“Tear Down The Wall”

Editor’s Note: This article was written and posted on the original tsinfocenter.com in April 2010. This website is reconstructed, and the article is posted again in July 2016 in its original form.

“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
President Ronald Regan
Over two thousand years ago, China began to build its Great Wall in order to keep nomadic tribes and marauding armies from crossing its borders. In the last few decades, China has built another protective barrier, a ‘Great Firewall,’ to keep socially disruptive web content from reaching its citizens. For the purpose of keeping out West Germans and keeping in East Germans, the Berlin Wall was erected in August 1961.

Unfortunately, the Great Wall of China still remains intact and the “Great Firewall” has continued to be a bottleneck for the flow of information in China’s cyber world. On the other hand, the Berlin Wall is no more, which is considered one of the greatest symbols in a victory towards liberty. On June 12, 1987, former US president Ronald Reagan in his speech in Berlin uttered six words that signaled the end of the cold War Era. Although this visible wall was a symbol of barrier between the West and the East, there were so many invisible walls that divided the Communist and the Capitalist camp.

It is with these historical events in the background, I see the wall that is erected between the two camps of the Ethiopia intelligentsia. On one side we have a camp that opposes the regime in Ethiopia and on the other side we have a camp that ardently supports it. Both camps leave no stone unturned to spread their ferocious propaganda against each other devoid of any concern to the damage their intense propaganda would do to the nation and to the harmony among various ethnic groups.

On one extreme political spectrum, we have the proponents of the regime who tell us that any one who opposes the EPRDF is an “intellectual of the Derg or Haileselassie Era”. Worst of all, by labeling opponents of the regime as chauvinist Amharas or Dergists, the proponents are funning the flame of hatred and suspicion. Some of these elements, no doubt, are distinguished members of the “newly found” upper social stratum. The majorities of the elites in this side of the fence sees everything from point of view of ethnic politics and have revised history to fit their own agenda. The claim that the struggle waged against the successive Ethiopian regimes were because of the oppression of different ethnic groups is fundamentally flawed. In fact, if anything, the fact shows that the struggle waged originated by elites who were privileged and at one point of our history members of ethnic groups they belonged too ruled the country. These elites believed that they were distained to rule and the objective of their struggle was to oust their rival elites from the helm of the throne.

There is no record that indicates that the genesis of the struggle for various Liberation Movements is from oppressed nations and nationalities. Arguably, it is difficult to find in any part of Ethiopia an “oppressed” ethnic group as Wolaytas, Gambelas, Kembatas, and other minority groups in South; yet, we have never seen a “Liberation” movement arising from any of these groups with the exception of the SLM which was the brain child of the other liberation movements. Rather, what we have witnessed throughout our history is a liberation movement originated from “privileged” ethnic group elites.

The First “Liberation” movement, if it can be called that, was the Raya and Azbo uprising of 1943. This rebellion which is known as the Woyane movement was a spontaneous, localized peasant uprising with limited objectives and would be historically wrong to characterize it as a rebellion of any particular ethnic group. The second major rebellion was the Eritrean movement. This movement had more to do with religion than ethnicity. The so called Liberation movements in Ethiopia used ethnicity as a camouflage to galvanize support for their movements. To espouse their position, EPRDF backers still beat ethnicity drum for any one who would listen. The fact that Amhara elites were privileged, somehow, did not make the Amhara peasant in Menze any better than his counterparts in Gambela or Benishangule. One could argue that the Amhara peasant may have an advantage from his counter parts because Amharic is a national language, this unfortunately did not change the Amharas’ peasants lives in any significant way.

Such baseless and ridicules ideas are entertained in a cyber space that is fenced only to the supporters of the regime. Although these elites preach democracy, they would not dare to practice it. For them, free speech is only reserved to those who share their values and beliefs. Particularly the intelligentsia in Diaspora has built an invisible wall to a communication field that is borderless and immensely vast. What is mesmerizing is that both camps are preaching to their choirs; hence, their relentless effort and the barrage of accusation and unnecessary insult hardly win anyone’s heart. These camps are divided with ideology and also with deep seated hatreds. It would be disingenuous to sugar coat the role that ethnicity plays in both camps. This is not to say that there are no genuine differences in the idea of the path that our nation should take. For anyone who visits various Ethiopian websites, it is not unusual to see only people with similar ideas are engaged with one another. Within a fence of a particular website you can read these elites debunking one another without directly engaging with each other. Thanks for website like Nazret.com and Ethiomedia, where you can relatively see diverse ideas despite the hosts own political views.

It is obvious that social science cannot be experimented in some closed quarters in a laboratory setting. Occasionally, policies and ideas have to be tested on the field with real people and with real events. Since every countries situation is different, it would be a mistake to directly copy the social, economic, and political agendas and process and apply it to another nation. It is always possible to learn from others and apply what is necessary to different nations. Often, ideas are born from the citizens of a nation particularly those who are considered educated. Unfortunate for us, our educated citizens have drawn the lines and are more interested to defend their point of view in order to glorify the image of an organization or a political camp they support than act in the best interest of the nation.

The camp on the other political spectrum does not fair that much. Surfing various websites considered the opposition camp mischaracterize and debunk the regime and its supporters with similar lethality and unreserved assault. It is not unusual to read the regime in Ethiopia as an invading force and anyone who dare to support the regime labeled as a traitor and as a sellout that is bending to the regime for self interest only. The elites on this side of the political fence are extremely vocal and preach democracy, liberty, freedom of speech and other democratic values but fail to practice it by deliberately blocking opposing point of views. On one hand, this camp condemns the EPRDF for blocking websites and jamming news media. On the other hand, it has built a firewall of its own and practices its own “jamming” by blocking articles and information that are considered pro EPRDF. Such double standard is mind-boggling. It is clear that the battle ground is drawn and the troops have sharpen their pen to shoot at each other which only would indicate their incredible ability to use words and phrases to make their point. The question is would this people win anyone’s heart? Could the time, and the energy spend could be used for the benefit of the nation? Could this intellectuals deal with one another in a civilized manner and find a way to break the cycle of violence in a nation that is plagued with illiteracy, disease, poverty, and other social, economic, and political problems?

It is one thing to praise a political organization for playing a major role in a struggle to liberate a nation from a grip of a brutal military junta; it is quite another and hypocritical to continue to sing halleluiah when the same political organization becomes the kind of regime that it deposed. On the other hand, it is admirable and commendable to continue to fight for democratic values and freedom; it is quite another to deny and debunk any progress made in the country because one opposes the regime in power.

I do genuinely believe that the majority on both sides of the aisles have genuine concerns about the well being of our nation. The issue at hand is how to bring both sides from their respective well entrenched camps to a genuine dialogue so the best and the brightest amongst us could come up with workable solution to the problems that plagued our nation for years. How do we let them talk to each other instead of at each other?

It is commendable that a great effort was made to organize and hold the Ethiopian and Eritrean Friendship Conference in March 2010. This useful step to bring harmony and peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea should be encouraged and supported. As precious and as commendable as such an effort is we seem to neglect that we need to make a similar effort to bring about harmony and civilized dialogue among Ethiopian elites. Enormous efforts were made by Ethiopian opposition political parties for peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia in the past; because the EPRDF lacked vision and far sightedness, the opposition repeated effort has failed.

As someone who advocated openly for the effort of the opposition to succeed, it was disappointing to witness how EPRDF supporters, particularly those who are considered educated, cheered EPRDF’s decision not to take part in the Peace and Reconciliation Conference. Instead of encouraging the EPRDF, these elites were more interested in embarrassing their counter parts on the other side of the political spectrum. Our elites are supposed to be our guiding lights; time and again however, they have led us towards darkness. Instead of supporting the Right Things and encouraging others to take corrective measures when they do the Wrong Things, our elites are more engaged in partisan politics no matter how damaging the conduct of a camp that they support.

With a population of over 80 million and a growing economy, Ethiopia already is a major force in Africa to be reckoned with. No matter how much we try, the economic progress in Ethiopia is undeniable. Those who oppose the regime in Ethiopia need to realize, and recognize that, and they must continue their struggle to widen the ever increasingly shrinking political space. There are visible social and economic progresses in Ethiopia. The infrastructures are improving, the health and educational sectors are changing for the better, and the opportunity to invest and create jobs for our citizens is also growing.

Whether we like it or not Ethiopia’s vast and untouched market promises to expand exponentially as wealth increases and education spreads. As recent news events indicated foreign investors are bringing their human and financial capital to Ethiopia. The fact that the Ethiopian market offers such investment potential should be a wake up call to all of us. On the other hand, the proponents of the EPRDF should not ignore the shrinking political space in Ethiopia and the dismal human rights record of the regime. There are thousands of political prisoners in Ethiopia; Ethiopia’s citizens are subjected to unjust detention, torture and political assassination. Those who jump in a bandwagon to chastise the Eritrean regime should look at and scrutinize the Ethiopian regime conduct. It is inherently wrong and intellectually dishonest to apply different judgment to the same types of ‘crimes’.

Instead of worshiping one individual and propagating to prolong EPRDF’s reign, these elites must face the lingering political issue honestly. It may be self satisfying to declare how Mr. Meles is smart and clever, but in this information age it is foolish to admire how fashionable “the emperor’s cloth” is when he is fully naked with his incredibly ugly body fully exposed standing before the world’s stage. It is a strategic mistake and a historical error to exercise willful blindness when citizens who are challenging the EPRDF on its own game with its own rule are stabbed to death. It is astonishing and disingenuous to defend Mr. Meles when he categorized the opposition as the “enemies” of the state and when he invokes the Rwanda paramilitary organization Interahamwe to inflame suspicion and fear for short term political gain. You may ignore the facts on the ground and paint the regime with a rosy picture, but failure to realize that the path to ’social harmony’ is not through increasing authority and brutality but increasing liberty may bring unforeseen fatal blow in a near future.

The regime’s stand on human rights and its utter defiance for the freedom of the press should change pro EPRDF elites’ fundamental view of the government. I strongly believe that the EPRDF led government has a tremendous incentive to heed the call for democratization, liberalization, transparency, accountability, and respect for human and civil rights if its desire is peace and prosperity in our nation. The essence of economic growth would be only meaningful if policies are designed to bridge a growing gap between the newly rich minority and the still-impoverished majority. It is important to recognize that people like former president Carter have clearly stated their displeasure with the EPRDF led regime and that EPRDF Western allies are increasingly getting uncomfortable defending the indefensible. Surely, an attempt to turn the clock back to the kind of debacle that we have witnessed in 2005 election would bring civil unrest. It would be the responsible thing to do for the proponents of the regime to advice and encourage the regime to make the political playing field even. If the regime is as confident as it states about its ability to score a landslide victory in 2010 election, then why resort to threats, sabotage and a political assassinations?

The repeated mischief and human rights violation, and the recent blatant admission by Mr. Meles the Jamming of VOA Amharic program in Ethiopia has brought the media spotlight on Ethiopia once again. EPRDF supporters may fail to grasp that the regime is crumbling as its old guards are departing the political scene and particularly because the open rebellion against the TPLF in Tigray is holding ground. The question now is not whether Ethiopia will continue to grow economically, but how quickly; not whether the EPRDF leadership will reform, but how gracefully. Whether we like it or not the Ethiopian people are marching with determination and immense devotion towards liberty and freedom, it is up to the proponents of the EPRDF to join the rest of the population to speed the pace and demand the right thing. While it is right to speak about the progress made, it would be right to challenge the EPRDF to move forward for genuine political reform.

To contribute our fair share for the well being of our nation and to end the cycle of violence, it is profoundly important for the elites to Tear Down the Walls that they have built in order to debunk one another. By demonizing one another, the path to empower our people will not be established. The future generation expects more than good writings; it expects us to hand over a system of government that allows our people to be governed by their consent. The future generation expects us to pass it to them a civilized way of dealing with each other. There will always be disagreements; there are going to be conflict of ideas and interests; the wisdom or the lack there of is the way we handle conflicting ideas and interests. We may continue to bark at each other in cyber space or choose to come together with all our disagreements and create a conducive atmosphere to deal with each other in a manner that is productive and responsible.

The current political discourse is distractive and extremely dangerous. The seed that we are sowing may be extremely poisonous that will infect the generation to come. Rwanda and Burundi were not created over night. The little seed that we are dropping today will grow and it would multiply exponentially; the question is do we want to see the growth of a seed that will bring harmony or war? The choice is ours. So far, the escalating war of words has not helped anyone. Let us talk to each other rather than at each other, let our elders find a way to bring the two sides together; let us begin this journey in the Diaspora. Hoping what President Ronald Reagan has said 23 years ago resonates today, I respectfully ask all of you in this Easter Holiday to encourage our elites to Tear Down The Wall that is dividing us.

Happy Holiday, thank you!


Sailing on the ocean seems idyllic and simple. Clipping along in a fresh breeze, relaxing in the sun with hammocks filled with cookies and booze swaying below decks, your destination is a colorful seaport filled with shops and bars and nightlife. What could be better?

All those things are realities in the world of ocean cruising, but so too are dangers, surprises and tragic consequences brought about from poor decision-making.

Cruising sailors always look relaxed and happy in the photos and in most of their videos, but those images are usually produced at the beginning or the end of a passage, and the solid mariners are the ones who can handle the demands of running a sailing craft around the clock for days and sometimes weeks on end. The many perils for which a cruising sailor needs to be prepared include bad weather, ocean currents, squalls, rouge waves, wildlife, other boats and the careful balance of maintaining the seaworthiness of the boat as well as the supplies needed by the crew.

When I planned a passage from Dana Point, California to Santa Barbara and ultimately up the coast to Oregon, in Turk’s Bar in Dana Point Harbor a real salt with shipwreck stories from the South Pacific quizzed me on my level of preparedness.

“You’re out there and you see an approaching storm, what do you do?” he asked. I answered that I would heave-to, which is the practice of setting main and headsail opposite each other to use the wind to basically pin the boat in one spot, allowing the boat to ride out the storm.

“You’re gonna f#*in die,” he replied. And he was probably right. “What you would do,” he continued, “is drop all your sail except a tiny headsail, so at least you can steer a little bit, and then run with the storm under bare poles until it blows past you. Then when it’s over, you assess the damage, get a fix on your new position and set sail again.”

I did sail my boat to Santa Barbara, a 36-hour passage, but no further than that. Sailing on the open ocean is very much sailing on a wilderness. Whales have been known to breach in front of or even onto sailboats, and nighttime passages can invite collisions with container ships or debris. There are large pieces of trash out there that can rip a boat open very easily. The weather of course is a constant variable, presenting challenges and surprises for even the saltiest of cruisers. As illustrated by this sailing couple, even the most pleasant of passages can go wrong as a result of bad choices or lack of experience.

If you’re planning any real ocean sailing, it’s wise to seek the advice of the saltier mariners. Talking in marina bars with such sailors is one way, but seeking instruction through professional sailors who offer lessons is very valuable. Of course, hands-on experience will complete your education, but video lessons can give you insights on how to handle such emergencies as dealing with a squall, for example.

In any marina, fellow sailors will gather in their cockpits and tell stories of passages. This has gone on for centuries, and it’s the sailors with the craziest stories that not only add more color to the lifestyle, they help the newer sailors to find their way when the weather turns ominous.


CMMI® – Constellations, Representations and some food for thought

In presentations, training or orientation sessions on CMMI® the topic of constellations and representations does come up for discussions (even if the presenter wants to avoid it :-)). I have in the past, found that the standard material on these topics has not always helped people understand and remember the concepts. The people, who I believed understood the concepts, surprised me later with a question or a comment that indicated otherwise. Till the time I hit upon an analogy that is easy to understand and easier to remember. And it is related to food.

I will use the example of a restaurant called Celesti-yummiNYTM (the restaurant owner fancies it as trans-galactic gastronomic delight). It has a menu that features three kitchens – food representing three different regions of the universe. One from the Devphinus constellation, another from the Severus constellation and the third from the Aquirius constellation.Restaurant Board

Each constellation (kitchen) serves a set of dishes – Devphinus has 22 dishes, Severus serves 24 dishes and Aquirius presents 22 dishes. These are all listed in Celesti-yummiNYTM menu card. Each kitchen-constellation has also created a recipe booklet that is publicly available, for free (however, fancy, bound versions are priced). People and outer-world aliens can use the recipe books to prepare the dishes, as long as they keep acknowledging the intellectual property and trademark ownership of Celesti-yummiNYTM.

(Digression: There may be another category of sapient beings called “earthly aliens”, since immigration counters in some airports have separate queues for such creatures. When I stand in such queues, I hope to quickly complete the formalities before someone like Ellen Ripley notices me. For more information on Ellen Ripley and how she handles Alien species, see the Wikipedia page here. 🙂 : End of Digression)

Let us now examine the menu card of Celesti-yummiNYTM. As explained before, each kitchen-constellation has a list of dishes (22 to 24 dishes). Each dish comes in three sizes – Small (CL1), Medium (CL2), and Large (CL3). From a kitchen, you may choose any number of the dishes, and specify the size of each dish (small, medium or large). This kind of order, for some reason, is called a “continuous” order by Celesti-yummiNYTM (which many restaurants call as an al-a-carte order), though there is nothing continuous about it.

Dish Sizes

In addition to the 22 to 24 dishes offered in 3 sizes, each kitchen-constellation also offers fixed meals (pre-plated meals or thalis).  There is a mini-meal (ML2), a midi-meal (ML3), a maxi-meal (ML4) and a mega-meal (ML5) that you can order from each kitchen. These fixed meals have a pre-decided set of dishes (a sub-set of the 22 to 24 dishes) at pre-decided sizes, with some very small variations. These fixed meals are called “Staged” meals.

For example, if you order the mini-meal (ML2) from the Devphinus kitchen menu you will get seven dishes, all of the medium (CL2) size. You have no choice in the matter. The only exception is for the dish called “Sammy’s Fav” which you can decline, provided you have a doctor’s certificate that you are allergic to some of the ingredients. You cannot decline any other dish. Nor can you change the size of the dishes if you order a fixed meal. Similarly the midi-meal (ML3) from Devphinus, will contain eighteen dishes, all of the Large (CL3) size. Again, you can decline the dish called Sammy’s Fav, with a doctor’s certificate. The mega-meal (ML5) from Devphinus will see a large platter with all their 22 dishes (and, you can still decline Sammy’s Fav, with appropriate justification).

There are similar fixed meals with minor variations in the other two kitchen-constellations.

One warning – there are dishes with same or similar names offered by the three kitchen-constellations. Some are called “core” dishes and some are called “shared” dishes. Don’t be fooled by the names and the terminology. They taste significantly different (because of the way they are cooked, raw material, and interaction with the other dishes), though they are called by the same/ similar names. For example, the dish called “Risque-Salad” (offered by all the three kitchen and hence called a core dish) will look and taste significantly different, becuase of the ingradients, presentation, and seasoning.

There ends the explanation of constellations, representations (staged/ continuous),  core/shared PAs, ML/CL, etc.

Please feel free to add your variation and flavour to this explanation (use the comment feature)

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NYTM– Celesti-yummi is Not Yet Trade Marked 😉

Institutionalization in CMMI® and People CMM®: Converting a practice to a habit

The word “institutionalization” is a mouthful, a tongue twister. If it was a requirement that every employee be able to pronounce word correctly for a successful appraisal result (for CMMI®/ People CMM®), the number of successfully appraised entities would have been far fewer than what they are now :-).

The concept of institutionalization is explicitly embedded in the CMMI® and People CMM® models. In fact, approximately half the practices in every one of the models are dedicated to institutionalization, so it is necessary to internalize this concept to successfully implement the models.

So, what is institutionalization? It is many related things, but the easiest and the most comprehensive explanation is that it is “making a practice into a habit”. Hence, when a practice (like submitting monthly project status reports to all stakeholders by the 5th of every month) becomes a habit with the organization, we can say that the practice is “institutionalized”. Organizations are not born with habits (nor are human beings). So, how do some practices become habits? Or more importantly, what can we do to make certain desirable practices into habits?

Let us use an example at a personal level to understand what we can do to convert a desirable practice into a habit.

Doctor CheckupYou are overweight. You are unfit. You get tired before you climb one flight of stairs. (You get the picture.) Your doctor has advised more exercise (than just using the TV remote). He has been telling this to you for the last few years; you make a New Year resolution every year, which does not last more than a few days. This year your doc has given you some kind of ultimatum “shape up or else!”

ScalesSo, now you not only want to lose those excess kilograms (1 kilogram = approximately 2.2 Pounds, for those who still resist the metric system :-)), but want to make regular exercise a habit. Here is a combination of things that is will increase the probability of regular exercise become a habit.

OathFirstly, as an individual you need to build up a great amount of motivation to achieve fitness. The motivation needs to be higher than your motivation for “one more helping”, “15 minutes more of watchingGym the TV”, etc. You need a deep conviction, an inner resolution, a personal commitment, a personal vision/ policy, an oath to oneself. Something like, “come what may, I will do the required exercises at least 25 days in a month.”

Next, you will have to study the alternatives that are available – should you join a gym? Should you join a batch at the gym, or be on your own? Should you go to the gym in the morning or evening? PlanShould have a different exercise program every day? Should the weekend be different? Based on the initial investigation and thinking, you will make a high level plan.

Let us say, you decide to join a batch of people like you in a neighborhood gym. The batch meets everyResources morning at 6 AM and is led by 2 instructors. Now you need money to enroll in the gym and the program. You will need the right set of clothes and shoes. And many such resources, including time; time to reach the gym, time to do the exercise and time to go back home (or wherever) after the program every day.

ShareTo free you up for the daily gym sessions, new responsibilities will need to be taken up, and existing responsibilities may have to be redistributed. Who will drop the kids to school? Who will wake you up? Who is going to water the plants? Who will wash the car now? If you are going to reach your workplace later by half an hour every day, who will stand in for you for that half an hour? In addition to assigning the responsibilities, you (along with others) will possibly need to rearrange and plan out many other impacted activities.

ProcessLet us get back to the daily gym. The instructors will have a standard process that they have chalked out to for the group. Based on your situation they may tweak the standard to define a tailored process/ program for you.

TrainerThe instructors will be constantly watching, coaching and guiding you to make sure that you don’t overdo it or take it too easy. They will also try to ensure that you don’t hurt yourself. So, they will keep providing you necessary training as you progress.

InventoryOn a regular basis you will have to keep track of some important items related to your daily gym-ing. For example, you need to make sure that you have shoes and sock and tee-shirts and shorts washed at the right time. Your gym membership card/ usage may have to kept safe and updated on a regular basis. Basically, you will need to maintain control of the important items, so that you don’t end up picking up someone else’s gym bag.

InvolveWhen you start and as you progress, various stakeholders will have to be identified and involved to the required degree. For example your spouse/ partner, others at home, the gym instructors, your doctor, and maybe your co-workers.

MonitorYou will have to maintain data of your progress – how much time you spent on the treadmill, when you moved from level 1 of the exercise chart to level 2, how many days you could not attend the gym. You would also be keep track on the impact of the work that you are doing – are you losing weight? Too fast? Too slow? Do you feel energetic? Tired? The basic idea is to collect data to monitor the status and effects and control the actions to achieve better results.

BuddyTo maintain motivation, you could pair up with a buddy in the gym group – where each of you can objectively help the other to maintain adherence to the plan, schedule and actions. In addition to your buddy, the instructors will also be checking out that you are basically following the processes and the plans that have been laid out.

Doctor CheckupOnce in a while, you would be going to your doc and reviewing the status, so that long-term course corrections can be identified (e.g., add a diet program, increase aerobics- reduce weight bearing exercises, etc.).

Process ChangeThe gym staff would collect improvement feedback from the participants to change their equipment, standard programs, etc. For the next batch they may define a slightly different process because of this feedback.

All the bold-and-underlined elements are the likely to prevent you from slipping back to your old ways, and with time, doing exercises every day is likely to become a habit, or “institutionalized” for you.

In a nutshell, here are the 12 elements:

  1. Having a policy/ vision
  2. Creating plans
  3. Mobilizing resources
  4. Assigning responsibilities
  5. Getting the training to develop skills required
  6. Keeping conscious control of key items
  7. Involving various stakeholders
  8. Monitoring the status/ effects and controlling the actions
  9. Keeping an eye on adherence to the process
  10. Having periodic reviews with the key stakeholders
  11. Appropriately adopting a process for a given situation
  12. Collecting information to drive improvements

The analogy used may not directly fit an organizational situation. In the above example, the vision needs to be set by the same person who is taking the action, whereas in an organization, it will be the leadership team that sets the policy and many more people who follow it. Similarly, resources will need to be mobilized by leadership team or some specific groups in the organization, and used by all groups. However, the principles are similar, and if an organization keeps track of the above 12 aspects, there is a high likelihood that whatever is being introduced will quickly become a habit with the organization.

By the way, the word “institutionalization” also means being admitted to a mental institution, but that is not the context we are discussing here, today ;-).

Please do share your experiences, comments and feedback by posting a reply/ comment.

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Adoption of People CMM® -03: Why is it Low?

In a previous post titled Adoption of People CMM® – 01: Appraisal Results (Also see People CMM® Appraisals – 2012 Update), we looked at the reported appraisal data and realized that the number of reported appraisals in any given year hovers between five and ten. There may be a few appraisals that are not reported. Even factoring in the unreported appraisals, the number of appraisals is still low.

However, some people argue that number of appraisals is not equal to the number of organizations adopting the model. Many organizations claim to have adopted People CMM® (by Bill Curtis, Bill Hefley, and Sally Miller) without undergoing an appraisal (“we are not interested in certification”, is a common refrain).

Yes, there are a few of such organizations too. And some of them have seriously adopted the model.

But in many such cases, they just pick and choose what is convenient and comfortable and ignore the rest of the model saying “it does not make bussssinessss sense”. The whole exercise ends up with an internally produced document where some of the People CMM® requirements are mapped with the organization’s current practices. Other inconvenient People CMM® practices (that may have been useful) are marked with “not suitable in our context”. This makes the organizations smug (“in principle we are maturity level x”). The fun starts when someone says, “then let us go get our level x”. Then they call in external experts, and realize how far they are from the desired level.

Coming back to the reasons for the low adoption of People CMM®.

TargetThe most important reason is that there is no external pressure, unlike in the case of CMMI® or ISO. Customers normally do not ask vendors whether they are appraised to the People CMM®. Even if an organization does get itself appraised once, there is no pressure for re-appraisals.

The listing of People CMM® on PARS is a good move, as it creates peer pressure.

CommunicateThe lack of awareness of the model is another important reason. Not many people know about the model. The knowledge is restricted to a few folks (process engineers and quality professionals in IT companies) already familiar with the SEI and the CMM® models. Most CEOs and HR heads are totally unaware of it. There is almost no mention of People CMM® in journals like HBR, nor is it discussed in conferences related to Business Excellence or Human Capital Management.

ProgrammerMost people who are aware of the framework mentally tag it as a model for the IT/ SW industry. There is almost no practice in the model that aligns it to any specific industry. Organizations in the banking, hospitality, engineering, and manufacturing have found it as useful as IT companies. (However, the model document also has too many references to the software industry in the first few sections that contain information about the background and genesis of the model – this is likely to have reinforced the perception of its IT centricity. Maybe the authors can do something about it in the next version).

ChampionIn many companies, the current organizational structure does not enable any group in the company to easily take up the initiative – so it is nobody’s baby. It has been repeated multiple times that “it is not a HR model” – this message has unintended consequences – HR is reluctant to take it up as an initiative. But to cross maturity level 2, HR has to take an active part. Process engineering groups will usually not champion for People CMM® because (1) they have other headaches :-(, like CMMI®, ISO 20K, ISO 27K, etc., and (2) they don’t want to intrude into HR territory.

Based on the set of organizations that have implemented the model (known to the writer),  the People CMM® initiative has been taken either by the HR head or the CEO. And CEOs usually have many other things on their plate. We should stop emphasizing “it is not a HR model”.

ExhaustedMost organizations are now perpetually going from one certification (audit/ appraisal/ assessment) to another causing appraisal fatigue – each model has a 1-3 year re-appraisal/ surveillance cycle. Even the thought of picking up another long-term initiative seems to exhaust them. People CMM® is put on the backburner, “to be picked up when we have more time”.

SlowdownRepeated economic slowdowns in the last few years have made companies postpone their People CMM® initiative. Who wants a model to “attract and retain” people when organizations are trying to do “right-sizing” 😉 every two years?

Lack of adoption feeds on itself – the question often asked is “if People CMM® is so great, why haven’t more organizations adopted it? Even after so many years”?

JudgeMany companies fear that the appraisal results may provide fodder for litigation by disgruntled employees (this is true in countries prone to litigations). For example, a finding that, “there is no structured mechanism for handling employee grievances” can be used by litigating employees to strengthen their case against the organization.

{<Start of Digression>: The pre-SCAMPISM version of the People CMM® assessment method had a step for “review by legal” before presenting the final findings. An impasse with the legal team on the wordings of some finding could mean that the assessment was abandoned before the final findings. There is no such explicit requirement in the SCAMPISM method <End of Digression>}.

UncomfortableIn many organizations, HR is uncomfortable with the concepts of process engineering, data analytics and the possible transparency that People CMM® is likely to bring about. HR also lacks program management experience and skills to run long-term, organization-wide programs like People CMM®.

ProtectLarge consulting firms have a vested interest in their clients not implementing People CMM®. Consulting firms have their own proprietary methodologies and tools to implement competency definitions, salary restructuring, right sizing, role rationalization, and so on. They not only set up the framework, but also provide consultants (usually fresh MBAs) for execution. These are huge contracts, and cyclical in nature, locking the client organization perpetually. Implementing People CMM® actually frees up the clients from these huge contracts, as the organization realizes that it can do a better job of the setting up and changing the people related processes (using internal staff), than handing over the job to expensive consultants.

Reading to SleepThe model is not easy reading – it is heavy and legalistic. Most people trying to get an overview of People CMM® find the material sleep-inducing. Here is what one HR Head said “I kept the model next to my bedside a year ago. I try to read it every night, but I am usually fast asleep in less than a page.” While the model book is more like reference material (and hence it is precise, complete, and unambiguous – and rightly so), there isn’t any alternate light reading material available for busy executives (with a short span of attention :-)) to excite them.

Then there are other frivolous reasons stated, like “we desperately want to implement it, but can’t find the model/ book” (huh? – have they tried Googling? Or searching on any online bookstore like Amazon or Flipkart?). Anyways, the model as a pdf document is freely downloadable from the SEI site here.

The print/ paper version of the book is available at,, and Flipkart .

There has been an animated discussion on the topic in the LinkedIn group called “People CMM” (, for those who want to read other views.

So, where do we go from here?

The good news is that it is a great model. And the industry still needs a framework to address people management holistically. People CMM® is still the only comprehensive model available today, and there is no other competing framework.

SEI can lobby with the Government and DoD to adopt the model either for themselves or make it highly desirable (if not mandatory) for their vendors. The initial push helps. This is how many models/ frameworks became widely used, and SEI is best placed to lobby, as it is a DoD establishment.

We need to spread awareness using multiple forums, like conferences, journal, websites, and blogs where CEOs, HR folks and consultants hang out. We also need to do it across a wide range of industries to remove the “IT/SW” tag that the model carries. Talking about People CMM® in SEPG conferences, SPIN forums and LA meets is good, but is not going to take us far. Spreading awareness can be done by anyone who believes that the model is useful – SEI, partners, consultants, LAs and organizations who have benefitted from implementing the model.

We also need to tone down the message “it is not a HR model”. This message often makes the HR folks shy away from heartily taking up the model for implementation. No other organizational group has more at stake than HR, at least at maturity level 2. And without HR providing its wholehearted support, implementation of maturity level 2 process areas is almost impossible.

Finally, SEI can reduce the royalty and annual license fees for People CMM® related services, till the volumes start picking up. This will make the training and appraisal services cheaper to the end users, and make it a little bit easier to gain an entry.

Other related posts uploaded on the same blog:

SM-SCAMPI is a service mark of Carnegie Mellon University.

Adoption of People CMM® -02: Benefits Experienced

Many organizations have adopted the People CMM® model (by Bill Curtis, Bill Hefley, and Sally Miller) – while some have undergone formal appraisals and assessments, others have adopted the practices but not participated in any formal appraisal of their implementation.

Many of these organizations have reported benefits (attributable to the implementation of the People CMM®). Such reports are available in the Software Engineering Information Repository (SEIR). (You need to register yourself to get access to the repository – the registration is free).

Typically, benefits touted and linked with People CMM® hover around Employee Engagement Scores, Employee Voluntary Turnover/ Attrition, Cost of Hiring, Cycle-Time to Hire, Employee Productivity and Employee Utilization. (It is also interesting to note that in the same organization, credit for the same benefits are claimed by other competing initiatives like CMMI® implementation, ISO 9001, Six Sigma, and sometimes by specific improvement projects :-)).

In addition to the above benefits, entities that implement the People CMM® consistently across two to three years tend to display certain long-term changes in their behavior. It is these observed changes that are listed in the next few paragraphs. This set of benefits / changes have been observed across several organizations that have implemented People CMM®, and been appraised / assessed using a Class-A method at least once for maturity level 3 or higher.

The sequence of the benefits listed is not necessary in any order (of priority or significance or sequence of occurrence).  They are also not mutually exclusive – each benefit could be feeding on the other. Here goes:

SystemThe organization increasingly takes a systems approach to its people related processes and initiatives. It understands that a small change in one process can have a large impact on (apparently) unrelated areas, because all things are inter-dependent. So, proposed changes in the organization’s policies and processes, and new initiatives are evaluated on a more holistic basis.

For example, hiring a new batch of fresh graduates at higher salaries is looked at not just from the point of view of salary cost, but also the impact on the morale of the existing staff, their engagement levels, and the impact of diversion of funds from other activities like training, certifications, and so on.

Long TermImplementation of the model promotes a long-term thinking in terms of people –numbers, skills, locations, and roles.  Business plans are used to create workforce plans and people related strategies that span several years. Actions like opening new locations, building new skills and collaboration with external experts are identified well in advance to equip the organization to get ready for the future, in a cost-effective manner.

CollaborationThe model increases transparency, democracy and openness in the organization (People CMM® is not meant for secretive organizations :-)). Organizations set-up multiple channels communications for top-down, lateral and bottom-up movement of information. People are encouraged to participate more and more in decision making and empowered to challenge decisions taken by higher-ups. HR policies are no longer seen as cast-in-stone :-).

AgilityImplementing the People CMM® builds organizational agility and ability to execute cross-functional projects. Very few initiatives require the active participation and collaboration of all functions/ departments. People CMM® implementation requires extensive collaboration between “support” functions like HR, Facilities, and Learning & Development with the “mainline” delivery functions. The model builds the organizational muscle to handle cross organizational initiatives.

AutomationMost organizations end up with considerable level of automation of their people related practices. Aspects like performance management (goal setting, regular feedback, end-cycle feedback), compensation (normalization, rule-based increases and bonuses), promotions, training (planning and tracking), staffing (resource management, recruitment, selection, offer, joining, induction) are automated. In addition, these sub-systems get integrated and interlinked.

Management of people related aspects becomes more data driven, and supported by data analytics.

For example, employee attrition is not looked at just as a month-on-month figure, but is subject to further analysis of patterns (are people of a career level more prone to attrition? Do people typically resign after spending a certain number of years in the company? Is attrition more common with people who possess a certain skill? Do people working outside their home state have a higher tendency to resign? Is there a linkage between the annual increment cycle and the peaks seen in attrition?).  The understanding achieved through the analytics is then used to change policies, or pay additional attention to a certain group of people.

The organization’s people management becomes drCompetentiven more by competencies, rather than by tenure, or career level. The shift is gradual – at first, the importance shifts from seniority to demonstrated performance, and then there is a gradually increasing emphasis on competencies (knowledge, skills and process abilities). This shift to competencies start rippling through various processes like project allocation, hiring, promotions, increments, and bonuses.

Growth ScaleImplementing the People CMM® practices enables the organization to handle scale/ growth very quickly. This is a knock-on effect of systems thinking and increased automation. The organization is able to hire faster, provide the required knowledge and skills quickly and gear up for large projects rapidly.

Business PartnerAnother change that is seen is that the HR function becomes more of a business partner. Line functions start demanding business value from HR processes, and when such value is delivered, increase the involvement of HR in overall business strategies and decision-making.

ManagerLine managers become better people managers, reducing the load on HR, and other support functions. Line managers start providing inputs to enhance performance, help people enhance their skills, and identify and organize the required training for their people. Managers address people related issues and take responsibility to enable their teams to achieve performance (rather than redirect their team members to HR, facilities, and other support functions). In other words, line managers become HR managers for their teams.

Given below, in bullet points (we are so used to bullet points :-)), are the benefits seen by organizations implementing People CMM®.

The adoption of the model:

  • drives a “systems” approach to its people related processes and initiatives
  • promotes a long-term thinking in terms of the people
  • increases transparency, democracy and openness
  • builds organizational agility and ability to execute cross-functional projects
  • increases the level of automation
  • makes the organization metrics and data analytics
  • drives a competency culture
  • enables handling of rapid growth and scale
  • makes the HR function become more of a business partner
  • transforms line managers to better people managers

The above is a set of benefits observed in some of the organization that have implemented People CMM®. You may have observed other benefits or long-lasting changes.

Other related posts uploaded on the same blog:

Adoption of People CMM® -01: Appraisal Results

The People CMM® (by Bill Curtis, Bill Hefley, and Sally Miller) has been available for more than 15 years. Version 1.0 of the model was released in 1995 and version 2.0 was released in 2001. So, maybe it is time to look at the extent of adoption by the industry and benefits accrued to organizations that have adopted the model.

There are many ways one can evaluate the extent of adoption; one way is to look at the volume of Class-A appraisals done (Class-A appraisals are the only recognized way of getting a maturity level in People CMM®). Earlier, the Class-A appraisals were done using People CMM® Assessment method. This method was replaced with the SCAMPISM-A appraisal method, since 2006-07.

See the latest post at: People CMM® Appraisals – 2014 Update

Without further verbiage, here is the data, in the form of a trend chart:No. of People CMM® Appraisals

Here is the data in a tabular format, with more details:No. of PCMM® Appraisals

Some context on the data above:

  1. Data for the years 2002-2007 is picked up from a presentation titled People Capability Maturity Model: Product Suite Maturity Profile (January 2008) by the People CMM® Team at the SEI.
  2. For the years 2008-2009, there is no officially compiled data easily available – the numbers are extrapolated based on the appraisals done by the most active Lead Appraisers in those years.
  3. The 2010-2011 data is picked up from the Published Appraisal Results website maintained by the CMMI Institute. Some appraisals may be missing from the data, if the appraised entity did not wish to publish the data (some organizations do not like the data to be published, some decline permission because they are embarrassed by the maturity level rating that they have got :-)).

Going back to the graph, there seems to be an alternating trend, every 2-3 years. There is a peak of 10+ appraisals, followed by a dip to around 4-5 appraisals in the next year. Maybe, People CMM® is a seasonal flavour! :-). [Actually the data points are too few to reach any conclusion about trends].

The numbers are not flattering – given that the model has been in the market for so many years, just 4-14 appraisals per year (across the whole wide world) is very low. Not more than 2 Lead Appraisers are required to handle this volume!

Further analysis of the past 15 appraisals (in the last 2 years 3 months) listed in the Published Appraisal Results website (with Filter People CMM® v2.0) maintained by SEI shows the following:

  • Geographic spread: India-8; China-3; Philippines-1; Oman-1; UK-1; Malaysia-1. It is interesting to note that there are no appraisals in the US.
  • Industry spread: IT-8; BPO-3; Banking-1; Utilities-1; Engineering-1. So, not a model “just for software organizations”.
  • Most of the appraisals are led either by Sankararaman Dhandapani or by Rajesh Naik of QAI India Ltd. The last fifteen appraisals are accounted for between four LAs (out of the 13 LAs listed for People CMM® in the SEI Partner Directory).

Hope the trend of low number of appraisals is broken in the coming years.

Other related posts uploaded on the same blog:

SM-SCAMPI is a service mark of Carnegie Mellon University.


Doctor's Search

Category: Orthopaedic Care

June 16, 2017

What is Arthroscopy?

Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure used to visualize, diagnose and treat problems inside a joint. ” In an arthroscopic examination, an orthopedic surgeon makes a small incision in the patient’s skin and then inserts pencilsized instruments that contain a small lens and lighting system to magnify and illuminate the structures inside the joint. Light is transmitted through fiber optics to the end of the arthroscope that is inserted into the joint. By attaching the arthroscope to a miniature television camera, the surgeon is able to see the interiors of the joint through this very smallincision rather than making a large incision. The television camera attached to the arthroscope displays the image of the joint on a television screen, allowing the surgeon to look around the knee. The surgeon can determine the amount or type of injury, and then repair or correct the problem, if necessary.

Why is Arthroscopy necessary?

  Diagnosing joint injuries and disease begins with a thorough medical history, physical examination, and X- ray. Additional tests such as an MRI or CT scan may also be needed. Through the arthroscope, a final diagnosis is made which may be more accurate than through “open” surgery or from X-ray studies.

What are the normal joint conditions diagnosed through Arthroscopy?

  Some of the m

December 15, 2016

Dr. Hulse says if bags are more than 15-20% of the carrier’s body weight, it can cause problems. The most common is pain in the back and tiredness. But for some it could lead to acute muscle strain. “Ensure only books needed are taken” Steps:

  1. It is important to acknowledge this as something that creates mental stress to the children, whether or not it causes a health problem.
  2. Parents must ensure only books and notebooks needed for the day are packed in the bag.
  3. School bags should have double straps with soft padding so that the weight is evenly distributed.
  4. The bag has to be carried symmetrically – uneven straps and hunching while wearing the bag is to be avoided.
  5. School must have locker facility
  6. Inactivity can worsen the strain/pain. Students must stretch, walk or play often.
  7. An education department guideline should put a cap on the weight of a school bag for each class.
November 24, 2016

“A giant leap in quality of life after a complex surgery at Fortis Hospital BG road”

Dalia, a 28 year old girl, aspiring school teacher from Yemen with difficult social mores had a childhood fall with a visible deformity in her left elbow. She was able to use her hand but she always covered herself to avoid showing her deformity to friends and family. Her visits to the orthopaedic surgeons filled her with fear and dread; she was informed that it would be difficult to correct with only 50% chance of correction at best or at worst she would lose her hand function. She researched about possibilities of getting surgery done abroad and finally zeroed in on India. She visited many facilities in Bangalore but felt comfortable with Fortis.

She met Dr. Mohan Puttaswamy, Consultant Reconstructive Orthopedic Surgeon, who evaluated her and informed her that she will benefit from a surgical correction. She was impressed by his calm demeanour, erudition and realistic assessment of her clinical situation. After a complex surgery of 3 hours, she is able to straighten her elbow to almost 20 degree (previously she was stuck at 60 degree). Dr. Puttaswamy said “It is common to see elbow deformities after childhood fall but her case was challenging because sh


This video essay project is probably the one of the few projects in college where I feel that I am learning something. To start of with, I am glad I am working with my group mates because they both contributed a lot with ideas and we communicated well. The brainstorming part of the project was the hardest. We were allowed to do anything we liked which made it much more difficult. However, when we narrowed down to the topics, we just went with it. We were interested in music and human relationships. So we thought of how music can affect human relationships and we realized that it can bring people together. Soon enough we found a couple of youtube videos. However, we had no idea in what direction we are going in; so we just started with the backbone of the video essay on iMovie. As we worked on this project, we came up with the idea of how music brings people together in the past and in the present day.

Working on this project made me feel that I can be creative as I want. I can choose whatever clips I want and I can play them however long as I want. I can choose when to play music and which parts to clips to match it up with. There is so much I can play with and I find this really interesting. Not only that, but I can do my own voiceovers. I always thought that making videos would be difficult and that I can’t ever do them, but I realized that patience and willingness to learn is key. You need to be very diligent with editing and make a lot of mistakes in order to make it perfect (not saying our project is perfect but there are definitely improvements from our first project that we shared in class and this).

So, I definitely enjoyed this experience and can’t wait to see how our final version of the project will turn out.


The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology

There's more to the arms, artillery, and exotic equipment of the Star Wars galaxy than Jedi lightsabers and blasters. Species such as the tree-dwelling Wookiees, the amphibious Gungans, and the deadly Yuuzhan Vong have yielded a staggering array of unique weapons and devices. And as the Star Wars mythos continues to grow-in prequels and video games, on screen, in print, and beyond-these remarkable technical creations also multiply and evolve.

The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology is the fully updated and greatly expanded reference resource that organizes and explains every key class, make, and model of Star Wars munitions-from the smallest personal sidearms to the most devastating interplanetary superweapons-along with a host of other high-tech paraphernalia. This exhaustive compendium includes:

- New in this edition: a fascinating look at the historical significance of Star Wars weaponry and the major technological turning points- including the Clone Wars, the creation of the first Death Star,
and the Yuuzhan Vong invasion
- A roster of the major manufacturers who created the most powerful armaments for the Old and New Republics, the Empire, the Sith, the Rebel Alliance, and all of the exotic governments that populate the Star Wars galaxy
- In-depth descriptions of more than 100 weapons and more than 100 additional devices used for defense, communication, survival, security, and more-including detailed schematics of key technology featured in all five films

From the Geonosian sonic blaster to the Wookiee bowcaster; from the imperial energy grenade to the Yuuzhan Vong fire spitter; from dart shooters and laser cannons to Sun Crushers and World Devastators, find the facts about Star Wars firepower-and much more-in The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology.

Couvertures et images

Principaux personnages de The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology

Reyé Hollis
Reyé Hollis
Voir la liste complète

Commentez ce beau livre


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Claire Anne Taylor

Claire Anne Taylor grew up in Tasmania's ancient Tarkine rainforest where she was raised in a quaint bush home, rich with creativity and music. During her childhood, the Taylor barn was home to a family of Tasmanian Devils and some say that Taylor developed her unique, raspy singing style from nights spent listening to the devils growling beneath the floorboards.

After winning the Byron Bluesfest Busking Competition Taylor relocated to Byron Bay to record her debut album, Elemental. Released in 2016, Elemental received widespread critical acclaim with The Sydney Morning Herald describing it as “strong and assured” and the ABC’s Rick Eaves hailing her as “a national treasure”. Taylor’s poignant debut album has garnered her significant radio airplay on Triple J, Double J and ABC radio as well as international radio airplay on programs such as The International Americana Music Show, The Troubadour Show and Radio Nova.


Ask DOROT 212-769-2850

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DOROT Westchester

Lois Baskin and Hannah Taubenfeld, Tara and Olivia Rosegarten — Volunteer Services

DOROT volunteer since:

Lois Baskin and Hannah Taubenfeld, Tara and Olivia Rosegarten Lois Baskin and Hannah Taubenfeld:
December 2011.

Tara and Olivia Rosegarten:

How did you get involved with DOROT?

Lois Baskin:
Hannah was exploring volunteer ideas for her Bat Mitzvah project and a close family friend who has been volunteering with DOROT for many years recommended getting involved.

Tara Rosengarten:
Our dear friend Lois Baskin told us about this great organization. We wanted our girls to do something hands on where they could interact and make a connection and impact on a personal level.

What type of volunteer activities do you do at DOROT?

Lois Baskin:
Hannah works with her friend Olivia in the DOROT office creating cards for birthday packages, delivering meals to seniors and assisting staff with program administration. They also have been assisting as interns in DOROT Cooks, an intergenerational cooking program with the Jewish Journey Project. Hannah and I, along with Olivia and her mom Tara, visit seniors on their birthdays and holidays.

Tara Rosengarten:
My daughter Olivia volunteers at the office on Mondays with Hannah. They are a great team.

In what ways has your DOROT volunteer experience impacted your life?

Lois Baskin:
Hannah told me that the experience “has shown me how visiting someone can really make their day and maybe even their week. We have to enjoy our life and cherish everyone who is part of it because things sadly don’t last forever.” Our visits with the seniors are incredibly meaningful, their energy and warmth is inspiring and they show such gratitude and genuine appreciation of the time we spend together.

Tara Rosengarten:
It has given my 13 year old daughter, Olivia a new perspective on the elderly. It has helped her, and me, understand the unique feelings and experiences one goes through during the aging process. We have also learned so much about peoples’ history and what it was like growing up in a different time.

What motivates you to continue volunteering at DOROT?

Lois Baskin:
Hannah’s inspiration has come from “hearing the different stories that the seniors tell, [it] makes me want to continue to visit with them and learn more about their past and different experiences.”

Tara Rosengarten:
The smiles on the faces of the elderly people when we spend time with them.

Most memorable volunteer moment:

Lois Baskin:
One of Hannah’s memorable moments was “when we visited a 94 year old woman who had more energy than all of us. She acted as if she was in her 20’s, moving around the room without a walker and telling us so many stories without seeming the littlest bit tired.”

Tara Rosengarten:
In truth, every visit has been wonderful.

What would you want other volunteers to know about volunteering at DOROT?

Lois Baskin:
Visiting with seniors on Sundays has become something we look forward to and it is meaningful time that Hannah and I spend together. It is so rewarding to bring happiness to someone by visiting and giving them an opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings. Hannah feels that being with the seniors is a learning experience since every visit leads to a different story. She feels that the time together has had an impact on their lives as well as ours.

Tara Rosengarten:
It has been a deeply enriching experience.

Anything else you would like to share?

Lois Baskin:
The volunteer time we spend at DOROT has been an incredible experience and one that we look forward to continuing for many years. The personal contact that we share between the generations has been a valuable life lesson for us all.

Back to You Made My Day! page.

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Federal Government launches Cyber Safe Website

Stop Hating Online is the Government of Canada’s anti-cyberbullying public awareness campaign. It focuses on cyberbullying in terms of social impacts and potential legal consequences.

As a comprehensive resource for parents and youth, GetCyberSafe.ca provides information, advice and tools to prevent and stop hate, cyberbullying and the non-consensual distribution of intimate images that can take place online, including through social networks and mobile messages.

Click HERE to access the GetCyberSafe website.


More than 2,000 years ago, hundreds of thousands of workers labored for nearly three decades to build a splendid mausoleum for China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. Most spectacularly, the tomb complex included some 8,000 life-size warriors sculpted out of terra cotta, on hand to escort the emperor into the afterlife and safeguard his final resting place. Now, archaeologists and historians say they believe the inspiration for China’s most famous sculptures may have actually come from ancient Greece, and that Greek artists may even have traveled to China to train their Chinese counterparts.

Though the 13th-century Italian explorer Marco Polo may have been the first Western European to leave a detailed chronicle of his travels to Asia, he was certainly not the first to make the trip. Chinese historians recorded earlier visits by people thought to be emissaries from the Roman Empire, which took place during the second and third centuries A.D. In the third century, during the Han dynasty, came the formal establishment of the Silk Road trade route, a network of caravan stops and trading posts linking China and the West.

The 2,200-year-old Terra Cotta Army on display in Xian, China. (
The 2,200-year-old Terra Cotta Army on display in Xian, China. (Credit: China Photos/Getty Images)

According to archaeologists and historians now working on China’s famous Terra Cotta Army, meaningful contact between East and West may have begun far earlier. They believe the lifelike appearance of the statues may have been inspired by or modeled on ancient Greek sculptures, suggesting Western influence in the era of China’s first emperor, some 1,500 years before Marco Polo’s famous voyage.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang, founder of the Qin dynasty, ascended to the throne in 246 B.C. at the tender age of 13. Over the next 25 years, he unified a number of warring kingdoms and implemented stabilizing policies, including the standardization of coins, weights and measures and the building of roads and canals. Qin also undertook various ambitious building projects during his reign, including the earliest version of the Great Wall, built along the country’s northern border to protect against barbarian invasions, as well as his own mausoleum.

The figure of a kneeling archer on display at the British Museum.
The figure of a kneeling archer on display at the British Museum. (Credit: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

According to the writings of the court’s historian, Siam Qian, Qin ordered construction of the tomb complex to begin early in his reign. More than 700,000 laborers worked to build it over three decades, and the project appears to have been left uncompleted after the emperor’s death in 209 B.C.

Flash forward to 1974, when a terrified farmer stumbled on the Terra Cotta Army after seeing a human face emerge among the vegetables in his fields. Archaeologists eventually unearthed some 8,000 sculptures from the pits in Xi’an, all built to escort Emperor Qin into the afterlife and guard his final resting place. The life-size warrior figures included chariots, weapons and horses, and were sculpted in impressive detail, down to their hairstyles and the insignias on their armor.

Terra Cotta soldiers in battle formation.
Terra Cotta soldiers in battle formation. (Credit: Martin Moos/Getty Images)

Before Qin’s reign, China had no known tradition of building life-size sculptures. Though many other buried terra cotta soldiers have been found, earlier ones were much smaller, measuring less than 10 inches tall. According to Li Xiuzhen, a senior archaeologist at the Terra Cotta Army site, this significant departure in scale and style likely occurred when influences arrived in China from elsewhere–specifically, from ancient Greece.

“We now have evidence that close contact existed between the first emperor’s China and the west before the formal opening of the Silk Road. This is far earlier than we formerly thought,” Dr. Xiuzhen told the BBC, which collaborated with National Geographic on a documentary about the team’s findings. “We now think the Terra Cotta Army, the acrobats and the bronze sculptures found on site, have been inspired by ancient Greek sculptures and art.”

Terra Cotta army
Credit: Keren Su/Getty Images

What’s more, Greek artists may even have been on hand themselves to instruct their Chinese counterparts in sculpture techniques. “I imagine that a Greek sculptor may have been at the site to train the locals,” said Lukas Nickel, the chair of Asian art history at Vienna University and a member of the team working on the history of the Terra Cotta Army.

It’s widely believed that Alexander the Great’s military campaign to India in 326 B.C. was the first point of contact between East and West, leaving behind a cultural tradition of Greco-Buddhist art. But the new theory goes further, suggesting that in the century after Alexander’s campaign, Greek statues could have made their way to China and influenced the Terra Cotta Army.

Xi'an, Shaanxi, China, North-East Asia, Asia
Xi’an, Shaanxi, China, North-East Asia, Asia

To support this theory, Dr. Xiuzhen and her fellow experts point to a separate study, which found ancient mitochondrial DNA, specific to Europeans and dating to the time of the first emperor, in Xinjian province, the westernmost region of China. Such findings suggest Europeans may have settled in the province before and during Qin Shi Huang’s reign.

In addition to the possible link with ancient Greece, the archaeologists at the site have also discovered that Qin’s tomb complex is far larger than they first thought, some 200 times bigger than Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. Alongside the Terra Cotta Army, the mausoleum also contained the mutilated remains of women, believed to have been high-ranking concubines of the emperor. The skull of a man, found with a crossbow bolt embedded in it, is believed to have belonged to the emperor’s son, who was killed along with others during a power struggle after his father’s death.


Sermons - 2006

In February of 2006 I moved to begin work with the Priceville Church of Christ, in Decatur, Alabama.

Current or newest sermons are added to the top of this page.

A NEW Year - Tomorrow will be a NEW year. What does that mean? This sermon looks at the words for "NEW"
in our New Testament. What is the NEW - birth, testament, covenant, man, heaven - all about? Are they BRAND new?
Christmas Fact and Fiction - There is much confusion about the observance and even the basic facts about the birth
of Christ. This is a story in the Bible that needs our attention and more study.
Three Things Needed - Most presents are not things we NEED, but want. This sermon looks at three things we
REALLY need.
Frogger (the video game) - In this early video game you had to help a frog cross a busy street without getting run over,
or jump from log to log to cross a river. There are many obstacles in our lives. We need help to cross the street.
Good Old Days - In some ways we wish for the "good old days" and in other ways, we would not want to go back
to those days of more physical work and less modern equipment.
The Lord's Day (2) - What is the purpose of Christians meeting together each Sunday? There are several important
purposes for assembling together each Lord's Day.
Are We the ONLY Ones? - Sometimes we leave the impression of being arrogant and "self-righteous." As we look
as several important doctrines - Are we the only ones who believe and practice it correctly?
The Lord's Day (1) - The significance and doctrinal importance of the Lord's Day.
Salvation Work Out - What does it mean to "work out" your salvation? How do we do that?
Fellowship: Blessings and Rewards - What are the blessings to our fellowship with God and with each other?
5 Kernels of Corn - Thanksgiving Sermon - Can you count five things you are thankful for? The song says, "Count
your many blessings, name them one by one." Here are five blessings you can count.
There is No Backup - For many things in life we have a backup, a plan B. If our original plan fails, we just move to
Plan B. For many important things in life - There is no backup. There is not alternate plan.
Job Series - Here are four sermons "How to Handle Tough Times" from the book of Job.
Is GOOD Enough? - I am a good person. Why do I need to be baptized? Study Cornelius and learn about a good
moral man who still needed to obey the command of God to be baptized.
Salvation by Faith - There is much confusion about how we are saved by faith. Does faith include obedient works?
Is baptism included in obedient faith?
Live Like you Were Dying - What if you had 6 months to live? What would you change about your life?
The Need for Bible Study - Why have Wednesday night Bible study? Do I need to study the Bible daily? Why is Bible study important?
The 2nd Sin - This sermon looks at the second sin of Adam and Eve - immodesty. How does God define "immodest" dress?
Facts about Heaven For man heaven is a mystery because our finite mind can not comprehend the infinite.
Worship at Home Can one worship at home and not participate in the worship with a local congregation?
Social Drinking Is is OK to drink wine at home? Does the location make it better?
Individual Responsibility Each individual must be accountable to God.
Why Study Revelation? Revelation is an important book to study. It helps us to deal with the struggles of living in a wicked world.
Life Cycles of a Church Churches, like other organizations, go through stages or cycles.
Blessed Assurance We sing the song, but don't always believe it. We can KNOW that we have eternal life.
Four Eyed Frog There are some valuable lessons to learn from the 4-Eyed Frog from Chile.
The Danger of Anger Anger must be understood, managed and controlled.
How Important is the Church? Some think - Jesus, Yes; the church, No. You can not separate the body of Christ from Christ.
Darkest Before Dawn Depression is a darkness that many Christians struggle with.
Ingredients for Church Growth What will it take for a church to grow?
6 Kinds of Commands We must understand the different kinds of commands in the New Testament.
Blood of Christ What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Baptism is the "when" of our salvation; the blood of Christ
is the "what".
Confident Salvation #5 in a series - Can we be confident of our salvation? Can I know for sure?
Lessons from the life of Solomon Solomon was a wise man, but some tragic mistakes are lessons for us to learn.
God Cares #4 in a series - God is involved in our lives through providence.
Don't Be A Jonah Jonah tried to run away from God.
Bible is from God #3 in a series - We can know that the Bible is the Word of God.
Footsteps of Jesus We can follow the footsteps of Jesus.
Jesus is the Son of God #2 in a series - There is clear evidence that Jesus is the Son of God.
Freedom is not Free Religious freedom that we enjoy came at a high price.
God Exists #1 in a series - "By this we know - -" We can have knowledge that God exits.
They Tried but They Could not do it Many have tried to prevent Jesus from accomplishing his mission. None succeeded.
Religious, but not Righteous There is a difference in being religious and being righteous.
5 P's of Patering Fathers Day sermon
Victory over Worry How can I overcome worry in my life?
The Invitation Why do we have an invitation at the end of each worship service?
DaVinci Code (2) How can we used the current topic to teach the truth?
DaVinci Code (1) What is wrong with the book and movie?
Golf Lessons Lessons I learned as I learned how to play golf.
Dangers of Summertime As summer approaches, we must be alert to the dangers ahead.
The Beginning Corner To survey property you must have a beginning corner. This is a chart sermon.
Damaged Words The world has stolen many good words and changed their usage.
Successful Momming Mother's Day sermon
99 Sheep Jesus left the 99 sheep in the wilderness to look for a lost one.
3 Points about the Judgment Simple lesson about the coming day of judgment.
My Church I don't own it or control it. But it is "my church" like a football team is "my team."
Don't Order Vanilla - Service #3 in a series - Our work and service for God must be our best, above average.
Junk Yards God has rescued us and recycled us from the junk yard of life.
Don't Order Vanilla - Worship #2 in a series - Worship should be more than just average, run of the mill.
Oxymoron There are several oxymorons in the Bible.
Don't Order Vanilla - Prayers #1 in a series - Don't settle for average, mundane, vanilla prayers.
Rainbow Reminders What is the real reason for the rainbow? Who was it for?
Everybody Says It - Nobody Believes It Some statement are repeated so often they are accepted as true, when they are really false.
Jesus' Unfinished Work What has Jesus been doing since returning to heaven?
Never in Heaven Heaven will never have a light switch, hospital, or cemetery.
Satan's Toolkit How does Satan trick us? What are some of his tools?
Why are we divorcing when we don't believe in it? The title says it all.
How to Kiss a Frog This is the beginning of a frog collection and a dozen sermons about Frogs.
Preaching Christ What is included in preaching Christ?
The Tater Family The tater family is not welcome in this church.
Fail the Faith Test When our faith is tested - will be pass or fail?
Any Old Bush God can use "any old bush" to do His work.
Path to Forgiveness How can I forgive others? How can I forgive myself?
Headed for Heaven Why are we not anxious to go to heaven? Someday, but not now.


Scale Insect, highly specialized insect belonging to order Hemiptera, suborder Homoptera, super-family Coccoidea. Scale insects are diverse in habit and structure. Females are wingless, legless and obscurely segmented, have poorly developed eyes and antennae, and may be protected by a waxy, cottony or hard, scalelike covering. Males are tiny, lack mouth parts, and are short-lived. Crawlers, the first juvenile stage, are mobile and function in dispersal. Most species are 0.5-2.0 mm long, but one measures over 25 mm.

Interaction with Humans

Many cause serious damage to plants. In Canada, major pests include oystershell scale, pine needle scale, and San José scale; they are controlled by predators, parasites, insecticides and fumigants. Cottony maple scale, which occurs throughout the US and Canada, was introduced from Europe.

Some species are beneficial: one produces lac, from which shellac is made; several have been dye sources; one produces Indian wax, used for medicinal purposes; another produces China wax, formerly used for candles.


Amazing South Coast Tour

The South Coast is known for its waterfalls, black sand beaches, glaciers, volcanoes, farming land and small seaside villages.

First stop is at Skógarfoss. Skógá river runs down the slopes of Eyjafjallajökull volcano and the waterfall it self is one of the most photographed waterfalls in Iceland.

After Skógarfoss we go to Vík í Mýrdal which is a small village by the sea shore, there we have something to eat. After getting some energy we take a walk along the black sand beach

Reynisfjara. From Reynisfjara shore you can see Reynisdrangar which are big basalt rocks that rise from the sea.

On our way home we stop at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, it is amazing to walk behind the falling water and we recommend bringing a rain coat if you want to do that.

Duration 8-9 hours

Max. 6 persons per tour.


COMPASS: Combinatorial Polyfunctionality Analysis of Single Cells
Version 1.16.0

COMPASS is a statistical framework that enables unbiased analysis of antigen-specific T-cell subsets. COMPASS uses a Bayesian hierarchical framework to model all observed cell-subsets and select the most likely to be antigen-specific while regularizing the small cell counts that often arise in multi-parameter space. The model provides a posterior probability of specificity for each cell subset and each sample, which can be used to profile a subject's immune response to external stimuli such as infection or vaccination.

Package details

AuthorLynn Lin, Kevin Ushey, Greg Finak, Ravio Kolde (pheatmap)
Bioconductor views FlowCytometry
MaintainerGreg Finak <[email protected]>
Package repositoryView on Bioconductor

Try the COMPASS package in your browser

COMPASS documentation built on Nov. 17, 2017, 11:19 a.m.


AQUAHEAT™ Warm Heat Packs (Set of 6)

  • $ 999

Innobaby’s Aquaheat™ WARM Heat Pack is an eco-friendly, non-toxic, biodegradable heat pack that activates with water to create heat instantly for on-the-go. It’s portable, lightweight and simple to use. Add water to the heat packs while in the warming pod to activate heat anytime, anywhere, just when you need it. No battery or electricity required.

* How does it work? Heat pack reacts with a small amount of water to create heat in seconds. No need to search for a microwave in your office, dorm or on the go. No need to create an open fire or carry bulky camping stoves for your outdoor adventures. Experiencing a power outage? No problem! Simply place Aquaheat™ heat pack in the warming pod, add water to activate heat, and fill the stainless container with food. Enjoy warm meals in as little as 3 minutes anytime, anywhere! All you need is water to activate Aquaheat™.

* How hot does it get? Our eco-friendly, non-toxic & biodegradable heat packets are available in both WARM and HOT options. The WARM heat pack can create temperatures of up to 185ºF/85ºC, which is perfect for beverages, oatmeal and baby food. (Actual temperature may vary based on content, usage and operating environment.)

* How long does the heat last? Each heat pack can last up to an hour, so you can continue to warm additional servings of beverages or food with the same heat pack. Just keep in mind your second serving may take longer to reach optimal temperature.

* Are the heat packs reusable? Our Aquaheat™ heat packs are one-time use. Simply dispose the heat pack after each use. Our heat packs are biodegradable, so no worries about harming our environment. Just use caution in handling the heat packs as they may become extremely hot once activated.

*WARM heat packs are designed for use with Aquaheat™ Stainless Bottle Warmer and Aquaheat™ SOLO warming pods.

*Six (6) Aquaheat™ WARM heat packs included.

* bpa, phthalate, & pvc free
* Made in South Korea

*** Helpful hints:

When you are out of heat packs, simply use hot water to reheat. It may take longer but it would still work. Stainless container is also great for storing & traveling with food with its airtight/leakproof lid. If you want to use the food warmer as a double boiler, add adequate amount of water into the stainless container to heat up the water - submerge baby bottles, baby foods and pouches to warm up and enjoy!


Reading Comprehension for IBPS PO 2017: Set – 29

Reading Comprehension for IBPS PO 2017. Welcome to the online English section. If you are preparing for IBPS PO/Clerk 2017 exam, you will come across a section on the English language. Here we are providing you with IBPS PO English quiz based on the latest pattern for your daily practice.

Reading Comprehension for IBPS PO 2017 will help you learn concepts on important topics in English Section.

This English subject quiz based on Reading Comprehension for IBPS PO 2017 is also important for other banking exams such as IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, SBI Clerk, IBPS RRB Officer, IBPS RRB Office Assistant, IBPS SO, SBI SO and other competitive exams.

Reading Comprehension for IBPS PO 2017

The education sector in India is in ferment, hit by a storm long waiting to happen. The butterfly that flapped its wings was the much-reiterated statement in a much publicized report that hardly a fourth of graduating engineers and an even smaller percentage of other graduates, was of employable quality for IT-BPO jobs. This triggered a cyclone when similar views were echoed by other sectors which led to widespread debate. Increased industry-academia interaction, “finishing schools” and other efforts were initiated as immediate measures to bridge skill deficits. These, however, did not work as some felt that these are but Band-Aid solutions: instead, radical systemic reform is necessary. Yet there will be serious challenges to overdue reforms in the education system. In India as in many countries education is treated as a holy cow: sadly the administrative system that oversees it has also been deceived. Today, unfortunately, there is no protest against selling drinking water or paying to be cured of illness, or for having to buy food when one is poor and starving: nor is there an outcry that in all these cases there are commercial companies operating on a profit-making basis. Why, then is there an instinctively adverse reaction to the formal entry of ‘for profit’ institutes in the realm of education? Is potable water, health or food, less basic a need, less important a right, than higher education? While there are strong arguments for free or subsidized higher education, we are not writing on a blank page.

Some individuals and businessmen had entered this sector long back and found devious ways of making money, thought the law stipulates that educational institutes must be ‘not for-profit’ trusts or societies. Yet, there is opposition to the entry of ‘for-profit’ corporates, which would be more transparent and accountable. As a result, desperately needed investment in promoting the wider reach of quality education has been stagnated at a time when financial figures indicate that the allocation of funds for the purpose is but a fourth of the need.  Well-run corporate organizations, within an appropriate regulatory framework, would be far better than the so-called trusts which barring some noteworthy exceptions are a blot on education. However, it is not necessarily a question of choosing one over the other: different organizational forms can coexist, as they do in the health sector. A regulatory framework which creates competition, in tandem with a rating system, would automatically ensure the quality and relevance of education. As in sectors like telecom and packaged goods, organizations will quickly expand into the hinterland to tap the large unmet demand. Easy loan/scholarship arrangements would ensure affordability and access. The only real structural reform in higher education was the creation of the institutes for technology and management. They were also given autonomy and freedom beyond that of the universities. However, in the last few years, determined efforts have been underway to curb their autonomy. These institutes, however, need freedom to decide on recruitment, salaries and admissions, so as to compete globally.

However, such institutes will be few. Therefore, we need a regulatory framework that will enable and encourage states and the centre, genuine philanthropists and also corporates to set up quality educational institutions. The regulatory system needs only to ensure transparency, accountability, competition and widely available independent assessments or ratings. It is time for radical thinking, bold experimentation and new structures; it is time for the government to bite the bullet.

1. Why, according to the author, did the initiatives such as increased industry-academia and finishing schools did not help to bridge the skill deficit?
A. These steps were only superficial remedies and the problem could be answered only by reforming the entire education system.
B. These initiatives operate on a profit-making basis rather than aiming at any serious systemic reforms.
C. The allocation of funds to such initiatives was only one-fourth of the need.

A. Only A
B. Only B
C. Only B and C
D. Only A and B
E. None of these

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2. Which of the following suggestions have been made by the author to improve the state of education in India?
A. Allowing the corporate organizations to enter the education sector.
B. Easy availability of loans and scholarships for making education more affordable.
C. A rating system for all the organizations to ensure quality.

A. Only A
B. Only A and B
C. Only A and C
D. All A, B and C
E. None of these

Show Correct Answers

3. According to the author, what ‘triggered a cyclone’ which saw similar views on the state of education being echoed across other sectors as well?

A. The campaign for allowing corporates in the education sector on a ‘for profit’ basis
B. The support for the increase in the industry academia interaction
C. The report mentioning that only a small percentage of graduates were employable in software industry
D. The report supporting the idea of making the education completely ‘for profit’ in order to improve upon the standards
E. None of these

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4. Which argument does the author put forward when he compares the education sector with sectors catering to health and potable water etc.?

A. Education should also be provided free of cost to all as health services and water.
B. Taking an example from these sectors, there should be a protest against thecommercialization of education as well
C. Allowing corporate entry in education would result in rampant corruption as in the sectorsof health and potable water etc.
D. As in these sectors, commercial organizations should also be allowed to enter the education sector
E. None of these

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5. What does the author mean by the phrase ‘we are not writing on a blank page’ in context of the passage?

A. Corporates would never enter education if they are forced to function on a non- profit making basis
B. The commercialization of education has already started in India
C. Education has been reduced to a pro􀃒t making sector by some corporate organizations
D. Government will not allow corporates to enter education as India can’t afford to havecostly education
E. None of these

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6. What is the author’s main objective in writing the passage?

A. To suggest the ways to improve quality of education in India
B. To highlight the corruption present in the education sector
C. To compare the education sector with other sectors
D. To suggest some temporary solutions to the problems in education
E. None of these

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7.According to the author, which of the following was the only step taken in order to reform the higher education?

A. Allowing organizations to enter the education sector on a ‘for profit’ basis
B. Creation of autonomous institutes for management and technology which were not under university control
C. Setting up the regulatory framework for all the existing universities
D. Making the availability of educational loans and scholarships easier
E. None of these

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9. Which of the following is not true in context of the given passage?

A. According to the law, education institutes should not be run for profit
B. There has been no protest against the selling of drinking water and paying for the health services
C. Only either corporate organizations or government controlled organizations can exist in theeducation sector
D. The introduction of ‘for profit’ corporates in the education sector has been facing a lot of criticism
E. All are true

Show Correct Answers

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Four Loko seemed (and was deemed) catastrophically bad for the health and safety of the American public. Then the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau decided to up the ante and approved Palcohol—the first powdered alcohol—on March 10, 2015.

Sound like a terrible idea? Palcohol addressed some of the main concerns circulating in the media, which you can read here.

So, in the spirit of powdered foods you never knew existed, lets take a look at 10 more you can sprinkle into your diet—for health benefits, not a buzz. Because aside from convenience, cooking, baking, or blending healthy food and drink powders are an excellent way to add nutrients. For example, foods like cricket powder, which are a great source of protein but aren’t standard in American diets (yet) are easily incorporated into more palatable foods, minimizing the scare factor while maximizing the benefits.


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Are we living in a multiverse? Eternal inflation, bubbles, and cosmic collisions

Wednesday, July 27 2011 - 12:00 pm, PDT
Anthony Aguirre
Department of Physics and Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics, UC Santa Cruz

About a decade ago, we completed an epochal transformation in the understanding of our cosmos, unraveling a broad and deep understanding of how the observable universe has evolved from a hot, dense state 13.7 billion years ago.  Yet a second, even bigger transformation may now be taking place, because this understanding points to a crucial early epoch of "inflationary" cosmic expansion, during which it expanded at a stupendous rate to create the vast amount of space we can observe.  But cosmologists are coming to believe that inflation may do much more: in many versions, inflation goes on forever, generating not just our observable universe but also infinitely many more such regions with similar or different properties, together forming a staggeringly complex and vast "multiverse".   Dr. Aguirre will trace the genesis of this idea, explore some of its implications, and discuss how cosmologists are currently seeking ways to empirically test this idea by actually searching for hints of other "universes".

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