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Citizenship Flexibility at the Olympics Is a Good Thing
At a recent family sing-along in the upper peninsula of Michigan, we dusted off John Lennon's "Imagine." The lyrics made me think about the Olympics. Could we imagine the Olympics without national teams?
Imagine a world where the best athletes are able to compete. This is definitely not the current Olympic system. The country quota system keeps many of the best athletes home. If I were the fifth-best backstroker in the world, I'd be upset that I couldn't compete because of when I was born.
But what about team sports? Ay, there's the rub. You may think that we'd have to do away with water polo and beach volleyball gold medals if we did away with national teams.
Maybe not.
The beginnings of a new trend are indirectly pushing us toward more meritocratic and less nation-centric Olympics. Citizenship is becoming more fluid for Olympic athletes and it's improving the quality of competition at the games in both individual and team events.
Take Chris Kaman, the American-born center for the Los Angeles Clippers. Kaman's parents and grandparents were also born in the U.S. But because of his great-grandparents, Germany granted Kaman citizenship — and he's been playing hoops for the German Olympic team.
My first reaction to such shenanigans is outrage. But citizenship competition is improving the competitiveness of the Olympic games themselves. The U.S. basketball teams face better competition because people like J.R. Holden and Becky Hammon are playing for Russia.
And it's not just basketball. Thank God that a kid who was born in Anaheim, Calif., and attended high school and college in California was able to make the Serbian swimming team because of his dual citizenship. Without mutable citizenship, Michael Phelps might not have been pushed to the narrowest of victories in the 100-meter fly.
Some countries don't allow dual citizenship and would resist letting "their" athletes compete for another country's team. But it is not necessary that "Olympic citizenship" even be tied to the legal citizenship of an athlete's country of residence. Imagine a world where athletes are free to register to compete for a spot on any nation's team.
A free market for Olympic citizenship would reduce the sometimes arbitrary control of national Olympic committees. National Olympic committees would need to be more responsive to athletes who had expanded choice. You could, of course, still root for the redeem team, but suddenly you might want to cheer for an Angolan team populated by N.B.A. players with dual citizenship.
You may say that I'm a dreamer. But remember what happened to amateurism. There was a time when it was unthinkable that professionals would be allowed to compete in the Olympics. Amateurism was a core part of what the Olympics were about. But analogous shenanigans and evasions from Communist block state-supported teams and Western block endorsements eroded the ban on professionals. In 1988, "the word 'amateur' disappeared from the Olympic Charter." I, for one, think the Olympic movement has not suffered.
It would be a smaller change to expand citizenship flexibility. Article 6 of the Olympic Charter currently states:
The Olympic Games are competitions between athletes in individual or team events and not between countries.
Letting athletes choose their national teams is a simple way of fulfilling this powerful idea.


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For those of you planning to attend the annual HIMSS Conference in New Orleans, I'm pleased to announce the details for the 4th Annual New Media Meetup at HIMSS 2013.
It's amazing to think that 4 years have already past since that first event, but I'm really excited by what we've put together for all those planning to be in New Orleans for HIMSS. The New Media Meetup is one of the highlights of HIMSS for me each year and I expect this year to be no exception.
A big thanks to docBeat for sponsoring the event and making is possible for those of us in New Media to get together over food and drinks at HIMSS. I hope everyone will check out docBeat and thank them for sponsoring the event.
Now for the details of the event…
Register Here!
When: Tuesday 3/5 6:00-8:00 PM
Where: Mulate's Party Hall – 743 Convention Center Boulevard, New Orleans, LA MAP
Who: Anyone who uses or is interested in New Media (Blogs, Twitter, Social Media, etc)
What: Food, Drinks, and Amazing People
About Our Sponsor
docBeat® allows physicians and other healthcare professionals to seamlessly communicate with one another using their mobile phone or web browser while ensuring HIPAA compliance and avoiding liability issues. Plus, there's no more dealing with the hassle of being on hold to find out who is on call or busy. docBeat® allows physicians to provide a docBeat phone number to be reached at while keeping their actual phone number private. For more information visit www.docbeat.co.
A big thanks also goes out to Erin and Beth from The Friedman Marketing Group for helping us locate a great venue in New Orleans and helping us plan the event. They are class acts and I always love working with them and their PR company.
Finally, thanks as always to all the members of Influential Networks and Healthcare Scene that help us promote the New Media Meetup. It's beautiful to use the power of social media to put on such a great social media event at HIMSS.
Let me know if you have any questions and I look forward to seeing many of you in New Orleans very soon!

subset: commoncrawl


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The average US household is enrolled in 29 loyalty programs, but is active in merely 12. And, according to Colloquy's 2015 research on loyalty, US loyalty program memberships grew a whopping 25.5 percent from 2012 to 2014. Yet almost 60 percent aren't even engaging in these memberships.
What can companies do to differentiate their loyalty programs and get customers interested, connected and engaged?
Argyle Executive Forum, in partnership with SAS, has brought together a panel of marketing leaders and industry experts to discuss the key strategies and techniques needed to become a loyalty company, not a company with just another loyalty program.
Join us to learn how you can:
- Boost loyalty in a digital world.
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- Use analytics to drive a better loyalty program.
Wilson Raj – moderator
Global Director of Customer Intelligence, SAS
Michael Carter
Senior Vice President, Marketing, Regions Financial Corporation
Sativa Leach Bowen
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Retail Operations, Citigroup
Elissa Tomasetti
Vice President, Digital and Direct Channels, Pearson


text:
Modern and artistic, this apartment is located in southern Amsterdam.
Interior designer i29 Architects has successfully decorated this minimalist and simple apartment interior with unique wall that features rack or hole with rectangular shape as decorative element that united all the room in a perfect harmony. Read more [ via : neathome ]


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Escape to the Movies: The Phantom Menace 13 Years Later
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The Phantom Menace 13 Years Later
The Phantom Menace isn't nearly as bad as you think it is.
Phantom Menace is probably the one I disliked the least, until a few years later, I kinda liked it. What really killed the SW prequels for me was Anakin becoming Vader mostly because he acted like 12 year old on the internet who couldn't find any rational reason behind his actions and statements, so he started to throw tantrums, threats and called everyone a Nazi... then he killed a bunch of kids for the fun of it.
I could stomach JarJar, he was sometimes funny, I could stand little Any, I could overlook the plotholes, but making that wuss Vader was just painful. That retroactively poisoned the prequels for me, to the point where all I feel for them is apathy.
Mother of god. Someone who is not bitching about the Phantom Menace? What sorcery is this!? MO of the movie is that is a halfdecent movie with a great duel at the end. Attack of the clones sucks more (except for Chirstopher Lee)
Yeah... it doesn't suck as much on it's own, but I'm still not gunna go see it in 3D.
One thing that always bothered me about Phantom Menace was that it never felt like a Star Wars movie. The visual style was nice and flashy and that kept me re-watching it for a little while. The lightsaber fights and the Pod-racing were great (even if the latter was a little redundant). Sure it could never recapture the the original feeling of discovery and wonder of the originals but still, too shiny and smooth and over the top. The originals were so much simpler and reserved in appearance. The two headed announcer didn't bother me at all though.
As for attack of the clones:
Hooray, This horribly forced romance between Padme and Anikin is finally starting to progress.
Jango's appearance, while unnecessary, did at least give a little back story to an "inexplicably" popular side character. I actually thought it was kinda cool how it turned out Boba was created from the template that was the foundation for the entire Imperial army.
The whole problem with the prequels is that we spend the whole time waiting for it to reach a foregone conclusion. Anikan's transformation to the Dark side is handled atrociously with little serious motivation that is given a back set to all the action that keeps popping up. What the fuck does he really have to be angry at the Jedi over? They gave him all the power he has. Obi Wan never tried to hold him back (except at the battle of Genesis) and he let him go find his mother with hardly any hesitation. The only reason Anikin wasn't able to save her was because he did ask to go home sooner. At the end of the last movie he turns into a complete fascist simply because he a reoccurring nightmare about his girlfriend dying. And He doesn't talk about with the man who's been raising him for half his life. No he goes strait to his "real mentor" who tells him to turn to the dark side and just goes along with it. The real motivation behind it is that he HAS TO transform in Darth Vader because that's who he is in the original Trilogy.
I hope even more people watch the Plinkett reviews now thanks to you :)
I never did think it was all that bad. I do however think the re-releasing it 3D is entirely superfluous though.
I actually disliked Revenge of the Sith the most. Because in the end it all just didn't pan out. You got to watch the whole sloppy thing drag its way past the finish line, and it just made the prior 2 worse. If Revenge of the Sith was a wonderful and engaging film, the first 2 would have been pardoned of their weakness in an effort to justify the greatness that was the 3rd film. Buuuut, they didn't and the 3rd film was god awful.
Return of the Jedi is a pretty lousy film but its ok because the first 2 are so good.
In the end its the fans fault. They begged and pleaded George to make more who was reluctant and wanted to hand off the new ones to a new director (which he should have done and just produced it). But its bridge under the water, though I believe that if Knights of the Old Republic does well, they're maybe films in that setting. Lucas won't direct them, but it has fan appeal, and I think the Phantom Menace 3D is a litmus test for seeing how the public takes to Star Wars nowadays considering Clone Wars was such a hideous bomb. Just a theory.
Movie Bob, you have convinced me. Tonight I shall go see it with my 3 little ones and give it another chance. Also, Return of the Jedi isn't as good as everyone remembers.
I never thought the film was that bad, and i maintain hat the lightsaber duel at the end is the finest one from the entire saga
I was never that angry about the Phantom Menace and when i started hanging out on the internet i was surprised at all the hate, i didn't grow up watching the star wars movies, my parents were Trekes, so i watched TNG and DS9 with them. But when phantom menace was announced they bought the original trilogy and let me and my sister watch it. I enjoyed it and considered it a fun movie series, then i watched Phantom, and was entertained for a few hours like any 12 year old was with a fun colorful action movie, i didn't find Jar Jar particularly offensive or entertaining, i just considered it a fun if rather brainless sifi movie and i carry that opinion to this day.
said Plinket Review, was Remade in 3d- and a Commentary was put out too
Amen brother. I feel the same way about the Hobbit movie that is about to come out. I was 14 when the last LOTR was released and now I'm 22. I'm going to have to steel myself to the fact that it's not going to feel the same as last time, no matter what.
Granted, it still looks like an awesome movie.
Star Wars has sort of the same issues, as you've said.
I never hated Phantom menace. It wasn't amazing, but it wasn't bad either.
The only star wars movie I outright hated was the last of the prequel movies. I mean...really? The way anakin does his about-face doesn't feel realistic (he goes from "WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?!" to "LETS MURDER THE KIDDIES!" in the span of five minutes), the whole padme-anakin dynamic feels like it doesn't work at all, etc etc etc.
Oh, and I actually don't mind Jar Jar at all.
Phantom Menace wasn't exactly good, but it wasn't an atrocious pile of dung heap, either. Yes, it's rife with poor attempts at comedic displays or supposedly quirky one-note characters to amuse the kiddies and everyone is fairly wooden - but beyond that?
Go back and watch the first trilogy. You'll realize PM is textbook Star Wars, in that it's just lukewarm, in terms of acting and overall conceptualization. I don't know at which point people started turning the first three movies into some sort of untouchable trifecta of concentrated godliness - but the core universe stuff is about as good as your average middling fanfic.
I think the whole "JAR JAR BINKS, HNNNNG!" thing has largely turned into a self-deprecating joke. If it hasn't, some people are likely to be investing themselves far too much in the series, to begin with.
Bob's right. Maintaining so much hatred is the path to the Dark Side. It doesn't mean we have to start loving the heck out of the second trilogy, but anyone maintaining a sanctimoniously hateful attitude needs to wake up and realize the entire thing has never been meant to be anything more than silly, actiony popcorn flicks. If anything, blame anyone who's worked on the Expanded Universe for making the intricacies of Star Wars matter so much to so many people.
I was shocked to agree with all of your points. by themselves.
As right as you are however, Phantom Menace doesn't exist in a vacuum. (even if half of its action scenes do)
As a followup to the film series that brought Sci-Fi to the realm of legitimacy and attracted an entire generation of film artists to their true calling, Phantom Menace was in a (completely unfair but still completely true) position where it had to wow. It had to be what the community had come to expect. It had to be made of the same magic. But it wasn't. And while it was only a mediocre film, due to its position in the culture of the world, being pretty good but not great indeed made it, beyond any shadow of a doubt, the most disappointing thing since my son.
To live with it, I've simply written Star Wars off. It's for others now. The magic is never coming back. The last time I was excited for Star Wars was at the beginning of a trailer for The Old Republic, but it died all at once when some guy started fighting with three lightsabers. At that moment I realized that what I loved about the series wasn't in it or in me any longer. The mysticism had been replaced with flash and the high thoughts replaced with one liners. The entire mythos is either corrupted or was never really what I thought it was. I don't know which, but they're both awful options. So, goodbye. No more dreams about a galaxy far far away.
TL;DR It was never going to be just another movie to be judged on its own merits. It was supposed to be a grand homecoming. It wasn't. That is the failure. But either way, even if I'm wrong about that, it's time for us to move on. Star wars isn't for us anymore. That's all there is to it.
erf why did you mnention the eragon movie that was a special kind of bad... but yeah phantom menace I actualy didn't mind to quite liked in places though I do beleive it dosn't hold a candle two to the first three.
A few months ago I watched the entire series again from beginning to end, and I came to the same conclusion about the prequels: they weren't horrible, they were mediocre to average and the only reason they were hated is that they were part of Star Wars and didn't live up to that legacy.
I look at it this way: if we never had the original trilogy and instead Phantom Menace came first, what would it have been? I think it would've ended there and barely been remembered as a mediocre sci-fi movie.
Also, good to know I'm not alone in hating Attack of the Clones, but I hate it mostly because the romance is awful and takes up too much of the movie. That just killed the entire movie for me.
Go moviebob go, like you i am sick of all the star wars hate, and because i grew up on the prequels i like them more though the orgianls are still good though. Droids are awesome.
I think that the point of the prequel movies is that people who you set up as some long sought Messiah type character often as not end up being either a disappointment, or end up with entitlement issues and seriously screw over everyone around them.
As for Anakin/Vader, the general consensus about his prophecy of The Chosen One WAS fulfilled in the overall narrative, since by the end of Episode III, the Jedi HAD started an inexorable slide into fascism and what technically does amount to a form of theocracy. The evidence trotted out most often is when Mace Windu declared that Palpatine had to die, because he was too dangerous. In the context of the Light Side/Dark Side ethos, that would have pushed Mace Windu to the Dark Side, and the cycle would have simply repeated all over again.
Enlightening stuff Bob. I'm still not going to go and see it, but your point was well made.
Oh, I just have to say this though. Jango Fett? He may have been 'unnecessary' but he was way more badass than Boba Fett.
I have my likes and dislikes with the Phantom Menace as much as anyone else, so I think the real question here is: Is the 3D conversion worth a movie trip, or should I just stick with the Blu-Rays if I absolutely must watch it again?
Personally i think the problem is that A) the movies got worse and worse through the trilogy and B) they bear the unfortunate cross of having to be compared to the original star wars, hailed by many as one of the best sagas of all time (and by many others as just really really good)
I liked the Phantom Menace. Retrospectively, yeah, it wasn't all that great. But it wasn't horrible and on it's own doesn't deserve over a decade of hate.
I was rooting for the Patriots too.
I do think that It is better than Attack of the Clones, I'll give you that.
But if we're talking about the worst Star Wars film, that easily goes to this turd.
By god was this movie bad.
You said it yourself Bob.
Hate for PM would be strong, but disappointment was definitely the case when it came out.
However I'm taking my 5 year old son this weekend who has become obsessed with the movies (5 of them [haven't shown him this one yet, waiting to see it in the theater]) Seeing the series with fresh eyes (through him) has been refreshing and I'm excited to see it this weekend. I don't expect greatness.
Funny thing, my son thinks Jar Jar is stupid.
While I do believe that The Phantom Menace is as bad as I think it is, it isn't any different from myriad other films I enjoyed when I was younger that don't hold up today. It certainly isn't worth dwelling on (though I do love the Plinkett review for how funny it is).
Hey Bob, do you know where the Hulk comes from in that clip of The Avengers? He's clearly not there, then the camera rotates and suddenly he is! CG goof? It might be something they can fix in post, but there doesn't seem to be any room between Iron Man and Hawkeye for him to stand anyway.
Lending a sort of emotional and moral complexity to a kids movie YES IT'S A KIDS MOVIE DEAL WITH IT and a movie by George Lucas I think just doesn't exist. Windu had to kill Palpatine because Anakin had to kill Windu because Anakin had to take that step from mere pyschological dissidence to outright murdermurdermurderface, and Windu provided the foil for that. It wasn't the Jedi themselves who were corrupt - their sin was probably at worst being completly out of touch and ignorant, which is by no means a minor thing - but that the entire system of the Republic was corrupt - which made the ham fisted democracy good, monarchy bad! nonsense of the third act of ROTS all the more facepalmy.
In my opinion the best Star Wars material produced in the last decade or so is and remains Genndy Tartokovsky's Clone War's shorts, which 'coincidentally' consist primarily of dramatic action sequences with little to no characterization or dialogue - with the exception of materials dealing with Anakin which demonstrate a far better descent into angst and pride fueled rage far better than the movies did (it also provides a far superior characterization of General Greivous and frankly just makes him awesome and menacing as opposed to the comedic charicture of a menacing villain we're provided with in ROTS without any leadup or introduction)
I'll admit the animations are poorly voiced, drawn, and animated, yet their choreography still conveys an impact on par or exceeding the movies.
It also provides interesting context for your claim that Windu was slipping to the darkside (it's worth noting that Windu's particular saber style and practices require aggression and 'enjoying fighting' which have historically claimed everyone who utilized the Style to the darkside) because, when confronted with the then far more menacing Greivous, rather than tangling with him or trying to rescue Chancellor Palpatine, Windu -crushes his chest cavity with the force-, the equivilant of a force choke at least if not outright crushing someones heart with the force.
This scene was added in by Tartokovsky to make Grievous match up to the wheezing invalid we're presented with in the movies, by the way, not the other way around - work on the Cartoon was done under an info blackout from Lucas arts (because many details were still in flux at that time).
And finally just for Funsies, here's Mace Windu soloing an army.
I'm fine with not hating it anymore (not that I really did to begin with, at least not compared to the other two... shudder), but these crappy rehashes don't deserve a big box office when truly good stuff like Scott Pilgrim isn't successful.
So yeah, I won't rant about it (nor will I encourage others to do so), but neither will I go see it (and I encourage others NOT to do so.)
Not to mention, if it succeeds it'll get all of Hollywood on the REMADE IN 3D! bandwagon where they can rerelase decade-old footage at premium prices just for the privilege of giving the audience migraines.
Damn Bob. You read my mind before I went into this video. You see, I wanted to like and be biased for the Star Wars fanbase for having valid points, but recently I took a few steps back and realized that they were letting their childhood fuel their anger over a couple ****ing movies.
I'll admit with the rest of you that the prequels are nowhere near as good as the original trilogy, because it's hard enough to follow them up. Still, I see no reason to hate the prequels aside from being goofy and straying slightly from what was grounded before.
Well since I was born in 1995 this was the first Starwars movie I actually ever saw, and I loved it. Then I watched the original 3 and I was like "meh". Personally I love the prequels more than the originals just because that was my childhood. I loved the action scenes in the first one. Loved Jarjar and the whole Naboo ordeal. When I watch them now I still think the original just aren't as good, and why? That was what I grew up watching man.
I agree with most of Bob's points here, BUT the fact of the matter is The Phantom Menace was basically the start of the Skywalker saga and it could/should have been better. Simple as that.
Okay, you raised a lot of valid points. The Phantom Menace is a mediocre movie. I hear you mention that the CGI aged. I don't think that's going to help the 3d any? Is the 3d any good?
My only main beef with the prequel trilogy was that they went almost exclusively for big ticket names to star in it and you can practically see the egos rise up throughout the movies. The only real exception to this (in my eyes at least) being Samuel L. Jackson who actually gave a solid performance. The rest though? Practically calling it in and dull as dishwater.
Compare this to the original trilogy where nearly everyone was an unknown and the trilogy gave them their big ticket start off. You saw determination to give a good performance there because their livelihood relied on it.
That said, I've seen each prequel movie precisely once, noted that at best they were an average summer blockbuster (which when you think about it puts it on par with the original trilogy though not as memorable but that's because it's been done before) and walked away.
And of course roll my eyes at any ragers who feel like their childhood has been asked to point on the doll at the spot the bad movie touched it.
I tried too, but just like Jar Jar, I could not stand his fucking voice... oh by spongebob, I could not stand his awful, awful, stereotypical voice.
I listened to at least 7 minutes, and he made sense... But that could not keep his voice away. :(
Please do a cover of it, haha. ^^
So... Hardcore fanboys are basically just big, whiny kids.
On a side note, I never really cared all that much about the Star Wars universe. Any of it. Just like Dragonball Z or well-known 80's horror flicks, I've noticed that watching carefully thought out spoofs of those works are often more entertaining than the original works. For me at least.
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Nowhere in Florida is the new law dealing with beach access the firestorm it has become in Walton County. The reason is complicated. But many folks along the panhandle's Emerald Coast claim it's not helping that a pair of local crusaders have a lot of citizens convinced House Bill 631 is the worst thing to befall Florida since Mercury went retrograde.
In the last month Dave Rauschkolb and Daniel Uhlfelder -- brothers in activism -- have made themselves the pied pipers of HB 631 repeal -- whipping people up to sign affidavits, attend meetings, donate money -- in a nutshell, "make Florida beaches public for all."
Rauschkolb is a restaurateur, Uhlfelder an attorney. Together they're what former seasonal Seaside resident Lilly Bell calls "a tag team," dominating social media and public meetings to get people riled up against each other.
"Walton used to have only a handful of beachfront residents who wanted to enforce their privacy all the way to the water," said the retired interior decorator. "But most of them didn't care if people sat on their sand. Then Dave and Dan came along and caught a glimpse of the fame and attention they could get nationally. Now we have a civil war here."
The war, she said, is between the "coastal elites" -- residents, guests and tourists who live or vacation along 30A, the scenic beach road, -- and the rest of Walton County.
Bell told Sunshine State News, "All you need is a camera, and (Rauschkolb and Uhlfelder) come running. They need to control people. They like to hear themselves talk and read what they write on Facebook. I think they're on some kind of power trip. My late husband called them a tag team."
HB 631, was sponsored by Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, and Rep. Katie Edwards-Walpole, D-Plantation. The bill passed the Florida Legislature with an overwhelming bipartisan majority and 100 percent support of the Walton County delegation -- 29-7 March 6 in the Senate and 95-17 March 8 in the House. That's a total of 24 votes against in the whole of the Legislature. No wonder the governor didn't veto it. Why would he?
Uhlfelder believes the legislation was a sneak attack -- that Walton was deliberately excluded until it was too late to fight back. Which is why I was disappointed Rep. Brad Drake, R-DeFuniak Springs never returned my call. I would have liked to ask him why he or the county's stable of lobbyists didn't point out 631 to County Administrator Larry Jones, at the very least.
Jones, incidentally, did his Master's thesis in customary use. Perhaps he might explain how he could let the county adopt an incomplete and unacceptable customary-use ordinance.
Meanwhile, Rauschkolb and Uhlfelder were discovering the high-theater potential of private property rights vs. customary use. They made customary use their next fight for justice.
Rauschkolb, who owns three restaurants in Seaside and a bakery/cafe/catering company in Grayton Beach, is used to getting things done. He takes credit for what he calls "game-changing community initiatives" including keeping high-rise condos out of South Walton, founding Hands Across The Sand (to stop offshore oil drilling in Florida); lobbying to remove the Confederate flag from the DeFuniak Springs courthouse, launching an effort to incorporate South Walton, and now something he calls "Stand Your Sand" -- a take-off of Stand Your Ground and an initiative for customary use of Florida's beaches.
Uhlfelder, son of prominent Tallahassee lobbyist Steve Uhlfelder, has worked as a law clerk, staff aide in The White House, in the U.S. Attorney General's Office, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives. Now he has his own general law practice on 30A in Grayton Beach. Among his causes, he says he has worked avidly to bring down the Confederate flag. And he believes creating a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization called Florida Beaches for All (FBFA) is the way to "overturn bad law and give citizens the fundamental right to use and enjoy all our beaches. ... I was raised in an environment where you stood up for things, not on the sidelines," he said during a telephone interview.
Uhlfelder made national news in July, the weekend after Gov. Rick Scott signed an emergency order supporting open beaches. And that's when his mushroom started to grow -- away from compromise, closer to a move for legislation repeal.
Uhlfelder challenged the new law two days in a row -- some say he was trying to get arrested for trespassing on private sand, but he claims he was "just trying to get a line drawn in the sand" so he would know where he could legally park his beach chair. The second day, when a security guard called the Sheriff's Department, Uhlfelder made sure his experience was recorded on YouTube and displayed on Facebook. The video went viral, gaining more than 100,000 views on YouTube alone and well over 1 million views across social media platforms. (The video is displayed on this page.)
In addition, Rauschkolb was interviewed on the Weather Channel, which serves millions of viewers across America. National Public Radio showed up on the beach soon after. So did U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, looking for an opportunity to kick the governor, his senatorial opponent in November. And between the two proactive "protests" -- Uhlfelder's and Rauschkolb's and what has been described as "dozens of media interview requests," Walton's war for the beach had begun.
But some in the county, even the ones who don't live on the beach, have begun to grumble about what this customary-use movement is doing to their jewel of a county, and wonder if there might have been a more civil way for the two sides to come together.
Here are some of the disturbing aspects to Walton's situation:
The Conspiracy Theory. You don't often find a tin foil hat on a liberal, but Uhlfelder, the registered Republican for voting convenience only, sure is wearing one. This leader so many customary-use advocates are counting on has a conspiracy theory that goes straight to the top. He feels certain Walton County, where the suspicious "Governor Mike Huckabee" is a beach-owning resident, is being victimized by powerful dark forces. Uhlfelder is convinced "right-wing groups" -- for example, the Koch Brothers and the private property rights law firm Pacific Legal Foundation -- have hatched a plot at the highest level to make customary use unconstitutional and to privatize every inch of beach in America. "It's close," he told me. "They could do this in two years."
The Hypocrite Factor. Rauschkolb and Uhlfelder both live in communities with gated private beach access. Dave lives in fully-gated Watersound, Dan in Watercolor. To challenge the law and make his YouTube video, Uhlfelder had to contrive his beach outing to Vizcaya -- travel down to the end of 30A more than seven miles away, past some nine beach access points, when he had his own beach. Reading recent Facebook postings, the deception isn't sitting well with some residents.
Using the Sheriff. Sheriff Mike Adkinson and his deputies are slap-bang in the middle of the dispute. Adkinson is the right sheriff at the right time for on-the-spot conflict resolution -- patient, good with people, wanting desperately not to arrest anybody for trespassing. "I'm not proferring an opinion of customary use," he said. "My job is to make sure we're not being arbitrary and capricious in the way we apply the law. A sheriff's office should never be the tool to resolve this. ... But I can tell you this: All these people who say 'we're saving the beaches'? No, they're not. The only place this is going to be decided is in court."
Overlooking the Good Guys. Some 90 percent of Walton's beachfront property owners are embarrassed and offended to be lumped in with the 10 percent erecting signs and stringing up ropes to keep people off the sand. They don't mind well-behaved trespassers, as their presence on county Facebook sites attests. I asked Uhlfelder if he would entertain compromise instead of repeal. He said no. "You know what compromise is, don't you? It's money. They want us to pay for our own sand."
Affecting Tourism. Last year Walton welcomed 4.5 million visitors. Because of such strong tourism, the county records the lowest adjusted property tax rate in Florida. But 2018 might not be as strong if the compulsory-use battle continues. I asked VISIT FLORIDA Marketing Director Meagan Dougherty, by phone and by email, what affect, if any, the beach-access publicity was having on Walton tourism. She did not respond. But another VISIT FLORIDA official answered my question on condition of anonymity. "Hospitality industry people in Northwest Florida are telling us reservations are down and cancellations are up," the official said. "Of course they are. The national media got hold of a story that's telling the nation Florida's beaches are closed."
Fast, Loose and Frightening. Dan Uhlfelder is a lawyer. Florida Beaches for All is his baby. So, wouldn't you think he would make a priority of protecting the reputations of the people and organizations bundling under the FBFA umbrella? Last I looked, the non-profit 1) hadn't registered as a 501(c)(4) and 2) wasn't collecting Department of Revenue sales tax on the T-shirts and tank tops it's selling. (CORRECTION: FBFA is registered as a non-profit and must answer to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, not the Department of Revenue. I apologize for the error. But the issue is this: The charity is not registered with the state to solicit contributions at this time. That requires a permit FBFA does not have. When FBFA does apply, and their name appears on the "Check-a-Charity Florida" website, I will write a follow-up story to confirm the legal changes have been made.)
Deception, Confusion. Hundreds of Walton Countians are expected to show up at today's public hearing on customary use at South Walton High School with signed and notorized affidavits. But when they do, many of them might discover they've been misled.
'You mean, our affidavits aren't going to get us back our use of the beaches?" Walton visitor Daniel Flyer asked me.
Flyer said he was led to believe the affidavit he signed and had notorized was as good as a petition to repeal the law. Which is what Uhlfelder is urging. He didn't fully realize the hearing was a county meeting set by commissioners to gather evidence of customary use -- citizens' use of the beaches over a period of 20 years -- so the county can prepare an ordinance that complies with the judicial process laid out in the new Florida law.
No wonder Flyer's misunderstanding makes sense. If you plan to repeal, why would you need to complete the county's affidavit?
Reach Nancy Smith at email@example.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: NancyLBSmith


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By visiting UPMC Children's Express Care, our after-hours clinic, your child will receive the same specialized pediatric care you've come to expect from your UPMC Children's Community Pediatrics pediatrician. Open conveniently on evenings and weekends, your child can receive care for minor injuries and illnesses when your pediatrician's office is closed for the day. Learn more about our services or find a location near you.
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Acting legend Dennis Hopper has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and will skip a museum exhibition in his honor to focus on treatment, Hopper's manager told The Associated Press.
The 73-year-old "Easy Rider" star is being treated in a "special program" at the University of Southern California, manager Sam Maydew said.
"We're hoping for the best," Maydew said. He did not say when Hopper was first diagnosed with cancer or otherwise elaborate on his condition.
U.S. & World
Prostate cancer affects 1 in 6 men and has a cure rate of nearly 100 percent if caught in its early stages, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Earlier this month, Hopper was briefly hospitalized in New York for dehydration, according to the AP.
The latest diagnosis forced the actor to cancel an appearance at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne. The show, titled "Dennis Hopper and the New Hollywood," focuses on "the work and life of an extraordinary filmmaker, artist and key figure in the evolution of Americas cultural scene from the 1950s to today," the AP reported.
Hopper recently finished filming the second season of "Crash," a TV adaptation of the Oscar-winning 2004 film that airs on Starz.


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Most small business clients have two common—but often competing—goals when planning to exit the business: they want business-oriented successors to retain power over business assets while simultaneously providing for surviving spouses who have not been involved in the business. While controlling the line of succession can be relatively simple, it might unacceptably undermine the client's ability to provide financial security for the surviving spouse. As an alternative to a traditional spousal lifetime access trust, the one-way buy-sell agreement can ensure that the client's dual goals are met by providing spousal income security and an orderly business transition in a single package.
The Insurance-Funded One-Way Buy-Sell Strategy
In the family business context, the owner-operator frequently owns the majority—if not 100%—of the business's interests. In the absence of proper planning, these business interests could potentially pass to family members with little or no business experience upon the owner's death, which does little to safeguard the business's future or provide long-term financial security to the owner's family.
Enter the one-way buy-sell agreement, pursuant to which the owner is able to designate specific individuals who have agreed to purchase the business interests and continue the business upon death (or some other triggering event). The terms of the agreement should fix the value of these business interests so that the business can ensure that adequate funding will be available for the next generation to finance the purchase.
In conjunction with the agreement, the future successors then purchase a cash value life insurance on the business owner's life that will fund the purchase price. The business can actually fund the policy itself by paying the successor-employees' bonuses or other compensation in order to pay the premiums. The compensation must be reported as income to the successors but is tax-deductible to the business.
Upon the owner's death, the successor generation can use the life insurance proceeds to purchase the business interests from the owner's estate which, in turn, can then distribute those proceeds to provide for the owner's family according to his wishes.
Insurance as the Preferred Funding Method
Though insurance is not the only method that can be used to fund the buy-sell agreement, it provides a level of certainty that usually cannot be achieved through other methods. Relying on the buyer to personally finance the buy-sell agreement can present complications—namely, there is no guarantee to the owner that those funds will be available when needed.
Securing a traditional loan at the time of purchase also presents uncertainties, and the interest costs can significantly increase the actual purchase price, thus causing a loss of operating revenue for the business. Further, this method places an ongoing burden on the business's credit that can inhibit the possibility for future growth.
Paying for the interests out of operating revenue, in installments over time, not only places a future strain on the business's income but also fails to provide the owner's estate with the funds necessary to provide for family members who are not involved in the business.
While cash value life insurance creates an ongoing current expense for the business, the premiums—if structured as reasonable compensation payments to the buyer-employees—are tax deductible. Further, if the strategy is implemented far enough in advance, the cash value that accumulates in the policy provides a degree of flexibility so that the buy-sell agreement can be funded using tax-free policy loans if the business must be transitioned before the owner's death.
Coupled with traditional estate planning tools, an insurance-funded one-way buy-sell agreement can provide small business clients with the confidence of knowing that the future of the business—and the client's family—is secure.
Originally published on National Underwriter Advanced Markets. National Underwriter Advanced Markets is the premier resource for financial planners, wealth managers, and advanced markets professionals who provide clients with expert financial and retirement planning advice.
To find out more, visit http://info.nationalunderwriteradvancedmarkets.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Posted by Bob on January 11, 2001
In Reply to: Re "thinking outside the box" posted by Bob on January 10, 2001
: : : : Does anyone know the origin of thinking out of the box???
: : : : thanks!
: : : This phrase was discussed here in December. Go down the page to a query titled "Out of the Box," posted on 12/26/00. By the way, the solution to the nine-dot puzzle promised in one of the responses hasn't yet been provided, as far as I know.
: : I knew somebody was listening. Ok. I'll give everybody who's encountering this classic puzzle another day or so to ponder, and I'll supply the answer. Actually, an answer... since there are more than one.


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A potent 4.0-liter DOHC 24-valve V6 gives you the power to climb faster and farther, while the Continuously Variable Valve Timing System delivers heightened efficiency and on-demand power. That same kind of power—in fact the very same tried and true engine—is available in the 2019 Nissan Frontier®.
The 2015 XTERRA's heavy-duty steel suspension soaks up even the nastiest rocks and roughest washboard roads, and the 2019 Frontier Pro-4X®—the ultimate Nissan off-roader—offers that same kind of performance. With an electronic locking rear differential and Bilstein® Off-road Performance shocks, Pro-4X® can handle Just about whatever you throw at it.
The 2015 XTERRA was built for adventure, and on some adventures, you have to bring something along, so it's got an impressive 5,000 lb. maximum towing capacity[[625]]. The 2020 Armada® was also built for adventure, and with a powerful V8, it's got an available 9,000 lb. towing capacity[[625]].
It's all about versatility. It's about going anywhere and doing anything. Select from a variety of available roof racks[[23]] and carriers[[23]], get some rear side bumper steps that come in handy when you are using roof racks and carriers, and you can even have a hatch tent installed that connects right to the vehicle.
Frontier's full-length, fully boxed ladder frame is built for rock-solid performance—on, and off-road. It's made of impact-resistant materials that are both durable and stylish. Rear privacy glass adds a touch of attitude, while keeping it cool inside, and tailgate-mounted rear spoiler helps reduce drag. It all amounts to a rugged exterior that's ready for just about whatever you dish out.
Built on a muscular, fully-boxed steel frame that's capable of handling extreme towing with the available 9,000 lb. maximum towing capacity[[625]], the 2020 Armada is traditionally rugged, yet modern. Rear black privacy glass, available 20-inch alloy wheels, and an optional moonroof add a touch of finesse to its distinctively robust style.


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GrazDue to its mild microclimate, Graz is a city of lush parks with an almost Mediterranean flair. Its Old Town, spared from destruction during WWII by a timely surrender, was added to UNESCO's list of World Cultural Heritages in 1999; but not all of the city's attractions are historic. In 2003 the Murinsel ("Mur Island"), a floating platform in the shape of a sea shell that houses a café and a playground in the middle of the Mur river, became a new destination for visitors interested in architecture and design. The Murinsel was the brainchild of the New York artist/designer Vito Acconci and a part of the enhancements made for Graz's 2003 stint as European Capital of Culture. Below find a list of our selection of boutique and luxury hotels in Graz.
Augarten Art HotelGraz
, Austria
With its bold architecture and vast trove of contemporary art, Augarten makes a modern statement in historic Graz.


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About Oddschecker.com – The Odds Comparison Site
Vital Football felt a partnership with the best price comparison site fit in totally with our independent ethos and are delighted to have them sponsoring this seasons Vital Football fantasy football game. www.vitalfantasyfootball.co.uk
Oddschecker.com compares odds from more than 20 online bookmakers to help its users obtain the best price for their chosen bet. Oddschecker`s software is constantly checking bookmakers` odds to ensure that every change made and every market added is reflected on
Oddschecker.com. From its launch in 1999, Oddschecker.com quickly established itself as the most successful and innovative odds comparison site in the UK, a position which it has cemented over the years. The service covers sports betting markets in horse racing, football, golf, tennis, rugby, cricket, boxing, motor sports and more, in addition to political and novelty bets.
Sign up with Oddschecker and you will receive exclusive tips, bookmaker offers, as well as giving you access to a wide range of useful betting tools and reports.
The Premiership is back, as if it ever went away, but can the best league in the world continue to excite fans the way last year`s epic title race did? Two of Oddschecker`s leading tipsters from last season highlight the top pre-season picks.
Chelsea to take the title?
The arrival of Phil Scolari has breathed new life into Chelsea. Despite what Alex Ferguson says, Chelsea will certainly be strong this year and a midfield of Deco, Lampard, Ballack and Essien has the potential to overwhelm any team. As long as European aspirations do not get in the way, they can take the title back to West London.
Alex Ferguson may have persuaded Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Old Trafford but there must be serious doubts over his frame of mind. With both Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney missing for the start of the season, coupled with their difficult opening, United may find themselves adrift of Chelsea, even after the first month or two.
Liverpool may beat Stoke or Hull 5-0 and proclaim this is their year, but they are not much stronger than last season and can be easily overlooked. After losing Hleb and Flamini, Arsenal look to be in for a tough time. Still, the trust Arsene Wenger places in youth has paid off before and will do again. They may not win the league but should run the top two close.
Looking outside the top four, Tottenham have spent big again and they will do better but they do look a player short at the back. Aston Villa, despite their recent signings, also have too small a squad to cope with a domestic and European season. And it looks like the same story with Portsmouth and Everton.
Manchester City appear to be a club in turmoil, with the stories about the owner`s future and Mark Hughes lack of involvement with the club`s transfer policy. This uncertainty has seen the press sharpening their knives but there are still positives for City fans. Tal Ben Haim is a good purchase, the return of Valeri Bojinov and the emergence of Danny Sturridge sees them looking stronger this year. Back them without the big four.
As usual, the three promoted sides will do well to stay in the division but they are competing with a group of teams who are themselves nothing special. Bolton, Wigan and Fulham will be involved at the bottom but they all should all survive for another season. However, a team I expect to struggle are available at a massive 20/1 for relegation.
Kevin Keegan`s return to Newcastle was heralded as the second coming but to be frank, they were terrible from the moment he took over. Newcastle`s hopes revolve around the fitness of Michael Owen but when his inevitable injuries strike, the shower of mediocrity that makes up the rest of the team may struggle to pick up points. It could be a long year on Tyneside.
By Reznikov
Win Market – Chelsea 15/8
Season Match Bet Liverpool v Arsenal – Arsenal 8/11
Without the Big 4 – Manchester City to win 8/1
Relegation – Newcastle 20/1
Middlesborough to rule the North East?
This year`s close season has been one of the least enjoyable in recent years, with various will they, won`t they transfer sagas boring most football fans to death. So it`s with great relief that, come Monday morning, we`ll actually have some action to talk and read about.
So, who are the most likely winners and losers? The title looks like a two team battle, as Ferguson goes head-to-head with Scolari. I see the signing of Bosingwa as much more important than Deco, since this will give Essien the license to play in the centre of midfield, but the feeling remains that Man Utd will just have enough to retain the title. Both Arsenal and Liverpool are presented with fairly straightforward fixtures in the first couple of months, but I`d be surprised if either still harboured title ambitions come spring, so both may provide value to lay around the end of September.
At the end of last season I really expected Everton to be pushing for a Champions League spot in 2008/09. Unfortunately, a delay in bringing in reinforcements, most notably a replacement for Carsley, has given a new meaning to the term threadbare squad and will put paid to such ambitions, but a run through the other likely challengers would suggest The Toffees still remain relatively well placed, especially with no African Nations Cup giving Yakubu the chance to go AWOL.
Spurs will always be Spurs, entertaining yet inconsistent to the last, and the lack of a top class midfield enforcer, coupled with the inevitable injuries to one or both of King and Woodgate, should prove costly. Portsmouth and Villa could both see their league form suffer as their current squads struggle to contend with European campaigns that they are unaccustomed to, while managerial changes mean Man City and Blackburn have both taken a step backwards. I`m tempted to throw in Middlesbrough as a leftfield punt, especially now Afonso Alves has had time to settle, but the loss of Mark Schwarzer leaves me doubting their goalkeeping options.
Newcastle, West Ham, Wigan and Fulham all look destined for mid-table obscurity and the hope of a half-decent cup run. The same can probably be said for Sunderland, though the long term absence of Kenwynne Jones is concerning. Of the promoted sides, West Brom appear to be the only ones with realistic hopes of survival, leaving Bolton to join Stoke and Hull in The Championship in twelve months time.
By Hurricane
Middlesbrough to be top northeast club @ 3/1
Bolton, Stoke and Hull to be relegated @ 11/1
Yakubu to be top scorer @ 33/1 e/w
Oddschecker Season Preview Odds
About Oddschecker.com – The Odds Comparison Site


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Rush Limbaugh, right-wing radio commentator says GOD made the BP oil spill disappear, and he's backed up by newscasters:
"SUZANNE MALVEAUX: (music) It may sound too good to be true. Much of the oil that gushed into the Gulf for months now seems to have disappeared.
DIANE SAWYER: Where is all the oil? On day 98, much of the spill is actually hard to see.
JEFFREY KOFMAN: According to experts, much of it was reabsorbed into the environment.
ED OVERTON: Mother Nature is doing what she's supposed to do and we're losing most of it to microbial degradation in the ocean.
ANDERSON COOPER: Where is the oil? What does this mean? Is this good news that it's all dissipating?"
RUSH: "Okay, so they can't find the oil. They're out there looking for the oil, they can't find the oil. They are reopening areas of the Gulf to fishing. They aren't gonna need $20 billion to pay people back for damages and yet they have swindled BP outta $20 billion. The ex-CEO, Tony Hayward, who's actually been sent to Siberia, I mean literally sent to Siberia, a BP Russian oil project, may as well be Siberia, said early on, "The ecological damage is going to be minimal here." He's dead right and you pay a penalty in this country for being dead right. You are hated, and you are despised, and you become a target. So now BP has been swindled, shaken down for $20 billion for no reason. There was no major destructive crisis. The earth, Mother Nature -- and to me, by the way, when I say Mother Nature's taken care of it, who's Mother Nature? Mother Nature -- listen to me on the left, listen to me on the left, Mother Nature, you know who it is? God. You spell it G-o-d. Mother Nature is God. Mother Nature is not a tree trunk. Mother Nature is not some forest somewhere in the Amazon. Mother Nature is the God of the Bible, the God of creation, and the God of creation taking care of all this despite our folly 'cause God loves us."
Praise the LORD! It's a MIRACLE! Or is there a more salient reason for why the oil has seemed to disappear?
Views: 67


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ECAC Division III Cross Country Championships
Saturday, November 9th, 2013
Colt State Park - Bristol, R.I.
Bristol, R.I. - The Farmingdale State women's cross country team finished in a program-best 33rd place out of 47 teams at the ECAC Championships held at Colt State Park in Bristol, R.I. The men's team placed 40th of 46 teams at the championship.
The women were led by senior Melissa Bonilla (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) who finished 132nd in a time of 25:53. Freshman Kristen Starke (Bellmore, N.Y.) finished 175th in 26:52.89, while sophomore Carina Bonilla (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) placed 216th of 327 runners in 27:45.09.
Freshman Jacob Kashani (Roslyn, N.Y.) led the men's team with a 107th place finish in a personal best time of 28:17.17, while sophomore Dan Barrett (Wantagh, N.Y.) finished 234th in 30:41.58.
Middlebury won the women's team championship, while Williams captured the men's title.
For complete women's results, click HERE.
For complete men's results, click HERE.


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I loved how the Fall runways showed so much texture, but I particularly loved how color was embraced. This NY magazine slideshow will show you exactly what I mean. These are jewel tones that make a statement and will really stand out even in the dead of winter.
I personally love to do bold color with a beautiful handbag. Here are just a few of my favorite investment pieces that can make any basic outfit seem like it's worth a million bucks:
Hermès Very Rare Rouge Vif Ostrich 32cm Kelly Rigide Bag
Chanel Blue Stitched Lambskin Leather Shoulder Single Flap Bag
Gianfranco Ferre Large Mustard Yellow Suede Horn Rope Handbag


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On his Facebook page (yes, it's come to this), director Peter Jackson revealed that "Lost" star Evangeline Lilly was joining the cast of "The Hobbit."
Lilly, of course, had long been involved romantically with "Lost" co-star Dominic Monaghan, who played the Hobbit Merry in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
Jackson revealed that Lilly will, in fact, be playing a Woodland Elf named Tauriel. He teased fans with this cryptic message: "Her name means 'daughter of Mirkwood' and, beyond that, we must leave you guessing. No, there is no romantic connection to Legolas."
U.S. & World
Tauriel is not in J.R.R. Tolkien's original novel, but has been created specifically for Jackson's two-film version of the story.
"What is not a secret is how talented and compelling an actress Evangeline is," Jackson wrote. "We are thrilled and excited she will be the one to bring our first true Sylvan Elf to life."
This announcement came after Jackson revealed that Benedict Cumberbatch had been tasked with voicing the evil dragon Smaug.
Cumberbatch was chosen after Jackson held an open audition for the most British names he could possibly find. Cumberbatch beat out Imogen Poots, Thomas Turgoose, Felix Sowerbutts, and Tim Pigott-Smith.


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...and I'm anxious to start hitting again. It seems Roseville tennis players hibernate with the cold weather and no one frequents the courts. Just moved here a month ago and am desperately seeking a hitting buddy or doubles or anything!!! LOL. Or even if you may not be available to hit, maybe you know of a place where tennis games are picked up (weather permitting).
I'm a 4.0-4.5 player that is just excited to get on the courts with someone else. It doesn't have to be competitive. If you're looking to justy rally and work on some shots then I can help too. Really interested in getting involved with a tennis community. Hit me up on here if you feel like hitting. I'm usually avail during the days. As long as the courts are dry, I can probably hit. :)
Views: 147
Replies to This Discussion
Not everyone is hibernating..... I'm hitting with 3.5's & 4.0's and doing ok. I can possibly meet up with you to hit some time. I live in Rocklin but I'm willing to travel to any of the courts in the Rocklin/Roseville area. Let me know if you're interested.
Welcome to the area. Let me know if you want to get together and rally. I live in Rocklin. I'm about 3.5 hitter and just enjoy being onthe court and getting a good workout. You do have to make an effort to find players here, but they are around. I'm available during the day also to hit.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Dominic Oduro came to the rescue of the Columbus Crew with a pinpoint strike to deny the Philadelphia Union their first victory at Crew Stadium, as the two Eastern Conference foes settled for a 1-1 draw on Saturday.
Oduro tied the score in the 72nd minute with a heavy ball from a tough angle that snuck in between the near post and Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath. Eddie Gaven sprung Oduro with a pass off the outside of his right foot and that enabled the speedy Ghanaian to get into space past the Union defenders, who had seen Columbus waste a number of quality chances in the first half.
The Union (2-2-1) took the lead in the 34th minute on the third goal of the season by Jack McInerney and secured their first point in four matches in Columbus. The Crew (2-1-2) have now tied in both of their home games this season and were able to extend their unbeaten streak at Crew Stadium over the last two years to 11 (7-0-4) thanks in large part to Oduro, who had missed a golden chance to pull the hosts level late in the first half.
It was expected that forward Jairo Arrieta would regain his starting spot after recently returning from international duty with Costa Rica and that either Oduro or Ben Speas would make way for him in the Crew's lineup. But Oduro earned the nod over Arrieta, who entered the game at the start of the second half while Oduro moved to the right flank.
After Oduro's goal, each team saw shots denied by the crossbar. First, it was Philadelphia's Antoine Hoppenot in the 79th minute with a shot from 18 yards and three minutes later Josh Williams' looping header was denied by the woodwork.
OPTA Chalkboard: Oduro a focal point in Crew's attack
In the first half, McInerney had been probing the Crew defense and got behind with the ball several times before opening the scoring in the 34th. Danny Cruz made a well-timed run down the right sideline before squaring a pass to McInerney for the easy tap-in.
The Union pressed for a another marker in similar fashion in the 44th minute but this time a cross from Cruz to an unmarked Conor Casey at the penalty spot was poorly struck over the bar, which gave the Crew a lifeline that they took full advantage courtesy of Oduro's hard shot in the second half.


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Eclipse DemoCamps November 2009/London
Skills Matter
1 Sekforde Street
London EC1R 0BE
Nearest Tube: Farringdon
Date and Time
24th November 2009, 18:30 to 20:30
Attendance is free but please note you will need to register with SkillsMatter! Please visit their registration page. After registering you may wish to let other people know you are coming by adding your name to the Attending section below (this is optional).
Neil Bartlett, WWUK
If you would like to present at the DemoCamp, please feel free to add your name and topic to the list. Depending on the number of people interested we may have to limit the number of presenters and time of each demo.
- Miles Sabin, Chuusai Ltd.. "The Scala IDE for Eclipse: Retrospect and prospect for 2.8.0."
Miles Sabin presents the Scala tooling for Eclipse, it's history, current developments and the roadmap for the next major release and beyond. He also gives some insight into promise and frustrations of monkey-patching support for an alternative JVM language into Eclipse's JDT using AspectJ.
- Paul Gibbons, Diamond Light Source Ltd.
Diamond Light Source is the UK national synchrotron facility. We will demo the Generic Data Acquisition (GDA); originally using a Swing GUI the team at Diamond are working on a replacement using the Eclipse framework. This has led to development of many plugins for performing experiments and analysing results and incorporates the use of third party plugins such as PyDev and Control System Studio. The team aims to release an open source version of the system in November 2009, discussions on collaboration with similar facilities in France, USA and Australia are underway. The demo will also discuss issues about PDE build target development, automated building and testing.
- Neil Bartlett, WWUK "JavaFX in Eclipse"
Since April, Neil has been working for Sun Microsystems to advance their tooling for JavaFX within Eclipse. In this demo and talk he will show the current progress, preview some up-coming features and discuss the challenges that JavaFX tooling shares with Scala and other JVM-compiling languages.
You may add your name to this list to tell others that you are attending. This is optional.
- Neil Bartlett
- Miles Sabin, Chuusai Ltd.
- Paul Gibbons, Diamond Light Source Ltd.
- Ralph Mueller, Eclipse Foundation


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Macaroni Salad with Bacon, Peas, and Creamy Dijon Dressing (Adapted from CL)
For the dressing
4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the salad
8 ounces dry whole wheat elbow macaroni
2/3 cup fresh green peas
2/3 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers
1/3 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
4 center-cut bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
To make the dressing
Process cream cheese, shallots, yogurt, sour cream, mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, black pepper and salt in a food processor until smooth. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To make the salad
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions. When there is 3 minutes left before the pasta is done, add peas. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain thoroughly.
In a large bowl, mix together pasta, peas, bell pepper, onion, parsley and lemon zest. For best flavor, make ahead of time and add half of the dressing - toss pasta mixture to coat. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Right before serving, add the other half of the dressing and toss again to coat. Scatter top with crumbled bacon.
Serves 4-8 depending on portion size.
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Sunday, May 01, 2005
Macaroni Salad with Bacon, Peas, and Creamy Dijon Dressing
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As an update to this post: Unidentified Jankowski Grave–I did a little sleuthing back in March when I made a quick trip to Toledo. I had thought to go back and take a second photo of the grave before grass grew again for spring and managed to get a name hint. Antoni (1874 – 1928) and Pelagia Jankowski (1869 – 1947) are buried here. Each were born in Poland. Antoni was the son of Joseph Jankowski. Grave location in Calvary Cemetery: Grave: E 1/2, Range or Lot: 121, Section: 25.
August 9, 2014
Update to Unidentified Jankowski GravePosted by Donna Mierzejewski-McManus under Jankowski | Tags: Jankowski |
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November 3, 2013
Unidentified Jankowski Grave–Can Anyone Identify?Posted by Donna Mierzejewski-McManus under Jankowski, Plenzler, Sieja | Tags: Jankowski, Plenzler, Sieja |
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So…today, I make up for lost time with an additional post. I apologize, but I just haven't had the time to keep up with the genealogy work this year. I don't foresee the next year providing me with much time, either. But I intend to make the most of the time I do have available!
While visiting Calvary Cemetery this past July, I did some row mowing with the camera. I had found a Jankowski grave that I cannot identify. I am related to some Jankowskis through my mother–two daughters of Martin Plenzler, Edna and Florence, had married Stanley Jankowski. Florence had married Stanley first, they had three daughters. Then after Florence had passed away and Edna was widowed (Edna's first husband was Danny Sieja), Edna and Stanley had married. So when I encountered this stone in Calvary, I was intrigued. However, no matter how hard I tried, I could not identify the persons buried there. It seems the stone sunk enough to cover the names of those it is memorializing.
The grave is located in Section 25. If you can identify these persons, please feel free to contact me here.
October 7, 2012
Shoutout to those Jankowski researchersPosted by Donna Mierzejewski-McManus under Extejt, Jankowski, Plenzler, Rejent | Tags: Extejt, Jankowski, Plenzler, Rejent |
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and I know you're out there–I've communicated with a few of you. (Paul Jankowski at jankowskis.com!)
I recently corresponded with Fr. Tom Extejt who kindly leaves tidbits of knowledge here in the comments. He's filled us in with a bit of his family. So I thought perhaps this post may connect a few others researching the Jankowskis. I'm not related to many, mainly through marriage (two of Martin Plenzler's daughters, Edna and Florence, married a Jankowski).
I thought however that I would share Fr. Extejt's story of his Jankowski connections and of his great-great-grandmother, Dorota Jankowski. If anyone has additional information, let me know here via comment or via email and I will pass it along to him.
Fr. Extejt's great-aunt on his mother's father's side, Katarzyna Rejent, married Marcin Jankowski.
They are buried in Section 33 of Calvary. She died in 1937; he died in 1943. Their children were Florian (Jonesey), who never married, and Martha Jankowska Kaczorowska. So far, there is no known husband's name or if there are any children or what their names could be.
Father also recently learned that the maiden name of his great-great-grandmother, Dorota Extejt, was Jankowska. Her place of birth is not known, nor are her parents' names known. But per Fr. Extejt,
"she was born 2-5-1796 and died on 2-2-1902. So she almost made it to her 106th birthday, having lived in parts of 3 centuries, from the last days of George Washington's second term to the early part of the Theodore Roosevelt administration. She was 80 years old when the came to Toledo, and liked it so well she stayed for almost 26 years! Her obit was the headline story on Page 1 of the Blade; it mentioned that she went to the January '02 Rosary-Altar meeting at St. Anthony's, went to Mass the Sunday before she died, and helped with the housework until 48 hours before she died. Talk about an iron constitution!"
What a wonderful story! If you have details, please feel free to share. If you email, I will follow up as soon as possible, usually within a few days.
September 11, 2012
Tombstone Tuesday: JankowskiPosted by Donna Mierzejewski-McManus under Jankowski, Kubiak, Slachciak, Szymanaski | Tags: Jankowski, Kubiak, Slachciak, Szymanski |
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Today, more of the backlog from the Calvary photos I have. These are all Jankowski burials. There are Jankowskis in my family tree; but I have not connected these to my family (at least yet).
Maryanna Jankowska
Grave: 2059, Lot: 14, Section: 3
The gravestone is too weathered to completely transcribe. Also the stone states her year of birth is 1867; however, per her death certificate, she was born in 1868.
Jankowski-Slachciak Family Plot
John Jankowski (husband)
1858 – 1944
Magdalene Szymanski Jankowkski (Wife)
1866 – 1956
Helen Jankowski Slachciak (Daughter)
1900 – 1950
Grave: E-1/2, S-1/2, Lot: 119, Section: 19
July 17, 2012
Tombstone TuesdayPosted by Donna Mierzejewski-McManus under Jankowski, Kujawa, Rochowiak, Sobieralski, Szczepaniak | Tags: Jankowski, Kujawa, Rochowiak, Sobieralski, Szczepaniak |
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More Calvary Cemetery photos.
Frank J. Jankowski
Grave: 2026, Range or Lot: 13, Section: 3
Victoria Jankowski
Grave: 2025, Range or Lot: 13, Section: 3
Frances M. Kujawa Sobieralski
Grave: 2047, Range or Lot: 13, Section: 3
Marian Rochowiak
Grave: 949, Range or Lot: 13, Section: 32
June 12, 2012
Tombstone TuesdayPosted by Donna Mierzejewski-McManus under Jankowski, Olszewski, Zielinski | Tags: Jankowski, Olszewski, Zielinski |
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Quick post today with some more Calvary Cemetery photos.
Piotr Zielinski
1876 – 1957
Grave: 736, Range or Lot: 5, Section: 3
Anna Zielinska
1876 – 1925
Grave: 737, Range or Lot: 5, Section: 3
Note: Anna's maiden name was Olszewski
Antonina Zielinska
1866 – 1925
Proze O Modlit We
Grave: 1591, Range or Lot: 11, Section: 3
Beloved Husband
Frank F. Jankowski
1899 – 1932
Grave: 725, Range or Lot: 5, Section: 3
September 28, 2011
Wednesday's Child: Ronald JankowskiPosted by Donna Mierzejewski-McManus under Jankowski, Machowiak, Plenzler, Sieja | Tags: Jankowski, Machowiak, Plenzler, Sieja |
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Today's theme over at GeneaBloggers is Wednesday's child.
Ronald Jankowski was the son of Florence Plenzler and Stanley Jankowski. Florence was the daughter of Martin Plenzler and Minnie Machowiak. Interestingly, Stanley was widowed when Florence passed away in 1946. He then married her sister, Edna, in 1950 Edna was widowed a few years prior when her husband, Daniel Sieja passed away.
Ronald was born December 14, 1933 and died February 13, 1934 of pneumonia.


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Peak under Pressure
The ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru are overrun by visitors. Our reporter looked for new ways to reach the Inca legacy.
Panpipe music is everywhere, even pouring out of loudspeakers at Cusco Airport. Actors in Inca costumes hand out coca leaves, "only three or you get the runs!" Now I see the same photo that was on my lunchbox in the airplane plastered on the walls, poster-sized, sometimes with, sometimes without a llama: Machu Picchu at sunrise, utterly deserted. And yet the world's most famous ruin is, in fact, in danger of crumbling away beneath the feet of at least 2500 visitors a day. Long lines, garbage and congested hiking trails, guides on strike and overcrowded trains; the UNESCO Heritage Site attracts hordes of people and all of the drawbacks that come with them. Preservationists and archeologists are now sounding the alarm, but the Peruvian tourism industry plays down the dangers. Roughly 90 percent of its revenues come from business with the landmark, and admission charges alone pour over 20 million euros into the coffers of the South American developing country.
Everyone has at some point dreamed of visiting Machu Picchu. Me, too. But I wanted to do it with as little disturbance as possible. I was there 18 years ago when I was 21, broke, but had no grand expectations. I didn't mind waiting in line as long as the price of a bed at the backpacker hostel was less than five euros a night. I shared a room with an Argentinean girl I'd met on the bus. At the time, Machu Picchu wasn't so important to me, it just happened to be along the way as I made the long journey from Chile to Texas. The adventure of traveling alone in Peru and meeting an Argentinean girl completely overshadowed the ruins. Today, I do care about Machu Picchu – and how I get there. Mountain Lodges of Peru (MLP) promises to take me and 14 others there in five days without having to tread the beaten backpacker highway, the Inca Trail. On the lesser-known Lares Trek, we will encounter the Inca legacy, not Japanese with selfie sticks. Booked!
Challwaccasa Pass, 4300 meters up. "Ama sua, ama llulla, ama quella! The people of the sun do not lie, do not cheat and are not lazy!" says our mountain guide, recalling an ancient Inca law. He takes a reproachful look at his watch – we are behind schedule. But what does it matter how fast we walk up here, amid the snow-white Andean peaks? A gentle breeze wafts through the Sacred Valley, alpacas chew on pampas grass, stone huts are dotted about the hills. Farmers sow corn and plant potatoes, which really is an art this far up. The quinoa and amaranth fields lie spread out like splashes of color in the brownish-green of the plateau. Wild orchids grow beside the footpath. The landscape forces us to take lots of breathers and even more photos.
In Quechua, the language of the Incas and the indigenous peoples of the Andes, Cusco means "the navel of the world." Every journey to the site of myth and legend starts in Cusco, once the capital of the Inca Empire. Around 1450, the Incas built Machu Picchu , which means "Old Mountain," at an altitude of 2430 meters on a ridge in the middle of the jungle, some 110 kilometers northwest of Cusco. Quite why they did it, no one knows for sure. Was it a place of pilgrimage, a royal summer residence, an astronomical center or the administration center of the gigantic empire, which in its heyday extended 4000 kilometers from Ecuador to Chile? The next puzzle: Within only 100 years or so of its completion, the Incas abandoned the stone city once more. Many relics from their advanced civilization still dominate the scenery around the Río Urubamba river: old grain stores, silhouettes of rulers chiseled into mountain faces, military bases – and hundreds of stone steps and terraces on the slopes that are still used for growing crops today.
Except for us, there are no tourists in sight – and we can see a very long way. Even the Indio women are carrying small kids (the four-hoofed variety) for tourists to pose with for cash. Our group is a little breathless in the thin air, but it is cool, clear and absolutely still. Up here, you really can get a great sense of how it must have been 500 years ago, when the Incas trod this path. Time stands still.
The price of deceleration is 2400 dollars. For that sum, we have a mule called 911 to carry our water and provisions and Angela, who's driving it. Angela is wearing a broad-brimmed hat that would make any sombrero look tiny. The colors and patterns of her clothes tell us which community she lives in and that she is not married, but single. We meet no one on our path who might be interested in that information. When we have to cross a stream or steep rocky ground, Angela shoulders the mule's burden and continues on her way, breathing as easily as if she were out for a stroll. I admire her calves, which really don't live up to her angelic name.
I can feel my own calves in the evening. Going to bed with a hot-water bottle on my feet helps. Before that, soaking in my own Jacuzzi outside on the balcony while surveying the cloud-covered mountains also helped. I'm replete with chicken soup, skewered brook trout fillet, little vegetable towers and an excellent quinoa apple crumble pie, and drowsy from the Chilean red wine. But best of all, I won't be waking up with my nose pressed against a damp tent wall; I'll be in a bed, in a room, in a hotel.
The government granted MLP permission to build luxurious lodges along the Lares Trek, but in return, a share of the takings must go to the village communities. Some of the indígenas are trained and employed in the lodges, others as construction workers. They were able to use any material superfluous to requirements to repair village roofs. The local development aid works and even the indigenous people benefit. Beside the simple corrugated iron huts across the landscape, some of the hotels built into the slope look as though they were put there by aliens. Modern architecture, lots of glass, expensive timber, ceilings as high as a cathedral. "I am too old to go to bed without taking a hot shower after an eight-hour hike," says Gale Change, a Manhattan lawyer, summing up our group's needs: Adventure and nature, yes, but with creature comforts, please. If you want to go to Machu Picchu on foot, you normally have to sleep in a tent. Not us.
At lunchtime, we hear three young cooks calling "Pachamanca, Pachamanca." Everything is done very swiftly. The earth is steaming and there are stones in the fire. The cooks throw potatoes, yucca roots and corn into the embers, all wrapped in banana leaves. We applaud. Pachamanca is a Peruvian national dish, a feast cooked in a pachamanca, or earth oven. One of the main ingredients is cuy, which is Spanish for guinea pig. At his office in Melbourne, veterinarian Doug Renton regularly saves the lives of guinea pigs, but now he's nibbling on one. "You can love animals and still eat them," he says, pulling a thin bone out of his mouth. It tastes like chicken, but is perhaps a bit tougher. There are fast-food restaurants here with only cuy dishes on the menu. Roughly 65 million guinea pigs are eaten every year in Peru. Up to 20 live in the kitchen, the heart of a traditional house in the country, and preferably close to the warm oven. But not every guest tucks in as heartily as our group's veterinarian. Most people try not to show the mild revulsion they feel at the sight of the rodents' claws. It looks as though these little animals are clinging to the side of the clay cook pot.
Maria, the elder of a weavers' collective, has invited us to her mountain village, Choquecancha. Rarely do tourists find their way here. A small woman with weathered skin and warm eyes, she welcomes us with a kiss and showers us with flowers. The "center of the Inca Empire's textile industry" is here, in a 15-square-meter room with clay walls, a thatched roof and no windows. After our meal of cuy, we watch the women weave there and sell their wares. All the guests are eager to buy their wooly hats, blankets, ponchos and scarves, but the women drive as hard a bargain as their baby alpaca wool is soft. One woman names her price: "150 soles." "And what would your final offer be?" – "150 soles." – "And if I buy two?" – "300 soles!" What the five women earn from us today is sufficient to feed the "señoras'" 15 families for two weeks, Maria tells us later. Poverty is rife in Peru; the average wage is 850 soles a month, that's roughly 220 euros. An Australian woman buys a carpet for her summerhouse that costs her half a monthly Peruvian wage.
Aguas Calientes – the name means "hot springs" – is 1.5 kilometers from Machu Picchu. "I'm going to shoot my towel up there with a bazooka to bag a spot," yells an English guy from our group. The solitude of the past few days has come to an end in Aguas Calientes, which is also know as Machu Picchu Pueblo. We rose early with the aim of succeeding where the Spanish conquistadors failed: to discover the ruined city – in the first light of dawn, of course. We stumbled off at half past three, still half asleep, to catch the first bus before everyone else. But everyone else was already there. Nowhere is the curse and blessing of a UNESCO listing more apparent than here, at this bus stop: The line is several hundred meters long.
When the Yale professor Hiram Bingham arrived in Machu Picchu on July 24, 1911, he was not alone, either. Four families lived close to the overgrown remains of the city's walls, and they showed him its hidden temples. He received funding from the National Geographic Society and from his wife, a Tiffany heiress, but Bingham did not discover Machu Picchu. In his search for Eldorado, the German gold prospector and timber merchant Rudolph August "Augusto Rodolfo" Berns got there before him, in 1867. But it was Bingham, who in 1913 made the site world famous overnight with his 186-page Geographic article and 234 photos.
Fame has since become a problem. Although no more than 2500 visitors a day are permitted, in the high season from June to October, they number closer to 4000. Everyone with a ticket has the right to admission; no one is turned away. UNESCO wants to limit the number to 800 per day and is threatening to strip the site of its title.
At sunrise, the masses suffocate the mystique. It wasn't like that 18 years ago. Today, there are women striking yoga poses on the edge of the precipice, Chinese people getting themselves tangled up with their selfie sticks, Russians jostling to get the best spot to take a photo, a young couple holding hands and jumping into the air. A special favorite: pictures with llamas. The animals have tags in their ears and are grazing on the pastures outside the ruins for snapshot purposes. Scientists suspect that 300 people at most would once have lived in Machu Picchu. Some 60 percent of the walls are still the originals and the rest have been restored. In spite of the rubber mats on the paths, high heels and hiking boots are wearing down the stones and tourists are scratching their names in the granite. Nothing lasts forever. The sundial, an attraction, is cracked at the edge. During the shoot for a beer ad with the monument, a camera crane collided with it. Our guide, Helen Reinoo, has 15 years of experience and recommended we go against the flow and come for a few hours in the afternoon, shortly before "closing time." Luckily, we followed her advice.
In the early evening, the ruins are all but deserted. Rays of late sunshine break through the clouds clinging to the peaks, bathing the site in white light. Now our time for awe begins: May this place reveal its magic! I sit down in front of what remains of a temple and make out three animals depicted on a wall. The condor stands for the connection between life and death; the puma is the life force, and the serpent embodies wisdom, Helen explains. But even she doesn't know how the Inca heaved these ton weights of granite blocks up here through the jungle, or how, with only simple tools at their disposal, they could hew the stones so smoothly and so precisely that they even withstood earthquakes. The "dancing stones," set one on top of another with no mortar in between, simply gave instead of breaking – and then fell right back into place. Andrew Mackintosh, the Australian engineer in our group, has only one answer: "Aliens. Just like with the pyramids. Feel free to quote me."
The guardians of the ruins blow their whistles. The final whistle – time to go. At the exit, we get another stamp in our passport: Machu Picchu. Been there, done that! The Incas had no checklists, no written language and no word for goodbye. For them, everything flowed, began and ended in Pachamama, Mother Earth. Instead, we say, "Paqarin tupaspa takisunman!" – see you tomorrow. And then we sing.
This story first appeared in Lufthansa Exclusive, the frequent traveller magazine. For more information about Lufthansa Miles & More offers, please click here.


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Print photo
On March 17, 2010, Kathleen S. Tighe was sworn in as the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Education (ED).
Tighe has a long and distinguished career in government accountability and a wealth of experience in fighting fraud. Prior to taking the helm at ED's Office of Inspector General, she was the deputy inspector general of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. From 1995 to 2005, she served as counsel to the inspector general at the General Services Administration (GSA) and, before that, as an assistant counsel for the GSA Office of Inspector General.
From 1988 until 1991, Tighe was a trial attorney in the Fraud Section of the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Department of Justice. She litigated cases under the civil False Claims Act representing various government agencies. Prior to her government service, Tighe was in private practice with the law firm Lewis, Mitchell & Moore.
Tighe also has played an active role in the operations of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), the umbrella organization for all federal inspectors general, established by Congress to address integrity, economy, and effectiveness issues that transcend individual government agencies. She currently chairs the CIGIE Information Technology Committee and is a member of CIGIE's Audit Committee.
Tighe has lectured frequently to both government and private organizations on issues relating to fraud, waste, and abuse in government programs. In 2014, she was named by the Institute of Internal Auditors as one of the most influential professionals in government auditing.
Inspector General Tighe serves on a number of interagency committees, including the DATA Act Interagency Advisory Committee, which provides strategic direction to support the implementation of the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act; and the Government Accountability Office's Domestic Working Group, which advances accountability in federal, state, and local government. In 2011, Tighe was appointed by President Obama to chair the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, a position that concluded in 2015.
Tighe earned her law degree with honors from George Washington University (J.D., 1983) and a master's degree in International Relations from American University (M.A., 1979). She graduated with distinction from Purdue University (B.A., 1976), where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.


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Not me, but a friend's.
The husband said, "Family is where you can be yourself, laugh at yourself and still feel happy." On a different ocassion however, the wife said: "My husband's family set three requirements for wives: wives should be able to do make-up, wives should be able to cook, and wives should be able to have children."
She continued, saying how the husband always taught her to never say no. She should learn to cook, she was not allowed to say 'I cannot cook'. She also had to produce offspring for the sake of her husband.
For the beauty, she said she's thankful to be talented enough in the field of make-up. Btw I think she's being humble here. She definitely has great talent in doing make-up -- her face is so different without it.
She concluded that she had become who she was because the moulding of her done by the husband. Remind me again what the husband said? Oh right, "Family is where you can be yourself."
at 8:45 AM
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Browsing Centres by Author "Hedman, Jonas"
Now showing items 1-4 of 4
Critical Factors in Theory and PracticeHedman, Jonas (Frederiksberg, 2010)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This paper reports the findings of a research project investigating the utilization and continuous improvement of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Adopting the aspects of a resource management framework and Critical Success Factor research, an initial framework is developed. The framework is developed through a survey of ERP system expert consultants. A number of factors and causalities are identified, including the positive role of use by top management and the role of corporate culture. Two factors were found to have a negative impact on utilization. The first is the unreflective use of ERP system implementation methods, which can 'kill' the visions and ideas of implementing ERP systems, while the second is the vanilla implementation strategy. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8009
Files in this item: 1CAICT_Com_22010.pdf (1.679Mb)
An Analysis of ICMB 2006Damsgaard, Jan; Hedman, Jonas (, 2009)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This paper analyzes the 44 papers included in the proceedings of the 5th ICMB conference in Copenhagen 2006. The purpose of the paper was to investigate to what extent the conference fulfilled its objectives which was to compare previous expectations with present realities along the following four areas: (1) business models, (2) the influence of m-business on private and work life, (3) the impact of regulation, and (4) the re-composition of the value network. In the analysis we apply the well-known framework by Lyytinen and Yoo for studying nomadic computing. In addition to this we also classify the papers in relation to type of artifact investigated, application area, and research methodology. The analysis show that the main focus lay on the use and adoption of mobile services – over 60% of the papers address. Few papers address the impact of service on any level of analysis. Business model is a recurring topic in 17 of the papers. There is lack in theorizing of the artifact, e.g. many just study mobile devices, but do not describe what type they study. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7752
Files in this item: 1CAICT_2009_02.pdf (257.1Kb)
Hedman, Jonas (Frederiksberg, 2010)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Historically, organizations developed their information systems in-house. Today, a large portion of information systems development is based on acquisition of pre-made information systems, so called commercially off the shelf (COTS) systems. This approach of developing information systems requires new skills and methods supporting the process of evaluating and selecting information systems. This paper presents a method for selecting COTS systems. The method includes the following phases: problem framing, requirements and appraisal, and selection of systems. The idea and distinguishing feature behind the method is that improved understanding of organizational' ends' or goals should govern the selection of a COTS system. This can also be expressed as a match or fit between 'ends' (e.g. improved organizational effectiveness) and 'means' (e.g. implementing COTS systems). This way of approaching the selection of COTS systems as viewing COTS systems as a 'mean' to reach organizational 'ends' is different from the mainstream view of information systems development, which view information systems development as a problem solving process, and the underlying ontological view in other COTS selection methods, which focus on selection of functionality not reaching organizational ends. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7999
Files in this item: 1CAICT_Com_12010.pdf (83.34Kb)
Time-in or Time-OutBødker, Mads; Gimpel, Gregory; Hedman, Jonas (, 2010)[More information][Less information]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8188
Files in this item: 1ECIS2010_DREAMS_FINAL.pdf (79.34Kb)
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Foundation phase culture
Cultural activities offered:
- Choir
- Marimba band
- Culture and craft club
Foundation phase: Grades R to 3
Culture is one of the foundational pillars of developing a well-balanced learner. At St Dominics Newcastle, learners are offered the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of cultural activities, from choir to drama. In this way, learners can develop a love for art, regardless of their abilities in sport or academics.