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Pesticides to Blame for UK's Declining Turtle Dove Population
Unless regulators take action, one of the gifts in the lyrics to "Twelve Days of Christmas," the turtle dove, may become extinct. The dove has experienced major population decline in England over the past 20 years, due in significant part to the destruction of turtle dove habitat and food sources from increasing herbicide use in English agriculture.
Other species, such as Monarch butterflies and other pollinators around the world, are also experiencing similar loses of habitat and food sources through an increase in herbicide use. These increasing rates of population decline in wild species underscore the problem that chemical-intensive agriculture plays in the degradation of natural habitats.
"The turtle dove is the fastest declining bird in the country [England] and within ten years we could lose this icon of the British countryside completely," said a spokesman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
Turtle doves in the United Kingdom are found in just a few areas of Southern England and migrate during the winter toward Africa. Turtle doves are obligate granivors, feeding predominantly on seeds of certain arable weeds form farm countryside, such as fumitory, clover and vetch. However, increased herbicide use in England has decimated vegetation (considered "weeds") that turtle doves have traditionally eaten.
In the 1960's, arable weeds, including fumitory and chickweed, made up more than 75 percent of the adult diet, but parents are now heavily reliant on cultivated wheat and oilseed corps. The number of breeding pairs in the UK is thought to have dropped this year to a record low of bellow 14,000, making an 84 percent drop since 1995. This problem is now compounded by the cold and damp summer of 2012 hampered the bird's efforts to feed their chicks as well as keeping them warm.
Serious losses in the Monarch butterfly population have been tied to the expansion of genetically engineered (GE) corn and soybeans production. Historically, for butterflies in the U.S., their key source of food, milkweed, was typically found in several key states where the butterfly feeds and breeds: Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, parts of Ohio and the eastern Dakotas. But now fields have been planted with more than 120 million acres of corn and soybeans genetically engineered to be tolerant to glyphosate (Roundup), and many other herbicides, resulting in milkweed destruction in and around agricultural fields.
According to the researchers, the utilization of these GE crops has all but eliminated milkweeds from these fields, thus eliminating the butterfly's source of food. A rapid expansion of farmland—more than 25 million new acres in the U.S. since 2007—has eaten away grasslands and conservation reserves that supplied the Monarchs with milkweed. Milkweed was once widespread throughout the U.S., but is considered a nuisance weed by farmers throughout the Midwest.
Recently, The New York Times published an analysis of the decline and near absence of Monarch butterflies at their end migration destination in the mountains of Mexico this fall. This report highlights that the use of Roundup on GE herbicide-resistant crops has devastated Monarch habitat by nearly eliminating milkweed from rural agricultural landscapes.
A 2011 decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fully deregulate GE alfalfa seed will certainly have an impact on bee populations that are essential for the pollination of the alfalfa seed crop. This deregulation is also troubling because alfalfa seed crops is a pollinated crop and there is a high possibility of cross pollination between GE and organic production. Alfalfa is the key feedstock for the dairy industry. GE contamination will cause organic dairies to lose their source of organic feed, a requirement for organic dairy, including milk and yogurt products. Earlier in September, GE alfalfa was confirmed to have contaminated non-GE alfalfa in Washington State.
According to the Organic Seed Alliance, "Although both the organic and biotechnology industries acknowledge that transgenic material is moving into fields and markets where it is not allowed or wanted, little has been done to address the problem through regulatory processes and enforcement. No new law has been created to address this novel technology."
GE alfalfa designed to be resistant to herbicides is unnecessary. USDA data shows that 90 percent of all the alfalfa planted by farmers in the U.S. was previously grown without the use of any herbicides, which the GE alfalfa is engineered to withstand.
Due to the planting of GE alfalfa, USDA estimates that up to 23 million more pounds of toxic herbicides will be released into the environment each year which could lead to the destruction of habitat for wildlife. In discussions with EPA, Beyond Pesticides has told the agency that because of the adverse impact that herbicides are expected to have on bees in GE alfalfa seed production, and given its extremely limited benefit to alfalfa productivity, it should prohibit herbicide use in GE alfalfa production. Beyond Pesticides has noted that EPA's failure to fully consider direct and secondary impacts of pesticides on bees and beneficial insect habitat, associated with increasing and unnecessary herbicide use in genetically engineered alfalfa, is leading to escalating ecological destruction.
Beyond Pesticides, along with other environmental and farming organizations, filed a suit in March of 2011 challenging the agency's deregulation of the GE alfalfa. The suit, Center for Food Safety, et al., v. Vilsack, et al., argues that the agency's deregulation of Roundup Ready alfalfa is unlawful, and tried to prevent any further planting of the engineered crop. However, in 2012, a U.S. District Judge in San Francisco issued a ruling that USDA's decision to deregulate GE alfalfa was not unlawful.
The protection of organic integrity and growth of uncontaminated organic production, which must become a national and international priority, is perhaps the central and most effective strategy for protecting threatened species like bees, butterflies, and birds, including turtle doves. Beyond Pesticides encourages consumers to think about the big picture, and support a wider shift toward organic practices through their purchases. Buying organic is a simple move that makes a big difference in preventing unnecessary contamination to themselves, the environment and the loss of wild habitat.
Visit EcoWatch's BIODIVERSITY page for more related news on this topic.
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
Beaches Closing for July 4 Weekend Due to COVID-19 Surges
Independence Day weekend is a busy time for coastal communities as people flock to the beaches to soak up the sun during the summer holiday. This year is different. Some of the country's most popular beach destinations in Florida and California have decided to close their beaches to stop the surge in coronavirus cases.
- The U.S. Isn't in a Second Wave of Coronavirus – The First Wave ... ›
- COVID-19 Masks Are Polluting Beaches and Oceans - EcoWatch ›
- No Social Distancing or Mask Requirement at Trump's Mt ... ›
- Trump's Fireworks Show at Mt. Rushmore Is a Dangerous Idea, Fire ... ›
Fireworks Can Trigger PTSD. Here's How to Be Considerate While Celebrating July 4th at Home
For some combat veterans, the Fourth of July is not a time to celebrate the independence of the country they love. Instead, the holiday is a terrifying ordeal. That's because the noise of fireworks – loud, sudden, and reminiscent of war – rocks their nervous system. Daily fireworks in many U.S. cities in recent weeks have no doubt been interfering with the sleep and peace of mind of thousands of veterans.
What Is PTSD?
PTSD can occur when someone is exposed to extreme exposure traumatic experience. Typically, the trauma involves a threat of death, serious injury, or sexual violence. Along with war veterans, it happens to refugees; to victims of gun violence, rape and other physical assaults; and to survivors of car accidents and natural disasters like earthquakes or tornadoes.

PTSD can also happen by witnessing trauma or its aftermath, often the case with first responders and front-line workers.

All this adds up to tens of millions of Americans. Up to 30% of combat veterans and first responders, and 8% of civilians, fulfill the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. And that criteria is not easily met: symptoms of PTSD include nightmares, flashbacks, intrusive trauma memories, difficulty sleeping, avoidance of reminders of trauma, negative emotions, and what we call "hyperarousal symptoms."

Fireworks Can Trigger Flashbacks
Hyperarousal, a core component of PTSD, occurs when a person is hyper-alert to any sign of threat – constantly on edge, easily startled and continuously screening the environment.

Imagine, for instance, stepping down the stairs in the dark after hearing a noise; you're worried an intruder might be downstairs. Then a totally unpredictable loud sound explodes right outside your window.

For people with PTSD, that sound – reminiscent of gunfire, a thunderstorm or a car crash – can cause a panic attack or trigger flashbacks, a sensory experience that makes it seem as if the old trauma is happening here and now. Flashbacks can be so severe that combat veterans may suddenly drop to the ground, the same way they would when an explosion took place in combat. Later, the experience can trigger nightmares, insomnia or worsening of other PTSD symptoms.

Those of us who set off fireworks need to ask ourselves: Are those few minutes of fun worth the hours, days, or weeks of torment that will begin for some of our friends and neighbors – including many who put their lives on the line to protect us?

Who Else Is Affected?
Millions of others, though not diagnosed with PTSD, may similarly be affected by fireworks. One in five Americans have an anxiety disorder, many with symptoms of hyperarousal. Also impacted are those with autism or developmental disabilities; they find it difficult to cope with the noise, or just the drastic change from life routines. Then there are people who have to work, holiday or not: nurses, physicians and first responders, who have to be up at 4 a.m. for a 30-hour shift.

How to Reduce the Negative Impact

There are ways to reduce how fireworks affect others:

For those with PTSD, the unexpected nature of fireworks is probably the worst part. So at least make it as predictable as possible. Do it in designated areas during designated times. Don't explode one, for instance, two hours after the designated time window. And avoid setting them off on the 3rd. People are less prepared then.

If you're aware that a veteran or trauma survivor lives in the neighborhood, move the noise as far as possible from their home and give them prior warning. Consider putting a sign in your front yard noting the time you'll set the fireworks.

Remember, it doesn't have to be super loud to make it fun. Consider using silent fireworks. And you don't have to be the one who lights the fireworks. Simply enjoy watching while your city or township does it safely.

- 4 Ways Acupuncture Helps Restore Balance to the Body - EcoWatch ›
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Koalas Face Extinction in Next 30 Years Without Urgent Intervention, Report Warns
Koala populations across parts of Australia are on track to become extinct before 2050 unless "urgent government intervention" occurs, warns a year-long inquiry into Australia's "most loved animal." The report published by the Parliament of New South Wales (NSW) paints a "stark and depressing snapshot" of koalas in Australia's southeastern state.
- First Koalas Rescued From Bushfires Returned to the Wild - EcoWatch ›
- Koalas Found 'Massacred' at Logging Site - EcoWatch ›
- Koalas Become 'Functionally Extinct' in Australia With Just 80000 Left ›
- Koalas Face Extinction Threat After Wildfires: New Report - EcoWatch ›
Are New Extreme Global Warming Projections Correct?
By Jeff Berardelli
For the past year, some of the most up-to-date computer models from the world's top climate modeling groups have been "running hot" – projecting that global warming may be even more extreme than earlier thought. Data from some of the model runs has been confounding scientists because it challenges decades of consistent projections.
International Effort to Evaluate Climate Models
For the past 25 years the international community has been evaluating and comparing the world's most sophisticated climate models produced by various teams at universities, research centers, and government agencies. The effort is organized by the World Climate Research Programme under the United Nations World Meteorological Organization.

Climate models are complicated computer programs composed of millions of lines of code that calculate the physical properties and interactions between the main climate forces like the atmosphere, oceans, and solar input. But models also go a lot further, incorporating other systems like ice sheets, forests, and the biosphere, to name a few. The models are then used to simulate the real-world climate system and project how certain changes, like added pollution or land-use changes, will alter the climate.

Every few years there is a new comprehensive international evaluation called the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP). In the sixth such effort, known as CMIP6 and now under way, experts are reviewing about 100 models.

Information gleaned from this effort will act as a scientific foundation for the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) next major assessment report, scheduled for release in 2021. The goal of the report – the sixth in 30 years – is to inform the international community about how much the climate has changed, and, importantly, how much change can be expected in coming decades.

A Conundrum Emerges
Over the past year, the CMIP6 collection of models being reviewed threw researchers an unexpected curveball: a significant number of the climate model runs showed substantially more global warming than previous model versions had projected. If accurate, the international climate goals would be nearly impossible to achieve, and there would be significantly more extreme impacts worldwide.

A foundational experiment in every report addresses "sensitivity": If you double levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) that were in the air before the Industrial Revolution, how much warming do the models show? This doubling is not expected for a few more decades, but it is a quick way to communicate the critical role of greenhouse gases in changing the climate.

The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased by 35% since the 1800s because of the burning of fossil fuels. As a result, global temperatures have already increased by more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the first IPCC assessment report, published in 1990, the answer to that question about the impact of doubling carbon dioxide gave a fairly wide range of results – between 2.7-8 degrees F of global warming. Since then, four more assessments issued six to seven years apart reached nearly the exact same conclusion on sensitivity.

But that sensitivity may, for the first time, change significantly in next year's assessment. Why? Because starting last year, numerous models in the CMIP6 collection displayed even bigger spikes in temperature upon doubling of CO2 concentrations. We're in serious trouble if the climate sensitivity falls in the mid or upper range of the previous assessments. But if the new, higher estimates are correct, the impacts on civilization would be catastrophic.

In the above CarbonBrief interactive visualization, the bars offer a comparison in the range of sensitivity in the CMIP5 models (gray) and CMIP6 models (blue).
New and Encouraging Evidence Is Emerging
At first, scientists were uncertain whether the new model runs were on to something, so the international modeling community dug in to produce multiple studies. The results are not yet conclusive, but a gradual collective sigh of relief seems to be materializing.

"Evidence is emerging from multiple directions that the models which show the greatest warming in the CMIP6 ensemble are likely too warm," explains Dr. Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

For example, a study released April 28 evaluated the past performance of the models making up the CMIP6 ensemble. The team assigned weights to each model based upon historical performance of their warming projections, weighing the poorer performing models less. By doing so, both the mean warming and the range of warming scenarios in the CMIP6 ensemble decreased, meaning the warmest models were the ones with weaker historical performance. This result supports a finding that a subset of the models are too warm.

That conclusion is supported by another new study evaluating one particular model – the Community Earth System Model (CESM2) – that showed greater warming. Using that model, the researchers simulated the climate in the early Eocene era, about 50 million years ago, when rainforests thrived in the Arctic and Antarctic. The CESM2 simulated a historical climate that seems way too warm compared with what is known about that era from geological data, indicating that the model is likely also too warm in its future projections.

Two other recent studies of the CMIP6 models being evaluated use clever analysis methods to narrow the range of future warming projections and also reduce the projected warming of the CMIP6 models by 10 to 15%.

Through the intensive research spurred by the CMIP6 climate-sensitivity curveball, scientists have been able to turn a confounding challenge into a confidence builder, providing even greater certainty than they had before in both the abilities of the climate science community and in the computer models used. Moreover, the experience has helped unearth uncertainties remaining in the modeling process.

Experts conclude much of this uncertainty probably lies in the complexity of clouds. "We have been looking as a community at why the models with greater warming are doing what they are doing – and it's tied to cloud feedbacks in the southern mid-latitudes mostly," explains Schmidt.

In fact, a new study addressing the increased sensitivity was published in Science Advances stating, "Cloud feedbacks and cloud-aerosol interactions are the most likely contributors to the high values and increased range of ECS [sensitivity] in CMIP6."

Understanding the Complexity of Clouds
It's long been known in climate modeling circles that cloud processes and interactions are a potential weak link for climate modeling. That reality has been brought front and center by the urgent challenges posed during this CMIP6 evaluation period, but the current evaluation of models also provides an opportunity for discovery and improvement.

Cloud complexity comes from the reality that clouds have a multitude of sizes, altitudes, and textures. Some clouds cool Earth by providing shade, reflecting sunlight back into space. Others act like a blanket, trapping heat and warming the world.

Given that about 70% of the globe is covered by clouds at any given time, it's no surprise that they play an integral role in regulating the climate. The challenge is to figure out which types of clouds will increase, which will decrease, and what the net effect will be on cooling or warming as the climate changes.

One study last year reached an alarming conclusion: Left unchecked, the release of CO2 into the atmosphere may lead to a tipping point where shallow low clouds disappear – leading to runaway, catastrophic warming of nearly 15 degrees F. While scientists see that outcome as only a remote possibility, it drives home the urgent need to better understand clouds.

"We have a saying at NOAA: It isn't rocket science – it's much, much harder than that," quips Dr. Chris Fairall, ATOMIC's lead investigator. "One of the major problems for modeling is there is not clean separation of scales." The photo below is one that Fairall took from the NOAA P-3 aircraft.

Investigating the Secrets of Clouds
To address the urgent question about the dynamics and role of clouds in a warming world, NOAA and European partners launched their ongoing research effort unprecedented in scale. The U.S. contribution, ATOMIC – short for Atlantic Tradewind Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Interaction Campaign – is an international science mission that was featured recently on "CBS This Morning: Saturday."

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The Climate Emergency Won't Wait for the Press to Play Catch-Up Again
To hear many journalists tell it, the spring of 2020 has brought a series of extraordinary revelations. Look at what the nation has learned: That our health-care system was not remotely up to the challenge of a deadly pandemic. That our economic safety net was largely nonexistent. That our vulnerability to disease and death was directly tied to our race and where we live. That our political leadership sowed misinformation that left people dead. That systemic racism and the killing of Black people by police is undiminished, despite decades of protest and so many Black lives lost.
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'Sharpiegate': Commerce Department Blocks Release of Inspector General's Report
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In 'Conservation Disaster,' Hundreds of Botswana's Elephants Are Dying From Mysterious Cause
More than 350 elephants have died in Botswana since May, and no one knows why.
- Botswana Auctions Off First Licenses to Kill Elephants Since Ending ... ›
- 'Heartbreaking' Vulture Poisoning in South Africa Raises Alarm ... ›


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It seems odd--I didn't send my post "Go down to a dead end" two times, although it looks like that from "Ask a teacher" forum. I've seen such doubled posts several times, and now I see it may be a technical problem.
I think it occurs when two persons are replying for the same thread at the same time that the thread becomes twice though the starter has posted only once.

subset: commoncrawl


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QUESTION OF THE WEEK- What should be done about drumming on the Downtown Mall?
Andy Wilkowske: "I like drumming. I don't think anything should be done about it."
Ashley Logan: "Maybe there should be a bedtime on it. Like a curfew."
Susan Vernon: "I think the performances are fine. I think the people that just sit down here and just hang out and get in trouble have a problem."


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French in a Flash: Creamy Broiled Scallops Mornay
Get the Recipe
I wouldn't necessarily recommend going to Ireland to find French food inspiration, but I was in Kerry last weekend, and that's just what happened. I was in a little pub called The Blue Bull in the blink-and-you-missed-it town of Sneem, and I ordered what I thought was very usual: scallops mornay. I don't often mix seafood and dairy (excepting, of course, cream in my mussels), but I wanted to eat something at once light and decadent, so I ordered it.
I had the most gorgeous sea scallops and roe, toasted in their shells, on a bed of piped mashed potatoes, under a bronzed blanket of cheddar cheese béchamel, or mornay. And I thought, what a great idea.
Here's my version: sweet, tender bay scallops and puny Paris mushrooms, broiled under a bubbling blanket of béchamel laced with nutty Gruyère. Serve it right from the oven with a handful of parsley and a steaming baguette, and you have this incredibly rustic, simple, atypical, and delicious dinner that's—as usual on French in a Flash—really easy, but worthy of company.
Get the Recipe
Creamy Broiled Scallops Mornay »
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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We Have an (Awesome) New Registry Partner: Right Start!
ByThe Bump Editors
Jul 2012
Jul 2012
In case you didn't already know, The Bump has a pretty nifty registry zone — you can register for baby gifts at multiple stores and sites, and give your guests just one link to find all your registry info: TheBump.com/registry. And now, we'd like to announce that we've added an awesome new registry partner, Right Start.
Right Start has bricks-and-mortar locations in northern and southern California, Denver, Chicago, Dallas and Houston. It's also got a website with free shipping on orders of $49 or more. We love that it carries chic baby gear with great design — and the practical stuff too. Just look at all the awesome items (above) we found at Right Start. Enjoy!
What is your favorite item on your baby registry?


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by Herm Rogul
Kyle Bonus, a 5'8" senior from Lafayette Hill, is a diver, a swimmer and the top scorer in the thriving William Penn Charter School girls water polo team.
"I'm averaging four goals a game and we average nine goals," she said. "Our team is doing very well. Water polo is physical, there is technical work and there is a lot of excitement. We are a close-knit family.
"I drive through and get to open water. I swim the 50 butterfly and 500 freestyle, which helps me in water polo."
Coach Tom Tracey said, "Kyle is an aggressive player. She is our top scorer. Kyle is lighthearted and funny."
Junior Marion Hirshberg: "Kyle is very strong and she knows how to get the job done. She is a funny girl."
Senior Martina Merlo: "Kyle is very strong and she has an advantage with her size. She moves to open space and shoots well. Kyle is very bubbly, always smiling. She teaches the younger girls."
Bonus is a better diver than swimmer.
"I have a great coach, Bob Cragg," Kyle said. "He works with me in the summer and helps me excel. I won at the Eastern meet. My best dive is an inward one and a half."
Bonus enjoys singing with Penn Charter's girls a cappella group.
"We don't have a name," she said, "and we don't enter competitions. We have two concerts every year. It's a fun time."
Her favorite teacher is Ben Dzeizic, English.
"I'm a better writer because of him," Kyle said. "He gave me extra help."
Bonus will dive and study environmental science at either New Hampshire or Vermont.
She thanks parents Joe and Robin for driving her to many sports — mainly soccer — when she was young. Brothers Teddy and Joe swim for the University of Denver. They played water polo for Germantown Academy and Penn Charter.
"They have always been great role models," Kyle said. "They told me to work my hardest."
Martina Merlo is a 5'2" left-handed captain of Penn Charter's Inter-Ac leading girls volleyball team and a mainstay in the Dad Likes Strawberries musical group.
"I play guitar and I'm the lead vocalist," Martina said. "Sam Allingham is our drummer, Candace Todd is lead guitar and Jamie Lozoff plays bass. We've performed at Connie's Ricrac Restaurant in South Philadelphia and at the Trocadero.
"We've been well-received. They ask us to come back. Our best new song is 'Sweden.'"
In water polo, Merlo is disadvantaged at 5'2" and advantaged as a southpaw.
"At 5'2," I can get around people and fit into small places," she said. "I can get up on my feet when I have to. If you are short, you need to be smart, quick and strong.
"Left-handers stay on the right side of the pool. I move around and get open. I have a strong shot. I love the closeness of our team. I like water sports. I am better in water than on land."
Coach Tom Tracey said, "Martina is left-handed, which makes her a better ball handler. She can shoot from better angles. Martina has a dry sense of humor."
Junior Marion Hirshberg: "Martina has a strong knowledge of water polo. She has taught me a lot since I was in eighth grade. She is fun to have on our team."
Senior Kyle Bonus: "Martina helps keep the team together. She is left-handed, which is rare in water polo. Her personality fits well with our team."
Merlo plans to major in journalism in college and gain the skills she will need to become a freelance film producer.
"My favorite teacher, Martina said, "is Mr. (Jake) Morrow, Latin. We sit in groups and translate. He's really interested in his subject. We definitely have smart kids in Latin class."
Martina lives with her mother, Manuela.
"I owe her everything, Martina said. "I adore her. She has told me not to dwell on things, but to do what makes me happy.
"My father, Antonio, was a national water polo player in Italy. He coaches Penn's men's water polo team, which is nationally ranked. They're really big and they play a technical game. Men's water polo has more contact, but girls water polo is tougher."


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My 6 year old son is completely soccer mad. So for his birthday this year I made him this card. In his words " That's an awesome card Mum. You made it with love for me didn't you." Sure did.
What's happening now:-
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Dan Heath, a senior fellow at Duke University's Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship and co-author of "Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work," gave attendees at IMCA's annual conference on Monday four reasons their decisions and their clients' fail.
Luckily, he also gave four ways to stop making bad decisions.
He illustrated the problem with a quote from Daniel Kahneman, the psychologist and godfather of decision-making research: "A remarkable aspect of your mental life is that you are rarely stumped." Intuition is a machine that is built to jump to conclusions, Heath said.
There are four ways that machine can break down, he continued.
First is narrow framing. Narrow framing happens when you look at a situation without considering all your options. Heath referred to a Carnegie study of teenagers that found they frame their decisions as "whether or not." Instead of picking the best of several options, they make simple, yes-or-no decisions.
The Carnegie study found 30% of teens didn't consider more than one option when they made a decision.
Another study by Paul Nutt, formerly a professor at the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State and an expert in decision making, examined decisions made by 168 organizations. Of those, just 29% considered more than one option.
Heath urged attendees to make "whether or not" an "alarm bell." When they find they're trying to decide whether or not to, say, hire an employee or consider a merger with another firm, they should stop and look at their decision more closely.
The second breakdown of intuition is confirmation bias, the tendency people have to look for information that supports their decision without considering information that would oppose it. To prevent that breakdown, advisors need to reality-test their assumptions, Heath said.
When people think they're looking for truth, what they're actually looking for is reassurance, Heath said. He referred to Dan Lovallo, a researcher on decision making, who said, "Confirmation bias is probably the single biggest problem in business, because even the most sophisticated people get it wrong. People go out and they're collecting the data, and they don't realize they're cooking the books."
The third breakdown is short-term emotion, the "visceral stresses" that make people react immediately to an event they should wait to respond to, like a drastic market swing.
In these cases, people want to do what their "gut" tells them to do, which is why advisors have to talk their clients out of leaving the market after a fall instead of waiting it out to take advantage of the upside.
To get around this particular breakdown, the decision maker has to attain some distance from the decision he or she is trying to make. One exercise he suggested is to ask yourself, "What would you tell your best friend to do?"
He illustrated it this way: Say you meet someone you'd like to call, but you've only talked to them once. Do you wait until you know that person better or do you go ahead and call anyway?
When Heath asked attendees what they would do, about 60% of the room raised their hand to say they would wait. However, when he asked if they would tell their best friend to call, almost everyone raised their hand.
Heath said short-term emotions — in this example, embarrassment — make it hard to see the whole picture. When considering a decision for someone else, those emotions don't come into play, and you can see the bigger picture more easily.
"Distance is the fundamental strength of the advisor," Heath said. Your clients may have started coming to you because of your specialized knowledge, but the "buffer" you provide is why they keep coming back.
The final breakdown is overconfidence, which Heath said does not necessarily mean arrogance, just that people think they know more than they do. The solution here is to prepare to be wrong.
Heath urged attendees to build decision "tripwires" into their plans to remind them to reconsider a particular decision at a certain point. You already have these tripwires in place with stop-limit orders or automatic rebalancing, but you could set up tripwires more customized to your needs, too. For example, Heath said, an advisor could say he won't consider hiring a new employee until assets under management increase by 10%. Or, say you have a client who wants to start her own consulting firm. You could set a spending limit, say $25,000, at which she would have to reconsider if the business hasn't gotten off the ground.
Tripwires ensure you're paying attention at the right moment, Heath said.
Check out Middle-Class Retirement 'Under Siege': IMCA 2014 on ThinkAdvisor.


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Results 1 to 10 of 16
How do I start running the course?
Skiyaker's post about running the course raised some questions that I have had for a while, but wasn't sure who to ask. I am an average slalom free-skier (never tried the course), but would like to try it at some point. I admit I know a lot more about wakeboarding, although I have been skiing for longer. My wife used to compete some in INT when she was younger, but is not a whole lot of help on the questions I have, and I don't know anyone else that skis, so I figured you all could help.
First, when will I know when I am ready to start running the course? And if I have never skiied it before, what line length should I start at? We never really ski at 75', so is it safe to start at 15' off? Or is it better to start at full length?
Also, how fast should I ski. I have skiied at around 32mph before, but I am pretty out of control. I have also gained weight since then, so I have gotten a wider ski so I could ski a little slower. I think last time I went out skiiing, I ran at 28mph. Is that still too fast to run the course the first time? How slow can it be run?
Related to the above, I have yet to figure out the scoring/run system for slalom skiing. Where does one start in a tournament and how does one move up? Is it 15 off @ 28, then 30, then 32, then 34 and then to 22 off and repeat the speed increases? Or do you run all the line lengths at 28mph, and then up the speed to 30 and run them again? That doesn't sound right since 43off at any speed would be very tough. I understand the bouy count I think, a bouy for everyone you round, and a half bouy if you make it back to the centerline of the boat path? Is that right?
I have the book "The Complete Guide to Waterskiing" or whatever it is called, and they talk about the mini-course and shadowing the bouys, but they don't get into speeds and line lengths.
Last questions is regarding the ski. My wife claims that unless a skier is elite and deep into shortline at higher speeds, that the wing on the fin hurts more that it helps. Have ya'll heard this? Do you have an opinion?
Thanks for the help!Brian Roberts
2001 Outback DD
I will take a stab.
1. When are you ready?
Whenever you are on the water and a course is available you can take a shot at it. Don't go all-out, just get a feel for the width of the bouy line and the spacing. Don't worry about the gates at first. Preferably you should be able to link turns together without counter-cutting. Counter-cutting = If after you get outside the second wake you find yourself re-leaning away from the boat to get the momentum to turn you will have a very hard time in the course.
2. Line length.
Start at 15 off.
3. Speed
I think the minimum speed is the same for everyone, like 16 mph. That accomodates kids and adults and puts everyone in the same scoring system. Typically an teen/adult male will make his first attempts at 28mph. You might go as low as 26 but 28 seems pretty typical. I used to ski 38 off @ 34 mph in open water and had to dial it back to 15 off @ 28mph in the course. It is as more about form and timing than looking good.
4. Your weight.
Depending on where you are consider dropping some weight - it will be easier on your joints. I went from 230 to 180 and have much better results on the ski. Plus better endurance - which helps in the course.
5. Scoring
Check out section 10 of the AWSA rule book:
Basically you get a point for every bouy you turn. If you complete a pass successfully you get credit for all 'lower' passes. So when you complete 15off@28mph you get 42 (7 * 6 I think). Each division has a max speed. Women/girls are typically slower max then men/boys. Men max is 36, Women 34. When you get to mid 30's you drop down 2 mph, more still as you get older. You don't really get 'credit' for skiing short line at slow speed. In other words, you can run 38 off at 28 mph but you only get credit for the 28mph pass (sam as if you had gone long line or 15 off). Once you hit your max speed, say 36mph, then the shortening of the line give you bouys that you can not get any other way (i.e., at 15 off). A lot of the pros may start at max speed at 28 off as a warm up pass. If they make it the get credit for all passes up to that and can continue. If they fall at 3 ball they score 3, the same score as someone who started at longline at 16 mph and fell at 3 ball. So you 'really' want an opening pass that you can make.
6. Mini-course and shadowing.
I have never used either - there may be value in them to get used to timing. But I would recommend against getting too comfortable with them. It really is not as hard as it seems.
7. Wider ski - some intermediate skis can hinder you more than help. Talk with a pro on that one.
8. Half bouys - don't worry about them. You will measure your success by making full passes comfortably.
9. Wing / foil - people were sking in the course long before there were wings. I have certainly heard of coaches recommending removing them on a case-by-case basis. As a minimum make sure it is set correctly. I think 8-9 degrees is typical.
10. What will really help? I wish someone had told me this a long time ago.
Get some coaching by a professional coach. Does not need to be a Pro skier, but someone who makes their living (or a reasonable attempt at it) training people how to slalom. The nice part is that they will have a course so you won't need to buy one. I skied for decades and developed some very bad habits that I thought were really good skiing. I had no one around to tell me I was wrong. A big spray meant I must be doing something right. It costs some $$ but if you really love skiing you will never regret it. You don't need to go every week. But if you can spend a couple days in a row once ore twice a year with a coach, say 2-3 set a day for 2 days, you will progress faster than you think and have a lot of fun in the process.
Hope this helps.
And the most important:
Relax and Have FunIf you believe something to be true, it will be - in it's consequences.
2009 MasterCraft ProStar 197 - DD - 5.7L - 325HP - Zero Off
if you have an outback DD and access to a course- the time to try it is now! just be prepared- it can be incredibly addictive. The thing that keeps amazing me most about skiing the course is how much a tiny technique adjustment can make a huge difference in success. I went out tonight and on my first pass couldn't do diddly poo; refocused and made a small correction for my second pass then felt like I could run it a million times.
Dave did an awesome job at answering your questions-only thing I have to add is regarding your wife being correct about the wing. I took mine off this year and it's made a world of difference. great discussion about this here
Last edited by skiyaker; 08-07-2012 at 11:15 PM.2008 OBV
2001 Ski Nautique closed bow
attracted to shiny things that float
Wow. What a write up. This should be push pinned somewhere. I am going to give it a go myself on Thursday and Friday as my buddy and I are staying at his lake house on Lake Hartwell and going to ski behind the his 89 Pro Star. After all these years that old Ford 351 still cranks up and purrs like a kitten. Can't wait.-Mark
Tow w/: Volkswagen Touareg V8
Mods: Stereo, Stainless Cup Holders and Thru Hulls, Chrome Steering Wheel, EZ Nets, Moomba Etched Cleats
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, bc your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
-John Wooden
Interesting article - not sure I am ready to take of the wing just yet. I am running an A2 at 32/34If you believe something to be true, it will be - in it's consequences.
2009 MasterCraft ProStar 197 - DD - 5.7L - 325HP - Zero Off
Awesome write up, Benson! Thanks for the rulebook too, I love reading stuff like that. Might print that out and make bathroom reading of that.
Thanks so much for all the info and advice. I am itching to try it now. I can link turns, but I think I do counter-cut some. I may work on that for a bit first before I try the course.
Our favorite local lake (Hyco) has a course permanently mounted in it, that my wife has used a couple of times. Which brings up another question. What are the rules for slalom course use etiquette? I don't know whose course it is, would they be upset if we use it? Should I try to find out who it belongs to and aske them? Thoughts?Brian Roberts
2001 Outback DD
I can't think of any course owner on a public lake being upset about somebody who wants to genuinely learn the sport- If you use it a lot it might be a good idea to figure out who owns it and simply ask who maintains it and whether they want you to replace any buoys you might damage. At least in Indiana, if a course is on a public lake then it is open to the general public to use- so whomever owns it probably realizes anyone can use it but might appreciate the gesture plus you might make some really good friends who can teach you a lot about skiing the course.
google is an amazing thing- I googled "lake hyco slalom course" and this came up
When the water is calm and the traffic is light Hyco makes for the perfect training place with its long season of warm water. Randy's prior INT accomplishments include National Champion 2005 & 2006 Wide Ride Super Slalom and 3rd place 2005 Advanced Open. Jacob placed 3rd nationally in 2005 at the age of 5 in kneeboard.
For more information, please contact Randy Budzinski:
919 637-5640
If Randy is still involved with your course I bet he'd be a great resource2008 OBV
2001 Ski Nautique closed bow
attracted to shiny things that float
Course etiquette
1. Finding the owner. If the Google search did not deliver the right name, just go out to the course between sunrise and 9AM - Sat/Sun or an hour before sunset almost any night but Fri/Sat. You will eventually run into them.
2. Approaching the course. When you drive over to talk to them avoid throwing rollers down the course. Try to drvie in a path parallel with the course. Come to a stop BEFORE you change direction to avoid turn rollers. Wait at one end of the course, maybe 500 - 800 feet before the course and wait for them to stop.
3. Driving by the course. If you have to drive by the course go by at idle or as fast as you can. Going at 1/4 throttle may seem respectful but totally hoses the water.
4. Volunteer. If you are going to use the course a lot, plan on buying some bouys (not milk jugs or detergent bottles). Ask to be shown their way of repairing the course.
5. Understanding what you see. Keep in mind that a lot of course skiers 'drop' at the end of each pass, for a rest, or for coaching, or to shorten the rope. This does not mean that they are done. Wait until it is clear their guys is on the platform. If they are done and they know you are waiting they should move off to the side at idle.
6. Leaving the course. If there are others waiting to use the course, don't drop in the middle of the course unless your skier fell. Run the course all the way and keep going past the normal takeoff point. This keeps the wakes going out in the right direction.If you believe something to be true, it will be - in it's consequences.
2009 MasterCraft ProStar 197 - DD - 5.7L - 325HP - Zero Off


text:
With the rising costs of construction, electronic technologies that aid project management may become some of the most important tools in your toolbox. Software designed to streamline field operations and material purchases, as well as managing estimates through the entire life cycle of a project may be a company's life raft in this tough economic undertow.
Even if you are certain you have developed a solid project estimate, the ultimate proof of how the crews are performing against those estimates will be found in the data you keep. ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR talked with project-management software developers and a key electrical distributor about current contractor needs and recent introductions designed to save time and boost productivity.
Instant office in the field
A new trend impacting contractors is the use of mobile devices. More project-management solutions are becoming interactive, and the advantages are obvious. Cell-based devices that permit users to capture and transmit information, either instantaneously or as needed, will cut down time transporting paper-based data and improve accuracy in the process.
According to Brad Mathews, Dexter + Chaney, vice president of marketing, today's recordkeeping has gone beyond the act of supervisors gathering the numbers and writing them down. There's greater urgency for accurate data collection and proper categorization. Bad data, Mathews said, will trump efficiency gains any day.
"If you're writing timecards at the end of the week or even at the end of the day, it's fiction. You're reconstructing, and who has a minute-by-minute memory? There's enormous room for error in trying to manually capture the exact amount of time an employee worked and allocating it to the correct phases," Mathews said.
Addressing the need for an automated method for digital record keeping in the field, Dexter + Chaney (www.dexterchaney.com) introduced Spectrum Mobile. This is a new module for its Spectrum Construction Software, which has been continually updated since its original introduction in 1984.
Spectrum Mobile allows field supervisors to synch real-time electronic data from the job site with administrative offices, eliminating the practice of filling out paper time cards and re-entering that data into Spectrum's payroll system. At the job site, the supervisor also can employ an integrated bar code scanner to scan an employee badge or another item selected from a list populated by Dexter + Chaney.
According to Mathews, this software addresses two of the most common payroll errors: over-reporting hours and inaccurate coding.
"Most supervisors have to spend some time gathering and recording the time, and that's not probably going to change dramatically," Mathews said. "But with a mobile device, everything downstream gets easier because the data comes in. And it's accurate, digital, validated, and there's no rework of the data."
The software can be preprogrammed with a company's proprietary codes for entry of the job name, phase, pay type, labor and equipment. The information is input directly into a PDA, laptop, tablet computer or other compatible device.
"Whether a contractor already owns a suitable PDA [that runs on Microsoft Pocket PC operating system], laptop or tablet, or they buy a PDA from us, we provide the link to download the software for easy installation from the Internet," he said.
Spectrum Mobile consists of a PC server application and client software running on Microsoft Windows Mobile handheld remote devices, laptops or PC workstations. The system can be established using a wireless network (WAN) or with batch communications.
New hybrid: desktop meets the Web
Two substantial new technology partnerships have been formed in the area of estimating, and upgrades to another estimating software package will benefit an electrical contractor's ability to standardize and automate projects.
ConEst Partners with eSUB
ConEst Software Systems (www.conest.com) and eSUB Inc. (www.esubinc.com) have integrated their products for the purpose of migrating information stored in ConEst's desktop estimating software directly into a Web-based project-management program provided by eSUB.
According to eSUB President/CEO Wendy Swift, the new hybrid technology benefits electrical contractors by providing the platform to take an estimate from the desktop to the Web.
"A lot of project-management systems exist that were written for general contractors, but there are no other Web-based project-management systems that give the electrical contractor the ability to accomplish two-way communication from the takeoff stage extending through the entire life cycle of the project," Swift said.
"Project-management for subcontractors is a totally different beast than for a GC. It's important that electrical contractors use systems designed specifically to address their individual challenges and needs and that are biased to protect their interests," she added.
eSUB's TRACKpoint consists of three modules to promote standardization and efficiency in subcontracting firms: project management, corporate management and a timecard solution that integrates with most construction accounting solutions.
McCormick partners with Autodesk
Another key Web/desktop industry partnership was announced recently. McCormick Systems (www.mccormicksys.com) and Autodesk Subcontractor (usa.autodesk.com) have integrated their systems following recent separate introductions of McCormick's V9.0 software and Autodesk Subcontractor 2009.
According to Todd McCormick, president of McCormick Systems, the business partnership is designed to allow electrical contractors using McCormick to estimate electrical and/or ABS jobs, and then pass the information to Autodesk Subcontractor where it can be tracked and/or managed. Autodesk Subcontractor 2009 is designed to standardize and automate a project through the transfer of data from the estimating to the project-management side.
"If I generate information and I can't pass it, it's not any good. You've got to pass it, and someone's got to be able to accept it and use it," McCormick said.
Specifically, without an automated transfer of key data, contractor personnel must rekeystroke the same information from their job estimate into different project-management documentation software. In addition to duplicative effort, re-entering information exposes it to possible clerical errors.
Additionally, McCormick said, the integration will provide contractors to incorporate as much detail on a job or be as generic as needed.
"If someone's doing a small strip center, they might not need that much detail, but if they're doing a hospital or a wastewater treatment plant or a chemical facility where the work is more concentrated, they may need more detail to track the labor, the job and the profit," McCormick said.
Jeff Burmeister, product manager for Autodesk Subcontractor, said the partnership has been in development for a while.
"We've actually been working on putting this deal together for two years. We had to wait until each of our platforms were aligned so that the products would speak efficiently and effectively for the client," Burmeister said.
Accubid streamlines estimating and project management
ConstructJob, Accubid's Web-based project-management solution is now integrated with Accubid's estimating programs, allowing project managers to create, manage, track, and share project documentation, and communicate and collaborate with construction industry partners from a single platform.
"An accurate estimate puts a contractor in a position to make money, but it is in the project-management phase that the potential profit is won or lost," said Bob Yakimetz, president and chief operating officer of Accubid Systems (www.accubid.com). "Most contractors have already invested in software to produce faster and more accurate estimates, but many are only now beginning to look at software to streamline and standardize the project-management process."
According to Yakimetz, the bill of materials can be transferred to ConstructJob for the automatic creation of a project log.
"But it's not enough to have the right tools. You also have to know how to use them," Yakimetz said.
Accubid offers project-management courses that focus on the fundamentals and mechanics of planning, scheduling, tracking and change order management.
"These hands-on seminars involving actual projects leave students with an understanding of the concepts behind project management and the skills to function effectively on the job site," Yakimetz said.
The latest version of Accubid's ConstructJob is focused on easier site navigation with a more intuitive interface; support for unlimited number of addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, and e-mail addresses for contacts, branches and companies; and the capability of assigning contacts to multiple locations.
Material pricing files on demand
Since 2002, in an effort to help electrical contractor customers compete more effectively on bids, Graybar has provided customized electronic material pricing files for use with electronic estimation software. According to Graybar Customer e-Business manager Jon Huizenga, the distributor recently relaunched Graybar.com. A component of the site now allows customers to register to receive pricing files electronically to save time.
Huizenga said the St. Louis-based distributor reports an increase in the number of contractors using its pricing services. He attributes the growth to contractors recognizing the advantage of being more responsive to their customers and gaining a competitive edge in the bidding process through estimating-cycle time savings and bid accuracy.
In the past, contractors typically had two primary methods for pricing a bill of material. They could use trade pricing and a discount structure to get a ballpark figure. However, this pricing was not always accurate, and contractors had to allocate significant time to track and update the multipliers in order to improve their profitability. They also could send the list of material to their distributor branch and wait for the distributor to price and return the list. The distributor pricing was more accurate. But it involved wait time, and sometimes the information had to be keyed into their estimate.
"Electronic pricing files eliminate these drawbacks because Graybar's service is fast and accurate," Huizenga said. "Contractors' bids are more accurate because they can load their pricing for stock materials directly into their estimating software. Or, if they use NetPricer, they can update the bill of material pricing in about five seconds. Both methods eliminate the time-consuming, error-prone method of keying in pricing manually," he said.
By design, electronic pricing files also should reduce the number of items that need to be priced manually. This allows Graybar to focus on pricing gear and lighting packages.
"It's difficult to determine exactly how much time per bill of material a contractor saves," Huizenga said. "But we know that last year, contractors who received pricing files from Graybar increased their business with Graybar 2.5 percent more than the average contractor. Contractors who received pricing information from NetPricer increased their business with Graybar 6.2 percent more than the average contractor. We think this increase in business illustrates how valuable this service is and how it enhances our relationships with our customers."
Graybar is currently providing pricing files that are compatible with electronic estimation software packages produced by Accubid, Apex, Cert-In, ConEst, Estimation, Jaffe, McCormick, TurboBid and Vision InfoSoft.
"I haven't found a file format we can't produce," Huizenga said. "If a customer needs one that we aren't producing, we'll do our best to add it. For example, last year, we started creating pricing files for TurboBid, an estimating software package that some of our residential electrical contractor customers use."
Contractors can register for the service by contacting their Graybar sales representative. Customers can request convenient intervals for pricing file updates.
"We work with our customers to determine what is best for them and provide their files as needed," Huizenga said.
MCCLUNG, owner of Woodland Communications, is a construction writer from Iowa. She can be reached via e-mail at email@example.com.


text:
Southeastern Comes Out Against "Inadequate" Dell Buyout Plan
Southeastern Management, the Memphis-based investment firm and the single-largest outside shareholder in the troubled computing giant, today came out against the proposed $24.4 billion buyout offer from founding CEO Michael Dell and the private equity firm Silver Lake.
In an open letter to the special committee of Dell's board of directors overseeing the go-private process, Southeastern argued that the company failed to make an adequate case that shareholders should accept the $13.65-per-share offer made in February. The firm also said that the go-shop process managed by the committee resulted in what it calls "an inadequate outcome."
It's no surprise that Southeastern is arguing against the buyout proposal. It's somewhere in the neighborhood of $800 million to $1 billion underwater on Dell shares, having made a long bet starting in 2005 at a time when the stock was trading mostly between $30 and $40 a share. It has no choice but to argue against a buyout that would force it to take a bath.
But, as the proxy statement released last month clearly shows, it was Southeastern that first lobbied Michael Dell to consider going private in the first place.
Southeastern makes one clear point: The buyout offer is taking advantage of a moment when Dell shares are trading at a pretty low point relative to its history, and the board had authorized share buybacks at an average of $15.25, much higher than the $13.65 buyout offer:
"The same Board that was confident with Dell buying its shares for $15.25 is now attempting to convince all shareholders that Dell's business is in such dire straits that they should take $13.65 and exit their investments. We believe the Board's sudden rush to sell is triggered by one thing: Mr. Dell's desire to buy."
Southeastern also appeared to throw its weight behind two competing proposals from the private equity firm Blackstone and the activist investor Carl Icahn.
It also questioned the wisdom of going private at all. "The proxy statement does not contain any sound reasoning for why, at this stage in the transformation, the company needs to be taken private," the firm said.
Here's the original letter:
MEMPHIS, Tenn., April 9, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Southeastern Asset Management, Inc., the largest outside shareholder of Dell Inc. DELL +0.07% , today released an open letter to the Special Committee of the Dell Board of Directors and addressed Dell's preliminary proxy statement.
The question now is whether Southeastern casts its lot with Blackstone, the private equity firm that has expressed an interest in offering $14.25 a share for at least part of the company, or Carl Icahn, the activist investor who wants to buy as much as 58 percent of it.
The full text of the letter is as follows:
April 9, 2013 Special Committee of the Board of Directors Dell Inc. One Dell Way Round Rock, TX 78682 Attention: Alexander Mandl
RE: Dell Inc. Proxy Statement
Dear Members of the Special Committee:
As the beneficial owner of 8.4% of Dell Inc.'s outstanding shares, we are writing today to express our views regarding the Company's proxy statement. It is our position that the proxy statement fails to make a case for shareholders to accept the $13.65 per share Michael Dell / Silver Lake buyout offer. In addition, we believe that the Special Committee conducted a process that resulted in an inadequate outcome.
According to the proxy statement, Mr. Dell notified the Board of his intention to take the Company private in August 2012. The proxy statement clearly shows that, in their review, the Special Committee and Board of Directors reached conclusions that stand in stark contrast to views held by the Board prior to August 2012. While the Special Committee may have worked diligently and was assisted by credible and reliable professionals, even a good process — without the exercise of proper business judgment — can result in a bad transaction.
The Proxy Reveals a Robust Process Leading to an Inadequate Result
Over the last two years, under a Board authorized program, the Company has repurchased 224,000,000 shares for $3.4 billion at an average price of over $15.25 per share. The same Board that was confident with Dell buying its shares for $15.25 is now attempting to convince all shareholders that Dell's business is in such dire straits that they should take $13.65 and exit their investments. We believe the Board's sudden rush to sell is triggered by one thing: Mr. Dell's desire to buy.
Furthermore, the proxy statement and the analysis performed by the Special Committee focus disproportionately on the End User Computing (EUC) business while giving little attention to the Enterprise Storage and Services (ESS) business. Southeastern's in-depth analysis indicates that at the completion of the Company's transformation to ESS, Dell's future owners should realize valuation multiples significantly higher than those reflected in the current offer price.
It is not about the PC. It is not about the PC. It is not about the PC …
Management has repeatedly highlighted the ESS business on previous earnings calls and provided estimates that show that ESS will account for 35% of the Company's fiscal 2014 estimated revenue and 58% of its fiscal 2014 estimated Non-GAAP operating income (OI). Because the 58% of Dell's 2014 estimated Non-GAAP OI attributable to ESS is worth a much higher multiple than the 42% of Company profits tied to the EUC segment, the ESS business, Dell's cash and Dell Financial Services (DFS) are worth far more than half of total corporate value (see Table 1).
Yet, in all the analytical work and the voluminous proxy statement, EUC and PC are referenced hundreds of times more frequently than ESS. This is a stark contrast to the Company's prior emphasis on the emerging value of ESS. Given this change in public positioning, Dell's shareholders should question why the Board is suddenly focused on EUC, and not on ESS — which was previously believed to be the future of the business.
In addition, the Board's approach of initially limiting the potential acquirers to private equity firms that would allow Mr. Dell to have majority ownership of the Company and remain as CEO narrowed the potential bidders materially and contributed to the Board's approval of a transaction at a price that undervalues the Company.
In fact, within the proxy statement, virtually every justification of the $13.65 per share price is based on a premium to market at the time of the analysis. Such an approach is misleading when it is based on a price at the low end of the trading range over the last 15 years. Instead, any valuation analyses should have compared the $13.65 offer price to the net asset value of the Company. Additionally, the valuation analysis should have focused on an appropriate multiple of the Company's free cash flow per share, more than half of which is from the growing ESS business, plus the net cash on the balance sheet and the value of DFS.
The Special Committee Gave Limited Consideration to Shareholder Friendly Alternatives
In our February 8, 2013, letter to the Board, we stated that we would have been prepared to support a leveraged recapitalization and suggested it could have been done in the form of a $12 per share special dividend, a Dutch auction or another structure that would have allowed shareholders an opportunity to participate in Dell's future. Despite the viability of such a transaction, the proxy statement shows that the Board and Special Committee spent little time researching a leveraged recapitalization. The lengthy proxy statement only discusses the "pros" and "cons" of a leveraged recapitalization on a handful of pages and in only a cursory manner. The proxy statement also does not provide any real analysis or give any attention to solutions that would have either allowed shareholders to receive a large special dividend or to remain shareholders of a company with a smaller share base. It appears that neither the Board nor the Special Committee aggressively pursued the leveraged recapitalization idea because senior management preferred a go-private transaction.
In addition, as widely reported, management spent over $13 billion on acquisitions of non-PC businesses which benefit from the very same cloud and mobility trends that are negatively impacting the PC business. Long-term owners such as Southeastern have supported Dell in its transformation into an enterprise solutions company, but are not being given the opportunity to participate in the return on that $13 billion investment.
On January 29, 2013, Southeastern sought a meeting with the Special Committee in response to market leaks regarding a reported go-private transaction. In that meeting, we asked the Special Committee why giving shareholders a choice, through some form of cash/stock election, would not be preferable, and in fact fairer, for those shareholders who want to participate in the Company's upside. Dell's proxy statement answers that question: quoting from page 38, "Mr. Dell and Silver Lake were not interested in pursuing a transaction such as the one proposed by Southeastern in which public stockholders would retain an interest in the Company."
The Proxy Statement Contains No Justification to Take Dell Private
The proxy statement does not contain any sound reasoning for why, at this stage in the transformation, the Company needs to be taken private. In the entire proxy statement, we found only one page (page 82) devoted to Mr. Dell's plans for the Company following the transaction. That single page is consistent with the Company's prior public statements, and nothing about these plans requires that the Company be private.
In fact, in an interview with ZDNet two weeks ago, John Swainson, head of Dell's software unit, essentially confirmed that it doesn't matter whether Dell is public or private. He said, "the corporate structure of Dell doesn't make a difference on how customers interact with our products or how we develop or sell them." We note that many companies, including IBM, were able to successfully transform their businesses as public companies. In addition, BCG, an advisor to the Special Committee stated that "many of the 'take-private' value levers could (in principle) be applicable to [Dell] as a public company."
The proxy statement reveals that the Board had become increasingly frustrated with management's execution of the transition, and rather than try to solve the problem, it chose to give Mr. Dell the opportunity to purchase the Company from shareholders at an inadequate price. Mr. Dell would not be participating in the proposed go-private transaction if he did not believe in the Company's future upside and his ability to execute the transformation of the business.
The Special Committee Has the Power to Act in the Best Interests of All Dell Shareholders
As we noted above, we believe the proxy statement fails to make a case for shareholders to accept the $13.65 per share Michael Dell / Silver Lake buyout. For shareholders trying to decide whether to support the transaction, the Company's suspension of earnings guidance and extremely limited discussion of the Company's future plans will make it difficult to make an informed choice. In the next draft of the proxy, the Special Committee should provide sufficient detail about Mr. Dell's future plans so that public shareholders can properly evaluate their options.
The Special Committee has obtained two preliminary alternative proposals, both of which we view as superior to the Michael Dell / Silver Lake buyout. We view these proposals as superior primarily because each offers shareholders the opportunity to remain owners of Dell while also offering a higher cash price to owners who choose to exit their investment.
Southeastern urges the Special Committee to negotiate and evaluate these alternatives in good faith, and to recognize that offering shareholders a choice is a win / win outcome for all parties. We call upon the Special Committee to work hard to make this possibility a reality.
O. Mason Hawkins G. Staley CatesChairman & CEO President & CIO
Southeastern Asset Management, Inc., headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., is an investment management firm with $34 billion in assets under management acting as investment advisor to institutional investors and the four Longleaf Partners Funds: Longleaf Partners Fund, Longleaf Partners Small-Cap Fund, Longleaf Partners Global Fund and Longleaf Partners International Fund, as well as two Irish domiciled UCITS Funds: Longleaf Partners Global UCITS Fund and Longleaf Partners US UCITS Fund. Southeastern was established in 1975, and the first of the Longleaf Partners Funds was launched in 1987.


text:
The following website has a book, Wisdom in Perspective, that explains/justifies naturalism and atheism. The ebook is available online for free (click on cover on main page). On this website, there are also articles on human consciousness, etc.
tx say hey sicjedi, thx for the heads-up on this curious book.
and welcome to sam's place! hope you like it here. )
"Simply put, wisdom is the interaction of intelligence, knowledge, and
"When it comes down to it, your wisdom depends on what you believe
for if your thoughts and actions are not based upon reality, then neither
is your wisdom."
The personal sense of certainty, confidence, or assurance that you possess
is "most often determined by your perceptions, experience, and reasoning".
—quotes from 'Wisdom in Perspective' by Bret Alan Hughes
Although the book as a whole is a fine example of what sophiology can
accomplish, the book is not without certain flaws. For example, the weakest
part of the book is surely the way it ends. In the final concluding chapter eight
('Pulling it all together and coming up with wisdom') the author presents what
I call the 'matrix-argument'. if you recall, in the movie people are housed in
interactive-pods and fed a simulated-reality by the self-aware computer network
called the matrix. Thus Hughes argues that since it's conceivable that our brains
could be fed false-data, we can never have absolute certainty about any of our
knowledge. To me, this argument is no improvement over Descartes idea of a
demon feeding him false impressions and experiences. Just because the matrix
is conceivable does not make it plausible. So while I agree that *absolute*
certainty is impossible, I do not agree that recognition of this epistemological
fact is the "deepest foundation of human wisdom" (p.97). In any case, Hughes
seems to think that wisdom arises chiefly from a sense of (or awareness of)
how ignorant and how lucky we all really are. I would say, to the contrary, that
these three factors are simply the basic prerequisites for wisdom, and not the
basic substance of wisdom. what is the basic substance of wisdom then? that's
easy! "A deep conviction that underlies the faith of our fathers is the belief in
'Ma'at' - the search for truth and justice."—Queen Tiy (in 'Akhenaten the Man
who Inspired Moses').
But textman, let's hope you come up with what Walliser was not able to after years of pondering: a decent title. (We're counting on you, buddy.)
who said i work best under pressure? urrrr
well, here's a few possibles just off the top of my head
Wisdom Comes of Age
The Great Ma'at Revolution
The Inertia of Tradition
howzat? wink
I don't know, textman. But if things ever got that far, let's hope you'd be available as the key editorial consultant. That would be my vote, at least.


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Check out the latest RPG news | Podcasts | Twitch Streams
So I watched a YouTube playthrough....ect.
But again, I would have rather an original plot for all that. I think it would have allowed way more flexibility.
On that note......http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/31/3054734/ff-versus-xiii-renamed-to-final-fantasy-xv
Quote from: Lard on June 01, 2012, 02:17:12 AMOn that note......http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/31/3054734/ff-versus-xiii-renamed-to-final-fantasy-xvI'm down! So far, the Wii U has my attention, so a Final Fantasy on the system would be very welcome. It wouldn't surprise me either. With neither Microsoft or Sony having new consoles on the horizon, Nintendo can really make a mark sharing some multi-platform games during this extended period, then it's great for developers because the game/system will be around for years to come, and a triple A title like Final Fantasy is very likely to be gotten by late arrivals down the line. Sorta like I would probably buy Metal Gear Solid 4 if I bought a PS3 today.I'm hearing all kinds of rumors of Wii U ports, so it wouldn't surprise me at all. Smart move too.
Keep dreaming, video is confirmed fake already.
Rise from your grave!Motomu Toriyama hints at a possible Final Fantasy XIII-2 sequelFinal Fantasy XIII-2 Ultimania Omega Developer InterviewSource: Nova Crystallis


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Snap: Top down at 12°
While his vehicle's sensor measured the outdoor air at a cool 12 degrees Farhrenheit, Charlottesville resident Bob Kahn spotted this VW Eos with its convertible top down in traffic this Monday morning.
More Snaps
7 comments
Maybe the driver (male or female) was just airing out the interior after those oh-so-wholesome breakfast burritos sHE picked up at the QuickMart!
At least a Miata's great to drive. An Eos? Really doubtful
the real question: why would a male drive a VW Eos? Was his Miata in the shop?
Maybe a malfunction and he couldn't get the top to go up ? Not specifically VW electronics, but with all the computerized gadgets running cars these days, seems like there is a lot more that can go wrong and repairs are more expensive. Give me the roll up your window yourself car any day.
Stupid VW electronics!
Who needs the Quicky-Mart?......I Do!!!!!!!!


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OVERLAND PARK, KS — Despite ongoing state legislative activity related to personal trainer bills, several companies that offer personal trainer certifications say the bills will not affect their business. However, Bob Esquerre, a personal trainer business consultant, says the bills would hurt these companies.
Two personal training bills that died in state legislative committees last year in New Jersey and California have been reintroduced, and another bill in Massachusetts is still in committee.
Jay Del Vecchio, president and CEO of World Instructor Training Schools, Virginia Beach, VA, says the introduction of these bills has not affected his business, which is enjoying its best year ever.
"If the bills are passed, it will not make our college training and national certification obsolete," Del Vecchio says. "It very likely will add to what we already do, since we teach almost exclusively with colleges and universities. State bills are going to require oversight by the colleges. That's what it's going to create."
Because the National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF) complies with the same standards as licensed allied health fields, it should not be affected by licensing bills, says Brian Biagioli, executive director of NCSF. His organization is neither for nor against legislation as long as legislative regulations are in the best interest of the profession, he says.
"Appropriately constructed legislation devised to protect the public would utilize competency standards as the basis for regulation consistent with other professions," Biagioli says. "Although some states opt to run an independent continued education program, proper stakeholder-based legislation would complement the national regulatory activity of the National Council on Strength and Fitness and other legitimate bodies, potentially strengthening the organizations while posing limited negative impact."
But Esquerre, who owns the consulting firm Esquerre Fitness Group Inc., Boca Raton, FL, says the problem with state licensing laws is that certifying agencies would potentially have to adhere to 51 different laws, including the District of Columbia.
"I think it's going to hurt [agencies] only because each state will have their own standards, which means each of the agencies will have to tweak," Esquerre says. "What may be appropriate in New York may not be appropriate in Georgia, for example. There's going to be 51 potential tweakings going on, so there's a cost associated with that. The standardization process gets to be dysfunctional.
"If every state was to have an issue," Esquerre adds, "what happens to a personal trainer who lives in a tri-state area like New York, New Jersey, Connecticut? They've got to go through three different sets of standards and three different credentials. And you have a club that may have a chain that has facilities in New York, in New Jersey, in Connecticut. What's going to happen there?"
The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), which opposes most bills involving the licensing and certification of personal trainers, made a personal trainer certification recommendation to its member clubs in 2005. A personal trainer, according to IHRSA's guidelines, would need a certification from an agency approved by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) or by an organization accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the U.S. Department of Education.
IHRSA opposed both the Massachusetts and New Jersey licensing bills but supported last year's California bill, which focused on the certification and not the licensing of personal trainers. Esquerre, for one, supports the IHRSA guidelines and would be in favor of a national standardization program.
Alan Russell, the director of academic and governmental affairs for the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), says that while the organization is against the proposed licensing bills, the business generated by NASM certification and education is secondary to supporting the American public.
"Our main business venture is to provide as many qualified service providers as possible," Russell says. "We believe [the proposed licensing bills] would limit access of qualified fitness trainers to the public. Currently, third-party accreditation to the NCCA is a reasonable and responsible means of regulating the industry. We're not trying to establish a battle of wits here with the state legislation."
Chris Gellert, president of Pinnacle Training and Consulting Systems, Germantown, MD, says he will be unaffected by the bills if they are passed. In fact, they may make him work harder to create better education material at a higher level, he says.
Gellert, who has worked in California, Chicago and on the East Coast, says there is a variance of educational degrees of personal trainers in each part of the country, which might lead to some confusion if states had different sets of personal trainer regulations. He contends that personal trainers in California tend to have more advanced credentials than those on the East Coast. Gellert would be in favor of a tiered regulation of personal trainers with one agency regulating the industry.
"It's not a matter of weeding out bad apples," Gellert says. "It will actually make the industry better. It will raise the educational bar of trainers to really understand the science behind the movement."


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City of Kenmore WashingtonHome Menu
City Departments
City Manager's Office
The City's Manager's Office provides management direction of all City departments and activities in accordance with City Council policies and direction, administrative support to the City Council, and contract administration. In addition, the City Manager and Assistant City Manager represent the City within the community and on regional issues to advance Kenmore's priorities and interests. The City Manager's office also oversees the City's legal services, public records requests, communications program, and events program.
Development Services
Development Services is responsible for oversight of proposed development through the development review process and oversight of permitting throughout the City.
Finance & Administration
The Finance & Administration Department consists of financial and accounting services, personnel services, risk management, and city clerk services.
Fire & EMS
The Northshore Fire Department headquarters is located in Kenmore and services the communities of Kenmore and Lake Forest Park. Northshore Fire is dedicated to protecting the health, life, and property of the community with professionalism, respect, and integrity.
Planning & Community Development
Community Development is responsible for developing long-range planning policy and assessment and development of land use policies and land use strategy.
The City contracts with the King County Sheriff's Office for police services. The police department is dedicated to making Kenmore a safe community to live, work and visit.
Public Works
The Public Works Department is responsible for project management of capital improvement projects; managing the transportation improvement program and the surface water management program; site plan review of development projects; and operation and maintenance of the City's infrastructure including streets, traffic, surface water, and parks.


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Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Kyle Hendricks returned home to help the Chicago Cubs to an 8-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday in the opener of a three-game set. Hendricks (2-1), who was born in Newport Beach, California and attended nearby Capistrano Valley High School, allowed two runs -- one earned -- on four hits over seven innings in front of family and friends at Chavez Ravine. "It was easier to focus against a good team," said Hendricks. "As the game went on, I felt stronger and stronger. I'm getting more comfortable every day because of the guys in the clubhouse." Luis Valbuena homered and knocked in a pair of runs for the Cubs, who have won four of their last five. Starlin Castro went 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Los Angeles starter Dan Haren (8-9) continued to struggle, surrendering seven runs -- six earned -- on eight hits and two walks over 4 1/3 innings. The right-hander has lost a career-worst five straight starts. "There were a lot of things that were not very good," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly "We'll give our guys a pass tonight. We just couldn't stop them early." The Dodgers had their six-game overall winning streak snapped and their five- game home winning streak halted in the setback. Dee Gordon opened the home half of the first with an infield single. The speedster then stole second and third around a Yasiel Puig groundout before Adrian Gonzalez was intentionally walked to put the double play in order. Hanley Ramirez followed with a grounder in between the hole at third and shortstop, where Castro tossed an errant throw to second base and into right field. Gordon easily scored on the play and Gonzalez raced around in an attempt to push another run across, but a successful relay from right fielder Nate Schierholtz to Anthony Rizzo nabbed Gonzalez at the plate. The ruling on the field was upheld after an umpire review, and Gonzalez would later leave the game in favor of Scott Van Slyke due to a right knee contusion he suffered on the play. Valbuena quickly got the run back in the second, however, with a leadoff blast to right. Ryan Sweeney plated Rizzo in the third with an RBI single and Castro scored after Matt Kemp skipped his throw out of play. Rizzo crossed home on a wild pitch by Haren in the following at-bat to put the Cubs up 4-1. Schierholtz made a nice defensive play to begin the home half of the third to rob Haren of a base hit. Haren slapped a hit to right, where Schierholtz fired to first to get him. The original ruling was that Haren was safe on the play, but the call was overturned after video review showed Rizzo's foot tipping the bag before Haren reached first. Chicago continued to tag the Los Angeles right-hander with a three-run fifth. Welington Castillo singled home Rizzo before Schierholtz sent a sacrifice fly to center that plated Castro. Sweeney and Castillo advanced on another wild pitch by Haren, then Hendricks, who knocked his first major-league hit earlier in the game, picked up his first career RBI with an infield single. Valbuena added an RBI single in the sixth and Puig scored on a force out in the home half after sliding in around the tag of Castillo to account for the final margin. Game Notes Los Angeles reliever Paul Maholm was injured and removed from the game after injuring his right leg covering first base on a grounder ... Puig was also removed late in the game with a mild left hamstring strain ... Gordon recorded his 50th stolen base in the loss, becoming the first Dodger to hit that plateau since Juan Pierre in 2007 ... Castro's error was his 12th of the season ... Hendricks threw a career-high 107 pitches ... Chicago went 6-for-14 with runners in scoring position, while LA went 0-for-4 in those instances.
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Topic One: What are keys for successful, sustained clinician adoption of healthcare technology?
T1: Key (as with most things) is communication. Need more talk IT to Doc about how to use tech and doc to IT re:what they need #HITsm
— Nanette Nuessle, MD (@DrNanN) November 2, 2012
T1: Clinicians must be able to truly understand the benefits and incentives of adopting this technology. Training is key. #hitsm
— Omnicell (@Omnicell) November 2, 2012
T1: Make sure that #HealthIT serves the provider and the patient, not the other way around: bit.ly/efg6qU #HITsm
— Keith W. Boone (@motorcycle_guy) November 2, 2012
T1: We take the approach of making the new process as simple as the old process.Then you layer benefits on top of that. #HITsm
— docBeatApp (@docBeatApp) November 2, 2012
T1: HIT has to stop looking "bleeding edge" and like a science project and just work. Then the bandwagon will roll. #HITsm
— Peter Gilbert (@PeterNGilbert) November 2, 2012
T1: Help physicians understand that EHR will redefine workflows, and not try to conform old workflows to new technology#HITSM
— Mark James (@cardiologyHIT) November 2, 2012
Topic Two: How can we improve patient satisfaction? #patientexperience
T2: Sign up for portals too difficult, too long. Many portals limit what info is transparent. Patients frustrated #HITsm
— Nanette Nuessle, MD (@DrNanN) November 2, 2012
T2: Answer this question: "What do I do next?" All our minds detest states of confusion. Give clarity wherever possible. #hitsm
— Leonard Kish (@leonardkish) November 2, 2012
T2: Depends on the "we." Vendors > Usable apps. Clinicians > Engage w/patients. Patients > Engage w/their health. All > Participate. #HITsm
— Jon Mertz (@jonmertz) November 2, 2012
T2: Improve patient satisfaction by looking at the patient as a customer, not a disease. #HITsm
— Peter Gilbert (@PeterNGilbert) November 2, 2012
T2: The preference of the patient is a big deal. Some of us want details, and some just want a pill. Hard position for docs. #HITsm
— jeffrey zinger (@jdzinger) November 2, 2012
#HITsm T2: Patients are interested in #mhealth, too. Educate them on apps that will improve their health. Look at their numbers, progress.
— Julia Weatherby (@juliaweatherby) November 2, 2012
Topic Three: What is #healthIT's role in patient safety?
T3: Patient Safety is improved by better communication.Technology can improve communication.So, tech can improve pt safety. #HITsm
— EMR, EHR and HIT(@ehrandhit) November 2, 2012
T3 – Health IT the great enabler. My smartphone + better search results + secure email make my engagement as a patient possible #HITsm
— jeffrey zinger (@jdzinger) November 2, 2012
T3: Timely access to results, charts, medical data from anywhere facilitates quick clinical decisions in life threatening situations #HITSM
— Mark James (@cardiologyHIT) November 2, 2012
T3: IT can improve #Patientsafety thru Interop. 2 entire #patient continuum- labs, home, #LTC, #mentalhealth, prisons #HITsm
— Linda Lia (@EMRAnswers) November 2, 2012
Topic Four: When is a low-tech solution better than high-tech?
T4 Low tech is better when it's something many people have access to or understand – can improve engagement levels #hitsm
— Perficient Health IT (@Perficient_HC) November 2, 2012
#HITsm T4: When is a low-tech solution better than high-tech? Facial expressions touch all important. I agree a hybrid approach is best.
— Lorri Zipperer (@lzipperer) November 2, 2012
T4: When we recognize that the answer to every patient/provider need is not necessarily "there's an app for that" #hitsm
— Robert Green (@HealthcareNovel) November 2, 2012
T4: I think trick is to realize #healthit allows for new systems not just digitizing old ones. #hitsm
— CLOUDHealth (@CLOUDHealth) November 2, 2012
T4 is wide open – from low-tech #Sandy thoughts to solutions like, a dog which helps an elderly patient go to another level of care #HITsm
— Melissa Cole(@MelissaColeHTR) November 2, 2012


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The Utah Beach Museum at Sainte-Marie-du-Mont is the answer. It's the answer to all those questions fired at developers about the morality of making wargames. The questions may be expressed in different ways but they always amount to the same thing: How do you feel about turning a painful, traumatic conflict into entertainment?
Randy Pitchford, president of Gearbox Software, uses the Spielberg defence: "We're fulfilling a fantasy, but also retelling a story as authentically as possible. I think it's important that it can remain as a reference piece. Five years ago this would have been too expensive to research, but now the audience is bigger and we can take on projects like this." His enthusiasm for the subject matter and commitment to the project (he spends at least an hour on top of a hill - Hill 30, he tells us - assessing it for the game) gives us hope that his interest in history is not just for the press releases.
The museum is three miles from Utah beach and is in the Normandy town made famous by The Longest Day, the John Wayne movie depicting the descent of paratroopers into a hail of German bullets. A life-sized facsimile of a soldier hangs by a parachute from the church steeple, providing a graphic reminder to tourists of what happened here 60 years ago. Apart from a large American bomber filling up the central hall, it's your typical museum full of artifacts, touchscreen monitors and bored schoolchildren. The kids sidle by, taking little notice of, well, anything. One of them points lazily at a Thompson sub-machine gun while another swings his bag at a fellow pupil to break the tedium. History is not alive here, and even the older visitors look like they've come purely out of a sense of duty.
Bringing this rich history to life for a new generation is only one of Pitchford's objectives; the good news is that Brothers In Arms does detail like no other war game we've encountered. Where Medal Of Honor Frontline gives you a prosaic version of the Omaha beach landing (which took place 12 miles from Utah beach) and then veers off into a Boys' Own adventure, Brothers In Arms sticks to the broad historical facts. It takes place over an eight-day period and reprises the major conflicts fought by 3rd squad, 3rd platoon of the 502nd airborne division during the invasion.
It's also odd because you get to see the invasion happen from an unusual perspective. As part of a paratrooper division, you land in the fields behind the enemy front line. Your job is to fight your way towards the allied forces, destroying and securing strategic points on the way and thus providing support to the thousands of troops fighting their way up Utah beach.
Your first task, however, is to find your scattered comrades before avoiding detection by the enemy and securing the exits of the four roads leading to the beach. The murkiness of the Normandy countryside coupled with the superb ambient sound effects make for an incredibly tense insertion. Hedgerows loom out of the dark and as you run to take cover from stray bullets pinging around you the sound of your heavy breathing ramps up the tension further. Brothers In Arms is not short on atmosphere.
Many of the higher-ranking soldiers in the game will be modelled on their historical counterparts, right down to facial features, name and accent - but the character you control, Sergeant Baker, and his men will be fictional. This was necessary to allow some artistic freedom but also out of respect for those individuals who fought and died during the Normandy invasion. "Brothers In Arms is based on a true story and it's the first action game to really put you on the real battlefields," continues Pitchford. "It's not just a corridor shooter with artwork that places it within a theme like you've played before. Brothers In Arms is the first team-based firstperson action game set in the period. It puts you in the boots of a paratrooper for eight days during the most important battle of modern history." Indeed, the 502nd parachute regiment is distinguished as the only squad to participate in every major action of the campaign.
Character texture is brought out through the conversations that take place between Baker and the dozen men under his command. Baker is at first reluctant to face the responsibility of taking young men into battle (a theme also present in Saving Private Ryan) but the other troopers also have to deal with personal issues amid the mess of war as they move from battle to battle. These vignettes are played out with subtlety and should provide even more motivation for astute tactical decision making in the field.
'Veracity' is the word of the day as Pitchford drives around Normandy from one location to another pointing out key areas that appear in the game. He rattles them off with boundless excitement: Purple Heart Lane, Hill 30, Dead Man's Corner, Carentan. Along with eyewitness accounts, delving into archives and dispatching a team to survey the local area, Gearbox also enlisted the help of Colonel John Antal, formerly of the US army. Now the company's military and historical director, he travels with us to add tactical depth to Pitchford's exposition of what, why and when.
There's little doubt that Gearbox is taking a brave decision by sticking to the historical truth, at least as far as it's outlined in the history books. "Military tactics haven't changed that dramatically over time," Antal tells us. "It's first about finding the enemy, then fixing the enemy, then flanking the enemy. Flanking really means something in this game. If you can attack an enemy from an unexpected direction then you create two things: confusion and fear."


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Creating sustainable development in Tanzania
The Projects Abroad team in Tanzania has been working alongside the local community in Dar es Salaam to create a sustainable endeavor through the work done by Projects Abroad volunteers.
According to the Country Director in Tanzania, Gloria Matoi, the voluntary work done in Tanzania assists in uplifting the local community. "Special program are sustainability projects, where volunteers aid the local community in starting up their own business instead of depending on donations, for example chicken farm projects." By creating such projects, like the Micro-finance project, locals are given the platforms to generate their own means through micro-finance and small business opportunities.
The Projects Abroad team also assists through providing training and support to host families where volunteers stay for the duration of their trip. "We provide employment, so to say, to the mamas of the host families to keep them busy through their day. We also train the host families in building a good relationship between them and volunteers," said Matoi.
These opportunities have also been extended to the local student population, according to the Office Manager in Tanzania, Janusz Drag. "We have established a volunteering program to local students in order to give them a chance to work in an international environment. They are rewarded with a certificate and a letter of recommendation."
Read more about Volunteering in Tanzania


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- Running JUnit Plugin Tests with Ant (JUnit, Eclipse)
- Disabling DTD validation for Ant xmlvalidate task within Eclipse
Check if a file exists
If you are trying to only execute an Ant task if a certain file exists, you can use a subtask to check the existance of a file.
Another similar task is checking whether a file exists, and failing if it does not:
<target name="...">
<available property="file.exists" file="my/file" />
<fail unless="file.exists" message="The file my/file does not exist." />


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I think we're all going to be turkey persons in about a week, now!
That would have been fascinating to see, Iriving. I've seen eagles and hawks hunt, mostly in the Sierras when I lived out there, but I've never seen one actually make a kill, not in real life, I mean. I've seen 'em make kills on television, but never in real life. But just watching them hunt and patrol the skies really is truly amazing. The majesty and regal bearing really isn't possible to convey unless you yourself are sitting at abount nine or ten thousand feet elevation and suddenly you watch them come from afar and go swooping across the sky.