text:
IMAGINE A MACHINE OF THE FUTURE that moves goods by the ton--by tens of thousands of tons--along specialized transportation corridors. Guided by computers, tracked by GPS and driven by powerful new engines, this revolutionary, high-tech vehicle slashes America's energy consumption and leaves the air cleaner than any mechanized transport before it. At a time when highways are clogged and fuel reserves are strained, it represents a miracle technology that arrives not a moment too soon. It's been under development for more than 200 years, yet it is the transportation of the future. Meet the freight train, reborn.
Railroading helped define development in the United States, but by the 1970s it seemed doomed to gradual decay and obsolescence. Today, it is a growth industry. "Railroads have led in innovation to a degree that people don't realize," says Gary Wolf, owner of Rail Sciences, a leading accident investigation firm. Railroads have helped pioneer computerized freight management, and have pushed the envelope on power, efficiency and mechanical ingenuity to move their cargo ever faster and more cheaply. Roughly 42 percent of all U.S. freight moves by train, some 5 billion ton-miles per day on 140,000 miles of track. Volume records have been set each of the past three years--partly because it takes about a third as much fuel to move a ton of freight by rail as by truck. The innovations being introduced in the next few years will overshadow those of the past, with some of the biggest changes coming in energy efficiency. That's an arena where railroads already trounce the competition--and where the nation is in serious need of problem-solving.
More From Popular Mechanics
FUEL EFFICIENCY COMES TOGETHER noisily under the roof of the 3.8-million-sq.-ft. General Electric factory in Erie, Pa., which is crawling with hundreds of electricians, welders, pipe fitters and helmeted supervisors toting clipboards. Pneumatic tools hiss and clatter as a crane arm lifts a massive locomotive assembly up and turns it over--manipulating 400,000 pounds of steel as if it were hollow tin. Once a crew has installed sensitive electronics on the undercarriage, the crane will deposit the 75-ft.-long, 16-ft.-high hulk of steel back onto the factory floor and the Evolution locomotive will have largely taken shape.
The Evolution is a smarter, faster locomotive, designed to meet EPA emissions requirements that came into effect in 2005. It features a new control system, a new 12-cylinder diesel engine (producing as much power as its predecessor's 16-cylinder powerplant) and a first-of-its-kind air-to-air cooling system that helps the engine burn more cleanly. It will consume at least 200,000 fewer gallons of fuel in its lifetime than previous goliaths of the rails.
While the Evolution is being built, engineers at GE are already working furiously on a prototype for a still more efficient locomotive, a high-horsepower hybrid that captures energy given off by its brakes, just like a hybrid car. In one sense, virtually all American freight locomotives are hybrids: Their diesel engines turn alternators that feed current to electric motors. Additionally, locomotives supplement their airbrakes with dynamic braking, which helps slow a train by converting the motion of its wheels into electric current. Normally, this electricity goes to waste. However, the hybrid locomotive will store and reuse the energy--once engineers figure out how to harness a flow of electricity that dwarfs anything normal batteries can handle. The battery array has to store about 1500 kilowatt-hours, enough to run 50 American households for a day.
Once it works, though, the process should pony up about 2000 hp. Engineers expect the technology to cut fuel usage and emissions 15 percent below the Evolution's level. "If you replace all locos in North America with our hybrid, you will save half a billion dollars per year just in fuel," says the hybrid's project manager, Gagan Sood.
The planned locomotive won't be the first hybrid model. In 2002, Canada's RailPower Industries introduced the Green Goat, a low-horsepower machine, for use in switching cars at railyards. That's hurry-up-and-wait work that involves hours spent idling and, for most locomotives, belching clouds of nitrogen-oxide-laden exhaust that dirties the air and promotes acid rain. The Green Goat draws 85 percent of its energy from a 1200-ampere-hour battery made up of 336 2-volt cells; the locomotive produces just 10 to 20 percent of the NOx emissions of its pure diesel counterparts. It's already in wide use in the United States.
EVERY DAY, FIVE OR SIX cargo ships too massive to navigate the Panama Canal dock in Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif. Each ship is packed with goods from Asia--tea bags and teddy bears and socks and shovels jammed into as many as 6000 containers, which are unloaded by $7 million cranes that can barely keep up with the workload. Most of these intermodal containers, which by definition can be loaded onto trucks or trains, depart the ports by rail to rumble on to destinations across the country. This freight is transforming the American railroad industry. The volume is increasing--the all-time weekly freight record was broken repeatedly in 2005--and disruptions can be disastrous. A 10-day lockout at West Coast ports in 2002 left more than 200 ships waiting to unload in port and out at sea.
The railroads' biggest job used to be point-to-point transport, such as taking coal or grain from the spot where it was produced to a power plant or port. It was only about two years ago that intermodal transportation became a bigger moneymaker. The growing traffic means that railroads need to move more goods in America's most heavily populated corridors. Unfortunately, adding new tracks costs around $1 million per mile--where it's feasible at all.
"The freight industry is like the electrical industry," says Rob Hoffman, a transportation analyst for World Business Chicago. "Nobody notices it until it inconveniences them. But when it shuts down, you see how quickly your supermarket empties." The simplest way to add capacity is to pack more cargo on each train--and the railroads have been doing that aggressively. The good news: It works. Today's double-stacked, 7000-ft. trains carry loads that far outstrip the cargoes of the past. The bad news: It's still not enough. Adding the needed capacity from now on won't require more brawn, but brain.
Click here to download a FREE pdf of GE's hybrid concept locomotive.
THE COUNTRY'S RAILS BUZZ with coal trains, high-speed intermodal trains, "manifest" freight trains that make frequent stops, and more--as many as 2000 trains at a time on each of the biggest companies' systems. Dispatchers monitor the traffic using two-way radios, gallons of coffee, and a cobbled-together mix of remote sensors, specialized software and stubby pencils. They must continually adjust train speeds and routing in light of endless variables, including track conditions, train maintenance needs, weather, cargo priorities and delays at crossings. The job is made tougher by the fact that up to 40 percent of the freight track in the United States remains unsignaled, or "dark." Dispatchers must space the trains far enough apart, and keep them moving slowly enough, to leave ample room for error.
"One way to add capacity is to optimize the traffic," says Prat Kumar of GE Rail Solutions, an incubator for new technologies. That means more trains moving faster over the same length of track. The company is one of several developing a computerized "movement planning" system that can automatically fine-tune schedules--taking much of the problem-solving burden off the shoulders of dispatchers. GE's system, which is now being tested in Georgia by Norfolk Southern, continually projects 8 hours into the future, revising its plan every 5 minutes. The experiment is being watched closely. Such systems have been tried before but, according to executives at other railroads, no system to date has successfully handled the ever-changing variables reliably and safely.
Positive train control (PTC), a related technology, can streamline the flow of information among crews and dispatchers. On most lines, engineers still use voice communications to get permission from a dispatcher to proceed--and they rely on their own eyes to tell if a shopping cart or stalled car spells disaster ahead. PTC provides instant updates on traffic, alerts on rail breaks and warnings about upcoming signal changes. It can even stop a locomotive from afar if a crew is incapacitated--or just missing. (It happens: In 2001, CSX employee Jon Hosfeld jumped aboard a runaway freight train to shut it down, but not before the train, carrying toxic chemicals, had barreled unmanned across northwestern Ohio for 2 hours after an engineer inadvertently engaged the throttle while getting off.)
Siemens is now installing a combination PTC, movement planner, operations center and automated security system throughout the New York City subway system. General Electric's own version of PTC has been in use on 71 miles of Amtrak line in the Midwest since 2002. However, while PTC is cheaper than the older system of signals when new track is being laid, retrofitting existing lines is expensive. A nationwide rollout would cost $2 billion to $10 billion, according to the Association of American Railroads. Movement planning systems would be expensive, too, yet manufacturers such as General Electric say that such improvements can pay for themselves quickly. "We project that [our movement planning software] will be able to improve average velocity 2 to 4 mph," raising productivity sharply, Kumar says. "For a large railroad, 1 mile per hour equals up to $250 million each year."
Click here to download a FREE pdf of what the Future Train will do.
FOR ANY DISPATCH SYSTEM to work, someone at headquarters needs to know where the trains are. Automatic Equipment Identification (AEI) tags have been mandatory on all freight cars since 1995. When a car passes one of the thousands of sensors positioned along much of America's mainline track, its location is transmitted to a tracking computer. (Additional monitors trackside scan wheels for defects and "listen" for signs of other mechanical troubles given off by passing trains.)
Positive train control, in contrast, requires constant, precise monitoring of each train's location, and so it relies heavily on an enhanced version of the Global Positioning System. "It's one thing to put GPS on golf carts," says Gary Wolf of Rail Sciences. "Nobody's going to be killed if your golf cart is off by a few yards. If you don't know exactly where your train is--on which track and in which direction it's going--you're looking at a potential catastrophe." The railroad industry is banking on differential GPS, which employs ground stations as well as the familiar network of satellites. Under ideal conditions, the technology can provide data that is accurate to within inches.
By mid-2005, Alaska Railroad had equipped its fleet of 62 locomotives with GPS, allowing it to keep an eye on all its trains and bringing light to the state's vast dark territory, where geography and distance make signaling and electrification nearly impossible.
Many specialized railcars throughout the country already are outfitted with GPS so that shippers can follow the position of delicate loads such as hazardous chemicals and perishables riding in refrigerated cars. Additionally, a company called Lat-Lon offers solar-powered, GPS-enabled RailRider units that can monitor the temperature of a load, shocks and accelerations, internal pressure, bearing temperatures and more. If it detects an "event," the RailRider sends both the location and the relevant data to a designated dispatch center. Lat-Lon currently monitors 2400 refrigerated cars, plus a number of hazmat tank cars that are outfitted with sensors to detect the release of agents such as chlorine gas.
IT WAS SHORTLY BEFORE 2 PM on June 10, 2005, when the engineer of an Amtrak train bound for Seattle abruptly sat up in his seat near Kelso, Wash. A truck carrying welding fuel--owned, ironically, by the Burlington North Santa Fe Railway--was parked by the tracks, and the engineer knew immediately that there wasn't room to pass. He slammed on the brakes, but a train traveling 57 mph, as his was, has no chance of averting a collision with anything the engineer can see. The train struck the unoccupied truck, which burst into flames. (One person, a passenger, suffered minor injuries.)
"If you can see it, it's gone," says Bryan McLaughlin of New York Air Brake, a leading manufacturer. "All you're doing [by applying the brakes] is making the cleanup easier."
Railroads have to do better if they are going to dramatically increase the number of trains riding the rails--and there is a better way to stop. Today's airbrakes rely on a long pipe that "charges" each train car's brakes with air. To slow the train, the engineer releases air from the front; the air moves sequentially from car to car, triggering the valves to open and to apply pressure to the brake shoes. The process takes up to a second per car--and some trains have 150 cars.
New York Air Brake is one of several companies that offer electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes, which change the brake pipe's role. The pipe still charges the cars' brakes, but the valves are activated electronically, via a pair of wires. By letting engineers apply all the brakes simultaneously, the technology can slash stopping distances--by nearly 70 percent in some cases.
Unfortunately, implementing ECP will be a major challenge. The locomotive and all cars on a train must be outfitted with ECP; if even a single car lacks the hardware, the chain is broken and cars behind it will be unable to brake (although a crude work-around is possible). Since cars are continually swapped among trains, companies will have to convert much of North America's fleet of 1.5 million railcars at the same time. So far, only Quebec Cartier Mining in Canada and South Africa's Spoornet, also a mining outfit, are using ECP in day-to-day operations. The technology is a natural fit for those companies because they rely on unit trains--the cars are never switched, but simply move from point to point and back again.
WITH SO MANY functions getting high-tech makeovers, what's to stop the railroads from building fully automated trains? After all, some airplanes already can take off, fly long distances and land without the assistance of pilots. In fact, remote control locomotives (RCL) are at work in a limited role: switching cars in railyards. This is a dangerous job. Before remote control, yard workers coordinated by radio with an engineer in the cab--and everyone sweated to ensure that no miscommunication led to someone getting crushed. In the new system, the workers doing the switching operate the locomotives themselves, using wearable remote-control units.
The Federal Railroad Administration has begun allowing remote operation, under strict rules, on certain sections of open track. However, there may be too many grade crossings and stretches of dark, unsignaled territory throughout the country to make the technology widespread.
Perhaps that's a good thing. America's rails are destined to become more crowded, with powerful locomotives roaring along hauling the longest, heaviest loads anyone has ever seen. The next generation of trains will help drive the nation's business while combating energy short-ages. Their sophisticated new technology will be welcome--but it's comforting to know a human will still be at the controls.


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Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are becoming a common trend on our blog lately, and that's okay because it's a very serious issue for every website owner. Today I want to talk about a large DDoS attack that leveraged thousands of unsuspecting WordPress websites as indirect source amplification vectors.
Any WordPress site with pingback enabled (which is on by default) can be used in DDOS attacks against other sites. Note that XMLRPC is used for pingbacks, trackbacks, remote access via mobile devices and many other features you're likely very fond of. But, it can also be heavily misused like what we are seeing.
The Story
It all happened against a popular WordPress site that had gone down for many hours due to a DDoS. As the attack increased in size, their host shut them down and then they decided to ask for help. They subscribed to our Website Firewall.
Once the DNS was ported over, we were able to see what was going on. It was a large HTTP-based (layer 7) distributed flood attack, sending hundreds of requests per second to their server. The requests looked like this:
220.127.116.11 - - [09/Mar/2014:11:05:27 -0400] "GET /?4137049=6431829 HTTP/1.0" 403 0 "-" "WordPress/3.8; http://www.mtbgearreview.com" 18.104.22.168 - - [09/Mar/2014:11:05:27 -0400] "GET /?4758117=5073922 HTTP/1.0" 403 0 "-" "WordPress/3.4.2; http://www.kschunvmo.com" 188.8.131.52 - - [09/Mar/2014:11:05:27 -0400] "GET /?7190851=6824134 HTTP/1.0" 403 0 "-" "WordPress/3.8.1; http://www.intoxzone.fr" 184.108.40.206 - - [09/Mar/2014:11:05:27 -0400] "GET /?3162504=9747583 HTTP/1.0" 403 0 "-" "WordPress/2.9.2; http://www.verwaltungmodern.de" ..
If you notice, all queries had a random value (like "?4137049=643182") that bypassed their cache and force a full page reload every single time. It was killing their server pretty quickly.
But the most interesting part is that all the requests were coming from valid and legitimate WordPress sites. Yes, other WordPress sites were sending that random requests at a very large scale and bringing the site down.
WordPress Insecure Default Option = Very Large Botnet
Just in the course of a few hours, over 162,000 different and legitimate WordPress sites tried to attack his site. We would likely have detected a lot more sites, but we decided we had seen enough and blocked the requests at the edge firewall, mostly to avoid filling the logs with junk.
Can you see how powerful this can be? One attacker can use thousands of popular and clean WordPress sites to perform their DDOS attack while being hidden in the shadows. That all happens with a simple pingback request to the XML-RPC file:
$ curl -D - "www.anywordpresssite.com/xmlrpc.php" -d '<methodCall><methodName>pingback.ping</methodName><params><param><value><string>http://victim.com</string></value></param><param><value><string>www.anywordpresssite.com/postchosen</string></value></param></params></methodCall>'
Yes, that simple command on Linux can start it all.
Is Your Site Attacking Others?
It might be, and you could have no idea. To verify, look through your logs for any POST requests to the XML-RPC file, similar to the one below. If you see a pingback to a random URL, you know your site is being abused.
184.108.40.206 - - [09/Mar/2014:20:11:34 -0400] "POST /xmlrpc.php HTTP/1.0" 403 4034 "-" "-" "POSTREQUEST:<?xml version=x221.0x22 encoding=x22iso-8859-1x22?>x0A<methodCall>x0A<methodName>pingback.ping</methodName>x0A<params>x0A <param>x0A <value>x0A <string>http://fastbet99.com/?1698491=8940641</string>x0A </value>x0A </param>x0A <param>x0A <value>x0A <string>yoursite.com</string>x0A </value>x0A </param>x0A</params>x0A</methodCall>x0A" 126.96.36.199 – - [09/Mar/2014:23:21:01 -0400] "POST /xmlrpc.php HTTP/1.0" 403 4034 "-" "-" "POSTREQUEST:x0Ax0Apingback.pingx0Ax0Ax0A x0A http://www.guttercleanerlondon.co.uk/?7964015=3863899x0A x0A x0Ax0A x0A yoursite.comx0A x0A x0Ax0Ax0A"
In these cases someone tried to use one of our honeypots to DDoS fastbet99.com and guttercleanerlondon.co.uk (we don't know or service these websites).
Prevent XML-RPC Abuse
To stop your WordPress website from being misused, you will need to disable the XML-RPC (pingback) functionality on your site.
You can do this by removing the file, xmlrpc.php, or you can disable notifications in your settings. The biggest challenge you'll find with removing the file is that on an update it'll come right back, annoying, I know. Some preliminary tests are showing that we're able to bypass the disable notification setting but we are still investigating.
Update: A better way to block it is by creating a plugin that adds the following filter:
add_filter( 'xmlrpc_methods', function( $methods ) {
unset( $methods['pingback.ping'] );
return $methods;
} );
This is a well known issue within WordPress and the core team is aware of it. It's not something that will be patched though. In many cases this same issue is categorized as a feature, one that many plugins use, so in therein lies the dilemma.
Online Tool to Check if Your Site Was Misused
Because of how prevalent an issue this is becoming, we've put together a little scanner that will check if your website has shown up in our logs. This scanner is only looking to see if your site has used to attack anyone within our network.
Use our WordPress DDOS Scanner to check if your site is DDOS'ing other websites.
Try it out and do your part to make the Internet a safer place for everyone.

subset: commoncrawl


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This is the Eighth of a series, an introduction is found in First Resonance.
The cycle of the seven Resonances
the First Group:
The Magician The Ability to Focus on the Now
The High Priestess The Depth of Memory;
The Empress Visualize the Future
The Emperor Logic and Perception, Activation
The Heirophant: Intuition, the Inner Authority
The Lovers: The Dynamic Balance between the Aspects of Being
Chariot: The Containment of all of these things; the Sacred Circle
These "tones" of the Major Arcana are augmented with the Second Group:
Strength the tools of Consciousness
The Hermit The Action of Consciousness
The Wheel of Fortune The Patterns of Existence
Justice Karma
The Hanged Man The Suspension of Consciousness
Death the Evolution of Consciousness
Temperance The Art of Being
The Third Group of seven are:
The Devil Inversion, Humor and Stagnation
The Tower Realization and it's Consequences
The Star Meditation as a way of perception
The Moon One's Life Path
The Sun Stretching beyond One's Limitation
Judgment Amalgamation of the Self
The Universe All things perceivable and Beyond
Each of the Major Arcana is complex
simple definitions alludes to a shallow view of them.
In truth, each card represents concepts best described in stories.
For example,
the Lovers Card
is often illustrated by the story of Perseus and Andromeda
(the more recent movie "Clash of the Titans"
actually changes the ancient story with a very different outcome).
Each step of the story is a description of the alchemical formula
to Unite the Self: the Sacred Marriage of One's Being.
Knowing that One could argue each card is a mix of various "tones",
each describing an aspect of the self in detail.
However, to describe the Resonances,
let us consider each of the Major Arcana as a Unique Tone unto itself.
In the Second Resonance,
the three tones are The High Priestess, The Hermit and The Tower.
These three tones form a Resonance or chord of concepts.
When played together,
they describe a mode of being.
In this case the High Priestess
helps us recall our personal experience as well as the lore
of both people and our planet.
This Knowledge base is harnessed by The Hermit
(Consciousness set into Action: the Hand of God).
Note: The Hermit acts independently from the crowd, influence from movements,
culture and other Human perspectives do not recruit him;
thus the Hermit is "independent" in his actions.
Finally: the third tone is The Tower.
Action inspires re-action and brings Realization:
This pulls together everything before it and provides
a better perspective of the world One lives in.
It implies such lessons like "don't build huge structures on sand"
which applies to metaphorical scenarios
and physical situations.
It also demonstrates what happens when you build a structure on a bedrock of lies;
hence the card's relation to Peh
(the Hebrew letter related to "the mouth").
When viewed together,
this and the other Resonances or Chords
teach us valuable lessons about how to live,
it weeds out unnecessary, unwanted and self destructive patterns.
When viewed this way it is the Foundation of Ethics:
How One Lives.
In the Second Resonance,
we learn the importance of making Truth a way of life,
how telling and living lies will undermine everything you do,
turn others against you and pull the material world over your head.
Resonance offers a solution to the problem and provides a Way of Being
which will avoid such problems,
offering growth and development.
Knowing the History and Lore (the High Priestess)
gives you a guideline of what others have done and the consequences which follow.
Walking the Path of these lessons places you on a narrow,
yet extremity long and full-fulling journey of life.
Nothing is without it's pitfalls,
thus The Tower continually reminds One of short sightedness
and destroys preconceptions that are erroneous,
providing us with a new start to re-build a stronger perspective,
closer to the Truth.
This resonance holds all three together into one triad,
each supporting the other.
When studying the series,
it is best to take them in sequence: One's Self being the Fool in this journey of life,
taking them one at a time we master lessons and benefit from them.
Once One understands the concepts and set them into motion in life,
we discover they are being presented all at once or in clusters
and to Come Correct is as natural step forward.
I encourage you to set the cards in the Grand Spread
and review each of the Seven Resonances
see how each of these Card Combinations revel The Truth.
As many of you know,
I make these as Amulets
worn singularly or in combinations.
See more of Three dimensional Tarot Deck
The Tarot Casters
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin
More Tarot Amulets may be seen on my Wearable Tarot Page


text:
Your self-image has a lot to do with how you feel about your appearance — and particularly your smile. If you are unhappy with the way you look, cosmetic dentistry may be the answer to your problems.
- What do we mean by cosmetic dentistry? The word "cosmetic" refers to beneficial changes in appearance. Thus cosmetic dentistry is all dental work that restores or improves a person's appearance.
- What is a cosmetic dentist? Every dentist learns to do procedures in a way that conserves or improves a patient's appearance. Some dentists continue to study and specialize in procedures that are done specifically for the purpose of enhancing a person's appearance.
- What is a smile analysis? The first step to improving your smile, this analysis involves a study of all the elements of your smile — teeth appearance and alignment, gums, jaws — and also your facial features and how they all fit together.
- How can I choose the right cosmetic dentist? Ask your dentist about his or her training and experience. Ask for photos of previous work. You may need to select more than one person, working as a team to take best advantage of each one's experience, skills, and training.
- What can be done to improve a smile using 21st century techniques? We are fortunate to live in times in which numerous options are available. These include making teeth whiter; altering their size, shape, balance, color, and alignment; filling in parts of teeth that are missing because of decay or injury; and even replacing teeth that are missing entirely.
- How can chipped or discolored front teeth be restored? This can often be done by bonding with composite resin.
- How can damaged back teeth be restored? Back teeth with cavities or traumatic injuries can now be repaired with non-metallic tooth-colored material that bonds to the tooth substance.
- What techniques can be used to correct more severe problems? Porcelain veneers, thin layers of porcelain material, can be used to change the appearance of misshapen or undersized teeth. Porcelain crowns can be used to replace the part of the tooth that rises above the gums.
- How can we change the position of teeth that do not meet together well? Orthodontists are dentists who specialize in correcting malocclusions (bad bites). They use traditional braces or clear aligners to move teeth into more attractive and functional positions.
- What if some teeth are missing? A dental implant replaces the root of a missing tooth. A porcelain crown that looks just like a natural tooth can then be connected to the implant.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment to discuss your questions about cosmetic dentistry. You can also learn more by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article "Cosmetic Dentistry: A time for change."


text:
Yes, a balance statement is emailed at the beginning of every calendar year. You can request your loan balance at any time.
Show All Answers
On June 1, 2020, Council approved the roll-out of a city-wide E-bike Program for residents with the goal of promoting active transportation, community wellbeing and reducing GhG emissions. The E-Bike program aligns with the Province's active transportation strategy titled "Move. Commute. Connect." that aims to build a cleaner greener future for all British Columbians.
Step One
Apply online. Upon approval, you will receive;
This stage can take up to one week. (We will accept retro-active invoices from June 1, 2020).
Step Two
Purchase the bike(s) (accessories) - This is the preferred method, upfront purchase/reimbursement
Step Three
Once you have purchased the bike(s), you will get reimbursed by submitting;
Once the above documents have been received, a cheque will be issued to you (On the Reimbursement form you will indicate whether you wish to pick the cheque up or have it mailed to you).
Usually, a day or two, but it can take up to one week.
Nelson residents who own and live in their homes.
The City of Nelson needs to secure the loan, and there is no system in place in the case of default for renters.
The City of Nelson cannot loan funds to non-residents. The E-Bike program is administered by Nelson Hydro but it is a City of Nelson tax payer supported program.
A cheque in the applicant's name will be issued and in the reimbursement stage, you indicate whether you would prefer to pick it up or have it mailed to you.
It can take up to approximately 10 days to be reimbursed.
The preferred method is to buy the equipment up front and then you will be reimbursed. If this is not an option for you, please email the program manager to make alternate arrangements.
Program Manager: email@example.com
Yes, but in the event, you are not approved you will need to fund the purchase with your own means. (We will accept retro-active invoices from June 1, 2020).
Your Nelson Hydro account must be in good standing and you must own a home within the City limits of Nelson. We review your previous 12-24 months, and if there are several late payments or notices or actual disconnections then your application may not be approved.
Yes, you can apply once your payment history has improved, and we suggest the auto-withdrawal and/or the equalized payment option.
Any payment that you make on your Nelson Hydro bill will go first; to the repayment of the loan, and second to the electrical consumption portion, if you default on your electrical consumption collection procedures may go into effect.
Electric bikes, non-electric bikes, used bikes, and do-it-yourself conversion kits that will be used for commuting. It doesn't have to be a 'commuter' style of bike, so long as you understand that the objective is to reduce GHG emissions by promoting active transportation.
There is no way for us to know this, so we are instituting the honour system and hope that the loan helps you to reduce the time you spend in your non-electric vehicle.
No, we have waived our usual $100 processing fee for on-bill financing.
The Participant may repay all or any part of the loan balance at any time.
PST Exemption
Scrap-It Program
Cargo E-Bike


text:
Do Not Go Lamely Into That Good NightBy Gary Socquet
November 21, 2011
A few years ago, right around this time, in fact, a friend of mine drowned. It was as terrible a day for those who cared about him as you would imagine. I won't get into the details of his death or the hours spent that afternoon, frantically at first, then solemnly, trying to find him, or recover his body: that too was as awful as you think. He was a funny, cheerful, fundamentally goofy guy, quick to laugh, especially at his own folly. That's how I remember him, and so in that spirit, I want to talk about something else.
At work two days after it happened, a coworker overheard me telling my friend Chris about it, and she said, "I've heard drowning is the best way to go. Very peaceful."
I had no immediate reaction to that statement: in a sense I was far away and barely heard her, for one thing, but for another, I don't tend to jump on inane comments right away because my inner voice is too busy tossing it around: Did she really just say that? What the fuck does that mean? Why do people say shit like that? Heard from whom? Is she communing with the souls of the dead, polling them on their particular death experiences? Even if she does have access to the dead, what can they really tell her? None of them have any frame of reference for comparison. It's not like the guy who was shot in the head has any basis for believing he had it worse than the guy who was burned alive. Seriously, what the fuck?
Seriously, this is what was going on in my head, and by the time that monologue came to a close, my coworker had walked away so I couldn't ask her. Probably for the best, she would have misunderstood and gotten all butt-hurt. Is there a word for the way people who actually believe the nonsense they pull out of their asses get bent out of shape when you call them on it? I'm drawing a blank.
But I don't want to be mean: I want to be better than that. And so I decided to take what she offered and make something of it, and here's what I came up with: my Top Ten Ways to Go. And if you're reading this and you happen to actually be dead, don't bother telling me I got it all wrong: life is for the living, gang, and you had your chance.
Number 10: Extreme old age
This is actually a Woody Allen joke, but I'm going to steal it because, in my forty-plus years on the planet, I have yet to encounter as many as five people who have seen that movie, and I'm only outing myself as a poacher as a courtesy to the memory of Woody when he was, you know, good. This way-to-go comes with a big caveat: it only applies when facing execution and being given the choice of how you want to die (does not apply to firing squads – see below), i.e., if you're on death row in, say, Texas or Georgia – although, would you really want to grow old in either of those places? Personally, I would rather not.
Number 9: Any death that is so uncanny people are still talking about it years later
Houdini got punched in the stomach (bad timing, poor communication: the word "No" can sound a lot like "Now" when you have a bit of a Hungarian accent), Isadora Duncan was dragged out of a moving car when her signature scarf got tangled in the car's wheels (allegedly her chauffeur thought she was doing an interpretive dance), Steve Irwin managed to prove his point about the precision with which a stingray can strike (Crikey, mate!), Elvis died on the can (crap). I'll remember you all, always.
Number 8: Firing squad
Yeah, I said it. Look, if you find yourself standing in front of a firing squad, chances are you did something notoriously cool to get there. So pat yourself on the back, smoke one last Gauloises, and tell 'em to stick that blindfold up their fat fascist asses, cuz you're the kind of dude who wants to see it coming. Fuck yeah.
Number 7: Bacon coma
Do I need to explain this? You eat bacon, and it makes you happy, so you keep eating bacon, and your body is so thoroughly overjoyed by this bounty of awesomeness that it just stops: because it knows there will never be a day that's better than this. If you're in a hurry, go with the bacon appetizer at Peter Luger's Steakhouse: it'll cost you a little more, but it will get the job done fast, and you'll be dead anyway, so what are you holding onto your money for?
Number 6: On a high note
I used to have these fantasies when I was a kid, before my favorite team, the Red Sox, had won a championship in my lifetime. I pictured myself digging in against a quintessentially great post-season pitcher like Orel Hershiser or Jack Morris, it's the seventh game of the World Series, bottom of the ninth, two outs, we're down by a run and the slowest, fattest guy to ever step on a diamond is our runner at first (we've blown through our whole roster playing catch-up since the second inning, because we're the Red Sox and we've made a legacy out of shitting in our own hats), but no worries, because I take an 0-2 pitch in on my hands and muscle it up and over the Green Monster and, for the first time since 1918, the SOX ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS! I round the bases as the stands collapse under the weight of drunken, blissful tears, and as my toe touches homeplate and my teammates mob me, zing, I'm dead. And, as any Red Sox fan will tell you, I go straight to heaven (God, it turns out, fucking hates the Yankees, as he should). These days of course the Red Sox win all the time, so if I want to go out on this particular high note, I'm going to have to move to someplace like Cleveland or Milwaukee. If that's the case, I think I'd rather just die some regular crappy way.
Number 5: Wearing clean underwear
I say this in part to satisfy my mom's gravest lifelong concern, but also because wouldn't it be pretty fantastic to be the first person in the history of undergarments to actually show up at the morgue in pristine undies? That would be one for the books, people.
Number 4: Laughing
Last week I was at the bar with my friends Chili and Smurfette, and as our waitress was walking away (Smurfette and I both kind of have a thing for her, but not Chili, because he's Smurfette's boyfriend, and he only has a thing for Smurfette because he's not an idiot) I said, "Gosh, she's so great, always so nice to me and stuff. Still, she'd never go out with me," to which Smurfette replied, "Actually, I bet she would, she has terrible taste in men." Smurfette gets on a roll every once in a while, and for days at a time the things that come out of her mouth that she intends to sound like encouragement actually sound like insults – just exactly like insults, and the only way you know they're not insults is that she immediately dies laughing. Each time it happens I believe for a few seconds that she actually is dead because her eyes get very big like she's looking into a not too distant light and she loses the power of speech. It's like she's having a caustic wit-induced stroke. I don't want Smurfette to ever die, but I wouldn't mind going out that way.
Number 3: In clown makeup
This is mostly for the sake of the first responders who find you. Think about their lives, climbing six flights of stairs to dirty, cramped apartments where they bag and tag stiffs who've been left to air out for three or four days before somebody realizes that's not bad Indian food they're smelling. They open the door, and there you are in suspenders and giant clown shoes, your face all made up in a big sloppy grin, red ball on your nose, spray seltzer bottle still clutched in your lifeless hand. Remember the clown's credo: Always leave 'em laughing.
Number 2: Fulfilling a promise
Say you're dating someone you know has one foot out the door, and you say, "I don't know what I'd do if you ever left me – I'd probably die." And of course she leaves, and then you die. Imagine the possibilities. Your mother would spit in her face. All your friends would hate her. They'd run into her on the street and be like, "Hey, have you seen Steve? Oh, wait, that's right, he'd dead. He died because you left him." Revenge is a dish best served at my wake.
And the Number 1 Way to Go: Fucked to death
Obviously. Don't get me wrong, though, I'm not saying you have a heart attack or the other person inadvertently chokes you out. No, you're just fucking, and it's the best fucking two people have ever – ever – engaged in, and you both do your thing, and the second it's over, you die. It's essential, though, that only one of you dies, because the other one has to walk the earth telling your story. Your legend must not die with you in that Motel 6.
Tune in next time when I'll be offering up my Top Ten Ways Not To Go. Some of you are going to want to pay very close attention to that list.


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We're a software boutique focusing on great customer experience, mentoring, and innovative solutions within the Microsoft .NET Platform. Our main focus is on ASP.NET, Windows Azure, and the MS Web Platform.
Want to learn more on how we can work together? Drop us a line.
We give back to the development community via our open source software.
Whether it's one or one thousand, we love to share our knowledge developers.
We always have some insights and commentary with regards to technology, software, and the business of software.


text:
Big Top Bouncies
Everything Your Party Needs Under One Big Top - Big Top Bouncies
Big Top Bouncies can help with your event or party needs! We are committed to safety and customer service so that you can have fun and enjoy the party! We specialize in Bounce House Rentals and Water Slide Rentals. Get everything you need under one BIG TOP, from Big Top Bouncies. We have everything you need to host large events, home parties, corporate events and church events.
We proudly serve Corsicana and surrounding areas with our awesome inflatables. Find us online and book 24 hours a day only at Big Top Bouncies
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Things to do in Dawson, TX
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text:
Time Proven Methods For Healthier, Whiter Teeth
You will not find a better collection of teeth whitening tips elsewhere, so stop searching and read what we have to give you. Everything in this article is free for you to use and provided by experts in the subject that want to make sure everybody has a beautiful smile.
A great and easy at home tip is the use of an orange and lemon peels. Take the peel of a lemon or an orange and rub their inner white side against your teeth. Rub all your teeth gently and you will immediately notice a difference. If you want increased whitening, just add a bit of ordinary salt to the peels and then rub over your teeth.
In order to achieve pearly white teeth it is important to stay away from tobacco. Aside from the health side effects of smoking tobacco, another side effect that it does is that it makes your teeth turn yellow. This effect does not happen instantly and it only shows after long term tobacco use.
One of the simplest things that you can do in order to get pearly white teeth is to have a healthy lifestyle. Avoid drinks that are high in caffeine because these drinks tend to stain our teeth. Another thing that you should avoid is smoking, because this causes teeth discoloration as well.
Drink with a straw. Many beverages can stain your teeth. To keep this from happening, try drinking with a straw. The liquid will bypass your teeth for the most part. Your teeth are still in danger of becoming strained or discolored. Drinking through a straw just lessens the likelihood of that happening.
Many people do not realize that strawberries are very good for your dental health. Do not just rely on eating them. Daily use them to rub your teeth, and you will notice a great whitening effect produced by the strawberries rubbing your teeth. Try it, and you will not be disappointed.
Remember to floss and brush your teeth each day. This should be done at least twice a day. Normal brushing and flossing every day will prevent the build up of bacteria and plaque, which can cause discoloration of the teeth. Be sure to use a gum massager as well for plaque removal.
Practice good oral hygiene to whiten your teeth and keep your smile bright. Brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly to remove food particles that become trapped between them. Taking good care of your teeth is one of the best ways to keep them clean, white and healthy for years to come.
If any whitening products have irritated your gums or bothered your teeth in any way, it is vital that you see your dentist as soon as you can. Sometimes whitening products can irritate a person's mouth and in rare cases, they could even cause an infection which needs immediate treatment.
To summarize, it is pretty basic to keep your teeth white as long as you just follow the guidance that we have provided here for you. Hopefully, this will give you a positive outlook on how you can improve your own teeth and look as beautiful as you were meant to.


text: In article <1992Nov6.141029.17085 at gserv1.dl.ac.uk> , ZANDE at RUGR86.RUG.nl writes: >You can subscribe to a RAPD newsgroup by sending the command > >subscribe RAPD-L <your name> to listserv at buyvm > Are you sure this is the correct address? When I try to subscribe, my mail is sent back because the host "buyvm" doesn't exist. Kathie Hodge kh11 at cornell.edu


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Last Saturday was my "Chocolate Confessional" show on Food Network, and I wanted to share all four of the recipes here since Valentine's Day is…well, two days away!
I love each and every one of these treats.
Chocolate Pie. Chocolate pie doesn't get any better than this. Serve it plain and unadorned or piled high with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, and sprinkles. Super easy and always a hit.
Chocolate Valentine Cookies. Have some fun with these! I do a powdered sugar stencil, but I also love a pink buttercream or melted white chocolate piped in pretty designs. The perfect way to say "I love you."
Chocolate Fondue. Oh, yes. Serve it with dried fruit, fresh fruit, cubes of angel food or pound cake. Just serve it. Your friends will never leave! (Whether or not this is a good thing is up to you to decide.)
And yes—don't adjust your screens. Chocolate Covered Potato Chips are exactly what you're looking at. Try them…just once! Use chocolate almond bark or a fine French chocolate, whatever your poison.


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Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc. will build a new corporate headquarters and laboratory complex in Kendall Square, adding to a biotech building boom that is rapidly filling that part of Cambridge with jobs and modern buildings.
The company, which recently won federal approval for its first major drug, will occupy most of two five-story buildings to be built on Binney Street by Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc.
The new offices will allow Ariad to consolidate its operations and usher in an era of expansion following the launch of Iclusig, which won Food and Drug Administration approval last month as a treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia. The company is awaiting approval in Europe, too.
Ariad's workforce has more than doubled to about 300 employees since the start of 2012, and the company expects to add at least 100 jobs in Cambridge over the next two years.
Ariad's buildings will be part of a larger complex called Alexandria Center at Kendall Square , a 1.9-million-square-foot development that will eventually include four office and lab buildings, residences, stores, and restaurants.
Tom Andrews, an Alexandria Real Estate executive, said the project will bring new life to vacant lots along the eastern end of Binney Street and upgrade the area with bike paths, a public park, and fresher landscaping.
"These improvements will really transform that corner of Kendall Square," Andrews said, adding that the Ariad buildings, to include at least one restaurant or retail shop, are scheduled to be completed in early 2015. The company has signed a 15-year lease to occupy about 60 percent of the 386,000-square-foot buildings at 75 and 125 Binney St.; much of the remainder will be available for lease by other technology or life sciences companies.
Several biotechnology companies are also moving forward with new office and laboratory complexes, including Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Biogen Idec, which will occupy another building under construction at Alexandria Center.
The rush of building activity is being fueled by the discovery of drugs to treat neurological disorders and chronic diseases such as cancer, ALS, and diabetes.
Ariad is working out of two buildings in the University Park development in Cambridge. Its founder and chief executive, Harvey J. Berger, said he is looking forward to consolidating them in Kendall Square in 2015.
The new headquarters, designed by the architecture firm Payette, will feature glass terraces adjoining the buildings and textured panels and windows that will alternate in a manner to evoke DNA patterns. The complex will house Ariad's chemistry, biology, and pharmacology labs, as well as sales, marketing, and finance operations.
"It will be designed to foster collaboration between scientists and commercial folks," Berger said. "It doesn't matter what department you're in. There will be elegant collaboration space."
That space will include common areas where employees can work together on laptops and teleconferencing rooms where they can interact with colleagues at the company's offices in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Berger said Ariad limited its search to Cambridge, considering University Park and other sites before settling on Alexandria Center.
"It's all about being in the Cambridge scientific environment," he said. "That's where our roots are. We've been in Cambridge from day one. We gave no consideration to being in Boston."
Berger said the company's job growth in Cambridge will boost its worldwide payroll to about 500.
Casey Ross can be reached at email@example.com. Robert Weisman can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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My Favoritest Bushism
Of all the silly (and, at this point, pretty cliche) George W. Bushisms—his malapropisms, his infamous stumbles in syntax—one stands out for me as my absolute favorite. It's a surreal delight:
People say, 'How can I help on this war against terror? How can I fight evil?' You can do so by mentoring a child; by going into a shut-in's house and say I love you.
-Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2002
It's just so magically strange. The image of walking into a shut-in's house and whispering gravely "I love you," then turning around and leaving. Perfect! And, now that the long national nightmare is basically at an end, I think we can laugh a little less bitterly about his wacky turns of phrase. (Well, sort of.) What's your favorite?


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Crafting skills were designed into games like WoW, EQ2, LOTRO etc to keep crafters busy and encourage players to interact. That's why players are limited in how many tradeskills they can take on each character, to force some trading and interaction.
Enforced interaction has never been popular with the playerbase, but has given us some great community payoff. For example, in DaoC, crafting was such a dull grind that most players didn't bother. The ones who did were very likely to be adopted as guild crafters, supported by the guild with materials in return for crafting items for the guild. Although I always liked this as an idea, it never really worked brilliantly (especially in games that didn't feature mailboxes and auction houses). What if the guild crafter wasn't around when you needed them? What if they were *gasp* busy? What if creating a masterpiece item took several hours in real time and a variable, unpredictable amount of materials, and you were tenth in the queue to have yours made?
Crafters felt wanted, but also stressed and hassled. Players felt frustrated. It was definitely an interesting experiment, but no great surprise that later games made things easier.
Now it is almost irrelevant that tradeskills are limited, because high level players often have alts with all the tradeskills that they need (this is as true in EQ2 as in less crafting friendly games). They just mail items around between their crafters when they need something done.
I wonder how much of a niche there can be for different crafters at endgame if bored players will level one of each craft anyway. Is it possible to make crafting itself into a more fun minigame, as opposed to the gathering/collecting side of levelling the skill.
Do you use guild crafters? Or do you prefer to level crafting alts yourself?


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SEJournal Online is the digital news magazine of the Society of Environmental Journalists. Learn more about SEJournal Online, including submission, subscription and advertising information.
There will be some new rules, practices, and management strategies during the next two years for those who fish recreationally in US saltwaters.
NOAA Fisheries Service has developed an action plan for each of the 6 coastal regions (plus a plan for highly migratory Atlantic species), and anticipates completing new and ongoing projects outlined in each regional plan during the next 12-24 months. More than 11 million people recreationally fish in saltwater, and more than 300,000 people have jobs in related industries; many will be affected by the plans.
Projects will include a wide range of education and communication efforts, targeted fisheries improvements, altered management approaches, scientific studies, and improvements in social and economic data. Many agencies and organizations you can contact are mentioned in each region's plan.
National and regional NOAA contacts are available at:
- News Room (at bottom).
The relatively detailed plans for each region are intended to complement the existing national plan.
- Recreational Saltwater Fisheries Action Agenda, October 2010.
For related information on saltwater fish and the beleaguered straits many are in, see the TipSheet of April 27, 2011.


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And now every anti-gun zealot in America is trying to use the Trayvon Martin incident to repeal pro-gun laws, such as Florida's Stand Your Ground Law.
The New York Times, always a toady for anti-gun causes — put it this way:
"As the [George Zimmerman] case proceeds, the Stand Your Ground law should be on trial as well. It has invited gun owners to flirt with vigilantism…"
In other words, anti-gun zealots would take us back the "bad ol' days" in 2003 — when a 78 year-old man was taken through the wringer by the legal system because he shot a man breaking into his trailer.
Or a 71 year-old-man was almost destroyed by the legal system because he used a gun to defend his 63 year-old friend against thugs who were trying to rob him.
In fact, in the four years for which we have statistics since the Stand Your Ground law was passed in Florida, homicides have dropped by 16.1%.
This is faster than the national average.
This means that many — perhaps hundreds — of Floridians are alive today because criminals have had to pause before robbing or killing them.
And, in most cases, they have had to pause not because a victim pulled a gun, but because the killer didn't know whether or not the victim had a gun.
But make no mistake about it: Florida will be the test case to see whether anti-gunners can use the threats of riots and lynching's to force repeal of America's pro-gun laws.
We have to stop their threats in Florida.
And we need to do this by getting Governor Rick Scott to agree to veto efforts to repeal Florida's Stand Your Ground law.
Because, if we don't the anti-gun laws — the threats of riots — the vigilante justice — may soon be coming to a state near you.
Vice Chairman


text:
echo $language_vars["windkanal_text"]; ?>
Alto recorder Prima beige german
Strong plastic – warm, wooden sound: head joint made from high-quality plastic, body from pearwood.
Beginner's price: high quality materials and careful crafting combined into a convincing combination of price and performance.
Material: head joint made from high-quality plastic, body from pearwood
Fingering: German with double holes for f/f sharp and g/g sharp
Fingering chart: download
Range: f1 – c4
Pitch: a1 = 442 Hz
- Instrument
- Cotton bag
- Wool mop
- Joint grease
- Maintenance instructions


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Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Developer
Job Summary
- Job: 25507-DDAS
- Location: IN-Hyderabad
- Department: Business Applications and Tools
MathWorks is currently seeking an experienced Adobe Experience Management (AEM) Developer to join our in-house AEM Development Team in Hyderabad to support hosting our website. The ideal candidate will have experience designing and developing complex Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) solutions, experience translating marketing and IT needs into Adobe solutions, and have experience in a variety of web technologies and IT industry trends. Your role will span all aspects of the software development lifecycle and include working alongside our Marketing, User Experience, Design, and web development teams in a highly collaborative environment where every individual's input is valued.
All candidates must have excellent communication skills along with a proven ability to solve complex technical challenges.
- Translate marketing and web site needs into AEM specific solutions
- Design and implement solutions leveraging Adobe AEM Sites
- Leverage knowledge and experience of AEM capabilities and JavaScript, as well as other state-of-the-art technologies and integration patterns to solve cross-departmental challenges and optimize our AEM Investment
- Work in a collaborative, agile, rapid development, and prototyping environment
Minimum Qualifications
- A bachelor's degree and 3 years of professional work experience (or a master's degree, or equivalent experience) is required.
- Experience with Adobe Experience Manager
Additional Qualifications
Experience developing applications, templates, and components for the Adobe AEM/CQ product (WCM, DAM, CQSE, CRX)
Experience customizing workflows and integration with other enterprise systems
Experience with AEM Sites 6.x
Expert knowledge of Java, JavaScript, HTML5, CSS and related technologies
Working knowledge and understanding of the following: Apache Sling, Apache Felix, Apache and App server logs, OSGi, RESTful web services, Javascript, jQuery, AJAX, JSON, HTML, CSS, familiarity with SOLR/Lucene, and RabbitMQ or similar messaging systems
Experience working in a highly collaborative environment with a variety of stakeholders and colleagues
Strong leadership, communication, and teamwork skills
Experience and desire to work within a fast-paced, iterative development environment; experience with Agile a strong plus
Ability to write complex programs, analyze code changes and make suggestions to improve code complexity for maintainability and scalability.
Ability to reason logically and creatively, identifying problems, drawing valid conclusions from the data available, and developing effective solutions while applying creative thinking in the design and development of high performing web applications
Familiarity with basic Linux or related platform concepts and commands
Adobe AEM developer certification is preferred
Why MathWorks?
It's the chance to collaborate with bright, passionate people. It's the opportunity to accelerate the pace of discovery, innovation, and learning in engineering and science. And it's a commitment to doing the right thing—for each individual, our customers, and the local community. We cultivate an enjoyable, participatory, and rational environment that champions individual growth, appreciates diversity, encourages initiative, values collaboration, shares success, and rewards excellence.
MathWorks develops MATLAB and Simulink, the leading technical computing software used by engineers and scientists. The company employs more than 6,000 people in 16 countries, with headquarters in Natick, Massachusetts, USA. MathWorks is privately held and has been profitable every year since its founding in 1984.
YOU + MathWorks = Unlimited Possibilities
Join Our Talent Network
Receive personalized job opportunities, stories, and company updates.
Contact us if you need reasonable accommodation because of a disability in order to apply for a position.
The MathWorks, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other protected characteristics. View The EEO is the Law poster and its supplement.
The pay transparency policy is available here.
MathWorks participates in E-Verify. View the E-Verify posters here.


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Como Bench Talbot Cement, $1,499.
In her forty-plus year career, the Italian architect and interior designer Paola Navone has championed everything from the intellectual progressivism of the Alchimia group in the 1970s to the bold '80s maximalism of the Memphis style, to shabby chic in the 90s and the elegant globalism of her current work.
This September, dedicated fans and Navone newbies alike can bring home a piece of that history as Crate and Barrel debuts a partnership with the legendary designer. The collection, launching online and in select stores on September 9th, with a full release the week after, includes more than 140 items conceived for casual entertaining.
More From House Beautiful
Materials include marble, glass, ceramic, and wood, mostly in cool Mediterranean colors with bright pops of red and oversized herringbone. Three exclusive tabletop programs include ceramic dinnerware, flatware, glassware, serving pieces, and table linens, and coordinate elegantly with an electric range of dining table and seating options.
Among the collection's highlights are the rustic yet minimalist Como pendant, with a wooden shade suspended from a charming red wire; and the slightly eccentric, minty glamour of the Riviera Ming chair. Price points — from glassware starting at $10 to the show-stopping $2400 Mallorca Carrara Marble Top table with a cast aluminum base — ensure the accessibility of Navone's vision.
While the range takes inspiration from each stage of Navone's career, the work doesn't end here: two more collections are already on the boards.
Como Serving Bowl Swirl, $60; Como Serving Platter Swirl, $80; Como Deep Plate Splash, $15; Como Deep Plate Tile, $15; Como Dessert Plate Swirl, $13.
Como Red and Blue Gauze Napkins, $9 each; Mallorca Napkin Rings in black, aqua, and red, $3.
Riviera Windsor Side Chair in white or black, $299 (low) or $399 (tall).
See More:
Dream Designer Bedrooms >>
10 Dorm Essentials Under $20 >>
100+ Inspiring Color Palettes >>
10 Ideas for Decorating with Artwork >>
Cool Find: La Sardina Camera >>
First Look: Ralph Lauren Home's Fall Collection >>


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Jennifer Kessy and April Ross, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings, and Larissa Franca and Juliana Silva celebrate on the podium after the Aug. 8 final
LONDON -- Misty May-Treanor danced on the sand and then off it, taking a victory lap around the court before leaving Horse Guards Parade with Kerri Walsh Jennings as three-time Olympic beach volleyball gold medalists.
Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor extended their Olympic winning streak to 21 straight -- unbeaten in Athens, Beijing and now London -- with a 21-16, 21-16 victory over Jennifer Kessy and April Ross on Wednesday night in an all-American championship game.
The match started with nearby Big Ben pealing the hour and ended with the "Star-Spangled Banner" playing in the iconic venue near the Prime Minister's Downing Street office and just down the Mall from the royal residence at Buckingham Palace. Playing on Henry VIII's jousting tiltyard, with the current Prince Harry in the crowd, Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor continued their reign as champions of the beach.
"We set the bar very high," said May-Treanor, who has said she will retire. "We extended ourselves over that bar even higher."
Even Ross and Kessy, who won a silver medal in their Olympic debut, have called their fellow Americans legends.
"They're the best team of all time," Kessy said.
Dominating the sport for three Olympics, Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor have won every match they've ever played at the Summer Games and lost just one of 43 sets.
No one had ever won even two beach volleyball gold medals before the Americans won their second straight in Beijing.
No woman had ever won three Olympic beach volleyball medals of any kind.
"Kudos. Hats off to them," Ross said. "That's just ridiculous."
Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor pulled away in the first set and were never threatened in the second, falling to their knees and hugging as Ross' final serve went long on match point.
May-Treanor, who was knocked out of "Dancing with the Stars" when she tore her Achilles tendon, then began doing a funky jig to rival the scantily clad cheerleaders who help bring the beach party atmosphere to the sold-out crowds in central London.
The winners then took the celebration to the stands, circling the temporary 15,000-seat stadium built on the household cavalry's centuries-old parade grounds and high-fiving just about anyone holding an American flag. They hugged their family and friends in the stands -- although not May-Treanor's husband, Matt, a Los Angeles Dodgers catcher who was watching on a computer from the team's clubhouse.
They hugged on the podium after the gold medals were draped around their neck then shared one with their fellow Californians -- first-time Olympians who helped give the United States its best women's finish since beach volleyball was added to the Olympics in 1996.
"It's insane. It doesn't feel like it's real," Walsh Jennings said. "I told Misty when we were getting our medals, 'If I wake up tomorrow and we have to replay this match, I'm going to be furious.' Because it feels like I'm in a dream. It truly feels surreal and it didn't feel like that the first two times for whatever reason. But this, it's almost too good to be true."
Earlier Wednesday, Brazil's Juliana and Larissa beat Xue Chen and Zhang Xi of China in the bronze medal match.
Brazil's Emanuel and Alison were scheduled to play Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann of Germany in the men's gold medal match on Thursday night. Martins Plavins and Janis Smedins of Latvia were to play Reinder Nummerdor and Rich Schuil of the Netherlands for the men's bronze.


text:
Website Sheraton Hotels and Resorts Qatar
Loss Prevention Manager
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts Job Vacancy at Loss Prevention Manager in Qatar
Loss Prevention Manager Jobs 2023 in Qatar :- Loss Prevention Manager has publish a notification on www.asc.com.qa career page for the recruitment of Sheraton Hotels and Resorts Post in Qatar location. Candidates who are eligible for the post of Sheraton Hotels and Resorts can apply on before last date without getting late.
|Comapny Name
|Sheraton Hotels and Resorts
|Name of Post
|Loss Prevention Manager
|QAR 21,200.00 per month
|Job Location
|Job type
|Qatar Jobs
Loss Prevention Manager Jobs in Qatar 2023 Full Job Descripation
Assists the Director of Security in managing security operations on a daily basis. Areas of responsibilities include the protection and safety of property assets, employees, guests and property, accident and fire prevention and response. Ensures the continuous protection of guests, employees and hotel assets. Maintains logs, certifications and documents required by law and Standard Operating Procedures.
Education and Experience
• High school diploma or GED; 3 years experience in the security/loss prevention or related professional area.
• 2-year degree from an accredited university in Criminal Justice or related major; 1 year experience in the security/loss prevention or related professional area.
Managing Security Operations
• Assists in the development and implementation of emergency procedures.
• Recommends follow-up action for security breaches.
• Conducts investigation of all losses of property assets and refers to proper management for disposition.
• Deploys security staff to effectively monitor and protect property assets.
• Complies with all Corporate Security safety and security management guidelines and procedures.
• Completes proper documentation and reports all employee accident and general liability incidents to Claims Reporting Service.
• Conducts periodic patrols of entire property and parking areas.
• Recognizes success across areas of responsibility.
• Handles guest problems and complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Identifies and makes recommendations for minimizing physical hazards and unsafe work practices.
• Implements action plans to monitor and control risk.
• Keeps abreast of local criminal activity as it may impact property.
• Maintains required reports and documentation regarding patrols of property and parking areas.
• Inspects all security equipment and ensures it is fully functioning.
• Provides means for obtaining necessary medical attention on a timely basis.
• Conducts hourly employee performance appraisals according to Standard Operating Procedures.
• Identifies the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Completes disciplinary procedures and documentation according to Standard and Local Operating Procedures (SOPs and LSOPs) and supports the Peer Review Process.
• Maintains first aid and CPR certifications required for Security officers.
• Implements local authority requirement for security and safety.
Leading Security Teams
• Attends pre- and post-convention and weekly forecast meetings to understand group needs and gather critical information to communicate to security officers.
• Celebrates successes by publicly recognizing the contributions of team members.
• Communicates the importance of safety procedures, detailing procedure codes, ensuring employee understanding of safety codes, monitoring processes and procedures related to safety.
• Utilizes interpersonal and communication skills to lead, influence, and encourage others; advocates sound financial/business decision making; demonstrates honesty/integrity; leads by example.
• Solicits employee feedback, utilizes an "open door" policy and reviews employee satisfaction results to identify and address employee problems or concerns.
• Encourages and builds mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Identifies the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Provides guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Provides personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Serves as a role model to demonstrate appropriate behaviors.
Providing and Ensuring Exceptional Customer Service
• Displays leadership in guest hospitality, exemplifies excellent customer service and creates a positive atmosphere for guest relations.
• Empowers employees to provide excellent customer service.
• Meets quality standards and customer expectations on a daily basis.
• Provides services that are above and beyond for customer satisfaction and retention.
Conducting Human Resources Activities
• Assists in minimizing cost of accident claims through aggressive claims management.
• Brings issues to the attention of Human Resources as necessary.
• Strives to improve service performance.
• Administers property policies fairly and consistently.
Additional Responsibilities
• Analyzes information and evaluates results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Develops and maintains a working relationship with local law enforcement authorities.
• Informs and/or updates the executives, the peers and the subordinates on relevant information in a timely manner.
• Provides information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Provides guidance in setting health and safety policies and standards.
• Coordinates with Event Sales for VIP escort and media control for large events.
To apply for this job please visit jobs.marriott.com.


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Playful Patches Quilt
Designer: Roseann Meehan Kermes
- 1/2 yard blue print (blocks)
- 1-1/8 yards brown floral (blocks, border)
- 1/4 yard purple print (blocks)
- 1/4 yard teal print (blocks)
- 1/2 yard green print (blocks, binding)
- 2-2/3 yards backing fabric
- 48" square batting
Finished quilt: 41-3/4" square
Finished blocks: 9-3/4" square
Quantities are for 44/45"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics. Measurements include 1/4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.
Cut Fabrics
Cut pieces in the following order:
From blue print, cut:
- 2--11" squares
- 10--4-1/8" squares
From brown floral, cut:
- 2--6-1/2x41-3/4" border strips
- 2--6-1/2x29-3/4" border strips
- 2--11" squares
From purple print, cut:
- 10--4-1/8" squares
- 5--3-3/4" squares
From teal print, cut:
- 2--2-1/8x42" strips
From green print, cut:
- 5--2-1/2x42" binding strips
- 2--2-1/8x42" strips
Assemble Hourglass Blocks
1. Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of blue print 11" squares. (To prevent fabric from stretching as you draw lines, place 220-grit sandpaper under each square.)
2. Layer a marked blue print square atop a brown floral 11" square. Sew pair together with two seams, stitching 1/4" on each side of drawn line. Cut pair apart on drawn line to make two triangle units (Diagram 1). Open triangle units and press seams open to make two large triangle-square units. Repeat to make four large triangle-square units total.
3. Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line perpendicular to seam line on wrong side of two large triangle-square units.
4. Layer a marked large triangle-square unit atop an unmarked large triangle-square unit, aligning seam lines. Sew pair together with two seams, stitching 1/4" on each side of drawn line. Cut pair apart on drawn line to make two triangle units (Diagram 2). Open triangle units and press seams open to make two hourglass blocks. Each hourglass block should be 10-1/4" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four hourglass blocks total.
Assemble Churn Dash Blocks
1. Referring to Assemble Hourglass Blocks, steps 1–2, and using blue print 4-1/8" squares and purple print 4-1/8" squares, make 20 small triangle-square units (Diagram 3).
2. Sew together a teal print 2-1/8x42" strip and a green print 2-1/8x42" strip to make a strip set (Diagram 4). Press seam toward teal print. Repeat to make two strip sets total. Cut strips sets into 20-3-3/4"-wide segments.
3. Referring to Diagram 5, lay out four small triangle-square units, four segments, and one purple print 3-3/4" square in three rows.
4. Join pieces in each row. Press seams away from segments. Join rows to make a Churn Dash block; press seams in one direction. The block should be 10-1/4" square including seam allowances.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to make five Churn Dash blocks total.
Assemble Quilt Center
1. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out hourglass and Churn Dash blocks in three rows, alternating blocks. Sew together blocks in each row. Press seams toward hourglass blocks.
2. Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 29-3/4" square including seam allowances.
Add Border
Add short brown floral border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add long brown floral border strips to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press all seams toward outer border.
Finish Quilt
1. Layer quilt top, batting, and backing; baste. Quilt as desired.
2. Bind with green print binding strips.


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No Time to Die is the first 007 film to shoot with IMAX cameras.
In No Time to Die, Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
The IMAX release of No Time to Die will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.


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merkavah) in the Book of Ezekiel. Beyond the specifically Jewish notions contained within the kabbalah, some scholars believe that it reflects a strong Neoplatonic influence, especially in its doctrines of emanation and the transmigration of souls (see Neoplatonism). In the late 15th and 16th cent., Christian thinkers found support in the kabbalah for their own doctrines, out of which they developed a Christian version. Kabbalistic interpretation of Scripture was based on the belief that every word, letter, number, and even accent contained mysteries interpretable by those who knew the secret. The names for God were believed to contain miraculous power and each letter of the divine name was considered potent; kabbalistic signs and writings were used as amulets and in magical practices.
The two principal sources of the kabbalists are the Sefer Yezirah (tr. Book of Creation, 1894) and the Zohar (tr. 1949; The Book of Enlightenment, 1985; The Book of Splendor, 1995). The first develops, in a series of monologues supposedly delivered by Abraham, the doctrine of the Sefirot (the powers emanating from God, through which the world is created and its order sustained), using the primordial numbers of the later Pythagoreans in a system of numerical interpretation. It was probably written in the 3d cent. The Zohar consists of mystical commentaries and homilies on the Pentateuch. It was written by Moses de León (13th cent.) but attributed by him to Simon ben Yohai, the great scholar of the 2d cent. AD Following the expulsion (1492) of the Jews from Spain, kabbalah became more messianic in its emphasis, as developed by the Lurianic school of mystics at Safed, Palestine. Kabbalah in this form was widely adopted and created fertile gound for the movement of the pseudo-Messiah Sabbatai Zevi. It was also a major influence in the development of Hasidism. Kabbalah still has adherents, especially among Hasidic Jews.
See G. Scholem, On the Kabbalah and Its Symbolism (1965) and Kabbalah (1974); H. Weiner, Nine and One Half Mystics: The Kabbalah Today (1969); J. Dan and F. Talmage, ed., Studies in Jewish Mysticism (1982); M. Idel, Kabbalah (1988); D. Rosenberg, Dreams of Being Eaten Alive: The Literary Core of the Kabbalah (2000).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Judaism


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Last week, it was reported that Tyra Banks had decided to end her self-named daytime talk show. Ever since that time, rumors have been surfacing that the cancellation wasn't Banks' idea.
Gossip columnist Janet Charlton is reporting that The Tyra Banks Show was indeed cancelled, but not by the host herself. The show was reportedly too expensive to produce when measured against the profits. Part of that supposedly stems from Banks' large salary and the expenses incurred from moving the show from Los Angeles to New York at the start of season three.
While it's hard to know if this information is completely accurate, the expense issues line up with what we do know for sure.
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When the show was in first-run syndication, local stations were paying cash license fees and giving Warner Bros. national ad time. When it moved to the CW afternoon schedule, it switched to an all-barter basis which is less profitable.
The number of original shows was also reduced this season. The usual 34 weeks of production was cut down to 26 weeks. Repeats of earlier episodes filled in the gaps.
Banks reportedly told her staffers that the show was over as the news was being reported in the media. The Daily News quotes a former staffer that says that this wasn't a surprise. When the show moved across the country, many on the staff weren't told the news directly and had to find out through the grapevine. Many of them moved to the East Coast to keep their jobs and will soon be out of work.
What do you think? Did Banks decide to end the show or was the decision made for her?
Image courtesy Warner Bros.


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JVCC Double-Sided Carpet Tape (JVCC DCC2ND) is a double-sided (AKA double-coated) cloth carpet tape offering residue-free removal from most surfaces and adheres well to carpet. Please note that this is an overstock item that is sold as-is and cannot be returned. Because it is an as-is item, you might see defects such as wrinkles, splices, and uneven winding. Blue color film release liner rolls are typically shipped on painted black cores and white paper release liner rolls on neutral cores. Our overstock inventory is limited, so stock up today at this great price! FindTape.com offers JVCC DCC2ND in two options: natural with a blue film liner and natural with a white paper liner.
Please note that tape rolls are NOT guaranteed to be splice-free. Tape rolls are typically cut to standard tape industry metric-cut sizes - or approx 5% narrower than the nominal size (i.e. 24mm per 1-inch of nominal width ordered).
Single Roll (1-29 Rolls)
1 - 4 Cases (30-149 Rolls)
5 - 9 Cases (150-299 Rolls)
10+ Cases (>= 300 Rolls)
$5.97 $9.54
$5.05 $7.79
$4.87 $7.55
$4.70 $7.23
$151.50 $233.70
$146.10 $226.50
$141.00 $216.90
Tape rolls are cut to standard tape industry metric widths of approx. 24mm per 1-inch of nominal width ordered. As a result ACTUAL tape widths are normally 5% narrower than the NOMINAL width shown in inches. Examples:
Note that tape rolls are NOT guaranteed to be splice-free.


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Welcome to Dockray and Thomas Funeral Home. The Dockray and Thomas Funeral Home has been providing dignified and dependable service to Canton and the surrounding communities for over 60 years. Our facility provides a warm, comfortable environment for both traditional funeral services and full service cremations. Please browse our site for more information.
© 2009 Dockray & Thomas Funeral Home, Inc. All Right Reserved.
Designed and Maintained by CurrentObituary..net


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The memorandum submitted by the IIM-A faculty council irritated the hell out of me. It doesn't take much effort to conclude -- and to show -- that the document is filled with extravagant claims, "supported" by bald assertions, shady arguments, half-truths, and even lies.
So, the natural question is this: How can faculty members -- with a stake in protecting their academic reputation -- deem this document fit to be submitted to the government -- and, by implication, the people of India?
In short, what happened to their own judgement?
I reproduce below something that I wrote over a week ago as a possible opinion piece. While waiting for it to find a home in some MSM outlet, I noticed some chatter from IIM-A folks, and decided not to wait any longer. I'm posting it here.
* * *
Half-truths and Harvard Comparisons: The Memorandum from IIM-A Faculty Council
Imagine this scenario: A manager has just got a 75 percent raise, but thinks he deserves a better deal. He goes to his boss and says, "You know, similar positions in other companies pay 300 to 400 percent of what I make -- after this 75% raise."
After that impressive build-up, if I tell you that he demanded a hike of 22%, how would you react?
Did I hear you say, "What an idiot!"? Exactly.
Here's how that scenario played out in real life: In a memorandum submitted to MHRD, the faculty council at IIM-Ahmedabad first compared assistant professors' salary after the pay hike (Rs. 38,000 per month) with that at Harvard Business School (Rs. 1.91 lakhs per month, after a PPP adjustment) and Indian School of Business (Rs. 1.66 lakhs). It capped this analysis by demanding a 22% hike, from Rs. 38,000 to Rs. 46,400 per month.
Frankly, I have nothing against these pay hike demands. Heck, I'll be among the beneficiaries if they are accepted! But the demands must have a certain legitimacy, and the supporting arguments must follow rules of what Amartya Sen calls public reasoning.
Take, for example, the modest demands made by IIT faculty associations. They invoke comparisons with other public sector institutions, and limit themselves to getting IIT faculty the benefits that are already available to their cousins in universities and government R&D labs. While he government has contested these demands, it has done so without questioning the legitimacy of the arguments advanced to support them.
In contrast, the IIM-A faculty representatives have made extravagant demands that are way beyond the Sixth Pay Commission norms. Worse, in their zeal to argue their case forcefully, they have filled their memorandum with illegitimate arguments, half-truths and even lies.
Here's a sample: "the present notification by making the IIM [assistant professors'] scale equal to the UGC scale is tantamount to downgrading of the IIM pay scale as compared to the previous scale."
Never mind the 'scale' of confusion in that muddled sentence. It packs within it a half-truth and a lie!
First, the half-truth. With a huge difference in the salaries of assistant professors in both IIMs and UGC institutions -- Rs. 38,000 at IIMs against Rs. 21,600 in universities -- isn't it misleading to suggest that their salaries belong to the same 'scale'?
Now, the lie. In the part that says, "... it's tantamount to downgrading of IIM pay scale," the comparison is between IIM assistant professors and university readers. In the old regime, they had the same starting basic salary of Rs. 12,000. In the new regime, their starting salaries are Rs. 38,000 and Rs. 30,320, with the IIMs being privileged over the universities.
If anything, it is the readers in UGC institutions who should be protesting against the 'downgrading'!
I don't know how some of our finest minds ended up making these disingenuous assertions and ridicule-worthy arguments.
But what I do know is that as salaried employees, bureaucrats and faculty are fundamentally different. Unlike bureaucrats, faculty members can augment their salaries through quite a few remunerative activities -- all legal! Consulting is a popular activity, and so is teaching short courses, aka executive development programmes.
What I do know is that cash-rich institutions can use their government-given autonomy to offer their faculty more money; IIT-B and IIT-D, for example, give their junior faculty extra cash during their early years.
What I do know is that IIM-A is pretty cash-rich; it says on its website that it hasn't availed any government grant for several years now. So, in principle, nothing comes in the way of IIM-A making its faculty as rich as their Harvard counterparts.
In response to that last point, IIM-A faculty council may argue that their demands are not just for IIM-A, but for the IIM system as a whole. Okay, but it still makes us wonder which IIM they were comparing Harvard with. The one in Shillong?
In normal language, the IIM-A faculty council's memorandum is best described as a train-wreck. Internet offers a pithy alternative: Fail!
Finally, a bit of dark humour in the IIM-A memorandum. Immediately after the comparison with Harvard, it insists that, without that 22% pay hike, the government "runs the very real risk of ... loosing [sic] the faculty it already has in [its] premier technical institutions." Doesn't this risk assessment insult IIM-A's senior faculty? Isn't it equivalent to asking them, "If you are so smart, why are you (still) at IIM-A?"
I have never seen a more spectacular self-goal.


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The headline figures make grim reading for IT professionals hoping to build a long-term career as a CIO. Almost one in five CFOs thinks the CIO role will disappear within five years, according to new research.
Worse, the survey of 203 key financial decision-makers by IT specialist Getronics and consultancy Loudhouse suggests 43 per cent of CFOs believe the IT leadership role will inevitably merge with the top finance position.
So, how can CIOs ensure their role does not become redundant? Here are five top tips from IT leaders and finance chiefs.
1. Build relationships and always think about value
Karl Howarth is CFO at P&O Ferries and he recently took additional responsibility for IT at the organisation. He says more finance chiefs are becoming involved in technology because IT projects often underachieve.
"The business is keen to get more flexibility and quicker implementation timescales, so that business priorities can be met," he says. "The days of big IT change programmes have come to an end. Many are not successful in terms of delivery and their relevance, by the time of implementation, is limited."
The Getronics research suggests as many as 64 per cent of CFOs are concerned about the cost of maintaining an IT infrastructure. And 28 per cent of CFOs cite the poor relationship between IT and finance as the reason why return on investment (ROI) is difficult to evaluate.
"Technology projects often encompass the whole of the business and allocating ROI to a particular line can be complicated," says Howarth, who hopes the increasing collaboration between CIOs and CFOs will bring strong results. "There's a coming-together in terms of IT and finance strategy – and if your CIO isn't strategic, your business has got a problem."
2. Concentrate on proving the art of the possible
Like Howarth at P&O, Patricio Colombo, head of IT for Jamie Oliver restaurants, believes the implementation time for IT projects continues to fall – and the good news, at least in terms of demands from the CFO, is that technology is now more closely aligned with organisational objectives.
"Everything we do in terms of IT has a business reason," he says. "All CIOs must work towards becoming more business-oriented. Technology leaders must recognise that IT is always a smaller cog within a much larger organisational project."
The onus, then, is to prove how specific IT trends – such as the cloud – might or might not help solve a particular business problem. Colombo says the technology team at Jamie Oliver works to explain the art of the possible, ensuring potential ideas for new IT are drawn from across the organisation.
"The focus now is on small, quickly delivered projects, whose affect on the business can be measured," says Colombo. "We want to deliver a set of required outcomes for the organisation. Our business units simply cannot afford to wait three years for a technology project to be implemented."
3. Build trust to show how IT can create great businesses
The research suggests 38 per cent of CFOs believe CIOs do not possess a good level of financial understanding. Yet some IT leaders are already focused on how technology can be used to help drive the corporate agenda – and Lukas Oberhuber, CTO at insurance specialist Simply Business, says he sees himself as a technologist with a strong interest in business.
"Things go wrong when IT doesn't listen," he says. "You can't build IT systems to solve business problems that do not exist. The increasing prevalence of agile methods of development, for example, is a recognition that business requirements for an IT project often change."
Oberhuber believes many finance chiefs see technology as a commodity whose cost to the business needs to be reduced. A concentration on value, rather than cost can help demonstrate the impact of good IT – and Oberhuber's organisation forms IT teams around specific business projects.
"Our CFO is focused on finance and by working together you build trust," he says. "We're dependent on successful technology, but IT is only there to help the business achieve other great things.
4. Focus on making a difference, not on your reporting line
"You've got to dabble where you can make a difference," says Trevor Hanna, CIO at Associated British Foods, who says successful CIOs avoid being pulled in too many directions. He says he actually feels sorry for many CFOs who have to deal with multiple issues beyond their control, such as economic uncertainty and the potential collapse of the euro.
Someone will still have to make a decision about buying IT and that person will be the individual who is best-placed to make a call, says Hanna. Most decisions, he says, are not made by one person in isolation but require a collective process that draws on as many experts as possible.
"Despite the hype of the cloud, it's not becoming easier to buy IT," says Hanna. "The cloud will have a place in the business of the future but, like outsourcing and software as a service, on-demand computing is not a panacea for all business technology concerns."
Technology can still have a bad reputation in the business. Hanna says the failure of IT to deal with key issues, such as legacy IT and big data, means it is unsurprising that more CFOs are getting involved in hardware and software. But, even when they do, CIOs should not be overly concerned: "Success is not about who you report to but how you get things done," says Hanna.
5. Work with other senior executives to meet business objectives
Claire Hossell is CFO at recommendation specialist Checkatrade.com and she says the web-based nature of the business means changes to the IT infrastructure always have an immediate impact. The firm relies on a bespoke technology platform and uses liaison specialists to ensure IT changes meet the broader business strategy.
"Technology is absolutely crucial to our business. It's core," says Hossell. "Our business model changes rapidly and we must act entrepreneurially. We spend a lot of time planning to make sure that we are in line with the demands of the market."
Hossell works alongside the IT leader and operations manager to ensure activities are interlinked and resources are not wasted. She says the closer a finance chief works with IT, the more likely he or she is to find a method of development that works for the business.
"Big IT implementations often don't work because business objectives change so quickly," she says. "We run smaller IT projects that help the organisation deal with the enhancements. We have continuous change."


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by Benjamin Snyder
"The Rock" takes on clay: Jim Courier's now in charge of the US Davis Cup team since Patrick McEnroe's resignation late last year. While McEnroe did a great job in his decade at the top (including a title win in 2007), we're looking forward to what Courier brings to the table. Aside from holding the top spot in the ATP rankings, Courier also helped his Davis Cup team to victory in 1992 and 1995. This could be key to getting the US guys winning again. That is, if they're all still standing. (Get well, Sam!) Oh wells, at least we have Andy.
But save those sighs for his torso, my friends; Roddick's mere presence doesn't guarantee relief (nor a win). Since that '07 title win, it's been a rocky road for the US Davis Cup squad. While many reasons point to a Chilean shutout by the red, white, and blue in the first round — we're the heavy favorites with a 4-0 head-to-head –, don't be quick to discount the host team. Check out these reasons below:
First, the obvious. The match takes place in Chile and that means the play's on clay. Sure, The Rock understands the stuff — he won two consecutive French Opens –, but the all-star team of Roddick, John Isner, and the Bryan brothers? Not so much.
Second, the pressure's on. With the Americans favored to win, that underdog mentality could boost Chile onto the second round. Don't get distracted by the numbers, boys. It shouldn't matter that they have no one ranked inside the top 150, nor that Fernando Gonzalez is still recovering from his hip surgery. Eyes on the prize!
(By the way, USA Today's Doug Robson tweeted today about running into Gonzo at the DC presser in Santiago, where the he shared that he plans on returning to the tour before Roland Garros.)
And third, we'll share this snippet from Chilean captain Hans Gildemeister:"I think the pressure is on America, and I hope tomorrow they are going to feel the pressure on the court…The Americans need to beat us. They have the better rankings, they have a great team, and we are the underdog. I like that."
And of course an intangible. The Chileans are rockin' the tall, dark and handsome South American-style to the Americans, well, tall. The US need to step-up more than just their physical game to claim a holistic victory. They need to look good, too, if they want our vote. (Apparently, captain Courier is doing great setting the sartorial tone for the team; even the normally unfazed Roddick chimed in positively.)
So take these reasons with a grain of salt if you must, but it's going to be a compelling match-up regardless. Bone up: See all the tie details here.