This is the final article of a three-part Business English series by ELT teacher, teacher trainer and course book author, John Hughes. Here, he looks at ideas and exercises for successful networking.
We often think of successful business networkers as people who enjoy being the centre of attention. However, effective networking is about using normal conversation to meet new people and build positive business relationships.
At its core, networking requires a business person to be interested in the other person, to be positive and to be interesting. Let's look at these three aspects of networking in terms of the language your students will require. I'll share ways to develop each part of the skill with three classroom activities.
Person A: I'm based in London but I'm working on a new project in California.
Person B: Really? How often do you go out there?
1 Do you work here?
2 Do you do any sport?
3 Can you speak any languages?
Student A: Do you work here?
Student B: No, I don't.
Student A: Who do you work for?
Student B: I work for a large multinational company based in Bonn….
By working through the list of closed questions and creating dialogues with open questions, the exercise demonstrates how useful open questions are for networking and it provides good speaking practice with revision of question forms.
In general, we prefer to do business with positive, friendly people. When we are positive, we tend to connect with the other person and making connections is what networking is all about. One activity you can use in class to practise making positive connections is the following. It's also very good for practising the past simple and present perfect.
Students stand in groups of four or five as if they are talking at a conference. You set a time limit of three to five minutes and explain that the students can talk about any of the topics on the board.
A I've worked for a few companies. My last employer was Microsoft.
B: Really? I've worked for Microsoft too. [Receive a point.] When did you work for them?
A: In 1999. I was based in New York.
The activity is great for fluency and a lot of fun. Students become very competitive to receive points so this encourages them to make conversation. It also highlights the benefits of being positive and finding things in common with the other person.
Of the three aspects of networking, the third and final is the one people find strange; after all, can you really train someone to 'be interesting'?! In fact, what this means is that to be a successful networker, you need to give the other person plenty of information about you (i.e. be interesting) so that they can respond (i.e. be interested). In language terms, it means that introducing yourself like this isn't enough: 'My name's John. I'm a sales manager.' Instead, give more information about you such as: 'My name's John and I'm in charge of our sales teams across Central and Eastern European regions.' You can give students further practice with 'being interesting' by putting them in pairs. Write a series of topics on the board such as: Job, Location, Company, Hobbies. Each student takes turns to talk non-stop for one minute about themselves on each topic. The other student listens and times the minute. Obviously a student wouldn't normally talk non-stop for a minute without the other person responding but the aim is for students to practise saying much more about themselves.
For more ideas and exercises on successful networking, take a look at John's video-based course, Successful Meetings, co-written with communications expert, Andrew Mallett. This contains eight units on different aspects of meetings skills including a unit on networking.
This article first appeared in the August 2014 edition of the Teaching Adults Newsletter – a round-up of news, interviews and resources specifically for teachers of adults. If you teach adults, subscribe to the Teaching Adults Newsletter now.
Categories: Business & English for Specific Purposes, Skills | Tags: Business communication skills, Business English, John Hughes, Networking, Questions | Permalink.
Keith Layfield, lead editor on the Business Result series, introduces his upcoming webinar on 17th April entitled "Making the most of the Business Result Online Interactive Workbook".
Have you used the Business Result Online Interactive Workbook, and are you getting the most out of it? Are you interested in using online resources to provide self-study material, supplementary classroom material, or a more interactive blended learning package?
My upcoming webinar is suitable for any teacher of Business Result. I will be providing practical help and ideas for using the Online Interactive Workbook, whether for self-study, classroom material, or for blended learning.
Business Result Online Interactive Workbook is a motivating self-study item that supports and develops themes from the Student's Book. Each unit offers a series of interactive exercises practising the main sections of each unit – Working with words, Language at work, and Business communication – which are marked automatically and added to each student's gradebook.
The interactive exercises also develop a number of skills: email writing and extended reading, plus there are video activities and discussion forum topics to encourage free writing practice. And there are extensive student resources – unit glossaries, sample emails, class audio – plus a unit test for each unit in the Student's Book.
In the webinar, we'll explore how you can make the most of these features, inside and outside class.
I'll also be exploring the automatic gradebook, which gives students and teachers instant access to grades. It saves time on marking and enables teachers to quickly track progress of all students.
Each unit of the Online Interactive Workbook has its own discussion topic related to the theme of the unit. This encourages communicative and collaborative learning, as students (and teachers) are able to read and reply to discussion topics. During the webinar, we'll look at how to get the most out of this, and we'll also focus on the 'chat' functionality, which enables students and teachers to communicate outside class.
The Online Interactive Workbook also allows teachers to add, create, and manage their own content. Teachers can add their own tests, create their own discussions, assign due dates for activities to be completed, add new activities, and many other things using a number of teacher tools.
So as you can see, the Business Result Online Interactive Workbook provides teachers and students with an exciting range of resources and tools to choose from! I look forward to exploring all of this with you in more detail during the webinar.
Categories: Business & English for Specific Purposes, Multimedia & Digital | Tags: Business communication skills, Business English, Business Result, Digital Learning, elearning, Keith Layfield, Online Interactive Workbook, Online resources, Self-study material, Web tools, Webinar | Permalink.
What's culture got to do with Tesco's decision to withdraw from Japan?
In light of the recent news concerning Tesco's withdrawal from Japan, Jeremy Comfort considers the impact of culture on business. Jeremy will be speaking more about this topic at the annual BESIG conference in Dubrovnik on 19th November 2011.
Having spent several years building their business in Japan, the UK's biggest retailer has decided to sell up. Investors have been disappointed with the return from this part of the business as Tesco have found it difficult to achieve the scale that make their UK tills ring constantly. There are also concerns about their much larger investment in the US where the Fresh & Easy chain is yet to make a profit.
Tesco has been successful in other markets, notably Eastern Europe and SE Asia, so what has gone wrong?
It seems that the Tesco way has worked well in emerging economies such as Thailand, Malaysia and China but run into problems in more developed markets like Japan, US and Taiwan. This is a recognisable phenomenon that I have come across with other international businesses. So called majority cultures such as the US and Japan are far more resistant to change than the developing world which is open to new ideas and eager to embrace opportunities. In Europe multinationals often find it easier to pilot new products or systems in Hungary or Poland than France or Germany.
This analysis gives us an insight into some key factors which leaders need to consider when deciding on strategy. It also provides a bridge to a set of competencies which are needed by all Business English learners who are working internationally. Companies need to know when to push their own agenda / approach and when to adapt or pull towards the local way. Individuals need to develop "push skills", such as focus on goals, autonomy, resilience and some approaches to influencing, but also "pull skills", such as active listening, rapport building, openness and acceptance*.
Categories: Business & English for Specific Purposes, Cultural Studies | Tags: BESIG, Business communication skills, Business English, Communication, Culture, International business, Japan, Jeremy Comfort | Permalink.


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View source for WinterMilestone 1 Dubs
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Click on the EDIT Button on the top-right of this page to edit. == Experience the life of a Worker on Mechanical Turk == Reflect on your experience as a worker on Mechanical Turk. What did you like? What did you dislike? If you're from outside the USA and unable to access MTurk, try try the [https://workersandbox.mturk.com worker sandbox], or other sites like [http://www.crowdflower.com/ CrowdFlower] or [https://microworkers.com/ Microworkers] or [http://www.clickworker.com/en Clickworker]. == Experience the life of a Requester on Mechanical Turk == ===Considerations=== First of all, this is definitely a hard problem to solve. There are infinite possibilities of works that can be requested and it's complicated to create a system that can not only serve all the possibilities, but also maintain a good traction with all of them. Usually, there is a trade-off with specificity and traction. How to make a good service for a diverse group of requesters. Here, we will try to consider some opinions we had about the requesting systems, with some comments that can lead to future implementations/suggestions. ===Good qualities/Positive aspects=== *Straight-forward publication. Except from the very beginning (login, etc), there are not a lot of doubts about how to use the system. It's a very direct process, but a limited one. *There is a certificate system. Although there are a lot of ways to improve it, it's interesting to avoid scammers/bad workers/bad intentions in the community. *Pre-organized models. There are some models to help you get ready to create something, so you don't necessarily need to start from the scratch. *HTML edition. There are possibilities to edit the HTML and there is some bootstrap/css on it already. *It generates a .csv file that can later be used for other programs/analysis. *Cheaper than hiring a group of people to do the same. It's pretty cheap to the requester to get work done and it's a pretty random group of people, which is good for statistics. ===Bad qualities/Negative aspects=== *Limited edition options. It's possible to edit the HTML, but the way the structure is constructed makes it really hard to truly make a task different from the sample ones provided. An API or a system that could connect different systems/apis/etc with them in an easy/intuitive way would be a huge step forward to guarantee that all kind of tasks could be done with the application. *Old design. We believe that especially when we're dealing with money, the design takes an important place: it inspires reliability. The way MTurk is currently designed doesn't really bring any kind of confidence for someone that wants to invest money. *It's restricted for people outside the US. We are Brazilians and, although we could use it since one of our members is in the US right now, it's a really bad problem. Currency can be a big deal for a lot of workers. For instance, the Brazilian currency is around 1 to 4 right now. It means that a Brazilian worker would really benefit for a payment made in dollars from the same system and would be great for requesters (not too good for american workers though). *The data visualization is poor. Even though the results page is interesting, it could have a way better system to visualize data. D3.js could be really useful to truly bring meaning to the data acquired. Certainly, it would depend on the acquired data, but it would be a good possibility for a lot of parameters or sample batches. *Payment systems could be easier to navigate. For instance, the MTurk fees are not explained, so it's not possible to know the exact total amount of money needed before finishing the batch. It would be really useful to know it before. Also, sometimes you don't have enough money to make a batch public on the MTurk account and it takes too long to put money again. Maybe, we could have an easier way to refill the account. *tags to match workers/requesters == Explore alternative crowd-labor markets == Compare and contrast the crowd-labor market you just explored (TaskRabbit/oDesk/GalaxyZoo) to Mechanical Turk. == Readings == === MobileWorks === * What do you like about the system / what are its strengths? * What do you think can be improved about the system? === Daemo === * What do you like about the system / what are its strengths? * What do you think can be improved about the system? === Flash Teams === * What do you like about the system / what are its strengths? * What do you think can be improved about the system? == Milestone Contributors == Our contributors: *Flavio Scorpione - @scorpione *Gabriel Bayomi - @gbayomi *Henrique Orefice - @horefice *Lucas Bamidele - @lucasbamidele *Teogenes Moura - @teomoura
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From Site Selection magazine, March 2021
A New Plan for Economic Growth Is Catching On
Governor, corporate executives weigh in on a demonstrably improving business climate.
Connecticut Capitol building
Courtesy of AdvanceCT
by MARK AREND
Governor Ned Lamont delivered his biennial budget address to state legislators on February 10th, six days before speaking with yours truly, a Connecticut native, via a Zoom call. In both instances he made it clear that it's a new era in the Constitution State. For one thing, the governor was candid, if not blunt, about the state's reputation as a high-cost location for business. But he understands that you can't fix a problem until you admit it exists.
"We've been out of favor for the last 10 years," noted Lamont on the Zoom meeting. "Being a high-cost state was our reputation. I'd like to think that's turning around. One small reason for that is I'm the first business guy to be in this seat in a long time." The governor's background is in telecommunications.
"I've always said we don't need more taxes, we need more taxpayers."
—Governor Ned Lamont
Delivering fiscal stability and predictability is a key objective of the governor, who took office in January 2019. "I held the line on taxes," he relates. "I got our budget balanced in year one and in year two, with a surplus in year two. The next two years will not be a walk in the park, but we'll do it without raising taxes."
That's where the 2022-2023 biannual budget address, Connecticut's Comeback, comes in. Following are several excerpts that signal Governor Lamont's intention to steer the state in a more pro-business direction.
"One of my top priorities has been to get Connecticut's fiscal house in order. My first stop two years ago was the state's budget. For decades, Connecticut was defined by one fiscal crisis after another. Which is why when I spoke to you at my first budget address, I challenged us to pass an honestly balanced budget on time.
Electric Boat Shipyard
Courtesy of Electric Boat Corporation
"The budget we passed together, on a spring day rather than in the middle of an autumn night, resulted in a small surplus in year one and, so far so good, a bigger surplus in year two. We did so without broad-based tax increases, without cuts to public services or cuts to our cities and towns, and we did so while building the largest budget reserve in our state's history. Despite a global pandemic which threatens every aspect of our society and economy, we stayed the course, weathering the storm, and our state has begun to find its economic footing."
Fixing Future Deficits
"The Connecticut budget is still burdened with high fixed costs accumulated over the decades, and these costs plus a COVID economy result in deficit projections in each of the next two years. With our continuing success in streamlining government, we have reduced projected deficits to less than $1 billion annually, which will be balanced by either: a gradually growing economy; state and local aid from Washington; or a partial drawdown from our $3.5 billion rainy day fund."
"Last fall, I announced the formation of the Office of Workforce Strategy, with a dedicated focus on the current and future workforce needs of the economy. As a state, we need to educate and train our workforce for these future opportunities. My proposed budget, and supporting legislation, reflects the continued commitment.
Founder's Bridge crossing the Connecticut River in Hartford
"Kelli Vallieres, Connecticut's first Chief Workforce Officer, and I will be working with our community colleges and the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities system to build on our certificate programs to provide the skill set for jobs which are in high demand for skilled workers, such as advanced manufacturing, coding, construction, nursing, digital media. The certificate program provides you with a path to a job at less cost in less time than a traditional degree.
"A high-quality workforce development program will ensure better outcomes for our state's residents and help our businesses to hire from and continue to grow here in the state."
"I am sending a bill to the legislature to provide expanded broadband access for those communities large and small which have been left behind in the digital revolution. Look, we're by no means certain how pandemics are accelerated by changes to our environment. Our environmental efforts continue to be viewed through the lens of public health, new green jobs and environmental justice, which means reducing our dependence on out-of-date energy solutions, such as coal and antiquated trash-to-energy plants, which are spewing pollution particulates into the air. This airborne pollution hits our urban communities the hardest, creating those same comorbidities which make you much more susceptible to disease and infections, like asthma and COVID-19.
"As for our transportation infrastructure and funding, if the thinking had been, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it,' then that thinking needs to change. This is personal. Annie and I went over the Mianus River Bridge down in Greenwich a few hours before it collapsed a generation ago. So I know. The Special Transportation Fund is broken and it needs to be fixed."
Real Estate Boom
"Over the last year, we've experienced a real estate boom in Connecticut. With tens of thousands of new residents discovering what they've always known, that Connecticut is a beautiful state with beaches, mountains and parks all within a short drive from one another, great schools which were more likely to be open and open safely, not to mention expanding job opportunities.
"In Hartford County alone, this past December saw a 50% increase in sold single-family homes compared to the previous December, in a similar trend all across the state and one we must continue to support and encourage. I've always said, we don't need more taxes, we need more taxpayers, and they are already paying dividends as you can see by our balanced budget."
Back to the Site Selection interview in February, Governor Lamont stressed the importance of his and the business community's role in getting the word out about Connecticut being more than a high-cost area between New York City and Boston. Take a closer look, he urges.
The Amistad Memorial, New Haven
Courtesy of Market New Haven, Inc. & Full Send Productions
"We may be high cost in some categories but not in others," he acknowledges. "You can get a very high quality workforce at less cost because we have high quality public schools and real estate is less expensive. For construction we may be more expensive but no more so than our peers. We have the cleanest and most reliable electricity in the country. Energy costs are a bigger and bigger piece of manufacturing, but we have a 15-year deal with Dominion Millstone, a nuclear power plant, so those costs are fixed. That's a big step.
"My main priority is our workforce," says the governor. "We're doubling down on that, working with our major businesses and getting a much better fix on who they need to make sure that they don't have to go beyond our borders to find that. I feel very comfortable with the business community, but I need businesses to be champions for Connecticut."
Plenty of Connecticut businesses are happy to champion the state. They are there because they want to be there, and they believe other companies in their industry would benefit from a Connecticut location as well. For their perspective, Site Selection turned to corporate executives in three of the state's leading industries — defense, life sciences and IT. Each were asked the same questions about doing business in Connecticut.
Participants in this exercise are Elizabeth Power, director of communications at defense contractor and submarine builder General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton; Eric Schadt, founder and CEO of Sema4, an AI-driven, patient-centered genomic and clinical data insight platform company in Stamford; and Jeff Auker, Tech & Innovation Hub Lead at Infosys, a digital services and consulting firm that recently opened a Technology and Innovation Hub in Hartford. Following are their responses.
Describe your operations in Connecticut — brief history, location, workforce and business line.
Elizabeth Power, Electric Boat: Electric Boat designs, manufactures and repairs submarines for the U.S. Navy. Established in 1899, Electric Boat moved to Groton in 1913. Today, EB has more 17,000 employees, more than 12,000 of whom work in Connecticut. The majority of our employees work at our Groton shipyard and our office complex in New London. We also have other smaller satellite office locations. We also have more than 4,000 employees, mostly dedicated to manufacturing, located at our Quonset Point, Rhode Island, campus.
Eric Schadt, Sema4: We selected Stamford as our corporate headquarters in 2017 when we launched the company. We have rapidly grown over the last few years. Sema4 now has over 550 employees in Connecticut, a number that has more than quadrupled since 2017. In addition to our HQ, we have two state-of-the-art clinical laboratories and research facilities in Branford and Stamford. The former was expanded earlier this year to meet greater demand and deliver new capabilities, including COVID-19 testing. The latter officially opened in December and is designed to process thousands of industry-leading, information-based genomic tests a day and to further support our mission of advancing healthcare through data-driven insights.
Jeff Auker, Infosys: Our work for clients in Connecticut extends back at least three decades, providing a wide range of IT services, application development, and digital transformation for many of Connecticut's largest employers. For most of that time we did our work onsite at our clients, with a small administrative office in Glastonbury. In December 2019, Governor Malloy, Governor-elect Lamont, Mayor Bronin and other dignitaries joined us to inaugurate our third U.S. Digital & Innovation Hub in the Goodwin Tower in downtown Hartford. More important than the 56,000 square feet of real estate we invested in, Infosys committed to bringing 1,000 local jobs to Connecticut within five years, and we are well on our way to that goal.
Hartford downtown skyline
How would you grade the state's overall business climate in terms of such factors as ease of doing business, the regulatory environment, business costs (taxes, property, labor), and access to the labor you require?
Elizabeth Power: We enjoy an open and productive relationship with the Lamont Administration and the legislature. In addition, we work closely with the municipalities where our facilities are located. Electric Boat has benefited from support for training programs as well as from other economic incentives from the state. In 2018, when EB announced a major expansion of its facilities in the state resulting in investments from General Dynamics of more than $800 million, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development agreed to provide $83 million in incentives.
Eric Schadt: We give the state's overall business climate a very high grade. Connecticut has been an active partner to us in fostering a favorable environment for growth. The rapidly expanding biotech sector cultivated by the state has helped us accelerate our growth over recent years.
Jeff Auker: We have been quite happy with our experience expanding our operations in Connecticut. We were able to locate and develop prime downtown real estate quickly with the support of the DECD and the Mayor's office. We've been deeply engaged with the Governor's Workforce Council, AdvanceCT, and ReadyCT in the state's ambitious efforts to transform career training and the pipeline for IT jobs, and we have developed close, engaged relationships with key educational partners like Trinity College to develop programs that are turned to the digital jobs of the future.
In general, can you find the labor you require locally, or is it more common to bring workers into Connecticut from elsewhere?
Elizabeth Power: Generally, our hiring strategy focuses on recruiting talent from about a 50-mile radius from our facilities. For hard-to-recruit positions, such as skilled welders, we look nationally. In 2020, we hired nearly 2,000 people. Forty-five percent of new hires were engineers and designers, 36% were in operations and the remaining 19% were in support functions. This year we plan to continue our hiring campaign to support the full-scale production of Columbia Class submarines. In 2021, we plan to hire approximately 2,200 people.
Eric Schadt: There is a large pool of well-qualified candidates in Connecticut with deep expertise in biotech and data science. This extraordinary talent pool is one of the key reasons we have invested heavily in the state. Having access to highly talented people from a number of leading local universities and medical centers is particularly advantageous to us.
Jeff Auker: It's been a healthy mix of both. We've tapped into the rich supply of smart, motivated Connecticut college graduates as well as students and experienced hires looking for more affordable alternatives to New York and Boston.
How is the state working to stock the labor pool so your company can staff up with the skills you require?
Elizabeth Power: The state has been supportive of our need to hire trained skilled workers. We have worked with both state and federal governments to set up a training pipeline program that has been extremely successful. Since 2016, we have trained over 1,100 employees through Connecticut pipeline programs. In 2020, we expanded our list of pipelines to introduce the Planner Pipeline Program in partnership with Three Rivers Community College. In 2021, we anticipate hiring activity supporting the Groton shipyard to pick up mid-year to support a maintenance availability for the U.S.S. Hartford and will look to these pipelines to help us continued to bring new skilled workers to EB.
Eric Schadt: We're delighted to participate in the Governor's Innovation Fellowship in Connecticut, which launched in early 2020. Governor Ned Lamont's program enables college graduates to start their careers with a job at select growing companies, including Sema4. We're also grateful to other organizations such as BioCT, which has prominently featured Sema4 on its website for six months, specifically promoting that we are hiring in Connecticut.
Jeff Auker: Our President, Ravi Kumar, is deeply engaged on the Governor's Workforce Council leading the Education & Career Development Committee. Ravi and our Infosys team have been working very closely with the state, business and educational leaders and non-profits to carefully identify the most in-demand IT skills, the training — classroom and work-based — to develop them, and under-represented pools of talent like community college graduates that can fill the demand we and our clients have. For instance, the Office of Higher Education has been working with us on identifying and optimizing IT career training programs. We've partnered with Trinity College to train liberal arts graduates for digital careers. Our US Foundation has provided grants for K-12 professional development to build the supply of computer science teachers, and we helped guide the IT curricula the state made available to reskill workers displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yale University Art Gallery Addition
Photo courtesy of Market New Haven, Inc. & Full Send Productions
Are there perceptions of Connecticut as a business location you have come across that you would want to see corrected?
Elizabeth Power: The jobs created by EB and other manufacturers have a big impact on the economy. Our growth and growth of our supply base are helping to support a stronger economy. According to a U.S. Maritime Association study, each job in private shipbuilding and repair supports another 2.7 jobs. These jobs provide significant positive impact throughout Connecticut in retail, housing and education. Further, our workforce is beginning to skew younger. Congressman Joe Courtney called one of our submarines a "millennial submarine" as our workforce is now made up of more young people than in years past.
Jeff Auker: For business leaders, I'd recommend taking a fresh look at the state, regional, and city-by-city commitment to becoming far more business friendly. We still have work to do, of course, but especially as we come out of the pandemic, Connecticut offers an increasingly attractive alternative to the costs and commutes of doing business in New York City and Boston. For college students and young residents, don't just think of Connecticut as a place to go to school before finding a job elsewhere. Across IT, manufacturing and life sciences especially, take a fresh look at the investments the state's major employers are making locally.
How does a Connecticut location help make your company more competitive or successful?
Elizabeth Power: We are geographically very close to our Navy customer, with SUBASE New London a few miles up the road from the Groton Shipyard. We have strong support from our state government and federal delegation, who understand the positive impact we have on the regional economy and our nation's defense.
Eric Schadt: We're continuously impressed by the state's commitment to positioning Connecticut as a hub for bioscience and technology. Our location in Connecticut has been a significant asset to our business. We appreciate all the support, direction, and resources that numerous state government and industry groups have given us over the last few years as we have rapidly expanded our footprint in the state. Our partnership with these organizations has played an important part in our growth.
Jeff Auker: We are a huge global company, but a local presence down the street from so many of our large Connecticut clients has enabled stronger day-to-day engagement, especially when we partner with our clients and the state not only commercially, but to develop the workforce and the communities we share.
What would you change or improve about doing business in Connecticut?
Jeff Auker: Connecticut is full of a lot of people and groups doing some very good things to improve the career readiness of everyone from high schoolers to community college graduates, four-year degree holders, and experienced folks looking to change their careers. The key challenges unlocking the most value of these efforts lie in bringing coordination across many parallel if not competing efforts and improving the equity of access and quality of these programs across our cities and the suburbs.
Mark Arend
Editor in Chief of Site Selection magazine
Mark Arend has been editor in chief of Site Selection magazine since 2001. Prior to joining the editorial staff in 1997, he worked for 10 years in New York City at Wall Street Computer Review, ABA Banking Journal and Global Investment Technology. Mark graduated from the University of Hartford (Conn.) in 1985 and lives near Atlanta, Georgia.
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CONNECTICUT: Just Picking Up Some Chips (Jan 4, 2023)
NORTH CAROLINA: Core Strengths Help North Carolina Soar (Sep 26, 2022)
CONNECTICUT: High-Tech Connection (Mar 10, 2022)
BUSINESS CLIMATE OVERVIEW: New Jersey Grows a Garden Full of World-Changing Ideas (Feb 1, 2021)
BUSINESS CLIMATE OVERVIEW: Why Georgia Keeps Breaking Records (Nov 23, 2020)
2020 BUSINESS CLIMATE RANKINGS: Certainty and Predictability Are the Winning States' Hallmarks (Nov 2, 2020)
VIRGINIA: Why Companies Keep Growing in the Crossroads Region (Dec 2, 2019)


text:
[:en]15th MIC edition comes back with female classes[:]
The teams will take part with these age classes: born after 01/01/2001 and born after 01/01/1996. The youth football tournament 15th edition – Mediterranean International Cup will still be a highly international competition and will retake the hall-mark that came with the tournament since the beginning: our earlier confidence on Female football.
What is new this edition, in the 15th anniversary, is the inclusion of the female classes once again, that has already been part of the tournament for 10 editions. "We have been promoting female football since the beginning and we hope this new push to be a success and that a lot of teams participate in the coming edition", stated the MIC director, Juanjo Rovira.n nFOTO: FC BARCELONA
Female football has been part of the MIC since the beginnig, except for 2008, 2009, 2013 and 2014 editions. In 2015, this class is retaken with two different possibilities, girls born after 01/01/2001 and born after 01/01/1996. This will be the first time to have 2 different female age classes in the tournament.
In the last edition with female football, in 2012, RCD Espanyol won after beating Estartit, which had won the two previous years. The record book of the female MIC is the following: Rayco (2001), Levante (2002), Athletic Club (2003), Rossianka (2004), Malmö (2005), RCD Espanyol (2006), Shangai SVA (2007), Euromat l'Estartit (2010), UE l'Estartit (2011) and RCD Espanyol (2012).
The organisers of the tournament that will de held from the 31st of March to the 5th of April along different towns in the Costa Brava, expects again more than 220 teams from around the Word. Last edition counted on teams from 35 different countries.


text:
Unter den Linden 13-15
+49.3020209314 FAX +49.3020209320
Sara Bernshausen
Thomas Seelig
Fabien Levy
Elliot Carter
Wulf Herzogenrath
John G. Hanhardt
Caitlin Jones
Guggenheim Museum, Berlin
Global Groove 2004
Global Groove 2004 Nam June Paik's celebration of our media artworld will transform the Deutsche Guggenheim galleries from April 17 to July 9, 2004 into a dynamic space of surfaces and screens filled with moving images. Global Groove 2004, Paik's first major art installation since his laser projects created for his retrospective The Worlds of Nam June Paik at the Guggenheim Museum, New York, celebrates his return to Berlin the site of many of his triumphs as an artist.
Global Groove 2004 takes its title from Paik's legendary videotape Global Groove (1973) which proclaimed the future of a global artist's television. Broadcast in 1974 on WNET/Thirteen in New York, Nam June Paik's multifaceted Global Groove, would become one of the most influential and legendary examples of video art. Global Groove took an all-encompassing view of culture that epitomized Paik's approach to television and the medium of video for broadcast. It transformed the broadcast studio into an experimental venue for dancers, musicians, and performance artists. Global Groove integrates and unites diverse elements— films and videotapes by other artists, interviews and voiceovers (including appearances by Allen Ginsberg and John Cage), pop music, appropriated commercials and broadcast fragments—in a series of short segments driven by a rapid, energetic pace and comprehensive image processing.
In celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of the Global Groove broadcast, Global Groove 2004 presents an installation that will feature Paik's global television projects from the late 1960s and 1970s. Re-mixed with Global Groove will be the single channel works 9/23 Experiment with David Atwood (1969), Suite 2112 (1977), and Merce by Merce by Paik (1975-78), all of which celebrate his distinctive image processing and his collaborations with the likes of John Cage, Merce Cunningham and Allen Ginsberg. The exhibition's installation utilizes elements of Paik's signature ''videowalls'': projection cubes installed in compact grids for the purpose of cacophonously orchestrated video screenings. Global Groove 2004 features videowall components, originally installed at the Guggenheim Soho in New York, organized into new architectural elements, creating a dynamic environment in which to encounter a remix of Paik's work in video and for television. Encircling these elements of moving images is One Candle (Candle Projection) (1988, 2004 version), one of the artist's closed-circuit works. A video camera captures the moving image of a burning candle, which is projected large-scale onto all four walls of the gallery. The flame creates a vibrant background matching the immediacy of the electronic image.
In Global Groove 2004 the artist reflects on his lifetime of creative innovation and generates a dynamic new media art environment in the Deutsche Guggenheim galleries.
Nam June Paik: Global Groove 2004 was curated by John G. Hanhardt, Senior Curator for Film and Media Arts, along - with the assistance of - Caitlin Jones, Project Assistant for Film and Media Arts at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Accompanying with the exhibition is a two-part catalogue with essays by the curators in German and English as well as with a reprint of the previously out-of-print publication Nam June Paik: Videa'n' Vidoelogy 1959-1973, at a price of euros 26. The Cibachrom print Global Groove 2004 was created in a limited and signed edition of approx. 15 copies plus 5 copies a.p. as Edition No. 27 of the Deutsche Guggenheim. Nam June Paik contributed sketches to the setting-up of the installation in the exhibition spaces Unter den Linden. The Edition is available exclusively in the MuseumsShop at a price of euros 3,500.
The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive program. In the Curator's Talk, John G. Hanhardt guides a tour through the exhibition Global Groove 2004 on Monday, April 19, 2004 at 6 p.m. The tour takes place in English.
A conversation between John G. Hanhardt and Prof. Dr. Wulf Herzogenrath, Director of the Kunsthalle Bremen, on Friday, April 23, 2004 at 7 p.m. devotes itself to the theme of the works of Nam June Paik. Both art historians have accompanied the work of Paik over several years in scholarly publications and as curators.
On Thursday, April 29, 2004 at 7 p.m. the Ensemble Ki presents under the title Written/not Written – Cello and Percussion in Unwritten Music works by Elliot Carter and John Cage as well as by Thomas Seelig and Fabien Lévy.
The traditional Family Brunch takes place on Sunday, May 9, 2004 at 11:30 in the Deutsche Guggenheim. During the time when adults are taking a guided tour with the theme ''Cool'' and ''Hot'' Media in Global Groove, children discover the world of Nam June Paik in a playful manner.
During May and July 2004, the film series Paik and the Worlds of Film and Video, 1965-1974 features films by Nam June Paik which were created in collaboration with Jud Yalkut, and also his early video works. An additional selection of films by Robert Breer, Michael Snow, Stan VanDerBeek et al. places Paik's works in the context of American avant-garde cinema. The film program is being presented in cooperation with the Kino Arsenal.
Free guided tours through the exhibition are offered daily at 6 p.m. The lunch lectures will take place every Wednesday at 1 p.m. The keynote tours are held on Sundays at 11.30 a.m. and are followed by a brunch.
The exhibition and program represent a contribution to the american season.
The video wall components for Global Groove 2004 are made possible by Samsung Electronics.
Image: Nam June Paik, Global Groove, 1973, Video Still
Courtesy of Electronic Arts Intermix
Pawel Althamer
dal 27/10/2011 al 15/1/2012


Dust – a small solid particles with a diameter of about 0.0005 mm. What are these tiny particles can be harmful to us? Household dust is made up of particles of clothing, bedding, furniture, curtains, carpet lint, and many household items. Thus may cause various diseases and allergic reactions that can occur as a simple cold, so strong and suffocation. Dust is a favorable breeding ground for staph and streptokokkofyh bacteria in the human body. Once in the intestine, can cause diseases such as gstrit, goiter, ulcers. Also, dust can cause a decrease in immunity, which also leads to frequent colds, fatigue, malaise. Dust affects the respiratory system, immune, nervous system, skin and eyes.
But the most unpleasant that house dust contains mites dermatofagoidnye, which feed on scales down human skin. Dean Ornish M.D brings even more insight to the discussion. For example in a gram of dust, their bed is up to 500 and possibly more individuals. And they are so small that they can not be found. We can therefore say that the bed is a haven for ticks, since it has a favorable atmosphere for their livelihoods. If you have additional questions, you may want to visit Donald Sussman. The number of diseases that occur under the influence of dust is growing every day.
What is the rules should be followed to reduce the risk of disease from the dust. First, no hang heavy curtains, ventilate the room, especially in sunny weather, which will help make the air drier. Low humidity affects the mites. Second bed linen, night pajamas, change every week. In the summer dry bed on the balcony or, if possible on the street. Upholstered furniture, mattresses, rugs, slippers, brush it once a week vacuuming. Do as much as possible vlazhkuyu clean, damp wipe furniture from dust. The dust content can be reduced by using special hoods and choosing the appropriate vacuum cleaner bags, which do not allow the dust. More people just need personal hygiene. Please do not forget about it. Try to take a daily shower and change underwear.


A late start but what the hell, its a start. I think I'll concentrate on my home county this morning but maybe venture out further into the good state of Maryland this afternoon. Then again chores may call first so its anyone's guess. Another beautiful day on tap here so as this couple below is doing. Take a moment to sit or pause outside. Get a good view, take a few deep breaths, hold someones hand if you're lucky and remind yourself that this is living. Repeat as often as needed.
Just had to POST this one. Sorry couldn't resist that one.


text:
package check_pod_exists

import (
	"github.com/appscode/searchlight/pkg/icinga"
	"github.com/appscode/searchlight/plugins"
	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
	core "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels"
	corev1 "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/typed/core/v1"
)

var _ = Describe("check_pod_exists", func() {
	var pod, pod2 *core.Pod
	var client corev1.PodInterface
	var opts options

	BeforeEach(func() {
		client = cs.CoreV1().Pods("demo")
		pod = &core.Pod{
			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
				Name: "pod",
				Labels: map[string]string{
					"app/searchlight": "pod",
				},
			},
		}
	})

	AfterEach(func() {
		if client != nil {
			client.Delete(pod.Name, &metav1.DeleteOptions{})
		}
	})

	Describe("when a single pod exists", func() {
		Context("with pod name", func() {
			JustBeforeEach(func() {
				opts = options{
					podName: pod.Name,
				}
			})
			It("should be OK", func() {
				_, err := client.Create(pod)
				Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())

				state, _ := newPlugin(client, opts).Check()
				Expect(state).Should(BeIdenticalTo(icinga.OK))
			})
		})
	})
	Describe("when two pod exist", func() {
		JustBeforeEach(func() {
			pod2 = &core.Pod{
				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
					Name: "pod-2",
					Labels: map[string]string{
						"app/searchlight": "pod",
					},
				},
			}
		})
		AfterEach(func() {
			if client != nil {
				client.Delete(pod2.Name, &metav1.DeleteOptions{})
			}
		})
		Context("without selector", func() {
			Context("with count", func() {
				JustBeforeEach(func() {
					opts = options{
						count:      2,
						isCountSet: true,
					}
				})
				It("greater than actual", func() {
					_, err := client.Create(pod)
					Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
					_, err = client.Create(pod2)
					Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())

					opts.count = opts.count + 1
					state, _ := newPlugin(client, opts).Check()
					Expect(state).Should(BeIdenticalTo(icinga.Critical))
				})
				It("less than actual", func() {
					_, err := client.Create(pod)
					Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
					_, err = client.Create(pod2)
					Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())

					opts.count = opts.count - 1
					state, _ := newPlugin(client, opts).Check()
					Expect(state).Should(BeIdenticalTo(icinga.Critical))
				})
				It("similar to actual", func() {
					_, err := client.Create(pod)
					Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
					_, err = client.Create(pod2)
					Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())

					state, _ := newPlugin(client, opts).Check()
					Expect(state).Should(BeIdenticalTo(icinga.OK))
				})
			})
			Context("without count", func() {
				It("should be OK", func() {
					_, err := client.Create(pod)
					Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
					_, err = client.Create(pod2)
					Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())

					state, _ := newPlugin(client, opts).Check()
					Expect(state).Should(BeIdenticalTo(icinga.OK))
				})
			})
		})

		Context("with selector", func() {
			Context("with count", func() {
				JustBeforeEach(func() {
					opts = options{
						count:      2,
						isCountSet: true,
						selector:   labels.SelectorFromSet(pod.Labels).String(),
					}
				})
				It("greater than actual", func() {
					_, err := client.Create(pod)
					Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
					_, err = client.Create(pod2)
					Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())

					opts.count = opts.count + 1
					state, _ := newPlugin(client, opts).Check()
					Expect(state).Should(BeIdenticalTo(icinga.Critical))
				})
				It("less than actual", func() {
					_, err := client.Create(pod)
					Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
					_, err = client.Create(pod2)
					Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())

					opts.count = opts.count - 1
					state, _ := newPlugin(client, opts).Check()
					Expect(state).Should(BeIdenticalTo(icinga.Critical))
				})
				It("similar to actual", func() {
					_, err := client.Create(pod)
					Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
					_, err = client.Create(pod2)
					Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())

					state, _ := newPlugin(client, opts).Check()
					Expect(state).Should(BeIdenticalTo(icinga.OK))
				})
			})
			Context("without count", func() {
				JustBeforeEach(func() {
					opts = options{
						selector: labels.SelectorFromSet(pod.Labels).String(),
					}
				})
				It("should be OK", func() {
					_, err := client.Create(pod)
					Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
					_, err = client.Create(pod2)
					Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())

					state, _ := newPlugin(client, opts).Check()
					Expect(state).Should(BeIdenticalTo(icinga.OK))
				})
			})
		})
	})
	Describe("test options", func() {
		var (
			cmd *cobra.Command
		)

		JustBeforeEach(func() {
			cmd = new(cobra.Command)
			cmd.Flags().Int(flagCount, 0, "")
			cmd.Flags().String(plugins.FlagHost, "demo@cluster", "")
			cmd.Flags().String(plugins.FlagKubeConfig, "", "")
			cmd.Flags().String(plugins.FlagKubeConfigContext, "", "")
		})
		Context("valid", func() {
			It("-", func() {
				opts := options{}
				cmd.Flags().Set(flagCount, "2")
				cmd.Execute()
				err := opts.complete(cmd)
				Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
				Expect(opts.isCountSet).Should(BeIdenticalTo(true))
				Expect(opts.namespace).Should(BeIdenticalTo("demo"))
				err = opts.validate()
				Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
			})
			It("-", func() {
				opts := options{}
				err := opts.complete(cmd)
				Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
				Expect(opts.isCountSet).Should(BeIdenticalTo(false))
				err = opts.validate()
				Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
			})
		})
	})
})


I feel the need to visit Mount Field National Park as I am overdue. It has been more than a year since last time I visited this amazing spot that's only about an hour drive from Hobart. Sometimes the closest places to us are the ones most far away for some reason. The natural fauna here is just so amazingly beautiful. The tones of green. I am pretty sure there are some green tones here that I hadn't seen before. Mother Nature works her beauty here very well that words cannot describe. It is also home for Russell Falls. With the rain we had this year I can't even imagine the amount of water falling through. Let's see when I will be able to visit and take some photos of this beauty.


text:
from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function

from stripe import api_requestor, error, util, six
from stripe.stripe_object import StripeObject
from stripe.six.moves.urllib.parse import quote_plus

class APIResource(StripeObject):
    @classmethod
    def retrieve(cls, id, api_key=None, **params):
        instance = cls(id, api_key, **params)
        instance.refresh()
        return instance

    def refresh(self):
        return self._request_and_refresh("get", self.instance_url())

    @classmethod
    def class_url(cls):
        if cls == APIResource:
            raise NotImplementedError(
                "APIResource is an abstract class.  You should perform "
                "actions on its subclasses (e.g. Charge, Customer)"
            )
        # Namespaces are separated in object names with periods (.) and in URLs
        # with forward slashes (/), so replace the former with the latter.
        base = cls.OBJECT_NAME.replace(".", "/")
        return "/v1/%ss" % (base,)

    def instance_url(self):
        id = self.get("id")

        if not isinstance(id, six.string_types):
            raise error.InvalidRequestError(
                "Could not determine which URL to request: %s instance "
                "has invalid ID: %r, %s. ID should be of type `str` (or"
                " `unicode`)" % (type(self).__name__, id, type(id)),
                "id",
            )

        id = util.utf8(id)
        base = self.class_url()
        extn = quote_plus(id)
        return "%s/%s" % (base, extn)

    # The `method_` and `url_` arguments are suffixed with an underscore to
    # avoid conflicting with actual request parameters in `params`.
    def _request(
        self,
        method_,
        url_,
        api_key=None,
        idempotency_key=None,
        stripe_version=None,
        stripe_account=None,
        headers=None,
        params=None,
    ):
        obj = StripeObject._request(
            self,
            method_,
            url_,
            api_key,
            idempotency_key,
            stripe_version,
            stripe_account,
            headers,
            params,
        )

        if type(self) is type(obj):
            self.refresh_from(obj)
            return self
        else:
            return obj

    # The `method_` and `url_` arguments are suffixed with an underscore to
    # avoid conflicting with actual request parameters in `params`.
    def _request_and_refresh(
        self,
        method_,
        url_,
        api_key=None,
        idempotency_key=None,
        stripe_version=None,
        stripe_account=None,
        headers=None,
        params=None,
    ):
        obj = StripeObject._request(
            self,
            method_,
            url_,
            api_key,
            idempotency_key,
            stripe_version,
            stripe_account,
            headers,
            params,
        )

        self.refresh_from(obj)
        return self

    # The `method_` and `url_` arguments are suffixed with an underscore to
    # avoid conflicting with actual request parameters in `params`.
    @classmethod
    def _static_request(
        cls,
        method_,
        url_,
        api_key=None,
        idempotency_key=None,
        stripe_version=None,
        stripe_account=None,
        params=None,
    ):
        params = None if params is None else params.copy()
        api_key = util.read_special_variable(params, "api_key", api_key)
        idempotency_key = util.read_special_variable(
            params, "idempotency_key", idempotency_key
        )
        stripe_version = util.read_special_variable(
            params, "stripe_version", stripe_version
        )
        stripe_account = util.read_special_variable(
            params, "stripe_account", stripe_account
        )
        headers = util.read_special_variable(params, "headers", None)

        requestor = api_requestor.APIRequestor(
            api_key, api_version=stripe_version, account=stripe_account
        )

        if idempotency_key is not None:
            headers = {} if headers is None else headers.copy()
            headers.update(util.populate_headers(idempotency_key))

        response, api_key = requestor.request(method_, url_, params, headers)
        return util.convert_to_stripe_object(
            response, api_key, stripe_version, stripe_account, params
        )

    # The `method_` and `url_` arguments are suffixed with an underscore to
    # avoid conflicting with actual request parameters in `params`.
    @classmethod
    def _static_request_stream(
        cls,
        method_,
        url_,
        api_key=None,
        idempotency_key=None,
        stripe_version=None,
        stripe_account=None,
        params=None,
    ):
        params = None if params is None else params.copy()
        api_key = util.read_special_variable(params, "api_key", api_key)
        idempotency_key = util.read_special_variable(
            params, "idempotency_key", idempotency_key
        )
        stripe_version = util.read_special_variable(
            params, "stripe_version", stripe_version
        )
        stripe_account = util.read_special_variable(
            params, "stripe_account", stripe_account
        )
        headers = util.read_special_variable(params, "headers", None)

        requestor = api_requestor.APIRequestor(
            api_key, api_version=stripe_version, account=stripe_account
        )

        if idempotency_key is not None:
            headers = {} if headers is None else headers.copy()
            headers.update(util.populate_headers(idempotency_key))

        response, _ = requestor.request_stream(method_, url_, params, headers)
        return response


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text:
Kyrie Irving Isn't Demanding Changes Before Trade Deadline
NBA Won't Vote On Schedule Changes At Board Of Governors Meeting
Justise Winslow Out At Least Two More Weeks
Knicks Have No Interest In Andre Drummond Trade
Magic's D.J. Augustin Out At Least 3-4 Weeks
Timberwolves Intensifying Pursuit Of D'Angelo Russell
Hawks No Longer Pursuing Andre Drummond Trade
Timberwolves Trade Jeff Teague To Hawks
2019 NBA Free Agent Tracker
All Lists/Trackers
Spencer Dinwiddie
January 17th, 2020 at 5:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder
Nets guard Kyrie Irving clarified comments he made earlier in the week and insisted he wasn't pressuring the front office to make significant changes before next month's trade deadline, Malika Andrews of ESPN reports. However, he did hint that changes need to be made in the long run in order to become a serious title contender.
Irving said on Friday that in his previous comments he was simply giving a forthright assessment of the team's current plight. Brooklyn is four games below .500 and currently sits in the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.
"I think we have championship aspirations," Irving said. "Do we want to be the eighth seed going into the playoffs? The seventh seed? But you're able to be real with the team that you have here, and you're able to collectively, cohesively come together as a group. That is what you figure out. But the goals are still to win a championship. I don't come in every day to be mediocre or to be in the middle of the standings."
Irving told the media on Wednesday after back-to-back losses that the team's weaknesses were "glaring" and that additional pieces were needed in order to reach the next level. At the time, Irving named Kevin Durant, DeAndre Jordan, Garrett Temple, Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert as key pieces but left out other rotation players, including Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince, and Joe Harris.
Irving spoke with teammates about those comments and said that players he failed to mention was just an oversight on his part. However, he does believe the roster as currently constructed won't be enough to put the Nets over the top.
"I reached out to make sure nothing was taken out of context — making sure that the guys knew exactly what I meant," Irving said. "And that is the only thing that matters. Everyone can say, 'If I was in this position, I would've said this, I would've done this.' … The most important thing is making sure these guys — they have the belief in themselves and I continue to reiterate that confidence we have as a team. It is going to come down to that in order to be at a championship level to compete against the West, we need more."
Caris LeVert
Garrett Temple
Jarrett Allen
Nets Notes: Dinwiddie, Irving, Durant, Luxury Tax
January 15th, 2020 at 7:35pm CST by Arthur Hill
Spencer Dinwiddie was confident last season that Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant were coming to Brooklyn, former Nets teammate Ed Davis tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Davis, now with the Jazz, said Dinwiddie began talking about landing the star free agents before last year's All-Star break.
"Spence knew," Davis said. "My locker was right next to Spencer's too so we used to talk all the time. And he was saying that early. So we knew it was a good chance."
Bondy notes that Dinwiddie may have diminished his own role in Brooklyn by recruiting Irving. Dinwiddie was putting up All-Star numbers while Irving was sidelined with a shoulder impingement, but they will now share playmaking duties.
"We're just going to go with the flow," Dinwiddie said. "We're just going to go with whoever is hot in the moment."
There's more from Brooklyn:
Echoing comments earlier this week from general manager Sean Marks, Nets owner Joe Tsai told Brian Lewis of the New York Post that he's willing to pay the luxury tax in order to compete for a title. "I think the fans expect that we win a championship. And the good thing is I believe that we do have the pieces in place," Tsai said in a YES Network interview. "Now we have some injuries and people are coming back. But the fundamental pieces are in place to perhaps go all the way, so I'm absolutely comfortable that if we pay the luxury tax, that's fine." Lewis points out that the Nets are slightly below the $143MM cap threshold for next season, but that figures to change once they re-sign Joe Harris and fill out the roster.
Durant answered fans' questions on Twitter this week about his recovery from a ruptured Achilles, Lewis adds in the same story. Durant discussed the "everyday grind" of rehab and how difficult it is to be away from the game. "It gets better everyday, but (it's) good to have patience," he tweeted.
Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot returns to Philadelphia tonight in a stable situation for the first time since the Sixers traded him in 2018, observes Alex Schiffer of The Athletic. Luwawu-Cabarrot is on a two-way contract with Brooklyn and has helped the team stay afloat through injuries. He has about a week left on his 45-day NBA limit, leaving the Nets with a decision about whether to give him a standard contract to keep him on the main roster.
Joe Tsai
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot
New York Notes: Knicks, DSJ, Irving, Dinwiddie
January 13th, 2020 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams
Two people in touch with the Knicks within the last few days have said that the team remains opposed to moving a future first-round pick in any trade scenario, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
Begley cautions that the stance could be posturing on the Knicks' part, but I'd personally be pretty surprised to see New York trade a first-rounder in the coming weeks. The only scenario in which it would make sense would be if the club could land a player who is under contract for multiple years and projects to be a long-term building block.
The Knicks were recently linked to Andre Drummond. Reports since then have downplayed those talks, but Begley has suggested they were more than just exploratory discussions. Even if they were serious about a Drummond scenario, it's not clear if the Knicks would have to give up a first-round pick, given the big man's uncertain contract status beyond this season.
Here's more out of New York:
Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr. missed his ninth straight game due to a oblique strain on Sunday and there's still no clear timetable for his return, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. However, Smith is enthusiastic about the progress he has made. "It's actually faster (than I expected)," Smith said. "I heard with oblique strains, it can be two months. I'm actually coming along fast. I'm going through the process. I'm feeling better."
Kyrie Irving looked good on Sunday in his return for the Nets, making 10-of-11 shots from the floor in 20 minutes and helping lead the team to a blowout win. As Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes, Irving said it was "good to be back" on the court. "It was a long road back, man," Irving said. "A lot of questions I had to answer; just health for my shoulder, longevity, what would've been the best option for my health long term."
Spencer Dinwiddie played a starring role for the Nets in Irving's absence, but is happy to give up some of his scoring and play-making responsibilities now that his backcourt mate is healthy. "I'd rather average 21 and win at a high level [compared to] 25 and getting my head cracked every night," Dinwiddie told Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. "I don't view his coming back as, 'Now I'm gonna average two points a game.' I'll still be productive. It gives our group a chance to win a lot more games."
Nets forward Rodions Kurucs acknowledged that his legal issues have impacted his performance on the court this season, Lewis writes for The New York Post. Kurucs, who was accused of domestic assault, has had a reduced role in 2019/20 and has been up and down when he's played.
Dennis Smith Jr.
Spencer Dinwiddie Set To Launch Digital Investment Vehicle
After several months of back-and-forth with the NBA, Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie is set to launch his digital investment vehicle on January 13, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. Dinwiddie confirmed the news on his Twitter account.
We first heard nearly four months ago that Dinwiddie intended to turn his current NBA contract into a digital investment vehicle. The plan was for investors to secure a "Dinwiddie bond" in the form of a digital token and eventually be paid back the principal amount with interest. The veteran guard would be giving up some future income on his three-year, $34MM+ deal with the Nets in order to secure smaller lump sum payments up front, which he could then immediately invest.
The NBA objected to Dinwiddie's plan, arguing that it violated the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement. So, as Charania explains, Dinwiddie is no longer tying the platform specifically to his NBA contract and has removed from the league's likeness and name from the digital token. He has turned it into what he "believes to be a safe and secured investment bond," sources tell Charania.
While Dinwiddie and his camp are confident that the new plan will appease the NBA, the league is still reviewing final proposals and documents sent by the guard's group, per Charania. Dinwiddie has been preparing for any potential disciplinary action from the NBA, just in case.
The machinations involved in launching his digital investment vehicle haven't stood in the way of Dinwiddie enjoying a career year on the court. He has averaged 22.4 PPG and 6.2 APG in 36 games (30.8 MPG) for the Nets, keeping the team in the playoff mix without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
If he makes this year's All-Star Game, Dinwiddie intends to bring eight fans and investors in his digital token along with him, according to Charania.
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Thybulle, Dinwiddie
December 25th, 2019 at 7:58pm CST by Chris Crouse
The Sixers brought the intensity of a playoff basketball game earlier today as the team took down the conference-leading Bucks. Joel Embiid led the charge on the defensive end, where Philadelphia had a clear game plan to shut down Giannis Antetokounmpo.
"The whole season I've been humble, but I want to be defensive player of the year, and I feel like tonight showed it," Embiid said after the win (h/t Torrey Hart of Yahoo! Sports).
The center has only missed six games this season after several seasons of spotty availability. Embiid could finally be on his way to taking home some regular-season hardware. Here's more from the Atlantic Division:
There's some optimism that Matisse Thybulle's absence will only last about two weeks, Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports tweets. The rookie is expected to miss 2-to-4 weeks with a sprained knee.
The Nets' season has been filled with injuries and coach Kenny Atkinson is pleased with how the team has rallied. However, he knows a tough stretch is coming, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post relays. "It's good. I'm pleasantly surprised [with the record]," coach Atkinson said."It seems like when we have a guy down, someone steps up and the group comes closer together. … We're going to have to see with this group if we can continue, and the schedule gets harder.
The Nets might be dwelling in the Eastern Conference's cellar if it weren't for Spencer Dinwiddie being so good this season. While Atkinson is thankful for Dinwiddie's contributions, he believes the guard can still improve, particularly with finishing at the rim, as Brian Lewis of the New York Post passes along.
Matisse Thybulle
Fournier Could Be On The Move
December 23rd, 2019 at 5:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder
Magic swingman Evan Fournier is the player most likely to be moved before the trade deadline, according to an ESPN Insider report from Bobby Marks.
While there's no indication Fournier is being shopped, a straw poll of NBA executives believe that the Magic will need to start exploring their trade options on the veteran, who is likely to leave $17.2MM on the table and opt out this summer. Orlando is currently battling for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Fournier is enjoying a career year, averaging 19.6 PPG and shooting 42.3% from long range.
Here are more nuggets from the ESPN report:
Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday is the trade candidate that teams would risk their assets to acquire, according to the same straw poll. Holiday is under contract through the 2021/22 season, though he also has an opt-out in the final season. He's eligible to sign an extension this summer.
The summer of 2021 might not yield the free agency bonanza than many people anticipate. Giannis Antetokounmpo would be the biggest attraction if he doesn't sign an extension with Milwaukee but LeBron James, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are already at their preferred destination and probably won't want to go elsewhere. Holiday, Spencer Dinwiddie, Gordon Hayward, Kelly Oubre and Rudy Gobert would headline that free agent class unless Antetokounmpo or the L.A. trio tests the market.
Several players with big contracts could be bought out and hit the free agent market after they clear waivers, unless a trade partner comes along and wants to retain them. That group includes Allen Crabbe, Evan Turner, Marvin Williams, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Andre Iguodala, Jeff Teague, Marcus Morris and Derrick Favors, who are all making at least $15MM this season.
Evan Fournier
Kelly Oubre
Marvin Williams
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Atlantic Notes: Dinwiddie, Hayward, Miller, Sixers
December 22nd, 2019 at 4:22pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
The New York Post's Brian Lewis ponders the role that stellar Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie will have when injured All-Star Kyrie Irving returns. Lewis notes that former Net Paul Pierce has proposed one possible solution on ESPN: Irving could start at shooting guard while Dinwiddie keeps rolling at the point guard slot. Brooklyn boasts a 11-6 record with Dinwiddie at the helm since Irving went down. The team was 4-7 before the injury.
"Kyrie's still learning exactly what we want to do," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson allowed in recent comments. "Spencer's got a little more corporate knowledge. It's going to take time for Kyrie to completely understand what we're doing on both sides of the ball."
Meanwhile, Malika Andrews of ESPN notes that Irving has yet to be cleared for contact practices with the Nets, according to Atkinson (Twitter link). Two weeks ago, Atkinson had said that Irving would be ready for contact by this stage.
There's more out of the Atlantic Division:
Coach Brad Stevens noted via the official Celtics Twitter account (link) that the health status of Gordon Hayward for his team's next game will be "bumped up to probable after today." Hayward's various maladies have relegated him to just 11 games played this season.
Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News takes a look at the differences between ex-Knicks head coach David Fizdale and his interim replacement, Mike Miller. The Knicks are 3-4 since Miller slid over on the bench to take charge. They were 4-18 under Fizdale to start the season.
The Sixers offense was once again confounded by a zone defense, this time one enacted by the Mavericks, in a 117-98 loss on Friday. The defeat marked the team's second consecutive home loss, after initially going 15-0 at the Wells Fargo Center to start the season. According to The Athletic's Rich Hoffman, coach Brett Brown noted that opponents' successful zone trapping was so demoralizing it has helped cultivate a lackluster Sixers effort on defense, too. "I think that the influence that our inability lately to… be put on our back heels against the zone, has crept into our defense, our psyche, our spirit," Brown said. "And I can't stand it."
New York Notes: Hezonja, Dinwiddie, Miller, Barrett
December 9th, 2019 at 10:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder
Forward Mario Hezonja wanted to return to the Knicks but they never made him an offer in free agency, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Hezonja wound up taking a two-year, minimum salary deal with the Trail Blazers.
"That free agency was 'call me and I'm coming back (to the Knicks),'" Hezonja said. "I don't care (that) there's a lot of perception people make about playing in New York. But I had never had problems with you guys (media). Media was great always great. Everyone from the front office was great to me. Fans are the best in the world. … I loved every single thing about my entire time out there. It didn't work out in the summer."
We have more on the New York teams:
Spencer Dinwiddie has played so well as the Nets' starting point guard that coach Kenny Atkinson will have a pleasant dilemma when max player Kyrie Irving returns to action, Brian Lewis the New York Post writes. The Nets are 9-3 with Dinwiddie in the lineup, compared to 4-7 before a shoulder injury sidelined Irving. "It's a good [situation]. It just adds to our depth and adds to our talent, and I just see it as a good thing," Atkinson said. "Now I'm thinking about what is that going to look like rotation-wise. What does that look like with Spencer: Start or come off the bench? So those are good problems. I'm excited — our staff is excited — about making that work."
New Knicks coach Mike Miller focused Monday's two-hour practice on changing the team's defensive coverage, Berman writes in a separate piece. Miller is looking for more consistent effort from the struggling squad. "We were working on the things that we need to do and really get a good feel, continue to work with our consistency of how we play possession to possession,'" Miller said. "That's what our focus is. … Let's lock in these areas where we've shown we can be pretty good. Let's do it for longer stretches."
Knicks rookie RJ Barrett has to adjust a coaching change in the early stages of his career but he's taking it in stride, Steve Popper of Newsday relays. "This is a business," Barrett said. "We're pros. Stuff will happen. We have a whole season to go and move on."
Kenny Atkinson
Mario Hezonja
Mike Miller (Coach)
R.J. Barrett
Atlantic Notes: Dinwiddie, Hayward, Vegas Odds
December 3rd, 2019 at 9:33am CST by Chris Crouse
Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie is having a breakout season, but no matter how well he performs, he'll likely be relegated back to his sixth-man role once Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert both return from their respective injuries, Zach Braziller of the New York Post writes.
"If you don't roll with it, you will be out the league," Dinwiddie said. "You don't have a choice. I could be out here trippin' and I'll be gone. If you roll with it, we figure it out and I get to stay and sometimes, every so often, I'll have like a big game."
Here's more from around the Atlantic:
If Irving, LeVert, and Dinwiddie can all stay healthy, the Nets have a powerful backcourt rotation that is only matched by few around the league, as Malika Andrews of ESPN.com relays. "We have no idea what our ceiling is because we are not even close to healthy," Dinwiddie said. "We really have no idea how good we could be. It is encouraging to know that our floor is continuing to rise."
Before he injured his hand, Gordon Hayward was thriving and it was because of the Celtics' commitment to ball movement, Steve Bullpett of the Boston Herald writes. Hayward struggled last season in a slightly different on-court environment. "Yeah, if he gave the ball up, it wasn't coming back," said president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. "I mean, I think it was everybody trying to figure out like how they could earn their opportunities, and there wasn't enough to go around to feed everybody."
The first quarter of the season has made Vegas bookmakers more optimistic about the Celtics' chances of winning the NBA Finals, Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston explains. Boston is listed as 18-to-1 odds in SuperBook USA's latest offerings. The team was 40-to-1 a month ago.
Nets Notes: Dinwiddie, Defense, Allen, Carroll
November 25th, 2019 at 10:18am CST by Arthur Hill
Spencer Dinwiddie has been playing so well in Kyrie Irving's absence that he might remain in the starting lineup once Irving returns, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Dinwiddie poured in 30 points in Sunday's win over the Knicks and has averaged 25.0 points and 6.2 assists per game since becoming a starter. Irving is sidelined until at least Friday with a shoulder impingement, and coach Kenny Atkinson said he will consider using them together as the starting backcourt.
"Kyrie is still learning exactly what we want to do. Spencer's got a little more corporate knowledge," Atkinson said. "It's going to take time for Kyrie to completely understand what we're doing on both sides of the ball. That being said, for not understanding he's been pretty darn good. So it just gives us a lot of different options. I think about Spencer playing so well right now, when Kyrie comes back what does that look like? Is Spencer coming to start? You have [Garrett Temple] with the defense. There's a lot [of options] … which is a good problem to have."
Dinwiddie started 58 games during the 2017/18 season, then excelled as a sixth man last year, so he's comfortable with either role. He understands that his place on the team will continue to evolve as Caris LeVert returns from injury later this season and especially when Kevin Durant is healthy enough to play in 2020/21.
"The role just changes, like an amoeba. Sometimes it's defense, sometimes it's going to be scoring," Dinwiddie said. "Obviously usage rate is probably through the roof right now because Kyrie is out, Caris and obviously the monster is going to be back probably next season. For now my job is to do this, and then it'll shift when they get back."
There's more this morning from Brooklyn:
The Nets have been successful without Irving because of improvements on defense, Lewis notes in a separate story. Brooklyn has won four of its last five games and is posting a 102.4 Defensive Rating in that span, which ranks fifth in the league. The changes came about after Temple replaced LeVert and Iman Shumpert entered the rotation after being signed last week.
Improved play from Jarrett Allen has also lifted the Nets, observes Alex Schiffer of The Athletic. Allen got off to a slow start while adjusting to the addition of DeAndre Jordan, but through 16 games his averages of 10.9 PPG and 9.4 RPG are in line with last season's.
DeMarre Carroll respects the Nets for letting him know he wasn't in their future plans before free agency began, relays Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Carroll signed with the Spurs after spending two years in Brooklyn. "They just let me know they weren't going to be able to pay me what somebody else would pay me. All they really had the minimum because they wanted to go out and pursue other guys," Carroll said. "They went out and got Kevin Durant and Kyrie and DeAndre. They already kind of laid it out before I went into free agency."
Free Agent Stock Watch 2020: Pacific Division
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/17/20
Nuggets Notes: Beasley, Porter, Hernangomez, Malone
Karl-Anthony Towns Returns To Action
Southeast Notes: Beal, Wizards, Heat, Hawks, Magic
NBA Trade Candidate Watch: Southwest Division
Trade Rumors: Bucks, Rockets, Covington, Heat, More
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Yesterday, for the middle of the week, I highlighted the red (hmm, that was fitting). All things considered, it was a good day. However, this morning I did wake with another back spasm. Now that I think about it, muscle spasms are exactly what squares and oppositions feel like: tense, a little painful, catching your attention, and taking your breath away. They do sometimes go away as easily as they come, so I'm hopeful.
While the energy wanes from all of that, I am going to shift our focus to the end of the workweek. On Monday, I said it would all come together this week. Thursday and Friday, Mercury and friends are going to tie up some loose strings.
Looking back to my post entitled A Dynamic Duo, I wrote about Mercury and Saturn's conspiring for our greater good. Their third and final trine of the cycle occurs at 4:45 am on the 28th. They'll connect again in early June, but their Pisces-Scorpio work is nearly complete. My first back spasm what on the right and this one is on the left, so hopefully I'll be done with this by week's end.
Mercury is picking up speed these days and 24 hours after meeting with Saturn, he'll conjunct Chiron. That's fitting because when something conspires with Saturn, it feels like they're against us. The meeting with Chiron will therefore be like stitches after surgery to promote proper healing.
Simultaneous to all that, Venus, the sun, and Uranus will convene. Each is moving forward across the sky at a different rate. Venus will first overtake the sun – moving from a morning star to an evening star. She will then pass Uranus about an hour and a half before the sun does. March 28th will thus start and end with the sun nestled between Venus and Uranus, but opposite in the evening than it was in the morning.
It is hard for me to get a read on this triple conjunction, especially because if we consider orb, we have four. Mars will remain within 5 degrees of the others. Take a can of white pain, drip in some dye of one color and then two others, and swirl slowly. That's just what's happening in Aries, except with more speed and intensity. I have a feeling this part of the sky is why I've been feeling dizzy lately. Aries rules the head and with all of this rearranging going on, I can't get properly grounded. The fact that only one planet sits in earth is another reason (and that's transformational Pluto, which is not exactly helping).
And if you think the week's been crazy enough already, there's more. Early Friday afternoon, the moon will conjunct Saturn in Scorpio beginning the month-long cycle leading up to the next lunar eclipse. In a sense, the moon will sweep in and connect with Saturn, Mercury, and Chiron to make sure we really got it. I would not be surprised if some of us have a quick little cry Friday afternoon to flush it all out.
By the way, the activity does not stop there. Over the weekend, the sun and Venus will move into the spot Mars occupied on Monday. That means they will each link up to Saturn, Chiron, Jupiter, and Pluto. So all that I wrote about on Monday and Tuesday will be rehashed again, except a tad less aggressively.


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2500 S. Pine Knoll Dr.
Source: Biodiversity and Conservation. doi: 10.1007/s10531-013-0541-1.
Habitat loss and fragmentation are widely recognized as among the most important threats to global biodiversity. New analytical approaches are providing an improved ability to predict the effects of landscape change on population connectivity at vast spatial extents. This paper presents an analysis of population connectivity for three species of conservation concern [swift fox (Vulpes velox); lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus); massasuaga (Sistrurus catenatus)] across the American Great Plains region. We used factorial least-cost path and resistant kernel analyses to predict effects of landscape conditions on corridor network connectivity. Our predictions of population connectivity provide testable hypotheses about the location of core habitats, corridors, and barriers to movement. The results indicate that connectivity is more sensitive to a species' dispersal ability than variation in landscape resistance to movement. Thus, it may prove difficult to optimize conservation strategies to maintain population connectivity for multiple species with disparate dispersal abilities and independent distributions.
Cushman, Samuel A.; Landguth, Erin L.; Flather, Curtis H. 2013. Evaluating population connectivity for species of conservation concern in the American Great Plains. Biodiversity and Conservation. 22:2583-2605.


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