Added a new blog to the blog list on the right:
'Exposed' - Leah Darrow
You can read more about her here:
"Good Catholic Girls" - Acts of the Apostasy
-Posted by: Joe
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Be our protection...
A quick thought...
What if *after* Mass we as individuals or families, quietly recited a prayer guiding us through the week? Do you pray after Mass, even briefly? If the Mass is the SUMMIT of our week, then why not depart the Mass seeking protection, guidance, or help?
What if we all took the extra 30 seconds or minute to pray these, quietly aloud after Mass? Imagine if hundreds and thousands appealed to St. Michael or the Blessed Virgin for protection and guidance throughout the week?
At one time, after any Low Mass, certain prayers were a part of the Mass... maybe those would be good. [For more on the Leonine Prayers see: Sancta Missa - Leonine Prayers] My wife and I have started doing this... and some have commented how they miss this tradition.
Here are some suggestions:
What if *after* Mass we as individuals or families, quietly recited a prayer guiding us through the week? Do you pray after Mass, even briefly? If the Mass is the SUMMIT of our week, then why not depart the Mass seeking protection, guidance, or help?
What if we all took the extra 30 seconds or minute to pray these, quietly aloud after Mass? Imagine if hundreds and thousands appealed to St. Michael or the Blessed Virgin for protection and guidance throughout the week?
At one time, after any Low Mass, certain prayers were a part of the Mass... maybe those would be good. [For more on the Leonine Prayers see: Sancta Missa - Leonine Prayers] My wife and I have started doing this... and some have commented how they miss this tradition.
Here are some suggestions:
Prayer to Saint Michael:
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle;
be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray:
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
Salve Regina
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us;
and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
thine eyes of mercy toward us;
and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
V./ Pray for us O holy Mother of God,
R./ that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
R./ that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
-Posted by: Joe
How Much Does It Cost To Start An Exporting Business
Question: How much money do I need to start an exporting business?
Answer: It Depends.
This is a business that can be worked in "many" different ways. How
you choose to work it will dictate the amount of money you will need
to have to get started.
You will need our export business training package which is $316.00
and at a minimum a one year subscription to our export trade leads
service (lists new importers weekly) for $95.00 so there you have
about $411.00.
If you do not have a computer, you will need one - they are very
inexpensive compared to when I first got started and you do not need
the fastest, highest tech one if all you are using it for is to send
and receive emails and type up letters or fax messages.
You can get a really nice Dell with all the bells and whistles you
will need for about $500. If you already have a computer, you do
not need to count this as a cost item to get started.
There are a couple of software items that I recommend and use myself
that are referred to you when you buy our course, all total they
might run about $100 or less but they are optional and may already
be included with the newest Dell computers. So again, this is an
optional cost.
A telephone, which most people have and if they do not, you can get
a tracfone at Walmart with about 400-800 minutes of time for a full
year for about $100. Here again, you probably already have a phone
so listing this as a cost is probably not necessary.
BIT OF ADVICE: If you are going to receive voicemail messages on your
phone, don't have your child do the recording or some weird music
playing in the background, be professional in your voicemail message
or people will hang up without leaving a message.
If you feel your voice does not project a professional image, get a
friend or relative to record it for you - write up a script for them
(or yourself) to make it easier when you (they) are ready to record.
If you are going to be in business, you first impression to someone
may be your voicemail message.
Now if you have your phone and computer already, then our exporters
master training package and a subscription to export leads is really
all you need to get started (after you have studied the course) if
you are going the route that is recommended by both our publisher
and myself.
What is that route? working as an Agent/Broker.
Now is you insist on doing things the hard way and going right into
being an export management company, then the cost can go up and
there is literally no way anyone, including me, can provide you with
an estimate of cost.
As an export management company, you better be prepared financially
to assume the risk and cost of buying the goods you are going to
then mark up for a profit and resell to a buyer/importer.
Yes, there are ways of doing the business as an export management
company that can be financed through other methods but all forms
of financing and letters of credit have become more difficult with
the worldwide banking situation. It can be done, but it is much
more difficult today than 2 years ago.
As an agent/broker you can help importers find suppliers and suppliers
(manufacturers) find buyers (importers) by using the export trade
leads subscription service referred to above.
In working the business as an agent/broker you may do so in many
different ways and in varying degrees of responsibility and still get
paid a commission for bringing a supplier new business which they
would not have had if it were not for you introducing them to the
new buyer/importer.
As an agent/broker, your total cost to get started basically is
what has been stated in the above paragraphs.
There is ONE other cost which no one can really provide you an
answer for and that is HOW MUCH TIME will it cost me before I make
any profits in this business? Sorry, NO ONE can answer that question
but you.
Hope this will help answer the proverbial question of "how much
will it cost to get started in the exporting business".
Ron Coble
Coble International Marketing Services
International Business and Trade Help Center
Answer: It Depends.
This is a business that can be worked in "many" different ways. How
you choose to work it will dictate the amount of money you will need
to have to get started.
You will need our export business training package which is $316.00
and at a minimum a one year subscription to our export trade leads
service (lists new importers weekly) for $95.00 so there you have
about $411.00.
If you do not have a computer, you will need one - they are very
inexpensive compared to when I first got started and you do not need
the fastest, highest tech one if all you are using it for is to send
and receive emails and type up letters or fax messages.
You can get a really nice Dell with all the bells and whistles you
will need for about $500. If you already have a computer, you do
not need to count this as a cost item to get started.
There are a couple of software items that I recommend and use myself
that are referred to you when you buy our course, all total they
might run about $100 or less but they are optional and may already
be included with the newest Dell computers. So again, this is an
optional cost.
A telephone, which most people have and if they do not, you can get
a tracfone at Walmart with about 400-800 minutes of time for a full
year for about $100. Here again, you probably already have a phone
so listing this as a cost is probably not necessary.
BIT OF ADVICE: If you are going to receive voicemail messages on your
phone, don't have your child do the recording or some weird music
playing in the background, be professional in your voicemail message
or people will hang up without leaving a message.
If you feel your voice does not project a professional image, get a
friend or relative to record it for you - write up a script for them
(or yourself) to make it easier when you (they) are ready to record.
If you are going to be in business, you first impression to someone
may be your voicemail message.
Now if you have your phone and computer already, then our exporters
master training package and a subscription to export leads is really
all you need to get started (after you have studied the course) if
you are going the route that is recommended by both our publisher
and myself.
What is that route? working as an Agent/Broker.
Now is you insist on doing things the hard way and going right into
being an export management company, then the cost can go up and
there is literally no way anyone, including me, can provide you with
an estimate of cost.
As an export management company, you better be prepared financially
to assume the risk and cost of buying the goods you are going to
then mark up for a profit and resell to a buyer/importer.
Yes, there are ways of doing the business as an export management
company that can be financed through other methods but all forms
of financing and letters of credit have become more difficult with
the worldwide banking situation. It can be done, but it is much
more difficult today than 2 years ago.
As an agent/broker you can help importers find suppliers and suppliers
(manufacturers) find buyers (importers) by using the export trade
leads subscription service referred to above.
In working the business as an agent/broker you may do so in many
different ways and in varying degrees of responsibility and still get
paid a commission for bringing a supplier new business which they
would not have had if it were not for you introducing them to the
new buyer/importer.
As an agent/broker, your total cost to get started basically is
what has been stated in the above paragraphs.
There is ONE other cost which no one can really provide you an
answer for and that is HOW MUCH TIME will it cost me before I make
any profits in this business? Sorry, NO ONE can answer that question
but you.
Hope this will help answer the proverbial question of "how much
will it cost to get started in the exporting business".
Ron Coble
Coble International Marketing Services
International Business and Trade Help Center
Saturday, February 27, 2010
What Blogging Can Teach
A week ago or so, my students' West Civ Proj blog went live.
And all I can say is "wow'.
I've been blogging with my kids for three or four years. In fact, my student's personal class blogs double as their notebooks as well. But this is the first time we've gone and published a public class blog.
Going in, the idea was to make a magazine (as evidenced in the blog post linked to above). But, as this week has drawn out, the kids have requested that we put 100% of our energy into the class blog -- as a BLOG.
I can understand their thinking. After all, the blog offers instant (as well as global) response.
So far this week, blog comments have instigated discussions about quality of sources, generation gaps, and responsibility. The kids have learned that they're not always the best spellers, logicians, or copy editors; and they've also learned that there is such a thing as a legitimate audience and that people outside of their classroom actually care about what they think (and how they think).
I'm very proud of the kids over our first week. And I'm interested to see where they go with it. Hope you get the chance to check out what these students -- a group of 14 and 15 year olds with no previous experience with blogging -- are doing with interactive media.
As I see it, the(se) kids are alright.
And all I can say is "wow'.
I've been blogging with my kids for three or four years. In fact, my student's personal class blogs double as their notebooks as well. But this is the first time we've gone and published a public class blog.
Going in, the idea was to make a magazine (as evidenced in the blog post linked to above). But, as this week has drawn out, the kids have requested that we put 100% of our energy into the class blog -- as a BLOG.
I can understand their thinking. After all, the blog offers instant (as well as global) response.
So far this week, blog comments have instigated discussions about quality of sources, generation gaps, and responsibility. The kids have learned that they're not always the best spellers, logicians, or copy editors; and they've also learned that there is such a thing as a legitimate audience and that people outside of their classroom actually care about what they think (and how they think).
I'm very proud of the kids over our first week. And I'm interested to see where they go with it. Hope you get the chance to check out what these students -- a group of 14 and 15 year olds with no previous experience with blogging -- are doing with interactive media.
As I see it, the(se) kids are alright.
A priestly take on the new translation of the Roman Missal
As many of you know there is a new translation of the Roman Missal coming out soon. For those that don't this, the plan is to have the new translation out by Advent of 2011. What does this mean exactly?
It means that the Novus Ordo (Modern Rite English) Mass will "sound" different... and it very well may *be* different, but that is a philosophical and theological question. In terms of practical application, the Missal will change many of the prayers, parts, and words used in the Modern Mass.
This of course has made some people question the implementation of this new translation. They argue that the new translation is cumbersome, difficult, or confusing. They then argue that added to the "difficulty" of the new translation is the simple fact that "change" and "newness" in the Mass will create confusion on behalf of the people of the Faith.
These arguments are shallow and in fact don't address the REASONS behind the necessity and purpose of the new translation. To better explain this point I direct you to Father Lee Acervo's: Corner where he explains not only why the new translation is SOUND but why it is actually a Holy and Faith-filled endeavor.
Here is a very poignant excerpt from his article:
You can read the rest of his post here:
-Posted by: Joe
It means that the Novus Ordo (Modern Rite English) Mass will "sound" different... and it very well may *be* different, but that is a philosophical and theological question. In terms of practical application, the Missal will change many of the prayers, parts, and words used in the Modern Mass.
This of course has made some people question the implementation of this new translation. They argue that the new translation is cumbersome, difficult, or confusing. They then argue that added to the "difficulty" of the new translation is the simple fact that "change" and "newness" in the Mass will create confusion on behalf of the people of the Faith.
These arguments are shallow and in fact don't address the REASONS behind the necessity and purpose of the new translation. To better explain this point I direct you to Father Lee Acervo's: Corner where he explains not only why the new translation is SOUND but why it is actually a Holy and Faith-filled endeavor.
Here is a very poignant excerpt from his article:
When the Mass was first translated into English, many tried to make it more understandable or “meaningful.” Well-intentioned, except that to make it meaningful to more and more people, the words had to become more and more simplified. The goal of making the earthly liturgy more heavenly was lost. The earthly liturgy was made more earthly or common. Rather than a foretaste of Heaven, the Mass was often little different than everyday life. As a result, Mass was no longer an encounter with something beyond this world causing many to say (and still say), “Why bother going?”
The goal of these new translations is to lead us to something heavenly, yet understandable. This may cause offense to some, but the prayers that we use at Mass are addressed to God and not to the people. The priest is speaking not to the congregation, but to God on behalf of the Church, and when we approach someone of high dignity, we naturally use a higher form of language. How much more when we approach the Almighty?
You can read the rest of his post here:
On the Revised English translations of the Roman Missal
-Posted by: Joe
HONOLULU JOINS THE RANKS OF NEWSPAPER MONOPOLY CITIES
I was sorting through some of my father’s belonging recently and came across the 1941 souvenir edition of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin (Jan 8, 1941), “The March of Hawaii.” Its lead story was the reorganization and strengthening of the Pacific Fleet and the appointment of Admiral H.E. Kimmel to head it.
My father acquired the paper while stationed in Hawaii with the Army Air Corps. Eleven months later the U.S. was at war, with Kimmel taking heat for having the bulk of his capital ships anchored in Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack.
I was reminded of the find this week while reading the news that Gannett has agreed to sell the Honolulu Advertiser to the Star-Bulletin. The two have a 130-year history of competition, somewhat muffled until they escaped their relatively difficult marriage in a joint operating agreement between 1960s and the millennium. Now the smaller paper is buying the bigger paper, if it can comply with or skirt antitrust provisions.
We are now in the last throes of consolidation of the newspaper industry, brought on by audiences shifting to television, cable channels, and the Internet for news and information, and advertisers following audiences. The consequence is the newspapering has become a monopoly business in more than 1360 cities and towns and big city papers—even when they are monopolies—are having difficulties competing for advertising dollars. Only two percent of cities have competing dailies.
This change calls into the question the traditional view that a competing press is the foundation of democracy. If competition among perspectives on news and information is necessary for democratic functions, we have to think of it beyond the printed press and begin recognizing the important functions provided by other providers of news, information, and commentary.
Rather than constantly challenging their abilities to carry out functions in the same way as the press once did, we need to find ways to support and improve their activities—whether they be broadcast or Internet based. And we need to find ways to ensure that the papers remaining in place reevaluate their democratic functions and find ways to provide service to the spectrum of observations and ideas that has been diminished by the newspapers monopolies that now dominate our land.
My father acquired the paper while stationed in Hawaii with the Army Air Corps. Eleven months later the U.S. was at war, with Kimmel taking heat for having the bulk of his capital ships anchored in Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack.
I was reminded of the find this week while reading the news that Gannett has agreed to sell the Honolulu Advertiser to the Star-Bulletin. The two have a 130-year history of competition, somewhat muffled until they escaped their relatively difficult marriage in a joint operating agreement between 1960s and the millennium. Now the smaller paper is buying the bigger paper, if it can comply with or skirt antitrust provisions.
We are now in the last throes of consolidation of the newspaper industry, brought on by audiences shifting to television, cable channels, and the Internet for news and information, and advertisers following audiences. The consequence is the newspapering has become a monopoly business in more than 1360 cities and towns and big city papers—even when they are monopolies—are having difficulties competing for advertising dollars. Only two percent of cities have competing dailies.
This change calls into the question the traditional view that a competing press is the foundation of democracy. If competition among perspectives on news and information is necessary for democratic functions, we have to think of it beyond the printed press and begin recognizing the important functions provided by other providers of news, information, and commentary.
Rather than constantly challenging their abilities to carry out functions in the same way as the press once did, we need to find ways to support and improve their activities—whether they be broadcast or Internet based. And we need to find ways to ensure that the papers remaining in place reevaluate their democratic functions and find ways to provide service to the spectrum of observations and ideas that has been diminished by the newspapers monopolies that now dominate our land.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Your Focus for Lent?
Many of us "give up" something, "give something", and/or pray in a new way. These obviously are the ways in which we Pray, Fast, and do Penance.
Yet, I have also chosen to do these things in a combined manner in my SPIRITUAL life. For example, my Lenten "Work" is to work on my spiritual "pride." Many of us that are converts, reverts, or traditionalists struggle with this. We mentally criticize at Mass, we blog about "Spirit of VII'ers", or something else that causes us to be prideful.
So I am working on this... THROUGH my Lenten works.
How about you? What are you working on.....
-Posted by: Joe
Yet, I have also chosen to do these things in a combined manner in my SPIRITUAL life. For example, my Lenten "Work" is to work on my spiritual "pride." Many of us that are converts, reverts, or traditionalists struggle with this. We mentally criticize at Mass, we blog about "Spirit of VII'ers", or something else that causes us to be prideful.
So I am working on this... THROUGH my Lenten works.
How about you? What are you working on.....
-Posted by: Joe
Guests Check-in to a TelePresence Suite
The American hospitality industry has suffered from the global economic meltdown. While room rates sank nearly 9 percent for the U.S. hotel industry overall, luxury hotels saw their rates decline more than 16 percent, according to a market study by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Was the "frugal consumer" phenomenon to blame? Actually, they're not the main culprit. Business people that chose to travel to meet their customers and suppliers are still not likely budgeted to stay at the pricier hotel properties.
What's a savvy upscale hotelier to do, given this scenario? Follow a customer demand trend that has gained momentum -- where spending has risen, based on a solid ROI justification.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts unveiled its first in-hotel Cisco TelePresence meeting suites with a virtual, interactive meeting spanning across two continents. The W Chicago City Center and Sheraton on the Park Sydney are the first in Starwood's global portfolio to introduce the new meeting facilities.
Borderless Face-to-Face Collaboration in Action
Guests and corporate clients were brought together in a true-to-life meeting setting, despite more than 9,000 miles apart and the 17 hour time difference. Participants in both locations had a seat at the table and were able to meet "face-to-face" -- utilizing ultra-high definition video, superior audio and life-size imagery of all participants.
In June of 2009, Starwood announced a partnership with Tata Communications and plans to build Cisco TelePresence rooms in 10 properties worldwide. In addition to the Chicago and Sydney hotels, two more TelePresence meeting suites will open in the first half of this year -- including the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers and Sheraton Centre Toronto.
Other planned locations include The Westin Los Angeles Airport, with the anticipation to expand the offering to key domestic and international business markets such as Dallas, San Francisco, Brussels, Paris, Hong Kong and Frankfurt. As an industry first, reservations for these TelePresence rooms can be made instantly using the Tata Communications online portal.
"The launch of the new Cisco TelePresence meeting suites at the W Chicago and Sheraton on the Park Sydney is another example of Starwood's commitment to innovation by offering our clients an exciting, new meetings solution that facilitates a 'face-to-face' meeting in the same room regardless of global location," said Christie Hicks, Senior Vice President of Global Sales for Starwood. "We have a great partner in Tata Communications and look forward to continuing opening new meeting facilities throughout our portfolio of hotels around the world."
Latest Video Meeting Technology, On-Demand
Cisco TelePresence provides life-like, high definition, conferencing facilities with superior audio, video and environmental qualities allowing participants to meet their colleagues, customers and business partners across a virtual table. The public facility enables those who don't have a corporate TelePresence room to utilize this new benefit at an affordable per-hour rental rate.
Tata Communications has several operational public rooms in India (Mumbai, Bangalore (x2), Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi and Gurgaon), UK (London) and USA (Boston), Manila with PLDT in the Philippines and Johannesburg with Neotel in South Africa.
Google joins the Cloud Security Alliance
Today we're happy to announce that Google has joined the Cloud Security Alliance, a non-profit organization of experts focused on best practices and education efforts around the security of cloud computing.
Cloud computing continues to gain momentum, and organizations such as the CSA are an important part of an ecosystem that works to increase transparency, lower risks, and promote independent research. The CSA's focus on security best practices offers valuable information to organizations looking to move to the cloud, and as a member of the CSA, we look forward to providing ongoing education about cloud computing and its value to the organizations that use it.
Google's activities with the CSA include sponsoring the Cloud Security Alliance Summit at RSA Conference 2010 on March 1, 2010 in San Francisco, California, and participating in a CSA panel discussion at SecureCloud 2010, held on March 16 and 17 in Barcelona, Spain.
Learn more about Google's cloud computing solutions for organizations.
Posted by Adam Swidler, Google Enterprise Marketing team
Cloud computing continues to gain momentum, and organizations such as the CSA are an important part of an ecosystem that works to increase transparency, lower risks, and promote independent research. The CSA's focus on security best practices offers valuable information to organizations looking to move to the cloud, and as a member of the CSA, we look forward to providing ongoing education about cloud computing and its value to the organizations that use it.
Google's activities with the CSA include sponsoring the Cloud Security Alliance Summit at RSA Conference 2010 on March 1, 2010 in San Francisco, California, and participating in a CSA panel discussion at SecureCloud 2010, held on March 16 and 17 in Barcelona, Spain.
Learn more about Google's cloud computing solutions for organizations.
Posted by Adam Swidler, Google Enterprise Marketing team
CSM course + Workshop in Ottawa March 1-4
Joe Little will be leading a Certified ScrumMaster course (2 days), followed by an optional workshop (2 days). In Ottawa, Mar 1-4.
Here are the details: http://leanagiletraining.com/LittleOttawa/LittleOttawaCourse.html
The workshop is good for any team that needs a boost. Either at the beginning, or in the middle.
Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Here are the details: http://leanagiletraining.com/LittleOttawa/LittleOttawaCourse.html
The workshop is good for any team that needs a boost. Either at the beginning, or in the middle.
Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Do Scrum and Kool-Aid go together?
Occasionally I hear the complaint: "Oh, you [scrum, agile, lean, x] guys have drunk the Kool-Aid. You don't care how reality intrudes, you're just going to propose your [X] solutions."And what does this person mean? He might mean: "Completely on faith, without any support of reason and facts, you are a strong advocate of a certain set of views." He might also mean that we have let out minds be clouded with too much emotion and too much enthusiasm.
And of course, in the Agile community, there are indeed some people who resemble this remark. His (or her) comments do indeed have some traction. (Maybe I think not very much, but at least some.)
So, what is the right way to play Agile?
Well, first, of all the rigorous approaches to new product development, I find Scrum and Lean to be the MOST reality based. For example, the principles of Scrum require us to be transparent about the truth. Require us to keep an honest velocity. And require us to admit *every* Sprint the painful truth that we are not (yet?!?!) perfect, and we must remove one impediment now, and get better. And we try to immediately use all the good and bad aspects of the truth, as it minute-by-minute unfolds, to get better.
To be honest, I still lie. But I must say, when I did waterfall, I felt it was helping me lie, while when I do Scrum, it puts the mirror up and makes me see how much I still continue to avoid the truth. So that I almost can't avoid. (Of course, being a clever guy, I still do avoid it some.)
So, when a Scrum theory or practice hits a hard reality, Scrum allows that the hard reality wins. It also demands that the onlooker examine yet again how they are twisting the truth out there in the very process of trying to perceive it....but when we really understand the truth, the truth always wins.
Now let's move to emotion. It is right to say that any sport, if you play to win, it must be played with intense...energy or intention. Some wish to call this emotion...ok. And Scrum is such a team sport. But to play any sport at a high level, one must ride one's emotions, but at the same time control them. All the winners know this, and it is indeed this that is their greatest struggle (I am thinking Roger Federer just now, but many great athletes will tell you this if you have not experienced it yourself).
Now, being emotion in this way does not mean that the energy is allowed to deceive our good perception of reality. In fact, to play a sport well, one always wants a hyper-perception of reality. They say: "It was as if the ball was moving in slow motion." As one example.
Now, junior level athletes forget these great lessons more often, and sometimes have not even become accomplished enough to start to deal with these lessons yet. But do not blame tennis that some people play it terribly. Do not blame Scrum that some people allow their emotions to cloud their judgment. Scrum is only a vehicle to enable them, in the time that God may appoint, to learn to live better in this real world.
Oh, and if you play Scrum, don't forget to drink the Gatorade. Your body needs that hydration and the electrolytes. To also help enable the creativity.
Update on Teachers Pledging to Go Paperless for Earth Day
From Vietnam to British Columbia. From Serbia to Honduras. Teachers are pledging to go paperless for Earth Day 2010!
At last count, we had about 360 teachers from around the world pledged.
Here is the original call from a week ago. Here is the form through which you can pledge to go paperless. And here is the Doc listing all of the teachers who have pledged.
Thank you to all of the teachers involved so far. Steve and I are thinking of ways that we can all share what we do in our classes on April 22. It would be great to have a site that could serve as documentation of the event worldwide. If you would like to get involved in helping to create that sort of thing, let me know.
At last count, we had about 360 teachers from around the world pledged.
Here is the original call from a week ago. Here is the form through which you can pledge to go paperless. And here is the Doc listing all of the teachers who have pledged.
Thank you to all of the teachers involved so far. Steve and I are thinking of ways that we can all share what we do in our classes on April 22. It would be great to have a site that could serve as documentation of the event worldwide. If you would like to get involved in helping to create that sort of thing, let me know.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Join us at America's Small Business Summit
Small business owners often ask us how Google Apps can help improve the way they work. We'll be sharing some answers in May when we join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce at this year's America's Small Business Summit.
Every day, thousands of businesses of all sizes sign up for Google Apps to help save money, reduce IT hassles, and improve collaboration. For small business owners, Google Apps provides a familiar set of easy-to-use Google business applications with minimal setup and maintenance costs, so that you can stay focused on more strategic elements of running your business.
We hope that you'll join us at this upcoming summit, and, in the meantime, we invite you to take a look at how a few small businesses are using Google Apps today to help improve they way they work.
Posted by Shaluinn Fullove, Google Apps team
Every day, thousands of businesses of all sizes sign up for Google Apps to help save money, reduce IT hassles, and improve collaboration. For small business owners, Google Apps provides a familiar set of easy-to-use Google business applications with minimal setup and maintenance costs, so that you can stay focused on more strategic elements of running your business.
We hope that you'll join us at this upcoming summit, and, in the meantime, we invite you to take a look at how a few small businesses are using Google Apps today to help improve they way they work.
Posted by Shaluinn Fullove, Google Apps team
Better site traffic data and new name for Google Ad Planner
Already, tens of thousands of AdSense publishers have used Google Ad Planner to share information about their website with advertisers. We are continuing to invest in the product in order to provide the deepest, most accurate data possible. To that end, we have improved how we calculate site traffic by over 10%, upgraded the way we publish opt-in Google Analytics data from publishers, and renamed the product to DoubleClick Ad Planner. Visit the DoubleClick blog to read more about the new product features and new name.
As always, anyone can use the newly renamed DoubleClick Ad Planner whether or not they are a DoubleClick customer. The product remains free and open for everyone. The URL for publishers to update their profile remains the same: www.google.com/adplanner/publisher.
If you are new to Ad Planner, we invite you to learn more about claiming your site.
As always, anyone can use the newly renamed DoubleClick Ad Planner whether or not they are a DoubleClick customer. The product remains free and open for everyone. The URL for publishers to update their profile remains the same: www.google.com/adplanner/publisher.
If you are new to Ad Planner, we invite you to learn more about claiming your site.
Honoring the Dead...
On wednesday, a trainer at Sea World tragically was killed performing her job, which is the the care and training of Orca's [aka Killer Whales].
You can read about the incident in the Orlando Sentinel:
SeaWorld Trainer is Killed in Killer Whale Attack
You can read about the incident in the Orlando Sentinel:
SeaWorld Trainer is Killed in Killer Whale Attack
My take on this has nothing to do with the actual incident, but instead the way that many Catholic bloggers have treated this. A lot of bloggers have decided to take the time to blog, tweet, or post about this. Which is fine, but in doing so they have done it in a flippant and somewhat disrespectful way. They point out that they "are called Killer Whales for a reason."
I understand their point, I think we all do. Yet isn't there still some bit of honor we owe this woman? Yes I know her job may be 'foolish' to some, but she viewed it as her dream job. Also, how many of us have EVER been to an aquarium, zoo, or SeaWorld? If we have, then we don't REALLY think these people are foolish AND pointless do we? In fact, we are glad they exist.
So why are we as Catholics not honoring this woman? It would be one thing if a blogger chose NOT to post about this incident. That is fine, a Catholic blogger does not have an obligation to POST about every death that occurs and makes the front page of the news. Yet, when a Catholic blogger CHOOSES to post about something, they have then taken on the responsibility to practice the virtues of the FAITH in their post.
It is always hard to criticize other Catholics. I think one should only criticize ACTIONS and not the person themself. So, I am not trying to be "Holier than thou..." I am only trying to say that, it is important that as Catholic bloggers we are careful when we choose to blog about things. Although the internet allows a degree of distance to remain between "information and people" it does not mean that the issues and incidents which we post about don't have implications beyond the words on the screen. Most things that posts talk about are about real people and real events. We need to honor those people, and in situations like this honor the dead.
May Dawn Brancheau Requiescat in pace.
-Posted by: Joe
Traffic improvements and new name for Google Ad Planner
Every day, thousands of AdWords advertisers use Google Ad Planner to research websites and select where to advertise online. We're continuing to improve this tool in order to provide the deepest, most accurate insight into online audiences possible.
To that end, we've improved how Ad Planner calculates site traffic by over 10%, and we've changed its name to DoubleClick Ad Planner. Visit the DoubleClick blog to read more about the traffic improvements and the new name.
You don't need to be a DoubleClick customer to use the newly renamed DoubleClick Ad Planner as the tool remains free and open for everyone. You can continue to access it at: www.google.com/adplanner.
If you haven't used Ad Planner, we invite you to give it a try. We think you'll find it to be a powerful research and media planning tool that makes it easy to find your audience and create well-informed media plans.
More on Post-Screen Futures: What's it Look Like?
@monk51295 read my last post on post-screen futures and asks what such a future would 'look' like. While I don't think of myself as much of a science fiction writer, I can offer some suggestions that -- to me at least -- seem practical.
First of all, the existing built environment would have to be retrofitted. We could start with external surfaces. Take your average city block in the downtown of your average city. The exterior of every building as well as the surface beneath your feet would be touch-interface optional and capable of projection and image grabbing. This sort of thing -- making every surface in a room an access point, for example -- is already in the pipeline. Where it gets really exciting is when it goes outside and computing becomes public as opposed to personal. When computing becomes the graffiti of urban life.
However, for those times when public computing is not desired, we'll turn to our personal connection. But iPhones and the like will have gone the way of laserdiscs as they will have been replaced by glasses and satellite-connected contact lenses that offer the wearer a sensory-based personalized augmented reality experience.
What both the built-environment public computing model and the sensory-based personalized augmented reality model have in common is that they are both aspects of post-sedentary computing. They change the nature of how we react to the environment and they would force us to rethink how time works in our day to day lives. In terms of schools, this would of course eliminate much of what a compartmentalized building is useful for; I see those sorts of antiquities being replaced by communally activated information and learning walls housed within smart environments and as open and physical as possible. Get rid of the desks and chairs and let the technology help get people on their feet. I'm envisioning a sort of interactive and communal digital Greek Stoa where the structure itself -- that is, the architecture and the circulation plan -- is the connection device.
Would love to hear all of your thoughts on this. Let's take time out of the present for just a moment to get all 22nd century for a spell.
Dreaming of a Post-Screen Future
I spend far too much time behind a computer screen.
So I dream of a post-screen future. A future where the major trends in contemporary computing -- social media, the cloud, touch surfaces, interconnected telecommunication and video, and augmented reality -- meet with the built environment.
As computing becomes more cloud based and less 'personal' device intensive, we're going to see a surge in smart buildings and smart environments. Surface-based interaction and AR merging with both interior and exterior interactive supergraphic architecture will ultimately replace the concept of devices themselves, let alone screens.
While you might carry a small device for personal communication and connection to information, that device will only be a key to unlock the computing potential of the built environment itself.
Eventually, the architecture of our built environment will itself become the access point and the built environment, infrastructure, and architecture itself will be the 'device'. The environment of life and digital access will be same thing.
And we'll laugh about how we used to lead sedentary lives beholden to a screen.
Priceline talking Asia and growth but still quiet on Agoda results
Three articles/posts this week with information on Priceline's strategy for Asia. They are all good reads and I recommend them to you. Playing to my bias for comments on Asia/Australasia, I poured through the posts to look for details on Priceline's investment in Agoda and plans for Booking in the region. Unfortunately Priceline continue to closely guard the details on Agoda's performance.The three posts are:
- Tnooz's Dennis Schaal "Priceline CEO on metasearch swan song, private sales, Expedia, Asia strategy";
- Reuters "Online travel bookings shift overseas"; and
- seeking alpha's "Priceline.com Inc. Q4 2009 Earnings Call Transcript"
- Priceline likes the dual strategy of brands in Asia - Agoda and Booking.com according to CEO Jeffery Boyd (Schaal's post)
- Two thirds of Priceline's bookings are non- US. "We expect to have higher growth in the international markets, from new markets like Asia that are less well-penetrated and are currently enjoying higher levels of economic growth," Boyd said. International bookings were up 81 percent in the fourth quarter compared to 20.6 percent in the US. (Reuter's story). In the same story Expedia's Khosrowshahi said that said he expects non-U.S. bookings to account for at least half of Expedia's business within five years, up from 37 percent currently. He went on "We're aggressively investing in China and Australia, India and Brazil,";
There are lots of details on the quarter's numbers bu very slim pickings from Boyd in the earnings call on Agoda (seeking alpha) on Agoda. Boyd is very tight on the message of growth but will not be drawn on details.
"International gross bookings benefited from growth in new markets, growth in hotel supply and results from Agoda";
"Agoda also reported improving growth rates resulting in an improved merchant growth rates on a consolidated basis.";
"gross booking growth rates improved for Agoda"; and
- "with respect to Agoda, we’ve consistently seen their business do well in Asian countries outside of China and India in particular, that’s been their focus. Thailand is a big market for Agoda."
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Thoughts for the Perfect Development Environment
What if your Development Environment helped you prioritize what you needed to work on?
I've never been very good at project management, and my memories of Microsoft Project aren't fond ones, but it is really helpful to know "what to work on when" in order to meet your scheduling goals.
I do the lion's share of my development work with a Model Driven Environment these days... so from the outset of my projects I have a high-level diagram of the components that need to be implemented in order to satisfy the client's requirements.
What if each component of the Model could be assigned and scheduled by the Project Manager, and I could see that schedule right in my Development Environment?
Let's take that a bit further... I am a big fan of Test Driven Development, so lets give the Project Manager the ability to schedule the day on which my Component should pass a specific Test. Give me plenty of warning so I can organize my own work, and give the PM the ability to run the Test on the scheduled day. That way the PM will know whether or not I'm really on track.
Being a big fan of Iterative Development, I'd go further and give my PM the ability to schedule a series of Tests (increasing functionality over time) to guide each iteration of the project. My Development Environment would let me know which tests had to be passed each day... giving me clear guidance on what really needs to be done in the right order.
Good development methodologies, like Test Driven Development and Iterative Development, can make a dramatic impact on your ability to produce solutions on schedule, so why not build them into our Development Environments? Transform the static Gantt Charts of the Project Managers into Actionable Tasks in the Developer's workspace, and I think we'll get a whole lot better at delivering solutions on schedule.
I've never been very good at project management, and my memories of Microsoft Project aren't fond ones, but it is really helpful to know "what to work on when" in order to meet your scheduling goals.
I do the lion's share of my development work with a Model Driven Environment these days... so from the outset of my projects I have a high-level diagram of the components that need to be implemented in order to satisfy the client's requirements.
What if each component of the Model could be assigned and scheduled by the Project Manager, and I could see that schedule right in my Development Environment?
Let's take that a bit further... I am a big fan of Test Driven Development, so lets give the Project Manager the ability to schedule the day on which my Component should pass a specific Test. Give me plenty of warning so I can organize my own work, and give the PM the ability to run the Test on the scheduled day. That way the PM will know whether or not I'm really on track.
Being a big fan of Iterative Development, I'd go further and give my PM the ability to schedule a series of Tests (increasing functionality over time) to guide each iteration of the project. My Development Environment would let me know which tests had to be passed each day... giving me clear guidance on what really needs to be done in the right order.
Good development methodologies, like Test Driven Development and Iterative Development, can make a dramatic impact on your ability to produce solutions on schedule, so why not build them into our Development Environments? Transform the static Gantt Charts of the Project Managers into Actionable Tasks in the Developer's workspace, and I think we'll get a whole lot better at delivering solutions on schedule.
SPARTACUS WORKOUT #2 VIDEO
SPARTACUS WORKOUT #2 VIDEO
We are well into week #2 of the Spartacus Workout Challenge and over 600 people are going at it strong. Check out this week’s workout and click the link below if you want to lose weight and get ripped.
Funk Roberts is running a FREE 4 Week Spartacus Challenge for those MEN or WOMEN who want to get ripped and blast their fitness to new heights. This high intensity cutting-edge circuit routine can strip away fat and define every muscle in your body.
The challenge was taken from Men's Health Magazine, but I will provide you with my weekly workouts and nutrition plan to help you get to your SPARTACUS status.
CLICK THIS LINK TO GET STARTED
http://www.spartacusworkout.com
I want to thank TL Smooth, Estella Hom (Lady Spartacus), Supplementsource.ca and Gymboss.com for all your help, to make this happen.
Check out what Mark from England says:
Finished the first week and so far I feel awesome! More energy, sleeping better, muscles and joints hurt much less (even after the sessions!), cardio's already vastly improved, recovery rate is through the roof... feel stronger, faster and generally more alert. As of right now, this Spartacus thing is THE best training system I've ever done!
Sure, as with all training systems, you have to dedicate yourself 100% with the exercises, nutrition, rest periods - and I always try and do so, but with Spartacus I just feel like I'm developing even faster!
We are well into week #2 of the Spartacus Workout Challenge and over 600 people are going at it strong. Check out this week’s workout and click the link below if you want to lose weight and get ripped.
Funk Roberts is running a FREE 4 Week Spartacus Challenge for those MEN or WOMEN who want to get ripped and blast their fitness to new heights. This high intensity cutting-edge circuit routine can strip away fat and define every muscle in your body.
The challenge was taken from Men's Health Magazine, but I will provide you with my weekly workouts and nutrition plan to help you get to your SPARTACUS status.
CLICK THIS LINK TO GET STARTED
http://www.spartacusworkout.com
I want to thank TL Smooth, Estella Hom (Lady Spartacus), Supplementsource.ca and Gymboss.com for all your help, to make this happen.
Check out what Mark from England says:
Finished the first week and so far I feel awesome! More energy, sleeping better, muscles and joints hurt much less (even after the sessions!), cardio's already vastly improved, recovery rate is through the roof... feel stronger, faster and generally more alert. As of right now, this Spartacus thing is THE best training system I've ever done!
Sure, as with all training systems, you have to dedicate yourself 100% with the exercises, nutrition, rest periods - and I always try and do so, but with Spartacus I just feel like I'm developing even faster!
What the Kids Think About Toyota
Just thinking about something that came up in class today.
In my Latin III class, we've been talking about the rhetorical device called ekphrasis. That's a somewhat obscure method of using drama or narrative to tell the story of a picture or art work... and sometimes vice-versa.
So, the day before, I'd asked the students to write short stories demonstrating abundant use of ekphrasis. Today we read the stories.
And it wasn't the 'demonstration of abundant use of ekphrasis' that caught my greatest notice.
It was the fact that a third of the students had written short stories that in each of which had at some point slammed Toyota.
Really.
Afterwards we laughed about it and had a candid discussion and the majority of students came to the agreement that Toyotas were deathtraps.
Really.
And they readily shared this opinion of the car company on their blogs, on Facebook, et al.
Which got me thinking: could Toyota wind up being another casualty of the digital age? And not for any reason but that their tarnished reputation is the digitally-shared laughing-stock of the next generation of car buyers?
In my Latin III class, we've been talking about the rhetorical device called ekphrasis. That's a somewhat obscure method of using drama or narrative to tell the story of a picture or art work... and sometimes vice-versa.
So, the day before, I'd asked the students to write short stories demonstrating abundant use of ekphrasis. Today we read the stories.
And it wasn't the 'demonstration of abundant use of ekphrasis' that caught my greatest notice.
It was the fact that a third of the students had written short stories that in each of which had at some point slammed Toyota.
Really.
Afterwards we laughed about it and had a candid discussion and the majority of students came to the agreement that Toyotas were deathtraps.
Really.
And they readily shared this opinion of the car company on their blogs, on Facebook, et al.
Which got me thinking: could Toyota wind up being another casualty of the digital age? And not for any reason but that their tarnished reputation is the digitally-shared laughing-stock of the next generation of car buyers?
Go Mobile! Series: Join us for a free mobile webinar
The Internet is going mobile. Every week, tens of millions of people search on Google from their mobile phones and generate hundreds of millions of searches. Using mobile ads, you can reach these consumers while they're on-the-go.
Please join us for an upcoming webinar about what we're seeing in the mobile ad space and how you can incorporate mobile advertising into your marketing strategy.
Specifically, we'll cover how you can:
* Understand mobile trends and what they mean for your business
* Drive consumer action online and in the store
* Optimize your strategy for the mobile platform
Register here for the webinar to be held on March 2, 2010 at 11:00am PST / 1:00pm CST / 2:00pm EST.
Pro-Gay Thuggery at Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago - Attn: Catholic Lawyers
Read this at WDTPRS.com:
Thugs at the Cathedral of Chicago
My question goes out to Catholic Lawyers out there; if all reported facts are true - isn't there a possibility for a lawsuit against both the group AND the city? I mean if both sides knew of the ordinace, doesn't that give the people inside a cause of action against both groups?
Damages would be an issue - what "dollar amount" can you place on renewing your vows? I guess if someone had set up something ELABORATE you could most definitely claim SOMETHING. Just curious what some of you think...
Also... does such a suit have any moral implications?
-Posted by: Joe
Thugs at the Cathedral of Chicago
My question goes out to Catholic Lawyers out there; if all reported facts are true - isn't there a possibility for a lawsuit against both the group AND the city? I mean if both sides knew of the ordinace, doesn't that give the people inside a cause of action against both groups?
Damages would be an issue - what "dollar amount" can you place on renewing your vows? I guess if someone had set up something ELABORATE you could most definitely claim SOMETHING. Just curious what some of you think...
Also... does such a suit have any moral implications?
-Posted by: Joe
Teachers Going Paperless for Earth Day
Just an update.
At last count (3:45PM EST), there were 275 teachers from around the world who had pledged to go paperless on Earth Day (April 22). The response to this call is something far greater than anything Steve and I had expected. A big thank you to everyone who has helped out over the last few days with the campaign on FB, Twitter, and in your schools!
Click here to see the pledges so far.
And click here to pledge.
At last count (3:45PM EST), there were 275 teachers from around the world who had pledged to go paperless on Earth Day (April 22). The response to this call is something far greater than anything Steve and I had expected. A big thank you to everyone who has helped out over the last few days with the campaign on FB, Twitter, and in your schools!
Click here to see the pledges so far.
And click here to pledge.
USCCB: Bishop Status Report - QP*
Interesting link about the current status of Bishops and Openings:
USCCB - Bishops and Openings
-Posted by: Joe
[Note: I have decided to do more Quick Posts (QP*) which will be included in the title. These will generally be links or updates with little discussion or analysis by me. This is to help my readers find interesting news around the web since I live in a time zone that puts most of my IN-DEPTH posting beyond normal waking hours. I will also try and do more ROUND-UP's of other blogs and interesting info; this helps in the same regard and also gets Blog Traffic flowing around to other great blogs!]
Also remember to check my Twitter Feed for ReTweets, Quick Posts, and Blog Updates!
USCCB - Bishops and Openings
-Posted by: Joe
[Note: I have decided to do more Quick Posts (QP*) which will be included in the title. These will generally be links or updates with little discussion or analysis by me. This is to help my readers find interesting news around the web since I live in a time zone that puts most of my IN-DEPTH posting beyond normal waking hours. I will also try and do more ROUND-UP's of other blogs and interesting info; this helps in the same regard and also gets Blog Traffic flowing around to other great blogs!]
Also remember to check my Twitter Feed for ReTweets, Quick Posts, and Blog Updates!
Catholic Blog... Celebrities?
So there has been some murmuring of late on the blogs that I read about "Catholic Blog Celebrities." Now the word CELBRITY is not used per se but that is meaning behind the message. While I was on hiatus, I didn't check my RSS reader, so I had quite a bit of CATCHING UP TO DO and this was one of the "themes" that caught my eye.
The argument was that these personalities are so big that they have become something contrary to their purpose. One of the arguments raised was that someone like Father Z. shouldn't be asking for or listing his Amazon Wish List online; or that the list in and of itself is excessive, in that it lists big ticket items. I am not sure if the person was more upset that he was listing such items or actually getting them. [I have made a post about Amazon before... WISH LISTS] Obviously this "problem" is purely the law of numbers. More people read Father Z's website than Blogger X's. Therefore there is a greater chance that someone will donate to Father Z. than Blogger X. Also, Blogger X's contribution while GREAT and IMPORTANT, doesn't always attract those that are WILLING to donate or gift. On top of that, the COLLAR helps, period.
Now some have poked fun at the idea of Father Z. asking for money for Bird Seed. Now, I won't get into that argument, because I don't think it is fruitful on this blog, and I also think that it is a pretty cut and dry issue and people can make up their own mind. But what about someone like Mark Shea? He supports himself via blogging, book writing, and speaking? Should he not get such things via Blog "Tips"? I mean, let's say you work at Store X, and you sell widgets. You get paid hourly, and then go out and buy an iPod or a Porsche. Isn't that your choice? Should I the consumer tell you or get to dictate how you spend your money? Of course not.
Now, do I think there is some inequity in "Tipping"? Maybe... but again it comes down to NUMBERS. There are many Catholic bloggers that have "stories." As I talked about in my previous post I thought long and hard about putting a Pay Pal or Amazon link on the blog for "Tipping." At first I had Pay Pal but took it off. I did leave the Amazon list up, but list only items RELEVANT to the blog or my personal life that would then relate back to the blog. Not because I think that other items shouldn't be on a list like that, I just choose to operate in a certain fashion.
What do you all think? Should Catholic Bloggers, especially the celebrity types have such Wish Lists? Are there correct and incorrect things to have on such lists? Is a person WRONG in some ethical way for buying such things for a person which lists them?
Personally... someone can get me this:
Now, do I think there is some inequity in "Tipping"? Maybe... but again it comes down to NUMBERS. There are many Catholic bloggers that have "stories." As I talked about in my previous post I thought long and hard about putting a Pay Pal or Amazon link on the blog for "Tipping." At first I had Pay Pal but took it off. I did leave the Amazon list up, but list only items RELEVANT to the blog or my personal life that would then relate back to the blog. Not because I think that other items shouldn't be on a list like that, I just choose to operate in a certain fashion.
Personally... someone can get me this:
Whomever gets this for me, will receive a share of the meat I take with it for the duration of my use of this weapon :)
-Posted by: Joe
The Innovation Index Strikes Back in 2009
The Innovation Index had a remarkable showing in 2009, gaining 48.65%, and beating S&P 500, Dow Jones and NASDAQ. 17 of the top 20 innovators were in the green. 3 of the top 20 innovators, including Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) had over 100% gains. 16 of the top 20 innovators had double-digit gains. eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) and Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) gained over 65% each. America Movil (NYSE: AMX), IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) gained over 50% each. Only 3 innovators were in the red.2009 proved that the most innovative companies in USA are not only resilient, but bounce back bigger and faster compared to the general market. The Top 20 innovators performed extremely well, delivering explosive growth in business, profits, innovations, and stock performance.
How will the Innovation Index perform in 2010? Check back in April, 2010 for the quarterly report of the Innovation Index.
Learn about Apple's innovation strategy... How does Apple innovate, and what makes Apple the #1 innovative company in the world? Learn more...
Selected references:
Leading Business Innovation eBook & Resource Kit
Creativity and Innovation Best Practices
Creativity and Innovation Case Studies
The Innovation Index
Top 50 innovative companies in the world
Flying into the cloud
Every day thousands of companies move to Google Apps, but it's not that often that we get to bring Apps to those who already work among the clouds. We're excited to share that KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has moved 11,200 of their crew members to Gmail as part of their Google Apps Premier Edition deployment. KLM crew members will now be able to send and receive email effectively from any location and using any Internet connected device, including personal laptops, shared computers, BlackBerry devices, mobile phones, or PDA devices.
The adoption of Gmail marks KLM's move to cloud computing. With 25 GB of storage per account, Gmail provides them with a powerful, intuitive and efficient messaging platform with integrated IM (Google Talk) and a series of additional features that facilitate communication.
For example, message translation allows KLM employees to translate email from and into 42 different languages with one click of the mouse. The employees' familiarity with Google's consumer products meant that minimal or no training was needed to complete the deployment.
If you're interested in joining KLM in the cloud, check out http://www.google.com/a
Posted by Adrian Joseph, Managing Director of Google Enterprise for Europe, Middle East and Africa
The adoption of Gmail marks KLM's move to cloud computing. With 25 GB of storage per account, Gmail provides them with a powerful, intuitive and efficient messaging platform with integrated IM (Google Talk) and a series of additional features that facilitate communication.
For example, message translation allows KLM employees to translate email from and into 42 different languages with one click of the mouse. The employees' familiarity with Google's consumer products meant that minimal or no training was needed to complete the deployment.
If you're interested in joining KLM in the cloud, check out http://www.google.com/a
Posted by Adrian Joseph, Managing Director of Google Enterprise for Europe, Middle East and Africa
A Postcard that Demonstrates Everything Wrong with American Education
I've taught lots of different courses.
I started out teaching English to Freshmen and then went on to teach American Lit and British Lit to Juniors and Seniors respectively. For years, I've taught Latin from the Beginner course through both of the AP offerings. In the Fine Arts, I've had the pleasure to teach AP Art History as well as my own course in Digital Audio Production. And this year, I've begun the transition into Social Studies teaching with two sections of Freshmen in West Civ.
I like teaching.
But I get the feeling that my idea of what teaching looks like just ain't what the powers that be think teaching must look like.
Take the College Board.
Today in the mail, I got a postcard invitation to sign up for an AP Summer Institute. That's great. I've often found that I learn a lot -- especially from other teachers -- at these sorts of things. I haven't been to an AP institute, but I have taken part in two institutes run under the NEH and I found each to be an invigorating experience.
So, it's not the idea of taking part in that sort of program that makes me feel weird. Rather, it was the picture on the front of the postcard.
Now, this postcard came from Delaware, so I'm going to assume that it was mailed out to every school in the US Mid-Atlantic that offers AP programs. So, if you are in a high school in Delaware, Maryland, Eastern PA, and the surrounding area, there's a good chance there's one floating around your building. You should track it down and check it out.
Because I think that the picture on this postcard demonstrates everything wrong with American education.
In the center of the postcard stands a smiling teacher pointing and presumably calling on a student. Behind him hangs a map and a chalkboard. In front of him is a desk cluttered with ring binders and a book. One of the ring binders is open and it appears that this is the text from which he has been lecturing. His students are seated at desks in rows. Nothing is on their desks: no books, no laptops. Two of the students are raising their hands. The teacher is pointing to one of them.
Everything about this scene -- from the roll-up map, to the blackboard, to the teacher's position in the classroom, to his desk at the front, to the ring binders, to the rows of students, to the orderliness of raising your hand to be called on -- screams of static education.
Static education is the bane of my existence.
Static education is the precise thing that progressive educators -- be they heavy on the tech, light on the tech, post-paper, or pro-paperback -- are fighting against.
And here it is presented in all it's glory on the front of a postcard from the College Board emblazoned with the tagline: Improve your school's AP program!
Hey, College Board, I've got an idea for you: can your art director / marketing person and pay a real progressive educator to take a few candid snapshots for you of what dynamic education actually looks like.
I started out teaching English to Freshmen and then went on to teach American Lit and British Lit to Juniors and Seniors respectively. For years, I've taught Latin from the Beginner course through both of the AP offerings. In the Fine Arts, I've had the pleasure to teach AP Art History as well as my own course in Digital Audio Production. And this year, I've begun the transition into Social Studies teaching with two sections of Freshmen in West Civ.
I like teaching.
But I get the feeling that my idea of what teaching looks like just ain't what the powers that be think teaching must look like.
Take the College Board.
Today in the mail, I got a postcard invitation to sign up for an AP Summer Institute. That's great. I've often found that I learn a lot -- especially from other teachers -- at these sorts of things. I haven't been to an AP institute, but I have taken part in two institutes run under the NEH and I found each to be an invigorating experience.
So, it's not the idea of taking part in that sort of program that makes me feel weird. Rather, it was the picture on the front of the postcard.
Now, this postcard came from Delaware, so I'm going to assume that it was mailed out to every school in the US Mid-Atlantic that offers AP programs. So, if you are in a high school in Delaware, Maryland, Eastern PA, and the surrounding area, there's a good chance there's one floating around your building. You should track it down and check it out.
Because I think that the picture on this postcard demonstrates everything wrong with American education.
In the center of the postcard stands a smiling teacher pointing and presumably calling on a student. Behind him hangs a map and a chalkboard. In front of him is a desk cluttered with ring binders and a book. One of the ring binders is open and it appears that this is the text from which he has been lecturing. His students are seated at desks in rows. Nothing is on their desks: no books, no laptops. Two of the students are raising their hands. The teacher is pointing to one of them.
Everything about this scene -- from the roll-up map, to the blackboard, to the teacher's position in the classroom, to his desk at the front, to the ring binders, to the rows of students, to the orderliness of raising your hand to be called on -- screams of static education.
Static education is the bane of my existence.
Static education is the precise thing that progressive educators -- be they heavy on the tech, light on the tech, post-paper, or pro-paperback -- are fighting against.
And here it is presented in all it's glory on the front of a postcard from the College Board emblazoned with the tagline: Improve your school's AP program!
Hey, College Board, I've got an idea for you: can your art director / marketing person and pay a real progressive educator to take a few candid snapshots for you of what dynamic education actually looks like.
How to Find Easy Money From Home - On-Line Forex Trading (The Misleading Title)
How to Find Easy Money from Home - On-Line Forex Trading "is the title of a book published by Elex Media Komputindo that discusses the basics of investing in the stock or forex trading forex online.
I testify stated that "the title of the book is misleading", because as far as I know Forex Online Trading is not easy How to Find Money from Home. Maybe if more games to win the forex can say easily earn money, but if you fit the new loses out if Forex Online Trading is an easy way to remove money from home.
Around the end of 2005 I was a walk in the Scholastic, my eyes are interested in seeing a book title that read "How to Find Easy Money From Home" and hopefully I'll buy the book if the price is not one Rp.45.000, --
Who would not want if there is an easy way to make money from home just by buying a book for 45 thousands. It was as a salaried employee who is mediocre who are tempted by the title gives a big hope for life abundant money.
I eagerly learned to play forex guide them, too eagerly signed up to play me online forex broker forex company sponsors AsiaFXOnline book. I try to play a virtual demo trading, after knowing the basics of playing the forex then I put up a deposit to make a live forex trading with real money.
At that time there was a mini package of trading with minimal investment Rp.5.000.000, - because it was so rich quick drive to my first invest Rp.8.000.000, --
On the first play I'm so glad forex only have 1 hour to get lucky Rp.200.000, -, but the next day sometimes win, sometimes lose, until finally after 2 weeks of heavy losses, the deposit I was living Rp.1000.000, - and not can be played again. Because the Forex playing guide it says the more frequent trading then we will become more proficient, so I'm not desperate and increase deposit again, but who knows how many weeks the time I finished another deposit of defeat.
Finally I decided not to do again in forex trading because of the requirements to play AsiaFXonline forex there is very difficult and burdensome to win playing forex for beginners. Next I play the forex through an international broker the deal fairly easy and can be played with very little capital at the Marketiva forex Marketiva. Playing exactly the easiest terms, but I go there almost 2 years in total it if no profit, because if you win a little - little, but if you can just lose out.
Now I was not interested anymore to play to earn foreign exchange. Sometimes when I look at forex accounts, seemed to want to play again but I think rather than just run out again have to play well forex don’t you?. Play forex like gambling, when he lost to play again to avenge the defeat, if fit to play win to win even more. In fact many players especially beginners forex losses suffered defeat, many forex players win only if the story, but ashamed to admit when you're losing.
Indeed bemain forex online trading is not an easy way for money. I do not recommend the internet earn money with forex trading, but if you are desperate to try please register forex broker the easiest on Marketiva.
I testify stated that "the title of the book is misleading", because as far as I know Forex Online Trading is not easy How to Find Money from Home. Maybe if more games to win the forex can say easily earn money, but if you fit the new loses out if Forex Online Trading is an easy way to remove money from home.
Around the end of 2005 I was a walk in the Scholastic, my eyes are interested in seeing a book title that read "How to Find Easy Money From Home" and hopefully I'll buy the book if the price is not one Rp.45.000, --
Who would not want if there is an easy way to make money from home just by buying a book for 45 thousands. It was as a salaried employee who is mediocre who are tempted by the title gives a big hope for life abundant money.
I eagerly learned to play forex guide them, too eagerly signed up to play me online forex broker forex company sponsors AsiaFXOnline book. I try to play a virtual demo trading, after knowing the basics of playing the forex then I put up a deposit to make a live forex trading with real money.
At that time there was a mini package of trading with minimal investment Rp.5.000.000, - because it was so rich quick drive to my first invest Rp.8.000.000, --
On the first play I'm so glad forex only have 1 hour to get lucky Rp.200.000, -, but the next day sometimes win, sometimes lose, until finally after 2 weeks of heavy losses, the deposit I was living Rp.1000.000, - and not can be played again. Because the Forex playing guide it says the more frequent trading then we will become more proficient, so I'm not desperate and increase deposit again, but who knows how many weeks the time I finished another deposit of defeat.
Finally I decided not to do again in forex trading because of the requirements to play AsiaFXonline forex there is very difficult and burdensome to win playing forex for beginners. Next I play the forex through an international broker the deal fairly easy and can be played with very little capital at the Marketiva forex Marketiva. Playing exactly the easiest terms, but I go there almost 2 years in total it if no profit, because if you win a little - little, but if you can just lose out.
Now I was not interested anymore to play to earn foreign exchange. Sometimes when I look at forex accounts, seemed to want to play again but I think rather than just run out again have to play well forex don’t you?. Play forex like gambling, when he lost to play again to avenge the defeat, if fit to play win to win even more. In fact many players especially beginners forex losses suffered defeat, many forex players win only if the story, but ashamed to admit when you're losing.
Indeed bemain forex online trading is not an easy way for money. I do not recommend the internet earn money with forex trading, but if you are desperate to try please register forex broker the easiest on Marketiva.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Now Implementing Updated U.S. and Canada Pharmacy Policy
We want to let you know that the changes to our pharmacy policy in the U.S. and Canada will start to go into effect today.
As we explained a couple weeks ago, this update means that Google AdWords will only accept advertisements from VIPPS and CIPA certified pharmacies, and that these pharmacies can only target ads within the countries where they are accredited.
To ensure that users see the most relevant and useful ads possible, pharmaceutical manufacturers and VIPPS and CIPA certified pharmacies will be allowed to run on prescription drug and pharmaceutical-related keywords.
For more information about this updated policy, please see this link: http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=7463
As we explained a couple weeks ago, this update means that Google AdWords will only accept advertisements from VIPPS and CIPA certified pharmacies, and that these pharmacies can only target ads within the countries where they are accredited.
To ensure that users see the most relevant and useful ads possible, pharmaceutical manufacturers and VIPPS and CIPA certified pharmacies will be allowed to run on prescription drug and pharmaceutical-related keywords.
For more information about this updated policy, please see this link: http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=7463
WHAT YOU SHOULD EAT BEFORE AND AFTER YOUR WORKOUT SESSION
I receive this question once every other week. Funk, what should I eat before and after I workout? In this article I will give you the information that you need to ensure you nourish your body correctly pre and post workout.
Proper nutrition is the key to getting a consistent and effective workout. Now depending on what your goals are will determine some of your food choices. If you are trying to bulk up or add crazy muscle, you will eat a bit different from someone that is trying to lose weight, slim down or get ripped.
A bodybuilder wants to eat more egg whites and tuna whereas someone trying to lose weight would opt for whole wheat pastas and salads. Remember to gain weight you must take in more calories than you burn. To lose weight, you must burn more than you take in.
WHEN YOU NEED TO EAT
Before you workout your body needs ample time to digest what you've put in it. A good rule of thumb is always to wait 1 hour prior to exercise. You want to make sure that you have enough time to digest the food before you embark on your crazy workout.
Post workout nutrition should be eaten NO LONGER than 1 hour after exercise. If you delay eating longer than an hour after your workout then your body begins to take those muscles you just worked so hard to get and deplete them by using them as energy for the rest of the day or night.
I bolded that line because I know so many people that do not follow the rule of eating no longer than 1 hour after working out. If you are not doing it now, then start today.
WHAT YOU NEED TO EAT
Don't forget that it's just as important to eat smart after your workout has subsided and you've come down. After a workout, your body is like a sponge, ready to soak up the nutrients in food to restore energy and replenish your muscles. A mixed meal high in carbohydrates with moderate portion of protein and fat soon after completing the workout is best to help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise.
The right foods alone won't get you through a workout - you'll have to get the right hydration with water while you exercise. You should drink at least at least 16 ounces of water two hours before a workout, and about 6 to 12 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise. (An ounce is about a mouthful.)
WHAT YOU SHOULD EAT LIST
PRE WORKOUT
Some food suggestions prior to a workout include:
- Vegetables like celery, cucumber, tomatoes
- Low-fat yogurt
- Peanuts
- Fresh fruit such as cherries, plum, peach
- Apple
- Oatmeal
- Healthy Cereal
- Oat bran bread
POST WORKOUT
Post workout you can increase the protein to restore those muscles.
Some suggestions are:
- Whey protein shake
- Bagel with jelly
- Baked potato
- Stir-fried chicken and vegetables over brown rice
- Eggs
- Fish
- Beans
- Tofu
- Watermelon, banana
- Sports Drink
Any foods with a lot of fat can be very difficult and slow to digest and remain in the stomach a long time. They also will pull blood into the stomach to aid in digestion, which can cause cramping and discomfort. Meats, doughnuts, fries, potato chips, and candy bars should be avoided.
I suggest not have any sugar prior to your workout as some people do not perform well after a blood glucose spike.
If you're squeezing a workout into a busy schedule, you may be tempted to grab a protein bar on the way out the door, but DON’T DO IT. Most bars are "glorified candy bars, often providing even more calories and are likely to be loaded with sugar.
Caffeine had been thought to boost endurance by stimulating a greater use of fat for energy, and thereby reserving glycogen in the muscles. Research, however, doesn't seem to support that theory. When caffeine improves endurance, it does so by acting as a stimulant. Caffeine can have serious side effects for some people. Those who are very sensitive to its effects may experience nausea, muscle tremors, and headaches. Too much caffeine is a diuretic, and can result in dehydration, which decreases performance.
In conclusion, if you're going to invest the time to put yourself through a productive workout, then it’s imperative to nourish your body correctly pre and post workout.
Funk Roberts
Back in saddle....
Well... I took about 9 days off from blogging to fly home to Michigan, have my Daughter baptised, and visit with family and friends. This of course happened right at the start of Lent, which is generally a pretty high volume blogging period for many. [Unless you gave up Blogs and such for Lent.]
I plan on returning to regular updates, and I know Brian will as well... except his newly formed legal practice is picking up which is great for him, bad for the blog; hopefully we can get him to give us some posts.
Because I got a late start on the Lenten season in terms of this blog.... I am trying to figure out where I will go during this time, but hopefully it will be helpful and fruitful to all those that decide to read. So check back often for updates... and invite a friend :)
-Posted by: Joe
I plan on returning to regular updates, and I know Brian will as well... except his newly formed legal practice is picking up which is great for him, bad for the blog; hopefully we can get him to give us some posts.
Because I got a late start on the Lenten season in terms of this blog.... I am trying to figure out where I will go during this time, but hopefully it will be helpful and fruitful to all those that decide to read. So check back often for updates... and invite a friend :)
-Posted by: Joe
Troubleshooting tips part IIb: Ad relevance and targeting continued
To follow up on our previous post about ad relevance and targeting, let's look at some other reasons why you may experience ad targeting issues on your site.
- Have you blocked the AdSense crawler's access to your pages? The AdSense crawler is an automated program that scans your web pages and tracks content for indexing. Sometimes we don't crawl pages because the AdSense crawler doesn't have access to your pages, in which case we're unable to determine their content and show relevant ads. Here are a few specific instances when our crawler can't access a site:
- If you use a robots.txt file which regulates the crawler access to your page. In this case, you can grant the AdSense crawler access by adding these lines to the top of your robots.txt file:
User-agent: Mediapartners-Google*
Disallow: - If the sites you place the ad code on are behind a login, our crawler won´t be able to access your site. To grant access to such pages, please follow these instructions. Also, be sure to regularly check your site diagnostics tool to be aware of any blocked pages.
- Is your site language supported by AdSense? Check to make sure that your site has a substantial amount of text-based content in one of the languages supported by AdSense. When there's enough content, our technology detects the primary language of each of your pages and delivers relevant ads in the appropriate language, even if your site contains multiple supported languages.
- The crawlers used by Google AdSense index content by unique URL. As a result, if the URL is the same regardless which language the user chooses to view the pages in, our system will only have the language version it received when indexing this URL. This means that we'll show ads according to the page our system has in its cache, which might not match the language the user is viewing the page in. In order to resolve this, we suggest either of the following:
- Create separate directories for each language, such as http://www.site.com/en/index.html
- Send GET variables (encoded user information appended to the end of the URL after the ? character) in the URL to determine which language should be shown such as for example http://www.site.com/index.php?lang=en
- Create separate directories for each language, such as http://www.site.com/en/index.html
- The crawlers used by Google AdSense index content by unique URL. As a result, if the URL is the same regardless which language the user chooses to view the pages in, our system will only have the language version it received when indexing this URL. This means that we'll show ads according to the page our system has in its cache, which might not match the language the user is viewing the page in. In order to resolve this, we suggest either of the following:
- Do you see public service announcements (PSAs) on a site which previously showed paid ads before? If your AdSense account requires PIN or phone verification, you'll see a prompt in your account when you sign in. If you fail to verify your PIN or phone number (requirements vary depending on your location), then you may see PSAs on your site. If this is not your case, please visit our Help Center for further information.
Winter Olympics Bootcamp Workout
Winter Olympics Bootcamp Workout
The Olympics are in full swing and the medals are pouring in for Canada. Do you have the fever? Fitness Expert and friend Craig Ballantyne created this awesome Olympic Bootcamp Workout that I had to pass on to you. Check it below.
You can do this yourself or if you are a fitness professional use the workout with your clients or in your bootcamp to change up the flow. You can even “team them up” into different countries and give out gold medals and awards.
Here’s how it goes:
We start with the Moguls Warmup.
I chose the moguls for warm-up, because that’s where the skiers do all those crazy moves and look really mobile.
Moguls Warmup
Jumping Jacks
Duck Unders (step to the side squat down and duck under as you move)
Stickups
Seal Jumps (like jumping jacks, but cross your arms in front of you)
Pushups (tell your clients they all wiped out and have to do pushups)
Next, we move into the first event – The Ski Jump
10 second hold in the bottom of squat and then do a vertical jump
Repeat 3 times, then move to…
The Downhill Ski Race
1 Long Jump
10 Squats
1 Long Jump
6 Walking Diagonal Lunges per side
Long Jump
20-30 second squat hold
Repeat 3 times.
Give out a gold, silver, and bronze to the people who made it the furthest.
Gold medal awards and water break
Next up, we move to Speed Skating Strength Training
Skater Jumps or Lateral Lunges (depending on fitness level)
Pushups (another wipe-out…so do pushups to practice getting up)
Lunge Jumps or Reverse Lunges (depending on fitness level)
Take another water break if you need to…award some medals if you want, and then move to more strength training, this time courtesy of a weird sport…Curling.
The Curling Strength Circuit
Lunges (because the lunge low when they throw the rock)
Spiderman Climbs (again, because it helps get in that low position)
Close-grip Pushups
Now here are two optional exercises you can add in…
Sweeping (this is a bit of trick…but let’s say your gym needs a cleanup, you can give everyone a broom to cleanup, and tell them its just part of the curling circuit!)
Curls (curlers love to drink beer, so your campers can do dumbbell or band curls to practice for post-game beverages)
Take another water break.
Optional: Hockey Strength Circuit (Uses dumbbells or kettlebells)
If you have access to equipment and your campers like heavier resistance training, you can do the following exercises:
Split squat (to build strong skating muscles)
1-Arm Standing Shoulder Press (to practice raising your stick in the air after you score a goal)
Row (to strengthen your upper body & grip for hockey fights)
Figure Skating Bodyweight Strength Circuit
Now we combine bodyweight exercises for strength and finesse…
Reaching Lunge
1-Leg RDL
Pushup or Dip or Overhead Press
1-Arm Band Row
Take another water break.
Sliding Sports Circuit
Bobsled Push (For this, you’ll need a “prowler sled” or a punching bag or weight plate that can be pushed across the floor to simulate the start of the bobsled race)
Then you’ll follow that with a:
Stability Ball Plank or Plank (to simulate holding your body in the luge position)
And then flip to the side for:
Side Planks
Next up, the plain ol’ weird Biathlon (a combination of cross-country skiing and shooting). We’ll modify it so that we do:
Shuttle Sprints (in place of the skiing)
Plank (to simulate the shooting position)
And if possible, add in some type of skill component to simulate the shooting…perhaps you train folks in a gym where there are basketball nets…so have them shoot free throws…or bring in a Supersoaker…no wait, bad idea. But I’m sure you can come up with something.
Water break, cool down, awarding of more medals, and closing ceremonies.
I’m sure your campers will have a blast with that. It’s a great workout, and you’ll probably have some even better ideas than that.
Let me know what other events you come up with,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, TTBootcamp Workouts
FITNESS WITH FUNK VIDEO - THE KETTLEBELL HALO
The New You Crew - Fitness with Funk - Kettlebell Halo Video
This is a fantastic exercise for your upper-body. Hold the kettlebell into the bottom up position in front of your eyes. In one smooth motion make a circle around the head and chest. This is a great shoulder mobility exercise.
The Kettlebell Halo exercise will work your shoulders, triceps, biceps, chest and core. Ever since using this exercise my rotator cuff injury is gone.
Kettlebell Halos
10 reps clockwise and 10 reps counter clockwise for 3 reps
You can use a Dumbbell if you don’t have a kettlebell as yet, but you will not get the same effect.
Use a 25lb kettlebell, at least.
Get the Funk Roberts GYMBOSS work out timer available CLICK HERE!
LADIES, DOES YOUR GUY NEED A NEW STYLE, NEW BODY AND NEW ATTITUDE?
Look no further, The New You Crew is Here !
The New You Crew are MAN-formation Specialists, featuring Ryan Shanahan , Funk Roberts & Tiffany. We demonstrate how to easily and quickly transform a man’s Body - Style - Attitude
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for How To videos for your guy to watch and MAN-form into a Successful, Strong and Well Dressed Gentlemen
Your fitness coach and friend
Funk Roberts
This is a fantastic exercise for your upper-body. Hold the kettlebell into the bottom up position in front of your eyes. In one smooth motion make a circle around the head and chest. This is a great shoulder mobility exercise.
The Kettlebell Halo exercise will work your shoulders, triceps, biceps, chest and core. Ever since using this exercise my rotator cuff injury is gone.
Kettlebell Halos
10 reps clockwise and 10 reps counter clockwise for 3 reps
You can use a Dumbbell if you don’t have a kettlebell as yet, but you will not get the same effect.
Use a 25lb kettlebell, at least.
Get the Funk Roberts GYMBOSS work out timer available CLICK HERE!
LADIES, DOES YOUR GUY NEED A NEW STYLE, NEW BODY AND NEW ATTITUDE?
Look no further, The New You Crew is Here !
The New You Crew are MAN-formation Specialists, featuring Ryan Shanahan , Funk Roberts & Tiffany. We demonstrate how to easily and quickly transform a man’s Body - Style - Attitude
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for How To videos for your guy to watch and MAN-form into a Successful, Strong and Well Dressed Gentlemen
Your fitness coach and friend
Funk Roberts
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