NEW YORK, October 22, 2015 – Hiscox, the international specialist insurer, today announced the appointment of Rick Wong as National Broker Relations Manager And David Bailey as Southwest Regional Executive for Hiscox USA.
Wong previously served as Regional Manager for Hiscox USA. In his new role, Wong will be responsible for developing, managing and coordinating relationships with national brokers. He will play a key role in implementing national broker strategies, as well as working with the regional business leaders and underwriters to develop local and regional broker relationships and strategies. Wong will report into Hiscox USA's Head of Field, Brett Sadoff.
Wong has extensive experience working in the insurance industry and has worked at Hiscox for several years in various roles. In his most recent role as Regional Manager, Wong was responsible for managing a regional underwriting team in New York. Prior to that, he was Assistant Vice President for Hiscox USA and led two teams of underwriters across the Northwest and Southwest regions.
In his new position, Bailey will be a key player in expanding and growing the Southwest region and will lead a team of underwriters in the region. Bailey brings more than 15 years of industry experience and was most recently the Chief Financial Officer for Hiscox UK and Europe, where he was responsible for accounting, actuarial, mergers and acquisitions and analysis. Prior to that role, Bailey was Finance Director for Hiscox Europe, focusing on cost control, pricing, analysis and reinsurance buying, and managing the financial processes and robustness of six countries throughout continental Europe.
Hiscox USA provides a variety of specialty risk solutions including a broad spectrum of professional E&O, GL, privacy/data breach, media liability, management liability, crime, kidnap & ransom, terrorism and commercial property products. Hiscox USA primarily specializes in the unique needs of small and middle market businesses. Hiscox USA works with small and medium-sized business throughout the US to support them and address their risk management needs.
Hiscox, the international specialist insurer, is headquartered in Bermuda and listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:HSX). There are three main underwriting parts of the Group – Hiscox London Market, Hiscox UK and Europe and Hiscox International. Hiscox International includes operations in Bermuda, Guernsey and the USA. Hiscox Syndicates Ltd is authorized by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. The ability of syndicates at Lloyd's to do business in the USA and its territories is restricted as they are not US-based insurers. Hiscox Underwriting Limited and Hiscox ASM Limited are authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.


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Q: How to cut webdriver.io log(query DATA part)? I have a problem with webdriver.io loglevel setting. If I set logLevel: info (or debug or trace) I see all get/post queries. If I set loglevel less verbose (warn/error) I don't see any query. What I want is to cut DATA part of the log to let's say 50 symbols.
Where to dig for a solution. Should I override a logger or some EventListener class(to implement onPost method and add my custom logging)? If yes, then which one?

A: There is no such option at the moment. You can raise a feature request or pull request to https://github.com/webdriverio/webdriverio
There are some other options that might not work for you as well: set logger level to WARN for webdriver logger or write all logs to file.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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37 LISTSThe Dark World of Stephen KingLists about the King of Horror and ranking his greatest works.
Scenes Too Awful for the Movies
Terribly Violent Book Excerpts
Theories About the Whole King Universe
The True Stories Behind the Novels
Great Stories You May Have Missed
Little Details in 'The Shining'
Scenes from IT Too Horrifying for the Movie
The Early Novel You Can't Get Anymore
The Very Best TV Adaptations of King Works
The Easter Eggs in Castle Rock
What He Thinks About the Movie Versions
All-Time Greatest Works, Ranked
His Best Opening Sentences
How Weird Was 'Thinner'?
Rose Red, His Forgotten Miniseries
Gruesome Passages in Pet Sematary
Which Adaptation Do You Want to See Next?
King Made His Own Adaptation of 'The Shining'
Easter Eggs in 'Doctor Sleep'
Easter Eggs in the 'Dark Tower' Movie
Halloween Costumes Inspired by Characters
All Dark Tower Series Booked, Ranked
The Scariest Kids in Stephen King Movies
Small Things in 'Stand By Me'
Actors You've Seen in Multiple Adaptations
The Characters in It (2017), Ranked
His Addiction, In His Own Words
Stephen King's Not-So-Secret Writing Habits
Adapting 'The Shawshank Redemption'
Facts About His Childhood
Stephen King Is the Most Bizarre Man in Fiction
Tweets About Molly, The Thing of Evil
Every Kid Who Had the Shining
King's Most-Used Tropes
The Best Movies Adapted from King Books
His Revelations & Observations About His Work
Pretty Good Film Adaptations
The All-Time Greatest Works Of Stephen King
Originally by Ranker Community
Updated October 29, 2021 106k votes 12.7k voters 264.9k views
List RulesMust be books written by Stephen King and published under his name, not a pseudonym.
He's one of the most recognizable names in fiction and easily one of the most prolific American authors. With so many great works, this list of books by Stephen King, voted on by the Ranker community, attempts to rank his top novels and best books ever. This list of King's writings is the definitive ranking of his body of work. King's stories range from thick novels to short stories and collections, and include some of the most popular horror novels of our time. Many Stephen King books and stories have been adapted into popular horror movies as well, including The Shining, Misery, Carrie, and The Shawshank Redemption.
What are Stephen King's best books? This list is focused only on Stephen King's published work, not the resulting movies or TV shows. Enjoy this list of Stephen King books ranked, and vote for the novels you think are the best Stephen King books of all time. Then, see if they're available on audiobook.
Ranking Stephen King books isn't easy, with so many to choose from, so help us out and vote! His works cover many genres, primarily horror, fantasy, supernatural fiction, and dark fantasy. He has written memorable series such as The Dark Tower series, as well as stand-alone horror novels, like The Stand. King has also branched out from horror writing during his career, such as with the time-travel novel, 11/22/63, about the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
The best Stephen King novels on this list have combined to sell over 350 million copies, and King himself has received numerous writing and literature awards throughout his career. So vote for the best among his many top works below, or rerank the list if you don't agree with the order.
Author: Stephen King
Genres (Book): Speculative fiction, Horror Film
It is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. The story follows the exploits of seven children as they are terrorized by the eponymous being, which exploits the fears and phobias of its ...more
Genres (Book): Speculative fiction, Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, Children's literature, Horror Film, Fiction
The Stand is a post-apocalyptic horror/fantasy novel by American author Stephen King. It expands upon the scenario of his earlier short story, "Night Surf". The novel was originally published in 1978 ...more
Genres (Book): Speculative fiction, Children's literature, Horror Film, Fiction, Gothic fiction
The Shining is a horror novel by American author Stephen King. Published in 1977, it is King's third published novel and first hardback bestseller, and the success of the book firmly established King ...more
Genres (Book): Speculative fiction, Horror Film, Fantasy
The Green Mile is a 1996 serial novel written by Stephen King. It tells the story of death row supervisor Paul Edgecombe's encounter with John Coffey, an unusual inmate who displays inexplicable ...more
'Salem's Lot
Genres (Book): Speculative fiction, Horror Film, Gothic fiction
'Salem's Lot is a 1975 horror fiction novel written by the American author Stephen King. It was his second published novel. The story involves a writer named Ben Mears who returns to the town where ...more
Genres (Book): Speculative fiction, Suspense, Horror Film, Fiction
Pet Sematary is a 1983 horror novel by Stephen King, nominated for a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1984, and adapted into a 1989 film of the same name. In November 2013, PS Publishing ...more
Genres (Book): Speculative fiction, Children's literature, Psychological thriller, Horror Film, Fiction
Misery is a psychological horror novel by Stephen King. The novel was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1988, and was later made into a Hollywood film and an off-Broadway play ...more
Genres (Book): Alternate history, Science Fiction
11/22/63 is a novel by Stephen King about a time traveler who attempts to prevent the assassination of President John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy, which occurred on November 22, 1963. The novel was ...more
Genres (Book): Speculative fiction, Suspense, Horror Film, Mystery, Fiction
Carrie is an American epistolary novel and author Stephen King's first published novel, released on April 5, 1974, with an approximate first print-run of 30,000 copies. Set in the then-future year of ...more
Different Seasons is a collection of four Stephen King novellas with a more serious dramatic bent than the horror fiction for which King is famous. The four novellas are tied together via subtitles ...more
Genres (Book): Children's literature, Horror Film, Mystery, Fiction
The Dead Zone is a supernatural thriller novel by Stephen King published in 1979. It concerns Johnny Smith, who is injured in an accident and enters a coma for nearly five years. When he emerges, he ...more
Genres (Book): Speculative fiction, Children's literature, Horror Film, Fiction
Night Shift is the first collection of short stories by Stephen King, first published in 1978. In 1980, Night Shift received the Balrog Award for Best Collection, and in 1979 it was nominated as best ...more
Genres (Book): Detective, Thriller
Genres (Book): Speculative fiction, Horror Film, Fiction
Needful Things is a 1991 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It is the first novel King wrote after his rehabilitation from drugs and alcohol. According to the cover, it is "The Last Castle ...more
Dr. Sleep
Doctor Sleep is a novel by Stephen King, a sequel to King's novel The Shining, released in September 2013. King first mentioned the idea in November 2009. The author's official website confirmed the ...more
Four Past Midnight
Four Past Midnight is a collection of four novellas by Stephen King, published in 1990. The four stories are "The Langoliers"; "Secret Window, Secret Garden"; "The Library Policeman"; and "The Sun ...more
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption is a novella by Stephen King, from his 1982 collection Different Seasons, subtitled Hope Springs Eternal. It is loosely based on the Leo Tolstoy short story ...more
Genres (Book): Speculative fiction, Children's literature, Horror Film, Fiction, Short story
Skeleton Crew is the second collection of short fiction by Stephen King, published by Putnam in June 1985. A limited edition of a thousand copies was published by Scream/Press in October 1985, ...more
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
Genres (Book): Western, Speculative fiction, Children's literature, Horror Film, Fiction
The Gunslinger is a novel by American author Stephen King, and is the first volume in the Dark Tower series, which King considers to be his magnum opus. Initially a fix-up novel that strung together ...more
The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands
Genres (Book): Speculative fiction, Horror Film, Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy
The Waste Lands is the third book of the The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. The original limited edition hardcover featuring full-color illustrations by Ned Dameron was published in 1991 by ...more
Genres (Book): Speculative fiction, Horror Film, Science Fiction
Nightmares & Dreamscapes is a short story collection by Stephen King published in 1993. ...more
Stephen King Goes to the Movies
Genres (Book): Short story collection, Short story
Stephen King Goes to the Movies is a short story collection by Stephen King, released in paperback on January 20, 2009. It contains five previously collected pieces of short fiction that have been ...more
Dolores Claiborne
Genres (Book): Speculative fiction, Children's literature, Psychological thriller, Horror Film, Thriller
Dolores Claiborne is a 1992 psychological thriller novel by Stephen King. The novel is narrated by the title character. Atypically for a King novel, it has no chapters, double-spacing between ...more
The Mist is a horror novella by the American author Stephen King, in which the small town of Bridgton, Maine is suddenly enveloped in an unnatural mist that conceals otherworldly monsters. It was ...more

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home»Politics News»Constitutional
The US Republican Party picks up the ante against LGBTQ+ Rights
By Shruti Pathania January 25, 2023 Updated: January 26, 2023 Constitutional No Comments4 Mins Read
The Republican Party in the United States of America, often also referred to as the Grand Old Party (GoP) has reignited an aggressive move to quell the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights in the USA. The most recent of these attempts include the proposal of bills that outlaw gender affirmation and the distribution of related literary material.
It all started in Florida, where Governor Ron De Santis proposed a "Don't Say Gay" law. The bill prohibits any classroom discussion or instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten to the third grade. It was later passed and has since become a template for other republican lawmakers in republican ruled states in the USA.
Image Source: NBC News
The Curious Case of American Law Making
The US is a constitutional-federal state. Each state has its own state constitution and state supreme court which is the final court of appeal for challenges to state legislation.
A clear division also exists in the subjects on which the federal government and state legislatures can make law. This allows state governments to be in a significantly powerful position when it comes to regulating their citizenry. This power also includes the power to make laws for education, public order, safety as well as general well-being. It is this wide ambit, that republican lawmakers are using to advance their ideology.
No gender pronouns- or pay fines/ librarians might face jail
A host of new state legislations proposed in the US states with republican state governments include fines for using gender pronouns other than what was assigned at birth. In North Dakota, another proposal before the house includes a ban on any literature dealing with "sexual identity" or "gender identity" in public libraries in the state. Any violation is proposed to be penalised with a jail term.
Media sources reported that Christina Sambor of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition who testified against the proposed legislation testified noted that "its very purpose is gender-based discrimination".
North Dakota is by no means the only state. Similar bills have been filed in other states, totalling over 100. They intend to govern fields from sports to education to healthcare. Texas has filed the most anti-LGBTQ+ laws, a total of 36. Missouri has introduced or passed 26 bills, followed by North Dakota, and Oklahoma with six.
Political Backlash
Mike Pushkin, Chair of the West Virginia Democratic party and a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates argued before West Virginia's state house health and human resources committee that "This is just an insult to people who are already marginalized."
Several Democratic lawmakers in Mississippi also lashed out against the state Republican leadership for introducing a bill that restricts health care for trans youth. They argued that since over a dozen hospitals in the state are threatened with closure, it did not make sense to spend taxpayer money on something that has been termed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
Dragging the Drag Queens
In a seemingly bizarre move, fourteen US states have introduced bills that aim at restricting or banning drag shows in their states and eight have already taken steps to do so. In December of 2022, roughly 500 anti-drag protestors attacked a public library in Queens, New York where drag queens were reading books to children.
Image Source: The Guardian
New York was not the only state. Cities in Illinois and California reported protests, with participants shouting homophobic and transphobic slurs at drag queens participating in similar story times, according to the sources.
2024 Elections Fuelling anti-LGBTQ Legislation?
The GOP-led initiatives are succeeding by uniting a support base of religious conservatives, parents who want control over the curriculum in schools, and families who are worried that their girls will be at a disadvantage in their sports endeavors.
Republican-dominated states in the West and South have been facing resistance to LGBTQ rights. As elections come closer, more well-known Republicans have joined the movement, several of whom are considering presidential runs in 2024. Additionally, the conflict has reached now also swing states.
The upcoming election cycle will witness LGBTQ+ rights becoming a central tenet. However, this proxy war has the potential to harm trans youth in a serious manner.
2024 elections drag queens gay LGBTQ+ Republicans USA
Shruti Pathania
Shruti Pathania is doing her Master's at Panjab University, Chandigarh. She has interests in Indian Foreign Policy and Transnational issues of South Asia. You can find her @ShrutiPathaniaa
Indo-Pak relations 2023: EAM S. Jaishankar opens up


The holidays are filled with good cheer, good food, and good will toward all men. Unfortunately, they're also filled with bad fashion. As you go about this season, stay away from these tacky trends and go for these more tasteful alternatives instead.
Just because it's the holidays doesn't mean you have to wear red and green to every event you attend. If you enjoy being festive, however, look classier in darker hues, such as crimson or forest green. Another option is to have a pop of bright color in your scarf, belt, or hat.
There's a reason why these are called ugly. Unless you're invited to an ugly Christmas sweater party, don't wear one. Make your nod to the season with Nordic patterns on an upscale sweater or your accessories.
When the office party comes around, leave your cheesy Christmas ties in your closet. Better yet, donate them to charity because you shouldn't have bought them in the first place! More sophisticated choices are thin stripes, plaid, and solid colors. If you're unsure about a pattern, then use this guideline: if it looks like wrapping paper or a candy cane, don't wear it.
If you don't work at the mall or a children's store, leave the Santa hat, reindeer antlers, elf hat, jingle bells, and anything else childish or kitschy to those who live at the North Pole. If you want to wear something on your head, go with a fedora or slouchy beanie instead.
If you remember these rules as you dress for all your functions, you'll be able to maintain both your style and the holiday spirit.
I forgot to mention that wearing gold, silver, or wintry blue is another great option.
Good stuff! I especially like the advice on wearing the holiday colors without having to resort to the brighter options. Forest green and crimson surely announce your holiday spirit without being cheesy.


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My two sons are 3 and 4-and-a-half. They share a bedroom, and bedtime is getting crazy. They need different bedtimes, and one is always keeping the other up. Right now, the 4-year-old doesn't nap and gets tired around 7:30 p.m. His brother takes an afternoon nap, so he stays up later at night, and sometimes doesn't go down until close to 9 p.m. Usually that means his brother stays up too, but he's beyond exhausted. Then they both get cranky. Bedtime takes ages! The 3-year -old sleeps later in the morning, until around 8, and the 4-year-old is an early riser, and gets up around 6:30. I'd love to move them into separate rooms but we don't have the space. Can you help?
You bet. With two roommates so close in age, a single bedtime—instead of different bedtimes for each child—is ideal. Here's a step-by-step guide to getting their schedules in sync and streamlining their bedtime routine.
First, wake both boys at the same time each morning. The a.m. wake-up call is what programs the circadian rhythm for the rest of the day—waking them up at the same time is major step toward getting them into bed at the same time each night. I can't overstate this: they need to start their day at the same time if you want them to work toward a single bedtime for both boys. I recommend going with the older brother's earlier wake-up time of 6:30.
Next, adjust little bro's naps. You didn't mention when or how long the 3-year-old-naps. But if he's not tired enough for bedtime until 9, he's likely taking a late-afternoon nap and snoozing too long. Many 3-year-olds need less daytime sleep than they did as young toddlers, and long naps result in late (and cranky) bedtimes. Since he's waking earlier in the morning, he'll be ready for a nap earlier, too. Try offering the nap an hour earlier than normal, and waking him after an hour.
These two steps should gently nudge their routines in the same direction. Meaning, the 3-year-old should be tired enough to fall asleep at big brother's earlier bedtime of 7:30—hooray! Give the new routine a few days to settle in. In the meantime, use lots of fresh air, exercise, and bright daylight to get them nice and tired before bed. When kids share a bedroom, adequate tiredness at bedtime is extra-important—you want them sleepy enough to doze off quickly after lights-out, so one kiddo isn't keeping siblings awake (for proof, see my interview with Erika Shupe, a mom whose 9 kids share two bedrooms).
Of course, sometimes one brother just won't be tired at exactly the same time as his brother. In those instances, try putting the tired brother to bed first. When boy #2 turns in, play "the quiet game" to get him tucked in as silently as possible. Offer a sticker or another small reward if he goes to bed without waking his brother. And kudos to you for taking the trouble to fix room-sharing snafus instead of splitting the boys up into separate bedrooms. The bond they'll share as a result of bunking up is undoubtedly worth the hassle.


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Brazil's Michel Temer urges suspension of corruption probe
Temer , who took over after the impeachment past year of Dilma Rousseff , was reported late Wednesday by O Globo newspaper to have been secretly recorded agreeing to payments of hush money to Eduardo Cunha , the disgraced former speaker of the lower house of Congress. (more...)
Jason Ross: NBA FINALS, THE WAIT IS OVER
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How to transfer money using Google Assistant
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Mr. Met is not out of a job . That's because last night, he was a "foul ball" in a foul mood! The New York Mets' mascot, who flashed his "middle" finger at a fan, violated a code of conduct Wednesday night. numberFire's models project Sogard to score 12.3 fantasy points on Thursday, and at a cost of $2,700 on FanDuel, he's one of numberFire's favorite plays of the day. (more...)
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Schroders plc (SDR) Earns Buy Rating from Numis Securities Ltd
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How major USA stock market indexes fared on Tuesday
Data played a key role in Wednesday's action, with the Dow industrials, Nasdaq and S&P 500 opening higher, then reversing sharply after the release of the Chicago Purchasing Manager Index for May at 9:45 a.m. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, threatened to leave the White House advisory council should President Trump withdraw from the Paris Climate accords . The three major USA stock indexes declined across the board for a second day, driven by a drop in financial sector stocks. (more...)
India finance minister denies currency overhaul hurt growth
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Party leaders (and Amber Rudd) battle it out in election debate
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Nissan, Ford report May US sales gains, GM down
Ingalls Snyder Lc holds 0.67% of its portfolio in Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) for 1.01 million shares. Archford Capital Strategies LLC now owns 9,361 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock worth $109,000 after buying an additional 676 shares during the last quarter. (more...)
Malaysia Airlines flight forced to land over bomb scare
The pilot aborted the flight following the alleged hijacking attempt and returned to Melbourne Airport shortly after take-off. "The aircraft is now on the remote bay and waiting for security assistance to arrive at the aircraft". "We don't want to be stigmatising any more than mental illness already is stigmatised..." Melbourne's Tullamarine airport was briefly closed during the incident but has since reopened, airport authorities said. (more...)
Putin: Russian state has never been involved in hacking
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Krispy Kreme: Free donut of your choice. The offer runs all day, but for two straight years, the Dunkin Donuts located at 30 Lafayette Avenue in Morristown has run out of donuts . You don't have to make a purchase to enjoy the deliciousness that is a Krispy Kreme donut this National Donut Day. National Doughnut Day is much more than a sweet promotion, the celebration honors a rich history of community partnership. (more...)
Restaurant Group PLC (RTN) Upgraded to "Overweight" by JPMorgan Chase & Co
The rating was maintained by Peel Hunt with "Buy" on Tuesday, November 24. The Company owns an interest in OJSC Oil Company Rosneft (Rosneft), an oil and gas company. The stock of Paragon Group of Companies PLC (LON:PAG) earned "Buy" rating by Liberum Capital on Thursday, September 3. They expect $1.20 EPS, up 8.11% or $0.09 from last year's $1.11 per share. (more...)
Trump to withdraw from Paris climate accord
If President Trump backs out of the Paris climate accord , he would align the U.S. with only two other United Nations members that have not supported the pact - Syria and Nicaragua . Chinese premier Li Keqiang said in Berlin that fighting global warming is a "global consensus" and an "international responsibility". What's more, over the haul, climate change itself threatens to impose huge costs on the economy. (more...)
PPG ends quest to buy Akzo Nobel for at least six months
PPG chief executive Michael McGarry said the United States company had been "hopeful" AkzoNobel "would see the merits of our compelling proposal to combine our two great companies and create significant shareholder value". In April, PPG offered to pay 26.9bn euros (£22.8bn) for Akzo. The maker of Dulux paints cited "risks and uncertainties inherent in PPG's proposal" as it rejected the takeover offer, concluding that its own strategy offered a "superior route to growth and long-term ... (more...)
Senate panel eager to hear from Comey, given OK to testify
Devin Nunes . Flynn's decision Tuesday came as President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen , rejected a House intelligence committee request for information, and former White House staffer Boris Epshteyn confirmed he has been contacted for information as part of the House investigation. (more...)
New Zealand-Based Poll Calls Kiwi Fans' Lions Knowledge Into Serious Question
All Offers and Promotions posted in this article excludes NSW residents. Tour captain Sam Warburton will lead a side that boasts nine Lions rookies, with Ben Te'o and Kyle Sinckler , the inexperienced England pair, among those that stood out. (more...)
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Israeli gas finally reaches Egypt as mega deal bears fruit
U.S. flight returns to airport after flames seen by wing
China's birth rate at lowest level in communist era
Bose Corp. To Shutter All North America Retail Stores
Woman Sues American Airlines Over Alleged Stalking Incident
OYO to lay off 1,000 employees as part of restructuring plan
Confident consumers lift U.S. retail sales in December
Indigenous leaders meet to discuss implications of Canadian reconciliation efforts
Piyush Goyal calls Amazon's $1 billion investment in India 'no big favour'
JPMorgan Chase reports record profits, while Wells Fargo eyes cost cuts
Tesla to dish out US$346mln pay package for Elon Musk
S&P, Dow notch record highs ahead of signing of trade deal
US & China sign 'phase one' trade deal to ease global economic tensions
Google acquires e-commerce startup Pointy for a reported $163M


AR# 9743: 3.1i XST - ERROR: (VHP__0338). Declaration of signal <o> in component <low_level> does not match the associated entity.
3.1i XST - ERROR: (VHP__0338). Declaration of signal <o> in component <low_level> does not match the associated entity.
ERROR: (VHP__0338). File <file_name>. Line <#>. Declaration of signal <o> in component <low_level> does not match the associated entity.


When I first designed the Wilcox Development Solutions website it was meant to say one thing, stylistically: I design simple, clean websites that look functional.
About a year ago I noticed that these problems were solved: a whole lot more people got broadband, we have hyper-modern browsers now, and gosh is there some good looking websites out there (thanks in part, I think, to Blueprint CSS. And the world revolves around web apps way more than it did in 2003.
So, time for a refresh. I work towards the refresh in September, 2008.
Ever heard that saying, "The cobbler's children have no shoes"?. Yeah, it's like that.
Tonight I put the finishing touches on the site and deployed it.
Mostly the same content, but with a much more pleasing layout. The old layout had a good, 7 year, run, but it was time for this refresh.
The cobbler's kids now have nice looking shoes!
I'm playing with Turbogears 2 more and more, and as part of this process I wanted to improve and codify my process for getting a new TG2 app up and running.
I also really like virtualenv, and am learning to love pip (mostly for the ease of requirements.txt).
I also know that the Installation for the Impatient make me, well, impatient. Ughh, 5 commands.
You want tg.devtools, not Turbogears2: tg.devtools includes the tools to make new projects, where as the Turbogears package just includes the code to run a Turbogears app.
Ultimately leaving out the -i part should work, but I ran into problems that way (had version conflicts with repoze.who), so ended up having to specify the package source with -i. It could be that these are solved by the time you read this.
Ok, it's still a lot of commands, but it can be done.
Hope this helps enable great Turbogears apps!
The other week I created Email Form Relay: a Google App Engine app to make it really easy to implement a "Contact Us" style form.
But that means configuring sendmail email servers, testing the sending capabilities, and making sure you don't leave yourself open to spammers. Then making sure that email gateway stays up.
But we've made that easy: sign up with your Goggle API, register your site. Get an API key, put that in a hidden field, and point your form action to Email Form Relay's server. On submit, Email Form Relay will do the email sending and redirect the user to a page of your choosing.
And that's it: you provide the form, we provide the email sending.
So check it out: I hope it speeds up your contact form creating experience!


text:
Cloudy Forecast For Retail Sector Ahead of Black Friday
James Bernstein
A cloud of economic uncertainty hangs over the retail sector ahead of Black Friday's start of the holiday shopping season. (Getty Images)
By most reasonable measures, this should be a healthy shopping season for retailers.
Unemployment remains low. The stock market, despite its occasional jitters, is still high. Wages have increased, and consumer confidence is strong. But consumers, stock markets, and the overall economy are not always reasonable.
While all the key indicators may be in a go mode, there are sufficient signs of warning that keep retailers, economists, and many consumers on alert. Burt Flickinger III, managing director of Strategic Resource Group, marketing consultants in New York, is predicting a 3.4 percent gain in retail spending for this upcoming holiday season, only fractionally higher than last year's outlay by shoppers.
"We have a mixed picture," Flickinger says.
The traditional retailers, such as Macy's, the Gap, and Bloomingdale's, will continue to be severely buffeted by discounters Walmart and Costco, as well as by Amazon, as they have been for years, he says. But an array of what he calls "new concept" stores are set to fare well. These are stores that cater to personal fitness, health and beauty, and specialty food items.
Rent the Runway, an online service started in 2009 by two young New York women, provides designer dresses and accessory rentals. The clothing and other items are usually worn overnight and are shipped back the next day.
"This concept is not going to take over shopping, but it's been very successful and will continue to be as shoppers become more accustomed with a rent-a-world society," says Steven Greenberg, president of Five Towns-based The Greenberg Group, which follows retail trends.
Drybar, a chain of salons providing hairstyling services, such as blowouts, for women, at what are called lower prices than older outlets. Blue Apron is a food retailer based in New York City that provides its customers with pre-measured food and recipes each week. Meals, the company says, cost just under $120 for two people, for three recipes per week.
But the traditional retailers are fighting back, making better use of physical space, experimenting with technology, and dreaming up new customer services.
Macy's, for example, has launched its The Market @ Macy's, earlier this year. The concept allows pop-up shops at Macy's stores in New York and other cities, allowing brands normally available online to occupy space in a big retail store.
"Pop-up and new store concepts are permanently part of the sales and marketing strategies of retailers and brands," Michelle Grant, head of retailing for Euromonitor International, told the trade publication Retail Drive.
John Rizzo, chief economist for the Long Island Association, the region's largest business and civic organization, emphatically states that this holiday season will be a strong one, and that there is only a gnawing a perception that the economy may be sliding and that the market may take a nosedive. He says neither is likely.
"I think we'll have a reasonably strong season," Rizzo says. "Business conditions are solid."
Bernice Fehringer, owner of Chocolate Works, in the tony Stony Brook Village shopping center, agrees.
"We're expecting a very good holiday season," Fehringer says, adding that the store has recently begun offering a new birthday package that is popular with shoppers. "We're already very busy with holiday orders."
Some consumers are wary. Melissa Delano, 35, a substitute teacher and model who lives in Glen Cove, says she typically spends about $1,000 on holiday gifts. This year, she says, may be different because she has had higher medical bills.
"Maybe I'll spend a little less," Delano says.
To be sure, the stock market shivers with each mention by President Donald Trump of trade wars against China. The bond market has been gloomy, taking a pessimistic view of the long-term prospects for economic growth.
But unemployment on Long Island remains at more than 20-year lows, at about 3.6 percent. Private sector jobs on the Island increased over the year by 6,100, or 1.5 percent (the state's over-the-year private sector grew 1.3 percent), and hiring in the leisure and hospitality sector hit record highs, also in the middle of this year. But the uncertainty persists.
"Business activity continued to expand, but at a slower pace than in previous months," the usually upbeat Rizzo wrote in his most recent economic report for LIA. "The overall economy still appears to be robust, but is showing signs of weakening. Is growing uncertainty a cause of this apparent slowdown?"
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text:
Cost-Cutting at Univeristy of Melbourne
The other day I brought up the topic of 'execution' in this blog. In fact, this is a subject that is familiar to my students, especially those taking my OL328 Leadership course this semester. We have learned about Jack Welch and the 4E's. The discipline of the 4E's in fact, has helped Welch to find and develop leaders who would fit into GE's high-octane, performance-based culture. The fourth E is 'execution' (and the other 3 E's are energy, energize, and edge). People who execute effectively understand that activity and productivity is not the same thing. The best leaders know how to convert energy and edge into action and results. In short, they know how to execute. That's why execution is so vital to any organization that wants to succeed!
My students are well-advised to pay attention to the above...
Dr. Paul Chan highlighted news from the University of Melbourne regarding job cuts. This news is bound to hatch some anxiety because jobs in the education sector are supposedly recession-proof. I suppose in today's world, everything has become unpredictable and volatile, and anything can happen. Given that this university is No. 38 in the THE.QS World University Rankings 2008, I was intrigued and even puzzled. And so I searched the Net to find out more about this cost-cutting exercise.
On webpage http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/melbourne-uni-to-cut-220-jobs-20090728-dzy1.html (accessed July 29, 2009), I was dismayed to read that the university remains in the black but because it does not want to compromise its long-term viability – whatever that means – Vice Chancellor Professor Glyn Davis announces that the axe is about to fall on 220 jobs through a voluntary redundancy program. The impending job losses, amounting to about three per cent of the university's 7,500 staff, are expected to cost around $15 million, and they are among a number of measures designed to save $30 million a year. Other measures include a senior staff wage freeze, a hiring freeze on non-academic staff, job sharing and cuts in travel. But of course, the university is executing this "with a heavy heart".
"We anticipate that if we are successful in holding down expenditure then we can come through this with no further loss of jobs and without having to go through a further round of voluntary redundancies," Prof Glyn told reporters.
"Most Australian universities have gone through a process like this, or are going through the process but we've decided to go public and be upfront about ours".
This is plain horsefeathers. Still this is also today's reality.
Labels: Australia, Education, HICT, Leadership, Paul Chan
Brandon's Question
Yesterday, Brandon posed this question: "Will we ever get over the fact that we're actually constantly being judged by others?" I will answer this question by posing another question: Does it matter? After all, we are constantly judging others also. Don't we? Don't you?
PM Najib Razak's crime prevention KPI to reduce street crime by 20% in 2010 was slammed by DAP's Lim Kit Siang as being four years too late, and demanded that the country's top cop be held accountable for the soaring crime rate, according to The Malaysian Insider today. The Dzaiddin Police Royal Commission in its report in May 2005 had then proposed for the crime rate to be reduced by the same 20% margin in 12 months. Lim pointed out that from 2004, when the commission report was tabled to last year, the crime index has bolted, jumped and leapt to a massive 35.5% (Webpage http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/33548-to-reduce-crime-the-igp-must-go-kit-siang-demands, accessed July 28. 2009). Feedback from one Pak Din makes a lot of sense: "Should have thought of firing him long time back. If he had got off his butt, the crime stats would have come down. But one question, shouldn't the target be zero crime…?"
Just two days ago, I had declared that Kermit the Frog was my favorite Muppet character. But if you are familiar with the Muppets, then you will know that Miss Piggy was smitten with Kermit, to the point that she had professed that she was mad about the frog! So, here's Miss Piggy doing her thing…
In The Malaysian Insider today, Selangor menteri besar, Khalid Ibrahim has ordered an internal audit on all PR lawmakers in order to clear the Pakatan Selangor government. He is really taking the bull by the horns – and this is obviously a very positive and pro-active move on his part. Kudos to Khalid for having the courage to call for this investigation. This order was made because of allegations of corruption that were targeted at some members of the Selangort state government.
And in another article, The Malaysian Insider opined that Malaysia's much-hyped fight against graft is headed nowhere unless there is a seismic shift in the competence of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Attorney-General's chambers. This observation was made in the light of acquittals of high-profile cases that included Ramli Yusoff, Eric Chia, Saidin Thamby, and Mohd Mirza Taiyub. Read today's article at webpage http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/33480-in-anti-graft-fight-another-case-another-loss-. So besides this, government law-enforcement agencies – the MACC and the Royal Malaysian Police – were already alleged to be also engaged in selective prosecution. So what's new?
Labels: Malaysian politics, Music, The Muppets, YouTube
Footballing Neighbors
I heard it over the radio this morning that Liverpool whipped Singapore 5-0. I cannot wait to hear from Arun personally how this could have happened. I thought Singapore sits higher in the ranking table as compared to Malaysia – so the question is, How come? For the record, Malaysia played two friendly matches against Man United, and the scores were 2-3 and 0-2 – which is not too bad a loss considering that our footballing reputation is almost non-existent.
Anyhow, I was determined to check the FIFA Ranking as at July 2009 to see how the two countries fared. And true enough, Singapore sat in position No. 127, and Malaysia hunkered down in position No. 157 (Webpage http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ranking/lastranking/gender=m/fullranking.html#confederation=0&rank=183&page=3, accessed July 27, 2009).
Singapore's Straits Times today reported that Rafa Benitez is upbeat about the year ahead. "We have confidence that we can be at the top of table. It can happen", he said. "The message is clear, we have to be contenders, we have to work harder than last year. We need to get to the top of the table and stay at top and be competitive for the whole season and hopefully win the trophy".
Labels: Football, Malaysia, Singapore
One word that Dr. Paul Chan has invoked a lot recently is 'execution'. But believe me, most of us, if asked what 'execution' means, will be bollixed and clueless. Simply put. when a company executes well, the company will do well. Therefore, execution is a systematic process of rigorously discussing the hows and whats, questioning, tenaciously following through, and ensuring accountability (Bossidy, Charan & Burck, 2002, p 22).
It is worth remembering that strategies most often fail because they aren't properly executed. Things that are supposed to happen don't happen. Either the organizations aren't capable of making them happen, or the leaders of the business misjudge the challenges their companies face in the business environment, or both (ibid, p 15).
I highly recommend we purchase this book, so that we can learn from it. "Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done" is the book's title, and it's available at all MPH bookstores for only RM84.90. For your info, this book is a New York Times bestseller!
Of late, I have been talking a lot about the UK's economic crisis. The UK economy contracted 0.8% between April and June, more than double the figure economists had expected, BBC News reported on July 24. The contraction was much less than the 2.4% seen in the first quarter but was still above analysts' 0.3% prediction. This latest figures take the annual rate of decline to 5.6%, the biggest fall since records began in 1955.
Governments everywhere are almost always overly optimistic, and the UK government is no exception. Liam Byrne, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, had steadfastly maintained that he was cautious but confident that growth was going to return at the end of the year.
But outside of the government, there are plenty of misgivings.
The BBC's economic editor Stephanie Flanders was already less upbeat. "Anyone who was worried about the momentum of the recovery before will be that much more concerned now," she observed. "Not least, because the recovery has yet to actually show its face".
Hetal Mehta, senior economic advisor to the Ernst & Young ITEM Club, put it bluntly when she said that hopes for a recovery had run ahead of reality.
Labels: Books, Economy, Education
Gerrard is Cleared
This morning, HELP University College Toastmasters Club organized an Inter-college Joint Meeting 2009 – for a select group of Colleges and Universities that included UNITAR, Universiti Malaya, Nilai UC, and of course us (i.e. HICT) and HUC, at Wisma HELP, Bukit Damansara. The theme was very appropriate: Unity through Mission. Nope, I didn't make a speech – although I would dearly love to – we were given only one speaking slot, and Mike Cheang wanted to be the chosen one! I had to be contented with being an evaluator for a speaker named Michael (from HUC) who did Project 9 in the Competent Communication Manual. With 5 speakers, this meeting was in effect, a speech marathon. What impressed me was the quality of the speeches and evaluations – they were all really good, and even the 'open' evaluations from amongst the audience. We were represented by Mathew, Shireen (our other role player - she did the Ah Counter), Wai How, Mike, Mehala, and myself.
There was a sense of relief when I read the papers today. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has been cleared after the England midfielder admitted hitting Marcus McGee, in the Lounge Inn, Southport, UK in December last year. He had denied the charge of affray. The jury at Liverpool Crown Court agreed with Gerrard's assertion that he was acting in self-defense. Speaking after the hearing, the player said he had put it behind him and was looking forward to the season ahead. I am sure all Liverpool FC fans rejoice at this piece of good news!
Labels: Football, Liverpool FC, Toastmastering
Lady GaGa and Kermit the Frog
I don't think anybody has not heard of Lady GaGa, more so when 'Poker Face' has been currently pounding our airwaves relentlessly.
Lady GaGa – real name Stephanie Germanotta – put her zany fashion sense on display when she donned an interesting coat made completely of Muppet Show character Kermit the Frog, while interviewing for a German television show on Monday, July 20. (The Muppet Show was a popular puppet themed show which was aired in the UK from 1976 to 1981).
The green furry creation by designer Jean Charles de Castelbajac was hung with dozens of the famous frog's head. I guess you could describe this outfit as wacky, weird, even bizarre.
A webpage http://www.celebrity-gossip.net/celebrities/hollywood/lady-gaga-kermit-the-frog-cutie-215854/, accessed today, carried these remarks:
"My friends and I in New York dress this way because it's the way we live," Lady GaGa explains. "We believe in vanity".
Continuing to explain her outlandish outfits and look, she tells, "I dress this way because my whole life is art, and my whole life is performance".
And this 23-year-old singer adds for good measure, "You don't need money to live the way I live. All you need is a good idea and creativity". Really, when you come to think of it, who would disagree?
I don't know about you but I actually love this guy – Kermit the Frog, I mean – and I remember this song which is so emo…
Labels: Lady Gaga, Music, The Muppets, YouTube
MKT222 Class
The MKT222 class today (I was referring to July 24 actually - one minute too late!) saw students acting seriously businesslike, and I must say, they were well-prepared and matter-of-factly organized. I must admit that overall, the quality of their presentations were anywhere between good and near excellent. My expectations were not misplaced after all. There were three groups in all, and each group offered fresh perspectives and rolled out business ideas that were imaginative and workable. To be sure, there is room for improvement and I said so, but it's not often that I witnessed presentations that were proficient and polished. A sample of one group's powerpoint slides are shown here:
The other thing I enjoyed from this 3-hour session was the lively discussions that followed from each presentation. It's unusual to see students so participative and so alive in the classroom, that I believe they all deserve full marks for class participation.
One of the 3 groups that presented: Chi Fu, me, Fu Hao, Shaun and Edric Ho
Labels: Education, HICT, Marketing
Arun's Telltale Hint
I felt distress and even pain when Arun coolly reminded me yesterday that he was looking forward to the pre-season friendly between Liverpool and Singapore this Sunday – all I could do was to shrug it off nonchalantly and made him promise to get me an autograph of Rafa! If he can pull this off – and the skeptic in me doubted it – I will owe him big-time! Then this morning, hitz.FM made me feel worse when the Morning Crew (i.e. JJ and Ean) flippantly announced that in yesterday's friendly, Liverpool drew 1`-1 with Thailand when they played in Bangkok. I mean, I would love to be able to go – it doesn't really matter, whether Bangkok or Singapore – but regrettably, I just can't.
Of course, even if Steven Gerrard wasn't in the team that went on this Far East tour, it is still a rare opportunity to catch the Reds live in this part of the world. But when I read in today's The Sun which had a "Stevie's fist of fury" headline plastered on the back page, I am alarmed! The ongoing court case, particularly with regard to the CCTV footage that showed him to be more of a professional boxer than a footballer – as reported in the same paper – is not good news. Sigh. We can only hope for the best possible outcome that will not jeopardize Liverpool 's chances for the new season.
Tonight, Sheila Wong organized a simple dinner for those involved in the Sogo catwalk show. Hehe, I was invited too, and it was really nice of her to include me in. The venue was Pizza Hut in Subang Parade. Everybody was there, save for Sufiyan and Mizan, who's gone back home for the holidays. And yes, I even got Sheila's latest (her second) book called "Yes, You Can Look Slimmer: Size Doesn't Matter, Shape Does!" and which she personally autographed for me! Wow! Incidentally, the book is targeted to ladies wishing to look their best. It's a really good investment by the way.
Impress Me!
From yesterday's posting, it is obvious that the UK is deep in recession. Yet, I remember wading deep into enthusiastic legions of eager shoppers in London when I was there only last month. Today's BBC News confirmed it: "Retail figures show sales boost". Although it refers to Scotland – "Good weather and clearance bargains in June helped boost shop takings, according to the figures from the Scottish Retail Consortium" – it could just as well be describing London. After all, "UK sales were 1.4% above their June 2008 levels", according to this same news report. Well, I suppose it's awfully hard to keep shoppers away from good bargains and summer sales.
That reminds me that this Friday, my MKT222 Principles of Retailing class will be submitting their projects and making their presentations. They are supposed to present a business plan that requires them to establish a new outlet in Sunway Pyramid – I sure hope these students can enthuse and excite and electrify me. I have been hearing remarks that in my classes, students are unlikely to fail, but don't expect to get any A's because I do not give them out that easily. So students who wish to excel or those who hope to improve or enhance their CGPA are better off taking other courses which I am not teaching. Now that is not a fair remark because if the work is really good, I will not hesitate to award an A – honest! Besides, this is not a big class, and if I am not mistaken, all of them are either juniors or seniors (Third or Fourth Year students) – so I am already filled with expectations that they will impress me! They'd better!
The Malaysian Insider in their July 21 posting had reported that "the Sultan of Perak, much criticized for his role in the state's constitutional crisis, attempted (yesterday}, to revive his battered image as a jurist in calling for judges to be impartial, free and fair" (Webpage http://themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/32933-remain-politically-impartial-sultan-azlan-shah-tells-judges, accessed July 22). Hmmn… what can I say? Well, perhaps, just one word. Laughable.
For those who have short memories about Perak, the state has been in constitutional limbo since February 6, 2009. On that day, Sultan Azlan Shah, the state's monarch, ruled out fresh polls and recognized BN as the government after three oppositionists resigned from their respective parties to become "independents" supportive of the BN. The crossovers effectively toppled the opposition Pakatan government.
Labels: HICT, Malaysia, Malaysian politics, UK
Gloom in the UK
Okay, I (sorry, we) have finally completed the revised Blended Learning paper – it involves Sheila and Dr. Cho Cho too, and I have emailed the final copy to the University yesterday morning – although it's 2 days past the deadline.
Just to illustrate how dreadfully bad the UK economic situation is, I scanned BBC News Online today, and discovered these alarming revelations:
The UK economy is set to shrink by 4.5% in this year, the biggest fall in a single year since 1945, according to an influential think tank, The Ernst & Young Item Club. The downbeat forecast is more pessimistic than the consensus view, and considerably worse than the 3.5% fall predicted by the government.
Total outstanding government debt in the UK has risen to a record £799 billion, or 56.6% of UK GDP – the highest since records began in 1974. The figures reflecting the state of public finances also include the cost of bank bail-outs and higher spending on social security benefits.
A National Audit Office report said that tax receipts fell by 10% in the past year – the biggest fall since 1923.
About 15% of High Street shops will be empty by the end of 2009, the British Retail Consortium has predicted. This would be more than double the 7% of stores which were vacant at the start of the year. And currently, about 12% of town centre shops were empty, the BRC said.
UK unemployment rose by a record 281,000 to 2.38 million in the three months to May, the Office for National Statistics has said. The jobless rate increased to 7.6%, the highest in more than 10 years. Young people – those up to 24 years old – have been particularly hard hit with unemployment leaping to a 16-year high of 726,000. And the number of those out of work for more than a year rose by 46,000 to 528,000, the highest for 11 years.
The Office for National Statistics said that in the three months to May 927,000 people said they were working part time because could not find a full-time job. The figure is a third more than a year ago and is the highest number since the ONS began collating the data in 1992.
If you are British, you can get really spooked today…
Labels: Economy, Education, UK
Liverpool FC is Coming!
Belatedly, I came to know that Liverpool FC are visiting Bangkok and Singapore this month – Arun and his mom are heading to the latter destination on July 26 to watch the Reds play against a Singapore Selection. I was disappointed with myself that I didn't know about this earlier – and if I did, I would have wanted to go and watch the match. I suppose it is too late now to even contemplate getting a ticket. Anyway, I told him to please let me know next year, if the Reds come a-visiting again, so that maybe we could organize ourselves – we, meaning the Liverpool FC supporters – to make a 2D/1N trip to wherever they are playing, and show our support for the Reds. And better still, be like typical British football fans – the whole idea is to enjoy the game and drink lots of beer in between. Is it any wonder that both Liverpool FC and Carlsberg have a long-established relationship? Now, you know why Carlsberg is my favorite juice!
Two-thirds of people across the UK know someone who has lost a job in the recession, a BBC survey suggests. And four in 10 fear losing their job in the current climate, the survey of 1,048 people by ComRes indicates. The BBC commissioned the survey to mark its Taking The Pulse day, which is looking at how the recession is taking effect across the country (BBC News on webpage http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8144841.stm, accessed July 20, 2009). Aren't Malaysians so very fortunate? Our job losses are not even half as bad as those in the UK!
Sheila's Farewell
I am finally announcing Sheila Cheng's resignation – and I recognize that we will lose a very precious teaching asset, an extraordinary person who gave her all to her students. I can think of many adjectives to describe this teaching icon: caring, dedicated, dutiful, experienced, industrious, learned, selfless. I can tell you that she is irreplaceable, clichéd as it may sound. You can imagine that in my department, where I have 4 (full time) teaching staff (including my good self) – her departure would mean that my department would be 25% incapacitated by end August 2009. You can appreciate by now that I don't simply take in lecturers just to fill up the vacant teaching slots – unless they are good! That's why at HICT, my department has the fewest number of lecturers and the largest number of students.
Anyway, SNHU students and staff threw her a farewell lunch today at Denny's, and even as we fill our stomachs, our hearts cried silently. There were students, both past and present, and colleagues, both academics and non-academics who came. Sheila Cheng is really special and she will be missed! And oh yes, special thanks to Nicola, Woon Shi and Shireen for putting this luncheon together.
Labels: Friends, HICT
Work Like a Horse
I received happy news this morning from Yoga, telling me that we have successfully earned full accreditation for our Diploma in Business program – finally! And two people were instrumental in making this possible – Yoga herself of course and Amutha, my DIB program coordinator. Great job!
Still laboring on the Blended Learning paper – and rushing to finish it, hopefully by tomorrow.
Besides frantically working at a furious speed to finish my SNHU exam question papers.
It's times like these when I am reminded of what Socrates said: "Beware the barrenness of a busy life". Okay...it's time to go get a chilled Carlsberg and relax?
A Challenging HR Issue
In less than 3 short months, HICT has seen a high rate of attrition because so many non-academic staff has thrown in the towel. Hardest hit are the Marketing and Registry departments – but we were fortunate because some of these employees were really ineffectual, if not inept. I am not going to speculate why people leave an organization such as HICT, but I look at this as something positive because organizations do need a regular infusion of new blood from time to time. To me, HICT is a very sick organization, and the sooner we do a major shake-out the better. On the other hand, thankfully, the academic staff is steadfast and intact. Still, what I am witnessing is an interesting phenomenon nonetheless. And a challenging HR issue anyway.
The organizers of the Blended Learning Conference have informed us that our paper which I had presented recently at the University of Hertfordshire, has now been accepted for publication, with the caveat that we undertake some revisions. We are working on this immediately, so that we can meet the deadline – which is tomorrow evening (Malaysian time).
If UMNO hopes for the Manek Urai vote to be a turning point – then they are sadly mistaken. In the Manek Urai by-election, PAS yesterday won the state seat by a 65-vote margin. This slender win for PAS should give some much-needed respite to the Pakatan Rakyat alliance wracked by in-fighting. Speaking as a non-member of any of the PR parties, I suppose this political partnership must go through a baptism of fire and the political newbies will have to learn the hard way to work together on a single, common platform, even when their respective parties are governed by different ideologies.
Labels: Education, HICT, Malaysian politics
When the world mourned Michael Jackson, I was silent. It's not because he doesn't deserve mention in my blog – he does. But it took awhile for his untimely demise to sink in. I didn't think he would leave this world so soon, y'see – someone as young as him – but I guess, death crept stealthily and pounced on him, sinking its teeth deep into his flesh and spiriting away all life from him. Simply put, his time had come. Still strangely enough, only by his death, did I begin to see him as a real person. It may be that I had always viewed him as being larger than life; he is a Rubik's Cube that defies solving. To be sure, he was not unblemished – we are all fallible after all – but his talents shone through these imperfections, like icicles spearing the wintry night.
Michael Jackson once said: "And my goal in life is to give to the world what I was lucky to receive: the ecstasy of divine union through my music and my dance". Well-said because he did fulfill his goal in life! Maya Angelou also said: "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel". And Michael did make a whole world of people feel good, didn't he? Michael Jackson (1958-2009), R.I.P.
Labels: Celebrities, Obituaries
Lifebuoy Ad
This Lifebuoy Men Body Wash Superdad TVC has been screened in Indonesia, but one of the 'biggie' characters in the commercial is played by my Malaysian student currently in his final year on the SNHU program at HICT. Can you recognize him? Do you know who is he?
Nope, he is not the elephant lah. Anyway, the student is Edric Ho – cute, isn't he?
Today The New Sunday Times (July 12, p 7) featured the Parents Action Group for Education (PAGE), whose chairperson, Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim made an interesting proposal – that schools should be given the option to teach Science and Mathematics in Malay or English or in one's mother tongue. I suppose this suggestion merits consideration, given that the pro-English and the anti-English blocs have articulated their positions in a free-spoken and at times, very vocal manner.
Labels: Advertising, Education, Malaysia, YouTube
On Politicians
I read James Chin's article "RM3.5 million or RM25 million. So what!" in The Malaysian Insider today, and had a good chuckle. As he says tongue-in-cheek: "What is wrong with owning a multi-million ringgit home if you can afford it? Is it a sin to own a piece of Bali in Shah Alam? We should honor this house by featuring it in an architecture or home decoration magazine. It may even win an award for a fellow Malaysian for having the best Bali-theme home outside the real Bali. You must remember who you are dealing with.…All you ordinary taxpayers must not be so jealous as to always question why big-shot politicians have big houses worth more than their total salaries and allowances. Successful politicians are not ordinary human beings like you and me.
These people have special genes. After all, look at the children of our ex-prime ministers. Three of the children of one of our most famous ex-prime ministers are millionaires. Another son of another ex-prime minister was named one of Malaysia's richest people by Malaysian Business magazine when the father was in power. Over in Sabah and Sarawak, the family of one of the chief ministers is reputed to own so many businesses that it will take days to list all of them…"
And he concludes with this advice: "…do the right thing. Remember these business geniuses when the next general election comes around. Reflect on the size of their business before you cast your vote. Remember to vote for the one with the most successful business, including the family business. We need people like them to help bring development to Malaysia! We don't need honest politicians who can't make a buck…" To read the full article - i quite enjoyed the witty sarcasm, the derisive cynicism, and the mocking lampooning of politicians like Mohd Khir - kindly check it out at this webpage: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/jameschin/31897?task=view#pc_124615. It may be worth remembering what Bess Myerson once said: "The accomplice to the crime of corruption is frequently our own indifference".
You Got Speaking English Ah?
The Cabinet has just announced that the teaching of Mathematics and Science in Malaysian schools will now revert to Malay (for the national-type schools, or the respective vernacular language, in the case of Chinese or Tamil schools), instead of staying the course, and teaching these subjects in English. Let me say that I am not at all surprised with this decision because you and I know this decision has everything to do with politics. Needless to say, English language mastery has gone downhill to a stage where many young Malaysians cannot string sentences in proper English, nor can they speak the language with even a modest degree of confidence. English-language newspapers continue to carry stories of parents' concerns about this policy reversal, but besides parents, who really cares? But I am also painfully aware that there are parents who are indifferent or just simply unconcerned. Maybe, PTAs should take the lead and mobilize public opinion to tell the Government in no uncertain terms that this is a regressive policy. After all, PTAs promote parent involvement in school communities. Look at the U.S., where the Parent Teacher Association is a very influential nationwide organization with state and local affiliates throughout the country, advocating the teaching agenda on behalf of students and schools. Anyway, grassroots politics is something new in this country – so I am not even hopeful.
And today, the New Straits Times highlighted this report that the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) had conducted a survey in 1999 among its members where 43.6% of the respondents said they had staff with problems in written and communication skills. In 2003, another MEF survey indicated that the problem had deteriorated with 54% of the respondents complaining of the same (July 10, p 4).
In this same report, a JobStreet.com survey among 3,000 employers, more than a year ago revealed that 56% of those polled said the main stumbling block when hiring fresh graduates was their poor command of English. In contrast, only 0.7% cited poor command of Malay as difficulty in hiring (ibid).
Presently, as an academic tasked with teaching undergraduate students, I am embarrassed to admit that we Malaysians have really hit the skids insofar as English proficiency is concerned. Only a countable minority can still hold their heads up high with regard to their command of English – but the rest had better buck up or else, when they graduate, getting jobs can be not only effortful but worse, elusive! Why? Simply because in the workplace, English reigns supreme!
Today, I took a group of my MKT222 Principles of Retailing class to Sunway Pyramid for their class project. Thankfully, Ke Xin (who's doing her internship at the A&P department there) was on hand to provide our students with invaluable insights into the mall's retailing doctrine. An interesting afternoon.
Labels: HICT, Language
The Next Level: ACB
Today at the D'Utama Advanced Toastmasters Club meeting, I started my first assignment from the Special Occasion manual, on "Mastering the Toast". The toast is to honor Advanced Communicator Bronze & Competent Leader, Foong Weng Tuck on his (recent) installation as the 2009/2010 President of this said Club. My evaluator was Lim Lay Kun and her assessment was positive, i.e. that overall, it was "a good toast" although she did identify a few (four, actually) good suggestions for improvement.
Now that I have started this next stage of my Toastmasters journey, I must look at how to accelerate my progress – so that I can complete this Advanced Communicator Bronze level as soon as possible – dare I say, by the end of this year? To achieve this feat, I will have to make 2 speeches a month from August until November, and one speech in December! Now, this is really challenging! It took me quite awhile before I started on my CC speeches and I only completed the mandatory ten speeches in slightly over 200 days. But now that I have completed it and I am starting on my ACB speeches, I am beginning to feel really energized! I think I am starting to enjoy Toastmastering!
Dentistry is a lucrative profession
The "Istana Khir" saga continues. One report had Mohd Khir telling Sin Chew Daily that he had no problem in repaying the monthly sum of RM18,743, being now involved in "business" from which he makes RM50,000 a month! Wow, a dentist who became a politician who became a businessperson! In fact he had purportedly asked "I was a menteri besar for eight years; on top of it my businesses are expanding, would I not be able to afford the house?" And for good measure, he had added, "Before I became the MB, I was a dentist with a monthly income of RM60,000" (The Sun, July 09, p 7). Unless there is a typo error, it should be noted that he mentioned he has "businesses" (plural) – so it should not come as a surprise to anybody, that he can earn RM50k a month from his ventures, whatever they may be. And his bold statement about being a successful dentist is certainly very revealing, and I bet there will be many Malaysians who will now seriously want to study dentistry – after all, who doesn't want to earn RM60k a month?!?!
Yesterday, there was a Dewan Negara (i.e. the Senate, the upper house of the Malaysian Parliament) report that our Government have set up two special units under both the Home and Information, Communications and Culture ministries to monitor blogs and ensure that their content adhere to local laws. Yet, Rais Yatim, the Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister was quoted to have also said that the Government adopts an "open approach" towards the new media (Star, July 08, p N21). Sounds like doublespeak to me!
Labels: Blogging, Malaysia, Malaysian politics
The University of Strathclyde Alumni Malaysia (USAM) – of which I am a member – is planning a Homecoming Trip to Glasgow next month (01-08 August 2009 to be exact). This coincides with the Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebration that is taking place in Scotland itself, and which is also the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth. Robert Burns, in case you didn't know, is an 18th century poet known as the Bard of Scotland (Auld Lang Syne is one example of his many works!). This Homecoming Scotland 2009 means Scots will be toasting Scotland's great contributions to the world: golf, whisky, great minds and innovations and Scotland's rich culture and heritage.
I wish I could be there in Scotland next month – but it will cost me a whopping RM10,000! Now, who says money is not important? Sigh, double sigh, triple sigh... Aaahhh, to have money, lots of money... say, RM10k right now would be my dream come true!
Sekinchan ADUN and PR assemblyman Ng Swee Lim who disclosed the "Istana Khir" story to the press, continued to turn the spotlight on Mohd Khir – the former had argued that it was not possible for the latter to even afford the RM3.5 million loan he claimed to have taken from HSBC to buy the said mansion. In fact, Ng alleged that Mohd Khir would have to pay RM16,000 a month to service the loan, while his allowance as the Selangor state opposition leader was just over RM8,000 a month (The Malaysian Insider, posted July 07 at webpage http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/31585-pakatan-rep-calls-khir-toyos-bluff). C'mon, Ng – times are really bad now. Maybe Mohd Khir is like everybody else – he's moonlighting! As I have just said, we all need the money! Or maybe he can really afford! As an UMNO stalwart, he is likely to sit on the boards of many UMNO-linked companies, which means he has other sources of legitimate income apart from his allowance. It's hard to believe that an UMNO politician cannot afford this class of luxury!
Labels: Malaysia, Malaysian politics, Scotland
Speaking Again
Bernard Louis (from D'Utama Advanced Toastmasters Club) is encouraging me to resume my speechmaking this coming Thursday. I agreed because I didn't want to lose my momentum and especially when my enthusiasm level is still very zealously intense.
After all, I am targeting to complete between 5 and 10 speeches for the remaining part of this year – and whether I can pull this off, requires some adroit planning and the goodwill of other Toastmasters clubs as well. See how lah. Alexander the Great did say, "There is nothing impossible to him who will try". I am surely trying!
The Sun splashed the news about Mohd Khir Toyo (ex-Selangor Menteri Besar) on their front page today, talking about his sprawling Balinese-style double-storey mansion in an exclusive neighborhood, nestled among manicured lawns at the end of Jalan Suasa 7/1L, Section 7, Shah Alam that was purportedly worth RM24 million. Even The Star put the first photo on their front page and asked this simple question: "Can an MB afford this house?" The Malaysian Insider (Webpage http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/31489-khir-in-a-pickle-over-palatial-mansion, posted July 07) carried the headline "Khir in a pickle over palatial mansion" – although, Khir claimed that he had merely purchased the house worth RM3.5 million on two plots of land, with a bank loan from HSBC; that the house was already built on one of the plots and he merely spent a further RM500,000 to renovate the house and its roof. He emphasized that HSBC would not have approved the loan if it was not above board and also countered claims that he could not afford to purchase the house on what he was being paid as menteri besar at the time: "My loan is for 30 years and I only purchased the house after being MB for five years." He is always in the limelight – this former dentist turned politician. Is it any wonder, politics is a lucrative and sought-after profession in Malaysia? Maybe, I should also go into politics?
Sogo Sunday
All the evening drills have paid off, because yesterday, the Sogo show came and went, and Sheila Wong pronounced it a success. HICT models had performed to expectations. Although I was not there to be with them, I know they did me proud as they paraded down the catwalk with practiced poise and composed confidence!
Further to my posting the other day about British Airways, I had mentioned that their staff were asked to work for free, but I neglected to mention if this was agreed upon. We must be extra careful when we announce this, because otherwise, we give the impression that BA staff were complying. Nothing could be further from the truth. It turned out that BBC News (Webpage http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8136503.stm, posted today, i.e. July 06) has clarified that the airline had actually written to their 40,000 staff in the UK, asking for volunteers to work for nothing to help make savings – but that only 800 workers had positively responded. And the icing on the cake, or so it would seem was when BA chief Willie Walsh agreed to work unpaid in July, forgoing his month's salary of £61,000. If this is not tokenism, I don't know what is.
HICT is also not spared of staff sacrificing part of their salaries in the interests of making savings – but perhaps the lesson is for our CEO/President to do what Willie did, if only for a month (Psst, we are in the month of July after all!), and show us staff that she is prepared to demonstrate leadership by example. After all, Albert Schweitzer did say, "Example is not the main thing in influencing others, it is the only thing".
Labels: HICT, Leadership, UK
Today, I spent a very quiet July 04 at home doing the work that never finishes. I was invited to a B-B-Q this evening, and 'clubbing' after that, but sorry, guys, I will be taking a rain check, okay? Just don't feel like celebrating…
I was surfing the Internet when I came across BBC News (Webpage http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8134123.stm, posted July 04) that reported BT's innovative approach to managing costs during this difficult economic downturn by offering their staff the chance of long holidays in return for a big pay cut. One option available to staff is an up front sum of 25% of annual salary in return for taking the whole year off. Employees have also been offered a one-off payment of £1,000 if they agree to go part-time. And parents will have the opportunity to restrict their hours to school term times to allow them to spend time with their children.
A company spokesperson said: "BT is known for its progressive human resources policies with flexible working. Being one of the largest employers in the UK, I think this is an extremely progressive way of managing costs during a recession, rather than making redundancies."
The company claimed they had 'a tradition of innovation for flexible working practices', including home-working, sabbaticals and secondments. "These are innovative ways to help keep employees during these tough economic times," the company added.
Still the company has said they will cut about 15,000 jobs mostly in the UK this year, after losing a similar number of posts last year. BT, which has more than 100,000 employees, posted losses of £1.3bn for the first three months of the year.
No matter how innovative – the fact remains that employees are expected to make sacrifices. But at what personal cost to the affected employee?
Last month, British Airways asked their staff to work for nothing to help them cut costs.
Some 30,000 workers received an email appeal to take up to a month's unpaid leave, or work without salary, after the airline posted a record annual loss of £401m.
This gloomy news came months after Business minister Baroness Vadera made the astonishing claim on UK's ITV News that she could see "a few green shoots" of economic recovery – as reported by BBC News (Webpage http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7828549.stm, posted on January 14, 2009). So, let's try not to be a smart-aleck if we are really clueless!
A Limp July 04
Looks like this year's July 04 celebration at HICT will be very low-key because of lack of interest and budget cuts – with the exception of a food fair (today). This is really a big climb-down from last year's initiative, but I suppose I should be consoled by the fact that even in the US of A, the mood is austere, bleak and somber. The National Association of State Budget Officers says 42 states will be wrestling with budget deficits this July 04, the most since it began tracking budgets 30 years ago – in a Yahoo! news report titled "States set to ring in Independence Day sans budget" (Webpage http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090703/ap_on_bi_ge/us_state_budgets, posted July 03).
Labels: HICT, USA
Crazy Weather, Crazy Life
According to BBC News (Webpage http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8128382.stm, accessed July 02), UK's Met Office has raised its heatwave alert level in parts of England, as hot and humid conditions look set to prevail. And to think that I was talking about how great English weather was, just 2 weeks ago! London and the South East are now on Level 3 of four, with temperatures set to reach at least 32C (89.6F). And the Department of Health has even issued special advice for the elderly and other people at risk from the heat. It is the first time the Met Office has issued a Level 3 heatwave alert since June 2006. How unpredictable world weather has become…
This morning, I have just finished marking 74 Critical Thinking answer scripts, and completed 2 sets of examination question papers for the Diploma in Business courses that I am teaching this semester. And I am looking at additional work for 7 other courses that are in the queue too – not just examination questions, but assignments and projects. This semester is already a madhouse and August (i.e. the next semester) is not looking that good either! Sigh!
Labels: HICT, UK
A Mid-Year Review
Barack Obama was right when he said: "Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential". Therefore, my 2009 resolutions reflect my own personal ambitions, my challenges – these are what I hope to achieve this year.
My second report-card as at end June 2009 shows these results:
Start writing my Marketing textbook – I must be more resolute and really start writing (0%)
Start my second Masters – I have already identified the Masters program and the University; all I need to do is to save first before I can enroll (0%)
Write a short story and get it published – My mind is barren but I am going to start this month; nothing like putting oneself under pressure to get the creative juices flowing (0%)
I have completed 6 Toastmasters speeches - I will resume my speechmaking again in August (25%)
I have finished 450 hours of teaching time (64%)
There are already 268 active SNHU students in the American Degree Program (54%)
I recorded 7,863 hits to my blog, beyond the targeted 5,000 (Already achieved 100%)
The 2 music CD projects look like they're dead in the water (0%)
I must admit that this year, my teaching workload is exceptionally heavy – and this has hampered my own individual progress because it eats into my personal time. Never mind, I am not one to give up easily. I will just push myself harder!
Labels: Resolutions