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WHIPPANY, NEW JERSEY (February 7, 2013)—On Friday night, March 15th boxing returns to the Birchwood Manor in Whippany, New Jersey as a full night of professional boxing returns courtesy if GH3 Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions.
In the main event, perennial Light Heavyweight contender Elvir "The Kosovo Kid" Muriqi headlines in the eight round main event.
The thirty-three year old Muriqi has a record of 39-5 with 24 knockouts and is looking to make another run to the top of the Heavyweight rankings.
The native of New York City won 30 of his first 31 bouts with his lone blemish being a controversial disqualification defeat. In that streak Muriqi had quality wins over Joseph Harris, Sammy Ahmad, James Crawford and Tony Menefee. After dropping two of three, Muriqi went on a three fight winning streak that set up a showdown with former undisputed Light Heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver.
Muriqi fought a valiant fight for which some ringsiders thought he may have pulled off the upset. In the end it was Tarver who took the majority decision in their Showtime televised bout on June 9, 2007.
Muriqi rebounded with a 4th round stoppage over Jameel Wilson which set him up for an IBF elimination bout against former world champion Clinton Woods.
Once again Muriqi put on a great performance before dropping a unanimous decision in front of Woods hometown crowd in England.
Muriqi is currently riding a four fight winning streak with wins over Daniel Judah and his most recent win over Chris Grays on December 10, 2011.
Muriqi's opponent will be announced shortly.
In the eight round co-feature, John Thompson (10-0, 3 KO's) will take on Calvin Odom in a Jr. Middleweight bout.
Thompson) of Newark, NJ has been stepping up the competition with each fight. The twenty-three year old has quality wins over Jermond Bourgeois (TKO 2), John Mackey (UD) and his last bout when he scored a six round unanimous decision over Elie Augustama on December 1st at Madison Square Garden as part of the Austin Trout – Miguel Cotto championship fight card.
Odom of Inglewood, CA has a record of 15-13 with 11 wins by knockout. Odom has faced top competition and has defeated the likes of undefeated Juan Gil, Jose Luis Zertuche, and Srrgio Rios and has also faced Grady Brewer (twice), Roberto Garcia, former world title challenger Marco Antonio Rubio, Sebastian Valdez, Jose Antonio Ojeda, Walter Wright, Luciano Perez, Charles Hatley, Wale Omotoso, Tony Harrison and his last bout he dropped an eight round decision to Joe Greene on January 10th
In a six round bout, undefeated Thomas "Cornflake" LaManna (10-0, 6 KO's) of Millville, NJ takes on an opponent to be named in a Middleweight bout.
In what figure to be a six round Heavyweight slugfest, it will be the battle of New Jersey when Patrick Farrell (8-1-1, 4 KO's) of Jersey City takes onJohn Lennox (10-2, 5 KO's) of Carteret.
Also appearing in a six round bout will be undefeated Middleweight Antoine Douglas (4-0, 3 KO's) of Washington, DC taking on Josh Thorpe of Cincinnati, OH.
In four round bouts: Danny Gonzalez (1-0) of Queens, NY will fight an opponent to be named in a Jr. Welterweight bout; In a Jr. Lightweight bout,Glenford Nickey (1-0-1) of New York battles Anolan Rigal (1-3-1, 1 KO) of Johnson City, NY; Welterweight Anthony Gangemi (2-0, 2 KO's) of Mine Hill, NY will box Ibrihim Shabazz (1-1-1) of Newark, NJ; Anthony "Juice" Young (6-0, 2 KO's) of Atlantic City, NJ takes on an opponent to be named in a Welterweight bout; Tyrell Wright (1-0) of Bayonne, NJ will compete in a four round Heavyweight against an opponent to be named; Rounding out the card will be popular Jr. Welterweight Vinny O'Brien (3-2, 2 KO's) of East Hanover, NJ batting an opponent to be named.
Tickets are priced at $150 (VIP Ringside—which includes a cocktail hour and tickets in the 1st two rows); $100 Ringside and $50 for General Admission and can be purchased by going online at www.gh3promotions.com; www.eliteheatgym.com or calling Elite Heat Gym at 862-772-2532


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What's that you're doing, Ms. Wienciers?
Denise Wienciers, 19,
apprentice aircraft mechanic
has been with Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg for two years
"I'm learning how to repair damage to the fuselage. Aluminum strips called stringers and frames run lengthwise and crosswise beneath the outer shell to reinforce it. Just like the shell, these strips can become dented, like when a baggage cart bumps into the plane during loading.I've just replaced a damaged stringer and now I'm fixing it in place temporarily with screw clamps. I would normally repair the outer shell first by cutting out the damaged part and riveting a specially made patch to the spot, but I'm not working on a real airplane; this is a fuselage mock-up that lets me practice each step of a repair before moving on to the real thing. Once the stringer is temporarily attached, I rivet it permanently into place. Don't worry, I know exactly what I'm doing. Even so, I am a bit nervous about being assigned to regular repairs soon. Luckily, I will have an experienced coworker looking over my shoulder in the beginning."

subset: commoncrawl


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The Farm Journal Foundation today announced that Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will be the capstone keynote speaker at the 2012 Farm Journal Forum.
Vilsack is apt to discuss any number of farm policy issues, including USDA's implementation strategy for a five-year farm bill versus a shorter extension, the Obama administration's first-term record on food and farming policy, and priorities for the second term.
Vilsack, who was recently quoted as saying "the countryside needs a five-year farm bill, rural America needs a five-year farm bill," is expected to remain head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for at least part of President Obama's second term.
The Forum, hosted in partnership with Informa Economics, will be held Dec. 5-6 at the Washington Marriott at Metro Center, 775 12th Street NW, Washington, D.C. The event, which centers on the topic "The Election's Impact on Modern Agriculture's Ability to Feed the World," begins with an evening reception on Wednesday and kicks off with a newsmaker breakfast on Thursday, followed by a full day of high-level speakers.
"Secretary Vilsack has maintained an ambitious travel schedule that has taken him to all corners of rural America over the last four years, so we are especially pleased that he can join us for the 14th Farm Journal Forum," said Charlene Finck, president of the Farm Journal Foundation. "This is a critical time for agriculture to hear what might be in store for our industry—and for the industry to share its priorities with Secretary Vilsack."
Vilsack's address at the event makes him the eighth Secretary of Agriculture to speak at the Farm Journal Forum. Secretaries who have spoken at the event in the past—some more than once—include Michael Johanns, Ann Veneman, Mike Espy, Daniel Glickman, Clayton Yeutter, John Block and Robert Bergland. "We're honored to have Secretary Vilsack carry on the tradition of having a strong presence for USDA's leadership at the Farm Journal Forum," Finck said.
Other confirmed Forum speakers include: Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.); House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.); Thomas Dorr, former Undersecretary of Agriculture for Rural Development; Marshall Matz, Principal Attorney at OFW Law; Roger Thurow, Senior Fellow for Global Agriculture and Food Policy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs; Bruce Knight, President of Strategic Conservation Solutions; Arlene Mitchell, Deputy Director of Agricultural Development for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Kavita Prakash-Mani, Head of Food Security for Syngenta; Bob Thompson, Senior Fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs; Randy Van Kooten, Iowa farmer; Robin Schepper, Senior Advisor of the Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative at the Bipartisan Policy Center; Lisa Sutherland, President of LA Sutherland and Associates; Lindsey Palmer, Director of Nutrition and Community Outreach for the D.C. Central Kitchen; and Bruce Scherr and Jim Wiesemeyer of Informa Economics.
The Forum's premier sponsors are Farm Credit Services and SFP. Supporting sponsors of the event are BASF, Charleston|Orwig, CropLife America, Dow AgroSciences, DuPont, FMC, and Syngenta, in association with the Farmers Feeding the World initiative.
To learn more or to register for the Farm Journal Forum, visit www.FarmJournalForum.com. A special registration rate is available for government employees. The Forum will also be trending on Twitter: #FJForum12.


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Natalie Portman: 'Chimpanzee' Screening with Jane Goodall!
Natalie Portman and Dave Matthews sandwich in Jane Goodall at a screening of Chimpanzee on Saturday (April 14) at the Crosby Street Hotel in NYC.
Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay also came out for the Disneynature and The Cinema Society-hosted event.
Synopsis for the documentary, which hits theaters this Friday (April 20): A new True Life Adventure introducing an adorable baby chimp named Oscar and his entertaining approach to life in a remarkable story of family bonds and individual triumph. Oscar's playful curiosity and zest for discovery showcase the intelligence and ingenuity of some of the most extraordinary personalities in the animal kingdom.
Working together, Oscar's chimpanzee family – including his mom and the group's savvy leader – navigates the complex territory of the forest. The world is a playground for little Oscar and his fellow young chimps, who'd rather make mayhem than join their parents for an afternoon nap. But when Oscar's family is confronted by a rival band of chimps, he is left to fend for himself until a surprising ally steps in and changes his life forever.


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The Amgen Tour of California will be hitting our streets starting Sunday, May 16 and with the Tour comes a full entourage of support vehicles that provide support for the race and teams. Nissan announced today that it will serve as the official vehicle of the Amgen Tour of California. In addition to the more than 40 support vehicles provided for this week-long event, Nissan is also the official team car for Team Radio Shack – the elite cycling team led by seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and three-time defending Amgen Tour of California champion Levi Leipheimer.
The largest cycling event in America, the 2010 Amgen Tour of California is a Tour de France-style cycling road race, presented by AEG, that challenges the world's top professional cycling teams to compete along a demanding course from May 16-23. The world-class roster of teams and cyclists includes 16 internationally sanctioned teams comprised of 127 riders from 23 countries.
CarReview's network brother, RoadBikeReview has full race coverage which you can follow every day by visiting http://reviews.roadbikereview.com/blog/category/Tour-of-California/
Photo credit: Glen Kasin
Copy of the official press release from Nissan follows after the jump


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Due to the impending threat of Hurricane Sandy, all shows, classes, rehearsals and workshops scheduled for tonight (Monday, October 29th) and tomorrow (Tuesday, October 30th) at Philly Improv Theater have been cancelled. We will keep you posted with any further schedule changes from PHIT, or any other Philadelphia comedy venues as we receive news.
Comedian Doogie Horner has been named one of the Smartest People in Philadelphia by Philadelphia Magazine. They specifically mention his graphic design work and flowcharts which you can find online or in his book Everything Explained Through Flowcharts.
Last week, Rittenhouse Comedy at Noche came to an end, but those looking for a Tuesday night open mic won't have to wait long. This week – The Tuesday Night Shitshow hosted by Steve Miller-Miller premieres at Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) Signups begin at 8:30 and the show starts at 9:00.
This Thursday, Camp Woods Plus returns to L'etage (624 S. 6th St.) for a special show featuring Secret Pants and the reunion of Meg & Rob. The show will mark the first show for the sketch duo since Meg Favreau moved to Los Angeles last year. Doors open at 8:00 and the show begins at 8:30.
Episode 8 of Patrick Dodd's Comedy. Food. Sports. podcast is online and features comedian Jim Norton, who calls in to discuss his conversation with Muhammad Ali, Rachel Ray's hips, A-Rod and Romo never being clutch and much more. The episode is available online via iTunes.


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On your marks, get setGO!!!Enjoy playing six sports events in a retro atmosphere in 8bit. We offer 6 different Olympic sports that will force you to push yourself to the limit to climb to the top of the podium: -100 meters: Race the Queen of the Track. Demonstrate that you are faster than the wind. -Long jump: This is a good test of power and lifting. Be sure to get power and jump into the air at the right time with the right angle. -110 Meter Hurdles: You need speed and accuracy. You must be fast, but also watch out for the obstacles. One stumble could ruin your career. -Javelin: Do you have a lucky arm? Its time to prove it by throwing the javelin further than your rivals. -50 M Freestyle: If you move like a fish in the water and in the pool you can win! -Weight lifting: Prove that youre the strongest. You can play a single event or try your luck in the whole tournament. If you think that you are prepared to go one step further, compete directly with your friends or with any opponent. You can even challenge your Facebook friends, competing in a round robin. We also invite you to use the hashtag #retrosports follow by your mark if you want to share your best results on Twitter.Retro Sports will hook you as you get into the routine of the game, and it will force you to give it your best effort. In fact, did you know that you can burn calories playing? Give it a go and check it out. Since its a competition at the global-level, the struggle for the gold medal is also played in the Game Center. Only the best person can take home the gold medal.Get the latest from Bravo Games: Become a fan @ facebook.com/bravogames Follow us on Twitter: @Bravo_Games www.bravogames.com
|File Size
|Operating System
|System Requirements
|Compatible with iPod Touch (3rd generation or later, iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4, iPad. iTunes account required.


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In an unusual clarification, Best Buy said late Tuesday that CEO Brian Dunn had resigned amid a probe into his "personal conduct" — just hours after announcing that Dunn had left the company after "mutual agreement" that the big-box retailer needed new leadership. The mysteriously terse update, which came after an inquiry by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune — Best Buy's hometown paper — threatened to deepen the trouble at the struggling electronics giant.
Best Buy had originally issued a statement saying there were "no disagreements between Mr. Dunn and the company," but nevertheless there was "mutual agreement that it was time for new leadership to address the challenges that face the company." Best Buy has struggled in recent years as consumers flocked to online options, and in some cases, even used Best Buy stores as showrooms to eyeball merchandise before eventually heading to Amazon.com. In the year that ended March 3, Best Buy lost $1.2 billion, compared with a profit of $1.3 billion the previous year.
That would have been bad enough.
But then, after questions from the Star-Tribune, Best Buy issued a further statement: "Certain issues were brought to the board's attention regarding Mr. Dunn's personal conduct, unrelated to the company's operations or financial controls, and an audit committee investigation was initiated," the company said. "Prior to the completion of the investigation, Mr. Dunn chose to resign."
Best Buy did not specify the nature of the investigation. Company director of corporate public relations Susan Busch did not return e-mails or phone messages left seeking further comment.
In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter said the new revelations make the situation for Best Buy even worse. Speaking of Dunn, Pachter said: "It seems like he's a pretty decent guy and a family guy, so I'm hopeful that he just added up something wrong on an expense report and it crossed the line and it's nothing worse than that."
But Best Buy's carefully worded statement citing personal issues "unrelated to the company's operations or financial controls" seems to suggest that the problem may not have to do with accounting or expense shenanigans. Whatever Dunn's personal issues, Pachter said, they're temporarily obscuring the more fundamental problems at the company.
"I think the tragic thing about this being a personal-conduct issue is that it's not an acknowledgement that the company is headed in the wrong direction," Pachter said. "If the reason they let Brian leave was personal and not because he was a bad CEO, then I think they're in even worse trouble than they were in yesterday."


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Book Review
Author: Angela Breidenbach
Westbow Press, A Division of Thomas Nelson Publishing
Creative Cooking for Simple Elegance: How to Create Simple, Elegant, & Inexpensive Meals
This is Angie Breidenbach's second cookbook. I have not read the first, but she indicated in the introduction that she wrote Simple Elegance in response to readers' requests for an easy way to make wonderful meals for their families in a reasonable amount of time. That sounds like everyone's wish to me! Not only did Ms. Breidenbach deliver on that front, but she also includes what I find to be the most important feature of this book – suggestions and management for people with inflammatory conditions such as celiac disease or irritable bowel syndrome. There are many people with other autoimmune conditions, such as arthritis, who suffer periodic issues with their digestive systems, e.g., during a flare up, and they would do well to pick up a copy of this book, also.
What makes this book different is the "Angie factor". Ms. Breidenbach has the ability to distill complex information down into digestible chunks that are easily understood. This is not an easy feat. Psychologists look at this as the ability to both analyze and synthesize information. Some people are gifted in one area but it is rare to see both abilities be so strong. But I digress. Why is that important in this book? She includes information in the front and back of the book that is worth the cost of it ($20.95, per the cover) even if there were no recipes included!
Summarized in the front are five pages of tips on simple, elegant cooking. Prior to any holiday baking, it would be a great idea to whip this book out and review those. Every recipe is also coded for IBS, gluten intolerance/celiac, and weight loss. In the back of the book there are seven pages/twenty five tips for managing inflammatory bowel conditions, and a page of "difficult" foods to avoid, as well as a section citing helpful websites.
Summary: Strongly recommend for people with inflammatory conditions (of all types) that, either periodically or regularly, affect their digestive systems.
Disclosure: I received this cookbook as part of a wonderful gift package I won through a Facebook online Simple Elegance party I "attended" last month. Psst! I also have one in my Amazon cart, though!


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My experiences with sand castles are inauspicious.
On the beach, I'm more likely to have sand kicked in my face than to employ it in the creation of some miniature architectural gem. My lumpy, cup-shaped mounds of mud are quickly washed away and, trust me, it's no great loss.
So I'm always impressed by the stunning creations at events such as the Art of Sand Festival, slated to unfold for its second year Oct. 14-23 at Space Coast Stadium in Viera. Somehow, it won't be the same away from the beach, but "art" is the perfect word to describe the work by sand sculptors who come from around the world to participate.
It's a long time until October, but the artist lineup for 2011 already includes entrants from Singapore, Italy, Russia, Canada, Ireland and The Netherlands.
What will they do?
The event touts its sand creations as "3-D" art. Massive also would describe them, with typical sculptures standing about 18 feet tall and weighing several tons. This year's theme is "Travel," so expect the works to reflect distinctive aspects of the artists' homelands.
There also will be sand activities for less accomplished creative types. Visitors to the event can partake in hands-on activities, including many with kids in mind. Local schools and businesses will be invited to participate in sand-sculpting contests and will have an opportunity to get tips from the experts. Music and entertainment also will be provided by Brevard County cultural groups.
It's no beach, of course, but Space Coast Stadium (spring training home of the Washington Nationals baseball team ) was selected to host the event because it's centrally located off Interstate 95. Yeah, I'd prefer the beach, but it's some consolation that by the time these artists are done crafting their creations, the ball park will look pretty close.
I hope no one kicks sand in my face.
Admission information hasn't been released, but organizers are looking for businesses interested in sponsorship opportunities. For information, contact Josh Field, 2011 Art of Sand chairman, at 321-622-5986 or email@example.com.
My experiences with sand castles are inauspicious.


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New undergraduate and graduate students, or students readmitted to Ohio Dominican University after an absence of one semester or more, will fall under the program requirements and policies stated in the catalog that corresponds to the student's admittance date.
When students change their major, they must complete the degree requirements stated in the catalog that corresponds to the date of the major change.
Students should consult with their academic advisors on matters that are related to academic programs. Failure to read the catalog does not excuse students from the requirements and regulations described therein.
The provisions of this catalog are not to be regarded as an irrevocable contract between the student and the University. The University reserves the right to make and designate the effective date of changes in curriculum, course offerings, fees, requirements for graduation, and other regulations at any time such changes are considered desirable or necessary.


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Wow...thanks for not throwing to 2nd Brewers. LMFAO.
Wow...thanks for not throwing to 2nd Brewers. LMFAO.
Segura was 5 feet off the bag? Lol
Reds are just getting lucky now lol
Easy force out at home.
...and home. LOL
Reds with bases loaded and no outs is almost guaranteed epic failure. Thank you, Brewers, for fielding like the Brewers.
Rounding third and heading for home...
Playing the Brewers makes me realize that we aren't as bad I think we are in the fundamentals of baseball :X
Milwaukee = Vapor Lock capital of the world tonight
What happened? What inning and what is the score?
DocRed (09-13-2013)
Might as well face it, you're addicted to bunt.
Give away an out. Are the chances of Latos hitting into a DP really so high that you don't even give him the chance to hit a fly ball?
OnBaseMachine (09-13-2013)
Thanks Ironman92.
Indymoon (09-13-2013)
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.


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Alternating sums of large numbers
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg91871] Alternating sums of large numbers
- From: Mikhail Lemeshko <mikhail.lemeshko at gmail.com>
- Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2008 06:14:13 -0400 (EDT)
Dear friends, I'm using a Mathematica 6, and I've faced with the following problem. Here is a copy of my Mathematica notebook: -------------------------------------------------------- NN = 69.5; n = 7; coeff = (Gamma[2*NN - n + 1]*(2*NN - 2*n))/n!; f[z_] := Sum[((-1)^(\[Mu] + \[Nu])*Binomial[n, \[Mu]]*Binomial[n, \ [Nu]]*Gamma[2*NN - 2*n + \[Mu] + \[Nu], z])/(Gamma[2*NN - 2*n + \[Mu] + 1]*Gamma[2*NN - 2*n + \[Nu] + 1]), {\[Mu],0, n}, {\[Nu], 0, n}]; Plot[coeff*f[z], {z, 0, 100}] -------------------------------------------------------- As you can see, I want to calculate a double alternating sum, consisting of large terms (products of Gamma-functions and binomial coefficients). Then I want to plot the result, in dependence on parameter z, which takes part in the summation as an argument of the incomplete Gamma-function, Gamma[2*NN - 2*n + \[Mu] + \[Nu], z]. Apart from this, I have another parameter, n, which is an upper limit for both of sums, and also takes part in Gamma functions. When this parameter grows, the expression next to summation also increases. At some point, Mathematica begins to show very strange results - and my question is actually about this. For instance, if the parameter n=5, everything is O.K., the plot shows a smooth curve. When we set n=6, there appears a little "noise" at 60<z<80, which is of no sense. This noise increases with n and is huge for n=8. A suppose that this error is caused by the huge numbers with alternating signs, contributing to the summation - probably there are some mistakes introduced by numerical evaluation. I tried to play with Accuracy etc., but it does not help. I also investigated the possibility that the error is introduced not by the summation, but by the product of big numbers. According to this, I tried to compute the sum of Exp[Log[Gamma]+Log[Gamma]...] (the logarithm smoothly depends on z). But it does not help as well... I would very much appreciate your advice on such problem. Many thanks in advance, Mikhail.


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Oops! The input is malformed!
Originally published September 27, 2010
Analytic talent can become your high-performance secret weapon. When taking a strategic approach to analytics, executives are finding new ways to attract and retain analytic talent, which is in scarce supply. More and more, organizations are forming competency centers and centers of excellence to achieve best practices for analytics and increase the bandwidth of existing analytic talent.
A strategic approach to analytics starts with executive recognition that analytics, like data, should be treated as a strategic asset. Taking such an approach requires that you analytically align along the four key organizational dimensions of people, process, technology and culture. People comprise the most important of these four dimensions. As companies grapple with where they need to best focus and use their analytic resources, we are increasingly hearing about companies doing more to better organize the analytic talent they have and cultivate a culture that values learning.
In his new book, The New Know , Thornton May celebrates analytic talent and describes the network of relationships it takes to realize the full value from analytics across the organization. He encourages people to seek out quantitative modelers in their organizations to learn more about the value they are helping to create and the possibilities to do more.
When taking a strategic approach, analytics is a closed-loop process. Analytics can be viewed as a process in and of itself (essentially, the scientific method). The process starts with viewing data as measurements. Are you measuring what matters? Do you have the data you need to address the issue at hand? Next, you explore the possibilities of how to best model the problem, system, behavior, etc. to better inform decisions. You are not after the best model as an end point. Rather, you are looking to scale better decisions across the organization, to close the loop and accelerate the process of continuous learning and improvement - all of which create value.
In a world where terabytes of data are available to every salesperson and line-of-business manager, many can do their own analysis but the potential for gains grows with analytical expertiseat multiple levels. Striking the right balance between encouraging users who have access to data to do more analysis and, then, providing training and guidance to ensure they are using the tools that best complement their skill levels is another area where Analytic Centers of Excellence can help. By empowering and challenging others to do analysis at their skill level, higher-end analytical talent can focus their attention on the more challenging issues. This will ultimately help you retain talent. When we talk about high-end, creative problem-solving talent needed to tackle the hard problems and to identify important questions that havent yet been asked, these individuals are hard to find. Its really the combination of logic, creativity and industry domain knowledge that leads to new and often better ways of doing things.
Creativity is also necessary to try new things, to experimentto sometimes failand learn. When we characterize someone as left-brain dominant, we think of someone like Leonard Nimoys character, Spock, in Star Trek. The truth is that there are many out there who are analytically savvy with well-developed, left-brain functions who also have well-developed, right-brain functions so they can make creative analogies and approaches to formulate old problems in innovative new ways.
The Thornton May book also touches on the fact that many among the analytically savvy tend to be introverted and dont tout their accomplishments, so others in the organization are often unaware of the analytical talent they have. As a result, such talent is suboptimally allocated within the organization.
Too often, analytic talent is found within various pockets of the organization, but it is not placed high up enough in the organization to have the visibility and impact to achieve higher levels of performance. As a result, it becomes a challenge for the analytical thinkers to span organizational boundaries and take a whole-process view. By creating a shared strategic resource, like a center of excellence (CoE), analytic talent can be more optimally allocated. This shared strategic resource is a central point to cultivate and leverage greater analytic competencies to help create more value. For example, I may be at the mercy of data coming from the call center to improve the customer experience at a key phase in the customer life cycle. If the call center data is spotty, data quality trends arent monitored and data collection processes arent improved upon for reuse in other areas, we are potentially incurring large opportunity costs. By having a shared strategic resource that takes the whole-process view, a CoE can effect change with many spillover benefits for the organization.
The interest in CoEs is growing across industries as organizations seek better ways to tap into their scarce high-end analytic talent to achieve greater impact. CoEs are also well-positioned to assess other options to create more analytic bandwidth. They can assess the appropriateness of the technology and if there are options to make the tools more efficient or effective, such as the following:
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Grantee: International Coalition of Sites of Conscience
Grant: 21st Century Museum Professionals (now National Leadership Grants for Museums), 2007 and 2010
Pictured: Dialogue at a coalition member instituion, the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience
Contact: Sarah Pharaon
We often tend to undervalue personal connection in the era of online learning and virtual contact,
but projects like this hinge on the power of coalition and connection. There is so much gained in
working together across the country. All the programs are stronger and better because we work
across regions and sites, meet face-to-face, and build peer learning and support networks.
–Sarah Pharaon, Program Director, North America,
International Coalition of Sites of Conscience
Dialogues on Immigration: Empowering New Voices
America's perceived role as a cultural melting pot has always come up against the tensions, challenges, and confusion inherent in bringing together people with vastly different cultural heritages, customs, languages, expectations, and perspectives. For the past two years, professionals from 20 museums across the country have united and committed to making local museums a productive and safe forum for communities to explore the historical context and current challenges of immigration.
The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience is a network of historic sites and museums that preserve and share history to inform and inspire current efforts for human rights and social justice. Several member sites became interested in the power of dialogue to engage visitors in the history of their sites and inspire civic engagement on current immigration issues. The idea was not to lecture visitors but, through dialogue, to share a peer learning experience, broaden perspective, and develop consensus on how to take action.
Partnering to Build Dialogue Strategies and Programs
A three-year IMLS grant supported the development of a Sites of Conscience peer network spanning the American Southeast and Southwest, providing regional training events and project resources to plan and launch pilot projects at each site. The first event provided training on the dialogue process and included scholars, activists, non-profits, and grassroots organizations, including the national organization Welcoming America, which focuses on working with receiving communities on immigration issues. The second event included communications and outreach training, preparing participants to make contacts and draw diverse audiences to their sites. The third meeting added evaluation training to help define what success looks like for an immigration dialogue program, an important step in building evaluation tools specific to dialogue programs that can be shared across the sites and beyond.
Pilot projects are quite diverse; they may be targeted to school-age visitors, the general public, or specific audiences such as uniformed police. Each program is based on the unique resources of the specific museum and its staff, using the collections and the site's history as context and a springboard for dialogue. The programs also tap contemporary resources such as news coverage and articles. For example, the Arab American National Museum in Michigan uses an exhibit on Arab and Muslim civil and military service to explore issues of patriotism, immigration, and citizenship, and the dual loyalty of ethnic identity and national home.
With additional support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the program will expand to include the Northeast region and sponsor a national summit that will bring together all sites and their community partners for the first time. The project will establish a National Dialogues on Immigration website in 2014 to support sharing among staff and visitors to the 25 dialogue programs and make many of the training and program resources available online.
Learning Through Dialogue
The experience of one pilot site brought home the importance of not making assumptions about communities or prospective audiences. When the National Civil Rights Museum first considered a dialogue project, staff members were concerned about mission fit and doubted that their audiences would embrace the topic of immigration. But an onsite survey found that visitors and stakeholders felt strongly that the museum was exactly where contemporary civil rights issues should be addressed.
Another lesson was the importance of regional and local tailoring of the projects, especially for communications. Terminology that is successful in some areas may make people nervous or alienated in other regions. Drawing on key concepts that go beyond the term "immigration" proved to be a successful tactic; for example, civic engagement and identity are core and common values.
With increasing dialogue work came increasing levels of comfort for pilot project staff. It became clear that it really is all right to take risks and engage uncomfortable or contentious topics. People respond positively when they can speak and receive information with support from knowledgeable dialogue facilitators in an environment that is inclusive of all perspectives.


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Seems on Saturday they were "on about" a NYT piece from a couple of weeks ago entitled "Many Successful Gay Marriages Share an Open Secret" and focused on a forthcoming study that came to the following conclusion:
"With straight people, it's called affairs or cheating," said Colleen Hoff, the study's principal investigator, "but with gay people it does not have such negative connotations."Wow. Pretty significant stuff. Pretty definitive difference between "straight people" and "gay people" -- what with it written with such specificity and clarity. And it was -- after all -- in the New York Times so of course it must be true. And so of course the Titusoneniners were off to the "I told you so" races ... this time with a scientific study to back them up.
That would be a scientific study of 556 couples. 556 male couples. 556 male couples in the San Francisco Bay Area. Which led to the conclusion that 50% of them weren't monogamous. Which is pretty much the stats for heterosexual couples ... in the Bay Area or out of it.
Hmmm ...
And so I'm wondering this afternoon how monogamy would stand up to a scientific study of 556 heterosexual couples ... oh, let's just pick some at random. How about members of the PGA Tour? And let's make sure to include Hugh Hefner, David Letterman and Eliot Spitzer ... just to round out the numbers.
I'm actually not a believer in "three strikes laws" but I'm ready to be a convert when it comes to preserving the sanctity of marriage. I'm ready to make the argument that with the moral example lead off hitters like Mark Sanford, John Edwards and Tiger Woods have set, it's time to call "three strikes and you're out" for the heteros and to bring in some homos from the bench and give them and a chance to show what they -- and their relationships -- are made of.
As I noted in my 2007 piece "Speaking of Monogamy"
Here is as non-ambiguous a definition of monogamy as I could find:So back to the NYTimes article. Here's the part that didn't make it "above the fold" on the Titusonenine site:
Monogamy is the custom or condition of having only one mate in a relationship, thus forming a couple. The word monogamy comes from the Greek word monos, which means one or alone, and the Greek word gamos, which means marriage or union.
One mate. A couple. Two people. Clear? Non-ambiguous? Sounds that way to me. But then so did C051 -- the resolution passed in 2003 at the Episcopal Church General Convention outlining the standards for holiness in relationships that rose to the level of being blessed by the church:
That we reaffirm Resolution D039 of the 73rd General Convention (2000), that "We expect such relationships will be characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect, careful, honest communication, and the holy love which enables those in such relationships to see in each other the image of God," and that such relationships exist throughout the church ... [and] we recognize that local faith communities are operating within the bounds of our common life as they explore and experience liturgies celebrating and blessing same-sex unions.
Hardly the "anything goes" we keep hearing about, is it? Actually, the ONLY thing that "goes" is heterosexist privilege -- and it's about time!
Now, are there those in the LGBT community who are not attracted to these standards: to monogamy, fidelity and all the rest? Of course there are. And here's a news flash: there are straight people who aren't either! And those aren't the relationships we're talking about blessing! How's that for clarity?
Open relationships are not exclusively a gay domain, of course. Deb and Marius are heterosexual, live in the East Bay and have an open marriage. She belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and maintained her virginity until her wedding day at 34. But a few years later, when the relationship sputtered, both she and her husband, who does not belong to the church, began liaisons with others.Hmmm ... (some more!)
"Our relationship got better," she said. "I slept better at night. My blood pressure went down."
Maybe Colleen Hoff (the study's "principal investigator") needs to re-examine her conclusions. And maybe those conclusions might more accurately be revised to read:
"With some people, it's called affairs or cheating," said Colleen Hoff, the study's principal investigator, "but with other people it does not have such negative connotations."Because I did a little not-so-scientific study myself. On my Facebook page. And here was my favorite response:
"It sure as heck has 'negative connotations' in MY gay marriage," wrote one colleague. "Should I ever be so foolish as to consider non-monogamy, my wife would call it: "Buried in the back yard!"
(FYI ... comments are closed over at T19 on this one. When you can't stand the heat sometimes the only thing to do is close down the kitchen! :)


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Telemedicine, now that is a word that either sounds from the future, or a phone call you get right when you sit down for dinner. At Emory though, telemedicine and organ transplantation are two medical innovations that work symbiotically to improve access to health care, patient outcomes, and the overall well-being for our Emory transplant patients.
Beyond providing consistent care at Emory's Transplant Center, it is imperative that transplant patients have adequate follow-up care for a successful post-transplant recovery. Transplant patient, Ken Sutha, winner of multiple medals at the National Kidney Foundation's U.S. Transplant Games, is living proof of the importance of follow-up care. Via telemedicine, Emory physicians stay in contact and provide guidance in keeping transplant patients like him healthy.
Patients at Emory come from all over our large state of Georgia, including many from rural areas with limited access to appropriate health care. Today, after transplant patients are discharged from the hospital following surgery, they have the option to get their laboratory test and clinic visits done virtually over a telehealth network. This allows us to serve our transplant patients, and especially those outside of Atlanta with convenient and effective follow-up care.
Emory started its transplant telehealth program in January 2009 in an effort to increase access to health care throughout the state and in the past three years, it has seen substantial growth. Kevin Clark, Emory's transplant department business manager, said the program is on track to have nearly 100 encounters with patients this year.
"We looked at 41 patients over the past couple of years to get an idea of true benefit and what we found was that these patients actually saved about 9,400 miles of drive time," Clark said. With 33 patient presentation sites around the state of Georgia, transplants patients from Florida are also making use of the telehealth network. Ocala, Florida, resident Frank Brickey traveled to Tifton, Georgia, regularly for evaluations with his Emory transplant physicians following a kidney transplant in October 2008. Rather than making the six-hour drive to Atlanta for each visit and staying overnight, he only had to drive three and half hours and could make it a day visit.
"There is no waiting time, you just went right in and they take your vitals and you sit down in front of the teleprompter on the screen and communicate with the doctor face-to-face," Brickey said. "It is very beneficial in that they know about you and it's neat to have that contact with them. It is very reassuring."
Brickey and other patients have said the staffs at telehealth sites are professional, easy to work with,and relatable, making this post surgery option an easy and steadfast choice. Being able to stay in contact with the physicians who actually performed their transplant procedure proved to be a huge benefit when complications arose, or just for the
peace of mind of communicating with the doctor who knows the patient best.
"I would definitely encourage anyone that has had a transplant at Emory or anywhere else that they stay close to the team that worked on them, with their physician and with their coordinators," Brickey said.
Since Emory started its telehealth initiative, the program has seen substantial growth, a true tribute to not only the system, but the doctors, nurses, technicians, and patients, all who collaborate together to make telehealth not only successful, but revolutionary, for the post-transplant care.
To learn more about the Emory Transplant Center, visit: http://www.emoryhealthcare.org/transplant-center/index.html target="_blank"
Tags: follow-up care, telehealth, telemedicine, transplant center, transplant history, transplant outcomes, transplant program


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Wikia is headed to Comic-Con! That's right. We're pulling up our Internet stakes and traveling circus-style to Southern California where we have a number of fun events planned (meet-ups, parties, interview opportunities, etc.) for the duration of the convention.
While the convention used to focus solely on comic-books, the event has since expanded to become one of the biggest entertainment shows in world! Let us know if you will be headed to San Diego this year to attend. And, if you are, are you interested in covering any news for your wiki?
Also, if you do make it do to San Diego, come hang out with your fellow Wikia users and some Wikia staff! You can find more details and learn how to RSVP to our Wikia party right here!


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"Our Town" By James W. Tucker
Hampton Union
Thursday, February 21, 1952
Golden Anniversary
Fifty Year Roster
Higgins Played Ten Years
Old Time Bandsmen
Most of the band directors, who are listed above, were instrumental soloists. We remember that Mr. Higgins was featured in cornet solos. Herbert Downe's instrument was the clarinet. Arnold Chick was a trumpet virtuoso and "Hal" McDonnell, like "Chuck" Hill featured saxophone and clarinet in his solo appearances. Charlie Leave played a wonderful violin and Major Moses occasionally played trumpet solos.
Band Program in 1916
Band Camp in Ross Field
Concerts Are An Institution
Next week we will endeavor to give you our impression of the bands and bandmasters who have brought entertainment to beach patrons over the last half century.


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Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Jewish Preschool Activity Worksheets
10 comments:
Looks great! The links don't work, though..ReplyDelete
Thank you soooooo much for sharing these! I enjoy reading your blog and have it in my google reader. I'm having trouble opening any of the worksheets. Could you make sure the links are good? Thanks again!!ReplyDelete
Ok- I gotta figure out how to do it- sorry! Will get to it soon!ReplyDelete
Ok- looks good- please let me know if you have anymore trouble opening any of the links now!ReplyDelete
VERY helpful indeed - thank you!!! (and b'shaah tovah; I haven't stopped by in a while and didn't realize you were expecting!)ReplyDelete
Great worksheets!ReplyDelete
these are *excellent!* i'm so impressed!!ReplyDelete
thanks for sharing them. as with everything else, as long as there's balance, a little bit of everything (playing, reading, writing, etc) kids (and maam!) tend to be happy and learning!
these are great! we're loving your blog! I think our oldest boys were in room613 together. We have such similar taste in kids books and music. I'm excited to follow your blog!ReplyDelete
absolutely amazing :DReplyDelete
Thank you for sharing with us!
- AnonymousMay 17, 2014 at 7:21 AM
Todah Raba for such excellent worksheets!!!ReplyDelete


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What's the best part of the Kentucky Derby? The hats? The horse racing? The glasses filled with cold, cold whiskey? We couldn't decide, so we put some hats on some horses to help us figure it out. It didn't help. We'll make up our mind tomorrow when the race is over.
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The Non-Existent 'Cyber War' Is Nothing More Than A Push For More Government Control
from the using-your-tax-dollars-against-you deptReason's recent post, "Cyber War: Still Not a Thing," addresses the claims of various politicians that America is under constant attack from hackers and other cyber criminals. While various DDoS attacks on prominent government websites would seem to indicate a larger problem, the real issue here is the use of "war" rhetoric to remove all sense of proportion, thus greasing the wheel for overreaching legislation.
Ever since Vietnam, the U.S. government has shown an odd propensity for dragging us into unpopular (and unwinnable) wars. Between the protracted Iraq "War" (nearly a decade at this point), our involvement in Afghanistan and our intervention in Libya , Americans are finding that the old concept of "war" doesn't really fit what's going on here.
Back on the home front, various unwinnable wars continue to suck down tax dollars and erode civil rights. The War on Drugs. The War on Terror. The political system is no longer interested in mere skirmishes or "police actions." Everything is a capital-W "War."
A multitude of problems arise from couching these situations in catastrophic and adversarial terms. Declaring "war" on drugs has brought the battle to the home front and turned our law enforcement into an ad hoc military force. The slightest of violations is met with excessive force. There are dozens of stories of people whose houses have been invaded by SWAT teams armed with automatic weapons. Uninvolved children have been thrust into violent situations by the perceived wrongdoing of their parents. When a person possessing a couple of ounces of marijuana is treated like a Colombian drug lord, the system is being abused.
Using the word "war" automatically defines your opponent as violent, no matter how untrue that designation is. Declaring the nation to be in the midst of a "cyberwar" allows law enforcement and government security agencies to escalate their response to perceived threats. Every reaction becomes an overreaction. No matter what your opinion of Anonymous and like-minded hackers might be, it's pretty safe to say that most of us do not consider them to be a violent threat.
All previous indications point to this being handled just as badly as any previous "war." The point will come when people are overrun in their own homes by armed tactical units in response to actions like DDoS attacks which, as Reason points out, are usually "undirected protests" with "no tactical objective." Truly innocent citizens will be swept up in this as well, considering the number of computers out there that have been "zombified" and pressed into service as part of a botnet. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has already demonstrated that it needs nothing more than an IP address to mobilize.
In times of war, corners are cut and rights are treated as privileges. When the enemy is invisible and the list of possible suspects grows exponentially with each broadening of the definition of "hacking," the "war" becomes a convenient excuse for law enforcement fishing expeditions and violent tactical reactions. California has already decided police can search your phone without a warrant and the list of municipalities willing to expand police power with warrantless searches and abuse of "probable cause" continues to grow.
The ugliest part of this whole "war" concept is that underneath all the tough talk and tougher action is a good old fashioned money grab. Reason cites Sen. Barbara Mikulski's quote, "We are at war, we are being attacked, and we are being hacked," while pointing out that Maryland is home to the U.S. Cyber Command Headquarters. A Baltimore Sun piece digs deeper into this money grab:
Mikulski, the state's senior senator, sits on the intelligence and appropriations committees. She said that she and Rep C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, who sits on the appropriations and intelligence committees in the House, are Maryland's "one-two punch" on Capitol Hill. Mikulski also was named recently to a cyber security task force, which will focus on governance, technology development and work force development nationwide.An earlier Reason piece points out even more examples:
O'Malley called for the establishment of a "National Center for Excellence for Cyber Security" in Maryland, more education and work force training, and an economic development strategy for cyber security in the state.
The computer design and services sector, which includes cyber security, employs about 60,000 mostly high-paid workers in Maryland, and grew despite the national recession, at a 7.2 percent annual clip through November 2009, state officials said.
Beginning in early 2008, towns across the country sought to lure Cyber Command's permanent headquarters. Authorities in Louisiana estimated that the facility would bring at least 10,000 direct and ancillary jobs, billions of dollars in contracts, and millions in local spending. Politicians naturally saw the command as an opportunity to boost local economies. Governors pitched their respective states to the secretary of the Air Force, a dozen congressional delegations lobbied for the command, and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal even lobbied President George W. Bush during a meeting on Hurricane Katrina recovery. Many of the 18 states vying for the command offered gifts of land, infrastructure, and tax breaks.Underneath any faux "war" is the lure of unregulated tax dollars. Building a force to counteract an undefinable foe is an open-ended "goal". In addition, this sort of thing gives government entities more of what they really want: power, money and control.
The city of Bossier, Louisiana, proposed a $100 million "Cyber Innovation Center" office complex next to Barksdale Air Force Base and got things rolling by building an $11 million bomb-resistant "cyber fortress," complete with a moat. Yuba City, California, touted its proximity to Silicon Valley. Colorado Springs pointed to the hardened location of Cheyenne Mountain, headquarters for NORAD. In Nebraska the Omaha Development Foundation purchased 136 acres of land just south of Offutt Air Force Base and offered it as a site.
Proposed cybersecurity legislation presents more opportunities for pork spending. The Cybersecurity Act of 2010, proposed by Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) called for the creation of regional cybersecurity centers across the country, a cyber scholarship-for-service program, and myriad cybersecurity research and development grants.
A rough Beltway consensus has emerged that the United States is facing a grave and immediate threat that can only be addressed by more public spending and tighter controls on private network security practices.It's a war alright. A war on civil liberties. It's a million (or more accurately, 7.9 billion) reasons to regulate and track internet usage and criminalize yet another section of the U.S. population. Tactical operations will now be mobilized against people who bring a laptop to a gunfight. And much like any other war, once it's underway, it's nearly impossible to stop.


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KOffice 2009 Sprint In Berlin
Last weekend — it seems like yesterday and like a year ago at the same time — the KOffice team came to Berlin for the first post 2.0 sprint. Graciously hosted by KDAB and smoothly organized by Alexandra Leisse, this sprint was one of the most productive sprints ever for KOffice. Not only because there were many developers attending, among them three out of four of our KOffice Summer of Code students, but also because everyone was filled to the brim with joy and relief about having release 2.0 and eager to forge forwards to 2.1.
We had chosen a slightly different setup from our other sprints, with presentations and discussions on Saturday, followed by BoF sessions on Sunday. There were a couple of themes.
The first was collaborative editing, which is really hot now with Google Wave riding the hype cycle — Pierre Stirnweiss gave a presentation on this topic that was characterized by an almost academic depth and a huge stack of printed research papers. He argued that ODF's change tracking definition is definitely lacking a lot of important features, so that is something we will try to work on within the ODF standards committee.
Boudewijn presented his work on reorganizing the KOffice libraries. We had intended 2.0 to be a stable platform to develop against, but some projects, like Cyrille Berger's Braindump, need more flexibility than we can currently offer. This means that we will, in all probability, be able to offer libraries for low-level ODF handling, text handling and color management that can be used outside KOffice applications.
Then KOfficeSource GmbH introduced their first full-time employee: Jos van den Oever. KOffice being a trademark of KDE e.V., the name the KOfficeSource team had originally selected, had to be changed, and they unveiled the new name, KO GmbH today. This name obliquely refers to the common prefix of the KOffice library class, so it's not totally unconnected either.
Originally we had feared we had so much work to do that we'd only have dinner by midnight on Saturday, but after deciding to try to have the next sprint in Oslo in October or November, more or less concurrent with the release of KOffice 2.1, we went out to one of our favourite Kreuzberg haunts for a really nice dinner, sponsored again by KDAB.
Sunday was for hacking, and your correspondent must admit that he was totally absorbed by the Krita BoF and hasn't got a clue what the other people had been talking about: we had four Krita hackers sitting on the comfortable KDAB couches and we got through an amazing number of issues, chief of which were ways in which we can improve Krita's performance.
Sprints like these are important in so many ways: it introduces new hackers to our community, it's a way of getting work done and decisions made, it offers a chance to get to know the other people's areas of expertise. Thanks again to KDAB for hosting and feeding us, to the KDE e.V. for paying for travel and lodging, to Alexandra for herding the cats and also to Cyrille Berger, for having been the release dude for countless alpha's, beta's, rc's and the 2.0 release.
Other notable topics
We had a lot of technical talks about stuff that was too complex to discuss on IRC. For example; we managed to simplify some API in flake after realizing a new feature was actually ideal to be merged with an existing one removing one virtual method.
Other things that were useful was a refactoring of the kotext undo/redo code to work together with scripting and with change tracking. Introducing the new guy to loads of KOffice concepts, and just plain hacking on those things that its useful to ask other experienced Qt devs to help with.
By zander at Sun, 2009/06/14 - 7:03am
As a KDE user in times past, looking to return to the fold soon, it's great to see how much progress has been made in my absence. KOffice 2.0 looks incredible - I can't wait to play with it! Congratulations to all the K* developers out there, you're producing some stunning work.
By smuj at Sun, 2009/06/14 - 6:20pm
Keep up the good work! We really need you guys.
Nice one. I half expected the word company in the picture to be spelled with a K. The KOffice release has not yet appeared on Ubuntu's updates. In fact, neither has KDE 4.2.3 even. I know about the PPAs, but I'd rather get them through official channels. Is the port for Mac and Windows available? Honestly, I'd use KOffice in a heartbeat. OpenOffice is getting a bit too bloated and slow for my liking. Its one thing working on a document at home, but quite another when you're waiting for about 15 seconds for a spreadsheet to start up at work and a colleague is standing there patiently. While I really do support the ODF format and use it wherever I can, I think there's no reason the application itself needs to be so slow.
By carleeto at Sun, 2009/06/14 - 8:30pm
Ubuntu update policies
"The KOffice release has not yet appeared on Ubuntu's updates. In fact, neither has KDE 4.2.3 even. I know about the PPAs, but I'd rather get them through official channels."
This will not happen. The whole point of a stable release is that the versions do not change after the release. (The opposite is the rolling release.) And the whole point of PPAs is to allow people to mix newer versions into a stable release where they want to. (There are surely enough people who just want to keep KOffice 1.6 for now.)
By majewsky at Sun, 2009/06/14 - 9:26pm
"This means that we will, in all probability, be able to offer libraries for low-level ODF handling, text handling and color management that can be used outside KOffice applications."
Excellent - share the love :)
And congrats to Jos, too - hopefully he'll be the first of many!
By SSJ_GZ at Mon, 2009/06/15 - 8:21am
Commenter stated:
"Its one thing working on a document at home, but quite another when you're waiting for about 15 seconds for a spreadsheet to start up at work and a colleague is standing there patiently."
What??? I have a PIII computer 1 ghz processor 768 mb ram running OpenOffice 3 (and of course, Linux). My computer will load an openoffice document usually in just about 10 seconds. Sometimes up to 15, but never more. I attribute this to the computer speed (or slowness), but it is much better than OO2, and MUCH better than OpenOffice on Windows.
Saying this, I prefer KOffice in general, but for spreadsheets OO works for me, so I use it.
PS - Thanks for all your hard efforts on KOffice. If I was a millionaire, I'd support the project by hiring one or 2 full time staff, but I'm not, so I need to just use it and report bugs when I can.
By Dulwithe Darkingham at Tue, 2009/06/16 - 12:29pm


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Blue Jays' 2013 falls short of high expectations
Toronto unable to overcome injuries, shaky starting pitching after major acquisitions
TORONTO -- The Blue Jays thought this was going to be the season they would finally become relevant in the American League East, but instead the 2013 campaign will go down as the year of failed expectations.
Toronto was the talk of baseball following an eventful offseason that saw the likes of R.A. Dickey, Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and Melky Cabrera join an emerging core of players. Boston and New York appeared vulnerable, while a Blue Jays organization suddenly flush with cash was poised to take the division by storm.
The cruel twist of fate is that by the end of April, almost all of the shine was washed away and replaced with a last-place team struggling to stay afloat. Some people might have expected the Blue Jays would miss the postseason, but nobody could have predicted the season would end quite like this.
"I still believe we have the makings of a good team that needs work, that needs changes, that needs health, and we didn't play the way we expected to," Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos said. "I think almost everyone across the game expected us to be a good team, to what level, I don't know. But I think unanimously people thought it was going to be a good competitive team, and it didn't work out."
There is plenty of blame to go around, but the vast majority of it lies with the starting rotation. Toronto's starting staff was supposed to be one of the best in baseball, but instead ended up being the club's biggest weakness.
Johnson failed to live up to the hype, while Brandon Morrow's season was completely derailed by a right forearm injury. Dickey and Buehrle were the only consistent performers, but with three-fifths of the rotation missing either because of various ailments or poor production, there was little hope to contend.
The rotation consistently ranked near the bottom of the Major Leagues in wins, innings pitched and ERA. The lack of consistency eventually took a toll on the bullpen while the offense frequently found itself down and out after facing an early deficit.
"I've yet to see teams with the performance we've had in the rotation that you can win that way," Anthopoulos said. "That's not to say that our position players are perfect by any stretch, or we can't improve the offense in certain areas, or we can't improve defensively and all those things, but ultimately, I do think it starts on the mound.
"I think there's an impact to the bullpen, there's an impact to the offense, you're down four or five runs in the first inning or the second inning and you start to press. I think there's just a carryover effect in so many ways."
The one thing the Blue Jays won't blame this season on is the health of their roster. The club was decimated by injuries for the second consecutive year, but the expectation was this squad could overcome that type of adversity.
At the start of the season, it appeared to have more depth than at any point in recent memory. There were veteran backups at virtually every position and enough veterans waiting in Triple-A Buffalo that the club expected to remain competitive no matter what happened.
That turned out not to be the case, but it certainly doesn't mean the organization is looking for an excuse. The club simply didn't play up to expectations and that, more than anything else, is the main reason behind a last-place finish.
"There's no room for excuses this year," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "You can never use that, because we had a lot of talent out there and every team goes through injuries. Very rarely are you at full strength for the majority of the season, at least in this day and age. No excuses."
Now it will be up to Anthopoulos to right the ship. He is on record saying his top priority this offseason is to upgrade the starting rotation, while second base and perhaps catcher are also high on the list of things that need to be improved.
It won't be easy, but considering most of the core is locked up for at least another couple of years the Blue Jays won't be rebuilding. They'll instead be looking to re-stock with the goal of living up to hype, even if it's one year later than most people would have predicted.
Record: 74-88, fifth place in the AL East
Defining moment: The Blue Jays began their season in front of a sold-out crowd at Rogers Centre that seemed almost certain this was the year Toronto would return to the postseason. In the moments leading up to the first pitch, it was a party-like atmosphere, but after Dickey surrendered four runs, all life had been sucked out of the building.
Over the course of the next week and a half, the momentum from the offseason was gone after the club struggled out of the gate to a 3-6 record. Perhaps the defining moment was when Johnson couldn't even get out of the second inning during a start against the Tigers on April 11. At the time, it was supposed to be a minor blip on the radar, but in retrospect it contributed to a disastrous month of April that the club was never able to recover from.
What went right: Toronto's bullpen was expected to be its biggest weakness this season, but instead quickly proved to be its biggest strength. Brett Cecil went from barely making the team out of Spring Training to becoming an All-Star, and he was joined by the equally effective Steve Delabar. Right-hander Casey Janssen was relatively flawless in his first full season as a closer, and whenever the Blue Jays took a lead late in the game, it was almost always preserved.
Buehrle entered the season with plenty of question marks surrounding whether he still had enough in the tank to succeed in the AL East. The concerns only grew following an awful month of April, but after that he was everything the Blue Jays could have wanted and more. He avoided the disabled list yet again and surpassed 10 wins and 200-plus innings for a 13th consecutive season.
Colby Rasmus enjoyed a breakout season at the plate and had his best overall year since 2010, when he was considered an up-and-coming star with the Cardinals. His season was eventually derailed by injuries, but not before he established himself as one of the club's most reliable hitters.
Edwin Encarnacion proved he wasn't a one-year wonder by following up his 2012 campaign with an equally impressive season. He was the Blue Jays' most valuable hitter for the second consecutive year and has possibly surpassed Jose Bautista as the best hitter on the club.
Reyes missed an extended period of time with a severe ankle injury, but when healthy the Dominican native showed just how valuable he can be at the top of the batting order. His ability to get on base in front of the heart of the lineup is something Toronto has sorely missed in recent years and his production bodes well for the future.
What went wrong: Johnson's first -- and perhaps only -- season in Toronto was an absolute nightmare. He was dominant during Spring Training, but once the regular season began nothing seemed to go his way. Johnson battled a series of injuries, but even when healthy he wasn't nearly the type of pitcher the Blue Jays were expecting when they pulled off a blockbuster trade with Miami during the offseason.
Now he faces an uncertain future as a free agent and the only way the Blue Jays are expected to keep him is if they make a qualifying offer to the former No. 1 starter. With the expected price tag coming in around $14-million, that seems unlikely.
For the second consecutive season the Blue Jays were decimated by injuries. The only regulars to avoid a stint on the DL were Adam Lind and J.P. Arencibia, while Dickey and Buehrle represented the only healthy starters. Overall, the Blue Jays were only able to field their projected Opening Day four times during the entire season.
Arencibia became the undisputed starting catcher when the Blue Jays traded away top prospect Travis d'Arnaud during the offseason. Arencibia was one of the few Blue Jays players to get off to a blistering start in April, but it was all downhill from there. Arencibia battled injuries and struggled for most of the year with a high strikeout rate while posting one of the lowest OPS marks of the modern era among qualified batters.
Toronto expected either Emilio Bonifacio or Maicer Izturis to solidify second base, but instead the position became a black hole for almost the entire season. Both players struggled to provide any type of production at the plate while providing well below average defense up the middle. Their frequent mental lapses early in the season became the perfect example of what was wrong with this apparently flawed roster.
Biggest surprise: That the Blue Jays didn't even do as much as contend for a spot in the postseason. Toronto was expected to -- at the very least -- play meaningful games in September, but the club was essentially out of the race before the end of July. Most experts had the Blue Jays as favorites for the AL East, and while a few may have said the organization would fall short of the postseason, nobody predicted the club would end up being this bad.
Anthopoulos will now spend the offseason attempting to fix the glaring weaknesses of his team, while at the same time hoping for bounce-back seasons from the likes of Dickey, Morrow and Cabrera.


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Race through the vineyards of California's wine country as you work your way to this iconic IRONMAN finish line!
The new IRONMAN Santa Rosa offers athletes the same high-quality event they've come to know and love in the heart of Sonoma County, with winding roads dotted with vineyards and world-class accommodation. For past race results from IRONMAN Vineman, please visit the event page.
Staged in beautiful Sonoma County and traversing through quaint communities like Geyersville and Healdsburg, IRONMAN Santa Rosa draws not only triathletes, but their wine and food loving family and support crews back every year. The event is a ticket into the heart of the world-famous wine regions of the Napa and Sonoma valleys, and once you're there, you won't want to leave. There are B&Bs and boutique hotel options to suit every budget, as well as thousands of wineries, craft breweries, and farm-to-table restaurants for pre-race fueling and post-race celebrations. The race also offers a springboard for vacation itineraries including the San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Cruz mountains, and coastal redwood forests.
The split transition race begins at Lake Sonoma, nestled in the beautiful mountains of Northern California. The 2.4-mile swim is a two-loop course taking place in the calm, clean Lake Sonoma. Athletes will transition to their bikes, setting out on the 112-mile course featuring gentle rollers as they ride through famous wine country and quaint towns. The City of Santa Rosa hosts transition two where athletes will begin a tree-lined, two-loop marathon along the Santa Rosa Creek trail. The finish line will take place at the new Courthouse Square park ideally located in downtown in Santa Rosa where great food and wine can be enjoyed by all spectators.
Preserving the best parts of the iconic IRONMAN Vineman event and improving the overall athlete experience, the course, which is less than 10 miles from the original venue, is a tour of Sonoma County's beautiful wine country and pastoral countryside, passing through famous grape growing regions including: the Russian River Valley Region, Dry Creek Valley, and Alexander Valley.
Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman/santa-rosa/race-info/about-this-race.aspx#ixzz5cobBMpg8
Now presented by Fleet Feet with proceeds benefiting Santa Rosa Recreation & Parks, the St. Patrick's Day 5K is an annual themed run/walk race open to all ages and abilities. The race is chip-timed and participants will receive a commemorative mug with a beverage fill-up at the finish line! Stick around after the race for the post-run celebration complete with a judged costume contest, fun activities, and music and entertainment! Race awards will take place in Old Courthouse Square post-race.


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Born in Flames
The content on this page is provided by a Time Out partner.
Independent filmmaker, artist, and critic Lizzie Borden made her feature-film debut with this bold fusion of science fiction and feminist politics. In the near future, America is celebrating the tenth anniversary of a socialist revolution that has changed the political fabric of the nation, but some aspects of life have evolved much more than others. As some Americans become disenchanted with the new order, racism and sexism are on the rise, and though the new leaders may talk a good game about economic justice and equality in the workplace, women find they're still working harder and being paid less, and their jobs mysteriously vanish when they complain. Adelaide Norris (Jeanne Satterfield) is an educated African-American woman who is also a blue-collar laborer; fed up with the double standards that control her life, Norris helps form the Women's Army, a revolutionary feminist group that serves as a vigilante force to protect women on the street and a paramilitary unit to fight the powers that be. The Women's Army are successful enough in protecting women against rape and assault to gain the unwelcome attention of the FBI. The FBI succeeds in putting Norris behind bars, where she's killed in a shadowy incident, but New York City's female-run underground media rises up to make sure the people know the truth about her death. Eric Bogosian makes his screen debut in Born in Flames; he has a minor supporting role as a technician at a television studio.~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide


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Projects Abroad Human Rights Office – Cape Town, South Africa – Monthly Reports
Projects Abroad Human Rights Office - Cape town - Monthly reports - February 2011
Bonnytoun – Drug addiction workshops were worked on with the boys this month. PAHRO has found there to be a crossover with the work we do at Bonnytoun and the work that Youth in Prison do there. Youth in Prison is another organisation working with Bonnytoun. They visit the boys 6 times a week, carrying out workshops similar to what PAHRO does but using creative arts. PAHRO have been in talks with Youth in prison to find a way of complimenting the work they do. Unfortunately Bonnytoun is moving location at the end of March and will then be a 1 ½ hour train and bus journey away. PAHRO currently have to decide whether logistics allow us to continue working with them. There is however a new partnership looking to be formed with a similar project at the Ottery Youth Care Centre in March. For this PAHRO will also be working alongside Youth in Prison.
Sisters Incorporated and St' Anne's – Volunteers took the women from St Anne's for a tour of Parliament this month and the women opened up a lot more in this informal setting. Debates have also been taking place as a way of getting the women to be more interactive. For Valentines Day the women from St Anne's were taken to Kirstenbosch gardens for a day trip and treated to lunch and goody bags. Volunteers are also looking to do similar activities with the women at Sister Inc.
MyLife – Looking to start up a programme in 3 local communities, Manenberg, Nyanga and Gugulethu aiming to assist young males who are at a high risk of living on the street. PAHRO will be assisting MyLife with this programme which looks at the causes of homelessness rather than the end result.
Also PAHRO are looking to start work on developing a database of cases which need to be taken further. These are cases involving homeless individuals who are attacked by the public but once the case gets reported to the police, no further action is taken. There are also those who are afraid to report the case to the police. PAHRO also want to assist MyLife in following up on cases which have been taken further.
Empowerment of Young Women Programme (Now the School Youth Empowerment Programme) – The concept of this programme has been altered slightly due to a number of difficulties and realisations during the trial of the project. The project will now be known as the School Youth Empowerment Programme. The sessions began with a group of 40 grade 8 children but after conducting the first session they were found to be greatly lacking in their general knowledge. It was decided that the project must first look into focusing on developing the general knowledge of the youth with life orientation classes and then to move on to debates, mock trials and advocacy. The group is being split into 3 and volunteers are taking each group and focusing on a mock trial, debates and advocacy. The children lose interest extremely quickly and so it is going to be a challenge to prepare workshops which can hold their attention.
Khayelitsha – Volunteers dedicated one of their Fridays this month to help out with the clearance of a patch of land which is to be used as a vegetable garden. Volunteers got there hands dirty weeding and clearing away debris from the area. The vegetable garden will benefit the community greatly allowing children to be fed, the community to learn about how to grow their own produce and an income to be collected from the sale of the produce. This was a one off but volunteers found it to be rewarding work.
Lavender Hill – Volunteers are continuing to attend consultations on Tuesdays at Lavender Hill. Also we have had the go ahead for male volunteers to also visit the Lavender Hill sight and carry out consultations provided the women are pre warned. This was not possible before but will allow male volunteers, who wish to get involved, the opportunity to take part in this service that PAHRO offers to the community.
Manenberg – The 'movie night' was held with a group from Manenberg on the 14th February and proved to be successful. A new program is to be started in which volunteer will be working with 16-21 year olds over the following 2 months. Volunteers wish to teach these people some life skills and so workshops will be carried out on car maintenance, cooking, soccer and self defence. 'Movie night' will also be held on a regular basis which will involve an inspirational or at least relevant movie to those that are watching it. Although we want them to enjoy it we also want them to leave having learnt something or having something to think about.
Wynberg Magistrates Court Visits – Volunteers have been given the opportunity to visit the courts, take a tour and sit in on some of the cases that are being held there. If interest remains, this may be made a regular excursion for volunteers.
Sobamisana – This is a Christian organisation who approached PAHRO looking for new ideas and approaches to the work that they do. We have been in consultation with them and they are keen on maybe implementing the School Youth Empowerment Programme in the schools in which they work. There is also a meeting booked for the beginning of March to discuss the rights of disabled people and what work we can do in this area.


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As our ancestors travelled and moved from one country to another before arriving in the UK we often need to obtain information from records held in other countries and sometimes we receive photos from cemeteries outside of the UK. Regular visitors to CemeteryScribes will have noticed that we recently added headstone photos from the small Jewish Cemetery in Landstuhl, Germany. We also have photos from Hong Kong Jewish Cemetery and will be adding, in the near future, headstone photos and plaques from Singapore Jewish Cemetery.
One website we always visit when needing help outside the UK is GenAmi, the Association of Jewish Genealogy. With their Head Office in Paris, France, associate members across Europe and beyond, they generally come up trumps.
Micheline Gutmann, GenAmi's president, explains their sole objective as being to help members know their ancestors and understand their history.
Their website is overflowing with information, articles, details of what's new, recent research trips, family trees, records, quarterly reviews and in addition to all this, their Forum where members can ask for help and help each other. There are over 9,000 posts, which gives an idea of how well used it is.
To keep on track with our Cemetery theme, GenAmi have also researched several parts of the Montparnasse Cemetery (Jewish Section) with details of burials in Divisions 5, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29 available to members. A fascinating resource, where I have been lucky enough to find several of my own families' burial details. These records include the date of death, birth, place of birth, spouse, plot details and when the plot was purchased.
While GenAmi do require a very small annual membership fee (30e) they also provide information to non-members see here and the site is available in English or French.
If looking for a nice Hanukah present for the genealogist in your family, membership of this fabulous resource may well be the answer!
GenAmi have provided information for the following family entries on CemeteryScribes:
TUCK family : ID:19908
LION family ID: I9918
BRUNSWICK family ID: I2957
BING-JACOB Rosine ID: I9919
MEYER Fanny (Jeanetta) (Feigla) ID: I2958
SAMUEL / WEIL family (F1940) ID: I8605
COHEN Abigail
COHEN Adelaide [Lydia b Chaim HaCohen]
COHEN Andrew Asher
COHEN Caroline
COHEN David Hyman
COHEN Elizabeth
COHEN Frances
COHEN Judah Hyman


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Nashville commercial real estate trends to watch in 2014
Thanks to record investment sales including office buildings and raw land plus strong leasing activity, most Nashville area commercial real estate firms are coming off perhaps their best year since the Great Recession.
Will 2014 be an encore?
It all depends on whether Nashville can continue its recent hot streak in terms of attracting jobs, which is the most important factor in demand for more space, and as a result, new buildings.
For example, will the office building Eakin Partners has long planned at its site in the Gulch next to Ray Hensler's new residential high-rise finally get underway?
Another indicator of demand for new offices in that market will likely be the outcome of MarketStreet Enterprises' efforts to lease its nearby Gulch Crossing mixed-used building.
After last year's record pace of deals, office investment sales will likely slow down somewhat, but Nashville should remain on radar of many institutional investors.
Here are responses we got from leaders of some of Nashville's leading commercial real estate services firms when we asked about the trends to watch for in 2014.
Downtown relocation
"We see three major trends within the urban submarkets we focus on. First, residential demand will continue to serve as the catalyst for new restaurant, retail and residential development. Next, Music City Center, which already produced the Omni, will stimulate development of additional limited- and full-service hotels. And finally, led by HCA's decision to locate in the North Gulch, renewed corporate headquarters relocation into downtown and midtown."
— Tony Giarratana, president, Giarratana Development LLC
Too many apartments?
"We're going to test the demand in the apartment market. When you look at the number of units under construction in the Nashville region (roughly from Gallatin down to Murfreesboro), you've probably got 7,000 to 8,000 units under construction — most of which are going to come online in 2014. That's a lot of units and a lot of those units are the higher-rent units. So you wonder where the limits of demand are for that. Generally, the economy in Nashville is strong enough to support it, but nevertheless, it's going to be an interesting test. When you talk to major multifamily developers, they're kind of cautious about the new sites that they're looking at. They're still interested in the premier sites, but the good sites probably not so. Everybody's become just a little bit cautious for the same reason we're looking at it. What's coming online is going to test the market and we'll see how we come through it."
— Tom Frye, Nashville office managing director, CBRE
Higher rents on tap
"With the tighter market and lower vacancy rates, you're going to see a trend across the entire Nashville office market of increasing rental rates — with any new developments achieving even higher rental rates than are currently being quoted in the market. With some of the institutional buyers looking to increase returns, they're more likely to push for higher rental rates. The owners of existing (premium) buildings are going to continue to push up the rates until tenants are more willing to pay a slightly higher premium to be in a brand-new building. With existing rental rates on (premium) properties in the low-to-mid $20 (per square foot range), any new building will need to have retail rates north of $30 per square foot. The trend of increasing rental rates will continue across not only with office properties but to retail and industrial as well."
— Barry Smith, president, Eakin Partners LLC
More cranes, new office buildings
"With virtually no quality space available and relatively little construction, the stats remained flat for 2013. I believe 2014 will tell a different story since the market will see more construction on both the build-to-suit and speculative fronts. For Nashville to continue to grow at the pace that we're used to seeing over the last five to six years, we've got to have more quality space to offer companies as they expand or move into the Middle Tennessee area. Our whole economy ... is all about the jobs and the more jobs we can add in Middle Tennessee, the more the region prospers."
— Doug Brandon, regional managing principal, Cassidy Turley
Softer investment sales
"After a torrid pace of investment sales activity in 2013, sales volume will decline but properties placed on the market will get high levels of interest. The pricing and level of interest will be tempered by slightly higher interest rates for investors that utilize leverage (debt). Nashville will also experience the entry of new investors as these investors are being priced out of core markets, combined with the positive buzz created for our city. (Meanwhile), HCA's announced development in the North Gulch, the proposed baseball park and also the redevelopment of Regions Center will provide an interesting glimpse on how "north" downtown can compete with "south" downtown. The shift in desirable office locations in the (central business district) has been noticeable with the success of the Pinnacle building and other momentum around the convention center and Broadway. North downtown must create activities and energy outside of "9-to-5" in order to compete. Certainly, the Amp, as well as the linkage of the Avenue of the Arts, can further enhance the connectivity of North and South."
— Warren D. Smith III, CEO and principal, Cushman & Wakefield|Cornerstone
New infill markets
"Watch for some new previously unidentified areas for redevelopment and infill. What (is) the next Germantown or the next SoBro or the next Gulch? We have driven the prices up dramatically in downtown, especially in the SoBro market, to the point that it's questionable some of that is even feasible anymore. We've got to be able to move into some other areas that previously have not been touched. With the planned ballpark, Germantown now is going to be even more exciting than it was, but what happens to the old Greer Stadium and that neighborhood over there? That's not the only area that I would keep a watch on. I think we need to begin to identify those areas that are still affordable that are appropriate for infill."
— Nate Greene, managing partner, Colliers Nashville


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