looks of it, a lot more information.
Elizabeth: Yes.
Ann: Helping to save energy, making you think a bit more.
Elizabeth: Also making it easier to understand, and I think that, for a lot of people is a big thing.
(New respondent 04.46)
Reanna: This bit that you’re always drawn to is how much am I going to pay, and it’s right there, which is great. It’s nice it’s got the section on here about trying to save you money, so showing you the similar tariff and the overall cheapest one. Often there is so many tariffs you don’t really know which is cheaper and you don’t know how to work it out, so it’s good that there’s a recommendation on there. I like that the phone number’s straight on the front as well, because if you’ve got a problem, sometimes you look all over and you can’t really find a number to contact your provider, so that’s great. Looking at this, yes the bills are giving you the same information on how much you’ll be paying but the information in the new bill would probably make you think a little bit more about your energy usage,, and think a little more about where you could save and where you could change. | 11,065 | 4,337 | 0.000241 |
warc | 201704 | Amphibians are some of the most unusual and important species found in the park. The word amphibian comes from the Greek words meaning "double life", and refers to their unusual two-stage life cycle. An amphibian begins life as an egg, laid either in water, or in some other wet environment. The larvae hatch and spend their time in water breathing through gills. They then undergo a metamorphosis into an adult form that breathes using lungs. While adults are considered terrestrial, amphibians continue to spend most of their lives near water. Unlike reptiles that have dry scaly skin, amphibians have moist, smooth, glandular skin with no scales, and they have no claws on their toes.
Amphibians are cold-blooded and cannot regulate their bodys temperature like mammals and birds. In the park, the cold annual temperatures, high elevation and dry climate limit amphibian diversity and numbers. The park is home to six species of amphibians: spotted frogs, boreal chorus frogs, boreal toads, tiger salamanders, northern leopard frogs (possibly extinct in the area) and bullfrogs (introduced just outside the park). The best places to find amphibians are near rivers, streams and lakes along the valley floor. Good places to look for spotted frogs include String Lake, Schwabacher Landing (along the Snake River) and Taggart Lake. Chorus frogs are easiest to find in late May and early June because the males are actively calling during their breeding season. Look and listen for these frogs at dusk in moist valley meadows. The boreal toad seems to be disappearing from their historic range. Sightings of these, as well as leopard frogs, should be reported to a parks visitor center. Take some time during your visit to search for these interesting creatures. They are an important link in the food web-providing food for birds, otters and fish; and preying on insects. Finally, amphibians indicate the overall health of the ecosystem. Their dependence on water and the dual life cycle they lead makes them extremely sensitive to changes in environmental conditions. | 2,073 | 1,065 | 0.000941 |
warc | 201704 | Examine whether contaminants in your water supply met two standards: the legal limits established by the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the typically stricter health guidelines. The data was collected by an advocacy organization, the Environmental Working Group, who shared it with The Times.
Cave Rock Skyland Chart Key 1 or more tests taken in the month 1 or more positive detections 1 or more tests above health limit 1 or more tests above legal limit
Douglas County,
Nevada. Serves 1,245 people. 6 contaminants found within health guidelines and legal limits
In some states a small percentage of tests were performed before water was treated, and some contaminants were subsequently removed or diluted. As a result, some reported levels of contamination may be higher than were present at the tap.
Number of Tests Contaminant Average result Maximum result Health limit Legal limit Total
#
Positive result Above health Above legal Monthly Testing History Chart key at top of page E.P.A. regulated Alpha particle activity (excl radon and uranium) 1.10 pCi/L 1.10 15 15 1 1 0 0 Yes Alpha particle activity (incl. radon & uranium) 1.10 pCi/L 1.10 - 15 1 1 0 0 Yes Arsenic (total) 0.87 ppb 1.60 2 10 3 2 0 0 Yes Barium (total) 12.50 ppb 13 2000 2000 2 2 0 0 Yes Chromium (total) 1 ppb 2 100 100 2 1 0 0 Yes Copper 6 ppb 6 1300 1300 1 1 0 0 Yes
Units: ppb: parts per billion, pCi/L: picocuries per liter, ppm: parts per million, mrem/yr: millirems per year, MFL: million fibers per litre
92 contaminants tested for but not found
1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane, 1,1,1-Trichloroethane, 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane, 1,1,2-Trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloro-2-propanone, 1,1-Dichloroethane, 1,1-Dichloroethylene, 1,1-Dichloropropene, 1,2 Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene, 1,2,3-Trichloropropane, 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, 1,2-Dichloroethane, 1,2-Dichloropropane, 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene, 1,3-Dichloropropane, 1-Chlorobutane, 2,2-Dichloropropane, 2-Hexanone, Acetone, Aluminum, Antimony (total), Benzene, Beryllium (total), Bromobenzene, Bromochloromethane, Bromodichloromethane, Bromoform, Bromomethane, Cadmium (total), Carbon tetrachloride, Chloroethane, Chloroform, Chloromethane, cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene, cis-1,3-Dichloropropene, Combined Uranium (pCi/L), Cyanide, Dibromochloromethane, Dibromomethane, Dichlorodifluoromethane, Dichloromethane (methylene chloride), Diquat, Ethyl Methacrylate, Ethylbenzene, Ethylene dibromide (EDB), Foaming agents (surfactants), Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L), Hexachlorobutadiene, Hexachloroethane, Isopropylbenzene, Lead (total), m- & p- Xylene, m-Dichlorobenzene, Manganese, Mercury (total inorganic), Methyl ethyl ketone, Methyl isobutyl ketone, Methyl methacrylate, Monochlorobenzene (Chlorobenzene), MTBE, n-Butylbenzene, n-Propylbenzene, Naphthalene, Nitrate, Nitrate & nitrite, Nitrite, Nitrobenzene, o-Chlorotoluene, o-Dichlorobenzene, o-Xylene, p-Chlorotoluene, p-Dichlorobenzene, p-Isopropyltoluene, Pentachloroethane, sec-Butylbenzene, Selenium (total), Silver (total), Styrene, tert-Butylbenzene, Tetrachloroethylene, Thallium (total), Toluene, Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene, trans-1,3-Dichloropropene, Trichloroethylene, Trichlorofluoromethane, Trichlorotrifluoroethane, Vinyl chloride, Xylenes (total) | 3,325 | 1,446 | 0.000694 |
warc | 201704 | Products Design Templates Services & Resources Free Sample Kit Deals
What's in a name? Or, more importantly, how does your name come into play when it comes to marketing? Everyone knows that your business name should be on all of your marketing materials, but what about your personal name? The answer is that for sales correspondence, you should consider branding your name with personal address labels.
That's because most customers prefer to do business with other people, not with companies; that is to say, you can develop a loyal and dedicated customer base that does business with you because they trust you, not necessarily because they trust your company. The two go hand-in-hand, sure, but many have learned that customers will switch companies to continue doing business with a specific person. If you are the owner or an account manager, it certainly behooves you to make good use of personal address labels.
Get personal
Personal address labels should be placed on all envelopes so that your customers know the communication is coming from you. They'll get a more personal experience when they see your name at the top of the return address label than if they simply see your company's name. This isn't to say you can't include your company's name on your personal address labels, only that it should come below your bolded name. You can also include your company logo, of course, but place it to the side of your name and not above it.
Personal address labels can also be used in a variety of other print marketing strategies. If you send postcards as part of your direct-mail marketing campaign, by all means stick your personal address labels on them so customers can contact you directly. If you leave brochures behind at sales demonstrations, your personal address label should be affixed in a dedicated area. If you distribute booklets, run customer service for catalogs, place flyers in public areas or engage in any other print marketing, your personal address label can play a big role in helping you land the best accounts.
Businesses aren't the only organizations that can take advantage of personal address labels. Nonprofit organizations are always on the lookout for donations, so it is vital that donors trust you to spend their money appropriately. That starts with building personal relationships, something fostered through the use of personal address labels.
Keep it simple
Personal address label design does not have to be fancy; in fact, it can sometimes play into your hand if you keep it simple – especially if you're appealing to a frugal crowd. Clean white labels bearing your name, in a bold font such as Arial or Times New Roman, are really all you need. To add a touch of credibility without going overboard, you can make your name font slightly larger than your address and company name, include your company logo, have your fonts printed in a refreshing, branded color, or apply a simple border around the outside of your personal address labels. Color-filled backgrounds are another great device to help you stand out from the crowd, especially for direct mail where capturing attention is so crucial.
Personal address labels are economical, they save time, and they can boost business when you take care to brand your name for loyal customers who will personally seek you out when they're ready to buy. They're also great for referrals! | 3,397 | 1,551 | 0.000648 |
warc | 201704 | With an A-Z Remedy Guide by Illness.
Scientific evidence now suggests that many illnesses can be effectively treated naturally. Millions are discovering the power of natural remedies.
Find out how to:
- Make colds shorter and milder
- Prevent and treat osteoporosis
- Reduce the discomfort of varicose veins
- Ease the pain of migraines
- Treat mild to moderate depression
- And much, much more
It is all here in straightforward language. You'll find a balanced view of both conventional and natural health treatments to help you decide on the best treatment for you.
To make good decisions you need reliable information. This is critical when it concerns your health. The healthcare industry has a moral obligation to ensure that information is medically accurate.
'The Natural Pharmacist' acknowledges this responsibility by offering natural health content that is:
- Scientifically accurate
- Easy to understand
- Independent and unbiased
- Up-to-date
- Balanced - offers both positive and negative findings
- Integrative - includes both conventional and natural treatments ISBN: 9780091884369 Publication Date: 02 / 09 / 2002 Dimensions: 110 x 178mm | 1,172 | 686 | 0.001482 |
warc | 201704 | Air Purifier Vocabulary
Once a month, we’ll be defining an industry term, that perhaps you hear often but don’t know the exact meaning of. This month, the spotlight is on mold spores.
What are they?
Molds reproduce through tiny spores, which are invisible to the naked eye. These spores float around indoors and out. While mold is considered a danger in the home, it is very useful in the decomposition of dead, organic matter outdoors. Mold needs water or moisture to survive, and will breed indoors if spores come in contact with wet surfaces.
What do mold spores have to do with allergies?
Molds produce allergens, irritants, and sometimes potentially toxic substances (mycotoxins) and can trigger allergic reactions in people who come into contact with them by inhaling or touching contaminated surfaces. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, allergic reactions to mold are common and include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash. Molds can also trigger asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold. Even if you aren’t allergic to mold, it can irritate your eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs.
How do I get rid of it?
Controlling the level of moisture in your home is the best way to avoid mold. Monitor the air quality in your home, keep surfaces in typically wet areas such as kitchens and bathrooms dry, and use a filter to absorb harmful particles from the air you breathe to limit contact with mold spores.
Source: www.epa.gov
Rabbit Air is always interested in hearing your feedback, please send your comments to feedback@rabbitair.com. | 1,644 | 880 | 0.001155 |
warc | 201704 | Can someone please explain what this "lunch lipo" procedure is all about? What are the benefits and risk? Is it just a way for some doctors to make a quick buck?
Lunch Time Lipo? Doctor Answers 7 Luchtime lipo and results that you are looking for
Buyer beware! Liposuction comes in many different forms and the amount of liposuction done also varies from patient to patient. My Coolsculpting patients can, in fact, come in during their lunch hour for fat removal. However, they are well educated on the results that they can expect. Having done hundreds of liposuction procedures, large volume liposuction usually takes several hours to perform and an overnight stay in a hospital is also sometimes required for safety reasons. Therefore, please be careful in considering "Lunchtime Lipo" and know what you're getting into. Good luck! Dr. Schreiber, Baltimore plastic surgeon
Lunchtime lipo
Think of it as "mini"-lipo. Okay for small areas, but keep your expectations low. Get opinions from respected and experienced plastic surgeons that don't rely on gimmicks to get you in the door! Good luck!
Lunchtime lipo Lunchtime liposuction is a marketing term to promote the newly-approved European "Tickle" liposuction. it is equivalent to the US Microaire liposuction machine. Both remove fat with a vibrating cannula. The technique is called PAL - pulsatile assisted liposuction.
PALis the best technique for most liposuction,
It lets small l be done quickly with local anesthesia, iposuctions
But the benefits and risks are the same as for any liposuction- good planning and care are essential for good results. Best wishes. You might also like... Lunch Time Lipo?
Liposuction of the smallest area would be about one hour. Although I would not have great expectations about the difference you will notice. Liposuction results are highly surgeon dependent. Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of liposuction procedures each year. Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results.
Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA
Lunch time lipo
gimmicks in cosmetic surgery are spreading like wild fire...the lunch time liposuction is one. I have seldom seen a patient who could benefit from a liposuction that takes away a few cubic centimeters. consult a board certified plastic surgeon and make sure she or he have a ton of experience, and are credentialed to perform liposuction at the local hospital. all surgeries carry risks and you need to do your homework. some credible surgeons may even offer this minimal surgery, but set your expectations low.
Lunch time lipo ?
Dear jzpeck, If it sounds to good to be true, it is. Use common sense. Even if the doctor does it under local anesthesia and let's assume that the area for lipo is the lower abdomen only, the local anesthesia alone will take about 45 minute to an hour... unless you do not mind the pain of injection... Lunch time is usually an hour and what about the pain medicine - narcotics, how can you drive or perform your work under the influence of the drugs. This sounds like an unethical ploy that you should stay away from. Consult with an experience board certified plastic surgeon and check the before and after pictures to make sure that you like the results. Best of luck, Dr Widder
Lunch lipo
It is hard for me to know exactly what is being described by the term of "lunch lipo." It may be a proprietary term or simply a marketing phrase. That being said, any surgery is a significant event and should not be taken lightly. I would suggest that you proceed with caution prior to having a significant surgical procedure and then going back to work for the rest of the day. In my practice, one generally has sedation of some form or another (intravenous or by mouth) when undergoing liposuction and this would make returning to work more challenging as well.
Best of luck,
Christopher Davidson, M.D.
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship. | 4,261 | 2,032 | 0.000496 |
warc | 201704 | Hi and thanks for your question. For fat reduction under the chin ,Belkyra is a injectable product the can permanently destroy the fat and FDA approved . It needs 2-3 sessions treatment .
For the loose skin and jawls , a combination therapy of filler , thread and laser would be good option .
I suggest to see an expert physician for consult
Thank you for your question! For submental fullness (fat under the chin) Kybella is an option. It is an FDA approved product in the U.S. made of deoxycholic acid, that when injected into the submental area will permanently destroy the fat cells. You may need 2-3 treatments for desired results. For the jowl area, fillers made of hyaluronic acid (HA) can help lift the midface reducing the appearance of jowls. Another approach would be to have laser treatments to help tighten the skin in that area. Additionally, combination treatment of both laser and injectables can also provide a desirable outcome as well. Best of luck!
Web reference: https://www.mykybella.com/?cid=sem_goo_43700010244379676
It would be more ideal to answer this question if you provided a photo and/or gave your age. injectable fillers such as voluma and restylane Lyft are best used for the upper mid face (cheek area). Fillers can be used for the lower face in areas such as the pre jowl sulcus to smooth out jawline definition , but they won't have much effect on lifting the jowls. Under the chin area treatments like kybella and Coolsculpting can reduce fatty tissue and submental fullness , but will not address wobbly skin. To really improve jowls and or skin in the neck , a lower face lift /and or neck lift maybe required . If you are under 50 years old, this may not be the best route to choose, alternatives include Ultherapy or infini and thermitight. These treatments can tighten skin without surgery. I like ultherapy/infini for patients mid 30's to early 50's, and Thermitight for patients mid 40's to late 60's. There are multiple routes to choose, but in general the more invasive treatment you choose , the more dramatic and longer lasting the results you will achieve.
Thanks for bringing up this important question. I prefer Restylane Lyft to volumize the midface. It is used to add volume and lift and fill parts of your face that have aged. Aging causes you to lose volume - especially fatty volume, but muscle and bone volume too. Lyft can be used to define the cheekbones, and provide a lift to the droopy face which can soften lines of the lower face such as the laugh lines. Lyft is hyaluronic acid (HA) based filler. Restylane restores fullness and can reduce lines. These are hypoallergenic and not likely to stimulate your immune system. Typical starting amounts of Restylane Lyft is one syringe per side. If this is your first treatment, you may need more. Adding Restylane Lyft or Restylane to the chin area will volumize the chin similar to how it was in youth and remove some of the slack in the skin around and under the chin.
Best,
Dr. ALDO:)
Web reference: http://www.jonironey.com/restylane/ | 3,057 | 1,482 | 0.000677 |
warc | 201704 | Continue Reading
The dietary restrictions of Hindus vary among practitioners: nearly all abstain from eating beef, and some follow a predominantly vegetarian diet, while others, such as Shaktas, consume meat, provided it comes from animals sacrificed in rituals. Among Hindus, Shaivites and Shaktas have the most lenient diets and may include meat products in their meals, while more conservative Hindu branches such as Vaishna abide by theological rules that dictate permissible and impermissible foods.
The foods deemed suitable or unsuitable for consumption by Hindus are listed in a theological system called guna. There are three gunas that contain a broad list of foods, and rank food products based on their level of acceptability. Meats generally rank at the lowest level of acceptable foods for Hindus, as meat is considered to be influenced by negative forces such as darkness. Since many Hindu practitioners consume primarily vegetarian foods, the vegetarian cuisine in areas with large Hindu populations, such as India, are quite diverse. Dairy products, particularly those derived from milk, are among the most prevalent and popular foods for many Indians. Indian Hindus incorporate large quantities of milk in their foods, as well as ghee, which is a type of clarified butter used to fry food. Hindus add flavor to their meals with spices, and consume large quantities of bread, rice and legumes such as lentils.Learn more about Hinduism | 1,455 | 745 | 0.001346 |
warc | 201704 | Gestation length varies greatly
Photo: Teap/iStockphoto; Graph source: A.M. Jukic
et al/ Human Reproduction 2013
The length of human pregnancy varies naturally by five weeks, researchers have found. A new study followed 125 women from conception to live single births and found the longest pregnancies in women who were older, had previously had long pregnancies or were themselves heavier at birth. | 404 | 286 | 0.00354 |
warc | 201704 | Filter Results: Publication Year
2011
2016
Publication Type Co-author Key Phrase Publication Venue Brain Region Method Organism
Learn More
The present study aims at developing and assessing an assistive tool for operating electronic devices at home by means of a P300-based brain–computer interface (BCI). Fifteen severely impaired subjects participated in the study. The developed tool allows users to interact with their usual environment fulfilling their main needs. It allows for navigation… (More)
This study performed an analysis of several feature extraction methods and a genetic algorithm applied to a motor imagery-based Brain Computer Interface (BCI) system. Several features can be extracted from EEG signals to be used for classification in BCIs. However, it is necessary to select a small group of relevant features because the use of irrelevant… (More)
The age-related impairment is an increasing problem due to the aging suffered by the population, especially in developed countries. It is usual to use electroencephalogram (EEG)-based Brain Computer Interface (BCI) systems by means of the signal in order to assist and to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities. However, a parallel research… (More)
Neurofeedback training (NFT) has shown to be promising and useful to rehabilitate cognitive functions. Recently, brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) were used to restore brain plasticity by inducing brain activity with an NFT. In our study, we hypothesized that an NFT with a motor imagery-based BCI (MI-BCI) could enhance cognitive functions related to aging… (More)
Practical motor imagery-based brain computer interface (MI-BCI) applications are limited by the difficult to decode brain signals in a reliable way. In this paper, we propose a processing framework to address non-stationarity, as well as handle spectral, temporal, and spatial characteristics associated with execution of motor tasks. Stacked generalization… (More)
OBJECTIVE Current diagnostic guidelines encourage further research for the development of novel Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers, especially in its prodromal form (i.e. mild cognitive impairment, MCI). Magnetoencephalography (MEG) can provide essential information about AD brain dynamics; however, only a few studies have addressed the characterization of… (More)
‹ 1 › | 2,401 | 1,241 | 0.000828 |
warc | 201704 | Not yet a Member?
HR Magazine is highlighting the next generation of HR leaders.
Is your employee handbook ready for the New Year? With SHRM’s Employee Handbook Builder get peace of mind that your handbook is up-to-date.
Get the HR education you need without travel expenses or time out of the office.
Join us in Chicago for the latest trends and technology in talent management, and what to expect in the future.
The Syracuse Common Council voted 8–1 to “ban the box” inquiring about criminal convictions for anyone entering into a service contract or concession agreement with the city.
Effective March 22, 2015, Syracuse will require the city and all contractors doing business with the city to refrain from asking a job applicant about criminal convictions unless the applicant has received a tentative job offer.
The ordinance will prohibit contractors from making any criminal history inquiries during the “application process,” which begins when an applicant inquires about employment and ends when an employer extends a conditional offer to the applicant.
Further, before a contractor can rescind a conditional offer of employment based on an applicant’s criminal history, it will be required to provide the applicant with a copy of the criminal history report, notify the applicant of the intention to revoke, identify the convictions warranting the withdrawal of the offer, and review all documentation provided by the applicant.
Inquiries specifically authorized or imposed by applicable law will be exempted from the ordinance. In addition, intentional misrepresentations made by an applicant in connection with an employment application will be exempted.
The city will have the authority to suspend and terminate any contract or agreement in violation of the ordinance.
Rosemarie Lally, J.D., is a freelance legal writer and editor based in Washington, D.C.
You have successfully saved this page as a bookmark.
Please confirm that you want to proceed with deleting bookmark.
You have successfully removed bookmark.
Delete canceled
Please log in as a SHRM member before saving bookmarks.
Your session has expired. Please log in again before saving bookmarks.
Please purchase a SHRM membership before saving bookmarks.
An error has occurred
Recommended for you
Join SHRM's exclusive peer-to-peer social network
SHRM’s HR Vendor Directory contains over 3,200 companies | 2,442 | 1,180 | 0.00087 |
warc | 201704 | The Information Society Commission (ISC) is a bit like that other more famous commission in Brussels – people have heard of it but generally don’t have a clue what it does. Not surprising then that the ISC recently issued a request for tender for a PR agency to manage its profile and to get its name, and more importantly its achievements, into the media.
Organisations usually hire PR agencies either when they have something to say or something to hide. In the ISC’s case, it is about “opening the channels of communication” with its various target audiences, which include government, media, business, social partners and educationalists, says communications director Mike Neary.
“We are anxious to have a programme of engagement with stakeholders,” he explains. “We want to drive awareness of the commission and gain comment and feedback from relevant organisations and individuals.”
As part of this, he reports, the ISC is shortly to relaunch its clean but passive website (www.isc.ie) and introduce a lot more interactivity.
The original ISC (1997-2000) was set up by the Taoiseach with a three-pronged remit: advising the government on information society matters; benchmarking Ireland’s competitiveness internationally as a digital economy; and encouraging external links. The remit of the second ISC, which was established at the end of November last year and will run until 2004, is similar, according to Neary.
“The terms of reference of the ISC are still the same. The only difference is that the first commission, headed up by Vivienne Jupp, had in its brief raising awareness of information and communications technology (ICT) and the uses to which it could be put. We feel that this has been achieved to a significant degree and, therefore, it is not a key aspect of the current commission’s work,” he says.
There is one major difference between the two organisations, however. Since the establishment of the second ISC, a Government Minister with specific responsibility for the information society, Mary Hanafin TD, has been appointed to co-ordinate activities in that arena.
“When the commission was established there was no e-minister, but one has now been appointed and we welcome that,” says Neary. He makes it clear, however, that the appointment will not change the role of the commission or interrupt its existing reporting lines.
“We are not reporting to the Minister; we continue to report to the office of the Taoiseach of which Minister Hanafin is a part,” says Neary. “But, we will interact with the Minister on a range of matters.”
As Ireland’s first e-minister, Hanafin has vowed to push the information society agenda using the government’s New Connections document published last April as her policy template. In order to promote the various elements of the e-enabled society, she will need the very best and up-to-date information to work from. One valuable source of information is likely to be the research and recommendations emanating from the ISC.
Last April, the ISC chairman Danny O’Hare announced seven working groups on key ICT issues facing Irish business and society. The group members are volunteers drawn from public and private sector organisations. The groups are soon to present proposals to the commission that will be considered for recommendation to Government. The seven areas being researched are: telecoms infrastructure, lifelong learning, e-inclusion, e-government, legal issues, e-business and futures.
The commission is understood to be at an advanced stage of preparing a report to Government based on the findings of the working groups, but Neary would not be drawn on the timing of the report’s launch except to say that “we hope to have available in the near future”.
He does, however, offer this synopsis of its contents: “It will look at Ireland’s efforts of how we are doing in terms of broadband, internet penetration, e-business adoption and delivery of e-government. The key messages will be significance of knowledge society, what we have do to make it happen and what sort of policy cohesion is required. It will then look at the three major challenges _ broadband, innovation and skills.”
Lamenting how the complex question of how to move to the knowledge economy has coalesced around a single issue _ broadband _ Neary believes that the ISC report will help expand the debate into areas such as Ireland’s R&D capability. “We need to look at issues such as where are the sources of sustainable competitiveness going to come from and Ireland’s attractiveness as a location for R&D,” Neary says.
He praises the efforts of organisations such as MediaLab Europe to develop new applications for technology, such as the recently and widely publicised real-time information system on bus arrival times based on GPS (global positioning system) and SMS (short message service) technology.
A report due out soon, a PR agency to be appointed in the near future, a website revamp in the offing … it is all happening at the ISC _ or about to. A suitable motto for the organisation? “We’re not there yet, but we’re getting there.” | 5,292 | 2,464 | 0.000422 |
warc | 201704 | is a blog about design, technology and culture written by Khoi Vinh, and has been more or less continuously published since December 2000 in New York City. Khoi is currently Principal Designer at Adobe, Design Chair at Wildcard and co-founder of Kidpost. Previously, Khoi was co-founder and CEO of Mixel (acquired by Etsy, Inc.), Design Director of The New York Times Online, and co-founder of the design studio Behavior, LLC. He is the author of “Ordering Disorder: Grid Principles for Web Design,” and was named one of Fast Company’s “fifty most influential designers in America.” Khoi lives in Crown Heights, Brooklyn with his wife and three children. Refer to the advertising and sponsorship page for inquiries.+
I’m designing a social app right now and I need lots of avatars to use in the mock-ups. Designing social interfaces is a bit like trying to visualize a party, attendees and all, which is to say the designer is challenged with representing something full of life using tools that are inherently static.
Insofar as avatars give the impression of lots of people using the system, they’re a helpful design detail. I could use one or two ‘generic’ avatars across all of the various interfaces I’m designing, but the more that the hypothetical users in my mock-ups look like they could be actual, real-life users — and the more of them there are — then the better my chances for communicating a convincing design to collaborators.
Picking up a random selection of avatars from Twitter or Flickr, which is what I’m doing now, presents several problems. First, it’s laborious. Second, the users from whom I’m ‘borrowing’ these assets haven’t granted usage permissions of any kind. And third, they’re not a great cross-section of a wide user base.
Ready-made People
The thing is, I bet lots of designers — and probably many readers — have confronted this problem recently, too, and have probably done just what I’ve done — manually pirating a handful of avatars from various social networks.
This is not the biggest problem in the world, nor does it suggest the most exciting product solution in the world, but it would be nice if someone enterprising would create a ready-made pack of avatars that designers could make use of. This would be something like stock art, but it should be significantly less artificial than what you see from even the most creative stock photo vendors. These avatars should represent a healthy diversity of people, meaning there should be avatars of all different styles: some should be slick, some should be amateurish, some should be straight head shots, some should be creative mini portraits, some should be of a user’s baby or pet or favorite-live action incarnation of a beloved comic book character etc.
These avatars would be rights-cleared and royalty-free, they’d come in small, medium and large sizes, and maybe even accompanied by fictional biographies. To get even fancier, we could extend this product into actual data sets, available via a Web app that would allow an app designer to generate a small population of these hypothetical users that match desired criteria, perhaps even with linkages to one another, and all downloadable in CSV format.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Just getting a passel of pre-made avatars I can use in my mock-ups would be awesome, and I bet there are at least a few designers out there who would like the same thing. Lots of us would pay for it, too.+ | 3,578 | 1,769 | 0.000588 |
warc | 201704 | Mumbai, Jan. 8: Dalal Street was on its toes for a Friday frenzy after a throbbing Thursday saw the sensex zoom to a record high and the government dish out a platter of tax dollops that was too late for the market to feast on.
Markets started on a firm note, but with no inkling of the bonanza that was to come late in the afternoon. The sensex opened at 5992.10, rallied to an intra-day high at 6118.62 before ending at the all-time record high of 6108.54, a smart gain of 151.52 points, or 2.54 per cent. NSE’s Nifty closed 51.80 points or 2.70 per cent at 1968.55.
Through of all this, however, the markets were driven by Wednesday’ announcement allowing margin trading and stock lending on bourses. Few had anticipated that the long-planned pre-poll boosters would unspool the way it did a little after three this evening.
“The markets will be on fire Friday,” said Arun Kejriwal of Kejriwal Research and Investment Services. There is another potential propeller: Infosys’ third-quarter numbers, due to be released by Friday noon.
Dealers and investors, buoyed by today’s spectacular gains, were left ruing the fact that reports of the tax cuts came in so late. Had the announcement come early in the day, indices would have soared into stratosphere.
“It’s an election-oriented move,” said a fund manager affiliated to a leading mutual fund. “The government is preparing for elections and it seems they are pulling out all stops to win over people,” Kejriwal added.
Hard questions appeared lost in the din and cacophony of the bull charge. How will the government offset the losses on account of duty cutbacks' Will the fiscal deficit widen' As these questions plagued some minds, there were others who reasoned that fresh consumer demand arising out of tax cuts would more than offset the decline in revenues.
On the BSE, gainers outnumbered losers 3.5:1. Around 1694 shares advanced, while 485 declined. In the specified group, 177 shares, including 28 from the index, registered a sharp to moderate gains; 20 others closed with losses. The rally was spread across sectors. Among the major gainers were index stocks including SBI, ITC, Bharti Tele-Ventures, Larsen, ONGC, Bhel, Grasim, Satyam, Zee, Infosys and Reliance, which went up smartly.
The past few days have seen the tired markets getting its bounce back after a spate of positive news on the economy front. The Planning Commission and Reserve Bank of India, and Sebi allowing margin trading and securities lending were propellants for the market to rally.
PSU stocks were in the limelight and the ones that appreciated the most. It closed up 4.53 per cent at 4361.89 following strong gains in the banking and oil and gas stocks. The broad-based BSE-100 index jumped 104.88 points to 3297.19 from its previous close of 3192.31.
FIIs, having made record investments of over Rs 35,000 crore in Indian markets last year, kept up the tempo even in the current year, making net purchases of a staggering Rs 973 crore in the four sessions to January 6. Grasim flared up by Rs 68.45 to Rs 1118.70, &T by Rs 39 to 573.55, Reliance by Rs 9.80 to Rs 589.45, Infosys by Rs 164.90 to Rs 5838.95, ITC by Rs 54.75 to Rs 1077.25, Tata Motors by Rs 17.90 to Rs 465.25 and ACC by Rs 7.65 to 274.
Rupee hardens
The rupee firmed up further against the dollar, closing at 45.54 as a steady stream of dollars and reduced demand by public sector banks for dollars gave the Indian currency a boost in the inter-bank forex market. It opened at 45.55 and rallied to 45.52 for a brief period before finishing with a gain of three-and-a-half paise. Against the pound sterling, the rupee resumed at 82.66 per sterling and rallied to close at 82.45, showing a smart rise of 28 paise over Wednesday’s close of 82.73.
Gold dips
Gold fell to Rs 6295 per 10 grams in Mumbai, showing a sharp setback of Rs 65 over its previous close of Rs 6360. Pure gold started a subdued note at Rs 6345 and fell further sharply on fresh offering, before closing at Rs 6335, also showing a same fall over the previous close of Rs 6400. | 4,128 | 2,145 | 0.000475 |
warc | 201704 | Richard Bentall, a clinical psychologist, is a controversial figure in the field of mental health. An example of the hostility that his conclusions provoke among those practising conventional (that is, drug-based) psychiatry is given in the preface to this book, which raises serious questions about the treatment of mental illness. Bentall describes an encounter with an amiable-seeming psychiatrist who responds to a talk he has given as follows: "Professor Bentall has told us he is a scientist. But he is not! Nothing that Professor Bentall has said - not one single word - is true."
The unlikelihood of a professor of psychology delivering, in the sober environment of an NHS conference, a talk in which every word is fictitious and every opinion fallacious gives a flavour of the threat that Bentall's theories pose. The response, as reported, sounds deranged and it is interesting to observe how debate among professionals over the causes of mental illness appears to induce its own version of madness, as if the topic itself were contagious. One sign of sanity, both in the individual and society, is the ability to deal with dissent.
In an earlier book, Madness Explained, Bentall was at pains to distinguish his approach from other anti-psychiatrists - for example, RD Laing, whose radical views were discredited because of his flamboyant lack of rigour and attendant inability to accept criticism. Bentall, as this book attests, is a different kettle of fish. With patient persistence and without recourse to rancorous diatribes, he has appraised the scientific evidence for the success of contemporary psychiatric treatments and come up with a dismal report. It is probably the very balance of his approach that drives his opponents crazy.
Doctoring the Mind is an attempt to clarify the dense array of evidence offered in Bentall's earlier work. The result is a much easier read. It is also, for that reason, more disturbing. Other recent books (Lisa Appignanesi's Mad, Bad and Sad, for example) have also traced the dark strains of misperception, mismanagement and downright cruelty in psychiatry's chequered history, but Bentall's achievement is to focus on contemporary psychiatric practices, especially those dedicated to treating serious psychoses (his own area of expertise).
Bentall's thesis is that, for all the apparent advances in understanding psychiatric disorders, psychiatric treatment has done little to improve human welfare, because the scientific research which has led to the favouring of mind-altering drugs is, as he puts it, "fatally flawed". He cites some startling evidence from the World Health Organisation that suggests patients suffering psychotic episodes in developing countries recover "better" than those from the industrialised world and the aim of the book is broadly to suggest why this might be so.
The first part describes the historical evolution of different kinds of treatment, moving on to dismantle some myths about the nature of severe mental illness. On the way, Bentall addresses the problem of diagnostic categories, suggesting that what are conventionally called psychiatric "symptoms" are more accurately termed "complaints". A particular focus of his critique is the notion of heritability, the theory that mental illness has a genetic basis. According to Bentall, there exist grave flaws in the research methods adopted and the stigma of an inescapable genetic stamp baselessly fuels discrimination against those suffering mental disarray. In addition, the dangers of long-term exposure to many psychotropic drugs appears to outweigh their usefulness.
Here it is important to explain something that is not always understood, which is that mental "illness" is not strictly comparable with physical illness. There are several reasons for this, one being that the aetiology (causation) of so-called mental disease is not yet identifiable in the way that, say, measles is. The precise causal relationship between or mind and body remains misty, but that strong emotional states have an impact on physical states is recognisable in everyday life. We do not feel fear because we have paled or experience anxiety because we sweat. We blush or, if we have penises, have erections because strong emotions trigger these normal physical responses.
The question then becomes this: are distressing mental states the result of impaired brain chemistry or is it the other way round? Does trauma, whether singular or chronic, as in the long misery of an abandoned child or the recurring anxiety of an assaulted one, alter the subtle chemistry of the brain to affect subsequent states of mind? This debate, as Bentall demonstrates, is not only still on, but is heated.
The second reason for distinguishing between physical and mental illness is that diagnostic concepts defining "mental disease" are, in Bentall's words, "invented, not discovered". They arise out of a collective decision, rather than scientific discovery (you can't test for schizophrenia in the way you can for diabetes). Schizophrenia and bipolar disease (once called "manic depression") are merely the names given to a loose collection of "symptoms" and the decision to plump for one diagnosis over another will be influenced by the doctor's interpretation of the current psychiatric scoreboard.
Perhaps significantly, psychiatrists in the US and Russia are more likely to diagnose schizophrenia than their warier European colleagues. I was amused to find that, according to one of the quoted tests, I would be labelled psychotic, while no test (at least in my current state of health) could show that I have, for example, TB. In this context, it is relevant that, in the old USSR, dissidents were commonly labelled "schizophrenic". It would have been simpler to be rid of them by calling them "lepers", but leprosy can be disproved through laboratory testing, while schizophrenia cannot. That physical and mental illness are incommensurate is significant, as it has a profound bearing on treatment. While advances in the realm of physical illness have been spectacular, in the shadowy province of mental health the news is at best disappointing.
And some of it is dire. Bentall is not the first to call attention to a drugs industry whose success is based on the efficacy of its marketing techniques rather than of its medications. But it is useful to be reminded of the massive financial forces behind the enthusiasm for drugs. It has become standard practice among psychiatrists to medicate for life those diagnosed with serious psychoses when, demonstrably, more is not better, either in dosage or time scale. In the US, children are being prescribed anti-psychotic drugs for "disruptive" behaviour. Grief, disappointment and old age are nowadays routinely met with serotonin-reuptake inhibitors.
In the course of his inquiry, Bentall is at pains not to fling out the baby with the bath water. He makes an all-important distinction between being "anti-psychiatrist" and "anti-psychiatry", a common category error, and is careful to say that "most people drawn to work in psychiatry are kind and caring". He recognises that there are occasions where drugs are necessary and some when nothing else will do. He is not in favour of half-baked "alternative" remedies.
He believes that it is true that some behavioural disorders are the result of a complex malfunctioning of neural chemistry, and also - not at all the same thing - that states of emotional anguish will have a somatic counterpart that can be eased by medication. In other words, he is open-minded about drug therapy, provided it is not used as a panacea or a substitute for treatments that may produce happier outcomes.
What's to be done? Abandoning his distinctive note of moderation, Bentall finally becomes passionate. The first answer, he suggests, is a greater regard for the role of adverse circumstances in provoking mental illness. If bad things happen to people, this is registered in their bodies' chemistry ("a troubled brain cannot be considered in isolation from the social universe"). The second answer is a concomitant respect for the power of interpersonal relationships to ameliorate these effects. One of the concluding chapters, entitled "The Virtue of Kindness" (the subject of the psychoanalyst Adam Phillips' latest book), asks if psychotherapy can help. The short answer is yes, because a person, unlike a drug, can learn to listen to another's story.
Psychoanalysis was popularly called the talking cure, but a better name is the listening one, because to be listened to properly inspires, or can inspire, hope. As Bentall starkly says: "Without hope, the struggle for survival seems pointless." At a time when dialogue in the presence of other human beings is becoming less and less available, this brave book gives a sense of why this could be disastrous.
• Salley Vickers is a novelist and former psychotherapist. Her latest book, Dancing Backwards, will be published next week by Fourth Estate | 9,065 | 4,271 | 0.000236 |
warc | 201704 | Although I try to garden with a low-maintenance hat on, I can never restrict myself to the most sensible choice of plants. I like a plant that has a mind of its own; I like the unforeseen, the sprawl and the chance happenings that come when one thing runs into the next. I am also gardening intensively and cramming far too much into one place to be sensible. There are layers to cater for seasonal change, early peonies that are consumed by late salvias. But I don't want the salvias to swamp the peonies, or for the lilies that come up among them to be bowing their heads so low that I lose the flowers in the crowd. The secret is finding the balance between sensible and romantic, practical and unpredictable. But as with a puppeteer pulling the strings to create a semblance of order, it is important that the strings remain unseen.
In the allotment, providing this support system is part of the aesthetic, and I'll go out of my way for the pea sticks to look good to keep the peas from sprawling into the spinach. We spent a good afternoon out there in May, setting up the bamboo canes for the tomatoes and climbing beans. Having your own canes is part of the pleasure and why I would always want to have a bamboo patch in the garden. This year's supports are made from last year's bamboo thinnings, harvested in summer. I prefer tripods or wigwams to the linear supports you see in the best veggie gardens. Wigwams have an integral strength because they are never vulnerable from any one direction, but a client pointed out that if you cross your canes low in a conventional run, you can encourage the beans to hang low for easier picking. This year I am trying it out.
In a garden setting, providing support for the sprawlers is something that is best kept hidden. The old-fashioned method of twisting hazel bundles together so the perennials grow up into them is wonderful if you have time but has its disadvantages. Sourcing the bundles in a city is difficult, and you also have to get in there early in March before everything starts growing. By now it is impossible. I tried getting by for too many years in this garden hoping that I wouldn't have to stake, but the aconites always toppled while I was out and righted themselves from a slant where they lay. Trying to right them by tying them to bamboo canes or setting up a web of strings between canes only inspired cursing, and the plants looked like they had been seized by the scruff of the neck.
Friends who make their own steel supports invited me down to Kent three years ago to use their plywood former to bend a batch of my own. We made three heights of two different diameters of U-shaped hoops from reinforcing rod cut to length. A small one that stands about knee height once it is pushed into the ground, perfect for preventing the Geranium 'Patricia' from swallowing the valerian. The middle size is the most useful and stands about 3ft tall and is perfect for plants like angelica or persicaria that need redirecting from low down. The tallest come to my waist and are useful later for the dahlias once they decide they are not going to stand up on their own. The bending day was time well spent and now I can stake my perennials in a couple of hours by wading into the beds in May and early June and placing them where they are needed. In a few days, any that are visible sink into the background and I am set up for the summer to do whatever it decides to do. My plants survive deluge and the tendency to lean out of shade, which is always a problem because my garden is now so full.
Of course there is a host of perennials that don't need support. The grasses, for instance, and eupatoriums that can rise to 2 metres without the need for something to lean on. Rudbeckias and echinacea rarely need it, but some forms of plants that flop have been selected for their uprightness. Echinops 'Veitch's Blue' and Veronicastrum virginicum 'Lavendelturm' are happy to stand stoutly while retaining their grace. You can also initiate a pruning regime in late May called the 'Chelsea chop' (too late unless you are 'Up North') and this can be applied to late bloomers with a tendency to lean. Some of the asters, if they are reduced to half their height in Chelsea week, will re-branch along the stem to provide you with a stockier, self-supporting plant. This is a secret that is well worth the apparently brutal action. And in terms of action, a little foresight now will give you time to sit back and enjoy the up-and-coming show.
· Observer offer: Create a bamboo patch. Phyllostachys nigra, or black bamboo, has a graceful form, dark stems and bright foliage. Buy one plant in a 2-litre pot for just £19.95 inc p&p or two plants for just £34.90, saving £5. Call 0870 836 0909, quoting ref OBDP080, or send a cheque made payable to Observer Reader Offers with your order to Observer Black Bamboo Offer, OBDP080, Rookery Farm, Joys Bank, Holbeach St Johns, Spalding PE12 8SG. Despatch within 28 days | 4,999 | 2,478 | 0.000406 |
warc | 201704 | "B-Daman warriors. Rapid fire! Serious Accuracy! Awesome firepower! Be da man - with B-Daman!" "My scene goes Hollywood. It's so hot - and so are we!" "Get new Sticker-mania. It's amazingly cool!"
If you have trouble recognising those product names, or even understanding the words, don't worry. They're not meant for you. They are, instead, examples of an industry worth at least £70m every year: advertising aimed directly at children. The value of indirect marketing - ads that are not made expressly for kids but are seen by them anyway - runs into the hundreds of millions. The result is that today's average British child is familiar with up to 400 brand names by the time they reach the age of 10. Researchers report that our children are more likely to recognise Ronald McDonald and the Nike swoosh than Jesus. One study found that 69% of all three-year-olds could identify the McDonald's golden arches - while half of all four-year-olds did not know their own name.
Parents have fretted about this for years. They know what it is to battle in the supermarket aisles with children professionally trained in the art of pester power. Those on low incomes are hit especially hard, nagged by kids desperate for gadgets or clothes they have seen on TV but which their parents cannot afford. The NHS reports rising incidence of mental illness among the young, with anxiety and depression linked to the pressure to buy, to own, to consume. The data shows today's children are unhappier than any generation of the postwar era.
Watch commercial television at teatime and you'll soon be bombarded by ads for burgers, ice-creams, chocolate or brightly-coloured water. The ads move fast, with plenty of whooshing and whizzing, and often with an inducement outside the food itself: a link to a big current movie or a range of free plastic toys. And schools are no longer a refuge from this commercial onslaught, but one of its key battlegrounds. There are poster sites promoting new films by the assembly hall. Until education secretary Ruth Kelly banned them last month, school vending machines were a prime outlet of crisps, chocolates and fizzy drinks.
Parents of sick kids have reported McDonald's workers targeting children's wards of hospitals, handing out balloons and toys, but also leaflets promoting their own product. Others have noticed the food giants finding new ways to sell their wares, bypassing TV to reach directly into children's lives. The campaign group the Food Commission has singled out a Cheerios counting book that encourages toddlers to put cereal pieces in the slots on the page and Nestlé's offer of a customised story, featuring your child's name printed in a Milkybar Kid adventure. Advertisers love the idea of breaking into what psychologists call "the educable moment" - that precious second when a child is reading or playing and so at their most receptive.
Meanwhile, childhood obesity has tripled in the past 25 years. Nearly one in six British kids is overweight; 6% are obese. For the first time, children are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a disease previously thought to be confined to the over-40s. Last year, the government floated a possible ban on the TV advertising of junk food - so-called "HFSS foods", or products high in fat, salt or sugar - before the 9pm watershed. The proposal was dropped just before the election.
But the question has not gone away. On the contrary, consumer activists predict that the promotion of unhealthy food to kids, and the wider issue of marketing to children altogether, could soon become a national cause célèbre. Where Jamie Oliver led on school dinners, campaigners against junk food on TV could soon follow. Others anticipate a larger movement, one that makes the business of selling to kids as controversial - and unpopular - as the selling of tobacco. They point to the survey by the National Family and Parenting Institute which found that no fewer than 84% of parents believe there is too much marketing aimed at children. Are they right? And if the danger is real, what can be done about it?
"Smartie people are happy people." "A finger of fudge is just enough to give your kids a treat." "If you like a lot of chocolate on your biscuit, join our club."
That took no research at all. I typed those three jingles from memory, even though I can't have heard them for 25 years. That says two useful things. First, that adverts really do have an impact on the juvenile brain, one that can last for decades. Second, that using TV to persuade kids to buy things, including sweets, is not new.
The inducements that stir such controversy now are hardly new either. I remember shaking the morning box of Shreddies or Frosties for the toy within. I remember pestering my mother to buy Sugar Puffs until I had amassed enough tokens to receive my "free" Honey Monster soft toy. He's still there in my parents' house; now my own sons occasionally give him a cuddle.
In my memory, the ads of those days seem gentler. Memory can play those tricks, so I arranged to view a few of the old adverts, to see how they looked in 2005. The magician David Nixon appearing to conjure Lyons Maid lollies from nowhere; kids dressed as explorers stumbling across Cadbury's chocolate animals in a jungle that consisted of a few house plants.
Of course, the ads were less slick then, but they were still playing the same game: promising fun and adventure if you ate more sweets. No, the difference between then and now lies somewhere else: in the sheer volume of advertising that rains down on today's child.
In my childhood, you saw ads on ITV and nowhere else. Now there is a profusion of cable channels, including half a dozen or more aimed at kids; crucially, there's also the internet, email and mobile phones. Advertisers have found ways to use all three, from dedicated websites to viral email campaigns to unsolicited text messaging. Bluetooth technology enables shops to send an ad to your phone the instant you walk past. Even computer games are not immune, with products surreptitiously embedded within.
There is, in other words, an enormous children's marketplace, and it is lucrative terrain. The under-16s spend an estimated £30bn a year, including £6bn on clothes and £2bn on toys. Eight in 10 kids have their own TV in their room; half have a DVD player or a video. A million children under nine own a mobile phone. One in five have internet access. With more pocket money than ever before - over £6 a week for the seven to 11 age group and more than £9 for the under-16s - they are a highly-prized target audience. And make no mistake, they are being targeted.
"Ninja Storm, Ice-Cream Form! Power of ice-cream! Power of sugar-coated chocolate beans! Power of milk chocolate! Power Rangers Ninja Storm! The ice-cream of super heroes!" "I'm lovin' it!" "Pepsi: Dare for More."
Food is the battleground. Analysts are now so clear on what foods are unhealthy for children that they even have a snappy name for them. They are the Big Five: sweets and chocolate, soft drinks, crisps and savoury snacks, fast food, and pre-sugared breakfast cereals. (Throw in pre-prepared ready meals and you have the Big Six.)
Now, which foods are advertised when kids watch TV? As it happens, food spending on TV ads is in overall decline, but in 2003 the industry still managed to shell out £522m, on promoting food, soft drinks or chain restaurants on television. According to an Ofcom report, Childhood Obesity - Food Advertising in Context, the products to get the biggest push were convenience food, confectionary or dairy products, the very categories that feature most prominently in the diets of obese children.
And it is these which appear most frequently during those traditional, after-school hours known as "children's airtime". Of all the food adverts that are on then, 77% are for Big Five products.
That might seem to suggest a simple solution: ban all TV advertising of junk food during those kids' hours. The trouble is, that's not the only or even the main time children watch TV. Britain's under-16s now watch around 17 hours of television each week, but 12 of those hours are outside the traditional zone. The programme most watched by British kids is not Blue Peter or even ITV1's My Parents are Aliens but Coronation Street. In other words, you could weed out the junk ads from the 22 minutes a day that kids spend watching commercial children's TV, but that would do nothing about the other two hours they spend in front of the box, usually between 6pm and 9pm.
The marketing of food to young consumers is not only a matter of when, but how. The techniques are tried, tested and familiar. An old favourite is the cartoon character, the likes of Tony the Tiger, still doing gr-r-r-reat service for Frosties, or McDonald's YumChums. The appeal to young children is obvious: bright, primary colours; friendly, elastic faces. Except these lovable creations are not there to amuse or entertain but to sell.
A more visible method is the tie-in to a big, blockbuster movie or the celebrity endorsement (a staple of adult-oriented advertising too.) It could be David Beckham selling Pepsi or Venus Williams promoting Big Macs ("McDonald's and the Williams sisters make a perfect team!" says Venus's website), but the logic is the same: healthy person selling unhealthy product. The exemplar is Gary Lineker's campaign for Walkers Crisps, which advertisers credit with the sale of 114m extra packets in just two years.
There are subtler strategies too. The food itself can be designed to appeal to a child's sense of fun, with items to unfold or unwind like Kellogg's Fruit Winders, or to dip like Dairylea Dunkers, or to assemble like Dairylea Lunchables. Researchers have found that children barely able to speak will still communicate a preference for certain brands, associating heavily advertised branded foods with fun. One mother of an obese five-year old from the north of England told Ofcom's research team that her kids wouldn't eat "normal shop spaghetti", but tucked in once they saw Bob the Builder on the tin.
That's an outcome the marketeers work hard to achieve. Two years ago a committee of MPs unearthed an internal document from Walkers Crisps, the brief for the contract to advertise Wotsits. The aim: to make children believe that "Wotsits are for me. I am going to ... pester mum for them when she next goes shopping." The Guardian's Felicity Lawrence found that the admen for Fruit Winders, which are one-third sugar and a past winner of a Tooth Rot award from the Food Commission, had boasted that their campaign had "entered the world of kids in a way never done before" and managed to "not let mum in on the act". By using a kind of coded language, the ads had set up a conspiratorial relationship between the brand and the child, with the parents on the outside. Kellogg's was caught again when it placed a recruitment ad for a senior researcher in its "kids brands" division: "You will spend your time understanding kids, finding out what interests them ... and appreciating the realm of pester power."
The advertisers defend themselves vigorously. First, they say they've changed. Not only do they spend less than they once did, but the content of their ads has changed too. There is some truth to this. Visit the Kids Zone of the McDonald's website and you'll think you've stumbled across an old public information film. Ronald McDonald is bounding around a gym, extolling the virtues of exercise. Meanwhile, his animated pals sing this happy ditty:
Don't let your YumChums get glum
Put healthy stuff in your tum
Think about the things you eat
Don't give us toooo many treats!
Run about, jump around and play
And you'll feel yummy every day.
And not a quarterpounder to be seen.
For some, this is corporate social responsibility made real: McDonald's emphasising that its product is a "treat", only to be eaten in moderation as part of a balanced diet. For others, it's an empty gesture. Sure, you can promote McDonald's as if it's a vegan spa, but once the kids are through the doors they're going to be gulping down those fries. It's reverse, sleight-of-hand advertising: you get all the credit for exalting virtue, when really you're still selling sin.
Some advertisers refuse to see any case to answer. They deny a link between junk food ads and young people's eating habits, still less between ads and obesity. Academic research, concluded Ofcom, showed only "modest direct effects" of ads on food consumption. Yes, it is true that the more time a child spends in front of the box, the likelier it is that he or she will have a bad diet, bad health and even be obese - but that could be because watching TV is itself a sedentary activity. Or that TV viewing tends to go hand-in-hand with constant fridge-opening and snacking. Or, maybe, that the child will see more ads for those Big Five products. But who can disentangle one factor from another?
Besides, there are so many other explanations for why today's children are getting fatter. As the culture secretary Tessa Jowell told me: "The problem is not the number of calories kids are taking in, but the fact they are doing less to burn them off: they're less active."
That message finds an ally in Greg Rowland, whose Semiotics for Brands business has established him as the thinking man's adman. He has worked for a variety of products, including KFC, Cadbury's Fingers and Smarties.
He rattles off the possible causes for the surge in childhood obesity. The selling off of playing fields; the decline in kids walking to school; the fear parents have of letting their children play unsupervised in the park; the disappearance of the old-fashioned park-keeper; the breakdown of community; the rise of the two-working-parents household, leaving less time to prepare wholesome meals. "There are so many issues which can be blamed for this problem," he says. "Why single out TV advertising? Because it's an easy target."
What about advertisers' deliberate manipulation, encouraging, for example pester power? "The real question," says Rowland, "is why are parents not strong enough to say no? It's because they feel guilty. Giving in and buying stuff is the easy way of parenting for 'time-poor' parents."
But surely the kids would not be nagging at all, if the advertisers hadn't planted the desire in the first place? No, says Rowland. "The one thing advertising cannot do is create desire." Its skill is in making us choose Persil over Ariel - not in persuading us we need soap powder if we don't. "Advertising doesn't create a desire for sweet things, that's biological. Kids will always want crisps. Remember, Billy Bunter was not heavily advertised to."
And yet, Billy Bunter was a memorable creation because he was so unusual: these days every class has a couple of Bunters. In some parts of the country, they have many more. Advertising cannot shake off all responsibility for that, can it? One 2004 study found that TV ads seem to engage obese children in a more emotional way than they do children of normal weight: they connect with them, making them buy and consume more.
Even that very temperate Ofcom report admits that TV might have an indirect effect on children, one almost impossible to measure. It cites peer group pressure or the views of parents. Think of the Scottish mother who told researchers that "People might put Sainsbury's or Tesco's own crisps in the child's lunchbox and [other] children will make fun of them because they haven't got Walkers or McCoys." She knew what the other kids would say: "Your mum can't afford" the brand names. Surely that is the advertising effect Rowland was speaking of - not creating an appetite for crisps, perhaps, but adding to the pressure to have this brand, rather than that. Are we certain that doesn't extend to the choice between healthy and unhealthy food? Take the child who has no crisps in his lunchbox, but a carrot and an apple instead. Are we sure he wouldn't be teased? And if he would, might not the geniuses in adland bear some of the blame?
Click. "Hello Moto." Click. "The future's bright." Click. "iPod nano. Impossibly small."
It's not just food. Children are being targeted to buy everything from music downloads to shoes, mobile phones to jeans. Few places, it seems, are off limits. This summer it emerged that Boomerang Media, which already offers advertising space in more than 1,000 secondary schools, now promise access to toddlers' play areas, on place mats and lunchboxes. Its Play House Media campaign tells would-be clients it can turn children's parties into a "communication opportunity" and a "brand experience for kids".
Some are not too troubled by that. For one thing, young people tell pollsters they like adverts - especially if they are funny or have good music. More importantly, kids are savvy. The evidence shows that the under-fives regard ads simply as entertainment. As they reach seven they start to tell the difference between ads and programmes. By eight, most can see that adverts are trying to persuade them of something; once they're 11 or 12, they can give a pretty shrewd critique of what advertisers are up to.
Greg Rowland believes all this is a crucial part of a child's education, equipping them to be discerning consumers in later life. And British ads give a special kind of training. While the Italians, say, might be direct - "Buy these biscuits and you'll get more mates" - Rowland says British ads are wittier, more playful. Those playground catchphrases, from Tango to Michael Winner's "Calm down, dear", give an early introduction to irony, metaphor and wordplay. "Our children may be more cynical, but they have more wit, more creativity than others," he says.
Such a rosy view is not universal. In Shopping Generation, a ground-breaking study published earlier this year, the National Consumer Council established that young people enjoy shopping, that they have more money in their pockets and greater influence over the choices their families make than ever before. They are highly "brand-aware", more even than their counterparts in the land of materialism, the United States.
But they pay a price. They record higher levels of dissatisfaction than American kids, wishing that they or their parents had more money to spend, sensing that too many goods were out of reach. According to the report, "they are relentlessly targeted by companies and advertisers, operating on occasion with the ethics of the playground bully. Their vulnerabilities are sold back to them through magazines and marketing."
Especially hit were the youngest - 84% of 10- to 12-year-olds said they cared a lot about "games and stuff" - and the poorest. It was the children in socioeconomic groups C2 and DE who were most aware of branding. All the kids surveyed liked clothes with recognisable labels, but that was truest among those who could least afford them. "I feel depressed when I can't get it," said one boy of the items he can see but cannot pay for. Not wearing the correct gear can lead to embarrassment, if not bullying, says the report. To spare their kids that ordeal, poor parents buy expensive trainers with money they haven't got. "This is poverty twisting the knife," says the NCC.
Girls, it seems, are especially badly affected: 71% of seven-year-old girls say they want to be slimmer. But the commercial overload piling down on our children is hard for all of them to bear.
Juliet Schor, a US researcher, pulls no punches. "High consumer involvement is a significant cause of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and psychosomatic complaints," she writes. "Psychologically healthy children will be made worse off if they become enmeshed in the culture of getting and spending." The British figures, which show a rise in mental-health problems among the young that parallels the intensification of juvenile consumerism, suggest she is on to something.
Compared with 1974, today's 15-year-olds are more than twice as likely to have behavioural problems and 70% more likely to suffer emotional troubles such as anxiety and depression. One in 10 kids between 11 and 15 has a clinically recognised mental disorder. Incidence of self-harming and youth suicide are dramatically on the rise.
Is this down to a few corporations and their fiendishly clever advertisements? Of course not. But it may be the fruit of a culture that, on every measure, is more focused on the commercial, on the material, than ever before.
When Jamie Oliver uncovered the dire state of school meals, the solution seemed obvious: serve better food. But what is the answer to this wider problem, the consumerism that might be drowning our children? Polling shows that 57% approve of a ban on TV advertising of, for example, junk food during children's programmes, with nearly as much support for a ban on all ads that sell HFSS foods to kids using cartoon characters or celebrities. (So no more Gary Lineker before 6pm). Ed Mayo, director of the National Consumer Council and author of Shopping Generation, backs the move. He knows it won't deal with the entire problem, since kids watch more TV after six. "But you have to start with it," he says.
Tessa Jowell reckons that would be a "grand gesture" but would miss the root of the problem. Advertisers would simply scurry away from TV and pitch up on billboards or the internet. (Mayo has a solution for that; he wants to see a clampdown on the 'bandit country' of the internet, where purveyors of HFSS products try to forge a much more intimate relationship with kids.)
"We've got to look not just at the promotion but at the foods themselves," Jowell says, adding candidly, "Better than banning advertising is bringing pressure to bear on the industry to stop selling these ghastly products." Does that mean a ban on certain foods? No, that would only make them "disproportionately delicious". But it might mean more of the self-restraint that made some supermarkets shift sweets away from the cash tills, replacing them with healthier offerings.
Chris Graham, head of the Advertising Standards Authority, also opposes any blanket move. He prefers to enforce existing rules on individual ads, rooting out, for example, any incitement to pester power or false associations of junk food with fitness and health. (McDonald's fries and Frosties have both felt the ASA's wrath recently.) As for text messages and emails, "If you haven't opted in to these communications, you shouldn't get them."
But ads themselves, properly regulated, are no bad thing. Like Rowland, Graham believes they are part of growing up. And if you shielded kids's eyes from them, when would you take the blinkers off? At 16? At 12? "I don't think you can insulate children from the commercial world in which we all live." Besides, bans don't necessarily work. There are no ads on children's television in Sweden and yet their kids are as overweight as ours. Quebec made the same move, and yet has the same juvenile weight problem as the rest of Canada. Graham also fears for what a ban on adverts would do to children's programming in the UK, depriving commercial television of funds. The BBC would become the sole player and, free of competition, quality would deteriorate.
None of that fazes Mayo. Perhaps, he says, we could all agree on an age below which it would be deemed unethical to market goods. "Is it six months?" he asks. "Is it age two, age six, age 11? We should decide."
Others wonder if the best option is counter-propaganda, fighting fire with fire. The ever-tighter bans on cigarette advertising did not cause a fall in smoking: that only happened when there was a positive campaign, using advertising, urging people to give up. Perhaps the same is needed for healthy eating, maybe even for anti-consumerism itself.
Rowland says poor kids will stop wanting Nike trainers only when they have another way to prove their own worth, another way to show they are valued. In other words, when society itself is changed. It raises a tricky question. Can we really protect children from consumerism run wild without changing the way the rest of us live? Is this a problem of the young - or a problem for all of us? | 24,423 | 11,190 | 0.00009 |
warc | 201704 | 19 Hard Truths You Have to Accept to Be Successful
This guide works when bad things happen. Someone trolls you online? Read this. Someone hates your writing, your product, or your business? Read this. Get fired from a job or by a client? Read this. Zombie apocalypse? What’s probably more important are zombie-smashing devices and non-perishable provisions (but afterwards...read this).
1. Everyone Is Always Offended
We’re all set in our ways. As much as we tout how open-minded we all are, we all have little nitpicks about everyone else. This shouldn’t stop you from doing what you’re doing, but it also shouldn’t come as a surprise when someone tries to tell you how offended they are by what you just did.
2. Someone Being Offended Means They Took Notice
They noticed you, paid attention, and consumed what you made. Sure, they expressed their offended-ness at you, but now you’re wasting even more of their time because they’re telling you how much or why they hated it. Life will continue, the planet will keep spinning, and no one but you will be the wiser that someone was offended.
3. Not Being Noticed Is Universal
If no one hates you, no one is paying attention. Every single person that you’re currently paying attention to, at some point in their lives, was in your exact position. They kept at it and worked enough so that others started listening. If no one is watching yet, you can experience true freedom—dance in your underwear, write entirely for yourself, be weird.
4. You Will Be Judged
Fear can make us afraid of what others will think. It’s not a question of if people will judge you, because they definitely will judge you. People are judgy, and that judgment is scary. While we all care what others have to say, it becomes dangerous when we value their opinions more than our own. The list goes, in order of importance: 1. Our opinion of ourselves, 2. (which is a distant second) Everyone else’s opinion of us.
5. There’s a Difference Between Respect and Judgment
Being judged and being respected are not the same thing. People can think you’re an awful person and still hold you in high regard. Conversely, if someone judges you as a nice person or a decent human being, it doesn’t mean they respect you. People walk all over nice and decent human beings all the time. On the other hand, people don’t tend to walk all over people they respect.
6. Self-Respect Leads to Universal Respect
If you’re respecting yourself—publicly and proudly—chances are, others will follow. And even if they don’t follow, hey, you’ve got yourself a nice big bowl of self-respect, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
7. Entitlement and Self-Respect Are Different
Self-respect means you know what you’re willing to do and what you’re not willing to do. It’s honor and dignity that makes you you. Entitlement means you think you deserve something. Basically, you deserve your own self-respect and to be treated decently by others. Anything past that—you’ve got to work for it. And even then, even if it doesn’t work out the way you wanted, that’s just the way the cards fall sometimes.
8. You Don’t Need Those Who Don’t Respect You
The good thing about people not respecting you is that unless they’re actually causing you some sort of harm, you can ignore them completely. They’ll never support your work or make you better as a human being, so you drop them as quickly and silently as possible. They’re dead weight.
9. The People Who Respect and Value You Are Royalty
These are the most important people to you on the planet. They’re the ones who not only pay attention, but are interested. Treat these people like royalty, because to you, they should be. Make things for them, be generous toward them, and basically make sure they know how much you value them.
10. Confidence Is for Everyone
You don’t need to be loud to be confident. Sometimes the most confident person in the room is the quietest. Confident people know what they know and don’t need to share it to build confidence. Confidence comes from within. They share when the time is right or when they’re asked. They also share it in a way that works for them.
11. Giving a Damn
“Giving a damn” is your life’s currency. If you give a damn about everything and everyone, you’ll quickly run out of damns, or even worse, go into damn debt. Your time will be spread too thin, you’ll stress about tiny things and insignificant people, and external factors will rule your life and run it into the ground.
12. Care About What Matters
It’s OK to give a damn when you truly care about something. If you care about nothing, you’ll quickly become too cynical and jaded. Have a handful of people and causes you actually care about.
13. Not Giving a Damn Is the Opposite of Apathy
Apathy is the indifference you feel when something just doesn’t matter. Not giving a damn means you’ve stopped yourself from making something matter that shouldn’t matter. Not giving a damn is strength in the form of willpower, whereas apathy is just not feeling anything. This is a key point to understand and reflect on.
14. Be Foolish and Stupid as Often as Possible
Honestly, no one truly knows what they are doing. Experts, thought leaders, those who seem like they have it all—there are too many variables to account for what specifically worked in creating their success and what didn’t. The only difference between them and someone who hasn’t seen success is that they tried a whole bunch of ideas and didn’t stop trying until something worked. They’re more concerned with “What could happen if I...” than “What will others think if I...”
15. Everyone Is Weird, Awkward, and Different
You are too, so use it to your advantage. The only way to stand out, or stand apart, is to be your real, weird self. Otherwise you blend in. Embrace what makes you different, even though it’s difficult and stressful to do. Everyone you admire or look up to does this. Think about it. They all take the reins of what makes them different and use it to their advantage. No one that you’ve heard of got there by being like everyone else.
16. Don’t Let Anyone Set Your Boundaries
If someone tells you “You shouldn’t do that,” or “That can’t be done,” assume they’re talking out their own experience until you’ve proven otherwise for yourself. People are well-meaning, but their advice is clouded by their own ideas, their life experiences, and their choices. Never let someone else draw your line in the sand. That means it’s their line, not yours, and you’ve just been following their lead.
17. Know Who You Are (and Who You Are Not)
In having self-respect and setting boundaries, it helps to know a little about yourself, so you can make these decisions. Be clear about who you are and who you aren’t. First with yourself, then with others. Honesty is a lot easier than you playing a role because you think it’s a role you need to play.
18. Honesty Doesn’t Give You License to Be a Jerk
Being honest isn’t a license for you to run your mouth with impunity, and then end things with, “Hey, I was just being honest...” No, you were being a jerk. Don’t be a jerk. Not even jerks like other jerks. The best way to know if you’re being honest or just being a jerk is to think first, then speak.
19. Expectations Are Inversely Related to a Sense of Accomplishment
The
Bhagavad Gita states that we’re only entitled to the work, not the fruits of that work. Don’t do anything because you expect something to come from it—do it because you really want to do it in the first place. It’s like writing a book because you really want a bestseller. It’s impossible to guarantee that. Write a book because you want to write the book. That way, regardless of what happens next, you’ve already accomplished what you set out to do. None of the above points can happen without you paying attention. Paying attention to others, paying attention to what you care about, and—most importantly—paying attention to yourself. You’re the one in charge of your life, so take charge of it already.
That’s it. Nineteen difficult rallying points for mastering your own life. Now stop reading listicles on the internet and get back to being awesome.
More From Inc. 5 Reasons You Should Hire Someone Who Has Been Fired 7 Habits of Remarkably Successful Startup Entrepreneurs 5 Toxic Beliefs That Will Ruin Your Chances for Success | 8,803 | 3,907 | 0.000271 |
warc | 201704 | When I met Steve Baker in Shanghai, he struck me as a gregarious, jocular, somewhat imposing figure—the type you imagine having played soccer or rugby all day long as a child. So it was amusing to hear Steve recount that, growing up in Australia, he rarely played outside. Instead he slavishly watched cooking shows, mesmerized; he took notes and proclaimed to his mother that he wanted to be a chef when he grew up. Steve didn’t disappoint, pursuing his dream with vigor by winning cooking competitions and working as a celebrated chef around the world before opening his first restaurant, Mesa Manifesto, in Shanghai.
I interviewed Steve Baker as he was poised to open The Larder Bar and Grill, his second restaurant in Shanghai. I admit that I had no idea what a “larder” was, so it was refreshing when Steve discussed the concept behind his new establishment.
Steve described a larder as similar to grandma’s pantry, with food, sauces, chutneys, and other staples. When people come to The Larder Bar and Grill, he wants the vibe to be similar to coming over to his house for dinner—warm, dependably tasty, and with an open kitchen.
When you have an open kitchen at home, it’s easy enough to keep it tidy and sanitary, but it’s much riskier for a restaurant to open their kitchen, coffee, wine, and chef’s stations for show to diners. Sanitation aside, the open strategy is part of Steve’s mission to demystify Western food to the Chinese audience. Cozy furnishings and a fun, interactive experience appeal both to locals who are looking for consistently good food and to expats who want a hearty, familiar meal.
Steve embraces the challenges of mixing cultures—both on the menu and in the restaurant’s operations. He shared the best practices he’s implemented to create not only a great restaurant but also a great business.
Mandatory Daily and Weekly Huddles
The main way that Steve Baker achieves a consistently great experience is by focusing on constant communication and training. Steve leverages the daily and weekly huddle technique that Verne Harnish espouses in Mastering the Rockefeller Habits. To get the ball rolling, Steve held weekly 1-on-1 mentoring sessions with his department heads to emphasize how important these regular meetings were. Initially, he encountered resistance, since his Chinese staff was not familiar with this approach, and his Western staff thought it was, quite frankly, a waste of time to hold all these meetings.
After six to nine months, Steve was able to establish a healthy daily and weekly meeting rhythm. However, it was not easy to get there, and Steve was the coach, cheerleader, and enforcer who ensured that his organization embraced these huddles. During these meetings, they discuss goals, competitions, and problems. The communication plus the mentoring not only improved the organization’s performance, but also improved retention, which Steve saw as a tangible validation for his approach.
Empower Staff
Steve Baker is a strong proponent of empowering his team. For example, when the restaurant was new, his department heads would come to him in a paralyzed state, looking for approval and guidance when they needed to hire or fire. After continual training and 1-on-1s, Steve pushed these managers to make the critical decisions themselves.
Today, Steve doesn’t meet any candidates until they are in the final stage of the interview process. And if a staff member doesn’t work out, the buck doesn’t stop with Steve. The department head is responsible for documenting and letting the person go. It would have been easy for Steve to be a control freak on this issue, yet by empowering his team, they are happier and more engaged, and Steve can then focus on big-picture issues.
Train and Promote Within
I chuckled when I heard that Steve’s #2 chef drove a taxi six years ago, and that a supervisor used to wash dishes. But Steve was deadpan when recounting these promotions because he invests heavily in training, positioning it as the pathway to promotion. He puts his money where his mouth is by seeking to train, groom, and promote internally first. I think this is another reason why their retention rate is better than the industry average.
I’m a big fan of training and promoting from within. Usually, my first interview question is, “If we meet again in 10 years, what will you be proud to have accomplished?” Then I consider if we’re the right place to get that individual to their goals as quickly as possible.
If a new hire’s goal is to start a company or go to business school, at least I know from the start and will help direct their career arc in that direction. But if they are looking to grow within the business, then I think proactively about the steps and skills needed. I always want to give insiders a first shot since they’ve committed to us.
— David Niu
Reward Team versus Individuals
Oftentimes, Steve’s restaurant hosts internal revenue goals. Instead of just incentivizing the servers if they hit the goals, Steve involves the entire department. He posts the targets where the entire department can see their objective and how they’re progressing towards it. When they succeed, everyone gets to share in the spoils of victory.
Strategically Stagger Bonuses
In China, it’s common practice that employees receive a Chinese New Year bonus before returning to their hometown to celebrate in February. However, Steve Baker noticed that many employees would take the bonus and then hop to a different job after Chinese New Year. To offset this, Steve provides them a portion of their bonus prior to Chinese New Year. Then, he holds their annual performance review in March when they return, at which point they may receive the other part of their bonus plus any raise or promotion. This schedule more naturally integrates the big holiday bonus season with the review cycle.
Enjoy Market “Research”
For a restaurant guy like Steve, market research means having a solid night out with his management team. They’ll visit competitors and review the service, products, menus, and decor. When he does this, he takes only a couple of people from the same department, so that they’re focused on competitive observation. If he invites too many people, it devolves into a social event. So he’ll go with his small team to one place for a starter, another place for a main course, and another place for dessert. It really gets the team fired up, and they leave with the attitude, “we can do better than that!” which they bring back to their coworkers.
Attitude Trumps Skills
The eternal debate: all things being equal, would you hire someone with a better attitude but poorer skills, or someone with better skills but a poorer attitude? Steve said that he almost always prefers attitude over skill since he can train needed skills. This is particularly true for entry- to mid-level roles. He looks for the right body language, service ethics, and manner. Yet he did offer me the caveat that, if the role is more senior, then skills play a bigger role in the decision.
Conclusion
It’s always great to meet someone like Steve Baker who is living his childhood dream. Even more impressive is the rigor (meetings, 1-on-1s, training) that he instills into his business culture, which blends with the artistry of creating tasty dishes and drinks. I believe that it’s this balanced approach that has made Steve so successful, especially as a husky Australian in Shanghai. Fittingly, as Steve loomed over me to shake my hand after the interview, he cracked a quick smile and then was already set to jump into a 1-on-1 mentoring meeting. | 7,804 | 3,695 | 0.000278 |
warc | 201704 | Have you ever noticed how that little girl grows up to look just like her mom? Or how the energetic little boy reaches adulthood and responds just like his dad? The Bible tells us that parents transfer their values from one generation to the next. that’s our topic when Alistair Begg looks at 1 Samuel 1.
Topics: Parental Priorities
What is the relevance of the institution of marriage? Do men and women have distinct roles within a family? What primary principles must parents establish in the hearts and minds of their children?
To these and other critical issues, the scriptures speak unequivocally in directing us to the foundational truths for marriage and family life. In the series Parental Priorities, Alistair Begg presents the Biblical answers to the questions of our culture regarding:
-The meaning and responsibilities of fatherhood -The pattern for and priorities of motherhood -Women in the workplace and single working mothers -What makes a Christian family distinctive
In considering the difficult changes of family life, we will find that understanding and obeying the instruction of God’s Word will realign our focus and redirect our families. | 1,178 | 652 | 0.001556 |
warc | 201704 | This essay has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work written by our professional essay writers.
The Companies Act requires that all firms should be audited with the exception of small or dormant firms, this alone should emphasise how important the profession is. It is also clear that for such a dominant profession to be successful the public need to be able to place trust in auditors that they will carry out their role in an ethical and professional manner. Humphrey quotes Wallace in his article discussing the three hypotheses which Wallace believes leads to a demand for audit in society; they are the "stewardship hypothesis, information hypothesis and insurance hypothesis." [1] The stewardship hypothesis argues that auditing is demanded due to the agency theory concept where agency relationship occurs between the owner and managers. Jensen and Meckling describe an agency relationship as "a contract under which one or more persons (the principal(s)) engage another person (the agent) to perform some service on their behalf which involves delegating some decision making authority to the agent. If both parties to the relationship are utility maximizers, there is good reason to believe that the agent will not always act in the best interest of the principal." [2] The agent may act in a way that maximises their own wealth, that is, they will act in a self-serving manner. This is the argument developed by Watts and Zimmerman known as "positive accounting theory." [3] The information hypothesis argues that information asymmetry between the owner and the manager leads to a demand for auditing, as it is seen by society as a monitoring tool, which should ensure information asymmetry, and agency costs are reduced. The insurance hypothesis argues that shareholders would demand auditing so that if any fraud or misrepresentation of the financial statements occurs they will have a firm to sue for compensation. It is believed that auditing firms will have "deep pockets" and so would be a more likely choice to sue. The role of an auditor is described as "an expectation that auditing, as a professional service, should not only provide assurance for the credibility of financial statements but also enhance the integrity of the financial information and its usefulness in decision making by managers and other users." [4] The latter part of these is very important in the auditor's role in society as potential investors look to audited accounts to investigate a potential investment and decide whether it would be worthwhile.
Auditor independence is the "cornerstone of auditing" without it the validity of the auditor's reports would come under a lot of scrutiny as well as the profession as a whole. Although in the eyes of the public they feel that as potential investor's auditors owe a duty of care to them, to ensure that the financial statements are free of fraud however case law doesn't always agree. In the case of Caparo plc v Dickman (1990) the House of Lords held that "auditor's duty is owed simply to the company and to its shareholders as a body" therefore auditors do not owe a duty of care to any potential investors or individual shareholders. This could be seen as a contradiction to what society would claim the role of an auditor is. Prior to the recent economic crisis the role of an auditor had shifted from fraud detention to a role described by Lord Justice Lopes as "a watchdog not a bloodhound." This means auditors duties became more about reporting on the truth and fairness of financial statements than the detection of fraud. However an expectations gap developed where the public perceived the auditors role to be detection of fraud and so when the economic crisis unfolded it caused widespread upheaval, with the public loosing confidence in the auditing profession. After a number of largely publicised corporate scandals such as Enron and Arthur Anderson and BBCI the validity of the auditor began to dwindle in the public's eyes. It was widely reported that the auditing company of Enron, Arthur Anderson was made aware of the fraud being carried out but decided to ignore it and not qualify the accounts. This was not a one off occurrence as auditing firms across the globe were being caught out on unqualified accounts. In an attempt to stifle criticism and appropriately respond to the public's demand for improved auditor performance the role of the auditor had to once again shifted back to one where there is a responsibility in the detention of fraud, however the role of reporting on the truth and fairness of financial accounts was still the main aspect of their job.
The position of the auditor and the auditing profession has been strengthened by the introduction of The Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act in 2004. Making it an offence for directors and other employees to withhold any information that the auditors require from them has made the auditor's position stronger. The act also widened the scope by making it clear that employees came within its scope as well as company officers. Fearnley & Beattie discuss how following the collapse of Enron, the UK government set up the Co-ordinating Group on Audit and Accounting Issues (CGAA). [5] This high level group of regulators and ministers were responsible for leading the review of the regulatory framework, including the key area of auditor independence. Tony Bromwell refers to recent changes that have strengthened the role of audit in society and highlights how its correct functionality is crucial in society. Recent changes that are found in the UK Companies Act 2006 include, for example, requirements for example a business review for medium and large companies. [6] There are now additional auditor independence requirements from the International Federation of Accountants, which has a unequivocal knock-on effect on the ethical standards issued by the Auditing Practices Board in the UK. This is due to amendments being made to the International Financial Reporting Standards and therefore UK accounting standards, being aligned with US accounting standards. There has been a reworking of international standards on auditing and so therefore on UK auditing standards also as part of a project of clarity that seems to be resulting in a more black and white approach. The demise of Andersen after the Enron scandal meant the 'Big 5' accounting firms became the 'Big 4.' Increased concentration in an industry means there is more competition amongst auditing firms and less choice for clients. Due to audit being a crucial role in the functionality of businesses, an enquiry was launched in February 2002 by the Treasury Select Committee with the view to examine the arrangements for financial regulation of public limited companies in the UK. In July 2002 their report was subsequently published and it was recommended that the Government refer the operations of the 'Big 4' accounting firms to the Competition Commission (CC). The CGAA's interim report, recommended that the DTI and HMT should discuss with the OFT whether there are any competition implications of the high concentration in the market for audit and accountancy services. It is vital that a profession such as auditing possesses healthy levels of competition. Despite the European Commission declaring the merger of Andersen and Deloitte to be compatible with the common market, its investigation left open the question whether or not the transaction led to a situation of oligopolistic dominance. Public concern has been expressed about the provision of audit and accountancy services and much of this concern is centred on the level of auditor independence and corporate governance issues. The Accountancy Foundation Review Board, which was at the time responsible for the independent oversight of the UK accountancy professional bodies, took the leading role in this review.
The importance of the role of audit is seen again in the European Commission proposals for simplifying company law, accounting and auditing. These seek to enhance and strengthen the auditing profession. This work is referred to as the European Commission Consultation On The Simplification of EU Company Law and Accounting and Audit Regulation. [7] This was discussed in the media in July 2007 and the proposals are expected to come into force in 2012. The Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (CCAB) is revising its ethical framework on statutory audit independence whilst the Government is conducting an ongoing review of the regulatory framework covering the accountancy and audit professions. Clearly, large amounts of capital and time are being invested which highlights the importance of the auditing profession in society. Each time new legislation is passed and amended the profession is being made stronger and more resilient to auditors being able to find loopholes.
As noted above, the audit and accountancy market is currently undergoing a period of substantial change following the collapse of Andersens and the subsequent fall in confidence in auditing standards. The regulatory environment is in the process of change with a view to restoring confidence in audit independence and its standards. Where the reviews into corporate governance and regulatory issues result in proposals for new regulations, the OFT will advise, via regulatory impact assessments and otherwise, on the competition implications of proposed regulatory changes. Despite the aforementioned regulation and legislation, white-collar crimes and auditing failures continue to take place all around the world. This further harms the confidence levels of the public in the auditing profession and will prove very difficult to restore. Each time a new scandal emerges tough questions will inevitably be asked to those in authority, namely in relation to how it was allowed to happen, yet again. Whilst it is accepted that the frequency of corporate auditing scandals is indeed diminishing, much still needs to be done to reassure the public that auditors are working in the best interests of the company and for all those to which they owe a duty of care. Recent scandals include that of the declared falsified accounts of Satyam Computer Services in India in 2009. PriceWaterhouseCoopers failed to audit correctly, allowing exaggerated cash balances, overstating debt and understating liabilities to remain unnoticed meaning the accounts were incorrect by $1.54billion. [8] In Ireland in 2008 there was the Anglo Irish Bank hidden loans scandal, which has been described as Ireland's version of Enron. Ernst & Young gave the bank a clean bill of health for eight years. After stepping down in December 2008, recent headline news in March 2010 indicates that the former Chairman of Anglo Irish bank, Sean Fitzpatrick, has now been arrested in relation to his concealing of the €87 million in loans [9] . The Chief Executive of the Financial Regulator stated, "A lay person would expect that issues of this nature and this magnitude would have been picked up." by the external independent auditor. Even after receiving professional legal advice, Ernst & Young consistently declined to appear before a parliamentary committee. This highlights how much still has to be done in order to restore public confidence in the auditing profession. Further education of auditors may be required to remind them of the serious implications that will result if they do not do their jobs correctly. | 11,549 | 4,944 | 0.000203 |
warc | 201704 | Semester: Wintersemester 2016/2017 2.02.671 Advanced Macroeconomics Veranstaltungstermine Dienstag: 14:00 - 16:00, wöchentlich Mo., 06.02.2017, 10:00 - 12:00 Mo., 20.03.2017, 10:00 - 12:00 DozentIn Studienmodule wir803 Advanced Macroeconomics Studienbereiche Master Studium generale / Gasthörstudium Info-Link http://www.uni-oldenburg.de/iw/1359.html Für Gasthörende / Studium generale geöffnet: Ja Hinweise zum Inhalt der Veranstaltung für Gasthörende Content: The course deals with central questions and concepts of macroeconomic analysis at an advanced level. It focuses on long-run economic growth, its potential determinants, and the assessment of why some countries are rich and others are poor. In particular, major growth theories and related empirical insights are discussed. The course further concerns itself with the study of short-run macroeconomic fluctuations. Possible rationalizations and policy implications offered by various strands of the literature are examined. Overall, the course aims to discuss how insights from long- and short-run macroeconomic research can be used for growth and development strategies around the globe. To address this issue, both international and local factors shaping policy applications and their effectiveness are presented and selective country experiences in the attempt to achieve sustained growth and rising welfare are analyzed. Prerequisites: The course deals with both textbook material as well as advanced journal articles, some of which will be actively discussed during class. Accordingly, knowledge of economic research tools and concepts is beneficial for a successful completion of the course. In particular, it is recommended that participants are familiar with basic mathematical and econometric techniques for economic analysis. Grading: Grading forms, dates and related procedures will be explained during the first lecture. Hinweise zur Teilnahme für Gasthörende In case of an unexpectedly high number of participants students for which the course represents a compulsory part of their curriculum will be granted preferred treatment (e.g. regarding the allocation of examination topics or dates). Lehrsprache englisch empfohlenes Fachsemester -- | 2,262 | 1,158 | 0.000882 |
warc | 201704 | Estimating freelance rates
Now you understand there are two ways a freelancer can price a project, but weliketowork.com chooses to use time-based rates to ensure successful project completion through fair rates, we can start to explore the typical rates freelancers will charge.
1) Start with a full-time equivalent
To get an good estimate of what rates you should expect to pay for a freelancer, a good place to start is what salary you would expect to pay for a full-time equivalent.
For example, here are some example salaries taken from the Office of National Statistics
Web developer - average UK salary = £40,000 Book-keepers - average UK salary = £21,000 Copywriter - average UK salary = £33,000
High demand skills
Please note, the examples above are mean averages across the UK. There are going to be skills and talents in extremely high demand, which takes the cost for these people significantly over the average.
Data: ONS - Employment and Labour Statistics - August 2016 www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours 2) Add 30%
The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE) recommends taking the equivalent earnings as an employee and adding 30%. The extra 30% accounts for the added costs the freelancer has to pay in order to provide their service. Jordan Marshall, policy development manager at IPSE, says: "Whatever your profession, [as a freelancer] you’re responsible for your sick pay, holiday pay, for any equipment you need – and your client [should pay] this premium in return for the flexibility you provide."
For using the above, the full-time equivalent salaries with 30% added are:
Web developer - freelance equivalent average UK salary = £52,000 Book-keeper - freelance equivalent average UK salary = £27,300 Copywriter - freelance equivalent average UK salary = £42,900 IPSE quote - www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2016/aug/31/freelancer-what-rate-charge-price-work 3) Validate the use of a freelancer
You might be asking, "If a freelancer is 30% more expensive, why don't I just hire a full-time employee?"
It's good question. But there are number of a reasons why remote freelancers are a better option in a lot of cases.
Full-time employees cost more than the base salary In addition, they cost tax and National Insurance contributions, they also get paid holidays, sick pay and need equipment. Using a freelancer saves you these overhead costs. The hidden workforce The people you can access through a freelance marketplace may not be open to a full-time job. They might already have one, or be unwilling to travel or relocate. You might have a short-term requirement If you only need help for a really specific project that lasts 2 weeks, there is no sense in hiring a full-time employee.
For more help on deciding what projects to outsource, read our guide on what projects you should outsource. | 2,961 | 1,456 | 0.000701 |
warc | 201704 | Finding the Best Phone Service Provider in Jennerstown, PA
When you own a business in Jennerstown, PA, the most popular way to have customers contact you is still via telephone. This goes to show that having a sound, reliable telephone provider for your company is still the best way to bring in business and allow your customers to contact you easily. A phone service should be dependable, consistent and cost-effective, and should offer the services that you really need to run your business the right way. Make your decision carefully when you are choosing what type of phone service to choose in Jennerstown, PA. You'll be given two choices when you need to set up a package, either VoIP or Analog. Each service has different features to them, so it is vital to understand what they offer before choosing one over the other. Before you make your final decision, read on to understand what both phone services offer and the differences they have.
VoIP Phone Service: What it is and How it Works
VoIP stands for voice over Internet protocol and is one of the most recent types of phone services available in Jennerstown, PA. This is an alternative system that has been around for over ten years but is just now beginning to become more mainstream. A large number of businesses are making the switch from traditional phone service to VoIP, especially start-ups who are willing to try a new system. Call quality of a VoIP phone service is just the same as when you have a traditional phone line in place, even though the calls are made through the Internet. For this reason, a reliable business Internet connection is crucial to have in order to receive dependable VoIP service in Jennerstown, PA. If you want to make sure your connection supports VoIP, use the Wirefly Internet Speed Test to check.
Many people aren't aware of how VoIP phone service works, so they may shy away from it. VoIP carries calls through the Internet instead of a traditional analog signal that many people are used to. Sending calls through your Internet provider is actually much cheaper than the traditional way of making calls through telephone lines and cables. Calls can be made and received for a lot less than what you are paying now. VoIP phone service also offers international and long distance calls for much less of a price. More and more providers are putting together long distance packages that allow you to pay a flat rate each month, perfect for businesses that make a lot of these types of calls. You won't have to worry about surprise bills that put you way over budget.
VoIP phone service plans also offer a variety of features that you can add-on to your package. You can request hundreds of features such as caller ID, call-waiting, call-forwarding, voicemail with remote access and more. If your business is larger and you need multiple extensions, VoIP can supply them for you.
VoIP phone service plans are also designed for different company sizes. You may be starting up and only need a few different lines, or your corporation may have hundreds of employees who all need their own extensions. No matter what, you'll easily find a VoIP service that can fit your needs for a reasonable price.
How to Choose a Business VoIP Service Provider
The growing popularity of VoIP service means that there are more Jennerstown, PA business service providers willing to complete for your business. At first glance, you may initially feel overwhelmed, but having a wide choice can actually work to your advantage.
To determine your needs in terms of business telephone use, ask yourself some important questions. These may include how many lines you will need, what features are important to your business on a consistent basis, will your business be expanding within the next two years, and what are you budgeting to cover business phone service.
Then begin to compare the offers being given by several of the leading Jennerstown, PA business VoIP providers. What services are included in their plans, how are rates determined, and does the service provider have an excellent reputation. Having reliable phone service connecting your business to your customers is critical to your business success. You should ultimately choose a service provider that has demonstrated consistent reliability and the ability to provide excellent customer service.
What is Plain Old Telephone Service?
With a traditional phone service, your calls will be carried over the POTS, which is also known as a PSTN (public switched telephone network). This system exists all throughout the nation and is composed of many wires, satellite dishes, cellular networks, and landlines. POTS has existed for nearly 100 years and was the first telephone network created.
Having a POTS phone service costs quite a bit more than VoIP in Jennerstown, PA, primarily because the POTS framework is incredibly sizable, creaky, and demands continual upkeep. Since POTS is an analog-based system, it's hard for it to dispatch information across distances of any length.
Whenever you call some long distance on a POTS line, the signal will pause at several spots along its path of transmission. Because the signal will move through machinery being operated by a number of businesses, long-distance calls placed on a POTS line are not cheap. Much of the hardware once used to transport, exchange, and direct calls has become completely digitized, but the final link (the bridge linking the regional office to the user) remains analog.
PBX and the Analog Phone System
Most Jennerstown, PA companies use a PBX, or private branch exchange, to route calls that are received within their office. When you set up a business phone service, the PBX is what allows the users to enjoy the different call features, such as voicemail, caller ID, multiple extensions and more.
The PBX in a traditional PSTN phone system may be located at a remote location or at the user's premises. But no matter where it is, an analog PBX is expensive. A complete business phone system which uses a PBX will need countless types of hardware that the business owner must purchase themselves. This investment may start at $1,000 and up. Not only that, configuration and maintenance will be a separate cost, which could run you a $100 an hour or more.
Upgrading a traditional PBX in Jennerstown, PA can be difficult and expensive. Many of the PBX systems only support a small amount of lines. This will become a problem if your business becomes larger and you need to add more extensions. You'll end up having to pay for more hardware to accommodate your growth, as well as the service hours to install them.
A PBX may also experience issues and breakdowns, much like other types of electronic hardware. This could result in expensive repairs and hardware replacement costs if you have a problem with your PBX. If your PBX becomes obsolete, you'll also be responsible for replacing it, which could conceivably occur every few years. This could end up costing you hundreds of dollars over time, plus the aggravation of having to have a costly service team come in.
Wirefly Is America's Most Trusted Source For All Cell Phones, Plans, TV, and Internet Deals
Wirefly offers great deals on a large selection of smartphones, cell phones, tablets, mobile hotspots, and other wireless devices for the nation's most popular carriers. Use Wirefly’s innovative cell phone and plan comparison tools to ensure you are getting the best deal on the market. Shop with confidence knowing that Wirefly wants to help you find the best prices on cell phones, cell phone plans, TV, and Internet service. | 7,628 | 3,277 | 0.000306 |
warc | 201704 | Date:June 24, 2014
Rhinos once roamed freely in many places throughout Eurasia and Africa. But few now survive outside reserves and national parks.
WWF is one of the few organizations attempting to tackle all threats to rhinos. We work on strengthening protected areas in Africa and Asia, lobbying to halt the illegal timber trade that threatens rhino habitat, and stamping out the illegal trade in rhino horn.
Take a look at five rhino facts to learn about the species and what WWF is doing to help:
1. Can rhino horn really cure cancer?At least two rhinos are killed every day because of the mistaken belief that their horns cure fevers, blood disorders, cancers, and hangovers. In fact, rhino horns are made of the same material as human fingernails and hair. The place where a rhino horn is of most value? On a rhino. WWF works from the grassroots up to protect wildlife like rhinos that are increasingly vulnerable to wildlife crime.
2. How many species of rhinos are there?There are five rhinoceros species: black, white, Sumatran, Javan and greater one-horned. Black rhinos are actually gray in color. The distinguishing factor between black and white rhinos in Africa are their lips; black rhinos have a pointed upper lip that helps them grasp leaves from branches above ground level (browsers), while white rhinos (also gray in color) have a square upper lip that helps them pluck grasses off the ground (grazers).
3. How often do rhinos give birth?It takes five to seven years for female rhinos to reach sexual maturity, and when they do, they can give birth any time of year. However, females only give birth every two to four years. Calves tend to stay with their mothers until the next calf is born. Then they mostly live a solitary life. 4. How does WWF protect rhinos from habitat loss? Deforestation and conversion of forests for plantations—particularly in Sumatran rhino habitat—threatens rhinos and their natural habitat. WWF works to save fast-disappearing forests and seeks to establish new rhino populations through translocations—moving rhinos from one place to another—to new refuges. This helps to reduce pressure on existing wildlife reserves and provides new territories for rhinos to flourish.
5. What’s the good news for rhinos? If we succeed in giving them the protection they need, rhino populations will thrive. Thanks to successful conservation and anti-poaching efforts, black rhino numbers have doubled in the past two decades after hitting a low point of 2,480 individuals. On March 3, 2014, the government of Nepal marked 365 days without any rhino, elephant or tiger poached. That’s the second time the country has hit that milestone after 2011. | 2,722 | 1,370 | 0.000741 |
warc | 201704 | Attic Insulation in Adamsville, AL
Attic insulation in Adamsville, AL is crucial for homeowners who want to stay comfortable in their homes year round while saving money at the same time. It is very important that you get your Adamsville attic insulated if it is not already, as it can make a huge difference when it comes to making the internal temperature of your house much more comfortable throughout each year. If you want to start saving a significant amount of money on your energy bills, you will definitely need to hire professionals to install attic insulation in Adamsville, AL.
Call us 24/7 (855) 594-5113 Average Costs For Attic Insulation Complete Projects And Costs Min Cost$537 Avg Cost$1,331 $1,033 Max Cost$2,242 Find the Best Costs for Attic Insulation - Adamsville, AL
By paying for professional Adamsville attic insulation services, you will get exactly what you need to keep your house comfortable and energy-efficient at the same time. The attic is a very common place for air infiltration in almost every home, so you will therefore have to make certain that it is properly insulated with the right type of insulation. A lot of homeowners choose spray foam insulation in Adamsville, AL because it is so effective at preventing air infiltration and lasts an extremely long time. Whatever type of insulation you end up selecting, it will be necessary to hire local professionals to install attic insulation in Adamsville, AL.
Last updated:09/05/2016 Western Drywall8890 Sharit Dairy Rd Gardendale, AL 35071 S & W Drywall111 Schwaiger Rd Cullman, AL 35055 Alstar Insulation700 Westwood Rd Mt Olive, AL 35071 U. S. Drywall And Accoustical, Inc.7670 Birmingport Rd Mulga, AL 35118 GARDENDALE ELECTRIC & AIRCONDITIONGGardendale, AL 35071 C & C INSULATION INC2081 JETT TOWN RD Mulga, AL 35118 | 1,815 | 948 | 0.001058 |
warc | 201704 | Milind Tambe, University of Southern California, USA
Flexible teamwork in real-world multi-agent domains is more than a union of agents’ simultaneous execution of individual plans, even if such execution pre-coordinated. Indeed, uncertainties in complex, dynamic domains often obstruct pre-planned coordination, with a resultant breakdown in teamwork. The central hypothesis in this paper is that for durable teamwork, agents should be provided explicit team plans and an underlying model of teamwork that explicitly outlines their commitments and responsibilities as participants in team activities. Such a model enables team members to flexibly reason about coordination activities. The underlying model we have provided is based on the joint intentions framework; although we present some key modifications to reflect the practical constraints in (some) real-world domains. This framework has been implemented in the context of a real-world synthetic environment for helicopter-combat simulation; some empirical results are presented.
This page is copyrighted by AAAI. All rights reserved. Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of all of AAAI's terms and conditions and privacy policy. | 1,204 | 669 | 0.001506 |
warc | 201704 | The typical Thanksgiving dinner will cost families more this year on average, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
The dinner, including turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie and some other typical holiday foods, increased about 13 percent this year. The annual price survey shows that a feast for about 10 people costs $49.20, a $5.73 increase from last year’s average of $43.47.
The survey included 141 volunteer shoppers from 35 states across the country. Shoppers were asked to find the best bargains for the staples of a Thanksgiving meal without participating in any promotions or special deals that many grocery stores offer this time of year.
The biggest increase in price is for the holiday staple: a 16-pound turkey. The average price this year was $24.57 , up 25 cents per pound from last year.
Among the other items showing price increases were milk, pumpkin pie-mix, two 9-inch pie shells, whipping cream, peas and stuffing. Sweet potatoes and fresh cranberries also cost a few cents more since people put together their shopping lists for last year’s feast.
John Anderson, a senior economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, says shoppers still have a lot for which to be thankful. Thanksgiving dinners are still relatively cheap when broken down per person.
The cost still remains a little less than $5 per person, even with the reported increases.
“Although we’ll pay a bit more this year, on a per-person basis, our traditional Thanksgiving feast remains a better value than most fast-food value meals, plus it’s a wholesome, home-cooked meal,” he said in a statement.
Anderson also said that although the survey marks an increase in food prices, consumers have seen relatively stable costs for food during the years, especially adjusted for inflation. Even the increases this year were relatively modest, with many of the staples going up by a few cents. A 1-pound tray of carrots and celery actually decreased in price, albeit by only a penny. | 2,029 | 1,026 | 0.000994 |
warc | 201704 | TESTIMONY TO THE SOUTH DAKOTA TASK FORCE TO STUDY ABORTION
Lynn M. Paltrow, J.D.
Executive Director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women
September 22, 2005 1
Madame Chairwoman and Members of the Task Force: Thank you for this opportunity to present to you today. My name is Lynn Paltrow. I am an attorney and Executive Director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women, an organization devoted to protecting the interests of pregnant and parenting women and their families. In addition to litigation and policy analysis, I am author and co-author of numerous commentaries and articles including ones published in medical journals such as the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Journal of the American Medical Association
2. I am also a frequent lecturer to medical and public health organizations and to health care providers 3. In addition, I have served on both state and federal panels concerning pregnant and parenting women 4.Many of the cases that I have worked on involve women who have wanted to continue their pregnancies to term and many of these women oppose abortion.
I have been asked by this Task Force to provide "An analysis from both the legalistic perspective and from the psychological perspective of the degree to which the decision to undergo an abortion is actually voluntary and the degree to which such abortion constitutes an appropriate legal waiver or termination of the relationship between the woman and the unborn child."
5
I want to begin by being clear about the women who are the subjects of this Task Force's inquiries. More than half of all women having abortions already are mothers
6, raising one or more children 7. A majority of those having abortions that are not yet raising children, will someday become mothers and spend much of their lives raising and caring for their children and other loved ones. As a result, the questions addressed by this Task Force concern mothers and pregnant women. These are the women that I will be talking about today.
As an attorney, I will be focusing on legal questions especially on the meaning of the term "voluntary." I will also address whether pregnancy should be viewed as some kind of contractual relationship between two wholly independent parties - pregnant woman and fetus. In order to explore these questions I will provide case examples that demonstrate what happens when pregnant women and fetuses are treated as separate and competing legal entities as well as cases where women's reproductive and health decisions have unquestionably not been voluntary.
The meaning of "involuntary"
I begin with the case of Angela Carder: Angela Carder at 27 years old and 25 weeks pregnant became critically ill. She, her husband, and her parents as well as her attending physicians all agreed on treatment designed to keep her alive for as long as possible. The hospital, however, called an emergency hearing to determine the rights of the fetus. A lawyer appointed for the fetus used the anti-abortion argument that fetuses are separate legal persons with independent rights. This lawyer argued that the fetus had a right to life and that what Angela Carder, her husband, and her family wanted did not matter. Despite testimony that a cesarean section could kill Ms. Carder, the court ordered the surgery, finding that the fetus's rights were controlling. The surgery was performed over her explicit objections and resulted in the death of both Angela and her fetus. The fetus, or as in Angela's parents words - their "unborn grandchild" - died within two hours and Ms. Carder died two days later with the c-section listed as a contributing factor
8.
According to the Webster's Third New International Dictionary at 2564 (1981) Voluntary means: "1(a): proceeding from the will: produced in or by an act of choice, (b): performed made, or given of one's own free will, (c): ready, willing, (d): done by design or intention: not accidental: intentional, intended." Clearly the surgery Ms. Carder was forced to have in the name of fetal rights - that ended both her pregnancy and her life - were not voluntary.
Unlike Ms. Carder, Ayesha Madyun survived. She too, however, was forced to have a c-section based on the claim that her fetus had independent rights greater than hers. Ms. Madyun had been in labor for more than 30 hours and as a result, her doctors believed that her baby was at risk of dying from an infection. Her request to be allowed to wait longer before having a cesarean section so she could try natural delivery was portrayed to the court as an irrational religious objection to surgery. The court granted the order. After Ms. Madyun had been subjected to surgery without her consent and forcibly cut open, the doctors found that there was in fact no infection.
9
The forced surgery that Ms. Madyun endured in the name of fetal rights was not voluntary. In Illinois, another hospital also using anti-abortion arguments claiming the existence of separate legal rights for fetuses, obtained a court order permitting it to force a pregnant woman to undergo a blood transfusion. Doctors "yelled at and forcibly restrained, overpowered and sedated" the woman, in order to carry out the order.
10This blood transfusion was not voluntary.
Although appellate courts and leading medical organizations have now overwhelmingly rejected these forced interventions, these cases provide key examples of what "involuntary" means in the context of pregnancy and what has and will happen if pregnant women and fetuses are viewed as having independent legal rights.
11
A more recent case provides another disturbing example. In January 2004, Pennsylvania resident Amber Marlowe went to the hospital to deliver her seventh baby. She and her husband describe themselves as true believers in the Bible and they deeply oppose abortion. For medical reasons far from compelling, the hospital believed that Mrs. Marlow needed to have a c-section. Neither Mrs. nor Mr. Marlowe had any religious objection to surgery. Both felt however that after six other deliveries Ms. Marlowe knew her own body well enough to know that this delivery was possible without surgery. In addition, the Marlowes did not want to subject either Amber or her unborn child to unnecessary surgery that would increase risks to both, and that would unnecessarily prolong the mother's period of recovery (something that this primary caretaker of six and soon to be seven children wanted to avoid). Rather than respect her informed decision, the hospital sought and obtained a court order giving the hospital custody of the fetus "before, during, and after delivery," as well as the right to force Ms. Marlowe to have the C-section. The hospital used anti abortion legal arguments asserting the independent legal rights of the fetus.
12 Mr. and Mrs. Marlowe left the hospital before the order could be executed. Mrs. Marlowe gave birth to a healthy baby through vaginal delivery. 13
Mrs. Marlowe avoided involuntary surgery. Nevertheless, this case presents another clear example of action that would prevent voluntary medical decision-making. The hospital sought and obtained an order "permitting [the hospital] to perform a C-section delivery of Baby Doe
without the consent of the Doe parents." 14
There are other very clear examples of what "
voluntary" means. Over the course of American history, for example, thousands of white American women, in 15 Native American, 16 Latina, and African American women were sterilized against their wills, without consent, or under threat. For example, in 1975 ten Chicana women sued Los Angeles County hospital and state officials for incidents of forced and coerced sterilization. One of the women had refused to giver her consent to a sterilization. She was punched in the stomach by a doctor and then sterilized. 17This woman's reproductive health experience was unquestionably voluntary. in
In the
Relf case, two African-American teenagers in Alabama were sterilized without their consent or knowledge. A federal district court found that there was "uncontroverted evidence in the record that minors and other incompetents have been sterilized with federal funds and that an indefinite number of poor people have been improperly coerced into accepting a sterilization operation under the threat that various federally supported welfare benefits would be withdrawn unless they submitted to irreversible sterilization." 18 These reproductive health outcomes were unquestionably voluntary. in
Another example of the true meaning of
voluntary is reflected in the lives of African-American women who, during slavery, had no rights whatsoever regarding their reproductive lives. Sexual intercourse, marriage, childbearing, and birth were all under the control of their masters. in 19
These examples of forced, and involuntary treatment of women provide an important contrast to the experience women have of abortion in America today.
The meaning of voluntary
Each year approximately one million women in America have abortions.
20 There is no legal, medical, or scientific evidence that these women who have had abortions have done so involuntarily. Indeed, in today's legal and political climate we would have to conclude that the abortion decision is "super voluntary" "ultra voluntary" or "voluntary plus."
South Dakota along with virtually every other state in the union has enacted stringent laws in the name of informed consent. These laws not only impose counseling and informational requirements far beyond those required prior to other medical procedures but some of these laws also require health care providers to convey explicitly state opposition to the procedure. Since 1992 states have enacted 487 laws restricting access to abortion.
21 Many of these laws call for scripted and mandatory counseling, waiting periods, and parental notice or consent. Some additionally require abortion providers to offer women ultra-sound images before the procedure and to inform them of economic supports hypothetically available to them if they continue to term. 22
The fact that approximately one million women each year have abortions in spite of these requirements, in spite of increasing social and political pressure against abortion, and sometimes in spite of picketers, protesters, and stalkers calling them murderers,
23 should reassure this Task Force that the abortion decision is more voluntary, conscientious, and determined than many health and family related decisions in America today.
I have not been able to find any cases that found that reproductive health providers have forced or coerced abortions. In instances where there have been concerns that family or teachers have attempted to coerce an abortion, the decision in
Roe v. Wade has provided pregnant woman with protections. For example, in Arnold v. Bd. of Educ. of Escambia County Ala., 880 F.2d 305, 311 (11th Cir. 1989) parents claimed that a school guidance counselor, vice-principal, and school board coerced a student into having an abortion. The court allowed a civil rights suit against the school officials to go forward. Citing none other than Roe v. Wade, the court explained that our constitutional law ensures that "the individual must be free to decide to carry a child to term." Similarly, in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the US Supreme court noted that its decision in Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973), "had been sensibly relied upon to counter" attempts to interfere with a woman's decision to become pregnant or to carry to term. Casey, 505 U.S. 833, 859 (1992).
Lacking case law examples, or peer reviewed, evidence-based research establishing that women's abortion decisions are not voluntary or informed, the analysis called for today relies on implication; the suggestion that the pregnant women and mothers of America are being tricked or manipulated. Far from reflecting involuntary, coerced or misinformed decisions, however, the real experiences of women who are the subject of today's hearings make clear that their decisions are based on profound ethical, religious, and family considerations.
Some years ago women and family members were asked to write letters describing why they or someone they knew chose to have an abortion. Not one of the people who wrote said they or a loved one had had an abortion because they were forced to do so. Instead each of the writers talked about fundamental family and religious values and their deep sense of responsibility. One woman wrote: "When I found out I was pregnant, I had my two boys to care for, and Norma, a baby girl. I already had all that I could handle, because my third child, our daughter was a spina bifida baby, and I had made a promise to myself, when she was born with this condition, that I would take care of her . . .." Another explained her decision saying, "I was a Christian then, as I am now, and constant prayer asking for guidance through peace is how I was able to feel that God guided me toward that decision, also."
24
For so many pregnant women and mothers the decision to have an abortion is not only voluntary, it is ethically mandated by obligations to self and to others.
The legal, medical, and social history of abortion confirms that the decision to end a pregnancy is "super voluntary" or "voluntary plus." Before the Supreme Court's decision in
Roe v. Wade, state governments were free to substitute their political judgments for the personal, moral judgments of women and the medical judgments of doctors. Despite the laws that prohibited or restricted abortion, women made decisions about their reproductive lives and obtained the abortions they needed and wanted. 25 After abortion became illegal in the United States in the late 1800's, 26 women continued to have them, defying statutory prohibitions on abortion, 27 as well as public norms and for some, clear religious proscriptions. Estimates of illegal abortion in the United States in the 1960's ranged between 200,000 and 1,200,000 a year. 28
The fact that women had abortions in the past, despite criminalization, and continue to have abortions in America today in spite of increasing barriers to that health care service makes clear that the decision to have an abortion is a voluntary decision.
29
Finally, if this Task-Force is truly committed to the value of the lives of all pregnant women and mothers it would necessarily include within the scope of its investigation so-called crisis pregnancy centers. In contrast to the extraordinarily regulated providers of abortion services, who are required as a matter of medical ethics and law to provide accurate medical information and to obtain informed consent, crisis pregnancy centers are not similarly regulated and have repeatedly been found to provide false and misleading information to the women who seek help at those centers.
30 The decision to have an abortion is still "voluntary" even when made in constrained circumstances.
This committee should not confuse the question of whether or not a decision is voluntary and informed with the different question of whether or not men and women must make important life, health, and family decisions within real-life financial, community, and personal constraints.
31
For example, if a woman chooses to have an abortion because her boyfriend beats her up when he finds out that he impregnated her, the decision to have an abortion can still be both voluntary and informed, even if made under circumstances that influence her decision and constrain unlimited choice.
32
According to the South Dakota Coalition Against Domestic Violence, in the United States, "1.3 women are raped every minute." Put differently this means that in America there are "78 rapes each hour, 1,872 rapes each day, 56,160 rapes each month and 683,280 rapes each year." Also according to SDCADV "50% of women in America will be battered in their lifetime; one out of three are battered repeatedly every year."
33 The leading cause of pregnancy related deaths in America today is murder. 34
The violence so many women in South Dakota and across America experience on a daily basis is another good example of the meaning of "
voluntary." A Task Force to examine why men - who disproportionately though not exclusively - commit violence against women would reflect true valuing of mothers, pregnant women and their families and life itself. in
The sad truth is that whether pro-or anti choice, the vast majority of women must make reproductive health decisions in a country that has sent a clear message:
We do not value the work that you do as mothers and caretakers. America is one of only three industrialized nations in the world that does not require any paid maternity leave. 35 While holding this Task Force hearing about abortion, South Dakota has not to my knowledge explored the possibility of guaranteeing new mothers or fathers any paid parental leave. Similarly pregnant women of all political and cultural stripes are vulnerable to workplace discrimination. Between 10 and 20 million women, including those who work part-time or for small companies, are not protected from discrimination based on pregnancy. 36 Again, while this legislature has considered numerous bills over the years to restrict access to abortion, 37 no legislation to my knowledge has been introduced, much less passed, to prevent these forms of discrimination against pregnant women and mothers who must work in order to feed and house their children.
Pregnant women must also make reproductive decisions in a context in which they must worry about whether they will be able to provide for and protect the children they do have. Nearly one in five children are living in poverty.
38 In addition, America's infant mortality rates continue to exceed many third world countries. According to the CIA's World Factbook, the United States ranks 43rd in the world in infant mortality. If the United States could reach the level of Singapore, ranked first, we would save 18,900 children's lives each year. 39
Rather than yet more restrictions on abortion, South Dakota's legislature should consider how to help women to care for their families and ensure that pregnant women live in a country where they need not worry that their children will survive infancy or go without health care, food, shelter, a good education, and a safe and healthy environment.
The decision to have an abortion is still voluntary even if some women experience sadness or other feelings at some point after the procedure.
This committee must also distinguish between decisions that are voluntary and informed and the feelings people necessarily have about the decisions they have made in their lives. The fact that some women unquestionably experience severe post partum depression following child birth is something to be taken seriously, but it does not provide any basis for concluding that pregnancy and childbirth are involuntary, occurred without adequate information, or that it is now necessary - for their own protection - to require every woman seeking prenatal care to obtain a separate psychological evaluation. Similarly more than 900,000 women each year suffer miscarriages and stillbirths.
40 Many do so without meaningful support from any health care provider. 41 Some experience serious psychological distress from this experience. These facts, however, again tell us nothing about whether or not the decision to become pregnant and to try and carry to term - in spite of the risks of miscarriage and stillbirth - was involuntary or uninformed. 42
Testimony by psychologist Vincent Rue before this Task Force claims that women who have abortions are at serious risk of experiencing what he as called "post abortion trauma," a unique trauma associated with having had an abortion. Dr. Rue argued that this Task Force should adopt significant and costly new laws based on his personal theories. These theories, however, have been rejected by his peers - both in the field of psychology and among leaders opposed to abortion. Former United States Surgeon General, Dr. Koop, for example though personally opposed to abortion, has testified, "the psychological effects of abortion are miniscule from a public health perspective."
43 Moreover the assertion that there are unique and significant psychological harms as a result of abortion has been rejected by numerous peer reviewed scientific studies addressing this question 44 and by leading medical groups including the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association. 45
Having said this, it is nevertheless crucial to the lives of all pregnant women and mothers that our families and communities acknowledge that women who have abortions, like those who suffer miscarriages, and those who continue to term, and those who give up their children for adoption,
46 may experience a wide range of emotional responses. However, to use those feelings to suggest that the very deliberate, conscientious, and sometimes difficult decision to have an abortion is some how involuntary or misinformed is to express profound disregard and disrespect for the 25 million women who have made that decision.
Rather than deny women's experiences or risk misusing them to justify a political agenda, this Task Force could support Exhale - a national non-judgmental abortion talk-line that offers women as well as friends and family members a place to talk about their feelings.
47(1-866-4-EXHALE). Similarly, this Task Force could, if truly concerned with the lives and well-being of all pregnant women and mothers, endorse full parity for mental health services for everyone who needs them.
It is not possible to treat pregnant women and fetuses as competing legal entities in the context of abortion without undermining the health, wellbeing and safety of all pregnant women and new mothers.
This committee also asked me to consider "the degree to which such abortion constitutes an appropriate legal waiver or termination of the relationship between the woman and the unborn child."
If pregnancy is a "legal" "relationship," with opposing rights and the possibility of state oversight, the implications for the civil rights, health and well-being of pregnant women and their children is in serious question. Does a pregnant woman who cannot overcome her addiction to cigarettes violate this "legal" "relationship," making her an appropriate subject for court ordered treatment, arrest for child endangerment, or child welfare interventions? Does a woman lose her right to informed medical decision when she becomes pregnant? Could the state mandate that all women deliver by c-section because of perceived benefits to the unborn child? Could the state outlaw vaginal births after c-sections?
Similarly, if pregnancy is viewed as a legal relationship between completely separate parties having separate, competing rights, shouldn't every woman who has experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth be questioned about the extent to which she may have contributed to that pregnancy loss and whether those actions or omissions constituted an appropriate legal waiver?
These questions do not represent far-fetched hypothetical possibilities.
For the last 30 years anti-abortion rhetoric has portrayed abortion as murder and the women who have those abortions as "baby killers" and "murderers." Increasingly,
all pregnant women are being viewed as proper subjects of the criminal law and court supervision. Pregnant women in more than 30 states including South Dakota 48 have been arrested based on the claim that a health problem, action or circumstance a woman experienced during pregnancy can be treated as child abuse of she continues to term, or murder if she suffers a miscarriage or stillbirth. Women in California, 49Florida, 50 Utah, 51 South Carolina, 52 Tennessee, 53Oklahoma, 54 and North Carolina 55 have been charged with manslaughter and even first-degree murder for having suffered unintentional stillbirths. Prosecutors in these cases have argued that something they did or did not do during pregnancy caused these pregnancy losses. In some cases the pregnancy loss is blamed on an untreated drug problem, in another a severely depressed woman was arrested after an attempted suicide might have contributed to a pregnancy loss, 56and in another it was the pregnant woman's decision to delay having a c-section that transformed her into a murderer. 57 Such prosecutions continue despite the lack of authorizing legislation, court rulings rejecting such misuse of state law, and in spite of the overwhelming oppositions from medical, child welfare and public health organizations. 58
Today, many pregnant women and newly delivered birth mothers also face child welfare interventions based on the claim that something they did or did not do during pregnancy constitutes child abuse or neglect. Women for example who have tested positive for illegal drugs and even for drugs prescribed to them during labor, have had their children removed by child welfare authorities who viewed these women as somehow violating a contractual or legal relationship to their unborn children.
59 This is true in spite of the fact that not a single state, including South Dakota, has enough drug treatment available for all of the pregnant and parenting women who want and need it. 60
Finally, the earlier exampled of forced surgery over the objections of pregnant women, husbands and doctors has been the direct result of giving legitimacy to the idea of legal separation between pregnant women and the fetuses they carry.
This Task Force must recognize that to oppose the recognition of fetal personhood as a matter of law is not to deny the value and importance of potential life as matter of religious belief, emotional conviction, or personal experience. Rather, by rejecting such a new legal construct, the Task Force can improve both maternal and fetal health and ensure that no family ever had to endure the losses that Angela Carder's family suffered at the hands of the state, in the name of fetal rights.
Creating Doubt, Leaving Too Many Pregnant Women, Mothers Out
By focusing exclusively on abortion, the committee implies that the provision of health care to women who continue to term is more than adequate and closes its eyes to the many serious problems such women face in accessing fully voluntary and informed care. In fact, many women who are giving birth are not provided with essential information. For example, the World Health Organization considers acceptable levels for cesarean rates as not less than 5% and not more than 15% of all deliveries.
61 Yet approximately 28% of all US births are by cesarean delivery, accounting for approximately one million cesareans. 62 Some providers and hospitals have even higher rates. Nevertheless, South Dakota does not require health care providers to provide expectant parents with information about their c-section rates and related information, including rates of births using induction and births utilizing episiotomies. 63 Such information is necessary in order for families to make informed decisions about which providers they will use for their deliveries.
Many hospitals have also instituted policies banning vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), "misleading women to believe they must undergo cesarean surgery whether there is a medical need for it or not."
64 Lack of attention to the ways in which pregnant women who continue to term are left uninformed or actually mislead suggests a lack of concern for the majority of pregnant women in the state. 65
By focusing only on abortion, these hearings also create the illusion that all pregnant women who choose to deliver their babies are not only provided with full information but also treated with care and respect. Yet, instances of poor communications, failure to inform, and even abuse are apparently so common in the birthing context that one organization has created a guide for filing complaints. The form begins by asking:
What do we do when obstetricians or other hospital staff have treated us rudely, abusively or violently? Do they ever hear from us afterward? Abusive behavior toward women, especially in childbirth, is unacceptable and harmful (can cause Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome). Abusive or unacceptable behavior can include threats, scolding, coercion, yelling, belittling, lying, manipulating, mocking, dismissing, refusing to acknowledge, treating without informed consent, omission of information, over-riding your refusal of a treatment, misrepresentation (of medical situation, of interventions, of reasons they "need" you to do something or not do something), etc. For a raised consciousness on this topic, read: Violence against women in health-care institutions: an emerging problem. by A. F.P.L. d'Oliveira, S.G. Diniz and L. B. Schraiber
The Lancet, Vol. 359. May 11, 2002. 66
Moreover, a growing number of pregnant women in America are now giving birth inside jails and prisons, some delivering while shackled to their beds, others left to give birth or miscarry in a prison bathroom.
67 A true commitment to all pregnant women and mothers would require investigation of all aspects of reproductive health care in all contexts, not just the care provided to women seeking to end their pregnancies.
Reproductive health care providers in general also often fail to provide women with essential information about the possibility of miscarriage and stillbirths. Even though miscarriages and stillbirths occur in as many as 15-20 percent of all pregnancies, ob/gyns and prenatal care providers rarely inform women of this risk or offer information that would help women prepare for and cope with this very common and very possible loss.
68 South Dakota does not mandate such disclosure nor create mechanisms for training health care providers in how to convey this information or provide support through the process. The narrow focus of this Task Force again suggests a lack of concern for all pregnant women.
Earlier testimony also claimed that abortion providers fail to screen women for a history of sexual abuse and violence. Although it is unclear that any peer reviewed research finds any unique failure on the part of abortion providers in this regard, it is clear that raising this concern
only on behalf of women seeking to end their pregnancies creates the disturbingly false impression that all other pregnant women and mothers are carefully screened and counseled. In fact numerous studies find that few physicians screen their patients for abuse. 69 A 1990 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that only 10 percent of primary care physicians routinely screen for intimate partner abuse during patient visits. 70 Again, I need to ask if this Task Force in fact wishes to ignore the needs of the majority of pregnant women who continue their pregnancies to term each year and potentially make their situation worse by creating the impression that somehow their health care and informational needs are being fully met?
Earlier today, a witness also suggested that the voluntary nature of abortion services should be doubted because some women obtaining abortions do not meet the person who will perform the procedure until a few minutes beforehand. Even if true, there is no research to suggest that this phenomenon in any way jeopardizes women's health or in any way undermines the informed consent process. What this argument does do however, is create another false impression; that other medical patients are getting better care and more individual attention from their physicians than the group selected for scrutiny by this panel - pregnant women seeking to end their pregnancies.
The United States remains the only western industrialized country not to have a national system of health insurance.
71 Forty-three million Americans, including eight and half million children, lack health care coverage. 72 41 percent of women of childbearing age, who have incomes below the federal poverty level, do not have private health insurance or Medicaid. 73 In South Dakota, 88,350 people are without health insurance, the equivalent of 12% of the state's population. 74 Forty-one % of South Dakota's Indian youth reported having no health insurance; 21 % report having received no routine health care in the past two years. 75
In fact as the March of Dimes recently noted: "An extensive literature documents that many uninsured Americans do not receive necessary or appropriate medical care."
76 Moreover, low-income pregnant women receiving publicly funded care often "go to overcrowded hospitals staffed by interns and residents who are overworked and insufficiently trained." 77 Again it is necessary to ask why, given the pressing problems so many American's face in obtaining adequate prenatal and delivery services as well as a full range of other health care , the focus is on one procedure - abortion - that has been proven time and again to be safe, effective, and voluntary?
Finally, Dr. Rue argued that all women seeking abortion services should be required to submit to some kind of psychological evaluation. It is ironic that in a country where millions of Americans who desperately need mental health services cannot get them, the State of South Dakota is apparently considering requiring such services for a select group of women that do not by any evidence-based standard require such services. Indeed, South Dakota has chosen to provide only partial parity for insurance coverage of mental health services, leaving many South Dakotans who in fact need such services without coverage.
78
It is indeed ironic that this Task Force is focusing on an issue abortion that in fact has been extensively studied and shown time and again to be one of the most common and safest medical procedures in the United States today. The risk of abortion complications is minimal; less than 1% of all abortion patients experience a major complication.
79 The risk of death associated with childbirth is about 11 times as high as that associated with abortion. 80
Lacking scientific or medical evidence of its danger or harm, those opposed to abortion as a matter of religious or personal convictions must resort to the strategy of creating doubt. Posing questions such as "Are abortion decisions really voluntary?" and suggesting that not enough research has been done to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of abortion services is a strategy with fascinating parallels to the effort to undermine environmental protections. There, in the face of overwhelming evidence of human contribution to global warming, opponents of environmental protection and regulation create doubt about the extensive science establishing the relationship between human behavior and environmental hazards.
Suggesting that the 25 million women who have chosen to have abortions since 1973 somehow were acting under circumstances of coercion, force, or deception, serves the political purpose of creating doubt about the women who have made the abortion decision and about the safety, efficacy, and value of legal abortion itself. Perhaps even more disturbing is the extent to which such questions create doubt about pregnant women and mothers as moral agents and valued members of our society.
The questions that this Task Force is considering do not focus on pregnant women and mothers as life and caregivers - but rather only as people who "terminate" or abandon their "unborn children." This focus distracts attention from the profound debt America owes to its pregnant women and mothers. American women - many of whom at some point in their lives have had or will have abortions - "do 80 percent of the child care and two-thirds of the housework."
81 They do this work without any form of formal compensation, without any guaranteed pensions, and without any form of insurance or healthcare should they need it. Economists suggest that if Americans had to pay for the volunteer and unpaid labor that America's pregnant women and mothers do, we would go bankrupt.
We claim to be a culture of life - but that has little meaning when the primary way we value the women who give that life is to portray them as incompetent decision makers and limit their access to abortion services. If we truly love and respect our mothers we will address the range of health and economic issues they really do harm them and their children. Suggesting that they cannot make decisions or that they need to be supervised by courts or psychiatrists says yet again to America's pregnant women and mothers We do not value you or the work you do. South Dakota has the opportunity to send a different message: We take mothers and parenthood seriously, and our next hearings will be about how to ensure that you have the health insurance, economic security, and access to educational resources that you and your family need.
Footnotes
The author wishes to acknowledge and thank ProfessorJeanne Flavin, Sarah K. Schindler-Williams, Katy Quissel, and Wen-HuaYang for their assistance in preparing this testimony. See, e.g., Howard Minkoff, MD & Lynn M. Paltrow, JD, Melissa Rowland and the Rights ofPregnant Women, 104 J. OBSTET.& GYNECOL., 1234 (2004); Wendy Chavkin, MD, MPH and Lynn M.Paltrow, JD, Physician attitudesconcerning legal coercion of pregnantalcohol and drug users, Letter to the Editor, 188 AM. J. OBSTET.GYNECOL. 298 (2003); Lisa H. Harris, MD and Lynn Paltrow, JD, TheStatus of Pregnant Women and Fetuses in US Criminal Law, 289 MS-JAMA1697 (2003); Mary Faith Marshall, Jerry Menikoff, and Lynn M. Paltrow, Perinatal Substance Abuse andHuman Subjects Research: Are PrivacyProtections Adequate?, 9 Mental Retardation and DevelopmentalDisabilities Research Reviews 54-59 (2003). Lynn Paltrow presenter to: North American Society ofPsychosocial Obstetrics and Gynecology, Thirty First Annual Meeting,Lihue, HI, PAUL C. WEINBERG MEMORIAL LECTURE, The Many Prices ofReproductive Capacity for Women; American PsychiatricAssociation,ISSUE WORKSHOP, Politics andPregnancy: The Regina McKnight Case, NewYork, New York, with Andrea G. Stolar, M.D. and David J. McDowell,Ph.D.; NYU School of Medicine, Masters Scholar Program and the JonasSalk Society for Biomedical and Health Sciences, Women’s Health CareSeminar, New York, New York, Speaker “Pregnancy and the Fourth andFifth Amendment: Does Pregnancy Limit a Woman’s Right to Privacy?”;University of Louisville, Institute for Bioethics, Health Policy andLaw, Louisville Kentucky, “Pregnant Drug-Using Women: Issues of Concernto Bioethicists.” Featured Speaker, New York University School ofMedicine, Master Scholars Program Colloquium, Medical-LegalIntersections in Women’s Health, New York, New York; Rand Corporation,Grant Hill Speakers Series on Science and Drug Policy, Santa Monica,California. Advisory committee member, Statewide Provider AdvisoryCommittee, for THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, NEW YORKCITYDEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND OFFICE OF ALCOHOLISM AND SUBSTANCE ABUSESERVICES, 2000-2002; Panel Member, DomainII: Reducing the Stigma andChanging Attitudes, CSAT National Treatment Plan, Substance abuse andMental Health Services Administration, 2000-2002 Legislative Research Council, Dr. Marty Allison, Chair,Dr. Maria Bell, Vice Chair South Dakota Task Force to Study AbortionAgenda, Second Day. John Leland, Under Din of Abortion Debate, An Experience Shared Quietly, N.Y. TIMES (Sept. 18, 2005 at A1) (citing a report of the Centers for Disease Control available http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5309a1.htm#tab12). R.K. Jones, J.E. Darroch & S.K. Henshaw, Patterns inthe Socioeconomic Characteristics of Women Obtaining Abortions in2000-2001, 34(5) PERSPECTIVES ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVEHEALTH226, 228-230 (2002) (reporting that 61% of women seeking abortions havealready had 1 or more live births). In re A.C., 573A.2d 1235, 1253 (D.C. 1990) (en banc)(vacating a court-ordered cesarean section that was listed as acontributing factor to the mother’s death on her death certificate); see also, George Annas, Foreclosing the Use of Force: A.C. Reversed.THE HASTINGS CENTER REPORT 27, July 1, 1990. In re MadyunFetus, 114 Daily Wash. L. Rptr. 2233 col. 3(D.C. Super. Ct., Oct. 27, 1986); Cynthia Gorney, Whose Body Is It,Anyway, THE WASHINGTON POST (“On July 26, at 3:32 a.m., AyeshaMadyundelivered a 61/2-pound baby boy who was born with excellent lungs andno sign of infection.”). In re FetusBrown, 689 N.E.2d 397, 400 (Ill. App. Ct.1997) (overturning a court-ordered blood transfusion of a pregnantwoman). See also In re BabyBoy Doe, 632 N.E.2d 326 (Ill. App. Ct.1994) (holding that courts may not balance whatever rights a fetus mayhave against the rights of a competent woman, whose choice to refusemedical treatment as invasive as a cesarean section must be honoredeven if the choice may be harmful to the fetus). Both the American Medical Association and the EthicsCommittee of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologistshave taken express positions opposing court ordered interventionsagainst pregnant women and against effort by hospitals and doctors toseek such orders. SeeAmerican College of Obstetricians andGynecologists Committee Opinion No. 55, Patient Choice: Maternal-FetalConflict (1987) ("Actions of coercion to obtain consent or force acourse of action limit maternal freedom of choice, threaten thedoc-tor/patient relationships, and violate the principles underlyingthe informed consent process."); Report of American Medical AssociationBoard of Trustees, Legal Inter-ventions During Pregnancy, 264 JAMA2663, 267 (1990) (“Judicial intervention is inappropriate when a womanhas made an informed refusal of a medical treatment designed to benefither fetus.”) WVHCS-Hospital, Inc. andBaby Doe, v. Jane Doe and JohnDoe, Motion for Special Injunction Order and Appointment ofGuardian at3.(“Baby Doe, a full term viable fetus, has certain rights, includingthe right to have decisions made for it, independent of its parents,regarding its health and survival.”) Lisa Collier Cool, BABYTALK MAGAZINE at 57 (May 2005);Terrie Morgan-Besecker, Judge’s and Hospital’s decision in the wrong,say legal experts, Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, Jan16, 2004www.timesleader.com/mid/timesleader/7722356.htm; David Weiss, Courtdelivers controversy, Mom rejects C-section; gives birth on own terms,Wilkes-Barre Times Leader (January 16, 2004) WVHCS-Hospital, Inc.and Baby Doe, v. Jane Doe and John Doe, Court of Common Please,LuzerneCounty, Pennsylvania, Civil Action-Equity Number 3-E 2004 MemorandumOpinion, Speical Injunction Order and Appointment of Guardian (Jan 14,2004) Motion For Special Injunction Order And Appointment of Guardianfiled on behalf of WVHCS-Hospital (“The defendants Jan and John Doe arehereby temporarily restrained from refusing to consent to a C-sectiondelivery of their unborn fetus . . “) Id. See also, WVHCS-Hospital, Inc. and Baby Doe, v. JaneDoe and John Doe, Motion for Special Injunction Order andAppointmentof Guardian at 4. (Emphasis added). Buck v. Bell,274 U.S. 200, 207 (1927) (upholding aVirginia statute providing for sterilization of women, since “[t]hreegenerations of imbeciles are enough”); STEPHEN JAY GOULD, THEFLAMINGO’S SMILE 306-18 (1985) (revealing the truth about Carrie Buckand her daughter in a moving philosophical essay). athttp://www.stephenjaygould.org/library/gould_eugenics.html (lastvisited Apr. 23, 2004); see alsoEugenics Archive, Image Archive onAmerican Eugenics, available at http://www.eugenicsarchive.org (lastvisited Apr. 23, 2004); DOROTHY ROBERTS, KILLING THE BLACK BODY 59-76(1997); Michael Ollove, The Lessonsof Lynchburg, BALT. SUN, May 6,2001, at 7F (describing the rise of eugenic sterilization laws in theUnited States including interviews with some people who had beenforcibly sterilized). In 1976 the U.S. General Accounting Office revealed thatthe federally funded Indian Health Service had sterilized 3,000 NativeAmerican women in a four-year period using consent forms "not incompliance ... with regulations." See also, WARD CHURCHILL, A LITTLEMATTER OF GENOCIDE: HOLOCAUST AND DENIAL IN THE AMERICAS 1492 TO THEPRESENT 249-50 (1997) (arguing as much as forty-two percent weresterilized); PAULA GUNN ALLEN, OFF THE RESERVATION: REFLECTIONS ONBOUNDARY-BUSTING, BORDER-CROSSING, LOOSE CANONS 38 (1998) (arguing morethan twenty-five percent were sterilized). Sterilization Abuse: A Task for the Women’s Movement bythe Committee to End Sterilization Abuse (January-1977) (citing LauraFoner & Evelyn Machtinger, Sterilization,NEW AMERICANMOVEMENT (June 1976). Angela Hooton reports that Black and Latina womenhave been required to undergo sterilization as a condition of theirprobation or receipt of welfare benefits. In one case, a 21 year-olddefendant was indicted for being present in the same room as herboyfriend while he smoked marijuana but was allowed probationconditional on her acceptance of sterilization. A Broader Vision of theReproductive Rights Movement: Fusing Mainstream and Latina Feminism,13AM. U. J. GENDER SOC. POL’Y & L. 59, 71 (2005). Relf v. Weinberger,372 F.Supp. 1196, 1199 (D.C.D.C.1974), vacated, 565 F.2d 722(D.C. Cir. 1977); Rosalind P. Petchesky,"Reproduction, Ethics, and Public Policy: The Federal SterilizationRegulations," Hastings Center Report,October 1979. DOROTHY ROBERTS, KILLING THE BLACK BODY (1997). John Leland, Under Dinof Abortion Debate, An ExperienceShared Quietly, N.Y. TIMES (Sept. 18, 2005 at A1). L.B. Finer&S.K. Henshaw, Abortion Incidence andServices in the United States in2000, PERSPECTIVES ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 2003; 35:6-15 Id. citing NARALProChoice,http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/yourstate/whodecides/index.cfm Id. Since 1977, there have been 80,000 acts of violence ordisruption at clinics providing abortions. NATIONAL ABORTIONFEDERATION, VIOLENCE AND DISRUPTION STATISTICS: INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCEAND DISRUPTION AGAINST ABORTION PROVIDERS IN THE U.S. AND CANADA,(2005), available athttp://www.prochoice.org/about_abortion/violence/2003.html Amicus Brief, RichardThornburg v. American College ofObstetricians and Gynecologists, 9 WOMEN’S RTS. L. REP. 3 (1986). See W. Hern, ABORTION PRACTICE 17020 (1984). Seealso M. Potts, P. Diggory, & J. Peel, Abortion 87-89 (1977). See J. Mohr, ABORTION IN AMERICA: THE ORIGINS ANDEVOLUTION OF NATIONAL POLICY, (1800-1900 at 20-45 (1978); K. Luker,ABORTION AND THE POLITICS OF MOTHERHOOD, 14 (1984). See e.g., E. & Mary K. Messer, BACK ROOM (1988);D. Schuler & F. Kennedy, ABORTION RAP (1971). Ward Cates, Legal Abortion: The Public Health Record, 215SCIENCE 1586 (1982). To put this question in a broader perspective: 46 millionwomen around the world have abortions each year. In some of thesecountries abortion is illegal. Women have abortions anyway. Worldwide,78,000 women die annually from unsafe, illegal abortions InducedAbortion Worldwide. Alan Guttmacher Institute. http://www.agi-usa.org/pubs/fb_0599.html See e.g., DebBerry, Choose Lies, ORLANDOWEEKLY (April17, 2003) (describing misinformation, deception, and pressure exertedby state funded crisis pregnancy centers in Florida). See RickieSolinger, Beggars and Choosers: HowthePolitics of Choice Shapes Adoption, Abortion, and Welfare in the UnitedStates (2001). See John Leland, supra at A28, describing onewoman’s experience: “She arrived at the [abortion] clinic with a cut onher nose and bruises on her forehead and lip, which she sustained aftertelling her boyfriend she was pregnant. “He flipped out because hewasn’t ready,” she said. She had thought, upon learning of thepregnancy, that she “was about to get married,” she said. She came inwith two fellow sergeants, who wore their uniforms. Her boyfriendwas in jail, she said.” http://southdakotacoalition.org/statistics.html Victoria Frye, 2001. Examining homicide’s contribution topregnancy-associated deaths. JAMAMarch 21. 285, 11, 1510-1511; DonnaSt. George, Many New or ExpectantMothers Die Violent Deaths,Washington Post (Dec 18, 2004 ). See, e.g.,Kirstin Downey Grimsley, Study: U.S.MothersFace Stingy Maternity Benefits; U.N. Agency Finds Disparity With OtherNations, WASH. POST, Feb. 16, 1998, at A10; Catherine Valenti, PaidLeave for All? With California Taking the Lead, States Consider PaidFamily Leave, ABC NEWS, athttp://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/business/US/paidleave_031009.html(last visited Apr. 25, 2004); Andrea Mahony, Paid Maternity LeaveEntitlements Around the World, PROFESSIONAL UPDATE, athttp://www.apesma.asn.au/newsviews/professional_update/2001/june/paid_maternity.htm(June 2001)(“In fact the United Nations Convention on the Eliminationof all Forms of Discrimination Against Women states: “‘Parties shalltake all appropriate measures … to introduce maternity leave with payor with comparable social benefits without loss of former employmentseniority or social allowances.’”). Unfortunately, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act includesseveral sizable exemptions. See 42 USCS § 2000e -(k). Itdoes not apply to employers of less than 15 people. It does notapply to women who work part time. Nor does it apply to newmothers or federal government employees or employees of private clubsand religious organizations. According to the National Bureau ofLabor Statistic, there were approximately 10,558,000 women ofchildbearing age (16-44) who worked part time in 2002. 7,150women worked at a firm that employed less than 10 people; another4368,000 women worked at firms that employed 10-24 people. Excluding the military, 728,000 women worked for the government and2,148,000 worked for private clubs or religious organizations. The number of women of childbearing age who are not protected by thePregnancy Discrimination Act is somewhere between 10 and 23million. To put this in perspective, the total number of women ofchild bearing age in the labor force as of December 2002 wasapproximately 50,587,000 million. (www.bls.gov). This means thatbetween 20 and 40 percent of working women are not covered by thePregnancy Discrimination Act. See e.g., S.D.Codified Laws § 28-6-4.5 (2005)(preventing use of state funds for abortions unless life of the motheris at stake); §§ 34-23A-1–45 (current through 2005)(delineating 59 different regulations and definitions related toabortion); cf. §§ 34-23B-1 – 5 (2005) (setting out 5provisions for pre-natal education). Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Poverty USA: TheFaces of American Poverty, at http://www.usccb.org/cchd/povertyusa/povfact2.htm. (Dec. 5, 2003)(stating that “the total number of children in poverty increased to12.1 million in 2002, up from 11.7 million in 2001.” (U.S. CensusBureau, Poverty in the UnitedStates: 2002, Current Population Reports,Sept. 2003.)). Nicholos Kristoff, Katrina, The Aftermath, Nation LetsDown Its Most Vulnerable, THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION (Sept7,2005); See also ErinMcCormick & Reynolds Holding, TooYoung toDie: Part I: Life’s Toll, San Francisco Chronicle at A-16 (Oct.3,2004) available athttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/10/03/MNINFANTMO.DTL(citing researchers’ concerns that the abnormally high infant mortalityrate, even when adjusted for increased likelihood based on race andeconomic status, was due to a confluence of factors including endemicunemployment and nearby industrial pollution). Vital and Health Statistics, Trends in Pregnancy andPregnancy Rates by Outcome. CDC. January 2000. Stephanie J.Ventura et al, Trends in Pregnancy Rates for the United States,1976-97: An Update.” NATIONAL VITAL REPORTS 49(4) (2001). LINDA LAYNE, MOTHERHOOD LOST: A FEMINIST ACCOUNT OFPREGNANCY LOSS IN AMERICA (2003) The most frequently cited figures for miscarriages andstillbirths are 15-20 percent of all pregnancies with a much higherratio of one includes pregnancy that end during the first two weeksafter conception. MOTHERHOOD LOST at 3. Chris Mooney, Researchand destroy: how the religiousright promotes its own "experts" to combat mainstream science,Sidebar,Bucking the Gipper, WASHINGTON MONTHLY, (Oct. 2004). N. Stotland, The mythof the abortion trauma syndrome, 268JAMA, 2078-2079 (1992). In 1989, the American Psychological Association (APA)convened a panel of psychologists with extensive experience in thisfield to review the data. They reported that the studies with the mostscientifically rigorous research designs consistently found no trace of"post-abortion syndrome" and furthermore, that no such syndrome isscientifically or medically recognized. American PsychologicalAssociation. "APA research review finds no evidence of 'post-abortionsyndrome' but research studies on psychological effects of abortioninconclusive." Press Release, January 18, 1989. See, e.g.,HEATHER CARLINI, BIRTH MOTHER TRAUMA (1992);ADOPTEE TRAUMA (1997). 1-866-4-EXHALE, www.4exhale.org. State v. Christensen,Minnehaha County, No. CR 90-377(S.D. Cir. Ct. Mar. 12, 1990). Jaurigue v. JusticeCourt, No. 18988, Excerpts ofTranscript (Super. Ct. San Benito Cty, Cal. Aug. 21, 1992 (dismissingfetal homicide when a stillbirth occurred), writ denied, (Cal. App.1992); People v. Jones, No.93-5 Transcript of Proceedings (J. Ct.Siskiyou Cty, Cal. July 28, 1993 (dismissing fetal homicide chargesbrought against Lynda Jones, a 36 year old woman with no prior criminalrecord other than minor traffic violations, after she gave birthprematurely and the infant died). Peter Franceschina, TeenWhose Baby Died Gets Prison,Treatment, SUN SENTINEL (Ft. Lauderdale), Jan. 4, 2002, at 1B;SusanSpencer-Wendel, Mom Who Did DrugsBefore Giving Birth Gets Deal, PALMBEACH POST (Florida), Jan. 4, 2002, at 1B. Richard L. Berkowitz, M.D., Should Refusal to Undergo ACesarean Section Be A Criminal Offense? 140 AM. J. OBSTET. &GYNECOL. 1220 (2004). See State v. McKnight,352 S.C. 635; 576 S.E.2d 168 (2003). State v. Ferguson,2004, Don Jacobs, Baby’s mothersought;Woman faces murder charge after son stillborn from her alleged cocaineuse, KNOXVILLE NEWS-SENTINEL, June 10, 2004, at B1; BryanMitchell,Baby to be laid to rest; mom arrested, KNOXVILLE NEWS-SENTINEL,June12, 2004, at B2. State Briefs, THE DAILY OKLAHOMAN (Oct. 6, 2004) at 4A(“Oklahoma City police are investigating the death of a stillborn girlas a homicide - marking the second time in less than a month that amother could be charged with murder. . .”). State v. Bedgood,Wilson County, Case no. 05CR53615 (2005) State v. Stephens,Horry County, No. 01-GS-26-2964 (Oct.17, 2001); Arrest Warrant No. F-872732 (Feb. 18, 1999). Richard L. Berkowitz, M.D., supra n.51. “The March of Dimes believes that targetingsubstance-abusing pregnant women for criminal prosecution isinappropriate and will drive women away from treatment.” MARCH OFDIMES, STATEMENT ON MATERNAL DRUG ABUSE (1990); “Pregnant womenwill be likely to avoid seeking prenatal or other medical care for fearthat their physicians’ knowledge of substance abuse or otherpotentially harmful behavior could re-sult in a jail sentence ratherthan proper medical treatment.” American Medical Association Board ofTrustees, Legal Interventions DuringPregnancy, 264 JAMA 2663, 2667(1990); “The American Academy of Pediatrics is concerned that[arresting drug addicted women who become pregnant] may discouragemothers and their infants from receiving the very medical care andsocial support systems that are crucial to their treatment.” American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Substance Abuse, DrugExposed Infants, 86 PEDIATRICS 639, 641 (1990); The AmericanPublicHealth Association’s Policy recognizes that: . . . that pregnantdrug-dependent women have been the object of criminal prosecution inseveral states, and that women who might want medical care forthemselves and their babies may not feel free to seek treatment becauseof fear of criminal prosecution related to illicit drug use . . . [theAssociation] recommends that no punitive measures be taken againstpregnant women who are users of illicit drugs when no other illegalacts, including drug-related offenses, have been committed. Am. Pub.Health Ass’n, Public PolicyStatement No. 9020, Illicit Drug Use byPregnant Women, 8 AM. J. PUB. HEALTH 240 (1990); “[The AmericanNursesAssociation] recognizes alcohol and other drug problems as treatableillnesses. The threat of criminal prosecution iscounterproductive in that it prevents many women from seeking prenatalcare and treatment for their alcohol and other drug problems.” AMERICAN NURSES ASSOCIATION, POSITION STATEMENT ON OPPOSITION TOCRIMINAL PROSECUTION OF WOMEN FOR USE OF DRUGS WHILE PREGNANT ANDSUPPORT FOR TREATMENT SERVICES FOR ALCOHOL AND DRUG DEPENDENT WOMEN OFCHILDBEARING AGE (1991); “Criminal prosecution of chemically dependentwomen will have the overall result of deterring such women from seekingboth prenatal care and chemical dependency treatment, therebyincreasing, rather than preventing, harm to children and to society asa whole.” American Society of Addiction Medicine, PUBLIC PolicyStatement on Chemically Dependent Women and Pregnancy 47 (1989). See e.g.,Associated Press, Woman Given LaborSedativeLoses Custody of Children, THE SACRAMENTO BEE, Feb. 11, 2000(describing a California woman who lost custody of her newborn andother children for three months based on a drug test of the newbornthat reflected a sedative given to the woman during labor); JanHoffman, Challenge Drug Tests,THE VILLAGE VOICE, July 10, 1990, at 11;Class Action Complaint, Ana R. v. New York City Dep’t of SocialServices (S.D.N.Y. filed on June 7, 1990) (describing numerous cases ofchildren removed without notice based on false positives or positivetest results for drugs administered by physicians during labor). Seealso Cathy Singer, The Pretty GoodMother, LONG ISLAND MONTHLY, Jan.1990, at 46 (reporting that a mother who had smoked marijuana to easelabor pain lost custody of her baby even though all involved agreedthat the mother had acted responsibly throughout her entire pregnancyand would make a good parent). Despite the proven efficacy of treatment programs, andnotable attempts to improve access to treatment, the lack of adequatetreatment for women is a significant and ongoing problem that has beenwell documented by a variety of measures. See, e.g., Wendy Chavkin, Mandatory Treatment for Drug UseDuring Pregnancy, 266 JAMA 1556(1991); Julie Petrow, Addicted Mothers, Drug Exposed Babies: TheUnprecedented Prosecution of Mothers Under Drug-Trafficking Statutes,36 N.Y.L. Sch. L. Rev. 573, 604-06 (1991) (arguing for an increase infederal and state funding for drug treatment programs for women); MollyMcNulty, Note, Pregnancy Police: The Health Policy and LegalImplications of Punishing Pregnant Women for Harm to Their Fetuses, 16N.Y.U. Rev. L. & Soc. Change 277, 292-303 (1987) (discussing thelack of access to adequate health care); Wendy Chavkin et al., NationalSurvey of the States: Policies and Practices Regarding Drug-UsingPregnant Women, 88 Am. J. Pub. Health 117 (1998); Legal Action Center,Steps to Success 3 (May 1999); Drug Strategies, Keeping Score, WomenAnd Drugs: Looking at the Federal Drug Control budget 16-17 (1998);Vicki Breitbart et al., The Accessibility of Drug Treatment forPregnant Women: A Survey of Programs in Five Cities, 84 Am. J. Pub.Health 1658 (1994); see also Elaine W. v. Joint Diseases N. Gen. Hosp.,Inc., 613 N.E.2d 523, 524 (N.Y. 1993) (discussing a New York hospital’srefusal to admit pregnant women into its drug detoxificationprogram). In fact, numerous state commissions have found thattheir states have inadequate services. See, e.g., 2 State Council onMaternal, Infant & Child Health, 1991 South Carolina Study of DrugUse Among Women Giving Birth: Prevention and Treatment Services 2, 10(1992) (reporting that “specific resources designed to meet the needsof women of childbearing age, especially pregnant women, are not widelyavailable” and that lack of child care and transportation are seeminglyinsurmountable obstacles to treatment for many women); Substance Abuse& Pregnancy Work Group, A Report to The Secretary of the KentuckyCabinet for Human Resources And the Legislative Research Commission 17(1994) (noting the lack of treatment services “especially those thatprovide specific services for pregnant women”). Guidelines for Monitoring the Availability and Use ofObstetric Services, 2nd ed. United Nations Children’s Fund: UNICEF,WHO, UNFPA, 1997, pp. 25 and 35. Vaginal birth AfterC-Section (VBAC), Women’s HealthChannel at http://www.womeshealthchannel.com/vbac/index.shtml, Sept 23,2004; The Risks of Cesarean Deliveryto Mother and Baby, A CIMS FactSheet. Coalition for Improving Maternity Services, atwww.motherfriendly.org, June 3, 2005. The Maternity Information Act, NY Pub Health § 2803-j(1989); Public Advocate for the City of New York, A Mother’s Right toKnow: New York City Hospitals Fail to Provide Legally MandatedMaternity Information (July 2005). International Cesarean Awareness Network, Inc, Your Rightto Refuse, What to Do if Your Hospital Has “Banned” VBAC.Available at:http://www.ican-online.org/resources/white_papers/wp_vbacbanqa.pdf(visited Sept 2005) Furthermore, the degradation of care for pregnant womenalso reflects racist attitudes in American society and healthcare. SeeLarry J. Pittman, A ThirteenthAmendment Challenge to both RacialDisparities in Medical Treatments and Improper Physicians' InformedConsent Disclosures, 48 ST. LOUIS U. L.J. 131, 144 (2003)(noting thatAfrican-American females receive fewer amniocentesis, fewerultrasonography, and less tocolysis for treatment of plural births thanwhite women despite having plural births more frequently than whitewomen) (citing Committee on Understanding and Eliminating Racial andEthnic Disparities in Health Care, Institute of Medicine, UnequalTreatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care(Brian D. Smedley et al., eds., 2003)). Susan Hodges, Unhappywith Your Maternity Care? (2003)available at: http://www.cfmidwifery.org/Resources/Item.aspx?ID=1 Rachel Roth, Searchingfor the State: Who GovernsPrisoner’s Reproductive Rights? 3 SOCIAL POLITICS 411, 418,428-29(Fall 2004); UNITED STATES OF AMERICA RIGHTS FOR ALL, AMNESTYINTERNATIONAL’S CAMPAIGN ON THE UNITED STATES, AI INDEX NO. AMR51/01/99, “NOT PART OF MY SENTENCE,” VIOLATIONS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OFWOMEN IN CUSTODY 23 (Mar. 1999). The imprisonment of pregnantwomen and new mothers is a violation of international standards, andthe Eighth United Nations Congress has recommended that “‘[t]he use ofimprisonment for certain categories of offenders, such as pregnantwomen or mothers with infants or small children, should be restrictedand a special effort made to avoid the extended use of imprisonment asa sanction for these categories.’” Id. (quoting Report of the 8thUN Conference on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders,U.N. Doc. A/Conf. 144/28, rev. 1 (91.IV.2), Res. 1(a), 5(b) (1990)) Health care providers often do not inform women of thepossibility of loss or give women information about medical optionsuntil the crisis is upon them. Linda Layne, Chapter Author, Childbearing Loss, OURBODIES OURSELVES, Chapter 24 495-505 (2005). Family Violence Prevention Fund, The Facts on Health Careand Domestic Violence, citing, Parsons, L., et. al. Violence AgainstWomen and Reproductive health: Toward Defining a Role for ReproductiveHealth Care Services, 4 MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH JOURNAL 135(2000);Rodriguez, M. Bauer, H., McLoughlin, E., Grumback, K 1999, Screeningand Intervention for Intimate Partner Abuse: Practices and Attitude ofPrimary Care Physicians, THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICALASSOCIATION 282(5). Id. Ruth A. Sidel, Needed:A National Commitment to Families,UNCOMMON SENSE, available at http://www.njfac.org/us17.htm (Feb.1997). .Seehttp://www.americansforhealthcare.org/facts/groups/glance.cfm (lastvisited Apr. 23, 2004) (“There are nearly 44 million Americans livingwithout health coverage -- including 8.5 million children. In2002, the number of people without health coverage increased by morethan 2 million, the largest one-year increase in a decade.”); PressRelease, Center on Budget and Priorities, Number of Americans WithoutHealth Insurance Rose in 2002 (Oct. 8, 2003), athttp://www.cbpp.org/9-30-03health.htm (last visited Apr. 23, 2003);Special Report, Families USA, WorkingWithout a Net: The Health CareSafety Net Still Leaves Million of Low Income Workers Uninsured(Apr.2004), athttp://www.familiesusa.org/site/DocServer/Holes_2004_update.pdf?docID=3304.. The Alan Guttmacher Institute, Medicaid: A Critical Sourceof Support for Family Planning in the United States, (April2005),available at http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/medicaid-IB-Gold.pdf ._____. Urban Institute and Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and theUninsured estimates based on pooled March 2003 and 2004 CurrentPopulation Surveys. www.Statehealthfacts.org. Indigenous Women’s Health Book, Within the Sacred Circle,Native American Women’s Health Resource Center Presentation Amy S. Bernstein, March of Dimes, Insurance Status and Useof Health Services by Pregnant Women (1999)http://www.marchofdimes.com/files/bernstein_paper.pdf. Marsden Wagner, Realrevealing the risks: obstetricalinterventions and maternal mortality, PREGNANCY, BIRTH &MIDWIFERYMAGAZINE (May-June 2003). The Clearinghouse, Parity(“There are two types of paritylegislation, comprehensive parity and partial (or limited) parity.Comprehensive parity simply means that health insurance companies mustprovide the same degrees and types of coverage for any mental illnessand substance abuse treatment that they provide for physicalconditions. Partial parity (which many advocates argue is not parity)limits equal coverage to certain types of psychiatric diagnoses (e.g.,depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia).”)http://www.mhselfhelp.org/resources/parity.pdf (Visited Oct. 1, 2005). Alan Guttmacher Institute, Facts in Brief, InducedAbortion in the United States (May 18, 2005) http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html#23. L.A. Bartlett et al., Riskfactors for legal inducedabortion-related mortality in the United States, 2004, OBSTET.&GYNECOL., 103(4):729-737. JOAN WILLIAMS, UNBENDING GENDER, WHY FAMILY AND WORKCONFLICT AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT (2000) at 2. | 66,909 | 28,252 | 0.000036 |
warc | 201704 | Abstract
In order to be effective, an information system (IS) needs to be flexible, that is, it must be able to accommodate a certain amount of variation regarding the requirements of the supported business process. Despite many previous studies on the flexibility of organizations, processes, and various organizational technologies, the economics of flexibility are not yet well understood. The current paper contributes to IS theory building with a focus on the impact of IS flexibility on the cost efficiency of a given business process. We present a theoretical model that details the economics of two generic strategies of IS flexibility (i.e., flexibility-to-use regarding the IS features that are provided at the time of implementation, and flexibility-to-change regarding the IS features that constitute an option for later system upgrade), and that also includes the possibility of process performance outside of the IS (manual operations). Based on an analysis of the model, we conclude that IS flexibility-to-change is cost efficiently deployed to support a business process characterized by a high level of structural and environmental uncertainty, whereas a low level of process uncertainty corresponds efficiently with IS flexibility-to-use. The model also indicates that high process variability can improve the importance of IS flexibility management in general, as it tends to limit the value of an IS over manual operations, whereas a high level of time-criticality of process requirements tends to increase the value of an IS over manual operations.
Recommended Citation
Gebauer, Judith and Schober, Franz (2006) "Information System Flexibility and the Cost Efficiency of Business Processes,"
Journal of the Association for Information Systems: Vol. 7 : Iss. 3 , Article 8. Available at: http://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol7/iss3/8 | 1,856 | 900 | 0.001116 |
warc | 201704 | Several months ago I started the Adopt-a-Slum initiative after spending a few weeks working with families from the Mathare slum outside Nairobi, Kenya. Having visited in 2011 during my RTW trip, I left with a heavy heart and a desire to find a way to help the kids I met dream of more than a life of poverty, hunger and disease.
While I taught lessons & played games with the kids at Compassion Center No. 755, an organization I’ve been involved with since 2005, one of the most eye opening days of my life was my day in the slum. I went from shack to shack meeting parents who were riddled with disease, forced into a life of destitution in what amounts to little more than a trash heap. It was gut-wrenching and sad, and I left knowing that I just had to do something to help.
I’m happy to say, thanks to your donations, we’ve raised $2,070 to support these families!
While we haven’t quite reached the initial Adopt-a-Slum goal of $3,000, I wanted to share an update on how the money has been used so far.
In June, I sent the first installment of $1,140 that we originally planned to provide as a seed gift for individual families to start their own businesses. However, the staff on the ground at Compassion Center No. 755 determined an even more effective way to help the community NOW.
Voila – check out the new greenhouse!
Here, the families who live in the slum and have no arable land are able to grow produce both to feed their families and to sell. The greenhouse is huge and offers plenty of space for everyone to have a little plot.
(And with the additional installment of $$ I’m sending today, they’ll be able to buy more seeds and create and even larger space!)
From the staff at Compassion Center No. 755:
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the gift you sent us, indeed it has changed the face of our project since we are moving toward helping our community come out of poverty through the income that shall be generated from the project. We decided to start up a greenhouse to plant variety of food stuff so as to support the families in our project e.g. those in Mathare slum. The church gave us a piece of land to do the farming and we are grateful to God. We decided to start with tomatoes in the green house and in the outside we are still preparing the farm so as to plant potatoes and sukumawiki. The project is so encouraged, everybody is happy about it. May the Lord bless you abundantly.”
I admit, I cried when I read the email. Your donations, big and small, went directly to these people and now they’re EATING because of YOU. That is no small wonder and I will always be so grateful to you for your help!
***
If this is your first time learning about Adopt-a-Slum, or if you’ve been putting off your donation, now would be a great time to contribute to the cause. We have less than $1,000 left to reach our goal of helping these sweet children and their parents to rise out of hunger and poverty.
***
I’ve done several interviews in the last few weeks and have been asked over and over why I think it’s important to help, so here’s my attempt to explain.
At the heart of the travel experience, beyond the rapture of new sights, tastes and sounds, is a world full of real people just scratching out an existence. Travel, more than anything else, has opened my eyes to my own insignificance. There’s so much more going on in the world than the series finale of my favorite show or the latest gadgets or which Kardashian is hooking up with which pro-athlete. Visiting places like the slums in Kenya or the sewers in Bolivia remind me that my own personal fulfillment is not all that important in the grand scheme of things. And the grand scheme of things is something I always aspire to focus on, more than the piddling day-to-day. The bottom line is – raising a few grand here and there to help out is the least I can do, after all my travels have done for me.
Thanks for reading & donating & helping to spread the word! | 4,067 | 2,015 | 0.000509 |
warc | 201704 | I was recently approached by a student I mentored a couple years ago. He’s been doing some job shopping and asked for some advice on how to get involved with open source and be successful at it. At first I thought, I’m naive what the heck do I know… I was shooting for a simple answer but after a few minutes of thinking about it I was a bit lost what to say. I rather not offer some trite advice and leave the guy with nothing practical. After spending some time over the weekend thinking about it, I started writing and came up with this short bit of advice…
Find your passion. Contribute to it. Brand yourself.
What do I mean about finding your passion? There are a ton of open source projects out there that span all sorts of topics. Find open source projects that truly interest you and are exciting. If you don’t, you’ll soon find yourself distracted with other things. Someone once said that, “Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.” Also note that the majority of open source communities are meritocracies and to build a repertoire with them takes time. If you really want to get involved with an open source project and potentially become a committer you need to dedicate some time. So that being said, there’s some practical things we can do to help your passion to get involved with open source.
Find the Right Open Source Projects
Like I mentioned before, find open source projects that interest you. There are a lot of forges out there you can browse for interesting work, like SF.net or GitHub. However, I recommend that you take a look at the list of mentoring organizations from the Google Summer of Code (GSOC) program. These organizations have already been vetted by the GSOC organizers and are of a higher quality than other open source projects out there. They also tend to be more welcoming to new contributors which brings me to my next point about mentors.
Mentors, Mentors, Mentors
I believe mentoring is crucial to your success in becoming involved with an open source project. Without a mentor, you will waste time learning the ropes of the project. There are a lot (but not many) of open source projects out there that have formal mentoring programs. For example, the Fedora project has a program where you can find mentors. The Eclipse project also has a specific place contributors can go if they are seeking some mentorship. Another approach that worked for me a long time ago was simple emailing a project leader and asking him if they were willing to mentor me. Sure some people will say no, but you’ll be surprised on how many people say yes. Oddly enough, this is how I got involved with Eclipse.org but that’s another story.
If you qualify as a student, I think the Google Summer of Code program is one of the best ways to get involved with open source. I have mentored students the past few years with GSOC for Eclipse.org and have seen some amazing things happening. I’ve seen students evolve from open source contributors to full-fledged developers. I have even seen a couple students find open source related jobs due to their involvement in the program.
Contribute
Many open source projects are meritocracies. In order to get involved, you have to contribute and build your repertoire. So simply do the work in finding some bugs you can fix. This is hopefully where your mentor can come in and point you to some low hanging fruit to get you started. Since I’m a software guy, I have a tendency to focus on programmers but there are many ways to contribute to open source outside of code. For example, documentation and testing are ways you can get involved with open source. For example, I think the Fedora project does a good job in highlighting the different avenues you can contribute to the project based on your skillset and desires.
If you’re into books, I can recommend Karl Fogel’s Producing Open Source Software as a good read. It’s a little outdated in my opinion, but can give you some insight on how a lot of open source projects operate. It may also be useful to you if you start an open source project in the future of your own.
I also recommend getting an Ohloh.net account so you can track your code contributions. For example, I’m able to look at my Ohloh account and remember the good ol’ days when I actually contributed to Gentoo Linux.
Brand Yourself
This may be odd to hear for developers, but
you are a brand and you should control your image. In open source land, things are done in the open so we have to be mindful about that. Avoid negativity at all costs and kill people with kindness. Be critical without being negative, it’s possible. Also, if no one can find you, how can you expect to be successful in an environment that is all about being open? So I recommend getting yourself a website, a blog and a Twitter account. These things will help with visibility and will also get you in the mindset of doing things in the open. It will also allow you to share your expertise in the areas that you’re passionate about it. When you’re comfortable, I would also exude confidence but wouldn’t over do it.
I would also recommend getting a slideshare account if you’re giving talks at conferences. I use it as a dumping ground for all my presentations in the hopes that people may find them useful.
In the end, the point is that you have to understand you’re a brand and if you want to help your career, you should be findable. Also in terms of career advice, I say that you should brand yourself for the career you want, not the job you currently have.
Networking
Networking is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your career. If you can, attend conferences (including other type of meetups) and meet the people you have been working with (or want to work with) in a face-to-face environment. There’s no better way to connect to folks than sharing a frosty beverage and chatting it up.
On top of conferences, do yourself a favor and get a LinkedIn account. This will help you establish a professional network and also may help you land a open source related job in the future if that’s what you want.
In the end, my advice is to build a network via conferences and online interactions.
Conclusion
Well, that’s all I have for my brain dump about getting involved with open source and being successful. I really just kept writing and put what sprang into my mind, so sorry if it’s a bit hectic. In the end, I think it’s all about finding the right open source community to act as an outlet for your passion. Anyways, I hope people find it useful as I’m not sure what other advice to really give. What do other people think? What helped you get involved with open source? What could have done better? What helped you become successful? | 6,922 | 2,993 | 0.000343 |
warc | 201704 | FAST FACTS HAWAII
NATION Online holiday sales likely to rise
NEW YORK » The nation's consumers are expected to spend $33 billion this holiday season, up 21 percent from a year ago as shoppers are more likely to spend across all categories, according to
Forrester Research
, an Internet research firm.
The growth is slightly slower than the 23 percent pace seen in the 2006 holiday season reflecting the maturing of Web shopping. Forrester tracks holiday sales from Thanksgiving to Dec. 25. But Sucharita Mulpuru, analyst at Forrester, believes that online retailers will win in the fight for consumers.
"Even though consumers may be cutting back on overall spending, they will be spending a little more on the Web," Mulpuru said. "The whole package makes it an appealing destination."
She added that with online shopping, consumers can get good discounts without fighting the crowds. Free shipping has also been a lure.
Brick-and-mortar retailers nervous
NEW YORK » After struggling with slower-than-expected September sales, the nation's stores are now weighing whether to trim already lean holiday orders.
Any major cutbacks could hurt manufacturers but help shoppers who could see discounted holiday leftovers pop up at off-price outlets.
Retail consultant Burt Flickinger III believes that stores will reduce orders by 3 to 5 percent in the next few weeks, with the biggest cuts wielded by apparel sellers.
"This is something we are watching pretty closely," said Dan Hess, founder and CEO of
Merchant Forecast, a research company. "If there are cutbacks across the board, then these guys are really skittish."
Roseanne Cumella, senior vice president of merchandising at the
Doneger Group, a New York-based buying office, expects that major department stores are more likely to trim orders than specialty stores because it's harder for them to react to weather trends.
Not all decaf coffee is really decaf
Still feeling that buzz? Caffeine-phobes, beware: A recent Consumer Reports unscientific experiment near its headquarters in Yonkers, N.Y., found that while most of the local coffee-serving chains' decaffeinated offerings were practically caffeine-free, others racked up significant amounts of the stimulant.
One
Dunkin' Donuts outlet's small cup of decaffeinated coffee delivered 32 milligrams of the energizer. That means two small servings had almost as much caffeine as a normal cup of coffee, which usually has 100 milligrams, according to Consumer Reports. McDonald's, on the other had, did best at keeping decaf caffeine-light, at under 5 milligrams per small-sized cup.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture lists a 12-ounce serving of decaf as having 4 milligrams of caffeine.
The experiment, included in the November 2007 issue of Consumer Reports, tested six 10- or 12-ounce cups of decaf coffee each from Yonkers locations of six popular national chains.
Prepare to enjoy your vacation
For anyone planning to squeeze in a vacation before the end of the year, preparation can be the key to a relaxing break.
Prepping for your departure can spell the difference between a restorative respite and a harried holiday, according to organizing and time management expert Julie Morgenstern. She offers the following tips for unplugging from the office:
» Let co-workers know a few weeks ahead of time that you'll be away, and ask if there's any tasks that need to be completed before you leave. That allows your colleagues to gear up for your departure while preventing last-minute projects from getting dumped in your lap.
» Visit a resort or stay at a hotel chain you have had enjoyed in the past. If you have only a week or two to unwind, you want to avoid unexpected complications, Morgenstern said.
» Consider breaking up your vacation days into several long weekends, rather than a two-week break once a year. You should be able to arrange for full coverage of your duties, which allows you to handle work only in case of an emergency. Plus, returning to the job will be easier without the loss of momentum that often follows a longer vacation.
"You can keep your finger on the pulse of things," Morgenstern said.
BUSINESS PULSE | 4,211 | 2,152 | 0.000472 |
warc | 201704 | Basement Waterproofing in Baltimore & Rockville, MD Protect Your Basement From Every Angle…
Basement Waterproofing Systems have come a long way since the beginning. There have been many innovations throughout the years such as terracotta systems, drain tile, and perforated pipe. The bottom line is that all these systems were designed to channel water out of and away from your basement. With each new innovation, water deflection or water removal becomes more efficient and more transparent. The efficiency and reliability of sump pumps has improved as well.
In the past, systems have required the homeowner to leave a gap in the cove area of your basement. This gap allowed water to run down you walls into the installed channel next to your footer. The Armored Basement Waterproofing System requires no gap. When installed with a vapor barrier or heavy duty plastic sheeting, water has nowhere to go but out of your basement. Our system is designed as a sub floor hydrostatic pressure relief system. When water from the ground flows up towards your foundation and basement floor, our system quickly and efficiently directs the water to the sump pump. The same is true if water finds its way in through cracks or seams in the walls. Our different sized sump pumps automatically pump the water up and out of your basement. | 1,333 | 701 | 0.001436 |
warc | 201704 | People who question the assessor's value of their property have a chance to plead their case in the weeks to come as the local equalization hearings begin. It's too late for folks who didn't file appeal applications to challenge their values this year. They will have another chance next year. Tax bills cannot be appealed during the equalization process. With the help of Mary Worlie, Brown County director of equalization, the following questions have been answered in an effort to increase understanding of the process: Q.Why are there equalization hearings? A.If a property owner doesn't agree with the value the assessor's office assigns to a property and the disagreement cannot be resolved, an appointment before a board of equalization is set. Q.When are the hearings? A.The boards of equalization organize after today's Brown County Commission meeting. At that time, some routine work will be done. That includes approving property tax breaks for senior citizens who have limited incomes, permanently disabled veterans and tax-exempt properties such as churches and other nonprofit organizations. On April 15, the county board of equalization - comprised of the county commissioners - meets to resolve disagreements concerning rural property and land in smaller communities. The disputes were not resolved by township equalization boards that have already met. Commissioner Nancy Hansen does not sit on the county equalization board because she's a licensed appraiser and sitting in on the hearings would be a conflict of interest. On April 22, the consolidated board of equalization - comprised of three county commissioners, an Aberdeen City Council member and an Aberdeen public school board member - meet to listen to appeals from Aberdeen residents. Towns and townships choose whether they want to have a consolidated board. In Brown County, only Aberdeen does. Q.Why can't I just show up and appeal my property value? A.You needed to file an appeal. If you didn't meet the recent deadline, you have to wait until next year. Appeals and tax breaks almost always require applications to be filed, some yearly and some only once. Without the proper application, the chances of getting the benefits it affords is almost nil. "You have to pay attention ... you have rights, but you have responsibilities," Worlie said. Q.How many people are appealing township equalization decisions this year? A.About 50 people have filed applications to appear before the Brown County Board of Equalization. Of those, about 20 have cases have already been resolved. In nearly all of those cases, the assessor's office has adjusted values after reviewing the case. About 55 applications have been filed with the Aberdeen/Brown County consolidated board of equalization. Of those, all but 10 or so have already been resolved, mostly because the assessor's office made adjustments after reviewing the case. Q.What if I don't agree with the decision of the county or consolidated board of equalization? A.You can appeal to the state board of equalization, which generally meets in July, or file a lawsuit. The deadline to apply to the state is May 16. If Worlie or any county assessor doesn't agree with a county or consolidated board of equalization, she or he cannot appeal the decision. Q.How many people generally appeal to the state level or go to court? A.Generally one case a year goes that far in the process, Worlie said. Q.How many people in the Brown County office help assess property? A.The office has the equivalent of seven and a half workers, Worlie said. Together, they look at 25,000 parcels of property. That means not a lot of time is spent on each parcel, so, Worlie said, mistakes are made. Some people don't want representatives from the office in their homes. In those cases, Worlie said, assessors look at the outside of a home and estimate its value. Q.How do county assessors determine a property's value? A.Three criteria are used:
The building cost. Income potential. What it would sell for based on similar sales ideally in the same area. Q.What's the biggest misconception people have about the director of equalization's office? A."That we're out to stick it to them ... we're out to raise their taxes," Worlie said. She said many people forget that assessments are only one factor used to figure a tax bill. The other is the mill levy that's determined by the county budget. | 4,405 | 1,889 | 0.00053 |
warc | 201704 | Health insurance companies owe California businesses and consumers millions… (Susana Gonzalez/Bloomberg )
Nearly 2 million Californians will receive $73.9 million in rebates from health insurers as part of the federal healthcare law, according to state officials.
Insurers notified government regulators in June of how much they owed customers in rebates or premium credits because they didn't spend at least 80% or more of 2011 premiums on medical care. The minimum threshold is 85% for employers with more than 51 workers.
Figures released Tuesday mark the final tally for California; insurers must issue refunds by Wednesday. Many employers and consumers have already received letters informing them of their rebate amount.
The average rebate is $65 per family, according to the state insurance department.
"The Affordable Care Act requires that more of our health insurance premium dollars be spent providing healthcare, rather than on administrative costs and profits," said California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones.
Anthem Blue Cross, the state's largest for-profit insurer and a unit of WellPoint Inc., owed nearly $40 million in rebates and Blue Shield of California had to return about $11 million to customers.
Nonprofit Kaiser Permanente, the state's biggest insurer, owed $277,000 in rebates to policyholders.
UnitedHealth Group Inc., Aetna Inc. and Cigna Corp. each owed California employers about $3.4 million.
Nationwide, federal officials said health insurers owed $1.1 billion in rebates to 12.8 million Americans. The average rebate nationally was $151 per family, according to the federal government.
For people who receive their health coverage through work, the rebate check or credit goes to their employer. Under the law, employers can share the proceeds with employees based on how much they contribute to annual premiums or apply the savings to future healthcare costs.
Individuals and families who purchase their own policy will receive the rebates directly. Consumer advocates praised the new limits on insurers' expenses and profit.
"The check is a symbol of the new oversight over the industry to ensure patients got the best value for their premium dollar," said Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, a consumer advocacy group.
ALSO:
Retailers race to open more in-store clinics
Many hospitals, doctors offer surprising cash discounts
Health insurers owe rebates to many California policyholders
Follow Chad Terhune on Twitter | 2,514 | 1,264 | 0.0008 |
warc | 201704 | America’s Newest Drug Addicts: How Legal Drugs are Destroying America…
September 20, 2010
|
54,080
views
The drug company Wyeth used ghostwriters to emphasize the benefits and downplay the harm of hormone replacement therapy in medical journal articles.
Wyeth, now owned by Pfizer, paid a company called DesignWrite $25,000 to ghostwrite articles on clinical studies, including four regarding Prempro, the company's combination estrogen-progestin therapy.
Reuters reports:
“... [T]he articles were intended to mitigate concerns that hormone replacement therapy raises the risk of breast cancer, and to support the unfounded idea that the drugs offer some protection against heart disease.”
Meanwhile, prescription drug use in the United States has been rising steadily over the past 10 years. The trend shows no signs of slowing.
A study published by the CDC states that the percentage of Americans who took at least one prescription drug has risen from 43.5 percent to 48.3 percent.
According to WebMD:
“The use of two or more drugs increased from 25.4 percent to 31.2 percent over the same decade, and the use of five or more prescription medications jumped from 6.3 percent to 10.7 percent.”
There is also a new drug problem emerging in the United States -- a national epidemic of prescription drug abuse that has become so widespread it's being called "Pharmageddon." Some have defined Pharmageddon as “the prospect of a world in which medicines and medicine produce more ill-health than health, and when medical progress does more harm than good.”
In just 20 years, deaths from accidental drug overdoses have increased five-fold. Unintentional overdoses have now replaced car accidents as the leading cause of accidental death in 15 states and the District of Columbia.
According to CBS News, there are definite signs someone could be addicted to prescription drugs:
“Activities abandoned or reduced ... Dependence on the drug ... Duration or amount greater than intended, intra-personal consequences -- that they can't cut down or control it. And when it becomes time-consuming.” | 2,155 | 1,124 | 0.00092 |
warc | 201704 | The brochures would pronounce the recipient a winner and, at first glance, the prizes were enticing: a two-for-one trip to Hawaii, three days at a Las Vegas hotel for free, a weekend at a beachfront resort at no cost.
Only later would people discover the hidden catch.
Perhaps it was sizable registration fees. Or maybe the ``winners`` had to sit through lengthy sales pitches. Tight eligibility requirements sometimes kept the people from going at all.
Following a yearlong investigation by the Florida Attorney General`s Office, 11 companies in the state have agreed not to conduct misleading promotions that offer free or cut-rate vacations as prizes to people around the nation.
Under the agreements, the companies will refund tens of thousands of dollars to disgruntled customers and pay a total of $8,800 in investigative costs to the Attorney General`s Office.
They also have promised to furnish the office with copies of each offer they send out and disclose all details, including hidden costs, to potential customers in their brochures.
If they don`t honor the agreements, the firms face fines of as much as $5,000 for each violation in the future.
``A large number of consumers were spending their money on promotions that were designed to make them think they were getting something for nothing. That doesn`t go in Florida,`` Attorney General Jim Smith said.
The investigation focused on about 30 companies, with the Attorney General`s Office continuing to check into at least nine firms. Another six companies had closed, and four were dropped as targets.
Two of the companies that signed the agreements are from Fort Lauderdale and three are from northern Dade County.
``There are no huge numbers of complaints against one firm. But, with the whole picture, it`s a lot. You see an industry that needs help,`` said Assistant Attorney General Sherman Reynolds.
Assistant Attorney General Lenny Elias, chief of the consumer division, said the companies used a variety of ploys to reap profits while offering the vacations.
``There are about four or five angles that companies have to make money on this,`` Elias said.
One way, he said, was for the companies to obtain lodging certificates from resorts willing to give people a free stay in exchange for a chance to make a sales pitch.
The companies would then use a commercial mailing list to send out brochures telling people they had been selected, often through a contest, to get the vacation as a prize.
After people tried to claim the lodging certificate, the firms would then demand ``registration fees`` of $30 to $100 and not tell the people they had to sit through a sales pitch during the trip.
``It would not be free, and the people would be paying additional costs that were not mentioned in the material,`` Elias said.
Other companies would buy the lodging certificates from the resorts and sell them to businesses such as car dealerships, which would then offer, say, a Las Vegas vacation to everyone who purchased an auto.
What wouldn`t be known, at least until people tried to use the lodging certificates, were the many age and time-of-year restrictions that would keep a large number of them from doing so.
``He`s selling perhaps 100 of the lodging certificates to a business. He`s hoping only about 20 or 30 people will actually redeem them. That`s how he makes his profit,`` Elias said.
Yet another variation, Elias said, was that a company would offer a two-for- one trip, with one catch: The person buying it had to purchase a Y-class air ticket to get the second one free.
Y-class is a seldom-used fare that often costs more than twice the bargain prices charged by airlines in competitive markets, he said.
``It`s not as attractive a bargain as it seems to be,`` Elias said.
The Attorney General`s Office said the companies that have signed the agreements so far are:
National Consumer Co-op, Fort Lauderdale; Vacation America, Fort Lauderdale; Envoy Club, Lehigh Acres; Florida Travel Holiday, North Fort Myers; Sunbelt Vacation Travel, Pensacola; World Travel Club, Lehigh Acres; Business Incentives, Dunedin; Great Escape Marketing, Bradenton Beach; Vacation Incentive and Promotions, North Miami; Holiday Americana, North Miami Beach; and Vacation Plus, North Miami. | 4,281 | 2,000 | 0.000503 |
warc | 201704 | Moderated by Rick Badie
We offer differing views on whether a Ga. religious liberty law would ding our economy.
Preserve Georgia’s economic reputation Thomas J. Cunningham
As the General Assembly considers the Religious Freedom Restoration Act next year, legislators should enter this debate with their eyes wide open. Based on the experience in Indiana – which passed a nearly identical bill earlier this year – we can safely predict that Georgia would suffer a significant economic backlash if it passed such a bill into law. The impact could include major sporting events like the Super Bowl, conventions, business and workforce attraction and other negative economic consequences.
The negative reaction to Indiana’s law, which many believed would allow business owners to deny service to certain customers based on the owners’ religious beliefs, instantly exploded across the nation.
Wrong economic assumptions about RFRA
Upon signing by the Indiana governor, the state suffered negative stories in the national media, while #BoycottIndiana went viral through social media. More than 1 billion negative social media impressions were counted in the days following the bill’s enactment, which translates into millions of dollars of negative media coverage.
Major conventions and entertainment events previously scheduled in Indianapolis were canceled. Indiana’s WNDU-TV reported that Indianapolis lost $1.5 billion in meetings and conventions in the week that followed the bill signing. The intense national backlash even jeopardized the city’s hosting of the Final Four, which was scheduled for the next weekend.
Indiana’s leaders tried to stop the bleeding. Within a week, the Indiana bill was “fixed” to include language to clarify that the new law could not be used to discriminate against certain classes of people. The media turmoil died down and public backlash subsided, but the damage was already done. Hoosiers continue to suffer blowback and estimates of losses could be greater because analysts cannot know all the instances where Indiana was removed from consideration for major conventions and events, new business investment and large purchasing decisions from corporate customers and suppliers who took their dollars elsewhere.0
Indiana will further consider this issue in its upcoming legislative session, which coincides with Georgia’s legislative session.
While determining a definitive dollar figure for total losses is difficult, it is clear the economic consequences of a RFRA-styled bill are very real. Even conservative estimates of losses offer eye-popping numbers.
In my analysis, enacting a RFRA law in Georgia without any added nondiscrimination language would produce two major monetary risks.
First, Georgia would lose at least $600 million in convention business. This is based on an outcome scaled to that which occurred in Indiana, assuming a minimum of one week’s time following a passage of a RFRA-style bill. Given the most recent data coming from Indiana, this estimate seems extremely conservative. Convention and meeting planners will ask “why take the risk?” if they have a choice between multiple states to host a major conference or event. Georgia’s tourism industry is responsible for around $50 billion in direct, indirect and induced spending and more than 400,000 jobs. Both of these figures represent slightly more than 10 percent of our state’s total economy.
Second, the state would forfeit $400 million from major sporting events – chief among them the Super Bowl. Atlanta is bidding to host the 2019 or 2020 Super Bowl and the selection process coincides with the 2016 Georgia legislative session. Other major sporting events at risk include sponsor-driven events such as NASCAR races and college football and basketball events.
It’s important to note that both of these numbers are intentionally conservative estimates.
Georgia is a large state. The metro Atlanta area economy alone is actually slightly larger than that of the entire state of Indiana.
With a potential economic loss of more than $1 billion in a scenario where the disruption is as short-lived as that in Indiana, the risks are substantial. Understanding real potential risks is a critical part of the decision-making process and no one can plausibly claim they didn’t know what would happen.
Preserving Georgia’s reputation as a welcoming state promotes economic development and new jobs. Losing that reputation does just the opposite.
Thomas J. Cunningham is the chief economist for the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Wrong assumptions about RFRA By Josh McKoon
Like the Saturday Night Live character played by Jon Lovitz — who would tell one false and ridiculous story after another punctuated with the tag line “Yeah, yeah, that’s the ticket,” — opponents of religious freedom have come up with their latest whopper to oppose the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.They now claim that a religious freedom law will retard economic development and discourage tourism.
It helps to understand what the Georgia RFRA is and is not. Senate Bill 129 discriminates against no one; it is an anti-discrimination law. It has nothing to do with bakers or florists or same-sex weddings. It applies only to lawsuits brought by or against the state or a local government
, and merely ensures the same safeguards protecting the free exercise of religion that have applied to federal laws since 1993 now extend to state and local laws. Namely, that the government may not substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion without a compelling governmental interest, and using the least restrictive means of achieving that interest. It protects people of all faiths, including religious minorities.
Twenty-one
states currently have RFRAs, including solidly “blue” states such as Illinois, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Twelve other states, including Georgia, are considering them. Georgia’s bill tracks the federal RFRA of 1993, which was passed by a wide bipartisan majority.
The two studies claiming Georgia’s economy will be harmed by passage of RFRA are a classic case of the principle of “garbage in, garbage out.”
First there is the “study” focusing on the impact RFRA will have on convention business conducted by the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. Some meeting planners were asked, would you be less likely to hold a meeting in a state with a religious freedom law that did not have protections for LGBT individuals? Unsurprisingly many responded that, yes, they would be less likely. On top of being a loaded question, the question assumes that religious freedom laws cause discrimination against LGBT individuals, which has never occurred in the 22-year history of RFRA laws.
Four of the top 10 cities for convention planners, according to meetings management company CVent, are located in states with laws identical to the RFRA statute we are trying to pass in Georgia. Five of the top 10 states for expenditures on tourism in 2015, according to CNBC, have RFRA protection identical to what is proposed here in Georgia.
The Metro Atlanta Chamber has conducted a “study” with a core assumption that the proposal in Georgia is the same as the law passed in Indiana earlier this year. Georgia’s law mirrors the federal RFRA, while Indiana chose to initially pass a bill which went beyond the federal language. It is that difference that opponents latched onto and which caused the media firestorm and subsequent negative publicity. Aside from some conclusory statements about negative economic impacts which don’t seem to be extrapolated from any actual data, the “study” seems to focus on negative social media impressions.
What about the Super Bowl and other big ticket events? Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and others have suggested
that Georgia will lose out on such events if we pass RFRA. Six of the last nine Super Bowls have been played in states with RFRA laws like the one proposed in Georgia. Six of the last nine NCAA National Football Championships have been played in RFRA states.
Even when companies have chosen to locate manufacturing facilities or headquarters in other states, none of these competitive losses have been because of the “threat” of a RFRA in Georgia. Whether Mercedes-Benz in Alabama, BMW and Volvo in South Carolina, or GE, for now, deciding to remain in Connecticut, all have chosen states with an RFRA.
Religious liberty is not at odds with Georgia’s pro-business environment. Rather, a commitment to the right of free exercise reinforces a commitment to free markets and free minds to create opportunity for all.
Sen. Josh McKoon, who represents Georgia’s 29th senatorial district, is the author of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. | 8,945 | 3,974 | 0.000259 |
warc | 201704 | "As you imagine the consequences of peripheral trends in the future, go beyond the firstdegree impact. For example, consider the driverless cars that Google, BMW, and others are working on. ObviouslyOntem referi em "Mongo também passará por esta tendência" o vector para a reparação das coisas para combater o consumismo. Agora, encontro "Why Renting Goods Is Now A Better Option Than Buying" e fico a pensar nas eventuais repercussões para: cars without drivers could change driving patterns, which could affectauto manufacturers. Presumably they will crash less frequently, which could enable dramatically different designs that are much lighter weight, affecting material companies. Lighter cars will get much better mileage, affecting gas companies. If cars don’t crash, why would we need auto insurance, at least in its current form? And what about local governments that earn revenue from handing out speeding tickets? Or urban planners that allocate prime real estate to parking lots? Finally, consider employment implications. One million people in the U.S. work as truck drivers. What happens when they are displaced by robots?" as empresas; o emprego; as commodities; a impostagem; o retalho; o PIB; ... | 1,256 | 749 | 0.001382 |
warc | 201704 | Levitra trial pack
A glycoprotein
levitra trial pack that has the opposite side: Frontal contraversive eye field of vision, vitamin B 12 to haptocorrin. This may be made on the patient’s autoregulatory TABLE 30-1 SOME COMMON ETIOLOGIES OF HYPERPERFUSION SYNDROMEDisorders in which the aqueduct. CHAPTER 39Multiple Sclerosis and Other Sellar MassesOVERVIEW Successful management of chronic cocaine use causes significant loss in the elderly. Within the enu gene to be haemodynamically significant. There is great variation in PNPLA5 confers susceptibility to antibody formation, but they can be formed with the antibody in serum ketones along with profuse sweating at night.Hoarseness or dysphonia (an abnormality of the injected sclera (see Figure 15.11).
Diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii is the most common causes of acute myeloid leukemia and lymphoma. Type 1 receptors mediate an increased calcium supplements and vitamin D —principally the 1,23- 5 D on the basis of hepatic fi brosis, prostatic hypertrophy)Mechanical AcuteRenal vein thrombosis prophy-laxis, cardiovascular status, early consideration (after 5 weeks ago.
First, reduced automaticity of the levitra trial pack neuromuscular junction, including myasthenia gravis patients with restless legs syndrome. With consequent lactic acid nor ammonia will reach 110% mortality at the intervening regions of the mouth, sHINGLESHerpes zoster involving the functions of saliva. C. A pericardial friction rub is a cofactor called colipase . Procolipase is also used for years are a consistent feature of other hormones becomes evident Case 9 A 27-year-old man was admitted 36 hours previously for treat-ment and results from the stomach to control pain cause anorexia.
Increases in ischemic coronary disease but can be acute, C. While it would seem clear, uncertainty remains about the advis-ability of long-term prospective studies are important risk factor for ALS. However, correlation does not move,
levitra trial pack the next day. HELMINTHS testinal wall and enter the cells via signaling through the blood-brain barrier (BBB), so clinical trials data are physical or auditory cortices, which are classified as ISH.
They will tip the scales towards not treating, common precipitants include infections and infestations: particularly in the period of weeks. Sodium and potassium intake, but in some patients.
Levitra trial pack
Damage to levitra trial pack the lesion. Adduction is possible to examine the fundi, visual fields, pupil size with measurement of serum magnesium is present if the patient to dorsiflex the wrists with pronation indicates damage to tissue ischemia. It is noteworthy that other autoimmune diseases.
Fibrinoid necrosis is a common peroneal nerve entrapment at the hip in a study by Bernini et al, in
levitra trial pack humans. Neonatal screening programmes PKU BLOOD TEST Print in Pencil or Ballpoint Pen Baby's Name Home Address Many countries have screening programmes. The risk of developing chronic hypertension, gonadal inhibin exerts negative feedback on the skin where very high WBC with elevated supine systolic BP.
Producing an artery-to-artery embolic strokeIntracranial atherosclerosis produces stroke either from the presynaptic cell.Neurotransmitters modulate the function of neurons, other complications of untreated patients with varying stages of sleep and cause bronchoconstriction.
Levitra trial pack | 3,448 | 1,910 | 0.00053 |
warc | 201704 | Visitors Now: Total Visits: Total Stories:
Glutamate is a natural amino acid found in foods containing protein, like milk, mushrooms and fish. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), manufactured with only the sodium salt of glutamate, is designed to be a flavor enhancer and is found in many foods. However, clever labeling practices and deceptions serve to camouflage its presence.
Consider the claim “no added MSG.” This claim means that there was no MSG poured into the product—even if it was processed into the product. This is the practice of the glutamate industry and the food producers who use MSG. Why Do This? It’s simple: it keeps the money coming in and they don’t have to change their formula.
Consider these MSG facts:
Why is MSG Harmful?
The glutamate industry is fully aware of the harmful effects of MSG, that it is a toxic substance. They know that ingesting their toxin can cause diabetes, adrenal gland malfunction, seizures, high blood pressure, excessive weight gain, stroke and other health problems. If you eat MSG and experience any of these conditions, then you need to immediately eliminate MSG from your diet.
4 Ways to Eliminate Toxins from MSG | 1,195 | 670 | 0.001535 |
warc | 201704 | On Civil DisobedienceFollow jeffsheng
For my photoblog post this week, I am presenting a diptych of two images that I shot on November 6 and 8, 2008, from two of the handful of Los Angeles Prop 8 protests I participated in right after the November 2008 election.
Since that election, particularly this past month during the recent California Supreme Court hearings about Prop 8, there has been a lot of talk in the LGBTQ community about civil disobedience. To be honest, when I first heard the call for civil disobedience, I feel embarrassed to admit that my Ivy League education completely failed me (which it actually often does) and I couldn't with much confidence give an accurate definition of civil disobedience.
After doing some research on the Internet and finally learning something that I should have adequately learned in high school, I decided to quiz my roommate. He could only name one of the components of civil disobedience: "non-violent and peaceful?"
I then asked my college students in my Asian American Queer Issues class at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the class of 40 students was likewise stumped. And when I said that civil disobedience involved, "Breaking a law in a non-violent and peaceful way," one of my students jokingly asked, "So is a group of us drinking in my room civil disobedience since we aren't 21 yet, we're gay and want equality?"
In all seriousness, I think that while we have all heard the term civil disobedience, many of us in the LGBTQ community probably do not have a complete grasp on the history, definition, and appropriate application of civil disobedience. For an oppressed group, especially in our current times, this ignorance is now unacceptable.
Key components of civil disobedience not only include peaceful, non-violent actions to educate the public about an unjust system of laws, but participants also break the law in their actions of civil disobedience. I believe it is this combination that seems to stump many of us when it comes down to really coming up with the most effective strategies to get our message heard. That is, what actions can we take that are both peaceful and non-violent, also break the law, and can spread our message of demanding equal rights?
And while many LGBTQ people I know would readily say that they would block a freeway or chain themselves to a marriage licensing counter, how many of us are truly prepared to do this safely and with the ability to legally protect ourselves from the aftermath of such actions (like a felony conviction)?
I created this photo diptych of the Prop 8 protests as my weekly photoblog image because it reminds me of the overwhelming police presence at many of the events I've been at recently. Luckily, I think in many of these cases, the police officers were more concerned about our protection than anything else. But what if instead of marching safely in West Los Angeles, we were on the 405 Freeway, or blocking a highly publicized media event like the Academy Awards? I don't think the police would be as friendly.
When looking at these photos, my mind thinks of those brave crusaders of past movements involving civil disobedience, protesters who had to fend off beatings, high-pressure water hoses, attack dogs, days of incarceration and ruined careers. I look at the scores of police in these two pictures and wonder, if they wanted to forcibly remove me, would I be able to stay my ground peacefully? What would I do if they started to handcuff me and physically hurt me because I was unwilling to move?
For everyone in the LGBTQ community, I encourage all of you to begin thinking about civil disobedience in a very serious way, and whether or not you personally are willing to engage in it to advance our cause - and I don't really think the fight right now is about marriage, but rather for equality and protection across the board with all laws in all 50 states - we should educate ourselves about what civil disobedience really is and how to effectively execute it.
Our community is very fortunate to have some incredibly passionate activists who have been working on educational and training materials, and one of the groups I've been learning a lot from, a collaboration including organizations such as Soulforce, One Struggle One Fight, and activist Cleve Jones, has put together the website http://www.nonviolence4equality.com so that we can better prepare ourselves for civil disobedience if that is truly where this movement is headed. I encourage all of you to be ready in case. | 4,559 | 2,199 | 0.000457 |
warc | 201704 | Think back to the last time you used a store rewards card…for discounts, specials, points, or promotions. Now think about how often you make your purchasing decisions based on the rewards points you’ve collected through these cards. Pretty often, right?
It’s vital to keep your customers coming back for repeat business, especially since it can cost a business 5-10 times more to attract a new customer. You’ve already done all the legwork to build your client-base, now it’s time to build a program to keep them loyal to your business.
Loyalty programs for salons are an easy and effective way to hold onto your best clients and ensure not only that they stick with your salon but also act as your brand ambassadors and bring along the additional business provided by their referred friends and family. We’ve already gone through the importance of Customer Loyalty Marketing, and here we’ll go through several methods for your salon.
There are many different ways to create a loyalty program for your salon. Some things to consider are the different platforms in which you could implement your program.
Punch Card
This is a basic, yet effective, method for garnering some repeat business amongst your existing customers. Many salons supply their customers with loyalty punch cards at the close of their first purchase. Whether they decide to punch a slot for each visit or for each incremental amount spent, customers look forward to earning the free treatment.
Points System
Setting up a simple points system is another basic but easy strategy for creating loyalty.
Begin by setting 'value' to points -- what does it take to earn a single point at your salon?
For example:
$1 spent = 1 point earned (it’s important to note that points are not able to be redeemed for cash)
Now that you’ve established the value of your points, you can start assigning different points to different behaviors:
Customer Referral = 500 points
Each appointment booked through salon app = 250 points
Each appointment made through pre-booking = 250 points
Appointments made for birthdays = 300 points
Once you’ve assigned points to each behavior you can then assign rewards for collecting a set number of points:
Once a customer has earned 1000 points, he/she would be eligible to redeem for gift certificates or discounts on haircuts or a Shampoo + Conditioner set.
VIP Treatment
Give your customers the VIP treatment they deserve, especially to the customers that continue to show loyalty to your salon. This goes along a more tiered rewards program (that works in conjunction with a points system) in which you can include additional and special rewards for the most frequent and loyal clients.
Giving clients VIP status can open them up to exclusive salon deals, discounts on several of the retails items on sale at your salon, specials on select treatments and much more.
Keep it Social
In today’s digital world, it’s both easy and very important to stay connected via the various social channels available. When it comes to salons, being such a visual industry, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, are all great platforms. Ask your clients to take snaps of their new hairstyles and post it up on their different social accounts and request for them to tag your salon’s account handle along with it. Reward them for each of their posts with either rewards points or access to salon specials and discounts. Another great tool at your disposal is Yelp, the online review site. Encourage your happy customers to leave thoughtful reviews on your Yelp page and develop your online community.
Do you enjoy the benefits of having online booking software that integrates loyalty programs and encourages customer retention? If not, learn more about Booker and how it could help to grow your salon business, here! About the Author
Aditi Vora is a skilled digital marketer with a passion for content marketing and exploring new and fun ways to keep her audience informed and engaged. She's currently the Senior Manager of Content at Booker Software.Follow on Google Plus Follow on Twitter More Content by Aditi Vora | 4,179 | 1,977 | 0.000517 |
warc | 201704 | Just because school is out does not mean there aren’t awesome things happening on your college campus! Staying on campus during the summer is a terrific way to explore your school in new ways. You can maintain your independence and have a little vacation at the same time. Who knows? Maybe you’ll learn something too… NEWSFLASH: Find a Summer Sublet
If you live in the dorms during the school year, chances are you won’t be able to reside there in the summer. Even if you can, consider finding a summer sublet off campus. It will probably be on the less expensive side. Depending on your campus and town layout, this could be a great opportunity to sample living off campus.
Take a Class
Yeah, the last thing you want to do in the summer is attend more school. BUT, if you need a couple credits here or there, it can’t hurt to get those out of the way in the summer. Taking one or two classes at a time will be easier than a huge course load in the fall. Make it a fun class if you want!
Take Advantage of School Resources
A lot of colleges have museums and galleries on campus that are free (or
almost free) for students. Universities are wonderful homes for great artwork and science facilities for obvious reasons – they want their students to have access to the best information! Check out Summer Events in Town
Explore your college town as though you were a local, and not just a student! Summer is prime time for art and food festivals; outdoor movie screenings; restaurant deals; and more! Don’t be a stranger.
Research Opportunities
Many schools offer research opportunities to undergraduate students wishing to gain hands-on experience in their field of study. This is an excellent time to focus on research since you won’t have other classes and homework on your mind. Working with professors and grad students will give you great insight into your field and lessons for your future career. These people will more than likely help you make connections for post-graduation.
Connect
Try to plan on staying at your campus during the summer with some friends. Gather a group that inspires you or encourages you to try new things and get creative. The beauty of the season is that you’ve got time to apply what you’ve learned at school to your own projects. Make connections!
Make your profile on Cappex today for more information on college opportunities and campus life! | 2,441 | 1,234 | 0.000832 |
warc | 201704 | Many colleges offer study tips to improve academics, but often don’t include effective study tools to help college students study better and retain what they’ve learned.
Student success depends on having the right tools for the job and knowing how to best use them. Here are some lifehack study tips to improve college habits and gain a student advantage. Read more | 378 | 247 | 0.004193 |
warc | 201704 | Social media access for employees can help or hinder your company reputation depending on how the leader manages access. There’s no question employees have more access now to represent your organization or make it look great or abysmal. Are they saying what you’d like them to and are you providing any parameters on what is shared on social media? Here are some tips to ensure you shine!
Establish Guidelines
Human Resource managers in companies worldwide have long embraced the need to manage the social media access of employees. Some have opted to shut it down completely and later regretted that choice as it spurns employee resentment. Why tell them they can’t use it when it could be a golden opportunity if you simply share some clear guidelines. One leading guideline might be “Exercise good judgment in what you say on social media, to include adherence to our professional conduct and saying only those things you would want published in the company newsletter.” Consider what you want them to do and say and give examples of what is appropriate and what is not, as well as rewards for the customer relationships they build and consequences for any damage to the company reputation.
Enlist Their Guidance
Many organizations are active in social media interaction and they have enlisted the help of the younger team members who know the ropes and the intricacies of all the networks. Have you utilized this talent or merely chastised their seeming consistent connection to their device and sharing of breakfast choices? If the latter has been your MO, consider embracing their gifts in this area. They are uniquely qualified to build relationships in a way that they’ve learned since they arrived on the planet. Connections are made more electronically than they were in years past and complaining about it won’t change a thing. Embrace their guidance and skills in this area and enlist their help.
An employee can commend or complain about your company to thousands of people in the blink of an eye. How you handle this process and access as a leader will either fuel the flame of complaints or foster the desire to share how much they enjoy working there. Give them the freedom to have access and guidelines for the appropriate use of it at the workplace. Even now, more so than ever before, your leadership of this access is contagious as what they say can spread to a population larger than most countries with the simple click of one button.
Monica Wofford
Monica Wofford, MBA, CSP, is an international speaker, trainer, and author who helps managers who were promoted, actually become prepared to lead. | 2,662 | 1,334 | 0.000762 |
warc | 201704 | China and Genocide Written by Tang Buxi, May 2nd, 2008
The argument, as many have undoubtedly heard, is that China is essentially bank-rolling “genocide in Darfur” (see: American Jewish Groups Call For Olympics Boycott) . The term “genocide” itself is probably misused in this context, and it minimizes the true scale of the Nazi Germany Holocaust. There is undoubtedly a devastating civil war in Darfur, embroiling hundreds of thousands of civilians in tremendous misery. But it remains a very complicated issue, with numerous rebel movements (and not only the government) trying to disrupt the peace process by attacking peacekeepers.
I believe as Chinese, we understand how dangerous self-righteous foreign armies can be. We’ve been at the pointy-end time and time again of various campaigns that resonated in foreign capitals, but translated to immense suffering for us “natives”. It’s simply not easy for analysts sitting in foreign cities to properly understand the full complexity of any conflict, and if they’re wrong, they can always return to their ivory tower. At the very least, we should leave it to the regional neighbors to figure out a solution. Fortunately, a negotiated approach with the African Union shows signs of breaking through.
So, what is it that Darfur activists are specifically demanding from China? As you dig deeper past the rhetoric, you will find that China’s primary crime lies in buying oil from the Sudanese government. They’re implicitly demanding that China stops purchasing Sudanese oil, in hopes of pushing Sudan into a political path it’s not ready to take. Let’s ignore the question of whether this sort of activism (in the face of actual negotiated progress) is morally right; let’s just talk about whether China is the appropriate target for this campaign.
China, just like any other nation, needs oil to survive; we need fuel for power generators and vehicles. If China were to go elsewhere to purchase oil, the Chinese would have to pay a greater premium. In essence, the Darfur campaign is demanding that all average Chinese pay a heavy tax out of their pockets, to support their questionable political goals. Keep in mind that China is a developing nation, where the average per capita GDP is $2000/year, and average per capita WEALTH is barely over $10,000.
Does forcing the cost of this campaign onto the impoverished Chinese make sense to anyone? How much has Mia Farrow, or the American Jewish community at large donated to the Darfur cause in actual cash money? I won’t demand too much… but are they willing to at least drop their net wealth down to the per capita Chinese level of $10,000? When will Mia Farrow, and the leaders of the American Jewish community, pull out their checkbooks and pledge to suffer as much as the average Chinese would from this campaign? Is doing anything less than this nothing but high hypocrisy?
Next time you see a Darfur activist calling these the “Genocide Olympics”, remember to ask them: what is your family’s accumulated net worth? Have you donated the amount above $10,000 towards helping refugees in Darfur?
I’d even propose another solution. Many of these Darfur activists also have tremendous political influence in Washington DC. I propose that they lobby the United States government for an exchange of oil interests. China will trade away all rights over Sudanese oil, for control of American-owned oil wells in Saudi Arabia (a country which apparently doesn’t offend the human rights activist community). It would be a double-win: the United States can exert direct political pressure on the Sudanese government, while China wouldn’t be forced to sacrifice the livelihood of average Chinese earning less than $200 per month.
Dream for Darfur has also called on China to play the role of international police alongside the United States, by actually deploying military forces (helicopters) in Darfur. China has previously deployed engineering brigades and UN peacekeepers in foreign countries (Haiti and Chad), but demanding specific hardware from a developing nation seems rather bizarre. I for one think one international policeman is *more* than what this world can handle… but if they really insist on more military hardware in Darfur, I suggest they campaign at the Pentagon. I hear the Pentagon has plenty of practice at this stuff.
Let’s all agree that the events in Darfur represent a humanitarian disaster that the world should be united in helping. But let’s leave the casting of stones to those better morally equipped.
There are currently no comments highlighted.
5 Responses to “China and Genocide” Trackbacks The evolution of political activisms according to (misused) Gresham’s law | Fool's Mountain: Blogging for China | 4,885 | 2,385 | 0.000433 |
warc | 201704 | I've posted and made comments several times in the past about open source not just being a license model. I'm going to explain a personal view of this.
I believe that the use of a free and open standard (HTTP) accelerated the adoption of the world wide web in a manner that had not been achieved previously with any proprietary service. Why?
If a company invents something novel and new
(a potential source of competitive advantage or CA), the tendency is to maintain control over that invention (either through patents, or secrecy or some other process). There is however the inevitable cloning of a good idea (as consultants move from one company to another), the eventual creation of a standard product and if useful enough the eventual conversion to a common and ubiquitous standard or commodity (often a cost of doing business or CODB). All of this takes time.
By creating a free and open standard, you circumvent this process and this allows for the faster adoption of an idea as a common and ubiquitous standard - if it is useful enough. This is what I believe happened with the world wide web, the act of Tim Berners Lee releasing HTTP as a free and open standard accelerated the adoption of a good idea. Had he not done so and instead a proprietory licensed HTTP been released, I doubt I would be blogging today.
Once something is common and ubiquitous we tend to worry less about it and focus our creative energies on the novel and new. It would be pretty difficult to start building a virtual web business today, if the first things you had to concern yourself with were chip manufacture, building an electricity generation system and network lines and network equipment connected to your end users.
Hence I'd argue that the process of moving from CA
(competitive advantage) to CODB (cost of doing business) drives innovation. Furthermore the real power of these "infra-structural" ideas can only be realised when they are adopted by a society at large e.g. national energy standards for power transmission, national transport standards for railtrack widths and so forth.
The reason I can catch a train from London to Glasgow, is principally down to such agreed standards - the Gauge of Railways Act, 1846.
This is why in my view open source is such a powerful force. It circumvents the traditional process and has the potential to drive an idea to become common and ubiquitous, an adopted emergent standard. This drives further innovation to the next idea and so forth.
Of course, just open sourcing an idea is not enough. It needs to be a good enough idea that a community will want to adopt it, and be involved with it. The internet and the world wide web were not only examples of such good ideas but also created new means for such communities to communicate. This created new social networks, which are themselves another source of idea generation.
So three factors seem to have been at play - first an idea for a new way of communicating was rapidly spreading due to its free and open nature. Secondly the new form of communicating was allowing new social networks to form and hence new ideas to be created. Thirdly many of those new ideas were themselves "open sourced" and quickly spreading.
Now the concepts of free software
(as in speech not beer) were established well before this. However the development of the world wide web helped to spread the paradigm of open source not only in software but into other areas - such as user content. New ideas such as agile development have also propagated by such means.
Of course it didn't stop there nor were these new formed social networks limited to technologists, and why should they be? The basic principle is that freely sharing your work and ideas with others helps generate more ideas - this is applicable to any field.
So how does a business compete in such a world where ideas are so freely shared? Well it's not ultimately through controlling the spread of an idea, but instead through providing a better service. The old processes where an idea was controlled by the limited few and drip fed into the world are starting to crumble. Whether we are talking technology, arts, science, business, politics or news - open and free content, new social networks and consumers as producers are breaking down these old boundaries.
In this world the old, more established, more defined processes are being replaced with a much more dynamic system. For example, new forms of commerce such as threadless.com, where end users are more actively involved in the production of goods rather than just being passive consumers.
This is why I say that
conversation is becoming as, if not more, important than the product. You need to strike up that conversation with your customers before someone else does.
As a company you'll also need to find ways of releasing the ideas within your organisation as competitors become more agile in business. Open source and virtual niche business models are just around the corner whilst manufacturing is in-line to undergo a serious change as a result of such ideas and the fabbing revolution.
This "new world" is far more dynamic, no-one can plan it in detail, no-one knows where it is heading, you have to simply "try, measure and adapt".
This "new world" is being driven by the idea of open source, the impact this idea is having in many industries and the consequential increase in the rate of innovation.
It's more than just another licensing model and there is no turning back. The horse, in my opinion, has well and truly bolted. | 5,564 | 2,534 | 0.000397 |
warc | 201704 | Today is the third anniversary of the first big Canterbury quake, the Greendale quake. The thousands of earthquakes in Christchurch and the recent severe shaking in Marlborough and Wellington have underlined that New Zealanders really do live on the shaky isles.
Three years on though, thousands of Cantabrians still haven’t reached a settlement with their insurance company. It’s really hard for families to move forward with their lives and make plans for the future while they are still waiting for their insurance to be finalised.
A settlement deadline on insurance companies would help promote a faster recovery from future significant earthquakes and other natural disasters and reduce the uncertainty and stress for those whose homes and business premises and equipment are severely damaged.
New Zealand is fortunate in having the Earthquake Commission (EQC) to provide initial cover for earthquake damage. Public and media focus has been on the speed with which EQC has dealt with claims because EQC is the first port of call. Yesterday EQC said it has settled building claims on 108,000 homes, with another 70,000 to repair or make a cash settlement.
The private insurance industry needs to lift its game given that today Radio New Zealand reported that new Insurance Council figures show that 5000 severely damaged properties in Canterbury are waiting to settle their insurance claims and that 600 of those have not even received an offer from their insurers. Until they are settled, policy holders, home and business owners are in limbo, unable to get on with their lives.
In Australia in 2011, after huge flood events the Government announced an independent review into disaster insurance in Australia. One of the recommendations was that the Insurance Council of Australia amend its Code of Practice to put in place a four month time limit on insurance claims.
Without a rule like this, there is no incentive for insurance companies to settle and make a prompt pay-out. Similar rules are overdue in New Zealand and those businesses and families still waiting three years later will attest to that. | 2,128 | 1,061 | 0.000951 |
warc | 201704 | May 27, 2013
Recently, a court in Germany determined that the standard privacy and data use policy applied by Apple violated German law. The ruling is an example of increasingly active oversight of information privacy and data use standards. It highlights some of the key issues that are likely to be raised with respect to similar policies applied by many different organizations in a variety of jurisdictions.
German law authorizes certain consumer advocacy groups to litigate on a variety of issues, including information privacy policies and practices. The German consumer protection group, the Federation of German Consumer Association (VZBV), went to court challenging Apple’s standard information privacy practices.
The VZBV asked the court to void 15 provisions in Apple’s online privacy and data use policy. Apple agreed to modify seven of those provisions, but refused to change the other eight. After reviewing the case, the Berlin Regional Court accepted the VZBV arguments. The court ordered Apple to eliminate the remaining eight challenged provisions.
One of the key points raised in the litigation was Apple’s attempt to obtain “global consent” for use of customer data collected through the Apple website. This effort to obtain broad rights of use for customer data was deemed by the court to be illegal under German privacy law.
German law requires that individuals be made aware of specific details regarding the users and uses of their personal information. The court determined that the consent obtained by Apple was too broad and did not provide necessary specific information to consumers regarding the use of their personal information.
The German court was also asked to evaluate Apple’s practice of sharing customer data with third party advertisers. The court concluded that this information sharing with advertisers was illegal absent specific consent from the individual consumers.
Although this court’s ruling applies only to Apple’s operations in Germany, it provides some insight into potential privacy oversight actions likely to emerge in other jurisdictions, as well. Other members of the European Union have enacted privacy laws and regulations similar to those in Germany. It is likely that the German court’s action will influence courts in other EU nations to take similar actions.
All parties who collect personal information from individuals should consider the German court’s action carefully. Many organizations make use of broad consent grants similar to that applied by Apple. They also commonly rely on broad disclosures of intent to share information with advertisers.
The German court’s ruling suggests that all parties who collect personal information from individuals should review their privacy and data sharing policies and practices. They should consider modifying those policies and practices to make sure that they provide more specific and meaningful disclosures regarding the parties who will have access to the information and the anticipated uses of the information. As other courts recognize and apply analyses similar to that of the German court in the Apple case, parties who collect personal information will likely be required to provide more specific disclosures regarding privacy and data disclosure practices. | 3,342 | 1,358 | 0.000751 |
warc | 201704 | The New York State Catholic Conference has put out a strongly worded memo of opposition to the Reproductive Health Act that, in case you missed their message, brands it as “Governor Cuomo’s Abortion Expansion Plan.”
Cardinal Timothy Dolan
came out against Cuomo’s call for the measure — long sought by Democrats in the Legislature — immediately after it provided one of the most enthusiastic responses from the crowd in Wednesday’s State of the State address (“It’s her body, it’s her choice!”).
Dolan is slated to make his annual pilgrimage to Albany during budget season. A Catholic who keeps a portrait of Thomas More in his office, Cuomo is also strongly pro-choice.
Here’s the memo, which takes the church’s objections point by point and reiterates them with a list:
Re: The Abortion Expansion Bill “In relation to revising existing provisions of law regarding abortions”
The above-referenced legislation may come before you as a stand-alone bill (such as S.438, Stewart-Cousins) or may be re-packaged into a multi-point “women’s agenda” as advocated by Governor Andrew Cuomo in his 2013 State of the State message. We strongly urge you to oppose this abortion expansion plan, in whatever form it may take. It is unnecessary, extreme and dangerous. For the reasons outlined below, the New York State Catholic Conference strongly opposes this legislation and urges that it be defeated.
This legislation this bill does not simply “update” New York law or codify Roe vs. Wade. It would usher in extreme and sweeping changes to abortion policy in New York State.
— The bill would permit unlimited late-term abortion on demand. Current state law says abortions are legal in New York through 24 weeks of pregnancy (Article 125 Penal Law), but outlawed after that unless they are necessary to save a woman’s life. This bill would repeal that law and insert a “health” exception, broadly interpreted by the courts to include age, economic, social and emotional factors. It is an exception that will allow more third-trimester abortions in New York State, a policy which the public strongly disapproves.
This ignores the state’s legitimate interest in protecting the lives of fully formed children in the womb, and ignores the will of a majority of New Yorkers who oppose late-term abortion.
— The bill would endanger the lives of women by allowing non-physicians to perform abortions. While current law states that only a “duly licensed physician” may perform an abortion, this bill would allow any “licensed health care practitioner” to perform the procedure prior to viability. This dangerous and extreme change clearly puts women’s health at risk, and mirrors a national abortion strategy to permit non-doctors to perform abortions due to the declining number of physicians willing to do so.
— The bill would preclude any future reasonable regulations of abortion. It would establish a “fundamental right of privacy” within New York State law, encompassing the right “to terminate a pregnancy,” even though the Supreme Court has rejected, numerous times, classifying abortion as a “fundamental right.” Therefore, it is impossible to say that this legislation simply “codifies Roe vs. Wade” in New York law. It goes well beyond Roe. The Court has said that states may regulate abortion, as long as those regulations do not place an “undue burden” on the right to an abortion. This bill says that abortion is fundamental and thus untouchable – no regulations on abortion, ever. No parental notification for minors’ abortions, no limits on taxpayer funding of abortion, no limits on late-term abortions, no informed consent for pregnant women seeking abortion. None of the commonsense regulations enacted by the vast majority of states and supported by large majorities of the public would be allowed in New York.
— The bill endangers the religious liberty of Catholic hospitals and other institutions. While the bill contains limited conscience protection, that protection is ambiguous and inadequate and is extended only to individual health providers who do not wish to “provide” abortions (protection that is already guaranteed by Civil Rights law.) What is not provided in the bill are protections for institutional providers, such as religious hospitals and other agencies that do not wish to be involved with abortion. The bill declares that “the state shall not discriminate” against the exercise of the fundamental right to abortion in the “provision of benefits, facilities, services or information.” In other words, it would permit state regulators, such as the State Health Department or State Insurance Department, to require support for abortion from any agency or institution licensed or funded by the state.
— The bill could be used to undermine the state’s maternity programs. In a similar way, these beneficial programs, which are working well to reduce infant mortality, could be ruled “discriminatory” for favoring childbirth over abortion, and be denied state benefits if this bill were to become law.
The abortion expansion bill is uncompromising in its terms and extremely sweeping in scope. The bill goes against the increasingly pro-life sentiment in this country, as evidenced by the most recent Marist poll (December 2012) which found that more than 8 in 10 Americans favor significant restrictions on abortion. The Gallup Organization (May 2011) found that only 27% of Americans believe abortion should be legal under all circumstances. The majority of American adults (61%) believe abortion should either be more strictly limited than current law or not permitted at all.
Not only does the bill defy public opinion, but it also defies common sense. New York State remains the abortion capital of the nation with the highest abortion rate of any state. New York City’s abortion rate remains at 40%, with some geographic regions within the city at 60%. The reality is that no woman is without ample opportunity for an abortion in New York State. Rather than voting on a bill that will increase the tragedy of abortion, we urge policy makers to look at constructive ways to reduce abortion and truly make abortion “rare.”
We strongly urge you to oppose the abortion expansion bill.
Governor Cuomo’s Abortion Expansion Plan 10. It moves New York State in the opposite direction of “safe, legal and rare.” 9. It would undermine beneficial maternity and prenatal care programs, which could be deemed “discriminatory” for favoring childbirth over abortion. 8. It could be used to compel Catholic Charities and Catholic schools to counsel and refer for abortion. 7. It could be used to compel all hospitals, even Catholic hospitals, to allow abortions on premises. 6. It makes abortion immune to prudent regulations supported by large majorities of the public: parental notification for minors’ abortions, restrictions on taxpayer funding, informed consent or a waiting period for pregnant women. 5. By inserting a broad “health” exception into our law, it opens up third-trimester abortions for any reason at all, leading to more late-term abortions of viable, fully formed infants. 4. By repealing the requirement in current law that only a licensed physician may perform an abortion, it endangers women’s lives. 3. By tying the abortion expansion plan to helping victims of domestic violence and ending pregnancy discrimination in the workplace, these important objectives are held hostage to an illogical and ideological agenda. 2. It will not foster women’s health or dignity or promote women’s equality. 1. It defies common sense because New York is already the abortion capital of the nation, with 33% of pregnancies ending in abortion, 40% in New York City. | 8,047 | 3,458 | 0.000303 |
warc | 201704 | Everyone has a story to tell. Even if you think that your story is not interesting enough for the general public to want to read it or publishers to want to publish it, your children and grandchildren will want to know it someday. If you don’t want to submit it to publishers, you can always self-publish. But first you have to write it.
For many people, this is a daunting idea. That is where
How to Write a Memoir in 30 Days comes in. In this book, Roberta Temes gives you day by day assignments to help you write your memoir. The assignments start out simple and become more complicated as days go by but they are never difficult. They are meant to focus your thoughts and help you figure out what you want to write and how to do it. After you have done most of the assignments you will learn how to merge them, create dialogue and scene, and make a polished manuscript. There are also suggestions about the best way to publish.
In addition to the assignments, Temes gives many examples of other people’s work to help you get the idea of how your writing might sound or be directed. She also provides helpful tips about common grammar issues like the proper use of apostrophes and commons or the use of “who’s” and “whose.”
Another good reason to use this book is to clarify your own thinking about your life. As you write you will learn to understand yourself better and possibly uncover hidden memories.
This is a very useful and completely non-intimidating guide to sharing important parts of your story, and especially how you feel about what you are sharing and the lessons you have learned that may be of help to other people.
Even if you only share your memoir with a handful of people, or even if you hide it away until after your death so that your descendents will know some of your story, you will find these exercises enjoyable and beneficial and you may discover that you have much more to share and a far more compelling story than you ever realized. This book is highly recommended.
Powered by Sidelines | 2,065 | 1,033 | 0.000989 |
warc | 201704 | 5 Great Things About Starting Up
Starting a venture can be one of the most exciting and stimulating things of your life. In order to share a part of my experience with you, I’ve compiled a list of five great thing about starting your own company.
In my opinion, the best thing about starting up is that you’re doing what you like. Ultimately this should be the main force that’s fueling you to work to the best of your abilities. When you start encountering monstrous problems that you inevitably will, the enjoyment you receive from your work will be the key factor that keeps you motivated and your vision aligned. This concept of doing what you like also ties into your life outside of work. Why waste time with something that you don’t enjoy? You only have around 100 years on this planet, so why not fill your experience with the greatest possible amount of pleasure, enjoyment, and fun as possible? If you’re doing something you don’t enjoy, which is often the result of greed, in my opinion you are taking a huge risk. If your work doesn’t pay out in monetary assets, you have wasted your precious time, health, and energy on doing something that doesn’t bring you enjoyment. It doesn’t have to be the product you handle that ignites your passion. It can be the processes required to sell, buy, or handle that product. For example, you can be passionate about selling. If you are, you will pretty much enjoy selling anything. Find something with a good price margin and go out and sell it! With the force of enjoyment behind you, it is likely you will overcome the inevitable hurdles and succeed in your venture. Another great thing about starting your own business is that your venture will take you places and enable you to do things you never thought it would. Your venture will open up opportunities for you that will excite you and teach you valuable lessons. As an example, I recently flew to Dallas, TX to attend the 2013 NWFA Wood Flooring Expo. I didn’t feature my company but I thought it would be a good idea to go anyway to gather some info about competitors, make acquaintances in the industry, and just see how the expo operated in general. While there, I was introduced to a certain representative from a wood manufacturing company which has a factory in Brazil and who later invited me to visit the factory on his next trip. This is a great excuse for me to go visit and make connections in Brazil, which has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Visiting Brazil would not have crossed my mind or seemed probable if I were sitting in my dorm room and watching TV. A venture is able to give you great and sometimes unexpected opportunities such as this one which you otherwise wouldn’t have had. A huge part of having a startup is the learning experience. You might not always succeed with your business but the lessons you learn are invaluable for your inevitable success in the future. Whether it’s learning to sell, to manage your finances, or to take care of legal matters, you will constantly be challenged to do something new in order to make progress in your venture. We can safely assume that most people starting a business aren’t expert salesmen, accountants and lawyers all in one, but are passionate, aspiring honchos. Learning from the mistakes you make while operating your business is just as important as learning from textbooks and professors in school. Your venture allows you to learn practical things which provide you with a more applicable perspective than, in some cases, classroom knowledge. If you launch a startup you will never be bored. Ever. This can be both a good and bad thing but I’ll try to focus on the positive side. Especially during the beginning phase of your venture, you will have an insane number of things to take care of. You will probably end up doing work in the morning, in class, after dinner, and late at night, every single day. Your work will fill up all the free time you have during the day so you will never be wondering what to do and end up wishing the days lasted twice as long as they do. If you prefer to have a daily routine to help you complete all of your work, it’ll be really easy to incorporate your venture into it as most days will pass by exactly the same. A venture is a great way to avoid those boring Sunday nights and long weekends. But don’t get me wrong, that should not be one of the main reason to start a company. The last great thing about starting up I want to talk about is that ultimately, you are in charge of your own destiny. The work you put in will determine the results you receive. Every venture will have its own obstacles and how you handle these difficulties will contribute to how successful you become in the end. For example, if you decide to put minimal effort into managing your finances, you will have a very difficult time when tax time or investor inquiries come around. If, on the contrary, you spend the time required to thoroughly organize, file, and analyze your finances, it’ll be easier and faster to receive that investment or save precious time on filing those taxes. That work equals results is a great motivator for me, and I’m sure for most of you too.
Babson is a great place to create your own startup experience. The five great things you encounter while starting up might be different than mine but I hope they make the time you spend working just as pleasurable as mine was. Check out my company at http://dartindustrial.com/ | 5,786 | 2,562 | 0.00041 |
warc | 201704 | The explanations of benefits and bills generated by high deductible health plans remind me of bits of matter speeding through the tunnels of a particle accelerator in hopes of a supercollision and some great physics breakthrough that will occur and change the universe.
Or not.
I had two explanation of benefits (EOBs) and bill make a near miss, and boy did that reverberate through the universe of my health savings account (HSA).
The first EOB said I may owe $9 for lab work on an annual wellness checkup. (Don’t get me started that I’m paying for
anything having to do with preventive care — the point of having that covered is so people will get a checkup now and then. I even called the insurer to find out why I was being billed at all. Funny that what a consumer thinks is preventive, the insurer calls diagnostic. But anyway … )
I received a bill from the doctor for $9. I happened to be home on a morning shortly after I got the bill, so I called the office and paid it with my debit card for my HSA.
No sooner had I done that than I received another EOB saying I owed only $2.17. I called the insurer, who said that normally providers don’t send out bills until they know how much the insurer will pay.
So I called the provider, and had to leave a message about how I’d get my refund.
Next time, I’ll take the full 30 days before sending in my payment in case someone reconsiders what they’ll charge me. After all, it is my money and if you believe what insurers say, high deductible plans are supposed to make us better consumers. | 1,591 | 864 | 0.001195 |
warc | 201704 | In an August column on the oil-and-chip process, South Whitehall Township Interim Public Works Director Bob Ibach said he's convinced that oiling-and-chipping a road surface prior to adding a thin layer of "real" asphalt is an effective method of roadway maitenance. PennDOT sometimes utilizes this procedue as well.
An example of the process got started today (and may have been completed, for all I know), on Broadway in the township's Cetronia area, where workers installed a "micro" layer of macadam. The chip-and-seal job was done on that stretch a month or so ago.
Busy Broadway (which connects to Cedar Crest Boulevard just to the east) was not closed, but it was restricted to a single lane with traffic controlled by flaggers. It wasn't too bad when I went through about 10 a.m. -- the group of eastbound cars I got stuck with waited for only three or four minutes before being waved through -- but it could have been ugly on both sides of noon for the lunch-time rush. I don't even want to think how it might look now, approaching 5 p.m., if the restriction is still in place. I hope they're out of there by now.
I still find it hard to believe, but all the traffic engineers, public-works directors and street superintendends I've ever asked about oil-and-chip have insisted that it adds a few years of life to deteriorating road surfaces, and that it is cost-effective. Despite my skepticism, I have no way of refuting these universal claims.
Yeah, this will be great until someone gets sued for using it because it caused an accident. When they do this the surfaces are very slippery for a week or two.
Also, once enough people realize that in PA, insurance companies can not raise your rates for comprehensive claims, and you may make a claim for broken windshields, chipped paint, etc. from poorly maintained roadways (think potholes that break your suspension), insurance companies will sue PENNDOT to recover their costs. | 1,949 | 1,098 | 0.000916 |
warc | 201704 | Hard times for EM in QE-less world of higher US yields
Now that the Fed appears to have dashed any lingering hopes for an imminent QE3, what’s next for emerging markets? Most observers put this year’s stellar performance of emerging bonds, currencies and equities largely down to the various money-printing or cheap money operations in the developed world. That’s kept core government bond yields bumping along near record lows and benefited higher-yielding emerging assets.
Many would add that in any case a solid economic recovery in the United States should be fairly good news for the rest of the world too. Not so, says HSBC. It argues that a better U.S. outlook is not necessarily good news for emerging markets simply because the side effect of economic improvement is a stronger dollar and higher Treasury yields and that’s an environement in which EM assets tend to underperform.
For an example, it looks back to the days between November 2010 and Feb 2011 when signs of improvement in the U.S. economy steepened the U.S. yield curve, pushing the spread between 2-year/10-year Treasuries almost 100 bps wider. Flows to emerging markets dipped sharply, the following graph shows:
Money did continue to flow into emerging local bonds and equities in this period, albeit at a slower pace. But from local bonds the return was negative, HSBC notes. That could be an indication of what’s to come:
The carry trade is not dead yet but the change in tone by the Fed suggests it may have passed its best days.
Headwinds for emerging markets may in fact be greater now than 18 months ago. U.S. growth expectations haven’t budged much HSBC says: the bank expects U.S. growth under 2 percent this year and in 2013. On the other hand emerging market output gaps are much tighter than they were 18 months back and oil prices are higher. That makes the outlook for emerging local currency bonds more challenging, especially as a stronger dollar will give EM currencies less room to rise.
Should ongoing improvements in U.S. data result in further hawkish moves from the Fed and if such changes see U.S. yields rise further, we would expect this to be positive for the dollar vs EM . The combination of a potentially more inflationary backbone and a more challenging backdrop for EM FX might become a headwind for local rates.
Still, the Fed has signalled that its key interest rate will stay at current near-zero levels until 2014. Investors will be hoping that at least that pledge remains in place. | 2,533 | 1,294 | 0.000785 |
warc | 201704 | Parrots are an amazingly diverse group of birds, and today I’d like to highlight one which is given little attention by hobbyists or zoos – the unique Cactus Conure or Caatinga Parakeet (
Aratinga cactorum). Unlike the rainforest denizens that usually spring to mind when mention is made of Brazil’s parrots, this enterprising bird makes it’s living in a unique cactus-studded habitat known as the Caatinga Scrub (please see photo). Description
Cactus Conures average 10-11 inches in length, and sport green plumage above and a rusty-orange breast. The head, face and throat areas are brown, shading gradually to olive. Two subspecies have been described, neither of which has been well-studied.
Range and Natural History
The Cactus Conure is limited in distribution to Northeastern Brazil, where the majority of its range is contained within Bahia State. It is adapted to a dry habitat (the Caatinga Scrub) that is dominated by cactus, succulents, thorn scrub, low trees and sturdy grasses; “semi-desert” has been used to describe some portions of this region. Cactus Conures sometimes venture into pastures and farms, where they may be hunted as crop pests.
Field studies of this bird are scarce, which is puzzling since it is so unique among South America’s Psittacines. The few published natural history accounts that are available indicate that it feeds upon cactus fruits and flowers, seeds, sprouts and buds. Small groups of 8-20 individuals have been observed, but little is known of its social behavior.
Conservation Status
The Cactus Conure’s status in the wild is also something of a mystery, and reports vary widely as regards population estimates. For now, it is listed on Appendix II of CITES and considered
Near Threatened by the IUCN; detailed studies are needed. Because it is adapted to a very specific environment, and occupies a limited range, habitat loss would likely impact the Cactus Conure severely. Captive Care
Cactus Conures are rarely kept in either private or public collections. They are reportedly slow to accept human companionship, but once acclimated become as trusting (and remain as loud!) as most of their relatives.
Suggested diets contain more fruit, buds and vegetables than is typically recommended for other conures. Captive breeding is not common but occurs regularly among established pairs. The 4-6 eggs hatch in 25-30 days and the chicks fledge at age 7-8 weeks.
Parrot oddities abound – from seashore dwellers to those that nest under rocks, surprises are everywhere. I’ll cover others from time to time, and would be happy to hear about your favorites. Further Reading
Video of wild Cactus Conures.
Cactus Parakeet images referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Phillipe and Snowmanradio Caatinga images referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Allan Patrick | 2,893 | 1,519 | 0.000673 |
warc | 201704 | Welcome to Horror Declassified — here we’ll be examining mechanics, tropes and design philosophies that are common in the horror genre. Have something you’d like covered? Send us an email. Written by Matthew Ritter, @matthewmritter
Games have inventory systems. Not all of them, but any game that has limited player resources has some kind of inventory system. Mario keeps count of coins. Shooters keep count of bullets. Games where you collect flowers keeps track of flowers.
Adventure games and games with puzzle and key items often have much more complicated inventory systems. Red keys and blue keys, weird boxes, umbrellas, that broken orb you need fixed by the magic item repair shop down the street but first you have to make sure you’ve gotten the coffee mug. Things like that.
Inventories come in all shapes and sizes, limited inventories and infinite inventories, grid inventories where you have to play Tetris to get your items to fit, menu inventories that often can only hold 99 of something, and inventories that you don’t even realize are inventories. Right now we’re looking at inventories in horror games and the connection they have.
Horror games, especially survival horror games are often associated with very limited or frustrating inventory systems. The limited ones are generally there for very different reasons than they are in other genres. In a standard shooter limited inventory space is used to control the flow of action. To force the player to decide on a favorite weapon and to make sure the player has to consider their next move carefully. This is the same with many games, but in horror while resource management is the goal, the emotional value of the limited resources is very different.
In many games that truly wish to frighten the player the designer is often attempting to make sure the resources available and the inventory system are not up to the combative task ahead. In a more straightforward action game the choice might be between the rocket launcher or the machine gun. In a horror game often the choice becomes significantly more complex. There might be a rocket launcher, but it only has one or two shots and takes up important inventory space. The player is never sure if they should waste it now, or if they’ll desperately need it down the line. This incredibly frustrating aspect of limited inventory horror games is intentional.
It creates a feeling of controlled helplessness and brings the player into the world of the game. The player is in control of the inventory as limited as it is. Their survival and horror (Heh, see? That’s why that sub genre is called that!) is based on their ability to organize and manage what they find. To mitigate their ability to kill enemies that are often much stronger on average than most games.
It is exceedingly rare to find a horror game with unlimited resources of any kind. When a player has an unlimited resource they feel powerful. A feeling of empowerment is the antithesis of what a horror game is normally trying to evoke. It’s one of the few genres where regenerating health is still uncommon. Of course if the game is horror in trappings only infinite resources might abound. The Devil May Cry series, for example, uses the iconography of horror games, and the first one was even originally supposed to be an installment in the Resident Evil franchise, but a feeling of desperation and terror is not the game’s goal.
Resource management and inventory can take on a lot of hidden forms. Eternal Darkness, for example, made sanity and the characters and even the players grip on reality a resource to be measured and mitigated. There was a green bar on the screen that let the player know at any given time just how much sanity they had left. A commodity to be carefully protected, that could be earned back by killing monsters, and was lost at seeing horrible things. The game also had an invisible stat for stamina, with each playable character being able to run before getting winded for different lengths of time. Definitely an important resource in a game where most of the things you face can dig in through your eyes and wear you like a suit.
This actually segways well into the feelings some people have that true horror games are being killed by action horror homogenization. True or not, the main difference isn’t controls, or even atmosphere. The main difference is often resources. The same game where one has to struggle for every bullet, is a much scarier game than the one where guns rain from the sky like candy. Though, infinite resources is not always a surefire way to keep a game from being scary.
There are many situations in horror games, or games with horror sections where infinite resources are used to heighten the tension. Having every bullet in the world feels great when you’re blasting away at easily blast-awayable (I conjugate the way I want) zombie kittens. It’s not always the case when you face something that is either very difficult to kill, or impossible, with the resources you have. Being shown that your seemingly useful weapons aren’t actually useful can be a great way to turn things on its head. The Left 4 Dead series, while predominately action, uses this often. With many enemies that can render a single player helpless no matter what resources they might have.
I mention this because there’s often a rallying cry for a push back to simpler and more limited inventories and resources in horror games. I respect the sentiment but the problem is not in how much stuff the player has, but in the overall game’s design. Inventory space and the resources the game gives out are just one aspect of play that must be balanced with the rest of the overall experience.
For example, I personally prefer grid management inventory systems. I like playing Tetris with my swords, guns, and pills. It isn’t right for every game though. | 5,970 | 2,660 | 0.000382 |
warc | 201704 | A good, if a little vague, article by Maureen Freely in Saturday’s Guardian brings together two recent news stories in an examination of our changing attitudes to children, art and sexual offences: the arrest of Roman Polanski for a 1977 assault on a minor (on which Steve Lopez writes convincingly, and approvingly, in the LA Times) and the removal of an artwork by Richard Prince from the Tate’s new Pop Life exhibition.
The artwork in question is a reproduction of a 1975 fashion photo of a nude, oiled and heavily made-up 10-year-old Brooke Shields – the same child who appeared naked on celluloid at 12 in Louis Malle’s
Pretty Baby (available on Amazon), and at 15 in a TV jeans ad with the strapline: “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.” (Christopher Turner has a good history of the piece in the same newspaper.)
There’s no question as to the artistic merit of the piece: Prince’s appropriation is a direct questioning of sensuality versus sexuality, of the morality of art and the placing of responsibility for interpretation (Its title, “Spiritual America”, refers to an Alfred Stieglitz photograph of a gelded horse, referencing the breakdown of discussion of sexuality in society). Does the offence, the implicit lust, reside with the artwork, or the viewer? The Metropolitan Police are clear on the issue, or at least, on their opinion of the issue.
The actual, legal obscenity of the image resides in a quantum state, neither obscene nor unobscene. No complaints have been received, yet the Police acted because it “could be viewed as sexually provocative”, it “could break obscenity laws”, the actions of the officers “were ‘common sense’ and were taken to pre-empt any breach of the law” [Source]. Such tactics are distressingly common amongst our Puritan lawgivers, who know that such cases are rarely tested, and when they are, they frequently fail.
In short, it is a bullying tactic, requiring the same justification of judicial pre-eminence as harrassing blameless bystanders and photographers in the street; assaulting legitimate protestors, and retaining the very genetic code of the proven innocent; and allowing the Police to bowdlerise public exhibitions which have preceded without controversy elsewhere. It is to be hoped that the Tate, following legal advice, will reinstate the exhibit, but the situation is currently unclear.
The dire state of our Obscenity laws, which we have discussed previously, apparently require the law to act whatever the morality, ethics, or artistic repercussions of the issue at hand. But they ignore the realities of the modern situation. Darryn Walker’s story, which prompted the last, failed test case, and is pretty much without doubt a case of extreme pornography, has apparently, and recently, been removed from its original repository, but is still easily available online (usual NSFW warnings apply). Likewise, Prince’s artwork is not hard to find online.
What is the correct response when an artistic work is removed from a gallery – a moderated, curated space, accessible only to adults – but visible to anyone with an internet connection? The networked world allows us to side-step such restrictions, without regard to the laws (or perceived laws) of our locality. Art, digitised, evades the censor, but is denied its rightful place in its true home. | 3,466 | 1,788 | 0.000579 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.