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- The Mob Doctor - I try not to be one of those people who assume that cable television is inherently superior to network television, and who say, of every failed network show, that it would have been so much better on HBO. This is not only because there's plenty of excellent network TV out there, but because cable TV has its own set of tropes and core assumptions that I would hate to see television become consumed by, such a tendency to treat sexual violence and female nudity as hallmarks of artistic maturity, and a preference for borderline- or outright-psychopathic male leads that relegates female character almost exclusively to the contingent roles of love interest and caretaker. It's not a coincidence, I think, that if you're looking for smart, well-made series about professional women that treat the challenges of living feminism with respect and due consideration, you're better off going to the networks, for shows like The Good Wife and Parks and Recreation, than cable,. So I try not to assume that the networks are incapable of creating quality TV, but The Mob Doctor, a show with a great premise and a dispiriting execution, makes me break my own rule, because almost everything that's wrong with the show boils down the typical network approach of filing off anything that might be off-putting, challenging, or complex about the show or its characters in an effort to make them universally appealing. The main character, Grace Devlin (Jordana Spiro, rather bland) is an up-and-coming surgical resident at a Chicago hospital who is also in hock to the mob and working off her debt by treating injured enforcers on the side. There's about a million interesting directions you could take this premise: the conflict between Grace's oath to help those who are injured and her awareness that the people she's helping are hurting others; the class issues that crop up when Grace, who comes from a working class neighborhood where the mob is a not entirely negative fact of life, brushes against her more privileged colleagues and their black and white morality; the financial difficulties of a working class girl making her way through such a demanding and time-intensive medical specialty and the temptation of alleviating these through extra-legal activities; most of all, the seductiveness of having an important role to play in the lives of powerful, charmingly dangerous men, especially when contrasted with a professional sphere in which Grace is one of the lowliest, least valued components.
The problem with all of these potential avenues of story is that they all require Grace to be at least compromised, if not complicit, in her double life, and, not to indulge in the kind of reductive comparisons that I just got done decrying, network TV is rarely willing for its heroes to be anything but squeaky clean. So while there are hints in the pilot that the show does realize the precariousness of Grace's position--a former mob boss with whom she has a close relationship warns her that the pursuit of power over life and death as a surgeon isn't a long way from the pursuit of that power as a mobster; a colleague whom Grace had dragged into a dispute with a superior unknowingly parrots the neighborhood mentality that nobody likes a rat--for the most part the dilemmas it places before Grace are clear-cut and unambiguous. The superior whom Grace crosses overrides her post-surgery instructions and causes a child's death--for which he seems entirely unrepentant. She convinces her boyfriend to falsify medical records for a teenage patient because if it becomes known that the girl is pregnant she'll lose her scholarship even though the pregnancy was terminated (apparently there's no such thing as doctor-patient confidentiality in this show's universe; also, the show is careful to stress that the pregnancy is ectopic and thus non-viable, so as not to scandalize anyone in the audience with the thought of a 14-year-old having an abortion). Even the reason that Grace is in debt to the mob is a saintly one--she took over her brother's gambling debt--and the pilot's central story, in which Grace is required to kill an informant who ends up on her operating table, is both broad and resolved with little originality. Worst of all, Grace herself never feels like a character who is a product of either of her worlds. She's blithely superior to both hospital politics and the effect they might have on her career, and to the role that the mob played in her childhood and still plays in her family's life (even though, as we learn at the end of the pilot, the reason Grace is friendly with the ex mob boss is that he killed her drunken, abusive father--and will presumably turn out to be her real father). She seems crafted, right down to her unrealistically attractive, impeccably coiffed, carefully neutral good looks, to be a plucky everywoman whose flaws are the telegenic "cares too much" and "is too passionate about doing the right thing," rather than the flawed product of her environment that the show's story would seem to demand. Which is a great shame, because as I was saying recently there's a shortage of shows about women struggling with the allure of violence and power, and The Mob Doctor's premise lends itself perfectly to the exploration of that kind of character--and might have done so, had it aired on a more adventurous channel.
- Revolution - It's hard to know how to judge the pilot episode of Eric Kripke (Supernatural) and J.J. Abrams's new high concept, post-collapse Hunger Games knockoff. On the one hand, there is the plain fact that this is simply not a very good hour of television. Especially when you consider that it features gunfights, swordfights, daring escapes, a lot of archery, and the rollback of all modern technology due to the sudden cessation of electricity, the pilot for Revolution is notable for featuring not a single tense or unexpected moment. It proceeds from beginning to end as if determined, at every turn, to make the most obvious and familiar choices, whether in its story or its worldbuilding. So we have an idyllic, post-industrial farming community that has sprung up in the ruins of suburbia (unsurprisingly, the pilot completely ignores the troubling undertones of class anxiety and isolationist fantasy that underpin such stories, despite which the heroine's village is set up in what was once a gated community, all the speaking villagers are white, and the attack that disturbs their idyll is led by a black man), militias and feral gangs roaming the landscape, an evil paramilitary commander who has set himself up as the local warlord, and secrets kept by the heroine's father, who is killed in order to kickstart the story and set her on her quest--in this case, to find her uncle, who is also being pursued by the evil warlord, and rescue her kidnapped brother. Oh, and despite living in a post-technological world, all the characters have access to modern personal grooming products and ample designer clothing, with the tragic exception of the heroine's inability to find a shirt that covers her entire midriff.
On the other hand, as that description no doubt makes clear, Revolution's pilot has a lot of furniture to move into place, so a failure to distinguish itself or its characters, while by no means promising, isn't necessarily a sign that the show is irredeemable. For all that its ideas of a post-technological world are unoriginal (compare this show to Dark Angel, a by no means excellent series whose premise was admittedly less restrictive, but which nevertheless managed to create a world robbed of much of its technology that had changed in more ways than simply regressing to a cod Wild West) you could still tell a fun, rollicking story in this world. Similarly, the blandness of our heroine, Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos, sadly no Jennifer Lawrence), is something that the should could build on, even if right now she's the least interesting character in a mostly uninteresting cast (the sole exception, Charlie's stepmother who insists on joining the quest despite Charlie's resentment of her and shows more common sense and ingenuity than any other characters, seems, at least according to IMDb and the promotional photos I've seen, due to be sidelined, alas). Though the Hunger Games parallels turn out to be only skin deep--Charlie hunts with a bow and arrow and is motivated by the need to protect her younger sibling, but she is a much less tough person than Katniss, and the pilot frequently comments on her sweetness and need to believe that despite the tough times she lives in, people are still good at heart--the show has a YA sensibility baked deep into its core, right down to a handsome love interest with whom Charlie sparks but with whom she can never be because he--gasp!--works for the evil warlord. This could mean good things, since the quality that unites most of the YA-derived shows on TV right now--shows like The Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars--is a commitment to a nonstop rollercoaster of plot that only gets zanier and more fun as the episodes pile up. Or, it could simply be a cynical attempt to cash in on YA's popularity without any intention of replicating the breakneck plotting of these shows. Right now, Revolution has a good chance of becoming an over-earnest, unoriginal snoozefest with no interesting characters or plot points, and a somewhat less good chance of becoming a fun extension of YA's takeover of popular culture. I'm not very hopeful, but I'm willing to give the show a few more episodes to shake itself out.
- The Bletchley Circle - Not a series but a British miniseries, whose crackerjack premise is sadly not as well-realized as it might have been. Set in 1952, the story follows four women who met as codebreakers in Bletchley Park during WWII, and now come together to solve a series of murders of young women. There's potential here to explore the frustrations of women for whom the war was an opportunity to stretch their abilities and intellect, and who now find themselves without that outlet and desperate to feel useful again (something that lead Anna Maxwell Martin explored already last year in the miniseries adaptation of Sarah Waters's Night Watch), but a lot of it is squandered in too-obvious cliches. So the women are a collection of types--the level-headed, determined lead, the beautiful, naive savant, the good-time girl, the spinster--and their relationships with men are equally by the numbers--Martin's husband wants to be supportive but can't quite grasp that she wants more from life than to be a housewife, while another husband is disrespectful and abusive. There are some moments of genuine insight--most powerfully, a scene in which one of the group asks how men can kill women in such a casual, possessive manner, and the four women silently watch men come and go in a railway station, wordlessly realizing the existence of rape culture--and hints of greater complexity beneath the surface, such as Martin's reaction to her husband's claim that he had enough excitement in his life during the war, her silence making it clear that unlike him, she craves excitement. But for the most part The Bletchley Circle proceeds very much like every other mystery of this type, its sole distinguishing feature being that because of its period setting, the heroines can basically invent the entire science of criminology from the ground up in a few afternoons. This is impressive as a story about women exercising their intellect, but less so as a mystery, since as genre-savvy viewers we already know all the tricks that the characters invent, like the fact that the perfection of the first kill indicates an earlier, "trial" victim. The series might have worked if it were a stronger, more original mystery, or if its exploration of stifled female intelligence in the 1950s were less by the numbers, but compounding the two unoriginal executions results in a worthy but unexciting story.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Thoughts on the New TV Season, 2012 Edition, Part 1
11 comments:
- Bryan White said...
Almost point for point exactly what I thought about that Revolution show. I was especially discouraged by the lack of interesting characters, or at least even extraordinary actors that could bring mediocre characters to life. They all seemed cliched or boring or both. Heck, they even had the fat-beared-guy-who-used-to-work-for-Google-and-has-a-ridiculously-oversized-napsack. I feel like we've seen this guy dozens of times before in these post-apocalyptic stories, but I couldn't say exactly where.
- September 19, 2012 4:28 PM
- Foxessa said...
Pilots are often not good. It takes a while.
For instance if I'd relied on the pilot for Scandal to judge the show, it was too frenetic and too much congratulation US (meaning the Olivia Pope's crew, not Our / My Nation) = White Hats, Good Guys, Gladiators in Suits, Knights, etc.
This stuff tones down and the show gets fascinating, fascinating due to the people we are looking at, and the curiosity as to how the seasonal arc resolves. Also, if you are an African American woman, Scandal speaks to you on whole other levels too -- in good ways.
Like Revenge, Scandal's characters all have superpowers, but not supernatural powers -- just mighty skills and capacity for reading others. As well as being gorgeous and possessing the perfect wardrobes and housing.
What's kind of cute about both these shows is the locations are as much 'characters' as the characters. Revenge is a kind of gothic -- the mansions -- you come in and can't leave. In Scandal, it's the White House ....
Along with The Good Wife, I'm really looking forward to the new seasons of these -- and White Collar.
Very slick, very stylish. And all of these shows depend on the speaking of the actors, in prolonged, perhaps too long even, paragraphs. (Not White Collar -- that depends more on the rapid fire of ye screwball comedy of the past -- which they include at least one entirely authentic screwball episode per season. But White Collar does feature a fairy tale NYC, in terms of the location.)
And Treme -- but that's a whole other thang.
I'm really tired of supernatural and superpowers -- which, I think, is showing! :) So I'm particularly glad there is some mature fare out there (maybe not Revenge, but at least partly).
Love, C.
- September 19, 2012 7:56 PM
- Abigail Nussbaum said...
even extraordinary actors that could bring mediocre characters to life
There is at least one of those: Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito as the more prominent villain character in the pilot, doing the by now familiar dance of the respected guest actor in a critically lauded but little-watched show who plays watered-down versions of his character on network hits. Of the cast, Esposito is the one who comes closest to popping off the screen, even if he can't do very much with the material he was given.
I feel like we've seen this guy dozens of times before in these post-apocalyptic stories, but I couldn't say exactly where.
Someone, I can't remember who, called this character the show's Hurley, which seems about right.
Pilots are often not good. It takes a while.
True, but on the other hand the pilot's purpose is to reel viewers in, if only on the strength of potential, and not being able to do that (or even being aware that doing so is necessary) is not a good sign for a show's future. Also, while pilots usually don't fully spell out a show's strengths and weaknesses, they can give a good indication of what the writers are concentrating on and where it's possible that they'll try to improve. So though the pilot for Revolution isn't very good, there's nothing in it to rule out better storytelling down the line, and as I say it lays the groundwork for what could be a fun story. The pilot for The Mob Doctor, meanwhile, makes it very clear that no one involved with the show is interested in making the main character as morally compromised as she needs to be for the show to work, which is why I'm not planning to watch any more of it.
I actually did give up on Scandal after its pilot. I admire Shonda Rhymes - she's the perfect example of how network TV is a much better place for shows about women, and in her case it's also women of color - but I've never been a big fan of any of her shows, and Scandal seemed to suffer from too much of what I found tedious about Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, and Off the Map, mainly the nonstop, hyperbolic praise of the main character's skills and the emphasis on forbidden romance.
- September 20, 2012 1:17 PM
- Foxessa said...
Exactly -- Ooooooo She AWESOME, AWESOMER, AWESOMEST! Additionally, Scandal is all We are GOOD PEOPLE AND THEY ARE NOT. What got interesting about Scandal is that in the course of the season we see Ms. Pope makes some really big mistakes, i.e. what happens when you work from your gut, and they aren't always doing good things for good people -- and what does this mean does get asked.
Like I gave up on Ringer after it's pilot. If it wasn't that Scandal was streaming from netflix I would have given up on it too, but the next ep streamed immediately, and by ep 3 I was hooked.
I am not saying that Revolution will be better as it goes on -- from what I've heard/read, I've not even bothered with the pilot!
Love, C.
- September 20, 2012 5:21 PM
- Bryan White said...
Oh yes, Gus Frings. I almost mentioned him as an exception. Unfortunately, of course, he's not quite enough to carry the show, and like you said, they haven't given him much to work with him.
I'm willing to keep watching, just to see where they're going with it, but it feels like it's another show destined for a very short run. Details do often get ironed out after the pilot, though. I was watching the pilot of Seinfeld the other day, and there always seems to be this somewhat unconscious game of "spot the difference" that you play whenever you see a pilot of a long running show.
- September 20, 2012 5:42 PM
- Foxessa said...
Adding this, to emphasize an observation previously made: Scandal has a whole lot of levels of significance for an African American woman. Every one of my sister girlfriends told me I HAD to watch it. This is every one of them, no matter what they do, what their age, where they live.
It's also authentically sexy. Alas, that the sexy is between a republican and a non ... that's the part I can't figure out. However, the sizzle is really there on the screen so you believe in it.
Love, C.
- September 20, 2012 5:56 PM
Very much enjoying your thoughts on Revolution. I agree that it has immense potential to go wrong, or else to improve, and while the former is more likely, I am probably going to stick around long enough to find out.
I particularly agree about the stepmother character being one of the most interesting (and really hope we get more of her), though I also thought Grace was given a degree of moral complexity I didn't expect based on her short screen time. The final scene actually turned around my sci-fi-hating partner, who had complained loudly through the first half of the pilot, and made her interested enough to propose watching the next episode.
I also agree that a lot depends on whether the show uses Charlie's intense naivete as the basis for interesting character development or stupid plots and political points. For that matter I thought they were setting up the former-Google-comic-relief guy for character development as well as tech support when that inevitable moment arrives in the plot, but maybe I'm just optimistic.
And while I'm not much of Hunger Games fan, I wonder when pop culture producers will realize that it's not in fact the bow that made Katniss Everdeen interesting.
Oh, and despite living in a post-technological world, all the characters have access to modern personal grooming products and ample designer clothing, with the tragic exception of the heroine's inability to find a shirt that covers her entire midriff.
Thank you for this sentence!
Btw, I am also a diehard Scandal fan, who enjoys the nonstop hyperbolic praise of a hero who is also a woman of color--I think that trend in Rhimes shows has everything to do with subject position, and countering the negative or low-expectations messages. SR has just found a larger pop culture trend she can capitalize on. For me in this case, the fact that Kerry Washington has apparently never met a line she can't sell it makes it feel earned! {Would that the same could be said for her love interest.)
- September 21, 2012 1:07 AM
- Gareth said...
I try not to make snap judgements, and I haven't seen either of these pilots. But the idea of the mob using a doctor as an assassin is very off-putting to me. It just seems too far-fetched for the mobsters to expect a doctor to follow that order. There are real mob doctors, but I don't think they're ever told to kill anyone.
As for Revolution, there's been lots of complaints that it's ripping off S.M. Stirling's Dies the Fire series. I don't agree, because the premise is too obvious to be anyone's property. But for all the flaws of that series, Stirling did actually come to grips with how horrific the premise is. It essentially turns the entire world into the Warsaw Ghetto. So the characters of this show should be the equivalent of Holocaust survivors in 1960. This is not the impression I'm getting from the promotions, to say the least.
- September 22, 2012 9:10 AM
- Josh said...
Hi Abigail,
Have you even done a post about your recommendations for well-done, thoughtful TV shows that do make a good attempt at exploring the complex issues you mention here? I've been a regular (though silent) reader of your blog for several years now and don't recall ever seeing such a thing.
I've never been a TV watcher (once I grew out of cartoons as a little kid, that was basically the end of my TV experience), and every time I've tried TV (whether SFF-inclined shows or otherwise) I always get frustrated by how shallow it seems and reach for a book instead. I really enjoy the insights in your book reviews, so I'd be very curious to hear your thoughts on the worthwhile TV out there.
- September 23, 2012 10:09 PM
- Abigail Nussbaum said...
I'm very late replying to this comment, Josh, for which I apologize. I've never written an actual recommendation post for TV shows, though if you look through the television label on this blog you'll find a lot of posts about shows I like. Right now, I'd say the best shows on TV are Homeland, The Good Wife, Treme, Parks and Recreation, Community, and Breaking Bad. In cancelled shows that dealt interestingly with issues of politics and gender, I'd recommend (with some reservations because the storytelling in both of these isn't always the best) The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Caprica, and without those reservations at all, Deep Space Nine and Avatar: The Last Airbender. And, of course, there are the classic SF shows of the last decade and a half, Buffy, Farscape, and Firefly, which have a depth of story and character that I think any TV fan should become acquainted with.
- October 02, 2012 11:58 AM
- Josh said...
Thank you so much! I really appreciate these recommendations. I'm looking forward to getting started checking them out.
- October 10, 2012 3:42 AM


text: Vettel (L) has contract with Red Bull until end of 2014 and Hamilton (R) has three year deal with Mercedes [EPA]Triple Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel would be Ferrari's first choice should they ever need to replace Fernando Alonso, president Luca di Montezemolo has said.The Red Bull driver has been repeatedly linked to Ferrari this season, with talk of a pre-contract for 2014, although the 25-year-old German and his team have tried to put the speculation to rest.Speaking at Ferrari's Maranello factory before the Christmas break, Montezemolo left no doubt about the Italian team's admiration for Vettel."If for whatever reason Fernando Alonso were to leave one day, maybe because he wants to retire in Hawaii with his girlfriend, then I want Vettel," the Gazzetta dello Sport quoted him as telling German media. "If for whatever reason Fernando Alonso were to leave one day, maybe because he wants to retire in Hawaii with his girlfriend, then I want Vettel" Ferrari president, Luca di Montezemolo "Sebastian is a potential Ferrari driver for the future."Whether Vettel and Alonso ever pair up at Ferrari remains to be seen, however, with Montezemolo previously saying he did not want to have "two roosters in the same hen house" but rather two drivers "who race for Ferrari and not for themselves." Montezemolo said Alonso, Vettel and Lewis Hamilton were clearly a cut above the rest in Formula One and he preferred the Red Bull driver to the Briton "because he's younger and hasn't been around so many teams".Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, will be racing for Mercedes next year after six years with McLaren - the team who have backed him since he was in go-karts. He will be 28 in January.Vettel is now on his third F1 team, having made his debut for BMW-Sauber and then raced for Toro Rosso before joining sister team Red Bull. In a separate interview with Britain's Sky Sports television, Montezemolo sounded more positive about Hamilton."Alonso is in Ferrari. If tomorrow, and I would be very unhappy with this, he will decide to go to live in the moon then for sure Hamilton is a driver that I like very much," he said. Double world champion Alonso, 31, has a contract with Ferrari until at least the end of 2016. He won his two titles with Renault, after starting out with Minardi, and was Hamilton's team mate at McLaren in 2007. "I'm immensely pleased with Alonso. He's more than a driver, he's a key figure. He fits into the way the team work perfectly," said Montezemolo of the Spaniard who finished runner-up to Vettel this year. SOURCE: Reuters Sport Formula One United Kingdom

subset: commoncrawl


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Editor's note: This story contains language that may offend some readers.
(CNN) — A prosecuting attorney greeted the jury in the George Zimmerman trial Monday with a quote full of expletives, while his adversary decided it was appropriate to tell jurors a knock-knock joke.
And that was just the beginning of opening statements in Zimmerman's long-anticipated murder trial.
In a case that has ignited national debate about gun laws and race relations, Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain, is accused of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in February 2012 in Sanford, Florida.
Prosecutor John Guy's first words to the six-woman jury may have raised a few eyebrows.
"Good morning. 'F*****g punks, these a******s all get away,'" Guy quoted Zimmerman. "These were the words in this grown man's mouth as he followed this boy that he didn't know. Those were his words, not mine."
Zimmerman, Guy said, "got out of his car with a pistol and two flashlights to follow Trayvon Benjamin Martin, who was walking home from a 7-Eleven, armed" with a fruit drink and a bag of candy. Eventually the two became entangled on the ground in a fight. A witness has said Martin was on top of Zimmerman, Guy said.
"The defendant claims that while Trayvon Martin was on top of him, he said, 'you are going to die tonight,'" said Guy. "Nobody heard that."
Guy told jurors that no witnesses saw what happened the night of the shooting from beginning to end. Witnesses only saw "slices" of what happened, he said.
"We are confident that at the end of this trial you will know in your head, in your heart, in your stomach that George Zimmerman did not shoot Trayvon Martin because he had to," Guy said. "He shot him for the worst of all reasons, because he wanted to."
Fast facts: Trayvon Martin shooting
The Martin family sat watching the proceedings behind State Attorney Angela Corey. Zimmerman's parents were seated behind the defendant in the second row. The pews in the public gallery were filled to capacity.
At one point, Martin's father began crying as Guy detailed how officers tried to save his son's life. Zimmerman has mostly stared straight ahead without any signs of emotion.
Following Guy's statement, defense attorney Don West came forward to woo the jury. As he began, he told a knock-knock joke. But it failed to win a laugh. "Knock knock. Who's there? George Zimmerman. George Zimmerman who? Good, you're on the jury," he said.
West quickly got on with the business of making his case: that Zimmerman was forced to act in self-defense to save his own life.
"The evidence will show this is a sad case; no monsters here. … George Zimmerman is not guilty of murder. He shot Trayvon Martin after he was viciously attacked."
With the help of PowerPoint visuals, West spent hours hammering away at his argument.
He broke down Zimmerman's non-emergency 911 call in which he first reported seeing Martin and told about following him.
"Little did George Zimmerman know at the time in less than 10 minutes from him first seeing Travyon Martin that he, George Zimmerman, would be suckered punched in the face, have his head pounded on concrete and wind up shooting and tragically killing Trayvon Martin," West told jurors.
West also deconstructed a 911 call a neighbor made, in which it is possible to hear screams and a shot in the background that West said was the sound of the fatal bullet.
As the dramatic recording audio filled the courtroom, Zimmerman showed no emotion. Martin's mother left the courtroom.
West quoted a witness named John Good who described the fight. "He called it a 'ground and pound' by Martin, who he said was on top of Zimmerman, beating him "senseless."
"He saw enough that this was serious," West said. Zimmerman cried out for help, looked at Good and said, "help me." But the beating continued while Good went inside his home to call 911, West said.
There was a shot. Shortly afterward, according to West, Zimmerman said Martin "was beating me up, and I shot him."
West showed jurors photos taken of Zimmerman after the fight. "What you can really see in these pictures that you will have in evidence are the lumps," West said. "The big knots on each side of his head. Consistent with having his head slammed into concrete."
All-female jury to try Zimmerman
Shortly before court got under way, Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, spoke to reporters, asking people to "pray for me and my family because I don't want any other mother to experience what I'm going through now."
Judge: No state expert testimony on 911 calls
Martin was black, and Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic.
In a CNN poll released Monday morning, 62% of respondents say the charges against Zimmerman are probably or definitely true.
Here is a summary of the key figures and elements involved in the trial:
Trayvon Martin: The victim
Trayvon Martin was born on February 5, 1995, to Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, who divorced in 1999.
Before the shooting, Trayvon Martin was living with his mother and his older brother in Miami Gardens, Florida, where he was a student at Dr. Michael Krop Senior High School.
The high school junior had been suspended from school three times: once for writing graffiti on a door, another time for missing school, and the last time after marijuana residue was found in his book bag.
Following his 10-day suspension in February 2012, Martin went to Sanford to visit his father at the home of his father's girlfriend, who lived in the Retreat at Twin Lakes. He was there for seven days before his death.
After Martin was killed, the medical examiner who conducted his autopsy said the teen had traces of THC, an active ingredient in marijuana, in his system when he died.
Despite his school suspensions and alleged previous drug use, Sybrina Fulton told CNN's Anderson Cooper that her son was a normal teen who "loved playing football … basketball … loved to eat everything in your house."
George Zimmerman: The defendant
George Zimmerman, now 29, was a neighborhood watch captain in the gated community where Martin was staying temporarily when he died.
In 2003, Zimmerman enrolled at Seminole State College in Florida and earned a vocational certificate as an insurance agent.
Before his marriage to Shellie Nicole Dean in 2007, Zimmerman and his then-fiancee filed domestic violence protection orders against each other. A 2005 scuffle involved pushing and punching, police said.
From 2009 to 2012, Zimmerman was enrolled at Seminole State College, working toward an associate degree in general studies.
He was arrested on one count of second-degree murder on April 11, 2012, for killing Martin.
If convicted of second-degree murder, Zimmerman could face 25 years to life in prison.
Important events leading up to the shooting
In July 2005, Zimmerman was arrested for an assault on an officer and resisting arrest after an incident at a bar. Zimmerman said the case was the result of mistaken identity. He entered a six-month pretrial diversion program as part of a plea deal in that case.
In October 2005, Florida passed the "stand your ground" law, allowing its residents to meet "force with force" if they believe they or someone else is in danger of being seriously harmed by an assailant.
In 2008, Zimmerman attended a four-month law enforcement program. In his application for the course, Zimmerman wrote, "I hold law enforcement officers in the highest regard and I hope one day to become one."
Timeline: Zimmerman's reports involving suspicious activity in neighborhood
On August 4, 2011, Zimmerman submitted his first report to the Sanford Police Department about a suspicious black male walking around in the Retreat at Twin Lakes neighborhood, where Zimmerman was a neighborhood watch captain.
The next day, Zimmerman called the department again, reporting another suspicious black male lurking in the area.
On October 6 of that year, Zimmerman called in a third report, again alerting authorities to a suspicious black male.
On February 2, 2012, Zimmerman called in a similar report to the department.
"According to all records checks, all of Zimmerman's suspicious persons calls while residing in the Retreat at Twins Lakes neighborhood have identified black males as the subjects in the matter," the Sanford Police Department said in a statement after Martin was killed.
The night of the shooting
On February 26, 2012, Zimmerman left his home in his car to go to a store. The 28-year-old called the department's nonemergency line to report "a suspicious person" in the neighborhood. Officials told him not to get out of his car or approach the person.
Moments later, neighbors reported hearing gunfire.
Just before he was killed, Martin was walking back from a nearby convenience store, headed to his father's girlfriend's home. He was carrying a small amount of cash, candy, a soft drink and a phone. He was not carrying a gun.
When police arrived, Zimmerman admitted to authorities that he shot the teen, but said it was in self-defense.
In his police report, Officer Timothy Smith noted that Zimmerman was bleeding from the nose and back of his head after the shooting.
Responding officers were not able to identify Martin when they arrived at the crime scene because he was not carrying identification. His body was transported to the morgue.
After the shooting
The day after the shooting, Martin's father filed a missing person report because his son had failed to return home. Officers with the Sanford Police Department visited Tracy Martin, who later identified his son's body using a picture.
Investigators received a fax from Altamonte Family Medical Practice on March 8 containing the medical records identifying the injuries suffered by Zimmerman the night of the shooting.
In mid-March of that year, the FBI received a report that Zimmerman had contacted a gun store about acquiring a new firearm because, according to Zimmerman, his "life is in danger" and he "needs more guns."
Despite nationwide criticism that an arrest had not yet been made, Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee stated in March of that year that Zimmerman had not been charged with a crime because there were no grounds to disprove his version of events.
On March 15, Zimmerman's father, Robert Zimmerman, wrote a letter to the Orlando Sentinel, stating that his son had been unfairly portrayed as a racist. He noted that his son is Hispanic and grew up in a multiracial family.
The next day, authorities released seven 911 calls from the night of the shooting. In one of the recordings, a voice screams, "Help, help!" followed by the sound of a gunshot.
On March 19, the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI announced they had launched an investigation into Martin's death.
Days later, Benjamin Crump, the attorney for the Martin family, held a news conference stating that Trayvon Martin was on the phone with his girlfriend around the time he was killed. According to Crump, the girl stated she heard someone ask Martin what he was doing, followed by Martin asking that person why he was following him.
On March 22, a petition on Change.org — created by Martin's parents and calling for the arrest of George Zimmerman — surpassed 1.3 million supporters.
That same day, Lee announced he was stepping down "temporarily" as head of the police department, which had been criticized for its handling of the case.
In April, Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder.
Zimmerman attended his bond hearing on April 20 with defense attorney Mark O'Mara. During that hearing, Zimmerman apologized to Martin's family for the loss of their son.
On April 23, Zimmerman was released on bail. A judge accepted his written plea of not guilty days after his release.
A medical report by Zimmerman's family doctor, made the day after the shooting, was made public on May 15. The report stated Zimmerman was diagnosed with a fractured nose, two black eyes and two lacerations to the back of his head.
On June 1, Zimmerman was ordered to surrender within 48 hours after a judge revoked his bond, following the prosecution's argument that Zimmerman and his wife allegedly misrepresented their finances when his bond was originally set in April. Two days later, Zimmerman surrendered to authorities and was taken into custody for a second time.
Zimmerman's jail stint ended a few days later, when he was released after posting the required 10% of his $1 million bond.
In July 2012, Zimmerman gave his first public interview to Fox News' "The Sean Hannity Show." During that interview, he said he would not have done anything differently the night of the shooting.
In April of 2013, Zimmerman waived his right to a "stand your ground" pretrial immunity hearing.
In early May, Zimmerman's defense lawyers and prosecutors faced off in a pivotal hearing. A judge declared that most of the information regarding Martin's and Zimmerman's backgrounds would be barred from the trial, including Martin's school suspension history.
SOURCE: CNN.com
Article Courtesy of CNN
Picture Courtesy of Sanford, FL Police and CNN


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Fabio Is the New Old Spice Guy [VIDEO]
After a fabulously successful ad campaign featuring actor Isaiah Mustafa as the enigmatic Old Spice Guy, the brand is ready for a new chapter -- and they've hired commercial vet Fabio to fill his perfect shoes.
The Italian model, known for his appearances on bodice-ripping romance novel covers and as a pitchman for I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, has signed on with Old Spice, making his debut in four ads on the YouTube channel NewOldSpiceGuyFabio.
Look at your '80s-era cultural icon. Now look at me. Now at him. Now back to me.
Then look at the ads and see what you think.
[via AdWeek]


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Eco friendly fabrics from JoAnns! The best part about that is I can use coupons for 50% or 40% off, so the price is way better then online.
The bamboo knit top is based on one of my favorite patterns from Burda. It is out of Burda WOF Magazine issue 10/1998. The cotton-bamboo poplin pants are based on Model no. 125 from Burda WOF 06/2008. I really am not a fan of these pants. High waist line and very large legs with that pleat in front, will not sew it again…
I have searched forever for some simple buttons to use and after looking at a few priced over 5$ I have finally found these geometric wood buttons for .50c 🙂 they go with the eco friendly.
Finished the insides with a simple satin ribbon with a honey comb stitch. It will keep the raw edge from fraying and it adds some appeal without being bulky.


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The club industry in the news.
Chuck Barnard has been promoted to national fitness director of the Tennis Corp. of America (TCA), headquartered in Chicago. In this position, he will design the layout of club equipment; act as a liaison between fitness companies and TCA; advise TCA club managers; and help set the standards for fitness in TCA's facilities in the United States and Canada. Barnand will also continue to work in his current position as TCA regional manager for Forest Grove Athletic Club in Palatine, Ill.; McDonald's Healthscape Fitness Center in Oak Brook, Ill.; and Computer Discount Warehouse's corporate fitness facility in Vernon Hills, Ill.
* The Messenger-Inquirer of Owensboro, Ky., reports that Rep. Brian Crall is leaving the Owensboro Family YMCA. Crall, who held the position of CEO at the Y for 14 years, said that he would step down in September 2000 to pursue new career options - sooner if the Y board finds a replacement before then. Crall has been elected three times to the Kentucky House of Representatives, and he has considered running for state governor - a move he could not make due to the demands of his position at the Y. However, Crall made it clear that he was not stepping down because of political aspirations. He cited the opening of Owensboro Mercy Health System's HealthPark as one reason for his decision. "My vision of the YMCA's future was what the HealthPark is," he said. "I'm not blaming the HealthPark. But the Y will have to reposition itself for the future. And it needs someone with a new vision."
* The National Fitness Therapy Association (NFTA) has appointed 10 professionals to its National Advisory Committee: Patrick Pine, LaGary Carter, Michael A. Catalano, Steve Clemens, Dick Cotton, Eric Durak, Gil Fried, Jeffrey Handler, David Herbert, Sally Lyons and Eric Prager. The committee members are selected based on their knowledge and experience in the fitness industry. They review the NFTA's established standards and audit process on an ongoing basis, and make recommendations to the board if changes are needed for improvement. They will also keep the board informed of any changes in the health care delivery systems that may affect the published standards.


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They will go boxed into an Oscar case.
The best dang custom made cases around.
Quote from: DSJ on July 31, 2007, 10:25 PMThey will go boxed into an Oscar case. Wuss. All the cool kids open them...
My only hope is that this one doesn't become common...all signs so far though point to this set being rare....and a big F-U to BBTS
Page created in 0.042 seconds with 18 queries.


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Slewing bearings
Robust performance for road rollers and compactors
For drum support applications, slewing bearings enable a very compact solution that eases the road roller configuration to extend its working width. It also enables the road roller to work closer to obstacles, thus improving operator comfort and visibility.
For steering pivot applications, our slewing bearings support the vibration frequency and amplitude. The ready-to-install solution also simplifies machine design and saves assembly time.


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Perrelos – [(Sp.), a place name interesting for the very uncertainty of the origin of the name itself. Even the inimitable Julian Daan, as Teban Escudero, forewarned a fellow character in his mega-hit radio series in the 1980s: It is very dangerous. It is very Perrelos, Carcar, Cebu.]
Although unverifiable as to when it started but a legend in Perrelos says the name is derived from the Spanish "los perros" (the dogs). The apocrypha relates of a Spanish priest who in his rush to administer the sacrament of Extreme Unction — now anointing of the sick (not just the extreme) –, rode over newly-planted rice (or corn), causing an uproar among the farmers that the Spaniard likened to mad dogs. Such must have been the high urgency with which priests of old held the battle for a dying man's soul. Nowadays, many a priest would just say, "Kon dili awahi na, dili mangita ug pari" (If not too late, they don't look for a priest). Pero, di ba mao man nay katuyoan sa pari? (But isn't that what priests are for?) — to ride hell over high water to get to a man's soul before the devil does? Very few laymen would do that for a man's soul, which may spell the difference, per the Catholic faith (Communion of saints), between a soul triumphant and one suffering instead — because laymen have other, more mundane, concerns. Perhaps some priests today just have been distracted from the primordial battle by secular interests, too–say a basketball game on TV or whatever it is that makes a priest require the dying set a prior appointment.
But stretching los perros to account for Perrelos is just stretching it a bit much. For instance, how did the article in los perros morph into what seems rather the accusative pronoun in perrelos? For isn't an accusative use of los likelier here, even if perre- may still refer to dogs? Maybe it's a Spanish curse the priest screamed at the frenzied mob: Turn them to dogs! (Perrelos!)
That's not the meaning of course and such a long-winded comic disputation of a well-meaning legend-making. Actually, Perrelos is a pueblo-parish with a quaint old church Santa Maria Perrelos under the ayuntamiento of Serreaus in the province of Orense in Galicia, Spain. A historian Padre Juan Alvarez Sotelo was born in Perrelos. There is also a street named Perrelos in the capital Orense. And then, Perrelos and Perelos are also Catalan/Galician surnames, with variant Perelló (Rafael Nadal's girlfriend's) and Perellós. A legend could thus be also woven about a priest who gave his surname Perrelos to the place.
Spanish references one can read do not use an acute diacritical mark on the word. That may just be an omission but if not, then it must be correctly read as per-RE-los. The PER-re-los accent could have been an American influence since they usually accent the first syllable in three-syllable words, many of these the foreign ones they meet.
Interestingly, none of the present places (now called sitios) of Perrelos — including Perrelos itself — appears in the 1850-51 parish books yet. There was, however, a place called Minag-a, quite populated then but now apparently non-existent or having another name, and this may have been a settlement by the Valladolid River (once called Minag-a River), and may have been the forerunner of Perrelos. As such Minag-a could very well be what is presently called sitio Bas, still in Perrelos, which sits on the mouth of the river. An old watchtower in sitio Bas could be a clue in the search for its old name because there was no such place name Bas yet in 1850-51. On the other hand, Lumbia already appears by 1850 although we cannot be certain whether that was the part in present-day Perrelos or in Can-asojan (which name too had not appeared by 1850-51). And beats me what Lumbia means.* I here agree with the priestly admonition: if not too late we don't ask what our places' names mean!
It's regrettable that history about the facts of Perrelos is quite inadequate especially since, like the other Spanish-named barangays Guadalupe and Valencia, I also did not see in the old church records mention of a place called Perrelos (or Perelos) even into the early American era. Meaning the place may have gotten the name not that long ago, probably late 1860s. How can we lose information in such a short time? If not for the fire that burned down records, Carcar would still have its archive of official acts, ordinances, resolutions or proclamations (the official naming of a place or barrio would be found there certainly) and there would not now have been these issues, and us chasing fable after fable — like mad dogs.
I found Perrelos and Guadalupe mentioned as places (barrios) in the Burial books of the 1860s.
* [17-Jan-2011] lumbia is a palm tree (thanks to Almino Malaza of Metro Manila, from St. Bernard, Leyte)


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CFI On Campus sponsors scores of lectures and public debates each year at colleges and universities across North America. These lectures and debates explore both popular topics, such as the teaching of evolution, as well as issues important to CFI On Campus, such as secular versus religious ethics and the history of religious extremism. CFI On Campus's lectures and debates aim to promote and defend reason, science, and freedom of inquiry in all areas of human endeavor.
What Academic Fields do CFI On Campus Lectures and Debates Address?
- European Enlightenment studies
- Public understanding of science
- Science and the Social Sciences
- Philosophy, philosophical naturalism
- Ethics
- The goals of higher education and the university
- History, American History
- Politics, Political Science
- Public Policy and Religion
- Philosophy and Religion
- Comparative Religion
What CFI On Campus Lecture and Debate Topics are Popular?
- Secular Roots of the American Founding
- Free Speech on Campus
- Individual Liberty
- Morality, Relativism, and Society
- Science and its Critics
- Evolution versus Intelligent Design
- Multiculturalism
- Religion and the "Social Order"
- Secular versus Religious Ethics
- Religious Threats to Freedom
- The Role of the University in a Free Society
- The Role of Religion in a Secular Democracy
Who hosts or co-sponsors the CFI On Campus Lecture or Debate?
CFI On Campus members who are faculty or affiliate group leaders can host a CFI On Campus lecture or debate at their campuses through coordination with the director of CFI On Campus's Lectures and Debates. The host is responsible for the on-site administration of the lecture, which is detailed in The Guide to Successful CFI On Campus Lectures and Debates.
How does one Host a CFI On Campus Lecture or Debate?
The director of CFI On Campus's Lectures and Debates will work with the on-campus host to tailor events to the specific academic interests of each individual school and CFI On Campus group. To get an idea of what is available, consult this year's featured themes. When a date and topic have been arranged with a speaker or debater from CFI On Campus's Lectures and Debates, the host will be responsible for booking an appropriate lecture room on campus and arranging the advertising for the event. Through consultation with the director of CFI On Campus's Lectures and Debates, the campus host is responsible for selecting a list of possible dates to host the lecture when no major conflicts would interfere with the best possible turnout for the lecture or debate.
Most schools require that a student or faculty member host an event through an officially recognized group or department on campus, such as a CFI On Campus affiliated group. It is often helpful to have a few on-campus organizations co-sponsor the lecture to assist financially and to encourage a greater attendance. Depending on the theme of the lecture or the debate, consider co-sponsoring the event with the Campus Crusade for Christ or some other group that finds CFI On Campus's issues important.
In deciding which speaker is best for your campus, please consider the the topic being addressed, and the needs of your campus. Creative and extensive advertising can generate an excellent turnout, even when the speaker is not well known on your particular campus. Beyond the traditional CFI On Campus lecture, CFI On Campus speakers participate in debates, panel discussions, and intensive student and faculty workshops. Receptions, press interviews, and meals with the host organization are highly encouraged.
Who is Financially Responsible for the CFI On Campus Lecture or Debate?
The costs involved in arranging a CFI On Campus lecture or debate include the speaker's honorarium, travel, lodging, meals, and miscellaneous costs associated with the event, such as room rental and advertising. Depending on the honorarium and travel costs, CFI On Campus may be able to cover the full or partial amount of the lecture or debate. It is recommended that hosts seek additional funding from campus resources such as student activities, academic departments, and other sympathetic student organizations. This offers the benefit of additional funds plus a wider audience.
For more information on hosting a lecture at your campus, please send your full name, school name and mailing address by email, or call 716-636-4869 x421.


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David Mann. artist. Awards: The Pollock Krasner Foundation Award. Solo Exhibitions: McKenzie Fine Art, NYC; National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.; James Graham andSons;, NYC; Elliot Smith Contemporary Art, St. Louis, Mo.; Artcore Gallery, Toronto, Canada; ., Buffalo, NY; Selected Group Exhibitions: Reticuate, McKenzie Fine Art., Emergence and Structure, University, Lafayette College (traveling),A. Abstr_Action Contra Gallery Koper, Slovenia,I Am the Cosmos at the New Jersey State Museum.
Painting, Music, Microbiology, Cosmology, scientific modes of imaging,
Core Studio 1: 2D (Spring 2021)
Painting (Spring 2021)


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La Digue has a distinctly relaxed vibe.
Latest La Digue Island holiday reviewsLe Domaine d'Orangeraie in brief
12-Oct to 31-Oct 19
12-Aug to 25-Aug 12
20-Dec to 14-Jan 12
La Digue IslandThe fourth-largest inhabited island of Seychelles, La Digue covers only 10km² and its population of just over 2,000 people enjoy a decidedly unhurried existence. A trip to the island, just 6km east of Praslin, and accessed only by daily ferries, is like stepping back in time. Colourful ox-carts provide transport, priorities revolve around simple pleasures, and a leisurely pace prevails.
Since the production of copra and vanilla declined, a handful of hotels and guesthouses has opened. These have been joined by a few restaurants, artists' studios and watersports operators, yet much of the island's appealing simplicity remains.
La Digue boasts one of Seychelles most stunningly photogenic beaches at Anse Source d'Argent, with its powder sand and pink granite boulders, as well as a genuinely traditional Creole community. The small Veuve Nature Reserve here is also home to most of the world's 200-or-so remaining Seychelles black paradise flycatchers.
La Digue's flat roads are easy to explore. In fact, it's so easy to cycle between the beaches that staying right next to one seems unimportant. For a laid-back break, La Digue is hard to beat and merits a few days on any island-hopping holiday.
Note: All homes and hotels on La Digue experience centrally-controlled water restrictions in August and September when rainfall is low. This usually means there is no water available for showers between 1-4pm and 10pm-6am. If you are visiting during this time, most hotel receptions will post a notice to indicate the appropriate times or inform you on arrival.


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Apple Board to Former CFO: "The Keys to the Bus Please, Fred."
Steve and Fred were great buddies from 1997
to 2004."
That's what Charles Wolf, president of Wolf Insights, had to say yesterday about former Apple CFO Fred Anderson and the sucker punch he threw at CEO Steve Jobs yesterday (see "I Know It Was You, Fredo. You Broke My Heart. You Broke My Heart!" and "Digital Daily Video 2007.04.25"). Which pretty much says it all, because "great buddies" is about the last phrase you'd use to describe the two men in 2007. Mortal enemies is more like it–certainly now that Apple has responded in kind to Anderson's statement throwing him back under the bus he'd commandeered and attempted to run down Jobs in.
On Wednesday afternoon, Apple board members Bill Campbell, Millard Drexler, Al Gore Jr., Arthur D. Levinson, Eric Schmidt and Jerry York rose to Jobs's defense, saying they stood by an internal investigation that had cleared him of any wrongdoing with regard to options backdating. "We are not going to enter into a public debate with Fred Anderson or his lawyer," the board said in a terse statement. "Steve Jobs cooperated fully with Apple's independent investigation and with the government's investigation of stock option grants at Apple. The SEC investigated the matter thoroughly and its complaint speaks for itself, in terms of what it says, what it does not say, who it charges, and who it does not charge. We have complete confidence in the conclusions of Apple's independent investigation, and in Steve's integrity and his ability to lead Apple."


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Important information regarding preschool activities (NOT INCLUDING CAMPS): All pre-school children in classes must be removed from the classroom by the parent or guardian if it is necessary for the child to have a break (for restroom, water breaks or etc. ) and returned to class. Also a child enrolled in our Pre-School classes must have their parent or guardian remain in the building or with the class if the class is not in the building.
This activity has been cancelled.
City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department
1111 E. Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43205
Tel. 614.645.3300


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Palm Beach County's biggest music festival is just one week away. From May 2 to 6, more than 50 bands will perform on three stages in downtown West Palm Beach. That's a lot of music, more than even the most hardcore festival-goer can possibly imbibe. With anticipation building, we decided to spotlight the best bands to see.
Wednesday, May 2:
Mean Creek
Playing at: 5:15 p.m. on the Bank of America Stage
If previous acts like Wavves and These United States are any indication, it often seems as though some of the best SunFest bands have their worst time slots. The early Wednesday slot is taken up this year by Mean Creek, an acclaimed rock quartet from Boston with a pair of LPs to its credit and a number of Massachusetts music awards. Its music hovers on the rousing edge of fragility and bombast, with intensely personal lyrics that recall Sebadoh's wounded poetry.
Counting Crows
Playing at 8:45 p.m. on the Bank of America Stage
Counting Crows are responsible for some of the most tender and infectious pop songs of the '90s, including "Mr. Jones" and "Round Here," and I still get a little mushy every time I hear "A Long December." I would expect something like a greatest-hits set from these perfectly inoffensive rockers, but I for one hope to hear live versions of songs on their newly released covers album, which finds the band performing tunes from Bob Dylan, Teenage Fanclub, The Faces and even Madonna.
Thursday, May 3:
The Deep Dark Woods
Playing at: 6:15 p.m. at the Tire Kingdom Stage
Where has this band been my entire life? For me, this may be the most exciting act to play SunFest: an underrated five-piece from Canada that doesn't need rolling Midwestern hills and valleys to make some of the purest Americana music I've heard in a long time. How the Avett Brothers got in rotation and Starbucks and these guys didn't is baffling. The songs build slowly – rapturously, even – before integrating a wonderful panoply of subtle instrumental complements, including banjo and mellotron. The Deep Dark Woods has already released four albums. Go buy them now.
Herbie Hancock
Playing at: 8 p.m. at the Tire Kingdom Stage
Of course, after seeing The Deep Dark Woods, you should stick around for a rare opportunity to hear a music legend. Hancock's endless resume speaks for itself, but I'll try to parse out the best of it: He started out as a part of Miles Davis' band, ultimately blazing new trails in the "post-bop" jazz sound. At 72, Hancock has released more than 50 albums, including four records in 1977 alone. He is as known for his eclecticism as well as his prolificacy, experimenting with everything from classical to hip-hop, funk to pop, often within the same song.
Friday, May 4
Playing at: 7 p.m. at the FPL Stage
The Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter LP writes music that sounds like it should be played over a "Grey's Anatomy" montage, if it hasn't been already. Which certainly isn't a bad thing — it would mean she has arrived in the adult-alternative spotlight, and she'd make a great opening act for Snow Patrol or Rilo Kiley. In fact, her anthemic songs, which start as ukulele ballads and often build toward a sound that leaves coffeehouse acts in the dust, have already been used in commercials, and she even wrote a hit for Rihanna in 2011.
Passion Pit
Playing at: 9 p.m. at the FPL Stage
Despite a paucity of mainstream radio airplay, this Massachusetts electropop quintet has transcended the indie ghetto to carry rooms of just about any size – as many sweaty, arm-flailing young people as can fit in a single space. The band has opened for Muse, and its music has appeared on countless television shows, all on the strength of its stellar 2009 LP "Manners," which peaked at No. 51 on the U.S. Billboard charts. But hey guys, isn't it time for a new album already? The group's sophomore release has been delayed more than once, but look for a preview of it at tonight's performance. And honestly, since Creed is taking up the Bank of America Stage with its excremental slogs, where else are you going to be?
Saturday, May 5
The Mighty Mighty BossTones
Playing at: 4:15 p.m. at the FPL Stage
These pioneers in the often maligned "third wave ska" movement have received a second life since going on a hiatus in 2003. A lot of people missed them, and the octet returned in 2009 with a well-received new release. If you only listen to the ska purists, you'd be deprived of the crossover hits the BossTones have supplied; if you hear the biggest of which, "The Impression That I Get," it's virtually impossible not to dance. And "Someday I Suppose" is a modern classic regardless of genre.
Girl Talk
Playing at: 9:30 p.m. at the FPL Stage
To experience the music of Girl Talk is to soak up decades of popular music, all of it refashioned and repurposed by mash-up mastermind Gregg Gillis. The show is basically one hyped-up guy pressing buttons on a laptop, but the result is positively epic, not to mention brazen and unpredictable. It's a place where Black Sabbath and Ludacris rub elbows – where Jay-Z and General Public converse in visionary ways. At Girl Talk performances, you witness Gillis' incredible record collection and all the creative ways he slices and dices it up.
Sunday, May 6
The Fab Four
Playing at: 2 p.m. at the FPL Stage
It turns out that SunFest did not save the best for last this year: Sunday is by far the weakest day, and it's probably missable. But if you do make it out, be sure to come early enough for the Fab Four, one of the day's few highlights. The Beatles tribute act includes three costume changes and note-for-note renditions of songs from all periods of the Beatles oeuvre. It even features tunes from the band members' solo projects; "Imagine" and "Band on the Run" are part of its repertoire.
SunFest tickets are $30 for a day pass or $61 for the entire festival. For a full lineup and more information, visit sunfest.com.


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How Could Anyone Be Against Gay Marriage After Watching This?
One reason why some people oppose same-sex marriage is that they've never met a happy, loving gay couple or family. That's what the Campaign for Southern Equality is trying to change with the WE DO Campaign.
For the past 10 days, same-sex couples in Asheville, North Carolina have been showing up to the county register's office to politely request marriage licenses. They've all been denied, since North Carolina doesn't permit gay couples to marry. (A proposed amendment to the state constitution banning same-sex marriage comes up in May.) But it certainly puts a human face on the struggle for marriage equality.


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Bellator Fighting Championships' season-six featherweight tournament is taking shape, and Daniel Straus (17-4 MMA, 3-1 BFC) and Marlon Sandro (20-3 MMA, 3-1 BFC) are the latest additions to the field.
Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney today announced Straus' addition to the tournament, which kicks off in March on MTV2.
Meanwhile, Sandro's participation was first reported by Sherdog and subsequently confirmed by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
Sandro makes his second go in a Bellator tourney after falling short to Pat Curran in the finals of the promotion's "Summer Series" 145-pound bracket. The Nova Unaio product has since bounced back with a non-tournament win over Rafael Dias.
Straus is also a former tourney finalist, earning his way to the finals of the promotion's season-four tournament with wins over Kenny Foster and Nazareno Malegarie. Straus suffered a decision loss in the finals to Patricio "Pitbull" Freire.
Bellator executives have officially announced Ronnie Mann (21-4-1 MMA, 3-1 BFC) will also take part in the tournament, and MMAjunkie.com previously reported the participation of Wagnney Fabiano (14-3 MMA, 0-0 BFC).
In addition to the featherweight tournament, Bellator is hosting season-six tourneys in the bantamweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight divisions. Each tourney winner gets $100,000 in total pay and a guaranteed title shot.
For more on Bellator's upcoming season, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Daniel Straus)


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RRBBS is a free bulletin board and blogging community. You can start your own Blog for free on RRBBS, simply by registering as a new user..
When you register, you can choose your own subdomain (i.e., yourname.rrbbs.com). If you would like the ability to create your own blog design or have your blog appear
on your own web page, this is a Premium, pay service. For more information, see the RRBBS Blog Help page.
Once you are a registered user of RRBBS, you can start adding messages to your blog immediately
by posting a new message and then clicking the "BlogIt!"TM link to the right of the message when you are viewing that message.


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Economics and geology may add up to $10 a gallon gasoline
Drivers who think they're getting a raw deal at the gas pump these days may look back on the summer of 2004 with great nostalgia if a theory some experts hold proves to be true.
Proponents of the "peak oil" theory warn that the world is close to the day when producers are pulling as much of the commodity out of the ground as supply, geology, economics and drilling technology allow.
They say the dwindling of the precious supply, coupled with the world's growing demand, will send prices soaring, threatening a way of life in an America hooked on sport utility vehicles, big houses and a plentiful, cheap food supply.
Sick of paying $2 or more for a gallon of regular unleaded? Try $7 to $10. That's the range some who espouse the theory predict if production peaks by the end of the decade.
And those are the optimists.
Peak oil adherents with an even darker view say the world is on the cusp of a global recession, widespread famine and constant warfare between nations desperate to secure what's left. Human extinction is a possibility, the most pessimistic believers say.
Not everyone who has studied the world oil supply believes production is about to peak. Researchers at the U.S. Energy Information Administration say they believe production will not peak until 2037, while other analysts point out that previous predictions of a peak date proved to be wrong.
Those who believe that depletion is imminent are sometimes derided as Chicken Little-like eccentrics, as they tell governments, the media, the energy industry and just about anyone else willing to listen that the world is on the front edge of an emergency.
One of the worriers is David Goodstein, a physics professor at the California Institute of Technology. In his book, "Out of Gas: The End of the Age of Oil," Goodstein writes that once production peaks, people will have to switch to alternative fuels in time to meet rising energy demand. Otherwise, "runaway inflation and worldwide depression" will force billions of people to burn coal, he says.
The so-called "greenhouse effect" — the rise in temperature caused by gases trapping energy from the sun — could make the planet unlivable, Goodstein says.
"End of story," is Goodstein's somber conclusion. "In this instance, worst case really means worst case."
Goodstein acknowledges that though it's impossible to predict all the effects, "We can all too easily envision a dying civilization, the landscape littered with the rusting hulks of useless SUVs."
But doomsday is avoidable, says Goodstein, who believes that the peak may hit this decade. Methane could fuel the world economy temporarily until more nuclear plants are built and the infrastructure for producing and using other energy sources is in place, he says.
Goodstein writes that if the human race gets over the shock of no more cheap oil and switches to coal and natural gas, life could continue without big disruptions. But by the end of the 21st century, the world will begin to run out of all fossil fuels under this scenario, he says.
"We may well have rendered the planet unfit for human life," he says. "Even if human life does go on, civilization as we know it will not survive, unless we can find a way to live without fossil fuels."
In an interview, Goodstein indicated that he tries to do his part. He drives a hybrid car, which runs on a combination of gasoline and electricity, and lives close enough to his job that he can walk some days. But he realizes his contribution is small.
"What I do doesn't make very much difference," he says. "I don't use 20 million barrels of oil a day."
Richard Heinberg, a professor of human ecology at New College of California and author of a book called "The Party's Over: Oil, War, and the Fate of Industrial Societies," also has no illusions about his ability to make a difference.
But Heinberg, who expects peak production in 2007 or 2008 and $5-a-gallon gasoline by the end of the decade, shows his conviction with his lifestyle. He tools around in a 1980 Mercedes that runs on modified vegetable oil — or "biodiesel" — and lives in a house that gets its electricity from the solar panels he installed for $10,000 three years ago.
Heinberg, who also wrote a book called "Powerdown: Options and Actions for a Post-Carbon World," is a member of a co-op at his school that buys the biodiesel in bulk.
Peak inevitable
Nobody disagrees that production eventually will peak, because the amount of oil in the Earth is finite. It also is clear that population increases and rapid economic growth, particularly in the United States, the world's wealthiest nation, and China, the world's most-populus nation, will continue to drive up demand.
The father of the theory is Marion King Hubbert, a Shell Oil Co. geologist who predicted in 1956 that American oil production would peak between 1966 and 1971. Skeptics questioned Hubbert's projection, but U.S. crude oil production reached 9.64 million barrels a day in 1970 and by last year had dropped to 5.74 million barrels, according to the EIA.
The world produced 69.3 million barrels of crude oil a day last year, the largest total on record. The United States was the largest consumer of petroleum, using 20.04 million barrels a day.
The potential effects of a serious shortage go far beyond stress at the gas pumps. Nearly everything we eat or use was made or transported with a fuel made from petroleum. The fuels power factories, farm equipment and ships. They heat homes and businesses. Fertilizers and insecticides are made from oil.
Oil is used to make most organic chemicals — or petrochemicals — including pharmaceuticals, agricultural products, plastics and fabrics.
High oil prices drive up the prices of goods and services and eat up the money people would rather spend on food, clothes, vacations, houses and other pleasures and necessities. That hurts those businesses and their employees. Every recession since the early 1970s was preceded by a sharp rise in oil prices.
Some researchers who have studied oil supplies believe that the peak in world production is decades, not years, in the future. They point to numerous variables, such as the development of alternative sources of energy, the possibility of finding new fields and the emergence of technologies that could make it economical for producers to pull more oil out of a field than they do now.
They also point to the possibility of new conservation strategies, such as hybrid cars like the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Toyota Prius.
Myriad geopolitical, economic and other factors — such as a large terror strike on oil infrastructure — could affect the supply, making predictions dicey, some say.
Higher oil prices also could trigger energy-saving cultural shifts leading to more use of public transportation, a migration from the suburbs into cities as people look to shorten their drive to work or a boomlet in sales of small cars like what occurred after the Arab oil embargo of 1973.
Any one of these trends would delay the peak.
A.F.ûAlhajji, an associate professor of economics in the College of Business Administration at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio, says the first predictions that the world was about to run out of oil surfaced in the 1890s, less than 40 years after the first oil well was drilled in northwestern Pennsylvania.
"A hundred of years of wrong predictions," says Alhajji, who believes predicting a precise peak date is nearly impossible. "What kind of science is that?"
The peak theory does not appear to have gotten through to those in the boardrooms of some of the world's largest oil companies. Research into renewable sources of energy such as the sun, wind and water might yield results years from now, but shareholders aren't usually a patient lot.
Lord Browne, group chief executive at BP PLC, reported in a June speech in Washington, D.C., that his company is researching photovoltaics — the technology that produces electricity directly from sunlight. But he says it may be at least 20 years before the world can rely on so-called renewable sources of energy, such as the sun, wind and water for significant amounts of energy.
That means relying on oil, gas and coal, he says.
"Can the oil and gas industry meet that demand?" he says. "In physical terms, the answer is clearly yes. The physical resources are there."
Exxon Mobil Corp. says in a February report that it is eschewing research into renewable sources such as wind and solar because they are not sound short-term investments. The company is researching technologies that would make it easier to find reservoirs of fuel, hydrogen production for use in fuel cells to power cars and more-efficient engines.
Though officials in the federal government believe production will hit a peak, they are more optimistic about the timing than some other experts.
At the U.S. Energy Information Administration, three analysts examined about a dozen different possible scenarios in concluding that production is most likely to peak in 2037.
David Morehouse, an EIA geologist and one of the authors, says the estimate is based on the premise that the Earth contains 3 trillion barrels of recoverable oil, the amount estimated by the U.S. Geological Survey.
"Many modelers who say it's sooner have convinced themselves that the resources base is smaller than many of us think," he says.
The geological service estimates are "the most complete and thorough estimate for world oil," ever compiled, he says.
The authors' estimate also assumes crude oil production will increase about 2 percent a year, Morehouse says.
He says their conclusion covers only oil in conventional oil reservoirs. It does not include so-called "heavy oil" or tar sands that are plentiful in parts of Canada and Venezuela. Tar sands can be processed into petroleum products and, if exploited, could add a couple of decades to the peak date, Morehouse says.
But he acknowledges that tar sands are difficult to get out of the ground. The tar sands in Venezuela flow slowly, while those in Canada require steam injection to flow, he says.
Despite taking a rosier view than some, Morehouse and his fellow authors urge the world to pay attention to the phenomenon.
"This result in no way justifies complacency about both supply-side and demand-side research and development," they conclude.
President Bush and his Democratic opponent, Sen. John F. Kerry, both preach the need for the United States to be less dependent on foreign oil, but they differ on strategy.
Bush boasts of having increased research into making electricity more reliable and of filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserves to their capacity of 700 million barrels that can be tapped in an emergency. The president wants to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, burn more coal and speed up the permitting of exploration on federal and tribal lands.
Kerry emphasizes research into new energy sources and pushes $10 billion in incentives to encourage automakers to make fuel-efficient cars. He also advocates a $4,000 tax credit for people who buy those gas-stingy cars.
Urgency needed
Those who believe the peak is coming soon see a rising threat to the existence of the human race.
Matthew Simmons, who runs a Houston-based investment bank specializing in energy, says he believes that the world needs to curtail its oil production for several years while trying to get a better handle on what's left of the supply.
"It's very complicated, but the idea that it's not around the corner is really far-fetched in my opinion and it (peak production) may have already passed," says Simmons, who is writing a book about the depletion of Saudi Arabia's oil reservoirs.
Simmons says many of the world's largest oil fields, particularly those outside the former Soviet Union and the 11 nations that make up the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, no longer produce the volume they once did.
Though the yield from Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union has increased in recent years, that growth has come because producers have squeezed old fields, not because they've discovered new fields, he says.
"It's really hard to find an area outside of OPEC that you could make you put your hand on your heart and say, 'I see a lot of growth coming in the next five years,' " he says. "Maybe we'll find a new basin somewhere, but we haven't done it in 30 years."
Simmons looks around the world and sees no other reasons for encouragement.
He says China has two fields, Daqing and Shengli, that account for 50 percent of that country's production. He says internal reports estimate production in these fields will drop by half in the next five years.
The bulk of Mexico's production comes from Cantarell Field, where it took a $10.5 billion nitrogen injection project to increase production.
The North Sea — between Great Britain and the European mainland — and Iran are other areas in decline, he says. Iraq's fields are being surveyed, but the nation's oil infrastructure was badly damaged by Saddam Hussein's neglect and war.
"There is a lot of potential for negative supply surprises," Simmons says. "There is very little potential for positive supply surprises."
It's a problem the world has been slow to recognize, and time is running out, he says.
"How do you solve it?" he says. "I don't know, but if you don't solve it, it's a show stopper. If you come back and think about the role of what modern energy plays in society, it's water, it's food, it's transportation. You really get into talking about much more than just motor gasoline prices."


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Beyond the Face of Alzheimer's
'2 Boomer Babes' give voice to the people who care for the patients and loved ones unable to care for themselves
In the documentary series "Beyond the Face of Alzheimer's," Barbara Kline and Kathy Bernard, cohosts of the 2 Boomer Babes Radio Hour, give voice to the spouses, children and nurses who work day in and day out caring for people with Alzheimer's. The caregivers share their wisdom and lessons learned, with hope that their stories will serve as a guide for families beginning the Alzheimer's journey, and provide comfort and support to those already well down the road.
Press the gray button on the audio players below to listen to the stories.
Barbara's Dad
2 Boomer Babes cohost Barbara Kline shares her family's personal experience caring for their wonderful father, Mike Israel. It's been a long road, fraught with potholes, but Barb treasures time spent with her dad, despite his advanced Alzheimer's.
Audrey, Milly and Olivia
2 Boomer Babes visit with three women who share their personal stories of how Alzheimer's has touched their lives.
A Caregiver for Alzheimer's Patients
Dr. Rosemary Laird, who specializes in the care and treatment of persons with Alzheimer's and related dementias, discusses the importance of the role of the caregiver. She's the founding Director of the Health First Aging Institute, which also provides education and support programs for caregivers. Dr. Laird's mantra for caregivers is "Take your oxygen first."
The Effect of Early Onset Alzheimer's
Emmy Award winning CBS foreign correspondent, Barry Petersen, and entrepreneur and volunteer, Bill Schreiner. Barry's wife, Jan, lost her battle to early onset Alzheimer's this past year while Bill's dad passed away two years ago. Barry and Bill candidly share their caregiving journey with Alzheimer's.
Caregiving while Receiving Care
Mel shares his experiences caring for his wife Judy while also dealing with his own health issues. With his daughters, he made the difficult decision to move with Judy to a care facility. Mel now resides on the second floor, while Judy lives on the third floor with other Alzheimer's and dementia patients. Mel's story is one of love and loyalty, and serves as an example of remarkable resilience.
Shedding Light on Alzheimer's
Two amazing women discuss caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's: Ellen Proxmire, wife of former Senator William Proxmire, and Patricia Stewart, granddaughter of Lillie Crawford. While their stories and life circumstances are vastly different, their passion and dedication to bringing the enormity of this disease to light, is a legacy in and of itself.
Children Caring for Parents with Alzheimer's
Distance can be measured in so many ways, from geographical miles, to fading memories that once bonded loved ones together. This edition of Beyond the Face of Alzheimer's will focus on primarily on the roles children play in the caretaking of parents. Five children discuss how busy lives can complicate caregiving as each tries to treat their loved ones with respect.
Beyond the Face of Alzheimer's: Making Sense
The series Beyond the Face of Alzheimer's concludes with Patti Hoffman, a courageous woman who has early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Patti and her husband, Russ Graziano, share their long walk down this winding and unpredictable road. Also joining us is Dr. Jason Karlawish, Professor of Medicine, Medical Ethics, and Health Policy and he is the Director of the Making Sense of Alzheimer's Project at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Karlawish has served as our medical adviser for this series and we are grateful for his candid and compassionate insights.
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Southeastern Louisiana & Southern Mississippi.
About The Blood Center
Founded in 1960, The Blood Center is the primary supplier of blood, blood components and plasma derivatives to local hospitals throughout South Louisiana and Southern Mississippi. We are a non-profit, community service organization guided by a volunteer Board of Directors, comprised of community leaders and hospital representatives.


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Online resources for GMAT prep
As I mentioned in my earlier post, I started my GMAT verbal prep with Princeton Review's Grammar Smart. I spent 4 days on it and got the mathematics of grammar cleared. Yes, I call GMAT grammar as mathematics, or more specifically logic, since there are standard rules for the same. If you take care of all the rules, you don't have to worry about GMAT verbal, especially the Sentence Correction section, that many people fear. There is no need to remember, or even learn what is a pronoun, a subjunctive clause, etc. You get all the rules stated in a simple logic manner. I jumped directly to Sentence Correction since last time this was my weakest area. Beginning next week, I'll start attacking other sections with equal attention to each.
Sometimes while in office, when I get some free time, I feel like spending some time on practicing quant or some random questions just to keep my practice live. At that time, some online resources come in hand and in my opinion, are the best. There are other well-compiled resources too that focus on GMAT Preparation strategy and other tips. Not in any particular order:
1. Gmat prep strategy: Clear Admit Wiki I have always been a fan of ClearAdmit. I am even following their blog on a regular basis through their feed. Well, their wiki is another source of awesome user-generated, or rather contributed content. The above particular page showcases GMAT experiences of some people. Some of them have written an excellent debrief about GMAT prep. People have shared tips on how to use the reference material and their strategies to study for GMAT. After reading a lot people's experiences, I am intrigued that is Manhattan SC guide really that helpful? Maybe I should go ahead and buy.
PS: I still don't why I am not featured in their Fridays from the Frontline series... ClearAdmit, are you listening?
2. Gmatclub Forums. Here you will find a very proactive community of people contributing heavily towards Gmat Preparation. Although as of now I am using it to take part in discussions involving GMAT questions, I'll later use it for my B-school research too. There's a lot of info in there. As of now I'll primarily use it for:
a. Gmat Prep strategy. There are forums dedicated to GMAT Strategy discussions. There are a lot of similar forums you will find on the internet. But the one thing that attracts me to Gmatclub forums is that they are strictly no non-sense. People are experienced and contribute a lot of value.
b. Gmat Verbal and Math Prep - As I mentioned earlier, threads are dedicated to Verbal and Quant preparation. You do get questions to practice , but since these are interactive forums you gain a lot from the discussions and learn new tips from forum members.
3. Beat the GMAT. It's again a collection of advices and a forum for GMAT and B-school admission related discussions. Just a different pool of people. It says it is a collaborative effort of ManhattanGMAT and StacyBlackman Consulting. Both of them are established brand names now.
4. Test Magic Forums. Excellent GMAT Forums. Gmat Club forums focus mostly on GMAT preparation, usually discussing one question per thread, the test magic forums are more generalized. They relate around other discussions involving GMAT, tips and advices, etc. Go check out.
Weekend is here. Time to spend 6 hours per day on GMAT. Over to the books.


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Werner v. County of Northampton, 2009 WL 3471188 (3rd Cir. October 29, 2009) (Not selected for official publication).
Plaintiff's son died in the family home. No one seems to know for sure whether it was an accident or suicide. Even Plaintiff gave conflicting statements to the court — in his complaint he said it was not suicide, but in a later-filed brief he said it was.
In any event, on the day the son died, the coroner came to the house to take pictures. Somehow the coroner's son got a hold of the photos and posted them on the web with a caption "There is no better way to kill yourself."
Plaintiff sued the coroner under 28 U.S.C. 1983 which, among other things, gives citizens a cause of action when their rights are violated by someone acting under the law. Plaintiff claimed the coroner committed a due process violation of Plaintiff's liberty interests in his reputation by allowing the photos to be posted.
To succeed on his liberty interest claim, Plaintiff was required to satisfy the "stigma plus" test. The district court dismissed the complaint, finding Plaintiff's allegations did not meet this standard.
A statement that is "stigmatizing" under this test must be (1) made publicly, and (2) false. In this cause, the court found that the death scene photos were the relevant statement. But there were no allegations in the complaint that the photos themselves were "false." (What the court was probably saying here is that the photos had not been Photoshopped or otherwise changed in a way to make them not accurately portray the scene.)
The court made a fine distinction in the process of dismissing the case. In response to the motion to dismiss, Plaintiff argued that the thrust of his argument was that the website falsely suggested his son committed suicide. But the court found otherwise, carefully looking at the allegations of the complaint which, for example, said that the photos "fueled the false impression that the Plaintiff's son committed suicide."
There were no allegations that the photos themselves were the false statements. But what about the caption, "[t]here is no better way to kill yourself," you ask? Though the opinion does not address this point, one is left to conclude that that language could not be attributed to the defendant coroner, since it was his son that posted the photos, and not himself.
Photo courtesy Flickr user Fabio Beretta under this Creative Commons license.


text: MNC BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Company was founded in 1990, and we are proud to be working in the field of maintenance and consultancy of records under various labor statutes for the last 23 years. Working under the a leadership of the Sh.R C Malhotra ( Ex Esic Inspector ) is a team of very focused and dedicated professionals with a single aim of providing you with prompt and reliable service. We have been maintaining the Good  position in our field for last many years in NCR. This has been possible only because of our honest, reliable and prompt service. 9810497227


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To be able to view this page, please upgrade your current browser or select one from the list below:
The outputs of this calculator are based on real returns (after inflation). Future investment values that include inflation are difficult to understand as they do not represent the current purchasing power. Simply toggle the sliders below to reflect your current retirement plan details. Once your details are captured, your retirement savings result will be pre-populated.
Please refer to the calculator examples document that illustrates how this retirement calculator can be used.


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April 12, 2016 - STAMFORD, Conn. and LUCCA, Italy
Supply Chain Expert Lora Cecere Discusses Role of Finance in Inventory Optimization and Improved Operational Forecasting in Tagetik's Next Progressive CFO Webinar
Better alignment of finance and operations, more strategic approaches to inventory management, and broadening of metrics portfolio among topics covered
Tagetik, a visionary leader in global performance management software solutions, will host the webinar "How Does Better Operational Forecasting Improve Market Capitalization?," the latest presentation in Tagetik's popular Progressive CFO™ series on Tuesday, April 19, from 2:00 to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time/ 2:00 to 2:30 p.m. Central European Time. Lora Cecere, founder and CEO of Supply Chain Insights, a research and advisory firm, will discuss how CFOs can improve the market capitalization of their organizations by working with operations to improve forecasting, refine supply chain design, and manage a broader portfolio of metrics.
Cecere will include in her discussion insights from her recently published book, Supply Chain Metrics That Matter, which is based on years of research into supply chain successes and failures and details the links between corporate financials and supply chain maturity.
Dave Kasabian, chief marketing officer of Tagetik, will direct the conversation. The 30-minute interview will touch on these and other questions:
- Who should drive a tighter alignment between finance and operations?
- What are some of the metrics that matter to an enlightened CFO?
- Why does standard inventory management fail to yield the financial results expected?
- What should finance professionals know about the complexities of modern inventory management and supply chain stress points in order to improve forecasting?
"Nine out of 10 companies are stuck when it comes to growth," said Cecere. "One of the main reasons is ineffective inventory management. Market volatility, fluctuating demands and product prices, transportation times and costs are just a few of the factors that must be considered in inventory and financial forecasting. In the most advanced manufacturing companies, finance is 'overlayed' over operations in order to help identify and analyze trade offs and opportunities when designing and refining the optimal supply chain."
"Lora's take on the metrics that matter for growth and profitability is something every CFO can benefit from," said Kasabian. "Too often, companies set business goals and structure incentives that actually inhibit growth. Her research strongly demonstrates the value of detailed, cross-functional planning and forecasting and its correlation to market capitalization."
To register for the interview and discussion, click here.
Request a Demo
Our personalized demo allows you to speak directly with a senior solution specialist and discover the key functionalities of CCH Tagetik.
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For more information, please complete the form and a member of our team will reach out to you shortly!


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Guide to New Nations: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
by David Johnson
| Armenia
On August 23, 1991, Armenia proclaimed its independence. The former Soviet republic invaded neighboring Azerbaijan to aid ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, who had declared independence from Muslim Azerbaijan. A cease-fire was reached in 1994, but no permanent peace deal has been signed. Armenia effectively controls the area.
| Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic, declared its independence on August 30, 1991. In the early 1990s, Armenia seized almost 20% of Azerbaijan's territory, generating 750,000 Azerbaijani refugees. Armenia was acting on behalf of ethnic Armenians in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, who favored independence or unification with Armenia. A cease-fire has been in effect since 1994, but no permanent peace deal has been signed.
| Georgia
Georgia proclaimed its independence on April 6, 1991. At first, the former Soviet republic was unstable. However, a new constitution was adopted in 1995. The following year a cease-fire agreement was signed with secessionist rebels in South Ossetia. Violence periodically flares between Georgian troops and rebels in Abkhazia.