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Computing in Python IV: Objects & Algorithms
- Provider edX
- Cost Free Online Course (Audit)
- Session Self Paced
- Language English
- Certificate $99 Certificate Available
- Effort 9-10 hours a week
- Duration 5 weeks long
- Learn more about MOOCs
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This course is part of:
Complete your introductory knowledge of computer science with this final course on objects and algorithms. Now that you've learned about complex control structures and data structures, learn to develop programs that more intuitively leverage your natural understanding of problems through object-oriented programming. Then, learn to analyze the complexity and efficiency of these programs through algorithms. In addition, certify your broader knowledge of Introduction to Computing with a comprehensive exam.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to write programs in Python that leverage your more natural understanding of data structures by creating objects to represent the structures you work with most often. For example, if you were creating a class roster application, you'll learn how to create an object representing a student's name, ID number, and attendance record. Then, you'll be able to create applications that leverage sorting and searching algorithms to sort that roster alphabetically, search for a particular student, and evaluate the efficiency of both those operations.
Structurally, the course is comprised of several parts. Instruction is delivered via a series of short (2-3 minute) videos. In between those videos, you'll complete both multiple choice questions and coding problems to demonstrate your knowledge of the material that was just covered. These exercises count for 20% of your grade. Then, after each major chapter, you'll complete a problem set of collected, more challenging problems. These count for 40% of your grade. Finally, you'll complete a final course exam, which counts for the remaining 40% of your grade.
Chapter 1. Objects. Working with instances of complex data types or defining your own, like creating a class to represent a video game character, a class syllabus, or an item for sale.
Chapter 2. Algorithms. Creating complex code for searching in large lists or sorting lists of data, and analyzing code for its complexity.
Chapter 3. Course Recap. A comprehensive review of the Xseries as a whole, leading into the final exam.
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Reviews for edX's Computing in Python IV: Objects & Algorithms Based on 49 reviews
- 5 stars 90%
- 4 stars 6%
- 3 stars 4%
- 2 star 0%
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- 1
This is the first course I have taken online, enjoyed and completed. The course itself is well structured, with a book in pdf format, good, short videos and explanations and hundreds of code snippets to practice on in the sandbox. There is also the online intelligent book with questions to work through.
Although I have a programming background, I haven't programmed for decades and python was new to me. I feel I have learnt the basic structure, and more importantly, learnt how to continue learning and how to pull in further libraries and use them in my future code.
Suggestions for further improvement... Module IV ( compared to I,II and III) feels somewhat incomplete. There are some typos in programs which i assume will be cleaned up in the future.
Definitely recommend for someone to embark on a python voyage!
David presents the material in the best possible way for full mental digestion, starting with the very basic concepts and developing them one step at a time, using a lot of examples and analogies. This really helps to fully grasp the concepts, not only remember the rules. This approach really helped me to fill in the gaps I had in understanding of several.
I wish my mathematics and programming classes were like these!
I wish there was more opportunity for a little more complex programming problems, but I could see that might be more difficult for actual beginners.
- 1


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LeapRate's Daily Forex Industry Newsletter
Join now to receive first access to our EXCLUSIVE reports and updates.
Screenshot of a breaking news alert e-mail from Q2 2017
Forex platform Tradable is now richer in terms of social trading functionalities.
A new application, called ChatBox has been introduced to the users of the platform. It enables Tradable traders to get in touch with thousands of users of the platform around the world who are monitoring and trading the same markets. The ChatBox app allows traders to connect with others, exchange opinions and, most importantly, share trades.
To get ChatBox, a trader should simply enter the AppStore and to select "Miscellaneous" in the "Categories" menu. When the app list ppears, one should click +ADD and the ChatBox will be added to their workspace.
Bear in mind, that by default the chat handle is a trader's Tradable username. To change it, enter the following in the text field: /iam [and enter your preferred nickname].
We've already mentioned that trades can be shared via the new app. This can be done if one presses "Post my Positions" in the top left corner.
The launch of the new app comes in tune with one of the main pluses of Tradable – its ability to be customized according to users' preferences. It is not a random occurrence that the platform is known for offering appified trading. Over the past months, the developer has courted traders via the launch of various layouts – from one for scalpers to one for part-time traders. Obviously, the company is now taking care of communicative traders…
To view the official announcement by Tradable, click here.

subset: commoncrawl


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Image editing - Graphic Pro ApS
Image editing
Graphic Pro offers professional image editing for photographers, advertising agencies, online web shops and other who need professional editing of images. Graphic Pro offers fast image editing even of large quantities of images. The quality of the image editing is always high, no matter how many photos you have and how fast delivery you need.
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Introduction to eBooks at Jimmie B. Keel Library | Events
Title (Max 100 Characters)
Introduction to eBooks at Jimmie B. Keel Library
Carrollwood, Florida - Adults and teens are invited to the Jimmie B Keel Regional Library on October 7, for an Introduction on eBooks and eReaders.
Learn which devices can download the library's free eBooks and how to load eBooks onto various types of eReaders. Discover the lobrary's large selection of eBooks in various formats.
The class starts at 7:00 p.m.
For more information contact the Jimmie B. Keel Library 813-273-3652.


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If you're searching for cheap tickets to Regina from Cozumel, you're covered with WestJet. You may be pleased to know Regina International Airport isn't the only place we land; we're also proud to offer flights to more than 150 exciting destinations in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe. Beyond the irresistible destinations on offer, countless travellers choose WestJet time and again for our remarkable customer care, as well as our commitment to safety and comfort. Book your journey with WestJet today.
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Airport Details: To YQR, Regina International Airport From CZM, Cozumel Airport
Historic Regina is an agricultural hub, a centre of culture and a popular all-season destination for outdoor adventurers. Visitors can pay a visit to the RCMP Heritage Centre to learn about the history of the Mounties, tour the architecturally stunning Legislative Building (the "marble palace," as it is nicknamed) or join the lively locals at a Saskatchewan Roughriders football game. The city also boasts Canada's oldest commercial airport, which is handily located just a short drive from The Queen City's vibrant downtown core.
Don't wait any longer. Book cheap tickets today and before long you'll be on a WestJet flight touching down in attractive, evergreen Regina. Whether it's a business trip or you want to visit Spy Hill Museum, Victoria Park or the T.rex Discovery Centre, you know that you can get there swiftly, safely and comfortably with us. Fly to Regina from Cozumel with WestJet and make the most of a great guest experience.


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Events Management Officer
Specific duties and responsibilities will include planning significant departmental events and ensuring proper logistics and timely programme schedule adherence and forwarding reports to the head of Department on all events scheduled. Work will further entail liaising with registered county organisers and other stakeholders under the guidance of a senior officer.
For appointment to this position, a candidate must:
· Must have a minimum of a Degree in Public Relations/Media Communication/Operations management or any other approved equivalent qualifications from a recognized University/Institution;
· Have Knowledge, experience and a distinguished career of not less than five (5) years in
· Events Planning and management.
· possess good communication skills; and
· be proficient in computer applications.
Revenue Officer
· To collect and issue receipts on various revenue sources as deployed or
· To bank the total daily cash collected in the county in the specified bank
· To ensure that the cash banked has corresponding receipt issued and entered
· in control sheets by the supervisor.
· To keep personal record on daily collections and banking details.
· To maximize revenue collections by surpassing the set targets.
· To account for all official receipt books issued.
· To ensure that only genuine and authorized county issued receipts and
· documents are in use in all revenue collection related activities.
· KCSE Certificate
· Two (2) years working experience is an added advantage.
· Computer proficiency is an added advantage.
· Certificate of good conduct.
Procurement Officer
· Estimating and establishing cost parameters and budgets for purchases Maintain accurate records of purchases and pricing Create and maintain good relationships with vendors/suppliers;
· Making professional decisions in a fast-paced environment;
· Maintain records of purchases, pricing, and other important data review and analyze all vendors/suppliers, supply, and price options;
· Develops plans for purchasing equipment, services and supplies;
· Negotiate the best deal for pricing and supply contracts ensure that the products and supplies are high quality;
· Create and maintain inventory of all incoming and current supplies;
· Maintain and update list of suppliers and their qualifications, delivery times, and potential future development working with team members to complete duties as needed.
· Be a Kenyan citizen;
· Be in possession of at least Bachelor's Degree in any of the following disciplines- Commerce, Business Administration (Supply Management Option), Economics or a relevant degree in procurement from recognized institutions in Kenya.
· Served at the level of a Procurement Officer II for at least three (3) years or an equivalent considerable experience in public or private sector,
· Must be conversant with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act (PPADA) 2015
· Proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite
Chief Records Management Officer
The Officer will be responsible for the effective and efficient management of both current and semi- current records and storage facilities, safe – keeping, accessibility and retention of records as long as required with minimum supervision of the Assistant Director Board Operations, Communications & Records Management.
· Provide a framework for receiving and registering all incoming and outgoing letters
· Ensure timely circulation of department files to authorized action officers
· Opening, maintenance and closing of files
· Prepare and review of departmental files classification scheme
· Provide an accurate recording and tracking of file movement in the Board
· Address and resolve any records management issues in the Board
· Supervise staff responsible for filing of documents and ensure minimal filing errors
· Designing and implementing an effective records retention and disposal program
· Be a Kenyan Citizen
· Must be a Degree holder in Records/Information Management or equivalent qualifications from a recognized institution
· Served as a Record Management Officer I or have at least three (3) years of experience in records management or an equivalent experience in public or private sector
· Digital Records System knowledge will be added advantage
· Computer proficiency is necessary
· Ability to work with minimal supervision
Chief HR Officer
· Assist in providing advice on best HR practices on employee welfare matters.
· Advice the management on employment relations and welfare, staff remuneration and benefits administration
· Provide assistance in advisory on the development of good and reliable grievances procedures
· Planning and attending county employee grievances meetings
· Handle all union matters and foster good employee and industrial relations peaceful and harmonious coexistence.
· Participate in collective Bargaining agreements in preparation for arbitration and negotiations as needed.
· Assist in providing advise as appropriate on staff benefits, compensation and salary administration issues.
· Assist in advising the Board on all important welfare matters that includes medical schemes, personal insurance covers, statutory requirements and related issues e.g. NHIF, NSSF,WIBA and OSHA
· e) Planning and coordinating welfare activities like sporting events, end of year events etc. under the direction of the immediate supervisor
For appointment to this grade, an officer must have;
· Must be a Kenyan Citizen;
· Served as Human Resource Management Officer I or in a comparable and relevant position in the Public Service for a minimum of three (3) years or a satisfactory equivalent experience in middle level management in public or private sectors;
· Must be a Degree holder in Human Resource Management/Industrial Relation or Public/Business Administration (HR bias) from a recognized institution in Kenya;
· A Masters' degree in HRM or in a relevant field or a Higher Diploma in HRM will be an added advantage;
· Shown outstanding professional and managerial skills in HRM; and
· Must be Proficient in Computer applications.
How to Apply
Fill in theOnline Application Form after reading the instructions inside the form. CLICK HERE for Online Application Form, and attach certificates/ testimonials,
Fill in a physical Application Form and drop it at the Mombasa County Public Service Board Office at Betting Control Building, Mombasa or via postal mail/ courier service, and attach certificates/ testimonials.For this form CLICK HERE.
All Applications should reach the Mombasa County Public Service Board offices at Betting & Control Building, Mombasa on or before Friday 8th March 2019 by 4.30 p.m.
In case you need more guidance on how to fill the form, don't hesitate to call our PR & Communication Office on the numbers provided.
Mombasa County Public Service Board is an equal opportunity employer.


text:
Greenwood, Richard C.; Burbine, Thomas H.; Miller, Martin F. and Franchi, Ian A.
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A number of distinct methodologies are available for determining the oxygen isotope composition of minerals and rocks, these include laser-assisted fluorination, secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS)and UV laser ablation. In this review we focus on laser-assisted fluorination, which currently achieves the highest levels of precision available for oxygen isotope analysis. In particular, we examine how results using this method have furthered our understanding of early-formed differentiated meteorites. Due to its rapid reaction times and low blank levels, laser-assisted fluorination has now largely superseded the conventional externally-heated Ni "bomb" technique for bulk analysis. Unlike UV laser ablation and SIMS analysis, laser-assisted fluorination is not capable of focused spot analysis. While laser fluorination is now a mature technology, further analytical improvements are possible via refinements to the construction of sample chambers, clean-up lines and the use of ultra-high resolution mass spectrometers.
High-precision oxygen isotope analysis has proved to be a particularly powerful technique for investigating the formation and evolution of early-formed differentiated asteroids and has provided unique insights into the interrelationships between various groups of achondrites. A clear example of this is seenin samples that lie close to the terrestrial fractionation line (TFL). Based on the data from conventional oxygen isotope analysis, it was suggested that the main-group pallasites, the howardite eucrite diogenite suite (HEDs) and mesosiderites could all be derived from a single common parent body. However,high precision analysis demonstrates that main-group pallasites have a Δ17O composition that is fully resolvable from that of the HEDs and mesosiderites, indicating the involvement of at least two parent bodies. The range of Δ17O values exhibited by an achondrite group provides a useful means of assessing the extent to which their parent body underwent melting and isotopic homogenization. Oxygen isotope analysis can also highlight relationships between ungrouped achondrites and the more well-populated groups. A clear example of this is the proposed link between the evolved GRA 06128/9 meteorites and the brachinites.
The evidence from oxygen isotopes, in conjunction with that from other techniques, indicates that we have samples from approximately 110 asteroidal parent bodies (∼60 irons, ∼35 achondrites and stony-iron, and ∼15 chondrites) in our global meteorite collection. However, compared to the likely size of the original protoplanetary asteroid population, this is an extremely low value. In addition, almost all of the differentiated samples (achondrites, stony-iron and irons) are derived from parent bodies that were highly disrupted early in their evolution.
High-precision oxygen isotope analysis of achondrites provides some important insights into the origin of mass-independent variation in the early Solar System. In particular, the evidence from various primitive achondrite groups indicates that both the slope 1 (Y&R) and CCAM lines are of primordial significance. Δ17O differences between water ice and silicate-rich solids were probably the initial source of the slope 1 anomaly. These phases most likely acquired their isotopic composition as a result of UV photo-dissociation of CO that took place either in the early solar nebula or precursor giant molecular cloud. Such small-scale isotopic heterogeneities were propagated into larger-sized bodies, such as asteroids and planets, as a result of early Solar System processes, including dehydration, aqueous alteration,melting and collisional interactions.
|Item Type:
|Journal Item
|Copyright Holders:
|2016 The Authors
|oxygen isotopes; achondrites; laser fluorination; chondrites; early Solar System processes; Solar nebula; mass independent variation
|Academic Unit/School:
|Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) > Physical Sciences
Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
|Item ID:
|Depositing User:
|Richard Greenwood
|Date Deposited:
|16 Jan 2017 15:06
|Last Modified:
|11 Jun 2020 17:35
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1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar or honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
Cream butter & sugar in mixer. Combine remaining ingredients & add to creamed mixture, alternating with water. Mix well on Speed II. Let stand 30 minutes. Separate into 2 equal balls. Place each ball on greased sheets and roll to 1/8″ thickness. Score lines across with table knife to make 2″ squares. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes.


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Kevin Terence Donoghue
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I am the Solicitor Director of Donoghue Solicitors, an award-winning firm of claims lawyers.
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- 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, washer/dryer, spacious living room, dining room, den, kitchen, and basement.
- Parking for 4 cars off street
- .9 miles from downtown Hanover
- Fully Furnished with beds, dressers, desks, chairs, dining room table, and couches in the living room.
- $1000 for the whole week or pricing per night on request
Contact: [email protected]


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I had an awesome wkend by the lake. Hopefully I've burnt off half the fat I've horded over Thanksgivings and make some space for the coming wks of stuffing myself.
Hope the wkend has been eventful all around! ^^
haha actually I just wanted to post this following pic, as usual, the rest is just a big o' lump of rabid fangirl blablabla.
Tell me, who wouldn't fall for a hot talented ~30 yo actor who not only loves Totoro, but will adorn his body with ALL the Totoroes his fans just gave him while strutting a pose like he's shooting a mag spread, AND is so moved in gratitude he's asked his homie/roomie/bromanceforeverbff to snap and post this with a sincere tweet of thanks! in the middle of the night.
The last time I've been in a playground MickeyD was decades ago, I fondly rem the colored plastic balls I would collect in colors and make collages out of them (was a weird toddler). IF anyone has told me YH will go make gifs of himself slamdunking in a trench….hmmmm….. I can't look at a MickeyD playground without having this visual.
I AM the one and only SF PI (Silly Fangirl Pixiedustsnorting Instigator) so this can only be proof of HXM(or GuoEr fr RoCH) is an offspring of one of the most popular BBJX CP 4+13 (or YangKang fr LoCH) :
Or else how can you explain why hot 30ish/40ish dudes sel-caing themselves as Totoro or panda or their mutant Totopanda?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?
And I'll spare the world fr my crazier than ever HongShi CPdom at the 2011 Esquire Men of the Year Awards where they were honored as most popular stylish male and female artists. You didn't hear it from me coz there were just too many fans and reporters' accounts of him chatting constantly with his ShiShi as they were conveniently seated together last night. Nor did I mention YH still finding the time to RT a pic of SS, gushing how drop dead gorgeous LSS is and hollering 'Wait for me (my love~~~ <)@weibo [袁弘:美得呀等我啊,马上马上!] , minutes away fr his own red carpet twirl.
The handholding, his prince13 in shining armor to hisRuoXi way and being absolutely attentive to her everything including more aware of her dress as to any potential for tripping his precious, more so than LiuRuoXi herself.
I love the fancam^^. and he did a wonderful sweet witty speech, using handwarmers as metaphors for his adoring fans warming the cockles of his heart in the cold and through the years. @2:12 mark, the camera is suddenly panned to HXM in the audience, and he must be so excited and mouthing, ' Look it's my gorg parents! they are presenting awards to my Mummy and Dadgy!! YangKang+NianChi FTW!!!!' and even ChenKun is looking so happy for them. I can either admit I'm delusional, which is very likely, or my world is populated by much more HongShi shippers in their closets.
These are the happy faces of ChenKun and HXM during the acceptance speech of YH/LSS.
And I suddenly wanna make collages of the dozens of HongShilicious pics out there:
So, who's the fairest awardee freezing his/her pretty behind off at Beijing's TsingHua University?
Hu Bing
Deng Chao
Huo Si Yan
Newlywed CoCo Lee
Zhang JingChu
Yup, I insist on this lj YH and LSS r both most gorgeous esp when sharing the same (freezing) air they r breathing.


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As always, we are sad to see our Year 6 children leave us at the end of the year, but we know they are leaving us ready to move onto bigger and better things! It is always a delight to award the Wilson Todd Award at the end of the year and this year's recipient was well-deserved. He has made a great contribution to every aspect of school life. This year, we also awarded those children in year 6 that showed great resilience, reciprocity, resourcefulness, reflection and responsibility - all worthy winners.
The year 6 have also left us with their deep and meaningful 'words of wisdom.' These were read out during the assembly and were given to our children in Reception. Examples of these words included:
'If you've never made a mistake, you've never tried anything new.'
'Always try, then one day, you'll fly.'
'Always believe, because there is NO limit to learning.'


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Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square is a 4-star hotel located in the heart of Siam Square.
The hotel is surrounded by premier shopping and cultural attractions making it the centre to all things leisure, shopping, entertainment and business.
The Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square offers a spectacular choice of food and beverage offers including: The Square – an international buffet themed restaurant, Lok Wah Hin the hotel's signature Chinese restaurant and GourmetBar, the latest social space in Bangkok to chill out with gourmet coffee's and cuisine.
|Book Online


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Who am I? I'm someone who tries to find his way in this society (I'm not very successful as it seems so far...)
I spend a lot of time playing Magic: The Gathering and Japanese music games. I sell and trade Magic cards and also paint on them. I like drawing, reading, playing the piano and gaming in general. I'm also interested in fantasy, science fiction and technology.
If you want to get in touch, you can reach me through Twitter @stsungjp.


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Dr Superfoods Wild Dried Blueberries 125g
Dr Superfoods Wild Dried Blueberries 125g
- Dairy Free
- Gluten Free
- Vegetarian
Earn 10.25 points if you purchase this product (Members Only)
Super Wild Dried Blueberries
These superior blueberries grow wild and naturally in Canada without any human intervention, free from chemicals or fertilisers. They're smaller than farmed blueberries but contain a higher amount of antioxidants and nutrients, with their deep dark blue colour indicative of their rich anthocyanins content.
- Wild grown and harvested
- 100% natural
- Rich in anthocyanins
- Delicious sweet taste
Size: 125g Bag
Dried Wild Blueberries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil.
Excellent Quality7 June 2020I love these dried wild blueberries, they taste amazing and contain all the good stuff to get us through when fresh blueberries are out of season.
Delicious!By: Jodie Samson on 22 June 2018Tasty and delicious! Will definitely purchase again. Great price and efficient delivery.
Wild Berrie's4 May 2017Beautiful full flavoured Berrie's I add them to my daily cereal for a healthy boost
Naturally Goji Pty Ltd began at the end of 2005 when founder, David Bruckner, stumbled across the goji berry online. Being a firm believer of 'let your medicine be your food, and your food be your medicine', he was researching the world's healthiest foods and found that goji berries were topping many lists for being the highest in antioxidants, vitamin C, etc. Curiosity stirred within and David was on a mission to buy goji berries to incorporate into his daily diet. He asked many local health foods shops and naturopaths if they sold goji berries and time and after time no-one had even heard of this little red berry, let alone sold it.
Naturally, he saw an opportunity and decided to import his own shipment of goji berries and be the first to introduce them to mainstream Australia. The demand for the goji berry was increasing and larger and larger shipments were being imported each month. After several months, Naturally Goji started to diversify and import other dried superfoods. Hence, the new trading name, Dr Superfoods, was born to encompass the growing range of diverse superfoods.


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Pitney Bowes to remain in Stamford, invest in Shelton site
Pitney Bowes has recommitted to its presence in Connecticut and will add 200 new jobs to its existing workforce of 1,600 employees in the state.
Under a plan boosted by state economic assistance and announced today, Pitney Bowes will have a new headquarters in Stamford — the city where it is now is based — and make investments in its facilities in Shelton and Danbury.
"We are thrilled that Pitney Bowes will remain in Stamford and intends to hire 200 additional employees in Connecticut," said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
"Pitney Bowes has been a fixture in Connecticut for over 90 years and has exciting growth plans for its future in areas such as digital commerce and location intelligence," Malloy said. "We are proud that the next chapter for this great company will be written in Connecticut."
The company was founded in Connecticut in 1902 as the Pitney Postal Machine Co.
Will make $25 million in investments
The company's expansion plan will involve investing $25 million in facility improvements, training and technology, according to a press release from Malloy's office.
Mayor Mark Lauretti had been trying to convince Pitney Bowes to move its headquarters to Shelton, where the Fortune 500 company has a building on Waterview Drive.
Reports indicate the company had been seriously looking at potential sites in Westchester County, N.Y.
Pitney Bowes now is the second biggest taxpayer in Shelton, with its building and equipment in the city being assessed at $52 million, based on the 2012 Grand List.
The publicly-traded company also is one of the largest employers in Shelton. It is considered a firm with many high-paying jobs, employing thousands of workers around the globe with expertise in engineering and computers.
'Long-standing commitment'
The agreement with the state includes investments in three Pitney Bowes facilities — the business operations center in Shelton, technology center in Danbury, and a new headquarters in Stamford.
"Our long-standing commitment to Stamford and the state of Connecticut is stronger than ever," said Marc B. Lautenbach, Pitney Bowes president and CEO.
"On behalf of all of our employees around the world, I want to thank Gov. Malloy and his team for establishing a true partnership with our company," Lautenbach said on Nov. 20. "Today's agreement allows us to continue to make investments in Connecticut as we deliver value for our shareholders and clients."
To receive loan, tax credits, job training grant
The state Department of Economic and Community Development reached a deal with Pitney Bowes under the state's First Five program that will provide the company with a $15 million loan, of which $10 million is forgivable following the creation of the 200 new jobs during the next five years. The funds will be used for enhancements in technology, capital improvements, and machinery and equipment.
The company also will receive a sales and use tax exemption of up to $1 million for capital improvements; a $1 million job training grant; and up to $10 million in urban and industrial site reinvestment tax credits.
Pitney Bowes becomes the 11th company to be assisted by the state's First Five program, which was created in 2011 to attract investment, spur job growth, and help industries become more competitive in the global marketplace.
Software, hardware and services
Pitney Bowes is best known for its postage meters and related equipment. It manufactures software and hardware and offers services for documents, packaging, mailing and shipping.
"Pitney Bowes provides technology solutions for small, mid-size and large firms that help them connect with customers to build loyalty and grow revenue," according to the company's promotional material.
"Many of the company's solutions are delivered on open platforms to best organize, analyze and apply both public and proprietary data to two-way customer communications," states the company's website. "Pitney Bowes includes direct mail, transactional mail and call center communications in its solution mix along with digital channel messaging for the Web, email and mobile applications."


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Jaime-Lee Faulkner, Miss Galaxy England, wishes everyone a Happy New Year!!
A Happy New Year message from Jaime-Lee Faulkner, Miss Galaxy England!
Happy New Year to everyone!
What an amazing year I have had as Miss Galaxy England.
Pageants have been a part of my life for six years now and I have made special memories and friends along the way that will be with me forever.
It was this time last year when I decided to enter Miss Galaxy, I was so happy to win a place in the final I was straight on with my preparations.
Winning the ultimate Miss Galaxy England title in March was amazing, I had so many emotions running through me at that moment. It took a few days for it to actually sink in that I had won. It's always been a dream of mine to win a National title, I have always told myself "If at first you don't succeed then try again" and it really is true, so to all you girls out there thinking of entering the Galaxy pageants, do it as it could be your time and in the process you will have so much fun!
During my time as Miss Galaxy England I have had so many opportunities presented to me, but also it has given me a platform to continue my charity work.
The race for Life, Tough Mudder, The Midnight walk, Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro are some of the things I have done to support charities, including MotorNeurone Disease, Cancer research and my local charity Safe at Last.
Visiting Plas Colwyn with all the Galaxy girls was the first trip for us all to get to know each other, we had an amazing time. Courtney, Miss Galaxy Scotland was my roomie, this was to be the first of many sleep overs, she made me laugh so much I knew this journey was going to be fun.
The next big trip was Florida!!
As we all met at Manchester airport we were so excited, it was like Christmas.
We arrived at the hotel Courtney, Kirsty, Helen and I were sharing a villa, hence the term "Villoomies" as we became affectionately known to each other.
All the girls did so well in America. The 'Teens' were amazing, Helen, my little sister queen as I called her, finished in the top 5 'Internationally". I was so proud! Since my return I watched the final dvd and I already knew that Helen, Jess and Melissa were stunningly beautiful inside and out but Wow how they rocked the stage, I can only imagine what the future holds for them.
Kirsty our Mrs UK (1st runner up), what can I say other than I love this woman! This lady is not only stunning but so funny too, not to mention has the most incredible figure! We had so many laughs in our villa.
Courtney, Rachael and myself were all in the top ten, which in itself was fantastic for team UK. The countdown began and Wales, our very own Rachael was announced the winner of Miss Galaxy International, this was a fantastic result for team UK and of course for Rachael.
Since my return from Florida, my life has been jam packed with amazing opportunities that I have been fortunate to have been given. The high lights being a trip to Portugal with Rachael and Courtney to do a photo shoot courtesy of Paul Caroll, we had so much fun and an amazing underwater photo-shoot with all the Galaxy girls courtesy of Sandstorm.
I want to say thank you to Holly Ikin for her support in all my decisions along the way, I would not have had the success that I have without it.
Holly and her team work so hard to make sure the Galaxy girls have an amazing time, that is their priority. I must say that without any doubt I have had the most amazing year ever and my journey and the opportunities I have had are a result of me entering Miss Galaxy England.
Good luck to all the 2014 finalists and I will see you in March
Lots of Love,
Jaime-lee Faulkner


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Summer mornings demand summer morning music. Whether you're commuting to work with a dance party in your head, sashaying the dog down a still shady street, or bouncing around your kitchen with the kids—the sounds of summer move us like no other.
So go ahead: run, drive, bike, or dance your way through the morning with our summer morning jams playlist. The summer sounds of Relate, curated by Ethan Kanat, fuel any type of day.
What moves you on a sweltery summer morning down in New Orleans or on a brisk foggy dawn in San Francisco? Share the summer morning music that puts a smile on your face and a swing in your hips.


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A Dhaka court set June 19 to hold hearing on charge framing in Barapukuria Coal mine graft case against BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda and others.
Today was fixed for holding hearing on the matter, but Judge AHM Ruhul Imran of Dhaka Special Judge Court-2 deferred the hearing as the prime accused is undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and jail authorities couldn't produce her before the newly constructed court building in front of Keraniganj Central Hospital.The ACC on February 26, 2008, filed the graft case against Khaleda Zia and 15 others with Shahbagh Police Station in the capital.
They were accused of causing a loss of Taka 159 crore to the state exchequer by awarding a contract for operation of Barapukuria coalmine to a Chinese company through abuse of power. Of the 16, six have already died and their names are expected to be dropped from the case while framing of the charges.
The High Court on February 25, 2019, ordered the lower court concerned to dispose of the case within six months.
A High Court division bench comprising Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam passed the order, binning a plea filed by one of the accused and BNP leader Barrister Aminul Haque to quash the charges.


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Photos: Stormy season
Photo: David Blanchette | For The Journal-Courier
A large tree was uprooted, split and blown over on the north side of Eisenhower Elementary School in Jacksonville during Wednesday night's storm. No one was injured, and although parts of the tree came to rest against the building, school officials do not believe the building sustained any damage. Strong storms could return to the region today, with thunderstorms expected this afternoon and more severe thunderstorms likely tonight. Weather forecasters say storms tonight could bring heavy downpours, large hail and damaging winds.
Lightning spreads across the sky above Winchester on Wednesday.
Storm clouds roll through the area along Illinois Route 123 on Wednesday.
Storm clouds appear over Illinois Route 123 on Wednesday.


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Baltic 2016
Going around the Baltic Sea has been on our list of things to do for a long time. We booked the ferries to and from Hoek van Holland at the same time as we booked our Italian trip. We didn't do any other planning, went to Italy, came back and then with a week or so to go started panicking. Could we even do this trip in the 34 days that we had allotted? As we couldn't get visas to enter and leave Russia or Kaliningrad by different routes we had already decided on some shortcuts. I took some comfort, that we weren't cheating, from the wiki page on the Baltic:
The Baltic proper is bordered on its northern edge at the latitude 60ºN by the Åland islands and by the Gulf of Bothnia. On its northeastern side by the Gulf of Finland on its eastern side by the Gulf of Riga and in the west by the south Swedish part of the Scandinavian peninsula.
Since making our ferry bookings events had intruded on to our calendar, making it impossible to move the crossings and gain a few extra days. So I made a few estimates about sections of the journey and tried to give ourselves a timetable that was achievable and that would also let us have some holiday time. Looking at the second map you can see our intended route:
Having written some of this blog I have decided to break it into two parts: To Estonia and From Estonia,
Link to Part 1 Baltic 2016 Part 1
Link to Part 2 Baltic 2016 Part 2
Link to Campsites franksblog.webnode.com/blog/baltic-20162/baltic-campsites/


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Executive Summary
- SAP's Uwe Grigoleit provides false information about the completeness of S/4HANA.
- How SAP is overall mispresenting the status of S/4HANA.
There has been and will continue to be a tremendous amount written about S/4 HANA. Interestingly there is lots of confusion as to what parts of S/4 HANA are ready to be implemented. SAP has misrepresented the readiness of S/4 HANA on just about every occasion, and it has an army of SAP partners that do the same.
This army is all about getting S/4 HANA implementation business, so they are actively misleading their prospects about S/4 HANA. Additionally, these partners are also misleading prospects about the consulting experience with S/4 HANA. I know of two consulting companies that have zero experience with S/4 HANA but are confidently pitching S/4 HANA to prospects and are actively deceiving their prospects about their S/4 HANA experience. This is known throughout these companies, and this is considered entirely normal. The justification for this is that it is necessary to get S/4 HANA skills and.
"Everyone else is doing it."
Most consulting companies do not have any significant S/4 HANA implementation experience. Most have none at all. Clients will find out about this after the deals are sold.
Another thing to consider on S/4 HANA is the following:
- S/4 HANA can only be implemented on top of HANA. (for no valid technological reason except to freeze out other database vendors using faux arguments about HANA's performance is so unique)
- These consulting companies I am also referring to have zero experience with HANA (that is the database, not the ERP system).
Widespread Deception on S/4HANA Skills
I believe this deception about the actual S/4 HANA and HANA experience within consulting companies is widespread. I was recently reading the resume of a person who stated they had completed a six-month S/4 HANA implementation. However, their background and skill set is manufacturing in SAP, and the only completed module for S/4 currently is finance. Not manufacturing. I don't know what this person worked on that could have been S/4 — probably just good old fashioned ECC. But he certainly did not implement S/4 HANA manufacturing. Furthermore, he listed that he had been on the project over six months ago, and he may have finished the project a month or more previous to this (I don't know). This is even earlier in any of the development of any manufacturing functionality in S/4 HANA.
Both consulting companies and consultants want S/4 HANA on their resume, and one way or another; it will probably get on there. This same thing is happening with the IBP product. Suddenly I see IBP added to vast numbers of LinkedIn profiles, for an application that barely has any go-lives. Recruiters reach out to me, and when I tell them I have only tested IBP and not implemented it, they complain they can't find IBP resources. Right, I mean that is what happens when an application is new.
The general presentation of this topic is often that people lie on their resumes. Yes, this is true. But consulting companies lie about their resources and alter their resumes. I had my resume changed when I first started working for Accenture. At that point, I had no real work experience, but Accenture took care of that for me. At this point, I don't have a great feel for which is more prevalent. But I know which is more talked about. We barely discuss how consulting companies "enhance" resumes. This reinforces the overall construct that while individual people may do bad things, companies are respectable entities.
SAP's Position on S/4 HANA's Readiness
While researching this topic, I found the following quotation from SAP. This article quote I found is quite amazing. See it below:
"If you look at the S/4HANA system that we released in November of last year that we are calling 1511, we can say that this is already a complete ERP system," said Uwe Grigoleit, SAP global head of business development for Business Suite on HANA and HANA applications."
Errrrr…..you could release a complete ERP system without much of the functionality working. That seems to be the line Uwe is walking here. I mean, you can release anything, and it is still that thing. A motorcycle with no pistons is still a motorcycle. And you can release it that way. However, when a motorcycle is released that way, it is obvious. With software, it takes much more analysis to verify if the application is ready.
Why Uwe Grigoleit Thinks You Are An Idiot
Let us go on to see more from Uwe.
"Why can we say this? If we are looking at pure modules we are shipping already, S/4HANA spans across financials, material management, inventory management, procurement, distribution, product and planning," he explained. "It's going across the vast majority of the ERP system already."
- This gets away entirely from the question of the completeness of each of these modules.
- What Uwe does not state is that 1511 is not a completed ERP suite in that most of the functionality is incomplete. Some of the old functionality works, but it's just a big mixed bag.
- S/4 HANA has multiple modules (recently renamed) that are called things like Supply Chain, Sales, Research and Development and Manufacturing, etc.. There is no mention of these names even in SAP's marketing literature as introduced applications. Why? Why the strange four digit release numbers associated with each version (either on-premises or cloud)?
1511 Beta Release
1511 is a beta release that has some components of functionality changed while many others are not. 1511 comes with a lengthy document called the "Simplification List." This is a document that describes all the changes to ECC. The term simplification is just a euphemism.
- Many of the changes are not at all simplifications.
- Even if we leave out the topic of which areas of functionality are ready unless you are a Greenfield customer that the company relied upon are not part of S/4 HANA. One would need to extensively read the lengthy simplification list, along with all the associated SAP notes that explain what things (fields, transactions, etc..) have been changed.
I am still digesting the simplification list myself. Understanding all the implications is a ton of work. So much so that SAP is primarily focusing on as migration or re-implementation is so difficult with S/4 HANA)
Uwe Grigoleit Continues SAP's Long History of Executives at SAP Lying
I think Uwe Grigoleit knows that what he is saying is untrue, but as Global Head of Business Development, let's first acknowledge that he has probably told some whoppers in the past. Considering he may not have ever logged into a SAP system himself, it would be easy for him to hear something second hand, and then to start repeating it. Uwe Grigoleit is in sales, so he wants to sell S/4 HANA and therefore has a strong bias to mislead customers on the status of S/4 HANA.
Let us continue with more from Uwe.
"More recently, SAP released three new SAP S/4HANA "1603" cloud editions that provide industry-focused capabilities for marketing, professional services and more general enterprise ERP needs. In fact, the vendor is producing new updates for both cloud and on-premises SAP S/4HANA editions every quarter — so the answers to the question of functional completeness for S/4HANA are effectively changing every three months."
As Uwe states, 1603 is the cloud edition of S/4 HANA. So 1603 contains focused industry capabilities for marketing and professional services. So that would seem to imply that 1151 does not have these capabilities. It would make sense that professional services firms would be a better fit for 1603 – although overall S/4 HANA is overkill for a professional services firm. All a professional services firm needs is a finance module with professional services functions, which can be attained far more economically from Intacct of FinancialForce. Most companies that implement S/4 will only apply it so they can resell that experience in consulting. They will say that S/4 HANA turned the moon into green cheese and gave all of their executive's sex changes if they sell more HANA. Therefore, the information they provide on HANA is utterly unreliable. But this brings up a tangential question as to whether the cloud and on-premises editions are no longer the same set of functionalities.
S/4HANA Enterprise Management is Ready Now….but Becoming "More Complete
"Every 3 Months?
SAP, through Uwe, is telling customers it's S/4 Enterprise Management, which is the full suite, is ready to go. Notice at the end of the quotation, it contradicts itself, stating that the functional completeness of S/4 changes every three months.
So is S/4 complete? Or on the other hand, is it becoming "more complete" every three months? It cannot be both. Let us see…I now have to check Wikipedia as SAP is using the term in a new and unprecedented way.
At the midpoint of this race, this man would like to say he had completed it already. SAP so powerful, they can claim to have finished a race they are less than 1/2 way done with and the partner community, and large media outlets will reinforce this.
SAP is primarily using the term "complete" to mean "incomplete."
S/4 HANA is perfect, but it will become more and more complete every three months.
Did you get that? Ok, good, we can move on to more classic Uwe quotes.
Be Careful; We Have Just Entered the Digital Economy
Now, this next quote is not related to the readiness of S/4, but it gives some more background as to where Uwe lives. It is from the same article.
"In S/4HANA, we are connecting classical ERP processes with new processes of the digital economy," Grigoleit said. "For example, if we are talking about asset management as a classical ERP process, then we are making a connection to information networks so that you're not entering data on your own — you're getting the data out of the network automatically, connecting it to the asset management and location services."
Ok, so we can see from this quotation that Uwe likes to spin a good yarn.
You see the issue is that a quotation can be repeated that is taken from a high-level SAP business development resource like Uwe or Bill McDermott. But without the context that these types of spokesmen from SAP live in a permanent fantasy-land, and take huge numbers of meetings, but don't themselves touch or test software.
With a heavy dose of stock options pushing them towards unprecedented (in fact, they do have precedent, but I decided to adopt SAP's hyperbolic way of making statements for this sentence) levels of optimism, it is understandable that so much unreliable information like this is generated. I would like it if they were more honest and said something like…
"S/4 HANA is going to help me make $5,000,000 in stock options!"
Now that at least would be true.
When Reality Sinks In
So let us take this to the next step. Let us say the customer buys S/4 HANA, and it is only partially ready, and then what?
- At what point does SAP tell them that it cannot be implemented?
- Companies that buy S/4 HANA thinking they are getting the complete suite will be in for a rude awakening. And I am not sure which consulting company will tell them the truth on this topic.
I had a representative from Bluefin comment on a previous post of mine. Bluefin is a consulting company that has significantly increased its profile by publishing on HANA. Bluefin tends to release pollyannish information tinged with overwhelming confidence about HANA which, while untrue, is expressly designed to get prospects all bubbly. It is Bluefin that stated with high confidence that Oracle is finished as a database for SAP in the future. I want to say with high confidence that SAP will backtrack on this policy and will eventually be forced to certify Oracle for S/4 in the future. Don't even think of checking Bluefin for long-term accuracy. Bluefin seeks to sell more business through bombastic claims. Forecast accuracy is not a concern.
Bluefin Solutions as a Primary Source of False Information About HANA and S/4HANA
Bluefin Solutions has recently graduated to publishing pollyannish information about S/4 HANA. But of course, it is other consulting companies as well. The rule with many consulting companies is a lie only a lie if it does not help quota attainment. Otherwise, it is categorized under a business development fib, and is "ok." I recently heard of a conversation between an account executive and the head of a consulting company, with the account executive explaining that S/4 was not ready to be sold/implemented. That the consulting company had not S/4 or HANA resources. The head of the consulting company proposed that SAP would help the consulting company to implement.
This is a common illusion that some consulting companies have, that SAP will do them "favors." This is an illusion that many people who work in SAP like to engage in. They pretend they are more connected to SAP than they are.
This consulting head thinks that SAP will let his consultants learn from SAP, and then he will be able to book these newly minted S/4 consultants out into the far future. (And even better if these trained consultants are H1-B, so they can't leave for a while, and the margin is higher! H1-B = Margin, Margin Margin!) The fact that S/4 is not currently implementable has not occurred to him.
That is how these guys think. 100% benefit for themselves. Nevertheless, neither of these consulting companies have gotten any S4 business. There is very little S/4 implementation work currently.
A lot of people out there seem to think that SAP is in the business of doing favors. While there are exceptions, this is mostly a delusion.
Faux Agile Development
SAP missed its deadline on the rest of the S/4 suite, and it was now scrambling to get functionality released as soon as possible. Now, what do you do when you blow all of your deadlines? That is right; you adopt "Agile" and begin releasing things willy-nilly.
Agile has its benefits, and I use Agile on projects, but I don't use the term Agile to cover up for lack of planning. What is entirely apparent is that S/4 HANA was announced far too early.
This is not Agile. This is marketing getting too far ahead of development and living too comfortably on Fantasy Island, and then putting development on the grill to deliver too quickly. It has been well known for some time that making the types of changes to S/4 that SAP talked about making would result in many millions of lines of code being rewritten. Now the apparent conclusion is that SAP did not allocate enough time to allow for this to happen or did not organize their internal teams appropriately to accomplish this task in their predicted timelines.
Oracle Fusion (Agile) Development Revisited
Interestingly what SAP is doing with S/4 has a precedent in the not too distant past and within a company that SAP does not like very much. That is right, what SAP is doing with S/4 is very similar to what was done with Oracle Fusion.
Oracle Fusion development went to Agile development, but the Fusion development just never seemed to end. Fusion was the subject of non-stop marketing on the part of Oracle, and Fusion never seemed to reach a point of finality. By 2016, pretty much everyone was burned out on hearing about Fusion has had very little market acceptance.
There is another similarity between Fusion and S/4 HANA. Like Fusion, the migration effort is enormous. See the following quotation from a comment on a Fusion article:
"Oracle is in a tough spot here because from what I understand, the move from the legacy apps onto Fusion Apps is not a straightforward "upgrade", like you would expect from IBM, Microsoft or SAP but, rather, a complicated and expensive migration. This means when faced with the decision to move off e.g. PeopleSoft, customers are likely to evaluate Fusion vs Workday vs Successfactors (depending on use case). This is a tremendously dangerous place for Oracle to be in – none of the other ERP vendors have put themselves in this position, and SAP's ability to upgrade from almost any version of R/3 (back to version 3.1I in 1998) to the latest version."
This was written without consideration for S/4 HANA, however. Mainly S/4 HANA faces similar migration problems as Fusion as the change from ECC is so significant. This quotation was from John Appleby, the GM of Bluefin. Now while John Appleby notices that Fusion has enormous migration effort involved, he comments on an article. But when S/4 HANA is the same migration issues, he is silent on that topic. Why? Because Bluefin implements SAP.
That is the extent of much of the information available in enterprise software. The algorithm works something like this:
- If the author can make money on it, then hide the downsides.
- If one cannot make money on it, then be "objective" and bring up the downsides with competitor products. It's all very scientific, you see.
How to Get the Real Story on S/4 HANA
For the foreseeable future, the only way to know what parts of the rest of the S/4 suite work, is to test them or learn second hand from someone else (who you trust) who has tested it. You can't ask SAP or ask their consulting partners. In most cases, the answer is that S/4 is ready to be implemented as soon as you can get around to signing a statement of work with them! Beyond this, S/4 is being made to appear far more implemented than it is.
One of the exaggerations that SAP proposes is that S/4 has 3700 customers.
I don't doubt that 3700 companies somehow ended up with an S/4 license (most of them for free). This is the only definition of a customer — do you own (somehow) an S/4 license. But the actual number of S/4 implementations is probably less than 100, with most of these not live. And none of them live in the whole suite — for reasons that should be obvious at this point in the article. SAP recently reported that they have 170 customers live. SAP has stated that 30% of their clients are referenceable.
- 30% of 170 is 51 companies, well below my estimate of even less than 100 companies.
- And live can also mean different things. If S/4 HANA is live, it is live only with Finance, so that means it has to be integrated into ECC to function.
3700 Customers Live on S/4HANA?
The idea that SAP likes to give that 3700 S/4 customers are in some state of using this software is so ridiculous that the industry needs to come up with a more strict measurement of what a customer is. A customer should not be someone who is only sitting on shelfware. If you are a plumber and you give a gift certificate for a particular plumbing service, and 80% of the people that have this certificate never use your services, this 80 % are not "customers" of that plumbing service. SAP has given away so many copies of S/4 that they will not release the actual revenues for the application. I suspect they have not only given away copies to existing users (who should get it for free) but for net new deals as well.
By the way, I am not the first to question the 3700 customer number for S/4. Most people who study this topic think this number is highly overstated.
Previous Proposals on SAP Application Readiness
Exaggerating the readiness of applications is nothing new for SAP. So please, if some people are going to comment to the contrary, let's not pretend to be so shocked. SAP APO was released back in the early 2000s was a barely functional product that only made it through those early days because it was pushed by the major consulting companies.
Another "application" that comes to mind as one that was significantly pre-announced was Netweaver. I take the following quotation from Vinnie Mirchandani's book SAP Nation 2.0:
"With so many unanswered questions, an emerging viewpoint is that S/4, as initially defined, is just a placeholder. If anything, it will probably evolve in the same manner as another of SAP's initiatives, NetWeaver, did a decade ago. In their 2004 book on NetWeaver, Dan Woods and Jeff Word said with confidence:
"All this talk about successive versions and incremental progress and fulfilling visions could easily give you the wrong impression that SAP NetWeaver is still on the drawing board. That's not at all true. SAP NetWeaver is here now. All the SAP NetWeaver components that we have mentioned are working products and can be purchased and used to make your business run better today."
That turned out to be completely untrue. In fact, NetWeaver was never actually released as it never actually existed. NetWeaver was a name appended to other applications. I pointed this out repeatedly and wrote on this, and now all the people who were so high on NetWeaver never emailed me to apologize. On project after project, NetWeaver is nowhere to be found. Where is the World is Carmen San Diego? Where in the World is NetWeaver is a much better game to play.
Allowing SAP to Lie for You as a Business Model
I seem to debate a lot of people who have incredible confidence in their positions, but then appear to disappear when it turns out they were wrong. We call this have to feed one's goldfish. One excuse they will use is that they could not have known differently because they were told something was true by SAP. Anything to avoid the responsibility of being held accountable for previous statements. By the way, all these items which were so easy to see at the time, just happen to be in line with their financial interests. I can guarantee that those people that may respond to this post and talk about how S/4 is the "next stage," and how it has an entirely simplified data model, will all have a financial bias for why they want S/4 to be accepted. They won't discuss this financial bias. They will instead carry forward the conversation as if they are some impartial observer.
However, Brightwork Research & Analysis is impartial, financially at least. I do not financially benefit if customers buy S/4 or do not buy S/4. That is an important consideration. Also, unlike anyone who works for Bluefin, IBM, etc… as an independent, I can write what I believe to be true. I covered the topic of forecast bias in the SCM Focus Press book Supply Chain Forecasting Software and included it again in this LinkedIn post. And it is incredible to me, knowing what is known about forecast bias that we don't seem to discuss preference when considering what people and companies propose.
Netweaver as an Example
Now, NetWeaver was something at the beginning related to rewriting parts of SAP in J2EE but later devolved into a marketing construct. S/4, unlike Netweaver, is something. It will not only turn into a marketing construct, but its development has been and will look like it will be fraught with more considerable confusion and problems than most other SAP applications. But whatever one's opinions of S/4, and it should be acceptable to be unimpressed with S/4, without being admonished about how S/4 has a new data model that "simplifies everything."
At least we should be able to agree whether S/4 as a suite, that is what is known as S/4 Enterprise Management is released. And it isn't yet released. What is currently being rewritten was written by thousands of people over decades, so no surprise it is taking longer than projected by SAP.
Uwe Grigoleit's receives a Golden Pinocchio Award for his statements around S/4HANA maturity.
Advice on Enjoying the S/4HANA Quiz
To see the full screen just select the lower right-hand corner and expand. Trust us, expanding makes the experience a whole lot more fun.
I have now heard all types of insubstantial reasons given why S/4 should be considered ready to use. Someone might use the Uwe quotes I have listed in this article.
I know from speaking to other senior members of consulting companies that they have bought the SAP hype, and do not know themselves the state of S/4 HANA. The amusing thing is that these are the people advising companies on S/4. Of course, many of the senior people, who will never work on a project don't much care about whether S/4 is ready or not. They have a quota to reach and will say anything and do anything to meet that quota. If that means implementations fail, well, who knows they may be at another company when that happens. Quarters come every three months, the viewpoint of many is that they will deal with problems as they will cross that bridge when they come to it. Secondly, just getting S/4 deals allows you to put it on the company website, which may lead to more S/4 deals…, actually, etc..
One of the reasons I wrote this article is that I am beginning to wonder how many people who have investigated S/4 and know that outside of Finance (which also has rough areas and a big question mark with how may Fiori apps can be used). S/4 as a suite is not ready to be implemented.
SAP's Inaccurate Messaging on S/4HANA as Communicated in SAP Videos
Fact-Checking SAP Information on S/4HANA
This video is filled with extensive falsehoods. We will address them in the sequence they are stated in this video.
|Appleby's Statement
|Accuracy % of the Comment
|Link to Analysis Article
|S/4HANA is what allows key processes to be digitized.
|ECC was already fully digitized and digitized across key business functions.
|The Problem with Using the Term Digital Transformation on IT Projects
|HANA is a Platform
|HANA is not a platform, it is a database.
|How to Deflect You Were Wrong About HANA
|Fiori is a major advantage for S/4HANA.
|In S/4HANA implementations Fiori is infrequently used when S/4HANA.
|How Accurate Was SAP on the Number of Fiori Apps?
|Fiori is far more efficient than what came before.
|In testing Fiori and S/4HANA, Sven Deneken's statements did not hold up. There was a particular weakness in actually making changes after noticing something needed to be changed, and we found the efficiency below that of ECC with of course SAPGUI.
|S/4HANA is innovative as it brings "real time inventory."
|Sven Deneken brings up the topic of "real-time capabilities," however there is nothing particularly real-time or different in terms of a reaction than ECC. Whenever you make a change in ECC or any other ERP systems for that matter, the entry is real-time. Sven Deneken states that "the physical inventory is the same as the digital inventory." However, under what system would this not be true?
|What Happened to the Term Perpetual Inventory?
|S/4HANA is innovative because it allows access to supplier information.
|Sven Deneken states that information about the supplier is "just a fingertip away." Sven Deneken may be familiar with ECC, where supplier data is also a fingertip, or say mouse click away. It called the Vendor Master in ECC.
|Sven Deneken says that the cycle could be changed to daily or sub-daily.
|Why would that occur? This is a very strange scenario that is being laid out.
|S/4HANA is innovative because it allows MRP to be rerun interactively for a product location.
|Sven Deneken is extremely confused when he states that S/4HANA allows a fresh MRP run to be performed for a specific product location and that this is a differentiator for S/4HANA. For a single product location, there is no ERP system that cannot run MRP for a single location. Secondly re-running MRP does not remove uncertainties. MRP can be re-run when something changes. For example, when the forecast changes.
|Performance Problems with HANA and MRP
|Sven Deneken states this demo shows SAP has reimagined inventory management.
|However, all of this functionality, save for several of the graphics shown in the video have already been available in ECC for many years, in fact, decades.
Financial Disclosure
Financial Bias Disclosure
Neither this article nor any other article on the Brightwork website is paid for by a software vendor, including Oracle, SAP or their competitors. As part of our commitment to publishing independent, unbiased research; no paid media placements, commissions or incentives of any nature are allowed.
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June 2016
Author, stoic, and good friend Ryan Holiday drops in to talk about the ego, and the wisdom from his new book Ego is the Enemy.
Once again Ryan's at the forefront of change. In Growth Hacker Marketing, he shows how the marketing game has changed forever and how marketers must learn a new mindset or risk becoming obsolete.
Here's 5 takeaways from the book that will help you stay relevant:
1) Adopt the Growth Hacker Mindset
If you wait until your organization gives you something to market/sell, then you've probably already lost.
Growth hackers get involved during the development and design phase to ensure they help build something that people want.
Via Growth Hacker Marketing: "A growth hacker doesn't see marketing as something one does, but rather something one builds into the product itself."
This isn't about the tools (those change depending on the task); it's about "finding clarity in a world that's been dominated by gut instincts and artistic preference for far too long." (Holiday)
2) Establish Product Market Fit
It's time to stop guessing what people want. You can't sit in your office with your colleagues discussing what would be cool or what you think potential customers would want.
Or rather, you can, but you're wasting valuable time.
A better strategy is to get a minimum viable product in front of your customers to ensure that you're meeting their needs.
Via Growth Hacker Marketing: "Product market fit is a feeling backed with data and information."
Have you ever tried to market or sell something that people didn't want and that you didn't believe in? How'd that work out for you?
3) Make Mistakes Quickly
Via Growth Hacker Marketing: "The thing about marketers — and, well, everyone — is that we're wrong all the time. We think we make good decisions, but we don't."
Oh, you spent 2 months planning a campaign? What happens when you launch that product and it doesn't resonate? How much time and money have you wasted?
Via Growth Hacker Marketing: "Growth hacking fundamentally reduces the costs of being wrong, giving us freedom to experiment and try new things."
If your retention stinks, the last thing you need to be doing is revising your marketing strategy for a static product that nobody wants (see #2).
Spend your dollars on product improvements. Keep refining and improving your product (or service offering) until users are so happy they can't stop using it and want to tell all their friends about it. Then make help make that process seamless.
4) Have Relentless Focus on Growth
Unless you're a big brand, awareness doesn't matter yet. Neither does building a team or managing vendors.
Stop thinking so broadly. Save those awareness dollars and hone in on acquisition.
Your growth hacking strategy should be testable, trackable and scalable.
Via Growth Hacker Marketing: "Instead of bludgeoning the public with ads dominating the front page of newspapers to drive awareness — they (growth hackers) used a scalpel, precise, and targeted to a specific audience."
If you build something people inherently want, that fulfills a need and/or solves their problems, they'll take care of the awareness for you.
5) Redefine Marketing
Via Growth Hacker Marketing: "The definition of marketing is in desperate need of expansion. In fact, anything that and everything can be considered marketing — so long as it grows the business."
It was only a few years ago that we were talking about digital/social. Good marketing (slowly) shifted from spending LOTS of money to shove your message down consumers throats to having genuine conversations with people.
And now, while those social/digital tactics can be a component of your growth hacking strategy, it goes beyond that. We can build stuff people want, design for sharing and virality, iterate early (and often), and scale efficiently.
It's time to stop trying to buy attention and to start building a self-perpetuating marketing machine.
There are some solid resources out there on growth-hacking, but if you're serious about staying ahead of the curve and remaining relevant you should start by checking out Ryan's book. He's taken many of the best resources and distilled them down to one guide:
The best book on growth hacking marketing to date.
Don't get left behind.


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GOJU Natural Fruit Infusion drinks New fruit drinks alert! And contrary to the usual sugary drinks , these thirst quenchers are natu...Read More
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PROMO [JUL 16-AUG 31 2018]: Pancake House: 6 Classic Pan Chicken Solo Plates You Should Take Advantage Of!
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Jollibee: Bistek Burger Steak!
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Tokyo Ice Cafe Somewhere in SM Mall of Asia is a cute and pleasant cafe that serves delicious Kakigori , sandwiches, pasta, desser...Read More
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Hey, all.
I've been working on an updated portfolio page without using any frameworks. It's mostly working the way I want it to so far, but the *%$#ing dropdown menu doesn't work on my phone. It works fine on the computer, but on the phone it will open but I can't activate any of the links. Could anyone who reads this take a minute to try it out on their phone/tablet and just let me know if it works? I'd really appreciate it.
Here's the link: link
If anyone wants to look at the code, that would be great too.
Thanks for taking the time to read this! All feedback is welcome
Edit: Forgot to add the link for the code: Link to code


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By Edwin Margulies
You can ensure that your agents are fully prepared and ready for social customer outreach by taking the time to develop proper assistance tools for them. It helps to start with a social engagement platform that is specifically designed for customer service agents and supervisors. But beyond this, you can give your team that extra edge by following this advice.
• The Source URL and title of the post item
• Selected text in the post body
• When the post item was published
• Source (social media, blog, article)
• Author name or handle
• Author public influence
• Author corporate influence
• Post sentiment
• Persistent Cluster (Business Issue)
• Trending Cluster (Trending Topic)
Next Best Actions (NBA) are explicit instructions telling agents what to do based on specific conditions. These conditions may be similar to or exactly the same as priority tags, but in more advanced systems, they work independently. Not all engagement platforms have this advanced capability, but I recommend you investigate this fully.
Call 1-800-553-8159 to learn more about Five9


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People confuse too often "a strong woman" with "a woman who hates men". It's true that an independent lady finds more happiness within herself as opposed to in a relationship. But it doesn't mean she doesn't want to find love.
I can call myself a strong woman and I've been in rewarding, fulfilling relationships. They've all ended abruptly. I was broken and I needed to get back in touch with myself. A breakup leaves me feeling profoundly hurt, confused, and rejected. I needed to move on from my pain. I needed to take care of myself.
My experience has been slightly depressing. I was searching for something good in each of guys with who I've been. But the thing is that all of them made me feel miserable.
I have the constant conflict of wanting to find love, but not wanting to compromise my values. I easily got attached to guys who used to lure me, I thought they were better persons than they were actually.
No one is perfect all the time, but why are you pretending that you are something that you're not? You have to introduce yourself as the person you are. Don't lie to me. Don't make me believe that you're perfect because at the end I realize you're far from a perfect guy. You don't have to be perfect. I just need you to be honest, compassionate, and to respect me the way I respect you.
In general falling in love is scary. But for a woman who understands how serious it really is to invest time in someone, it's terrifying.
She has passed the point of dating for fun, she is grown.
She doesn't want to take the time to get to know someone romantically if they're not ready to live up to the same standards she does.
Her real fear isn't ending up alone, it's ending up with the wrong person. That's the reason why falling in love is hard for a strong woman.


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Product Description
Like the venomous namesake fish this Fugu Spicy Bloody Mary packs a sting. We've combined our signature Fugu Vodka with our award-winning Spicy Bloody Mary mix, featuring ripe tomatoes, exotic spices and a heavy dose of pepper, to make a spicy cocktail that is dangerously drinkable.
20 Proof Cocktail


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**please note: this display is made to order so adjustments can be easily made on the dimensions/colors. Please message me to create a custom display. Each display can take up to a month to produce, so I would advise ordering at least 5-6 weeks before your event**
This cascading paper flower garland would be beautiful as a party backdrop, dessert table decor, as a window display for a store, or as wall decor in the home.
The flowers are hand-cut from paper and then dip-dyed to create the beautiful shades of pastels inspired by the popular unicorn cakes. The colors include pinks, yellows, purples, mints, and aquas.
The featured backdrop includes 60 strands of garland. The longest strands are 6ft long and the shortest strands are 2ft feet long. The display is approximately 6 feet across with 1/2-1 inch spaces between the strands.
Your garland will arrive in carefully packaged bags that have been labeled with the length of the strand enclosed as well as the total quantity of strands in that length. I hand package all of my garland strands to ensure that they arrive untangled and ready to hang. The strands are NOT attached to a hanging apparatus when they are shipped and the order does NOT include a hanging apparatus.
These strands are tied to a long piece of twine strung across the room, but they would be gorgeous hanging from a branch or from a wooden dowel. The listing does not include a hanging apparatus. Some assembly will be required (hanging the individual strands), but instructions are included with your purchase on how to hang your garland to achieve the asymmetrical shape. I'd also be more than happy to suggest a variety of ways for you to create a hanging apparatus for your display.
This listing is for the entire display shown. However, I would be more than happy to custom assemble a backdrop to fit your specifications (color, length, number of strands). Please message me to design your garland display.


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Read about - Stuart Caravan Park below.
Would you like to enter your own description & more? It's free, click HERE.
Contact detailsE: firstname.lastname@example.com: 08 8952 2547P: 1300 823 404
Stuart Caravan and Cabin Tourist Park is a member of Family Parks and is the closest park to the centre of Alice Springs - they offer discounts to members. This park is located on Larapinta Drive and just down the road you will find the Alice Springs Desert Park and access to the West MacDonnell Ranges. It is a nice looking park with plenty of shady sites, grassed areas for camping, and is located across the road from Araleun Cultural Precinct - within walking distance to town. The staff were very welcoming and happy for us to look around while taking some photos.
Amenities include:


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Original article can be found at the Inly News & Events archives page.
Donna Milani Luther Lectures in IsraelApril 28, 2006
Fresh back from her two-week stay in Israel, Donna is feeling both energized and introspective. She rode a camel, floated in the Dead Sea, witnessed Bar Mitzvah Day at the wall in Jerusalem ("as joyous as anything I have ever seen"), and relished in the confluence of age-old cultures in streets patrolled by armed guards. But most of her time was spent teaching and brainstorming at the conference "Imagine: Expression in the Service of Humanity." How did these two weeks affect her, both personally and professionally? "It changed everything," she said. "It simply changed how I view everything in life."
The mission of the conference came with a tall order: "Transforming Conflict from Destruction to Creation." Sponsored by Lesley University in Cambridge (where Donna is an adjunct professor), in conjunction with the Israeli government and Tel-Aviv University, the conference focused on developing creative therapeutic tools for dealing with conflict in general and the Israeli-Palestine conflict in particular. In an unusual move, the sponsors were given a grant—and granted permission—to host 40 Palestinians at the conference. Because it is against the law for Palestinians to stay overnight in Israel, they had to apply for special permits.
Palestinian and Israeli participants, together with professionals from the fields of psychotherapy, psychology, psychiatry, and social services, as well as from education, the arts, and expressive therapies, came together in both Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem to explore new territory.
Ties that bind…
During the conference Donna taught a class to 30 master's-level students on "Intergroup Conflict Resolution." She also conducted innovative workshops in movement, sculpture, and art, in which she created exercises designed to help people break out of patterns. This series was called "Artscape: Imagining a Peaceful Landscape Through the Arts." As she explains, it's patterns that bind us. We are all so accustomed to doing things and seeing things in precise ways, and our patterns are so deeply ingrained, that it's extremely difficult to change.
…and set us free
So Donna's exercises were all about letting go. Her students would work on a sculpture or painting for a period of time, and then be asked to leave it half-finished and move on to the next workstation, to take over work on their classmate's creation. This process proved to be both frustrating and liberating at the same time.
According to Donna, the workshops were definitely effective, but often in subtle ways. Some cases were more dramatic than others, as in the case of a Palestinian man who said emotionally after one of Donna's movement classes, "I never thought I'd feel my spirit again." Being part of that breakthrough alone made the entire trip worthwhile for Donna.
Further Reflections
Q: So did the conference achieve its objectives?
A. In the beginning, people sat at opposite sides of the room and said, "I've never spoken to an Israeli in my life" and, conversely, "I've never spoken to a Palestinian in my life." Then, over the days you could see the lines melting, conversations happening, people making connections that they never thought were possible…and that was powerful.
Obviously the mission of the conference was optimistic. But at the end I did sense a feeling of hope, particularly for the children and the new generation. No one made a full turnaround, but they did make progress. In some cases, they'd made a new friend. But they were quick to say that that one person was a minority and that just because they liked that one Israeli or Palestinian, that doesn't mean they'd like another Israeli or Palestinian.
Q: How can the arts help with conflict resolution?
A: When well done, arts therapy can really "take you to a new place…a place beyond words. " You can see it happening, you've probably felt it yourself, when you feel "swept away" by a piece of music, or transported by a painting. It's this sensation that also helps you let down your guard.
Arts therapy also helps alleviate the stress. Here they call it "traumatic stress syndrome," rather than "post-traumatic" because the stress is ongoing. It's all around them every day. And in Gaza they are quite literally boxed in.
Q: Were the faculty from all over the world?
A: Yes. There were a lot of impressive presenters and teachers there, like the head of drama therapy at NYU. But the real contributors were the Israelis and Palestinians who were putting themselves on the line. I was just honored to be an observer.
Q: What made the most lasting impression?
The thing I've thought about the most, now that I'm back, is this concept of the "other." The divides are less drastic here, but they are still real. It's very important to me that we are one united community here.
Interview by Sally Sisson