text:
The first loss is history, but now the University of Cincinnati football team is busy trying to prevent another defeat. "Play angry" is how coach Luke Fickell put it Tuesday, at his weekly press conference at UC.
"We didn't find a way to finish the game," UC coach Luke Fickell said, referring to last Saturday's 24-17 overtime loss at Temple. "Our guys came back in on Sunday not sure exactly how they were gonna feel, how the coaches were gonna respond. I was honest, very upbeat, but we've got a long way to go."
UC (6-1, 2-1 American Athletic Conference East) next plays at SMU (3-4, 2-1 AAC West) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. SMU comes off a 27-23 win at Tulane on Saturday and has won three of its last four games. UC is listed as a 9 ½-point favorite.
"What it comes down to now is the ability to kind of play angry, to kind of be angry about how we didn't finish and take care of business," Fickell said. "Not just save that for Saturday, but to do that today at practice. Kind of have that mindset that, hey, that hurt and that's a pit in our stomach. The way to get rid of it is go back to work."
UC ousted basketball coach Larry Davis over federal assault case in N.C.
UC senior defensive end Kimoni Fitz said the team knows its schedule will continue to get more difficult. The remaining UC opponents have a combined record of 21-14, including No. 10 UCF and No. 21 USF both being 7-0.
"Definitely the schedule gets tougher, but coach Fick and the coaches always preach about playing our best football at the end of the year," Fitz said. "Coming off the first loss, we're OK. No heads down. I feel like it will make us stronger at the end of the year, and we'll grow from that."
Scouting SMU: SMU has lost to three ranked teams, including 45-20 to now-No. 5 Michigan.
"You can pop on the film against Michigan, it's 7-7 with about a minute to go in the first half and Michigan hasn't run the ball an inch," Fickell said. "You've seen them, the last few weeks, kind of settle into who they are offensively and defensively. They have the leading receiver in the league (James Proche, 49 catches). They're going a good job spreading the field offensively. Defensively, they're aggressive."
The SMU defense had three takeaways against Tulane, the third time in the last four games that the Mustangs had at least three takeaways.
Quarterback Ben Hicks is back in the starting lineup after William Brown started the three previous games. Last year, Hicks threw for 3,569 yards and 33 touchdowns (12 interceptions). Hicks, SMU's career passing leader, has thrown for 997 yards and nine TDs (three interceptions) this year.
SMU is led by first-year coach Sonny Dykes, who has a reputation as an Air Raid offensive guru. Dykes formerly was head coach at Louisiana Tech and California, with a 44-50 career record. Dykes replaced Chad Morris, who went to Arkansas after SMU last year reached its first bowl game in five years.
Dykes is the son of the late former Texas Tech coach Spike Dykes.
UC notes: Sophomore punter James Smith launched a 72-yard punt against Temple, tied for the fourth-longest punt in UC history. The record is 78 yards by Mike Connell in 1976.
UC leads the AAC in net punting (44.5) and punt return defense (2.9 yards per return), with UC ranking No. 2 nationally in net punting.
Smith ranks No. 2 in the AAC and No. 7 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in gross punting average at 46.3 yards per punt, with nine kicks of 50 yards or more, 14 punts inside the 20-yard line and only one touchback.
- Running back Michael Warren II this week will try to become the first Bearcat with five consecutive 100-yard rushing games since David Small in 1993. Warren has rushed for 796 yards and 12 TDs, with his touchdown total surpassing the entire team rushing TD total (11) from last year. Warren is on pace to be UC's first 1,000-yard rusher since George Winn in 2012.
- UC ranks in the Top 20 in FBS in 10 categories, including net punting (2), team passing efficiency defense (3), total defense (5), fourth-down conversion percentage defense (7), scoring defense (8), first downs defense (8), third-down conversion percentage defense (8), passing yards allowed (9), punt return defense (9) and rushing offense (12).
- With the No. 3 pass efficiency defense, No. 5 total defense and No. 8 scoring defense, UC has vastly improved from last year's totals at this time (No. 118, 93 and 105, respectively).
- LB Perry Young leads the team with 38 tackles, including eight or more in UC's last three games.
- DT Cortez Broughton ranks No. 3 in the AAC in sacks (0.71 per game) and No. 3 in tackles for loss (1.86 per game).
- The Bearcats have 10 takeaways in 2018 (seven interceptions, three fumble recoveries) after having only 11 in 2017. UC has forced a turnover in all seven games this year.
- The UC-SMU matchup is only the fourth between the schools, with UC holding a 2-1 lead. The 2017 matchup saw a 31-28 SMU overtime win at Nippert Stadium.

industry_corpus2: Sports


text:
3D Relief magnet of Tiger 131.
The Tank Museum’s Tiger I is the only running Tiger I in the world. Now put Tiger 131 on your fridge!

industry_corpus2: Others


text:
In general, the higher ranked on search results page, and more frequently a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine's users. SEO can target different kinds of searches; including general content, image search, local search, video search, news search and industry-specific vertical search engines.
The acronym "SEOs" also refers to "search engine optimizer," a term adopted by an industry of consultants who carry out optimization projects on behalf of clients. AdverGroup does just that! As a leading Search engine optimizer, we offer SEO as a stand-alone service or as a part of a broader marketing campaign. Because effective SEO may require changes to the HTML source code of a site and site content, SEO tactics may be incorporated into website development and design. We implement "search engine friendly" fundamentals in every aspect of our client site designs, menus, content management systems, images, videos, and shopping carts.
SEO indexed, what does it mean?
Search engine crawlers look at a number of different factors when crawling a site. Equally as important, search engines sometimes have problems with crawling sites with certain kinds of graphic content, flash files, portable document format files, and dynamic content. In either case, AdverGroup ensures that all both positive and negative factors are addressed in a manner that is consistent with White Hat SEO techniques!
Please explain White Hat SEO versus Black Hat SEO?
SEO techniques can be classified into two broad categories: techniques that search engines recommend as part of good design, and those techniques of which search engines do not approve. The search engines attempt to minimize the effect of the latter, among them spamdexing. The industry has classified these methods, and the practitioners who employ them, as either white hat SEO, or black hat SEO. White hats tend to produce results that last a long time, whereas black hats seek fast results, while anticipating that their sites may eventually be banned either temporarily or permanently once the search engines discover what they are doing.
An White Hat SEO technique conforms to the search engines' guidelines and involves no deception! White hat SEO is not just about following guidelines, but is about ensuring that the content a search engine indexes and subsequently ranks is the same content a user will see. White hat advice is generally summed up as creating content for users, not for search engines, and then making that content easily accessible to the spiders, rather than attempting to trick the algorithm from its intended purpose.
Black hat SEO attempts to improve rankings in ways that are disapproved of by the search engines, or involve deception. One black hat technique uses text that is hidden, either as text colored similar to the background, in an invisible div, or positioned off screen. Another method gives a different page depending on whether the page is being requested by a human visitor or a search engine, a technique known as cloaking. Search engines may penalize sites they discover using black hat methods, either by reducing their rankings or eliminating their listings from their databases altogether. Such penalties can be applied either automatically by the search engines' algorithms, or by a manual site review.
Is SEO an effective marketing strategy?
The basics of SEO should be implemented as fundamental of web development. The cost of SEO implementation can vary based on the depth of content. In any case, SEO should not be the soul strategy for every website. Depending on the site goals, various marketing strategies should be considered. SEO may generate an adequate return on investment. However, search engines are not paid for organic search traffic. Additionally, search engines often change algorithms, and there are no guarantees that search engine referrals will continue. Due to this lack of guarantees and certainty, a business that relies heavily on search engine traffic can suffer major losses if the search engines stop sending visitors.

industry_corpus2: Computing & Telecommunications


text:
Actually, no claim in my report suggests policy support for wind is large relative to other energy resources–I don’t discuss subsidies or policy supports for other energy sources. I didn’t intend to allege a relative subsidy size claim. But if Goggin is interested in my view, it is: Unfortunately, policy supports for politically-favored energy sources are not at all unusual, and they tend to reduce overall economic performance, and we’d be better off if we gave up on trying to direct energy markets from Washington DC.
We can’t reach back and undo all of the damage from bad energy policies of the past, but we ought to fix the energy policy we have now. And by “fix” I mean cut energy production subsidies, purchase mandates, favorable tax treatments, regulatory limits on competing energy resources, and otherwise minimize the role of political influence in the choices of energy producers and consumers.
Cut them all down: renewable subsidies, fossil-fuel subsidies, and nuclear subsidies. Sure, do something about pollution, and I’m not in principle against government-sponsored research, but various energy production subsidies and other policy supports tend to benefit a few at the expense of the rest of us.
What my report does claim is the PTC-subsidy for wind power imposes costs on non-wind participants in power markets. Without the PTC, we’d have a lot fewer wind turbines connected to the grid; the wind turbines that did get built would not bid into markets at negative prices, and with fewer wind turbines installed the resulting modest displacement of non-wind power might even be a net economic benefit.
Part of the problem is the PTC subsidizes output at the margin and so directly distorts prices and the generation mix in regional power markets. The alternative Investment Tax Credit subsidy sometimes available to wind power developers, on the other hand, is inframarginal and a bit less distorting: excessive amounts of wind are built, but ITC-subsidized wind power faces no special incentive to run at negative prices. (In economics terms, the ITC is more like a lump-sum transfer while the PTC is a per-unit production subsidy. A per-unit production subsidy is typically seen as more distortionary than a lump-sum transfer.) Generally, when wind power runs at negative prices, it suggests that non-wind baseload power plants are being pushed into a costly pattern of cycling off and back on. These cycling costs, as well as the modest wear-and-tear on the wind turbines operating when their output has negative value, are excess costs caused by the PTC subsidy.
Next: So far I’ve been responding to the introduction of the AWEA/Goggin response. The rest of the response goes into a little more detail on certain points–I’ll respond in a little more detail as seems appropriate.

industry_corpus2: Power & Energy


text:
There’s no doubt that private businesses have a profound effect on the economy. With over 28 million private businesses that account for at least half of the U.S.’s GDP, this segment plays a significant role in how our nation is doing when it comes growth or contraction. The good news is that we have seen this segment come to life over the last six months – putting money to work and making contributions to the labor market, wage growth and other factors that have subsequently elevated the financial well-being of the American worker and consumer.
An essential factor to private business vibrancy and U.S. economic prosperity is access to credit, which helps fuel investments. Yet, even as the economy continues to grow, private businesses have struggled to gain access to credit.
As a result of the financial crisis in 2008, large banks substantially pulled back from lending, and small and medium-sized banks as well as FinTechs were unable to entirely fill the credit gap. This resulted in fewer loans to private businesses – in fact, the national average for bank originations was down 24 percent while local GDP was up 20 percent since 2008.
This is significant trend that will need to change in order to keep the economy healthy, vibrant and moving in a positive direction.
Recently, I sat down with Bill Handel, vice president and chief economist at Raddon, to discuss this issue as well as the recent PayNet/Raddon research report Gimme Credit: Faster, Simpler, Safer Credit for Main Street America, which provides key insights into the private business credit market, and solutions for financial institutions to overcome challenges so that they can capitalize on the opportunity to further contribute to strengthening the economy.
Phelan: Roughly 70 percent of private businesses have growth plans, and a decent amount of those plans are fueled by borrowing. However, major banks have pulled back significantly in lending to this segment. How can private businesses get access to the much-needed credit?
Handel: Amid all the recent good economic news – positive GDP growth, low unemployment rate, etc. – there is an underlying trend which is disconcerting. Private businesses have had their access to credit significantly reduced since the financial crisis nearly ten years ago. This was led by the largest banks, which significantly pulled back their private business lending.
The PayNet/Raddon research report indicates that seven in ten private businesses consider one of the large banks as their primary financial institution; it is likely that they will turn to those banks to meet their credit needs. Impacted by the economic environment and legislation such as the Dodd-Frank Act, the largest banks curtailed credit to private business, leading to this much slower economic recovery. The current recovery, while long in duration, has been noticeably lower in growth and, in fact, only about 70 percent of the historic norm. This is due in part to the lack of credit availability to private business, an engine of economic growth.
To fill the credit gap, other financial service providers are starting to step up. PayNet research shows that community and mid-tier banks were not as restrictive in lending to private businesses following the financial crisis. The challenge for community and mid-tier banks is the cost curve associated with this lending. While many smaller banks would like to be able to serve private businesses, the typical credit size, especially in Commercial and Industrial (C&I) lending, makes this an unprofitable endeavor given the high underwriting and loan review costs.
Our research shows that the average credit private businesses are seeking is only $75,000, and the industry’s underwriting processes cannot economically support credit/loans that small at interest rates the private business can afford.
FinTechs have also rushed to help private businesses. Unlike banks, FinTechs often have processes that allow them to provide smaller amounts of credit much more economically. The issue for FinTechs, however, is that they lack the brand awareness and brand strength in the marketplace. This results in high marketing costs which can ultimately offset the cost savings from improved underwriting processes.
Phelan: Between 2014 and 2017, the number of private businesses applying for online loans has gone from 14 percent to 24 percent. What’s driving that shift?
Handel: That’s simple: the lack of affordable credit. Private businesses are attracted to easier, simpler processes and faster speed of decisioning – which has resulted in this segment turning to the FinTech world to find credit. This trend has put traditional sources of financing – including community and mid-tier banks – under pressure. It can also present an issue for private businesses because financing through FinTechs can leave them without access to local experts who know them and know their marketplace.
Phelan: Given this environment (a move toward non-traditional private business loans), what’s the opportunity for smaller, community-based financial institutions?
Handel: Community-based financial institutions need to find a way to reduce private business loan costs. A large part of these are underwriting and review costs, which can be significantly reduced if automated. Through the appropriate use of technology, the process can be significantly streamlined or even eliminated without deleterious impact on portfolio quality. By reducing these costs, the institution can reduce the loan rate needed to reach the desired return-on-equity (ROE) or reduce the minimum loan amount the financial institution is willing to write. In either case, the bank benefits, the private business borrower benefits, and the local economy benefits.
Phelan: What do C&I lenders need to do to reduce costs and accelerate approval and funding rates so that smaller dollar business loans remain profitable?
Handel: Take a note from FinTechs – who have helped pave the way. Identifying ways to reduce the lending cost curve can result in a much more attractive C&I loan product. It’s important to not treat all C&I borrowers in the same manner, as different industries have inherently various levels of risk. Likewise, loans of differing sizes also should not be treated uniformly. For example, the effort put into assessing the risk on a $90,000 C&I loan should be very different than the risk-assessment effort behind a $2 million loan. It’s also important to take advantage of data that can better inform lending decisions and help manage risk while reducing the time to underwrite and service. Taking these steps will reduce the cost curve.
Phelan: How does that impact the overall economy?
Handel: As I said, a major factor in the slow pace of the recovery is the lack of credit availability to private business since, a gap that was created when the largest banks abandoned this market. At the same time, we have some of the highest levels of private business optimism we have ever seen. Community and mid-tier banks can fill this credit gap effectively and profitably by evolving their C&I lending processes and shifting the lending curve downward. The result will be more private business loans and more prosperous communities.

industry_corpus2: Finance & Economics


text:
We have exciting news to share! Baby chick #1 hatched this morning at 8:30. We caught the hatch on video. Enjoy watching her hatch while we wait on more progress to share.
I'm the Anatomy & Physiology instructor at New Castle Homeschool Co-op for the 2017-18 school year. As an extension to our class, my family is participating in a 4-H Embryology Program, and will be hatching up to 24 white leghorn chicks in Mid-March. If you would like to learn and enjoy the project with us, we'd love to have you along!

industry_corpus2: Subject Education


text: EPRA Saskatchewan is funded through Environmental Handling Fees (EHF) that are applied on the sale of all new electronic products. It’s not a tax, nor is it a refundable deposit. The EHF on each item in the program is based on the actual cost to recycle the materials contained in the product. All program revenue is used for the collection, transportation and responsible recycling of end-of-life electronics as well as program administration.

industry_corpus2: Manufacturing


text:
Recording Actual dates that violate existing schedule logic can cause conflicts in Microsoft Project’s internal schedule calculations. The resulting Total Slack values and Critical task flags can be incorrect and misleading. These issues are aggravated by recent (e.g. MSP 2016) versions of the software, and users are advised to minimize out-of-sequence progress.
In all modern versions of Microsoft Project (e.g. ~MSP 2007+), the Total Slack values of “Critical” tasks with out-of-sequence successors can be altered unexpectedly.
In MSP 2016 (and possibly beginning with MSP 2013), the Total Slack values of ALL tasks (not just “Critical” tasks) with out-of-sequence progress among their successors can be altered unexpectedly. As a result, many tasks can be shown incorrectly as “Critical” in MSP 2016 when they are not “Critical” in earlier versions.
An Actual Finish is recorded for an OOS task whose Finish-to-Finish predecessor has not finished. Here the Actual Finish precedes the Early Finish.
In all cases there is a presumption that the recorded actual progress is more correct than the (theoretical) schedule model, so Early and Late dates are routinely overwritten by Actual dates during the schedule calculations. When the actual progress occurs out of sequence, however, computing the Late dates (and slack values) of incomplete predecessors (during the “Backward Pass” calculations) is complicated by logical conflicts. The software typically resolves these conflicts in a way that satisfies the needs of most users.
The issues discussed here are of primary concern in those cases where a task has started out of sequence and a) it remains incomplete; and b) the violated predecessor relationships remain unsatisfied (e.g. the FS predecessor remains incomplete.) If either the OOS task or its unfinished predecessor task become complete, then they are treated like other completed tasks in Microsoft Project. That is, they can influence the Early dates of their successors but have no impact on the Late dates of their predecessors. As a result of this latter condition, an incomplete task whose sole successor has been completed out of sequence becomes effectively open-ended, i.e. without successors. Under default conditions (i.e. “calculate multiple critical paths” NOT checked), the task’s Late Finish is set equal to the project’s Early Finish Date, and a high value of Total Slack is computed.
Obviously, this can have a major impact on the apparent Critical Path of a project. In the example below, tasks CP2 and SP2 have both been completed out-of-sequence, and at a duration of only 20% of their baseline durations. The overall project has been shortened, but the Critical Path has been truncated at CP3. CP1 is no longer “Critical” because, in effect, it no longer has any successors. It appears necessary to add a new FS relationship from CP1 to CP3 (and equivalently between SP1 and SP3) to re-establish the logic chain that has been broken by the completed, out-of-sequence tasks.
Key issues arise when the out-of-sequence task and its predecessor are both incomplete. Because this behavior is sometimes different for MSP 2016 than it is for MSP 2010, we’ll look at both versions for the remaining examples.
For exploring the behavior of in-progress, out-of-sequence tasks, we examine the simple project schedule below. The schedule is comprised of a single start milestone, a single finish milestone, a “Critical Path” string of four tasks, and a “Slack Path” string of four tasks. The “Slack Path” is two days shorter than the “Critical Path,” with the last two tasks each having a shorter duration. There is an unachievable Deadline applied to the finish milestone, and this creates negative Total Slack on the Critical Path. Thus, the Critical Path tasks all have TS=-1d, and the Slack Path tasks have TS=1d.
With no progress, the project is scheduled identically in both versions of the software.
Now let’s examine what happens when we record an out-of-sequence Actual Start on some future task. In the example, the last task in each string (CP4 and SP4) is given an Actual Start that is one day earlier than its predecessors allow. To keep things simple, no progress beyond the actual starts are recorded (i.e. %Complete = 0%.) I’ve kept the “Split in-progress tasks” scheduling option checked (per default), so re-scheduling the project creates an initial split in tasks CP4 and SP4 and delays their remaining parts to satisfy the predecessor relationships. As a result, all the tasks keep the same finish dates as before, and the project finishes on the same date as before, one day after the Deadline.
Although their start and finish dates have not changed, the logic-related information of the predecessors of the OOS tasks have been altered substantially.
The Total Slack values of the Critical Path tasks that precede the OOS task (i.e. tasks CP1, CP2, and CP3) are all changed from TS=-1d to TS=0d.
This behavior is not justified: if the tasks are all executed according to the scheduled dates, the project will still finish one day late. The tasks should still have TS=-1d.
This is in fact a general result (see also Comment 1): (Presumably for MSP 2007 through MSP 365), any super-critical (TS < 0) task with an out-of-sequence, in-progress task in its successor chain will automatically have its Total Slack re-set to zero. Thus, out-of-sequence progress can cause a task with 60 days of negative Total Slack to appear much less Critical than it is.
This behavior can present a problem for project managers operating in a negative-slack (i.e. behind-schedule) regime, where schedule-recovery efforts are prioritized based on Total Slack values. Entering a single OOS Actual Start value (whether correct or not), can substantially alter the overall schedule recovery picture.
In the example, the Total Slack values of the Slack Path tasks that precede the OOS task (i.e. tasks SP1, SP2, and SP3) are all changed from TS=1d to TS=0d.
This behavior is also not justified. The tasks could all be delayed one day from their scheduled dates without compromising the project’s completion Deadline. The tasks should still have TS=1d.
This is also a general result (see also Comment 1): (presumably for MSP 365 and maybe MSP 2013), ANY task (Critical or non-Critical) with an out-of-sequence, in-progress task in its successor chain will automatically have its Total Slack re-set to zero. Consequently, it will automatically and unavoidably be flagged as a Critical task.
For general MSP users after MSP 2010, therefore, out-of-sequence progress can have a substantial, even major, impact. In particular, tasks that are actually far from the Critical Path may be incorrectly flagged as Critical.
Below I’ve shown another perhaps more realistic example of the same simple project. There has been a simple progress update on the Status Date of 1Oct’18, four working days into the project. As of that date (the first Monday in the project), tasks CP1 and SP1 are still in-progress and have fallen one day behind the original plan. Their successors (CP2 and SP2) have been allowed to start early, however, with each recording one day of actual progress.
Similar logical results are observed. Task CP1 – the Critical predecessor of the Critical OOS task CP2 – now has TS=0d instead of TS=-1d in both software versions, and its Critical flag remains unchanged.
In MSP 2016 only, task SP1 – the non-critical predecessor of the non-critical OOS task SP2 – now also has TS=0d and is flagged as Critical. This is incorrect.
The “Task Path” bar styles provide useful methods for identifying related tasks, including the Driving Predecessors path, for any selected task in MSP 2013+. The Driving Predecessors Task Path is particularly useful for confirming the Critical Path of a project when Total Slack is complicated by other factors. Unfortunately, the method is not successful when out-of-sequence progress is encountered. As shown in the figure below – repeating the two previous examples in MSP 2016 – the Driving Predecessors Task Path (orange-colored bars) is terminated when an Actual Start is reached on the backward (right-to-left) pass. Thus, driving Task Path functionality is not compatible with out-of-sequence progress.
The impacts of out-of-sequence progress on the Total Slack of some tasks are the result of specific decisions in MSP’s backward-pass algorithms for computing Late dates and Total Slack. Obviously, the algorithm has been tweaked between MSP 2010 and MSP 2016 leading to the even more undesired results.
BPC Logic Filter also includes a Project Logic Checker to identify logic issues in Microsoft Project tasks. Like many such tools, it automatically flags OOS tasks, along with their immediate predecessors, for correction.
This examination was prompted by an associate who, after a recent “upgrade” from MSP 2007 to MSP 2016, encountered numerous unexplained changes in the “Critical Path” during project updating. As it turned out, the schedule that was shared with me contained extensive out-of-sequence progress that explained the observed behavior. The extensive out-of-sequence progress was the result of a schedule model that was ultimately invalid – a poor representation of the work, either as planned or as actually executed. As is often the case in construction, this was aggravated by the persistent executive schedule pressure that converts some technological restraints (e.g. don’t start interior finishes until the building roof and skin are closed up) from mandatory requirements into mere preferences.
A typical invalid schedule model involves the representation of multiple overlapping activities as an over-simplified Finish-to-Start string. For example, the schedule below shows five sequentially-related, non-critical tasks, of roughly equivalent work content, that are scheduled to occur over a five-week period. Although they are shown sequentially, it is in fact customary to execute these five tasks nearly concurrently, with each task commencing as soon as its predecessor’s progress allows – and thereafter suspending or pacing progress to match that of its predecessors.
[Some schedule purists would suggest that these tasks should be broken down into many small, repetitive work packages, all arranged with pure Finish-to-Start logic relationships. The resulting schedule is extremely detailed and reflects a true logical plan for executing the work. In my experience, however, such a detailed plan can often be riddled with preferential logic that is ultimately over-ruled by field decisions. Out-of-sequence progress – in spades – is the inevitable result; the scheduling workload multiplies with no added value.
The scheduler here has chosen the most expedient route, a simplified Finish-to-Start string of five activities. Four weekly updates of actual progress then lead to the progressed schedule shown at the bottom of the figure. While its appearance is substantially changed compared to the original plan, the progressed schedule – in MSP 2010 – seems to correctly depict the status and slack of the multiple in-progress, out-of-sequence tasks. Thus MSP 2010 seems largely indifferent to the consequences of invalid logic combined with out-of-sequence progress, as long as the affected tasks are non-critical.
As my associate discovered, however, MSP 2016 is far less tolerant of such practices. When the progressed schedule is recalculated in MSP 2016, the in-progress predecessors of the in-progress, out-of-sequence tasks are shown as Critical (with TS=0). This is incorrect, as the tasks could all slip by 15 days without delaying the project.
Subsequent to initial schedule development, the preferred logic sequence is altered due to field conditions, resource limitations, or other latent factors.
Subsequent to initial schedule development, technologically-mandatory logical constraints are allowed to be violated – typically under schedule performance pressure – and the resulting technical risks are accepted.
The schedule is based on scope and logic definitions that are overly simplified compared to the actual or achievable plan of execution. E.g. simple Finish-to-Start relationships are used to represent overlapping, partly-concurrent activities.
Subsequent to occurrence of any of the prior circumstances, the schedule logic is not revised appropriately.
Schedule updates do not include regular review and correction of invalid logic in light of out-of-sequence progress.
In MSP, a task that is both started and completed out-of-sequence may cause the incomplete tasks in its predecessor and/or successor chains to become effectively open-ended, with consequent impacts on Early and Late dates, Total Slack, and Critical task definition. Consequently, the updated schedule may be invalid.
(In all modern MSP versions) Total Slack of behind-schedule tasks will change from negative to zero and in some cases turn positive. [See also comment 1.] Although the Critical flag won’t always change, any identification of driving and driven logic paths that is based on negative Total Slack will be incorrect.
(In recent versions – e.g. MSP 2016) Total Slack of non-Critical tasks will change from positive to zero (with some exceptions), and each task will be incorrectly marked as Critical. [See also comment 1.] Thus, the “Critical Path” and any other Slack-based identification of driving or driven logic paths will be incorrect.
These are pretty major consequences, yet their persistence suggests that they reflect as-designed behavior, not bugs. It might even be suggested that the most recent “improvements” are intended to highlight the out-of-sequence progress – for correction of the associated logic.
Ensure that project schedules are based on sound consideration of the scope and logic of project execution.
Ensure that procedural controls are put into place to a) validate, b) revise where necessary, and c) enforce the preferred sequence of activities.
Where necessary, revise the schedule logic to reflect the actual/required sequence of execution.
During regular progress updates, identify all out of sequence progress, and revise associated logic as appropriate to avoid the consequences noted above.
c.	“Split in-progress tasks” is enabled.
2.	When the Status Date is not respected – i.e. when any of these conditions don’t apply – then TS is offset (+ or -) from zero depending on the nature and severity of the violated conditions.
a.	Correctly compute the Late Finish from the successor logic.
b.	Correctly compute and substitute a Remaining Late Start value instead of Late Start (which is overwritten by the Actual), and pass this value on for computing Late dates of the predecessors.
d.	In MSP 2016, use the Remaining Early Start (i.e. the Resume date) instead of the Remaining Late Start in these calculations. In essence, this is akin to applying a mandatory constraint on the resume date.
Next Next post: What is the Longest Path in a Project Schedule?


text:
“Well I reckon I don’t know what to do!” Hoss didn’t mean to come across coarse. But that’s how it came across. He couldn’t help it.
“It’ll take state police at least an hour to get out here!” Jim shot back.
At least an hour. Probably more than that, The nearest state police barracks was way off to the southeast. By the time a telegraph machine clattered to life in the duty room and the Trooper on watch scribbled the message out, Jim and Hoss would’ve been out there already for a good long while.
The whole thing was way outside anything the Sheriff’s Office had ever seen. A great big long gouge that stretched from County Road 45 across Old Mitch Percival’s land, through a stream, and into a low mound on a patch of unkempt ground.
“What’s going on out here fellas?” The deep gravely voice belonged to Curtis Percival, Old Mitch’s middle son.
“We’ve been bombed?” Curtis was perplexed.
“What Hoss?” Jim hollered back.
“I don’t see how you can say that.” Jim crossed his arms and stared hard at Hoss.
“We need to wait for the state police to get here.” Hoss muttered as he lit a cigarette.
“But there ain’t no time!” Jim stormed off to his pick-up truck that doubled as a county service vehicle.
13800 had been in for a long time. Long enough that nobody bothered him anymore other than the bossmen. Nobody knew what he was in for though. Other than it was something real bad from a long time ago.
Porter shimmied along like the others behind the tar truck. As it laid down lumps of steaming black, he tried his best to do like the others and smooth it out long and wide into what would someday be a road. It wasn’t his thing though. He hadn’t done much work with his hands.
Except for stealing cars. Funny thing was, he thought when they booked him, stealing cars was just something he thought was fun. He never got in deep with chop shops. Never sold a stolen car either. Steve Porter liked to “borrow”, he preferred borrow to steal, a nice car once in a while and show it off. Especially for his ladies.
Steve nodded. It went this way every day on work detail. Line up. Get on a bus. Ride for longer than an 8-track. Then get sandwiched in between 13800 and 11284. Hadn’t either of them thought about it before? It being, escape.
The taste of the air outside prison walls was better than candy or a joint, Steve thought. Way off in the distance, especially as the road they were making rose in elevation a little bit, Steve could see what he imagined was a highway. There were cars out there. They had their windows down. They were blasting Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult and The Rolling Stones. Sometimes, if he turned his head just right, Steve swore he could hear one of his favorite songs carried along the summer wind.
“What are you humming boy? 11284 would complain.
It was hard to remember 11284, everyone called him Luscious, hadn’t heard any new music other than what the bossmen played on the radio in their pick’em up trucks. It must have bothered Luscious terribly. Before prison he had been a musician of some sort. Some said he was a really good one.
“Just a song.” Steve smiled as he said it.
Steve didn’t doubt it. There were rumors about him. He had nearly bled a man to death in a bar fight back in 1941 over a girl. Or he had robbed banks and took a cop hostage. If he had ever killed somebody the state would’ve killed him already. That meant somewhere, his victims were out there. Probably on that highway Steve swore his could see, waiting for 1982 when the road they were raking into life would be open.
Later that night, after work detail and showers and dinner were done and the 10pm bed check went down, Steve thought about that road. The cars that would drive over it someday. Every bump and wiggle. Eventually it would lead to neighborhoods and stores. There would be a factory too. The bossman mentioned that one day. That after the road was done they’d have to come back and cut a notch into the ground and lay some asphalt for the entry way into the factory.
Jean swallowed hard. They should have gone north, he thought. Tried their luck with the Tunica and the Chickasaw. By now half the New Orleans garrison no doubt was hot on their trail. The other half would be working through the night to build the gallows from which he and Piers would hang.
Piers lay as flat as he could against the ground, peering out into the darkness. He was looking for the Spaniards. They were out there. Somewhere. If the New Orleans garrison didn’t catch them, the Spanish would. That would almost be worse than the gallows. True, the Spaniards would put them to the gallows too. But the Spaniards would exact information, any information, from them as painfully as needed.
Jim and Curtis didn’t say a word as the walked down the middle of the trough across the Percival ranch. Both thought it was weird how the underneath their feet seemed hot. It seemed to get hotter the further along they walked. Just before the stream it had become so unbearable they climbed out of the trough and back on to flat ground.
“Would you look at that.” Curtiss was stunned. Year round the stream was known to run rich and deep with water, fish, and crawdaddies. But for puddles, the stream was dry.
“Look at that!” Jim exclaimed at piles of mauled fish carcasses strewn about.
“Do we go on?” Curtiss asked.
The stream was the unofficial boundary of the Percival property. Beyond it, the forest closed in thick and deep, except where the scar across the earth bored in ever deeper.
“I’m thinking about well,” Steve nodded.
“I think we could bust out of here.” Steve said as he heaved a lump of steaming black underneath his rake.
“Will it?” Steve felt his entire body flush cold as he said it.
“You trying to confront me boy?” 13800 stopped raking.
“You got it boss,” 13800’s eyes burned hard in Steve’s direction.
“You hear me boy,” the bossman called to Steve.
“I hear you,” Steve muttered.
“He said this thing was little. Like a little bump one the ground.” Jim marveled as the gouge through the earth stopped and a mound began. Twenty feet high or so Jim figured, and stretching about fifty feet wide maybe.
“Do you hear that?” Curtis whispered.
There was a sound A low sound. Rhythmic. Soft. Almost like breathing.
“Yeah,” Jim didn’t want to acknowledge, “I hear it.” Jim wished Hoss had walked the gouge with him and Curtis had stayed back in case the state police showed up. Curtis didn’t have a rifle. He’d always said he didn’t believe in shooting. Conscientious objector he called himself. When the Army found out they gave him a job in motor pool. Jim wished there were two guns out there in case the sound really was something breathing.
Then again, what good would Hoss be. The only reason he was with the Sheriff’s Office was because of his daddy, Jim thought. His daddy got him that job after Hoss’s brother went off to fight in the war. That way only one of the two sons would be gone. There was also Hoss’s drinking. That was probably why he messed up the size of the mound so badly.
“It’s breathing,” Curtis opened his eyes wide.
“What are you talking about.” Jim said.
“I swear to God that mound is breathing,” Curtis begged.
Jim looked hard at the hump of ground in front of them. He listened to the soft and low inhale and exhale. It sure looked like the ground was moving up and back down again just a little bit with every cycle.
“You remember what I told you?” 13800 muttered between swallows of supper.
“No,” Steve said as he chewed a bite of a roll.
“Leave it alone man.” Luscious said to both of them.
“You threatening me old man?” Steve challenged.
“You got any idea how many times since 63 some cute kid’s come in here and told me that right before I cut him?” 13800 said as he flicked the same piece of dinner roll back into Steve’s face.
“Want to try me?” 13800 hissed.
“And get busted and stuck in here forever?” Steve muttered, “I’ll take my own chances with those guys.” Steve peered up at the guards on the catwalks. Black pants. Blue shirts. Rifles and batons.
Piers scrambled to his feet and dashed off into the darkness toward an orange glow in the distance. Jean looked all around. Nothing but darkness all around, except for the orange glow Piers ran off after. Jean dashed into the darkness after Piers.
Maybe it was a trick of the moonless night, or just plain old fear, but to Jean it seemed like he’d never make it to the fire. But before he knew it, he was close enough to smell its woodsmoke and hear its lazy crackle and pop. Jean dropped to all fours and crawled into a light growth of brush.
Nothing but silence and the sound of the fire nearby.
There was no sign of Piers. Was he already there by the fire, sharing food with whoever had made the fire and waiting for him to come tumbling out of the darkness? Was it a trap? Spaniards. Troops from the New Orleans garrison? An encampment full of Tunica or Chippewa?
“Piers,” Jean said as he eased from the brush closer to the fire.
As his eyes adjusted to the light he could tell it was a cooking fire. There was no way it was Tunica or Chippewa. They didn’t build cooking fires that way. People back in the old country did though. Jean wondered what was simmering in the metal pot atop the fire, and where Piers was.
“He isn’t here.” A voice from the darkness whispered.
Jean pretended not to hear it. He moved a little closer. Beyond the fire he could make out a shelter. A lean to or a tent perhaps. Between the shadows and the black of night, it was hard to tell if a man was sitting by the shelter or if it was just a trick of his own eyes.
“He isn’t here.” The voice whispered again.
Down in New Orleans the older folks told stories about men that lived along out in the woods away from everyone else. Spiritual men but they practiced something different from the voodoo down in the bayous. Mystical figures that seemed to live only in tales told by the dying.
“He’s not here!” The voice hissed.
Jean started to back away from the cooking fire. He looked up at the sky, at what seemed like a thousand stars, and wondered how soon it would be before he hanged.
“I don’t know what happened!” Hoss knelt on the ground, tears streaming from his face and blending with the spattered blood that blotched his skin and clothes.
Their Sergeant returned his clipboard to his patrol car and walked over to where the two troopers stood near Hoss. It was the worst thing he’d seen since the First World War. Jim lay about twenty yards from Hoss. He was still alive but barely. A trooper was on his knees begging him to hang on until the ambulance arrived. Whatever had happened to Jim, whether an animal had mauled him or Hoss had…well, whatever it was had been severe. And the burns. Jim had been burned over a good portion of his back and legs. It reminded the Sergeant of the things they’d find sometimes when they overran the enemy’s lines back in Europe.
“Where’s Curtis?” The Sergeant furrowed his brow.
“I never saw him come back.” Hoss’s voice cracked.
The trooper already with Jim nodded in the Sergeant’s direction as the other two gathered flashlights and made their way down into the gouge.
Jean moved slow into dense growth, taking care to keep as quiet as possible and using his hands to feel his way through in the darkness. There weren’t any good options. By morning a regiment from New Orleans would be out there, moving into the woods. Jean thought his best chance would be to find somewhere to hide and rest until daybreak, and then he’d make a plan.
There was supposed to be a river somewhere. A small one. Jean thought, if he could make it to the river, he could follow it upstream until he was further than either the French or the Spaniards would be willing to look. He’d still have to contend with the Tunica and Chippewa. He’d worry about that when the time came.
Acrid and unusual. That’s what Jean thought about an odor that crept into the air around him. Something had burned out there in the woods. Could it have been a cooking fire? Maybe an old camp site?
The tree trunks Jean’s hands found where dry and cool to the touch. He reached out as far as he could carefully finding each and then drawing himself close to it before reaching out for the next. As his hands played over each he imagined what they looked like and what kinds they were. Some would have been dressed in thin bark and soft green moss. Others would have had rougher exteriors. Back in prison, someone had said you could survive off of tree bark if you had to. Jean was almost at the point where he might have to.
Jean wondered what his last meal would be like the day they hanged him. Or if he’d get one at all. That’s what he got for escaping. If he could’ve done it all over again, he’d have talked Piers out of it. They could have stayed in prison a few more years and their sentences would have been complete. They could have gone someplace else and started all over again.
The next tree trunk Jean felt was oddly warm and moist. It stunk of that horrible odor out there in the woods. Jean explored it with his hands, stopping when he found the iron bracelet that had once been attached to a chain that held Piers’ left arm to the floor of their cell.
“Piers?” Jean struggled against what he now realized were the smells of burned clothing, flesh, and blood.
Jean backed away. He’d have to stay there with Piers until morning. Bury him if he was dead or try and help him if there was any life left in him.
Steve, Luscious, and 13800 huddled in a drainage ditch off the road they’d been building. Escape had been the easy part. The hard part was going to be staying ahead of what by now had to have been hundreds coming after them.
“So where do we go now?” Luscious asked.
Steve had daydreamed that question inside prison, but now that they were outside he didn’t have good answers. He thought heading down near the road they were working on would be a good starting place. Kind of like hiding in plain sight. There wouldn’t be a detail working the road either. The whole prison would be on lock down.
“How are we going to get a ride?” Luscious asked.
“I can hotwire a ride in ten seconds flat.” Steve offered.
“You gonna steal a car for each of us?” 13800 countered.
“We’ll figure it out.” Steve replied. The woods off in the distance and the highway beyond really didn’t seem like a good way out. There was a hill the jutted up sharply off toward the northwest though. They could head in that direction and then use the hill as a vantage point. If they got really lucky maybe there would be a place to hide somewhere too.
Even before the sun came up, in those low blue hues of morning Jean could tell Piers was dead. Mauled by something. A coyote maybe. Piers had been burned too. He looked like he’d fallen into a fire and it had burned hard and deep in patches all over him. Then he had to have run off into the woods until he couldn’t go anymore. He’d leaned against a tree, the kind that separates into branches low near the ground, and that’s where he breathed his last.
There wasn’t going to be any time to bury Piers. By now they’d be on horseback and they’d have dogs. They’d find the smoldering cooking fire and the lean to and they’d realize the woods were too deep to go in with horses. So a bunch of them would dismount and they’d run behind their dogs.
Jean started retracing his path through the woods. He’d try and catch the mystic man living in the lean to. If there was time he’d ask what had happened to Piers. He’d see if the man would hide him for when they came with their dogs. Or, if he had to, he’d take what he could and try and build some distance between himself and the gallows.
“For what?” Hoss was incredulous.
“Do you think I did that to Jim?” Hoss begged.
“So why are you taking me in?” Hoss asked.
“So what were you really in for?” Luscious asked 13800 as they trudged toward the hill.
“You fellas really want to know?” 13800 asked.
“It’s up to you” Steve replied. Somehow, outside of prison, 13800 and his past didn’t seem as interesting.
“Who were you before?” Steve asked.
“For real?” Luscious was in disbelief.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Steve offered.
Jean made it to the mystic man’s encampment just as the sun was breaking across the horizon. The fire had reduced down to smoldering ashes during the night while the lump an old man underneath the lean to slept. Whatever had been simmering in the cooking pot was now just a thick residue.
“Who are you?” The mystic man’s accent was English or maybe Irish.
“Your friend?” The old man laughed.
“You’re lucky there’s much left of him.” The old man replied. “See that?” The old man pointed toward the cooking pot.
“I see it.” Jean was growing anxious. The dogs were louder now. There were French voices in the distance too.
“Did he do it?” Jean asked.
Jean hated himself for thinking of it, but if he’d searched through what was left of Piers he’d might have found the pound notes. That would’ve been better than nothing if he could’ve made it to Mississippi Territory or someplace further north.
“Those are French no?” The old man said as he steadied himself upright. There were riders coming over the horizon. Even at a distance, Jean knew they were from the New Orleans garrison.
“Give me money!!” Jean cried.
Jean turned to see the first of the dogs closing in on the encampment with riders close behind.
“They can’t be that close already,” Steve said as they neared the top of the hill. Sure enough, a column of police cars was hurtling down the road the three of them had spent time building.
“Like a cave?” Steve asked.
“I swear Luscious you give yourself up and...,” Steve began.
“And what 19772,” Luscious slapped Steve across the face.Steve lunged at Luscious and locked both hands tight around his throat.
“I’m not going in there with him.” Steve complained.
“What about you?” Steve fired back.
This story has been viewed: 435 times.

industry_corpus2: Literature & Emotions


text: This class is taught by the designer of this lovely, scrap-busting quilt! Make your background at home, then have fun in class with Penni as you select your fabrics for the flowers, cut out the petals, and applique them to your background. This quilt finishes at approximately 68" square.


text:
A few days after Christmas last year, when Brody was just 5 weeks old, Travis and I went to Target to get out of the house. We walked around and browsed all of the Christmas stuff that was on sale.
Travis was a good sport while I grabbed some wrapping tissue paper that was on sale and some decor. We then got to the baby section. There was a Charlie Brown Christmas shirt that we both thought was cute. We decided on getting 18mo. size, having no idea how big Brody would be the following December.
Buying things like this, you think it will be FOREVER until they fit in those clothes. How could my baby ever be this size? This shirt looks HUGE. But, as I was getting Brody ready for the day yesterday I opened his closet and this Charlie Brown shirt stood out to me.
He looks like such a big boy! This has been a face that Brody has been making often when he gets excited. It's hilarious.
He has had 3 haircuts and it is almost time for another! I love his soft, flowy, strawberry-blonde hair.
He is still quite obsessed with balls. Tennis balls, balls from Target's $1 section, Travis' high school football, etc.
Brody had been sick for about 3 weeks and on this day, his smile started to peek out a bit more. I've missed it.
We are looking forward to spending Christmas in Tahoe with my family and playing with Brody in the snow for the first time.
We are so grateful for this past year and all of the change, beauty and lessons we have been blessed with. God is great.
This will probably be my last blog post for a while as we are prepping for the Holidays and spending time as a family. Thanks you for following our little space here!


text:
” David has proven to me and many of my peers that he ‘thinks big’ in terms of innovative solutions to meet the needs and challenges of both business and social enterprises.
“David’s extensive business experience across the private and government sectors is brought to bear on the subject of innovation, one of the key issues facing the CEO in today’s post GFC climate.
This book assists with developing a different approach to innovation, it clearly identifies what used to work in the past is no longer applicable in today’s changed business conditions.

industry_corpus2: Technology & Research


text:
Rather than doing prison time, he decided to escape abroad and came to UK in 2005. He started his new life here, continuing to be involved in anti-fascist activity: organising gigs in London, including United and Strong Fest, which has seen lots of great Antifa bands from all over Europe performing, and raising money for anti-fascist initiatives. He was also the editor of the ‘Skinhead Revolt’ fanzine, which was the first left wing skinhead publication in Polish.
Patryk lost his extradition case and is being deported to Poland to serve his sentence. He is leaving behind his 10 year old son in the care of his younger brother D, who became his legal carer. As D has two small children of his own and is the only money earner in the household, we are planning to support him financially. We want Patryk to know that his son has enough money for school meals, clothes etc. and that his younger brother is not being pushed into poverty as a result of looking after him. Our aim it to raise £4,000, which means we can send monthly payments to his son during Patryk’s incarceration.
Patryk has always been there when others needed help and assistance, please make sure he is not left on his own now.
Fundraising is being organised by Brighton Anarchist Black Cross.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 26th, 2017 at 8:57 pm	and is filed under Prison Struggle.

industry_corpus2: Law & Justice


text:
In our everyday world of disrupted families, what often lies in the ruins, after, more often than not, the husband has traded to a younger mate, is a woman who has been stripped of her self worth, loss the support of shallow friends and family…and who is left to hold the children and a sense of home in tact.
IRNE award-winner Juliet Bowler stumbles into the theatre as the harried mom that “just needs a night out.” She has come to see the play, MEDEA, the bloody Greek Tragedy that has been interpreted as a sympathetic portrayal of Medea’s struggle to take charge of her own life in a male-dominated world. That interpretation is a tough thought to embrace since Medea murders her husband’s Princess bride plus slaughters their two children in an icy, “pay-back’ initiative. She wanted to hurt Jason (yes, that Jason, the hero who fought to obtain the golden fleece and did other amazing feats) by causing him a level of pain that she had been experiencing by his rejection and her isolation.
Ironically we find out that the theater going woman/ mother also married a Jason, who left her…and, like Medea, they have two children. Directed by Elizabeth Ramirez, Ms. Bowler gives an absolutely brilliant performance as she begins to usurp the play with her own stories including tales of losses she is forced to endure. She is an abandon mother who finds herself wrestling with the darker corners of single parenting. As theatre blends with reality and she finds herself segueing between the role of Medea and her own contemporary consciousness, she is forced to precariously balance on a fine line of guilt, grief and anger. But is she Medea….or NOT?!

industry_corpus2: Film & Entertainment


text:
Is this the greatest "Surfer" vehicle ever created? Road tripping is a big part of any committed surfers’ passion, and if you had these wheels and this level of comfort, no wave would be too far away. Construction artist Jay Nelson, from San Francisco has created an 'Ewok' inspired custom camper truck.
Nelson, a respected surfer and fine artist from San Francisco, is who you call when you need a tree house or bicycle camper. His weirdly functional designs are all totally unique and made-to-order.
If you're a surfer or a natural explorer, these are the rides you want. If Carzoos ever get their hands on one of these rides we will be a bunch of very happy campers.


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Wood Elf Bedding, Scattered is a fine (green) quality Furniture in The Elder Scrolls Online.
Crafted, Clothing Station. Requires Pattern: Wood Elf Bedding, Scattered. Patterns are found randomly in containers around Tamriel and can be traded and sold by players. Some special Patterns are only available from pickpocketing or as special rewards.

industry_corpus2: Gaming


text: Welcome to the MR2 Spyder Forum. This forum is dedicated to all MR2 Spyder owners and enthusiasts. It is run by us, for us, and is to be used as a fun community to talk everything Spyder related. Feel free to join, contribute, and add to the ever growing community.

industry_corpus2: Automobiles


text:
Bahrain International Airport Modernization Project consists of a 220.000 m² new passenger terminal building, 130.000 m² carpark and 9.000 m² central utility complex with a total indoor construction area of 359.000 m². Total cooling load of the terminal will be 48.000 kW provided by 6 water cooled chillers.
This project will increase the capacity of the airport to 14 million passengers per year.

industry_corpus2: Transportation


text:
Two Harris County deputy constables have been commended for helping out a man who was down on his luck.
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- There's a great story we're hearing about from Harris County Precinct 4, where a couple of deputy constables helped out a man who was down on his luck.
According to Precinct 4, the deputies found a homeless man near the intersection of Richey Road and I-45. They discovered the man was trying to get money from passing drivers so that he could get back to Seattle, Washington.
One of the deputies walked back to his vehicle and grabbed a $100 bill so that the man could buy a ticket back home.
"This is a perfect illustration of compassion by your police," said Constable Mark Herman. "Good does happen with law enforcement doing their jobs."
The deputies' generosity was recognized by the Constable and a commendation was entered and placed in their personnel files.


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Every minute counts in our busy, modern world, so you need to focus on getting things done. Now that almost everyone has a smartphone, you can use apps to help you achieve your goals. The following apps can turbocharge your productivity and revolutionize your life. These are convenient tools that can automate and control other apps to put you in charge of your time by optimizing every possible part of your life.
Promoted as the most annoying alarm app available today, Alarmy wakes you and motivates you to get on with your day. When you create an alarm, the app lets you choose one of three ways to shut it off. You can use the default setting that allows you to swipe the screen to dismiss the alarm. Another option lets you shake your phone a certain number of times. The last, and perhaps the most creative option, requires you to take a photo. When the alarm goes off, you have to recreate that same picture. As a precaution, the app comes with some effectively annoying ringtones that should help you get out of bed and face the world.
You can use Liquidplanner as a Web-based app as well as apps for Android and iPhone. When you sign up, you get a thirty-day free trial with 100 GB of storage in the Professional plan.
Evernote provides users with a centralized repository for their notes, to-do lists, reminders, and thoughts with numerous options. The app comes with its famous Web clipper that lets you save Web pages directly to related notebooks. You can also save and annotate photos, audio and video clips, and scanned documents into various user-created notebooks for future use. Evernote users can scan physical business cards into the application, so you always have access to the people that can facilitate your business and personal life. When you pay for the premium features, you can sync your notes across all your devices, so you always have access to your information. Evernote also lets users share notes and documents with colleagues, making it a valuable collaboration tool for projects.
With access to computers and connected devices, you might discover that you repeatedly perform the same tasks. The IFTTT (If This, Then That) app helps you automate routine tasks, freeing your mind and your time for other things. Using an interface and programming tools that you can easily understand IFTTT lets you create “recipes” of actions that the application will automatically perform. Using the “If This, Then That” format, you can have the app send something you liked on Facebook to your Dropbox account or send you text messages reminding you of upcoming appointments. You can even use ITTT to trigger actions based on your location. To help users make the most of the app, the developers have posted some complicated recipes on the application’s website.
The proliferation of cloud-based storage has allowed people to store their data files, photos, and other information online, where they can access it from any connected device. If you have many cloud storage accounts, you might have difficulty remembering which services you used to store different files. Unclouded gives you the ability to view the details of all your cloud storage accounts from a unified interface.
Unclouded has a search function that lets you find your files on whichever service they reside. You can also use Unclouded to find duplicate files by file name and download files to your phone. Supported services include Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, and OneDrive. The free version of this app allows you to manage two online accounts.
Although you can get started with Unclouded using a free basic account, you will probably want to upgrade to the premium version, so you can move, rename, delete, and upload your files from the app. With your paid account, you can also access native sharing capabilities, the ability to create folders for organizing your files, and password protection.
If you subscribe to RSS feeds to get news and updates from your favorite websites, you might want to try Feedly. You can log into the app using your Google credentials, making it readily available to many people, or by creating a separate login. The Feedly interface gathers information from all your RSS feeds, making it easy for you to review and read the information the information using a single interface. While using the app, you can categorize articles by their importance, discarding some and saving others for later.


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The Champions League round of 16 features a variety of tasty clashes for us to look forward to as we enter February.
The first leg of the round of 16 commences tomorrow and, perhaps more so than the last few years, there are some enticing fixtures awaiting. The cream of the crop are Manchester United vs Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool vs Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid vs Juventus.
The Red Devils' renaissance under new caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solkjaer continues, but this is their toughest test since his replacement of Mourinho and will surely prove to be a stern one.
United will hope they don’t catch PSG at their rampant best; they despatched Guingamp 9-0 in an underwhelming performance by the Ligue 1 minnows. What is for certain is both attacking line-ups will have room to roam and test ailing defences.
Thiago Silva and Dani Alves are past their best days, and little needs to be said about the fragility of the central pairing of Jones and Lindelof. However, Neymar is injuried for the tie and Cavani is unlikely to be fit to play, leaving Mbappe as the talisman to lead his side past the early knock-out stages.
Paris are yet to make it to the semi-finals since the 1994-95 season and Neymar’s patience will likely run out in the French capital if they continue to underwhelm on the European stage.
Bayern vs Liverpool holds the potential for a fiery battle too. Liverpool have been struggling recently with a string of choppy performances.
Few can criticise their loss against City at the Etihad, yet underwhelming draws against Leicester City and West Ham United leave much to be desired by a team that made the final of this competition last year.
Having been bolstered by the signings of Virgil Van Dijk, Allison Becker and Fabinho, it looked as if Liverpool’s leakiness had been sealed. Yet, conceding three goals at home against Palace says otherwise.
Luckily for Liverpool, Bayern are a shadow of their former selves. Recent results in the Bundesliga leave them only behind high-flying Dortmund, but their shortcomings in the Champion’s League group reveal a further problem – an aging squad in need of major rejuvenation.
Two draws against Ajax suggest they are no longer the stalwarts of Europe they have been.
Atletico Madrid’s contest against Juventus is arguably the pick of the bunch though. The Old Lady have been consistent, although not yet brilliant domestically.
Equally, Simeone’s side haven’t reproduced the results that took them to two finals in the 2013/14 and 2016/17 seasons. Despite this, both camps have reached the latter stages regularly enough recently that you would be advised against discounting either.
The Ronaldo-factor remains an impending threat, even though he has yet to make his mark this season after an ignominious sending off against Valencia. His 60 goals in the knockout stages prove we shouldn’t be too hasty to write him off though - 20 of these came in the upcoming round.
The other round of 16 first legs and their dates are: Roma vs Porto (12/02), Tottenham vs Dortmund (13/02), Ajax vs Real Madrid (13/02), Lyon vs Barcelona (19/02) and Schalke vs Man City (20/02).
What seems a certainty is the knockout rounds this year should not be missed. Man City, Juventus and Barcelona have shown rare glimpses of excellence in Europe, but none have blown the competition away. Such slight inconsistencies mean the eventual winner remains difficult to call.
Which of these round of 16 fixtures is the most enticing tie? Let us know your thoughts!


text:
Smart Lunches, an Internet provider of healthy meal options outside the home, said today it has secured more than $1 million in Series A funding, led by Hub-based Data Point Capital, The Kraft Group president Jonathan Kraft, and Lon Chow, general partner of Apex Venture Partners in Chicago.
Savitz, founder and former CEO of Shoebuy.com, launched Data Point Capital, a $50 million venture capital fund, last month.
Smart Lunches partners with schools, daycare centers and camps to serve children fresh meals parents can order online 24 hours a day. Meals are delivered free to the facility each day.


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Based out of Detroit, Michigan, General Motors (GM) creates, manufactures, and distributes both vehicles and vehicle parts across the world. The company is currently among the largest in unit vehicle sales and once held the title for the longest time period of global vehicle sales: 77 years. However, its long association in the past with both using asbestos in its parts and buying third-party, asbestos-containing parts, has led to a string of lawsuits. In fact, GM faced so many asbestos-related claims and lawsuits that it filed for bankruptcy and established a trust fund to help compensate pending and future cases.
If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer, keep in mind that you may be eligible for substantial compensation. There is currently over $30 billion in asbestos trust funds, set up for victims to asbestos-related diseases. Fill out our form to receive our free Financial Compensation Packet. Our packet is loaded with information on leading mesothelioma attorneys in your area, how to file a claim for asbestos trust funds, how to get paid in 90 days, and more.
The history of General Motors began when William C. Durant, owner of Buick Motors, wanted to incorporate numerous automakers into one company. In 1908, Durant lived out his wish when he purchased over 20 companies and established all of them under the name of GM. At the time, Ford Motor Company was one the leading vehicle business, and GM was set up to directly compete with it.
A little after 1918, Durant lost control of GM after the market for vehicles crashed. Alfred P. Slogan, a business executive, replaced Durant and acquired seven Chevrolet-managed manufacturing plants. In turn, GM’s business picked up substantially over the next several decades. In addition to vehicles, the company began manufacturing and selling vehicle parts. During World War II, began making ships, weapons, tanks, and airplanes.
During the 1960s, GM varied its business by adding in subsidiaries that included insurance, electronics, trains, banking, and financing. Although the company initially fared well, a market shift made it difficult for GM to meet all of the demands.
During the 1970s, competition with other vehicle manufacturers, such as Japan’s smaller, more efficient vehicles, also caused a financial stir. The bulkier GM cars became known as “gas guzzlers” and contributors to air pollution. Consequently, the company lost around 35% in sales and was fined close to $5 billion for pollution regulations.
GM spent most of the 1980s trying to redesign its models, but by the early 1990s it had already lost close to $60 billion. The company’s losses began mounting even more when former employees and contractors began filing asbestos-related claims.
The lawsuits and claims stemmed from GM’s use of asbestos in a variety of its products and via purchasing asbestos-containing products from other business. The led to employees, contractors, and consumers developing fatal diseases, such as malignant mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer.
Although GM faced numerous asbestos-related claims, most of the cases stemmed from employee and contractors who worked with and around the company’s clutch facings and brake linings. As the claims continued to surface, GM faced over $636 million in asbestos-related cases by 2009. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy shortly after, which would include a reorganization plan and the establishment of an asbestos trust fund to compensate future and pending claimants.
When GM emerged from bankruptcy, debt from all asbestos-related claims transferred to the Motors Liquidation Company. In turn, in 2012, the The Motors Liquidation Company Asbestos PI Trust was created. A total of around $625 million was placed into the fund to compensate asbestos claimants.
GM is still in business today and continues to make vehicles of all shapes and sizes. The company has paid back $49.5 billion that it received from the government in 2009, and no longer uses asbestos in any of its products.
If you’ve been injured by asbestos, there is a good chance that you’ll qualify for considerable compensation. Remember to fill out our from to get your free Financial Compensation Packet, with information on asbestos and mesothelioma lawyers in your area. If you have questions or need additional assistance, contact us at 800-793-4540.


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Co-Directors Beau Scott and Will Staal, former teammates and students at North Central High School, explored the idea of forming an AAU team in the summer of 2010. A few short months later, the first ever Northside Spartans team was formed. From that point on, the program has flourished. What started with one team of 7th and 8th graders has blossomed into one of the premier AAU basketball programs in the state. Over a dozen former Spartans have gone on to play college basketball while many in our 2018 class are still reviewing college offers.
This season, our legacy continues.
The first ever Northside Spartan team. Team members are now college sophomores and juniors!
With the Northside Spartans, your AAU experience is different. We strive to help each player improve through weekly practice centered around skill development and competition in high level tournaments. Our coaches don't disappear once the AAU season is over. We're there to provide support and guidance to our players during their school seasons as well. Our coaches are all young men who coach for the love of the game and for the love our players--not dad's who put their son's interests over other players. Our coaches are required to maintain excellent communication with their players and parents throughout the season to provide an enjoyable, hassle-free, AAU experience.
Charlie Warner hitting the recruiting trail during his visits to Penn and Bucknell.
We strive to provide Indiana boys with an excellent AAU basketball experience through regular practices, workouts, and competitive tournament play. It is our duty to help each and every Spartan improve, whether they're still learning the game and developing skills or they're honing their skills for a college career. Our goal is to provide a family atmosphere that encourages communication and support across all our Spartan teams, regardless of age or level.


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Deliver results based on the campaign requirements and execution framework.
Pull analysis and insights around previously targeted campaigns. Ability to multitask several requests, quickly assemble data and generate insights in a fast paced environment.
Ability to comprehend, analyze and interpret general business correspondence, professional publications and industry information. Previous experience in marketing, specifically in the area of product/services and client marketing is highly desired. Demonstrated initiative, ability to handle multiple projects in a fast paced environment. Strong project management and follow-up skills. Must be PC literate with a good command of word processing, presentation/graphics packages, spreadsheets and have strong Internet skills.
Minimum of 3+ yrs of combined experience in a marketing/communications role or a role which allows the individual to demonstrate creative skills associated with developing marketing materials such as brochures, letters, white papers, etc. Strong capabilities in coordinating cross-functional teams or working in a matrix organization for 2+ years. Experience in project coordination for 2+ years.


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Color: Coal Size: S - $79.20M - $79.20L - $79.20XL - $79.20XXL - $79.20 Size Unavailable?
Perfect for everything from morning warmups to layering with your favorite jacket for a night out. This wardrobe essential is made with French terry Storm Cotton, a revolutionary new fabric that repels water like magic without sacrificing the breathability and comfort of cotton. We added a bit of stretch to the fabric and ribbed side panels to give you room to move, while maintaining the perfect fit on this timeless sportswear style made famous by Rocky training montages.
The Everyday Pullover Hoodie is designed with a modern athletic fit.


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Cloud Hosting vs Dedicated Server Hosting – What’s Right For You : Are you confused about your options when it comes to hosting your application or website? If you’re not sure whether cloud servers or dedicated servers are the right fit, then this should help.
These are a great option for businesses that need to optimise IT performance without the huge costs associated with purchasing and managing a fully dedicated infrastructure. For this reason they are a popular choice for small and mid-sized businesses, and those with variable demands and workloads.
Cloud servers can be configured to provide a similar level of performance, security and control of a dedicated server, but instead of being hosted on physical hardware that’s solely dedicated to you they reside on a shared “virtualised” environment managed by your cloud hosting provider, meaning that you benefit from the economies of scale of sharing hardware with other customers.
With Cloud servers you only ever pay for the exact amount of server space used, on an hourly basis, and have the benefit of infinite flexibility. You can scale up or down resources and server specification depending on demand, meaning that you can avoid paying for idle infrastructure costs when demand is low.
A dedicated server is a physical server that is purchased or rented entirely for your own business needs, making it a great solution for large businesses, those that for regulatory reasons require exceptionally high levels of data security, or organisations that have predictable demand necessitating all of their servers running 24/7/365.Businesses would typically need the IT capacity and expertise to manage the ongoing maintenance..
Whilst there is much debate as to the value of dedicated servers in the new world of Cloud, the reality is that there is still very much a need for bare metal dedicated hardware as businesses grapple with increased use of I/O-heavy applications such as databases and Big Data platforms.
How quickly can I have resources online? With cloud servers you can have resources online within minutes but with dedicated servers this can take considerably longer, even weeks in some circumstances.
Can I upgrade the RAM, disk space and CPU? The answer is yes for both cloud and dedicated. The key difference here is that with cloud servers this can be achieved in only a few clicks or even automated using an API, however with dedicated servers this is a manual process and that would require a scheduled maintenance window.
Can I achieve High Availability quickly and cost effectively? Again yes for both options. However as already discussed this can be achieved very quickly with cloud servers. You can configure a HA environment quickly with multiple cloud servers and a load balancer within minutes, whereas whilst you can request a HA environment within a dedicated infrastructure, using multiple dedicated servers and a dedicated load balancer, this will take hours if not days to build. The key difference here is also that building a HA environment in the cloud can cost up to 60% less.
Are tools available for building auto-scaling, auto-provisioning and auto management? Yes, in a cloud environment these tools are readily available via the community driven open development API. Whilst tools are available in a dedicated environment you may have to wait for vendor driven development.
Can I easily run cost effective segmentation of resources? Compartmentalising your resources by function allows for easy scalability, management and resource segmentation and this very cost effectively achieved in the cloud. However compartmentalisation in this way is very expensive to achieve with dedicated hardware.
Can I address stringent security and compliance needs? If this is a requirement then dedicated hardware might be the best choice for your business. Complete compliance with most regulations can be achieved in a dedicated environment.
Can I manage my servers on the go using a mobile device? Yes, both iOS and Android operating systems are compatible with cloud servers. This is not the case with dedicated hardware and management is a manual process.
Can I run cloud resources and dedicated resources in one environment?
Hosting companies believe that gone are the days of a one-size fits all approach – either cloud or dedicated. The cloud is a powerful technology but it isn’t the complete answer for every business and every workload. Businesses today need to have the ability to use cloud for applications where this is best suited, but also run dedicated hardware where needs require.
Combining the power of dedicated hardware with the flexibility and agility of the cloud is something companies such as RackSpace has launched the pioneering RackConnect hybrid technology. This combination creates an even more compelling proposition in terms of both price and performance.


text: The bar chair is contemporary design crafted using Scandinavian mid-century design language. Features finely shaped deep walnut colored wood in seating surfaces. Seat height - 30'' from ground. Seat dimensions - 17.5 wide x 15 inch deep x 0.5 inch high, Base - 20 inch wide x 19 inch (bottom of the legs).


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 HELLO ENTERPRISE & WIN YOUR PRIZE!
- To see the whole picture of my business.
- What big ears you have!
- To hear all the needs of my client.
- What big mouth you have!
- To convey all my ideas.
On the day of Halloween when the whole world is covered in darkness, Protemos takes the light side!
We welcome you, dear Stranger, to the chamber of TBMS solution adepts!
Come to our Hello&Win Prize Draw online-session to join other LSP CEOs, who are dreaming about more time for strategic issues just like you, as well as enterprises that have already felt the taste of freedom from routine through using Protemos in their business.
Our doors are widely open!
You have exactly 13 days to get acquainted with TBMS Protemos if you need and come up with your set of questions to ask Volodymyr Kukharenko—Protemos CEO and the Master of the ball—during the prize draw session where you can claim one of the gifts we prepared for you.
Complete this form, and we'll send you the link to the event and notifications 1 day and 1 hour prior to the start.


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Starting to sew the t-shirts together. This is one of my favorite parts of the process. The hard part (designing) is complete and you can start to see it come together.
A little hard to see but you get the picture.
Started this rag quilt a few months ago. Feels good to have it almost done.
Next up on the docket, a tshirt quilt for one of the girls at work.
These are really fun to make!
I know you've all been through the lack of motivation stage. Mine has hit me pretty hard. Work has been top of mind lately - mainly looking for a new job. I'm still looking but things have settled somewhat and sewing and blogging relax me so here I am!
all of them. So excited!
My mom and dad stopped for a visit on their way to ClauseFest 2014 in Gatlinburg. This is her birthday dinner at one of my favorite restaurants - Clarks Fish Camp.
I'm working on some more projects and will have something to show you next week. Until then, have a wonderful Easter and great weekend everyone!
Even though it was a busy time, I managed to get some sewing/embroidery done for gifts this year.
These little mug rugs from Five Star Fonts were easy and quick and people loved them.
I'm looking forward to another short week next week for my birthday and New Year's. I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe New Year and Happy 2014!
Passing on this link from Bonnie Hunter's blog about the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum collecting quilts for the flood victims. Winter is coming, if you can help, please do.
The commissioned baby quilt is finally finished. I absolutely love how it turned out and I hope the new mom and dad love it as well. I'm dropping it off tomorrow but had to get some pictures first.
Thanks to my wonderful husband for holding it for me.
I'm not getting a lot done lately. I've been battling bronchitis again, but thankfully, not as bad as last year! The new job is going well. I'm finally settling in and my probation is up the first of October so I'm pretty happy about that.
Had happy hour with my Jaguars peeps on Thursday. Love these girls!
and got to celebrate my friend, Carolyn's, retirement (she's on the right, my friend, Ginny, is on the left). So happy for her and just a little jealous. We've been friends since we worked together back in the early '90s. Goofy girls!
For some reason, Labor Day always triggers a Fall state of mind. At this point, I really feel like decorating for Halloween! This is a cute 10 minute table runner kit I bought last weekend at the retreat. There are several sites online for making it, but it's incredibly easy (just google 10 minute table runner).
Happy Early Halloween - Oh, and Happy Labor Day!
It's been a busy month. Started a new job and I'm now learning all about board and committee meetings, not to mention a whole new world of the hospital system. Seems so far from my football world - but everyone has been very nice and easy to work with.
Cinnamon's had a Fall quilt retreat this weekend and I was able to get this little baby (ha! get it?) finished. It's a commission quilt for one of our former ROAR members, Laurie. She's having a little boy. I really love how it turned out. Now to get the backing and have it quilted.
I don't know about you but I learn better from videos. While I was searching the internet today for a binding tutorial, I found this great YouTube channel from The Crafty Gemini. Vanessa has a lot of videos ranging from quilting to cooking to gardening. She also has a blog.
I was very impressed with her presence on camera. Some quilting videos leave a LOT to be desired both in quality and teaching. However, she was very professional and I could see exactly what she was doing. I ended up watching both the binding tutorial as well as how to make a mini ironing board.
I got this one done a little while ago but needed to take pictures. I used a Dilly Dally Jelly Roll by Me and My Sister Designs.
I love making this pattern. It's known as the Jelly Roll Race quilt. It's so easy and quick and makes a great quilt to give as a gift.
All Photos by Dan Van Slyke, Jr.
I'm crazy about making things. Quilting and embroidery are my go-to hobbies. I hope you'll join me on this journey of creatvity.


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We have been setting up our scuba divers onboard Cassiopeia with this equipment which provides them with additional safety since 2008. This safety device saves the lives of drift-away divers worldwide.
The way the device works is that the scuba diver, after reaching the water surface and noticing that he/she is dangerously far from the diving boat / liveaboard, activates the device that is attached to the scuba diver’s tank or BCD. The receiver, located on the bridge of the diving liveaboard, registers the scuba diver’s signal through an outer antenna and alerts the crew onboard. The location and strength of the signal is displayed on the receiver, providing information on the distance and location of the scuba diver from the liveaboard.
It can be a life-saving solution in bad visibility, in heavy surfs, at night or in choppy waters.
The Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons send radio signals at 406 Mhz on a specified frequency which can be received by satellites, airplanes and rescue units. The advantage of a digital signal is that the position of the emergency can be detected virtually anywhere in the world.
This receiver is designed mainly for vessels, so due to its size, it is not possible for scuba divers to take it with them. But there is a practical solution to this – a 121.5Mhz personal position indicator. It operates within a smaller range but the 2-5.5km distance is suitable for drift-away scuba divers.


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WILLIAM HOWARD JOHNSON, second child of JOSEPH M. and LULU M. JENNINGS JOHNSON was born June 30, 1908 in Decatur County, Iowa and died July 28, 1983 at Craigmont Care Center in Des Moines, Iowa, age 73.
He was marriage to OPAL B. VANDERPOOL, April 16, 1932 and to this union two children were born, ODA JOE and SARA JOAN.
HOWARD was a member of Leon Christian Church, Iowa Order of Odd Fellows No. 84, Equal Rights Rebekah Lodge No. 419, and Grand River Lodge A. F. A. M. No. 78.
He was preceded in death by his wife, OPAL: son ODA JOE; his parents, and brother RAYMOND.
Survivors are his daughter, JOAN and husband LEO BANNER of Des Moines and three grandchildren: LEIGH ANN, JIM and JUDY BANNER, Des Moines; sister ETHEL HORNEY, Leon; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.


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First Family is on a mission and taking you along the trek up the snowy mountain ranges with their winter party: BASE CAMP. The crew returns to U Hall for a cross-genre dance function with new sounds and bigger installations that’s set to top their wildly successful party back in July. Spinning alongside First Family residents meaux and 1-hunnered is special guest yellowtech from NYC. It may be brick outside, but BASE CAMP is bringing heat for the cold.
First Family is an event-based community of multimedia artists, designers, DJs, event producers, and above all, friends. We create intimate experiences centered around the things we love.