text:
Snookerbacker
Shanghai Semi Final Saturday
Snooker Betting
Snooker News
— snookerbacker @ 5:08 pm
Will he crack under pressure?
We are down to one table tomorrow in Shanghai as we approach the final weekend of the Shanghai Masters. The remaining four players playing two best of eleven frame matches on Semi-Final Saturday.
Today saw a tense finish to the match between Shaun Murphy and Mark Selby. Neither found top form and it came as no surprise that it went to a decider (I did advise this outcome as an interest bet yesterday). With Murphy 4-2 in front you even had the sense that the Jester was not quite done with and so it proved. He did unto Shaun what Shaun had done unto Dom Dale and Mark Allen and came from 2 down with 3 to play to win. There really can't be a better deciding frame player in the game at the moment and it just reiterates how strange it is that he has only one ranking event to his name and yet is destined to be World Number One after the next revision.
On the other table a long drawn-out affair ended the Sheriff's run and put pay to a planned weekend of revelry and sheep-worrying over in the pretty hamlet of Pottingham. Anthony was beaten by Mark King and Kingy is now in his first semi-final for five years. These overseas ranking events are certainly bringing out the best in what might have previously been called journeymen professionals and Mark now lines up against The Jester, who he has beaten in big matches before.
In the second session it was exhibition time again as MJW© whitewashed Matthew Stevens. Mark has now played 16 frames over there and only lost one of them. He was in full float mode and made a 129 that was pure silk. There really is no finer sight in snooker than the King of the Floaters© in full flow and you can forgive Matthew for missing a couple of easy balls as the pressure there must be to take every chance against Mark in that kind of mood must be immense.
In the other match Neil Robertson continued his impressive return to form with a solid win against John Higgins, who had been riding his luck all week if we are honest. Neil appeared to be heading for an absolute coast through at 2-0 when he somehow let John back into it with some uncharacteristically careless play. But after the interval the Aussie took command again and there only looked like one winner from then on. John has obviously had a bit of time off since his exploits at the end of last season and it is a really tough act to follow, but I'm sure we'll see him back to that kind of form as the season progresses, probably again peaking at just the right time. But for now let someone else have a trophy or two, there's a good boy.
In terms of the way the bets are going, today saw us come back out on top with a perfect day and only a win for King now will see this go from being a decent winning week to a losing one. Three of the four recommended bets from the preview in the outright market, Selby (15/2), Williams (10/1) and Robertson (16/1) are still there, with only the small punt on Fergal in the section King won biting the dust. It would therefore be highly irresponsible of me not to recommend to anyone that follows the outright staking plans routinely a very small bet on the only losing eventuality. So I will recommend a 0.5 point bet on King in the outrights at 14/1 with Skybet. If you follow that advice you can just sit back, as I will be and enjoy the weekend finale. Job, as they say, done.
7.00am UK Time
Mark Selby v Mark King (H2H 6-3)
The head to head record between these two is quite odd. Selby either wins easily or gets embroiled in a scrap and loses. Mark has beaten him at two of the biggest stages. In 2008 when Selby was a big hope of many to lift the Crucible crown having been runner-up to Higgins the previous year, he lost 10-8 to King in the first round. Furthermore, who can forget the opening day of last year's Masters when, despite going 2-0 in front Selby was clawed back and again lost by two frames to the Bald Eagle. They have met twice at this venue and both times the Jester has won with a bit to spare, in 2008, 5-0 and in 2009, 5-1. As regulars know I have a mantra of never betting in a match with Mark King in it and I am not going to break that by recommending a bet here. If I was to make a prediction I'd say Selby will win 6-2 or 6-3 and therefore that the Evens on Selby -2.5 frames at Boyles is probably the bet I would strike if I was having a bet, which I'm not.
12.45pm UK Time
Neil Robertson v Mark Williams (H2H 3-0 with 3 draws)
I can't wait for this one. It's quite rare that you see these two playing each other at this stage in a competition and this is definitely the most important match they have played in their careers against one another. The head to head record is largely irrelevant, Robbo beat MJW© in the World Open semi-finals 3-2 last season before going on to win it and in amongst that they have drawn three times in round robin events. The other two Robertson wins were pretty comprehensive when in 2007 he won 6-0 at the Masters and in 2005 5-1 in the Malta Cup. But as we all know Mark was not the player he is now back then. Again, it's not a match I need a bet on and financially I would prefer a win for Robbo but I marginally fancy Williams to win, though if it gets close I think Robbo might just nick it. Gun to head I'd say Williams 6-4. But in terms of a bet, again not a recommended one, I think you could do worse than take the over 6.5 50 breaks at 6/5 with Skybet. I'd imagine this will be a high quality affair and so far this week in the balls they have both been scoring consistently heavily.
The Best of Luck if you are getting involved at this late stage.
Si-Ting Chi-Lee looks ahead to the all Welsh clash
— snookerbacker @ 8:33 am
He's been speaking to Matthew
I have received another fax from Si-Ting this morning and I am a little concorned that it appears to have red wine stains on it. But he claims that he has been drinking only organic blueberry juice this week so I have to believe and trust in him as he's all I've got.
Anyway, he appears somehow to have managed to get up close and personal with Matthew Stevens, I hope that he hasn't led Matthew astray as he needs to concentrate on the job in hand this afternoon and in my experience the last thing he wants to do is start making friends with Si-Ting before a big match.
As ever, I'm sure, at least I hope, some of the phrases in this piece may have been lost in translation. Apologies in advance to Stephen Lee and I'm sure that Si-Ting's interpretation of the relationship between Matthew and Mark is pure conjecture, at least I hope so for the lovely Mrs Matt's sake.
I'll leave you in his incapable hands.
September 8, Ward Bank 2011 World Snooker Shanghai Masters tournament round continues, 5-1 victory over Black Stevens Gould, marking its expansion into the last eight. Stevens said he could have made such progress very much.
Won the game Stevens in a very good mood, feeling that tonight's game was his best game since the Kasai. First round 5-2 out fat Stephen Lee, wheel 5-1 beat Glasses Gould, Stevens's performance in Shanghai masters to see, and for being able to win the game today.
Stevens also Frank recognition of opponents is not very good, but Gould 5-3 incite in the first round defeating Ding Junhui won Stevens must also praise, "each other's progress very quickly, the top 16 power." But voice around, Stevens or to not forget to give your own canvassing, "is definitely a place I can 5-1 the win played particularly well.
Masters in Shanghai last year Stevens in the one-fourth treasure lost finals Mr Carter, not to be promoted today at once again face the one-fourth finals, an opponent is the first in the world, and his compatriot lover Mark Williams, for the next round is expected.
Stevens is not clear, "the other side is his good friend and teammate, the next round must be very hard. "But broke into the final of the Shanghai Masters tournament one-fourth for two consecutive years, Stevens faith well," his rapid progress, broke into the one-fourth also proves my progress a lot. If you can win, of course, even better, I'll be ready. "
From the great unknown the achievements of this year, Stevens achievement for everyone to see, is still looking forward to World Championship Stevens said some self-deprecation themselves growing old, "ten years ago is not itself well, but now have more opportunities to compete with the better players, their progress. Was happy about his own progress, to return to the top 16 were very happy, this shows that they have been improved. "
Don't you just love Fridays?
If you only watch one thing on the internet today let it be this. Where some of our favourite baize boys take part in a series of advertisements for Chinese TV. Peter Ebdon and Mark King are particularly memorable.
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Her greatest wish is to be healthy and happy in her environment, but never to lose that silly child in her where her world is a much more interesting place.
1. How much time do you devote to your skin?
Thanks to the good genes, I've never had skin problems so my routine is reduced to just two things - every night I take off my makeup and apply face cream. In the evening, I like to use Alavi Recovery Cream because it nourishes my skin well and if I notice some small pimples or skin irritations, with the help of this cream they most often dissapear until the morning. As far as morning is concerned, I start applying makeup as my skin is beautiful and soft from "last night's treatment". However, lately I like to use the new Alavi Fluid in the morning as it is very light and refreshing and is also a great makeup foundation.
2. How Important is Cosmetic and Cosmetics Composition in Skin Care?
Very! The cosmetics I use on a daily basis are mostly of all natural origin, without parabens and other "bad" ingredients. I have not paid so much attention to it before, but once I tried natural cosmetics, there was no return. Now I am already fully accustomed to the natural ingredients and it is unimaginable to return to those nicely packaged products of strange compounds and origin.
3. What is your morning beauty ritual?
As I have said, everything is starting with washing my face and applying Alavi Fluid. When the preparations are done, I put the foundation powder (I currently use L'oreal Infalliable 24H-Matte). Then I apply a blush, fill my eyebrows, apply an eyeliner, a mascara, a lipstick and I'm ready. If it is a festive occasion I complete the look with eyeshadow, highlight and a bit of contour to give my face a fuller look.
4. How did your New Year make up look like?
New Year's make up was a sparkly look. I was playing with shimmering shades in combination with a slightly stronger highlighter (I use Mary Lou of The Balm) and expressive lipstick. As for the color, the golden / copper tones were prevalent on the eyes, and on my lips I love wearing a classic red color, so my lips were red.
Marina's advice for healthy skin care!
The tip for healthy skin care is - nutrition! Of course, the products we use on the"outside" are important, but if we do not take care of how we nurture the skin from the inside, there is no product that can help us. You should eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to ensure all the nutrients you need. Also, one should ensure a sufficient water intake, as well as regular physical activity. Since I have implemented these healthy habits in my lifestyle, I have noticed that my skin is much cleaner and that it has a beautiful, healthy glow. Also, my hair is less brittle and growing faster, I have no problem with weight and I have generally more energy and am more enthusiastic. Therefore, be careful and nourish your body and it will give back abundantly.


As a viper, Kate's no stranger to death. As a Richmond, she'll do anything to protect her brother.
Kate Richmond has seen it all. The former army ranger and ISS operative has engaged in missions of sabotage, cyber theft, espionage, and assassination on her path to become a viper cyborg. After barely surviving a full-scale alien invasion by the Merkiaari, she doubts life can hold anymore surprises, until a family mystery lands on her doorstep.
Her brother has been linked with a dead viper and numerous Merkiaari corpses. Now she must embark on a mission she never expected. It's time to find her brother.
Operation Breakout is the fourth installment in Merkiarri Wars, a military science fiction space opera about alien invasion and exploration in the far future. Get lost in a detailed universe with heroes, villains, and everything in between. If you like page-turning futuristic action, you'll like this.
Buy Operation Breakout to continue the epic space opera today!


text:
'use strict';

var path = require('path');
var requireAll = require('require-all');

/**
 * Inits all modules found in the root/dir with the pages app and express.
 * Each module needs to export a function that takes (app, express) as parameters.
 *
 * @name exports
 * @function
 * @param root {String} full path to root directory
 * @param dir {String} name of subdirectory to initialize modules for
 * @param app {Object} app server instance
 * @param servermodule {Object} express or restify module
 */
var go = module.exports = function (root, dir, app, servermodule) {

  if (typeof root !== 'string') throw new Error('need to supply root path to endpoints directory');
  if (typeof dir !== 'string') throw new Error('need to supply sub dir name that contains endpoints (i.e. routes or middleware)');
  if (!app) throw new Error('need to supply the instance of the server app');

  // express has Route, restify has createServer
  // if (typeof servermodule !== 'object' || (!servermodule.Route && !servermodule.createServer)) {
  if (!servermodule) {
    throw new Error('need to supply the express or restify module');
  }

  var modules = requireAll({
    dirname     :  path.join(root, dir),
    filter      :  /(.+)\.js$/,
    excludeDirs :  /^\.(git|svn)$/
  });

  Object.keys(modules)
    .forEach(function (k) {
      var init = modules[k];
      init(app, servermodule);
    });
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Tag: Greek Mythology
I have recently been thinking about what a rich and powerful word "muse" is…
The Muses, daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, were Greek goddesses of inspiration in the realms of literature, science, and the arts. Originally there were only three Muses, embodying song, practice, and memory, but the number eventually expanded to nine to further personify literary and artistic wisdom. Poets in Ancient Greece would invoke a Muse or Muses for assistance and insight, essentially seeking to become channels for them to sing through. One of the most well known examples of this is when Homer calls upon the Muse to ask for help in telling the story of the hero in The Odyssey, saying:
"Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns
driven time and again off course, once he had plundered
the hallowed heights of Troy."
(Robert Fagles translation, 1996)
The etymology of the word muse is fascinating in and of itself. "Muse" comes from the Ancient Greek "Μοῦσαι." Not only does it identify the goddesses of inspiration, but in a broader sense has also become a way to refer to someone–or something–that inspires. By the Renaissance, a muse could be an artist's favorite model or even lover, a title we still make use of today to describe the motivating qualities of a significant other.
As a verb, to "muse" is to be absorbed in thought or to deeply consider. To "amuse" someone is to divert their attention, entertain them, and/or cause them to muse. Amusement typically inspires laughter and mirth. "Bemused" is similar in implying an aspect of thoughtfulness, but usually inspiring it with a more puzzled or bewildered sense.
"Muse" is also the root of words relating to or describing some function of the arts. While it has become solely used to identify the production of harmonious sounds, the word "music" is derived from mousa, and in Ancient Greek "mousike" meant any of the arts related to the Muses. And of course, a museum is a literal "house the Muses".
Lee Siegel wrote an excellent piece in The Wall Street Journal in reference to a 2009 MET exhibition entitled "The Model as Muse". In it he discusses the evolution of the muse throughout history, from Ancient Greek goddesses to modern day pop icons. He also questions the current status of the artist/muse relationship, asking "Who, in our proudly individualistic culture, wants to feel like a valet to someone else's imagination?" He touches on some great ideas, and it seems to me that the article points to a larger issue taking place within the contemporary art world, namely that we have forgotten the value of the muse in today's art.
I've always felt that Spell, an image I made in 1986, depicts a figure being guided by an
unconscious force- perhaps intuition, and/or the muse.
When the Ancient Greek poets sought to become a channel for the Muse, they were seeking truth beyond what they were capable of consciously suggesting by conjuring it from one or all of nine personified goddesses of artistic inspiration. This seems to me a stark contrast to many of today's artists, where ego has come to play a much larger role in creating works of art. Instead of reaching to a higher level of truth, much art today serves to express the artist's personal feelings, thoughts or political views. The art that is celebrated nowadays seems also to have shifted to the ironic and the conceptual-"Con Art," as art critic Julian Spalding refers to it. We are no longer seeking higher human truths that connect us to one another, ourselves, and our humanity, favoring instead the witty and the clever. Many museums featuring much of contemporary art no longer have the magnificent quality of "housing the muses", instead highlighting work that is often alienating and isolating. Perhaps the role of the museum has changed over the last several decades, from showing work that is inspired or inspiring to documenting the latest art star and the ever changing fashion of art. Truly challenging art seems to have been replaced by work that is either excessively innocuous or shocking and sensational–very different ends of the same shallow spectrum and equally uninspired.
I think there are many reasons for this shift in values and the loss of the muse.
As an artist, teacher, and funder of the arts, I've come to see the contemporary art world from several perspectives and it has given me a unique point of view into some of these areas that I see as problems within it. I'd love to have the opportunity to open up a dialogue about some of these issues and share further musings on the rich and complex world of art….
Posted in Featured, Thoughts and RamblingsTagged ConArt, Contemporary Art, Greek Mythology, Julian Spalding, Lee Siegel, Muse, Robert Fagles
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Categories Select Category Exhibitions, Lectures, and Appearances (12) Featured (20) Latest Images (20) Portfolio (7) Publications (12) Thoughts and Ramblings (22) Travel (6) Uncategorized (7) Workshops (18)
What did I get in 2018?
Plethora Magazine, Issue #7- Automation
MPT ArtWorks: My Interview with Rhea and the 2018 Baker Artist Awards
Post Vatican (Images)
Want a lesson in how to ruin brilliance?
Reflection on my Nord Photography workshop - 2017
Baltimore Magazine, February 2017
New Work in 2017
"Conversations" with Bmore Art
MPT ArtWorks Episode 507: Connie Reflects on her Art
MPT Artworks: Interview with Rhea Feikin
My Afternoon with Rembrandt... and the Onset of Stendhal Syndrome
NORDPhotography Workshops 2016 Review
Juniper Workshops Online Critique
The very refined process of creating interesting mirror shards
'Seeing' Workshop in Florence, Italy: Aug 7-17, 2016
Influence and Originality
Brought To My Knees
December 2015: back to the mirrors
Book Sale!
2015 Maine Media Workshops Retreat Review
Interdisciplinary Retreats at the Maine Media Workshops 2015
Maine Media Workshops 2015 Review
The Stone Mag
Overcoming obstacles: one handed shooting!
2015 Summer Workshops
The Challenge of Darkness
Binge shooting
The Role of Art
October 2014; Back Underwater
ALMLOF Gallery Opening Review
Normal Magazine, Fall 2014
ALMLOF GALLERY
The CONtraption!
Photographing the Nude
Oklahoma Arts Institute Workshops 2014
JRB Art At The Elms
The Science of Color Underwater
Masks, Old and New
FOTO, October 2013
A Tour Through Ancient Greece
HASTMAG
New Work, September 2013
Nordic Light Festival Review
Union of Arab Photographers Workshop
Nordic Light: International Festival of Photography
New work on the website
Connections, Resemblances, and Associations
IRIS Nights Presents: An Evening With Connie Imboden
lynda.com debut!
New Images on the Website
Provincetown Workshop 2011
OSAI Workshop in Oaklahoma
Georgia Review Summer 2010 GAMMA Awards
Working With Color in the Mirrors
I'm a lousy blogger.
New images...
Art New England Review
Heineman Myers Opening a Success!
Shoot of 2-12-09
Upcoming Show: Heineman Myers Contemporary Art
NEW BOOK!!!
First shoot of 2009!
Still working on color stuff
a few new color images....
Scuba Diving in Bonaire
John .B Imboden
More recent work....
Focus Magazine Feb 2008
another new one -
new underwater images...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
RTW'S TOUCHMONITOR SERIES NOW SHIPPING WORLDWIDE
Lauren De Bellis ⋅ Dec 13, 2010
New Products Feature Software Modules, Multichannel Support, Intuitive Interface and Support of all Current Loudness Standards
COLOGNE, GERMANY, 13, DECEMBER, 2010 –
, a leading manufacturer and distributor of professional audio metering and control devices, is pleased to announce that it is now shipping worldwide the new
series of products. TouchMonitor is an innovative range of products that marks the next generation in professional audio-signal metering. Developed by RTW from the ground up, TouchMonitor is poised to set new standards in the professional audio arena.
Available for shipment are the first two versions of the TouchMonitor that include the TM7 featuring a 7″ touch screen and the TM9 with a 9″ touch screen. Both units combine unprecedented flexibility and modularity with an intuitive user interface. Additionally, RTW will begin to phase out the SurroundMonitors 10600 and 10800 series, which will only be available until June 30th, 2011.
"We are thrilled to begin shipment of the TouchMonitor series," says Andreas Tweitmann, managing director, RTW. "The TouchMonitor series is another milestone in the history of RTW. We are defining an entirely new category of product for audio professionals in need of meeting the ever-changing loudness control standards. We have already received such great enthusiasm and anticipation from the international broadcast community, we are so happy to now be able to provide the TM7 and TM9 to our customers."
The operating concept based on 16:9 touch-sensitive screens is unique. It offers not only a built-in online help function, but also allows for monitoring separate signal groups using multiple instruments at the same time. For example, a TouchMonitor featuring 8 digital and 8 analog inputs can display a digital 5.1 surround signal on the Surround Sound Analyzer, the Loudness Radar Meter by TC Electronic, AES status data, a PPM/loudness combo bargraph and a numerical loudness meter. At the same time, the unit could monitor four analog stereo signals on PPM/SPL bar graphs simultanously. This way, up to 16 analog and/or digital signals can all be displayed. In addition, the TM9 with the 3G-SDI option installed (available during the second quarter of 2011) will be able to display all 32 signals of a 3G-SDI stream in parallel. The TM9 can be retrofitted with the 3G-SDI option anytime.
The TM7 and TM9 units incorporate a state-of-the-art hardware platform. It features a high-performance graphics engine and excessive DSP power as the basis for its highly flexible display options. Seven different hardware versions are available providing various combinations of analog (D-Sub) and/or digital-audio interfaces. Digital ports are available in the AES3 (D-Sub) or AES3id (BNC) formats. All versions feature a LAN port, a VGA output for connecting external screens, GPIO interfaces and two USB ports. In addition to the standard versions featuring desktop enclosures, external power supplies and an integrated stand, RTW also offers OEM versions that can be integrated into mixing-console surfaces. Also, RTW is delivering OEM versions of the TouchMonitor to TC Electronic.
The modular software concept of the TouchMonitor range provides excellent value for money: Define your unit's functionality on your own and purchase only the features you actually need. The basic configuration includes stereo PPMs providing various scales for analog and digital audio and EBU R128-compliant True Peak metering. The user can add more instruments and functions as necessary by purchasing the respective software licenses. Many instruments known from existing RTW products are available to choose from: the unique Surround Sound Analyzer, the Real-Time Analyzer (RTA), various loudness instruments conforming to all current loudness measurement guidelines including EBU R128, ITU BS.1771, and ATSC A/85, the Loudness Radar Meter by TC Electronic, a vectorscope and a multi-correlator. This way, the units of the TouchMonitor series support numerous applications ranging from simple stereo peak meters to full-fledged multichannel surround-enabled instruments at affordable prices.
RTW TM3 TouchMonitor Now Shipping Worldwide
RTW TM3-Primus TouchMonitor Now Shipping Worldwide
RTW SETS NEW STANDARDS IN PRO AUDIO METERING WITH TOUCHMONITOR SERIES – MAKES IBC 2010 DEBUT
RTW's Brand New MM3 MusicMeter Now Shipping
RTW Launches Innovative TouchMonitor Series at NAB 2010
Analog Way Now Shipping LivePremier™ Series, The Game-Changing 4K/8K Live Presentation Systems
Miller's CompassX Fluid Heads Now Shipping Worldwide
RTW LQL Software Now Shipping Worldwide


text:
Ice Safety Information from Minnesota DNR
September 20, 2018 Tornado Outbreak and Widespread Damaging Wind (updated 11/15)
Weather.gov > Twin Cities, MN > September 20, 2018 Tornado Outbreak and Widespread Damaging Wind (updated 11/15)
Graphical Hazardous Weather Outlook
Widespread damage due to downbursts and tornadoes occurred Thursday, September 20 from south central Minnesota into west central Wisconsin. Some downbursts exceeded 100 mph. There were 27 tornadoes (one in Iowa, 24 in Minnesota, one that crossed from Minnesota into Wisconsin, and one in Wisconsin). Two were rated EF2 with winds of 125 and 130 mph, 15 were rated EF1 with winds of 86-110 mph, and ten were rated EF0 with winds up to 85 mph. With 25 tornadoes in a matter of hours, this was Minnesota's third most prolific tornado day (48 on June 17, 2010 and 27 on June 16, 1992, though both of those days had a number of much stronger tornadoes).
This was definitely the most complicated array of damage in years for the area served by NWS Chanhassen, taking many weeks to finalize where the tornadoes were, where the damaging winds were, or both. It is entirely possible that there were other tornado paths that occurred where we were unable to be investigate before crops were harvested and damage cleaned up. Damage was investigated through multiple on-site surveys, satellite imagery, aerial photos by the Civil Air Patrol, and video/pictures taken by drones owned and operated by individuals, several counties, and broadcast media (WCCO-TV and KIMT-TV). Information regarding the Iowa tornado was provided by the NWS offices in Sioux Falls and Des Moines.
Below is a brief summary of the meteorology of the event.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved through southern Minnesota and into west central Wisconsin during the late afternoon and early evening of Thursday, September 20, 2018. Prior to the development of severe storms, numerous showers and thunderstorms affected much of central and southern Minnesota during the morning and early-mid afternoon. This activity developed well north of a warm front, which was located over northern Iowa at the time. The warm front quickly surged north during mid-late afternoon as a strengthening low pressure system moved northeast from Nebraska toward southern Minnesota. Scattered non-severe thunderstorms continued to develop north of the warm front as a broken line of strong to severe storms developed from the low pressure system southward ahead of the attendant cold front. These storms raced northeast at up to 70 mph, and moved across southern Minnesota and into west central Wisconsin from around 430 PM through 8 PM. Widespread severe weather occurred with these storms.
Here is a brief summary of all of the tornadoes in chronological order, and each one is detailed individually farther down on this page:
1.) Superior, IA tornado: EF1
2.) Granada, MN tornado: EF1
3.) Garden City, MN tornado: EF0
4.) near Skyline, MN tornado: EF0
5.) Lake Elysian, MN tornado: EF1
6.) Janesville, MN (east) tornado: EF0
7.) near Waldorf, MN tornado: EF1
8.) Waterville, MN tornado: EF1
9.) Waseca-Medford, MN tornado: EF1
10.) Morristown, MN tornado: EF2
11.) Roberds Lake, MN (southeast side) tornado: EF1
12.) Owatonna, MN tornado: EF1
13.) Faribault Airport, MN tornado: EF2
14.) Roberds Lake, MN (north side) tornado: EF1
15.) Medford Northeast, MN tornado: EF1
16.) Faribault Northeast, MN tornado: EF1
17.) Rice County Southeast, MN tornado: EF1
18.) Dundas, MN (south) tornado: EF1
19.) Dundas, MN tornado: EF0
20.) Stanton, MN tornado: EF1
21.) Wanamingo, MN tornado: EF0
22.) Cannon Falls, MN (south) tornado: EF1
23.) Cannon Falls, MN (north) tornado: EF0
24.) New Trier, MN tornado: EF0
25.) Zumbrota Northeast MN tornado: EF0
26.) Prairie Island, MN to Diamond Bluff, WI tornado: EF0
27.) Ellsworth, WI tornado: EF0
The 5-minute radar loop shows the debris detected just northeast of Morristown MN as the storms raced northeast at nearly 70 mph.
Warnings and Preliminary Storm Reports from September 20, 2018
Tornado paths from September 20, 2018
Tornado Tracks
Severe Wind
Damage Photos
Tornadoes Tracks:
Tornado - Superior, Iowa
Dickinson and Emmet Counties Info from NWS Sioux Falls and Des Moines
Time (Local) 521 - 528 PM CDT
EF Rating EF1
Est. Peak Winds 99 mph
Path Length 5.1 miles
Max Width 35 yards
Injuries/Deaths None
A tornado spun up near the apex of a QLCS segment southwest of Superior and tracked to the east-northeast. It crossed Highway 9 just west of Superior and caused its most significant damage to an office building at an ethanol plant. Winds were measured at 99 mph at a nearby weather station at the plant. The tornado then turned to a slightly more eastward track across the far northern edge of Superior where it continued to cause damage to trees and destroyed several outbuildings. It continued to track east of Superior, causing more damage to trees and crops. It crossed into Emmet County and remained over rural agricultural land, damaging only crops. It dissipated upon moving into as wetland area.in a field, hit a farmstead and fairgrounds, then hit more fields and trees before dissipating.
Tornado - Granada, Minnesota
Est. Peak Winds 105 mph
Max Width 220 yards
Video and a ground survey confirmed a tornado moved across the northern portion of Granada and nearby rural areas to the east. It damaged several homes, including taking the roof off one and causing another to slide off its foundation.
Tornado - Garden City, Minnesota
Blue Earth County
A ground survey determined that a tornado spun up in a field, hit a farmstead and fairgrounds, then hit more fields and trees before dissipating.
Tornado - near Skyline, Minnesota
Tornado moved across fields and hit two homes. Drone imagery showed a definite tornado track and ground survey confirmed convergent damage. The only home damage was from a tree crashing through the roof of one home.
Tornado - Lake Elysian, Minnesota
Waseca County
Injuries/Deaths One
A ground survey confirmed a tornado touched down just northeast of Smiths Mill and crossed Lake Elysian. Shortly after touchdown, it hit a home and removed its roof and destroyed the garage. A man in the garage was blown into the yard and suffered a minor injury, but did not require hospitalization.
Tornado - Janesville, Minnesota (east)
High resolution satellite data and a ground survey confirmed a narrow track through corn east of Janesville.
Tornado - near Waldorf, Minnesota
Path Length 10.9 miles
High resolution satellite data and a ground survey confirmed a tornado that formed north of Waldorf and tracked across central Waseca County. Damage was mostly done to crops and trees, though it did damage a few outbuildings.
Tornado - Waterville, Minnesota
Waseca and Le Sueur Counties
Damage surveys, and security and cell phone video, confirmed a tornado moved through Waterville. Numerous trees were felled, including many on houses. The roof was partially blown off one home. Most of the damage on Upper Sakatah Lake was from storm inflow accelerating across the water and damaging the trees, structures and trailers along the north shoreline.
Tornado - Waseca-Medford, Minnesota
Waseca and Steele Counties
Satellite imagery and a damage survey confirmed a tornado tracked from just east of Waseca to just west of Medford. Damage was mostly done to crops and trees, but several farmsteads had outbuildings, grain bins and silos damaged or destroyed.
Tornado - Morristown, Minnesota
This was the strongest of all tornadoes. Winds of 130 mph hit eastern Morristown and severely damaged several homes. The worst damage to a home included the roof being removed and outer walls being blown down. The tornado also destroyed outbuildings and a turkey barn.
Tornado - Roberds Lake, Minnesota (southeast side)
This was the first tornado produced by a long-lived mesocyclone with a prominent hook echo. Enhanced convergent damage was definite according to multiple ground surveys and drone video/pictures. The tornado touched down in a field just north of Morristown and crossed the southeast part of Roberds Lake. Numerous trees were uprooted or snapped, and many outbuildings were destroyed.
Tornado - Owatonna, Minnesota
Video and a ground survey confirmed a tornado moved across southern and eastern portions of Owatonna before lifting east of the Brooktree Golf Course. Outbuildings and a silo were damaged near the start of the tornado track, with numerous large trees uprooted or blown down in the city of Owatonna. In addition to the tornado damage, severe straight-line winds from inflow of the tornado downed numerous large trees on the south side of the track.
Tornado - Faribault Airport, Minnesota
Ground surveys and aerial photos confirmed a tornado hit the Faribault airport. It started three miles southwest of the airport, then destroyed several large hangars at the airport before lifting just north of the airport grounds. The footings of one hangar were ripped from its frame. Local officials estimated that 80 airplanes were damaged or destroyed at the airport. Some of the debris was blown across the highway on the north side of the airport. There was also damage on the southeast side of the tornado track which is consistent with downburst and inflow winds. These winds were estimated up to 85 mph.
Tornado - Roberds Lake, Minnesota (north side)
A NWS storm survey and drone footage showed that an EF1 tornado tracked 1.6 miles across the north side of Roberds Lake. Most of the damage was associated with large trees being uprooted or snapped, and the loss of some outbuildings.
Tornado - Medford Northeast, Minnesota
A ground survey, areal drone footage and satellite imagery showed that an EF1 tornado tracked from northeast of Medford, along the Rice, Steele County line. It moved northeast to just north of Highway 60 before lifting in a corn field. This tornado tracked mainly through corn and soy bean fields, but several outbuildings, silos and grain bins were damaged or destroyed. Some homes also had roofs partially removed.
Tornado - Faribault Northeast, Minnesota
A ground survey, plus areal footage of a drone and satellite imagery, led to the result that an EF1 tornado started north of the city of Faribault and tracked northeast before lifting just east of the Cannon River Wilderness Area. All of the damage was associated with uprooted or blown down large trees. This was the second tornado produced by a long-lived mesocyclone with a prominent hook echo.
Tornado - Rice County Southeast, Minnesota
Rice and Goodhue Counties
A ground survey, plus areal footage of drone and satellite imagery, showed that an EF1 tornado tracked across rural areas of southeast Rice County and into Goodhue County. It mainly moved through corn and soy bean fields, and occasionally damaged a few sheds, silos, and outbuildings.
Tornado - Dundas, Minnesota (south)
Another area of enhanced damage from north of Faribault to south of Dundas. Radar showed this area was hit with a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) tornado, and a velocity couplet in this location was noted on radar. The storm survey indicated tornadic damage, but complicated by widespread wind damage.
Tornado - Dundas, Minnesota
Radar showed a brief velocity couplet formed west-southwest of Dundas. A storm survey indicated a narrow path of tornadic damage, and this path was also present in high-res satellite imagery.
Tornado - Stanton, Minnesota
Time (Local) 652 - 657 CDT
Higher end damage was found along a concentrated path from southeast of Northfield to south of Stanton. Radar showed a velocity couplet, with convergent damage noted in the ground survey and two drone surveys (including that of WCCO-TV). This was the third tornado produced by a long-lived mesocyclone with a prominent hook echo. Extreme downburst wind damage was also extensive east and southeast of Northfield, with downburst winds exceeding 100 mph in some areas.
Tornado - Wanamingo, Minnesota
Goodhue County
Satellite imagery, drone footage, and a ground survey confirmed a tornado track that went just south of Wanamingo. Most of the damage was to corn fields.
Tornado - Cannon Falls, Minnesota (south)
A storm survey found a brief tornado track in southern and central Cannon Falls, with drone footage confirming its convergent pattern. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted, with many falling on homes and vehicles.
Tornado - Cannon Falls, Minnesota (north)
Dakota and Goodhue Counties
Satellite imagery showed a narrow track northwest of town and a ground survey confirmed a convergent damage to crops. Roofing material was also partially removed from a commercial facility.
Tornado - New Trier, Minnesota
Satellite data showed a narrow track northwest of town and a ground survey confirmed a convergent of damage. Some farms had damage to outbuildings. The FAA Terminal Doppler Weather Radar in Woodbury, MN (TMSP) showed a distinct velocity couplet.
Tornado - Zumbrota Northeast, Minnesota
Goodhue and Wabasha Counties
Satellite data showed a narrow track northeast of Zumbrota, and a ground survey and drone footage (courtesy KIMT-TV) confirmed a tornado. It hit several farms, destroying outbuildings and grtain bins. It briefly exited Goodhue County and clipped far northwest Wabasha County before moving back into Goodhue County and dissipating west of Bellechester.
Tornado - Prairie Island, Minnesota to Diamond Bluff, Wisconsin
Goodhue County MN & Pierce County WI
A storm survey identified a brief area of tornadic damage near Prairie Island across the Mississippi River to south of Diamond Bluff.
Tornado - Ellsworth, Wisconsin
Pierce County MN
A storm survey confirmed that a narrow path started in Ellsworth and continued northeast for 1.7 miles. It damaged trees as well as a barn, sheds, and outbuildings at a farm.
The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:
65-85 mph EF1
86-110 mph EF2
111-135 mph EF3
200+ mph
Severe Wind:
Widespread wind damage occurred across the region, in addition to all the tornadoes. These storms were moving at 60 to 70 mph, and produced non-tornadic wind gusts of over 100 mph at some locations. This led to a very complex damage survey. Hundreds of areas of damage were analyzed to better understand this severe weather event, so that we can learn from it and hopefully improve the lead time and messaging for the next severe weather event. The images below show the tornado tracks, followed by the tornado tracks with tornado damage points, severe wind damage points, and finally the wind damage and reports on a single image. Thank you too everyone who helped contribute information to analyze this event.
Wind damage points. Several locations had non-tornadic winds of 90 to 100 mph or more with this severe line of thunderstorms. Tornado tracks. There were 27 tornadoes total. The different colors are related to the EF-scale shown in the lower right. Tornado damage points (triangles) and tracks. The different colors are related to the EF-scale shown in the lower right. All damage points and tornado tracks from the storm survey.
Here are a few images of tornadic damagae (top row) and non-tornadic wind damage (bottom row).
Tornadic EF2 Damage in Morristown Tornadic EF1 Damage SE of Northfield Tornadic EF2 Damage at Faribault Airport Tornadic EF1 Damage in Owatonna
Non-tornadic wind damage in Camp Dells near Waterville MN. Non-tornadic wind damage near Roberts Lake, west of Faribault MN. Non-tornadic wind damage east of Northfield MN. Non-tornadic wind damage near Prairie Island MN
Radar & Satellite:
Radar Reflectivity Loop from 531 PM CDT to 749 PM CDT
Radar Reflectivity at 551 PM CDT Radar Reflectivity and Storm Relative Velocity at 632 PM CDT Radar Reflectivity and Storm Relative Velocity at 642 PM CDT Radar Reflectivity and Storm Relative Velocity at 658 PM CDT
GOES-East Visible/IR Sandwich at 500 PM CDT GOES-East Visible/IR Sandwich at 530 PM CDT GOES-East Visible/IR Sandwich at 600 PM CDT GOES-East Visible/IR Sandwich at 630 PM CDT
Atmospheric Environment:
Basic Analyses
The surface analyses maps below show the progression of the surface low and its associated warm and cold fronts during the afternoon and evening hours. Note how the warm front lifts north into southern Minnesota and Wisconsin. This brought warmth and moisture northward, increasing instability across the area. Thunderstorms developed ahead of the surface low and cold front, and raced northeast across the area. The weather balloon sounding from 1 PM below shows the air mass in place in Chanhassen at the time, which had limited instability given its position well north of the warm front. However, it highlighted the strong wind shear (change in the speed and direction of winds) which would later help storms become better organized and take on rotation. The 300 mb analysis at 7 PM shows an anomalously strong upper level jet streak in the region, and highlights an area of divergence (purple lines) which helped to sustain storms by providing an exhaust mechanism for air at the storm top level.
Surface Weather Analysis - 1 PM CDT 9/20/2018 Chanhassen, MN (KMPX) Sounding - 1 PM CDT 9/20/2018 Surface Weather Analysis - 4 PM CDT 9/20/2018
Surface Weather Analysis - 7 PM CDT 9/20/2018 300 mb Analysis - 7 PM CDT 9/20/2018 Surface Weather Analysis - 10 PM CDT 9/20/2018
Mesonalyses
These detailed atmospheric analyses at 6 PM provide an overview of the conditions that influenced the development and evolution of storms during the late afternoon and evening. Temperature and dewpoint analyses highlighted the location of warm and cold frontal boundaries, which could help to initiate/sustain/influence storms. The mean layer convective available potential energy (CAPE) analysis showed the presence of modest instability across the area, but the wind shear and helicity analyses helped illustrate that any lack in instability would be supplemented by strong shear due to significant changes in wind direction and speed over the lower to middle portion of the atmosphere. Lifted condensation level (LCL) height information indicated that the sub-cloud layer of the atmosphere would be sufficiently moist to favor the development of tornadoes should other supporting factors come together. Finally, the significant tornado parameter combines a variety of stability, wind shear, and temperature/moisture factors to indicate where the atmosphere could be conducive to the development of significant tornadoes should rotating thunderstorms develop. Overall, these mesoanalyses indicate that the atmosphere was favorable for the development of severe storms, which could produce both straight line wind damage from bowing segments of a squall line as well as tornadic circulations.
Temperature/Dewpoint/Wind - 6 PM CDT 9/20/2018 Mean Layer CAPE - 6 PM CDT 9/20/2018 Effective Shear - 6 PM CDT 9/20/2018
0-1 km Bulk Shear - 6 PM CDT 9/20/2018 0-1 km Storm Relative Helicity - 6 PM CDT 9/20/2018 0-3 km Bulk Shear/MLCAPE - 6 PM CDT 9/20/2018
Mean Layer LCL Height - 6 PM CDT 9/20/2018 850 mb/500 mb Crossover Winds - 6 PM CDT 9/20/2018 Fixed Layer Significant Tornado Parameter - 6 PM CDT 9/20/2018
Current Radar
Past Weather Records
On This Day in Weather History...
Twin Cities Weather Records
St Cloud Weather Records
Eau Claire Weather Records
Year-By-Year Minnesota Tornadoes
Spotter Activation
Office Activities
Cooperative Weather Observer
1733 Lake Drive West
Chanhassen, MN 55317-8581


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Home/Benefits Administration
How Employers Are Responding to Record-high Inflation
Central PA Benefit Solutions2022-07-25T19:08:16+00:00July 25th, 2022|Benefits Administration, Central PA Benefit Solutions, Employee Wellness and Education|
The U.S. inflation rate has increased by 9.1% year over year, according to the Bureau of
Court Reinstates OSHA Vaccination Mandate for Private Employers
Central PA Benefit Solutions2022-01-06T07:12:56+00:00January 6th, 2022|Benefits Administration, Benefits Compliance, Employee Wellness and Education|
Court Reinstates OSHA Vaccination Mandate for Private Employers On Friday, Dec. 17, 2021, the 6th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals reinstated the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's ...
Overview of the American Rescue Plan
Central PA Benefit Solutions2021-03-12T15:43:55+00:00March 12th, 2021|Benefits Administration, Benefits Compliance|
The $1.9 trillion relief bill, known as the American Rescue Plan, has been signed into law by President Joe Biden.
DOL Issues New Q&As About FFCRA Leave Requirements
Central PA Benefit Solutions2021-01-21T20:10:25+00:00January 21st, 2021|Benefits Administration|
The U.S. Dept. of Labor (DOL) has issued two additional Q&As regarding employee leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
Stimulus Bill Includes Temporary Special Rules for FSAs
On Dec. 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 into law. The Act provides temporary special rules for health and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs) that give employees additional time to use these funds.
SBA's PPP Portal Opens for Second Round of Loans
The U.S. Department of Treasury and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced that beginning Monday, Jan. 11, applications will be accepted for the second round of loans in the SBA's Payment Protection Program (PPP).
Stimulus Bill Includes Ban on Surprise Medical Bills
Central PA Benefit Solutions2021-01-06T16:07:43+00:00January 5th, 2021|Benefits Administration|
On Dec. 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 into law. The Act includes a $900 billion coronavirus relief package that provides funding for unemployment benefits, direct economic payments to individuals, vaccine distribution and rental assistance. It also includes the No Surprises Act, a ban on surprise medical bills, which takes effect beginning in 2022.
Stimulus Bill Extends FFCRA tax Credits
A stimulus bill, which was signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020, does not extend the leave mandates created by the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLA) and the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA), which expire on Dec. 31, 2020.
Affordability Percentages Will Increase for 2021
Central PA Benefit Solutions2020-09-15T10:31:03+00:00September 14th, 2020|Benefits Administration|
The IRS issued Revenue Procedure 2020-36 to index the contribution percentages in 2021 for determining affordability of an employer's plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).


Keller Information Systems has developed and marketed a Time and Attendance system designed specifically for the long-term care (nursing home) and acute care (hospital) markets. We are on our fourth generation product and have been serving our market for the past 25 years. These markets have a number of very specific time management needs (multiple shifts, staggered start times, shift differentials, multiples departments, individual overtime definitions, different rounding rules) that have allowed us to create a unique and targeted product.
The typical nursing home we target has 125 employees and 40 beds. We typically encourage one data terminal for every 125 employees. We are currently promoting additional terminals that allow a facility to place terminals closer to areas that have high concentration of employees. Employees are then restricted to punching on a data terminal nearest their work area. This allows the facility to capture the "travel time" normally lost when an employee punches in near an entry point and is not available for work until they reach their work area.
Our hospital market is the mid to small sized facilities. This is typically 500 employees or less. Our real feature for hospitals is the ability to allocate an employee's time at the end of the day rather than forcing an employee to go to a terminal as they move from department to department. This is a feature truly unique to the Keller system.
In December 2006 Keller entered into a strategic relationship with Redwing Software to provide a payroll solution for our customer base. Keller now has the ability to provide a complete payroll solution from punch in to pay check.
In the fall of 2007 we added a scheduling system to our solution. Beginning at the "block" level and expanding to the pay period level scheduling individual employees, shifts and departments has been reduced to a simple "drag and drop" process with a "pick list" level to fine tune the schedule to the employee level.
In the first quarter of 2008 the final piece will be complete, our Dashboard. This will allow for the easy presentation of data in multiple chart formats to provide simple comparison of a wide range of information.
We have enjoyed growing with the assistance of our customers over the past 25 years. We look forward to providing you with a complete solution for your Time and Attendance, Payroll, Scheduling and Dashboard needs in the near future.


The emotions of those mo ments of safe return do not need describing, for all who experienced them. The most important thing may have been that so many shared them— that millions of people, as President Nixon said, "re joiced together." For that brief time we were able to forget our private pains and desires, and our political differences, and care about other human beings.
However provocative his Ianguage, Mr. Agnew was deal ing with an issue that will have to be faced: What priority should the United States give to manned space flights?
For each of us, the answer must depend initially on an in stinctive view of the space pro gram and its place in human history. That it is an immense technological achievement, in volving rare courage, none de nies. But after that there are conceptual differences.
One view is that the astro nauts are the Magellans and the Wright brothers of our day, opening new ways for all man kind. Some British space en thusiasts said specifically, as the Apollo 13 mission went on, that man must some day colo nize the moon and outer space.
Another concept sees the as tronauts as mountain‐climbers. Like the men who climbed Everest they may add to our scientific knowledge, but their real purpose is not to open new ways for commerce or science but to face a challenge at the outer limit of human imagination and strength.
There is great nobility in the latter view. Any earthbound man may wonder at a fellow creature who dares to climb the highest mountain or fly to the moon. But it does not fol low that a nation should de vote a substantial part of its limited resources to such ef forts.
Of course there is fascination in the whole idea of space ex ploration, and more so with men than unmanned rockets. We yearn to know about the origins of our universe.
But there are priorities in knowledge, too. And any real ist must see by now that the scientific return on the invest ment in space is relatively small. One after another, scien tists have left the space pro gram complaining that it in volves too much risk and cost for too little research benefit.
We all know one main rea son for the emphasis, indeed the hasty emphasis, on manned flights to the moon. That is the sense of competition with the Soviet Union, the desire going back to President Kennedy to revive America's pride and reputation by excelling in space.
But there may now be a deeper reason for wanting to attack space instead of slums: we are so much better at it. We can summon the imagina tion and the political will that we no longer seem able to in dealing with earthly problems.
The trouble is that we are not all going to be able to escape to the moon. Exteinal problems often seem easier to solve, for countries and peo ple. But unless we human be ings manage to do something about war and poverty and the corruption of our surroundings, no distraction outside earth will make us happy or even allow us to survive.


Study shows companies believe technology coming after 2025.
Drivers aren't the only ones who may be unprepared for the expected influx of autonomous vehicles in the coming years: insurance companies aren't either.
If you think you're not quite ready for the coming age of autonomous vehicles, you're not alone. And a new study says the insurance industry is particularly unprepared for what could be a game-changing shift for an industry providing almost $100 billion in coverage to U.S. motorists.
Even though automakers are promising to start rolling out semi-autonomous technology in the next few years – with the first, fully-autonomous cars due on the road by as early as 2020, a new survey by KPMG finds that 84% of insurance companies don't expect the new technology to have a significant impact on their business for at least another decade.
In one sense, insurers are right that the transition to autonomous technology will take years to implement. With more than 250 million vehicles registered on U.S. roads, and with the average American automobile now about 11 years old, industry analysts say it would likely take until mid-century before the majority of vehicles are equipped with autonomous capabilities.
Insurance companies aren't going to just be dealing with autonomous cars, but also semi-trucks, like Freightliner's Inspiration.
That said, some form of self-driving technology is expected to become commonplace – perhaps even mandated by the federal government – on vehicles in the near future. Cadillac and Tesla, for example, expect to launch technology permitting hands-free driving on the freeway by 2017. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn recently said his company is on track to have its first fully autonomous vehicle in production by 2020. And Google is looking for partners to commercialize its autonomous technology by around the same time.
And the revolutionary concept isn't limited to the passenger side of the transportation industry. Freightliner, the U.S. heavy truck subsidiary of Daimler AG, last month debuted its Inspiration concept, a 70,000-pound 18-wheeler capable of hands-free driving on both freeways and local roads.
Uber, the fast-growing ride-sharing service, wants to go a step further, adding driverless vehicles to its fleet to reduce operating costs. A pilot fleet Google is launching around its Silicon Valley headquarters will have at least some vehicles with no steering wheel or pedals, just an emergency shut-off.
Why, then, is the insurance industry dragging its feet? The KPMG study offers one possible reason.
Industry observers suggest the shift to autonomous vehicles could lead to significant changes in both the amount consumers drive, and even to the number of vehicles they own in their household fleets.
"As the trend towards car-sharing proliferates and mobility-on-demand companies like Uber and Lyft become more popular, commercial lines likely will take a larger share of the automobile insurance pie," said Alex Bell, managing director in KPMG's CIO Advisory practice.
Proponents of autonomous technology contend such vehicles should prove significantly safer than conventional automobiles. Volvo and Nissan, among others, have suggested that self-driving vehicles will be a key element in their corporate goals of reaching zero highway deaths in the next decade.
At the same time, skeptics question whether self-driving technology will be the promised panacea. Google, for example, has acknowledged its pilot vehicles have been involved in more than a dozen crashes. It stresses that those collisions have not been the fault of its vehicles, however, the majority of the accidents the result of being rear-ended by other drivers.
If autonomous vehicles do prove effective in reducing accidents, insurance companies will likely have to adjust their premiums, noted the KPMG report.
"Assuming consumers demand lower premiums to reflect fewer accidents, there is the possibility of frenzied competition," said Joe Schneider, director of KPMG corporate finance practice.
This entry was posted on Thursday, June 18th, 2015 at and is filed under Automobiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 . Both comments and pings are currently closed.
The insurance issue is one more reason why AVs should NOT be allowed on the roadways until all of the safety, Federal regs and other details are resolved. Why should I and other folks with excellent driving records pay for the crashes caused by not ready for prime time AVs? The answer is that we should not. Those who chose to buy a not ready for prime time AV are the ones who should pay extremely high premiums for half-baked tech that could them and other people killed.
I'm not so sure that "hands free driving" will be good for most people. Time will tell but I'm betting that when a driver is playing with their cellphone instead of watching the road, more accidents will occur even with automated braking which can not compensate for a high speed T-bone hit from the side or some other daily road occurrences. People will assume hands free = braindead driving and react accordingly driving accident rates sky high, IMO.
There is certainly potential for AVs under the right circumstances but those circumstances don't currently exist not will they by 2025, IMO from what I have seen so far.
The fact that Google autonomous test vehicles keep getting in accidents illustrates the problem.
The google cars got rear ended. That means that it was the other persons fault.
Actually the Google vehicles have been involved in over a dozen accidents of which according to Google at least two and possibly four accidents are attributed to the electronics being used while the vehicle was operated in the AV mode. Some of the drivers of these cars have also been responsible for accidents when driving in manual mode. Consumer groups are requesting full disclosure of all AV accidents so that NHTSA and other safety groups can see exactly what the causes are. This is extremely important for public safety.
As noted previously AVs won't be able to prevent other cars from crashing into them nor provide for passengers in the AVs to take control of the AV if the electronics fail or malfunction as there will be no steering wheel or other driver controls in the AVs.
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Hard Candy Glamazon Glow All The Way Face & Body Luminizer.
Last week, we played a bit of catch up since it has been like forever since I wrote her for my Mom. I promised her this write up because, oh my gosh, this is my summer find and savior for my skin.
I am blessed with olive skin and my Mom makes me put on sunscreen after my shower everyday. It is now a habit, but I still tan. Not on purpose. I do spend a lot of time at the beach and pool hanging with friends and my skin gets a pretty golden tan color. Even when re-applying sunscreen. Knowing this, I make it a point to wear either a chic sun hat or when I am being a bit more casual, I just throw my hair in a pony and put on a baseball hat to protect my face. Sunglasses are a must too.
So, to get my face to glow in a pretty golden color, I wanted a self tanner and instant bronzer to give me the perfect color without getting all fussy and applying a ton of makeup before the beach. I searched my Mom's stash (I am a very LUCKY girl) I saw this pretty golden tube from Hard Candy.
It is called Hard Candy Glamazon Glow All The Way Face & Body Luminizer. Yes, it is designed for body too, but I have only been using it on my face - and OMG, I am in LOVE and on my second tube!!! I keep one in my beach bag because it is just that essential.
This luminizer gives my skin the perfect golden glow when I put it on - shimmer and all. It looks really pretty and I always get lots of compliments. After when I wash it off, my face is a beautiful bronzed color that I trick everyone into thinking I got from being outside all day! Coupled with these Glow Pads that I am hooked on, my golden glow is stunning - without the sun.
Hard Candy Glamazon Glow All The Way Face & Body Luminizer is for sale at Walmart for $8.00 - a very cool price for a very cool product.


Small Antique Qing Dynasty Beautiful Chinese Jewellery Box Cabinet Jade Panels & Brass Bound. 1 Small Antique Qing Dynasty Beautiful Chinese Jewellery Box Cabinet Jade Panels & Brass Bound. With 2 outer doors which open up to reveal 3 fitted & lined interior Drawers. The interior drawers can be taken out.
Beautifully handmade from wood, brass bounded. Tremendous Mothers day present or easter gift. Stunning carved jade panels on the front & oval medallions on the sides Having makers plaque on the back Made In China & numbered No 301.
Carry handle on the top Circa early 20th century dated 1900's. Offered in fine charming used condition. Cash upon collection is welcome.
Dimensions in inches & centimetres approx. The item "Small Antique Qing Dynasty Chinese Jewellery Box Cabinet Jade Panels Brass Bound" is in sale since Saturday, March 9, 2019. This item is in the category "Antiques\Asian/Oriental Antiques\Chinese\Boxes". The seller is "bargaingardenantiques" and is located in CHESTER, Cheshire. This item can be shipped to North, South, or Latin America, all countries in Europe, all countries in continental Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South africa, Egypt, Reunion.


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Boat where 34 died was a 'fire trap' despite passing inspections, experts say; it's far from alone
Sep. 7, 2019 at 12:02 pm Updated Sep. 7, 2019 at 12:53 pm
Kim Christensen
MATT HAMILTON
LOS ANGELES — A day of diving off Santa Cruz Island ended like countless others aboard the Conception, with dozens of divers asleep in tightly arranged bunks that all but filled the belly of the 75-foot boat.
As always, there were two ways out in case of emergency — up a curved stairway at the front of the cabin, or through an escape hatch in the ceiling over bunks at the rear.
Before dawn on Labor Day, when flames devoured the 38-year-old wooden-hulled vessel, no one below deck made it out of either exit. The only survivors were five crew members who were up top in the wheelhouse and managed to jump into the water and then onto a dinghy.
Now, as investigators search for the cause of the fire that killed everyone in the bunk room — one crew member and all 33 passengers — questions are mounting about the design of the Conception and its emergency escape routes.
By various accounts, both the design of the boat and the layout of its sleeping quarters met federal standards and both are widely popular among California operators of overnight dive and fishing excursion vessels.
Like other such commercial boats, the Conception was subject to annual inspections by the Coast Guard, most recently in February, when it was certified to be in compliance with all regulations.
But just because it passed muster with the Coast Guard does not mean the Conception was as safe as it could be, according to some naval design and safety experts who have raised concerns about the placement of the escape routes from the bunk room.
John McDevitt, a former assistant fire chief from Pennsylvania who is an accredited marine surveyor and the chair of a National Fire Protection Association committee on commercial and pleasure boat fire protection, called the Conception "a compliant fire trap."
"What bothers me is that the vessel was inspected by a Coast Guardsman within the last 12 months," said McDevitt, who thinks the design of emergency exits was problematic. "This boat has been checked by the Coast Guard for 40 years almost."
The Conception was one of three "live-aboard" dive boats operated out of Santa Barbara Harbor by Truth Aquatics Inc., which has been in business since 1974 and is now owned by Glenn Fritzler. He declined the Los Angeles Times' requests for an interview, but has defended his crew members' actions in trying to save the doomed passengers.
Fritzler said in a statement that he is working with National Transportation Safety Board investigators and is "committed to finding accurate answers as quickly as possible." He also said he and his family are "utterly crushed" by the accident.
"My family and I are speaking today with extremely heavy hearts," he said. "No words will ease the pain that loved ones are feeling. We extend our deepest condolences to all those involved in this horrific tragedy."
The Conception was built in Long Beach in 1981, designed by its original owner and the company's long-retired founder, Roy Hauser, specifically for multiday dive trips.
"I designed the entire layout of the vessel," Hauser said. "I drew it out a quarter inch to the foot and then gave it to a marine architect. They put together the final Coast Guard papers, if you will. Glenn has all the plans and they are all stamped 'approved.' … Everything you do has to be approved by the Coast Guard."
Hauser said Fritzler had kept the boat in "immaculate" condition and he defended its design characteristics as "absolutely" safe. He noted that many of its features are common to California dive and fishing boats, an assertion backed by others in the industry.
Ken Kurtis, a veteran California diver and instructor whose Reef Seekers Dive Co. has organized trips since 1988, said he'd been aboard the Conception many times.
He described its three-level design as very similar to other such boats: sleeping quarters below deck, a main deck that includes a covered galley toward the bow with open-air dive area at the stern, and the wheelhouse with the captain's controls at the top.
Kurtis said there was nothing extraordinary about the 75-foot boat's combination of double- and triple-stacked bunks, or its passenger limit of 46 — the count was 12 below that capacity when the fire broke out.
"Passenger loads vary by the size of the vessel," he said. "They had on this one 33 passengers. That's a normal number for a dive boat. Most of the big dive boats are 30 to 35 and they are all designed pretty much the same way, with the bunks at the bottom, the galley and salon in the middle and the wheelhouse on top."
Chris Barry, chair of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers' small craft technical and research committee, agreed that the Conception's structure and cramped sleeping quarters were not unusual.
Some California divers have dubbed the popular configuration a "cattle boat" style of excursion, because of the tight space and lack of staterooms and other cabin amenities.
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"The people who are on these dive boats are just crashing below," Barry said. "These aren't luxury staterooms. All they want to do is crash and sleep — they don't need a lot of luxury and there's obviously a trade-off between the amount of space per person and the cost."
The crowded quarters might "look a little rough" but they are "absolutely legal," he said, noting that sailors on Coast Guard cutters also sleep in three-high bunks.
"There's nothing that unusual about the vessel," he said.
The fact that no passengers below deck escaped has focused attention on the bunk room's exits. The stairs in the sleeping quarters led to the galley. The escape hatch over bunks in the rear of the room opened up into a dining area adjacent to the galley and just a few feet from the open-air dive deck.
Officials have said fire blocked both exits.
"I definitely have concerns about the ability of those passengers being able to evacuate during a fire," NTSB Commissioner Jennifer Homendy, who is leading the board's investigation, told The Times this week.
Homendy said she was "taken aback" by the size and location of the emergency hatch when she toured the Conception's sister ship the Vision, which has a nearly identical design.
"You have to climb up a ladder and across the top bunk and then push a wooden door up," she said. "It was a tight space. … It surprised me how small it was and how difficult it was to access."
The vessel appears to meet current federal regulations, which require boats such as the Conception to have "at least two means of escape," including stairways and emergency hatches.
"The two required means of escape must be widely separated and, if possible, at opposite ends of the space to minimize the possibility of one incident blocking both escapes," the regulation states, noting also that exits must be "sufficient for rapid evacuation in an emergency."
It's not clear if passengers ever had a chance to try to escape. Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown, who is also the coroner, said smoke inhalation is the likely cause of death.
Still, McDevitt, the marine surveyor who also is a Coast Guard-certified captain, said that the design of the boat was flawed. He questioned why both egress points — the stairwell and the hatch — deposited passengers into the galley and adjacent dining area.
"When you put two exits into the same common area, you are not providing two means of egress — it's still only one," he said. "You are exiting into the galley and common area."
He said that irrespective of the minimum standards, the volume of passengers seemed to call for more exit passages.
McDevitt suggested adding "another hatch, and maybe a bigger hatch," but noted that options would be limited on a boat of that age.
"You don't want to make a boat less seaworthy, so you can't put hatches in the side," he said. "If they built that boat today, they could do more … When you put people down there in that dungeon, it's got to be watertight."
Paul Kamen, a forensic naval architect and mechanical engineer based in Berkeley, said he thought the size of the roughly 2-feet-square escape hatch was adequate, but he also questioned placing both points of exit in the galley and nearby dining area.
"The common areas for fire to start are the galley or the engine room, so there's always one (other) escape route. Whatever one is on fire, you go out the other way," he said. "The problem here is both escape routes went through the galley, and you lost that redundancy when the galley is engulfed in flames."
Kamen had no problem with the boat's passenger capacity, agreeing that many divers "would think it's cool to be stuffed in an environment like that — it's a connection with the traditions of the sea to be in a triple-high bunk bed with 30 other people."
He said he is more intrigued by the fire's rapid growth.
"The big mystery is why the fire propagated so far and so fast," Kamen said. "I don't think the fact that wood furnishings in the passenger cabin really explain it."
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Free hearing checks and hearing aids are available for eligible concession cardholders and their dependents.
Hearing services are available for people who hold a Pensioner Concession Card, Veterans' Affair Gold Card or White Card (with hearing loss conditions) or who are receiving Sickness allowance from Centrelink, and their dependents.
Free hearing services include a hearing assessment, information and support and, if needed, a hearing device.


First Future Philippines Inc. | H.O.W.P.O.!!???
I'm going to broaden your horizon about the company which will solve your typical problems at work.
Yes, bros and sisters in job-hunting. I am referring to FIRST FUTURE PHILIPPINES.
Who wants to set their alarm clocks every day during wee hours just to avoid being late for work?
Do you want to experience the heavy buildup of vehicles on your way to work EVERY DAY?
Would you like to leave early and come home late on a daily basis?
Of course, no one wants!
And because no one wishes to feel the pressure five to seven days a week, what should one do? The answer? Read below.
Yes, you read it right. BE AN ONLINE TEACHER. LET YOUR HOME BE YOUR CLASSROOM!
Now let us learn how to catch this big fish called FIRST FUTURE PHILIPPINES.
First Future Philippines caters Chinese students with ages ranging from as early as seven years old to teens. And just like any other ESL Companies, First Future Philippines has its own set of standards too. But don't worry for I am going to reveal the easy steps to get hired.
And now, who wants to double their salary without experiencing the hassles of going out for work?
* ESL/SAT/TOEIC/TOEFL/IELTS teaching experience is an edge.
See? Easy as 1-2-3 and A-B-C.
Very practical schedule, right? And based on my sources, "unbooked" or "unreserved" classes are still paid. So there is no need for you to get worried if you will receive salary on pay day because you did not have many bookings during a cutoff. You still would as long as you open slots on the peak hours mentioned above. Easy money, I know.
When you have already done the first part, you will receive a message on your email stating what to do next.
When you have passed the test, you will receive another email informing the next step.
Almost there! Completing your profile is next.
You just have to complete the BIO-PACKAGE (You will receive an email about this once you have already passed the first few steps).
Schedule for a Demo Lesson. Ace it to proceed to the final demo!
And I think this is what we all look forward to — CONTRACT SIGNING.
Yehey! You are already part of the growing company!
And hey, there's more! They are also hiring office-based teaching positions for native English speakers and Filipinos, too. This company is perfect for native English speakers residing here in the Philippines. I have read comments from our native English speaker friends in some ESL groups asking if there are companies who will accept them. This company is the answer.
Entry level applicant is also accepted.
But if you have none of these plus factors, need not worry. Your application will still be reviewed as long as you meet the general qualifications.
Be a FIRST FUTURE teacher now!
How much is the rate per hr?


Yarnporium Workshops: Haps, brioche, crochet, colourwork and more!
After last year's Pop-Up Marketplace and when we were getting into the planning for the Yarnporium one of the first things we knew we wanted to add with a two-day show were workshops. As fun as all the yarn-fumes and shopping are, sometimes it's nice to be inspired in another way. Learning a new skill is a great way to stretch that creative muscle!
Our venue space at King's College on the Strand was hugely attractive from this perspective as not only does it have the large marketplace space we were looking for, but being a university it also has smaller classrooms that are perfect learning in an intimate, group setting.
Karie Westermann's stunning Mahy shawl uses the hap construction techniques taught in her class.
Knitting Hap Shawls - The Yarnporium is happening during Wovember after all, and what could be more woolly than a warm Shetland shawl to wrap yourself in? Designer Karie Westermann is joining us from Glasgow and will expertly guide you through the various techniques used in a hap shawl.
Brioche is even more fun when it's two-colour brioche!
Brioche Next Steps - Want to take your brioche skills to the next level? Join Renée Callahan of East London Knit to learn two colour cast-on and cast-off and other advanced techniques for this hugely popular stitch that shows no signs of slowing down!
Hook onto a great class with Joanne Scrace from The Crochet Project!
Crochet for Knitters - Come learn from The Crochet Project's Joanne Scrace how to be mutli-craftual! Joanne will teach you how to wield a crochet hook like a pro and show you how versatile adding crochet to your knitting skills can be.
Wool fibres and yarns are de-mystified by Julia Billings of Woollenflower.
Fibre and Yarn 101 - Another woolly-focused class in honour of Wovember! Julia Billings of Woollenflower is hugely passionate about all things wool. She'll help you to navigate through this overwhelming subject to learn how to choose the best wool and yarn for your own projects.
Colourwork can be as colourful as you like!
Yarn and Colour Choice for Stranded Knitting - Designer Juju Vail loves swatching for colourwork projects with the result that she'll have lots to share with you on all she's learned! Then stranded knitting goes high-tech as you'll learn about apps you can use to explore your own colour combinations and design ideas!
Phew! So many great classes to learn from and be inspired by. And that's not all! Karie Westermann will also be teaching a brand new class for us on Knitting the Landscape and knitting and crochet designer (and professional photographer) Kat Goldin of The Crochet Project will show you how to take your project photographs from good to great! (Both of those classes are almost full, so be quick!).
Full workshops descriptions can be found here, or click here to register! All workshops include automatic entry to the marketplace on the same day.


Explosions In The Sky have collaborated with skate shoe brand Emerica to create two custom shoes in their own collection. Check out the colorways below!
The first shoe is Emerica's WINO G6 X in all black premium full grain leather with signature Explosions In The Sky heel and tongue logos.
Both shoes are available for purchase online now here.
Explosions In The Sky have had a close relationship with Emerica for many years and have provided the music for many of Emerica's iconic skate films. Emerica also created a video about their collaboration and their history with Explosions In The Sky, which you can watch below!
The band's most recent album, The Wilderness, was released last year.
Will you be picking up a pair of these sweet kicks? Let us know in the comments!


text:
Q: PHP dynamic HTML to PDF certificate with mPDF Looking for a way to output PHP dynamic html into a certificate looking document that is PDF - I have the html with certificate looking fine, but when i use mPDF to return the html results to a PDF, I get nothing. i'm sure it's the way the html is stored in the php var and the scripts need to be outside the html, but i'm not sure how to accomplish this?
<?php

$html = '

<TITLE>Certificate</TITLE>

';

//==============================================================
//==============================================================
//==============================================================

include("../mpdf/mpdf.php");
$mpdf=new mPDF('c');

$mpdf->WriteHTML($html);
$mpdf->Output();
exit;

//==============================================================
//==============================================================
//==============================================================

?>

A: The javascript variables in the html load after the php page is drawn. The javascript var needs to be passed to php var via a POST, GET, or query string and picked up in a refresh or new page - the $html thus needs to be just that html and not contain script.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


By Hanriette Charron. Living Room. Published at Wednesday, April 18th, 2018 08:01:59 AM.
By Hanriette Charron. Living Room. Published at Wednesday, September 05th, 2018 08:56:59 AM.
By Hanriette Charron. Living Room. Published at Wednesday, September 05th, 2018 08:52:18 AM.
By Hanriette Charron. Living Room. Published at Wednesday, September 05th, 2018 08:50:13 AM.
By Hanriette Charron. Living Room. Published at Wednesday, September 05th, 2018 08:54:22 AM.
By Hanriette Charron. Living Room. Published at Wednesday, September 05th, 2018 08:55:42 AM.
By Hanriette Charron. Living Room. Published at Wednesday, September 05th, 2018 08:53:00 AM.
By Hanriette Charron. Living Room. Published at Wednesday, September 05th, 2018 08:58:11 AM.


CELTACHOR's third full-length, "Fiannaìocht", is a concept album about the youth of Irish mythology hero Finn of the Fianna. A few things have changed musically since the last albums. First of all, a violinist was added to the band and the new bassist also plays Irish harp and bouzouki, which results in more folk and melodic tunes. Beside of that, powerful clear vocals have been implemented by frontman Stephen, who used to specialise in Black Metal vocals only.
CELTACHOR was established in 2007 in Dublin/Ireland, melding influences of Black, Doom and Folk Metal. The band aims to showcase their own vision of Irish Mythology, playing music with passion and straight from the heart.


How to feed your baby is an important decision. This informative class is for both expectant parents whi are planning to breastfeed and for those who are undecided. Topics include breastfeeding benefits, techniques, storage and resources as well as an overview or breast milk production. Breastfeeding products will be displayed and a pump demonstration will be offered. Questions will be addressed and support given to moms and dads considering or currently involved in the breastfeeding experience.
How to feed your baby is an important decision. This informative class is for both expectant parents who are planning to breastfeed and for those who are undecided.
Topics include breastfeeding benefits, techniques, storage and resources as well as an overview or breast milk production.
Breastfeeding products will be displayed and a pump demonstration will be offered.
Questions will be addressed and support given to moms and dads considering or currently involved in the breastfeeding experience.
For the busy parents-to-be, our Childbirth Preparation class is offered on the weekend. This class is open to anyone expecting their first child and interested in preparing for the childbirth experience. The session will cover a variety of topics including: what to expect during each trimester, breathing and relaxation techniques, labor and delivery, comfort methods available during labor and delivery process, caring for your newborn, and a tour of Floyd Valley Hospital's family-focused childbirth center. Please bring two pillows and a birthing partner.


text:
Q: Bootstrap CSS - Always set card header to 2 lines height I'm working on a page (Angular) that dynamically displays bootstrap cards that looks as follows:

{{m.Title}}

{{m.Year}}

The issue I'm facing is with the element
{{m.Title}}

The challenge is that sometimes the title gets displayed on 2 lines, other times on 1 (but never more than 2) and, so, the cards aren't looking uniform.
What I'm wondering is if there's a Bootstrap / CSS way to always make the card-header display as 2 lines high regardless of the text within it. I've tried setting a CSS style of line-height: 2, but it's not affecting it at all. Any correct / better way to accomplish this?
Thanks!

A: You can add the custom CSS to do it. check working fiddle below -

.card-header-custom {
  min-height:80px;
  display:flex;
  justify-content:center;
  align-items:center;
}
<!DOCTYPE html>

  <title>Bootstrap Example</title>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.5.0/css/bootstrap.min.css">

Card Header and Footer

Header big content Header big content

Content

Footer

Header

Content

Footer

A: HTML:

    One line heading

    Assume this heading has two lines

CSS:
h4 {
  height: 2.5em;
}

h4 span {
  line-height: 1.25em;
}


Wikipedia indicates that the act of talking, or of conversation, is that refers to an interactive exercise upon which, at least two speakers, contribute to the building of a content, as opposed to the monologue, where only one person controls its construction. That is why it "is said" that we are in a dialog.
Nowadays, companies and customers have stopped talking to each other. Nobody is to blame, yet everyone is at fault. On one hand because they shout too much, and the other because they no longer have patience to listen (not even for a moment, given that they have developed specific mechanisms and barriers in order to prevent any non-relevant message from reaching the fields of their reasoning).
In the last 30 years, the distance between customers and their financial institutions (in particular, but extensive to any company or public institution body) has grown enormously, due to the lack of interest on the part of the first party (arising from the lack of an attractive speech or claim and due to the financial suspicion of any interaction with the entity), as well as from the commoditization and convergence of a highly non-differentiated offer on the part of the second party, projecting upon the customer an increasing state of distaste and disaffection.
We must take up the conversation again. We should seek new meeting points, that local store (versus the current superstore where we try to find them), that neighborhood café (versus the mall coffee franchise in the mall), but it should be done within the ecosystem proposed by the customer, not within the one specified by the entity. My customers are telling me what channels are the correct ones. We should accept their rules (because there are no others).
Customers are increasingly more sophisticated, active and educated in the recognition of market offers; they demand multi-channeling and complete availability (their time is more highly valued than ours), and more complex and personalized services (the individual as a niche).
Two words appear as critical in order to regain a relationship, if not intimate, at least one of active listening. Relevance and personalization. We should seek those tools that enable us to re-establish the bridges for dialog. It is possible that we have the answer in our pockets. Yes, it is the mobile phone, but we are not here to talk necessarily about the potential of this channel, but about how it should be utilized. Any asynchronous channel (instant text messaging, email, Social Media, push notifications…) offers unique possibilities to be relevant, to tell each customer what they want to hear, and for us to understand, that no two customers are the same, even to the point that the same customer goes through various several stages throughout the day, thus converting the same him into multiple business window opportunities. Customers are polyhedral, operating in 3D, given that the context of their (financial) operations (financial) varies around a permanent space-time axis.
2.0 is two-way conversation, it is not -alone- Twitter, Facebook or Foursquare, it is above all an attitude, a way of thinking, where there are no technologies, but there are tools (technological ones). Therefore, we at Latinia, with the goal of recuperating that lost dialog, have decided to invest in the Banking…2.0. And we are not talking about forcing bi-directionality upon irrelevant services, just because technology allows us to be interactive with the customer. Querying your bank account status though a pull Performing consultation in one step (e.g. by way of text message) to the account is neither very practical nor very useful. It is not the best method for achieving that natural interactiveness provided by the means. The conversation should be initiated based upon the relevance (content) that we can provide our customers if we understand their context and activity, in real-time. That is the key and focus of our obsession. Turn their your one-way communication into a dialog communication (asynchronous) into, something unique, not only for that specific customer, but likewise for the scores of contexts that their your customers' daily activity provides us.
If the message (as content) is univocal (It's me –and my financial reality- I am the one that has spent $152 at the Wall-Mart of Mazatlán at 3.32 p.m., not another, much less 15,000 people –model CRM paradigm-), why don't we treat them as such?
More than a text message informing him of the expense made in that Wal-Mart, can we communicate something more to him? How can we be relevant for him? Based upon who the person is. According to the type of transaction. Regarding the amount of that transaction. Depending upon where the person is. This is to think as he about them, to go moving from segment marketing based on segments, not to one of individuals, but to one of contexts. If customers are polyhedral, we should thus assume our approach to the same, based upon a myriad of options.
The capacity to adapt a message (text, instant, electronic…always asynchronous) to the context of each customer, appears as the authentic Holy Grail for a financial institution to overcome the obstacles of an inefficient and outdated communication model. And we are not talking about technology, but about how to utilize it.
If communication was birthed massive communication (one2many, same message to many), and but evolved into personalized communication (one2one, marketing paradigm until the customer decided that what we told him was not of his interest), today, Latinia proposes the many2one (different messages to the same individual… according to context, at each moment, because if no two customers are the same, that means two messages less, even to the same customer.) Welcome to the age of micro-relevancy, welcome to push banking.
Come, because (the customer) is expecting us.