text:
The 2007 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Appalachian State Mountaineers and the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens. It was played on December 14, 2007, at Finley Stadium, home field of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The culminating game of the 2007 NCAA Division I FCS football season, it was won by Appalachian State, 49–21.

Teams
The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 2007 FCS Playoffs, which began with a 16-team bracket.

Appalachian State Mountaineers

Appalachian State's first game of the 2007 season was a 34–32 upset win over Michigan, who were the No. 5 ranked team in FBS at the time. Appalachian State went on to finish their regular season with a 9–2 record (5–2 in conference). The Mountaineers defeated James Madison, Eastern Washington, and Richmond to reach the final. This was Appalachian State's third consecutive appearance in the championship game, having won the title in both 2005 and 2006.

Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens

Delaware finished their regular season with an 8–3 record (5–3 in conference). The Fightin' Blue Hens defeated Delaware State, top-seed Northern Iowa, and fourth-seed Southern Illinois to reach the final.

Game summary

Scoring summary

Game statistics

References

Further reading

External links
 Box score at ESPN
 Detailed box score at caasports.com
 2007 FCS Championship - Appalachian State vs. Delaware via YouTube

Championship Game
NCAA Division I Football Championship Games
Appalachian State Mountaineers football games
Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football games
College football in Tennessee
American football competitions in Chattanooga, Tennessee
NCAA Division I Football Championship Game
NCAA Division I Football Championship Game

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Click N' Play Building Blocks Review - 20-Something Professional And her product reviewing adventures!
These blocks are great!!!! This set comes with 1,000 piece building blocks that are compatible with Lego! When I first received them, I loved that they really jam pack the bag full of the bricks. They look and feel very similar to Legos. I love all the colors that they come with. These are really amazing. They are an incredible value, because you get an assortment of colors as well as 1,000 pieces for only a fraction of what Legos cost...but you still get the same amount of fun from them. Amazing pack. Highly recommend these!!!


A year after being diagnosed with blood cancer, England's Sean Towndrow will return to international golf next month.
The 25-year-old's promising amateur career had to be put on pause after he was diagnosed with a rare form of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
But following a 12-month rollercoaster of treatment and recovery and, exactly a year after he put his life on hold, all his test results are looking good.
Towndrow has now been given the go-ahead to return to normal.
The Southport & Ainsdale player's first stop will be South Africa. He will join three other internationals to represent England in four tournaments.
He'll be playing alongside English champion Dan Brown, from Masham in Yorkshire, Josh Hilleard, from Farrington Park, Somerset, and James Walker, from The Oaks, Yorkshire.
Towndrow had been due to fly off to South Africa last year when he became ill – instead finding himself in hospital receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Throughout the year, returning to top level golf was one of his aims. He's kept in close contact with fellow members of the England men's squad, their manager, Kevin Tucker and England Golf staff.
He said: "Golf has been something for me to work towards and Kevin promised me that if I got back I would have a trip. That's been the biggest thing, when you miss a year of your life you want it back. Kevin and everyone at England Golf have been fantastic.
"Everyone has been incredible. My golf club have been brilliant, all my friends have been around me all the time, cheering me up and taking me out.
"My parents were there at very single appointment I went to through the year. It's all been phenomenal and without it you'd struggle.
Towndrow began experiencing tiredness and a spell of uncontrollable shivering and chest pain.
Tests revealed a tumour in his chest which rapidly grew to 10cm x 14cm and which was pushing on his heart, right lung and oesophagus.
"It took a few weeks to be diagnosed and you're always hopeful, but in the end I just accepted it for what it was," he added.
"The doctors and nurses were great and there were factors that were favourable to me: there wasn't much evidence it had spread elsewhere; it was something which responds really well to treatment; I was young and fit. Everything was in my favour, that's how I saw it.
England Golf arranged for Towndrow to work with a rehabilitation expert to build up his fitness. He managed to play at his club in the latter part of last season.
"Amazingly I played four competitions and managed to improve my handicap!" he laughed. "I can't wait to get to South Africa.


text:
U.S. Health Agency Estimates 2015 Prescription Drug Spending Rose to $457 Billion
March 10, 2016 • By Reuters Staff
NEW YORK (Reuters)—Spending on prescription drugs is projected to have risen to $457 billion in 2015 and will likely continue to grow as a percentage of overall healthcare spending, a U.S. government health agency said on Tuesday.
That is an increase of about 8% from 2014's prescription drug spending, which is also an estimated figure, the government agency said.
ad goes here:advert-1
Prescription drug spending is estimated to have accounted for 16.7% of $2.729 trillion spent on healthcare last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation said in a report.
An estimated $328 billion was spent on retail drugs, the report said. It also estimated that another $128 billion was spent on non-retail drugs, such as cancer treatments that are administered in a physician's office or hospital.
The affordability of medicines has become an important issue for the 2016 presidential elections, and has become part of the campaign platforms of potential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
The agency forecast that total drug spending will grow to $535 billion in 2018 and represent about 16.8 percent of all healthcare spending.
The figures are based in part on National Health Expenditure Accounts (NHEA) estimates from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services. These NHEA estimates represent a drug's net price after adjusting for rebates and discounts. It estimated the non-retail drug spending portion as a ratio of retail spending.
The agency said that from 2010 to 2014, the spending increase was due to the following factors: 10% due to population growth, 30% due to the numbers of prescriptions per person increasing, 30% due to inflation and 30% due to price increases that were greater than inflation. Costs in the last category were boosted because of the changing composition of drugs to higher cost components, it said.
The Rheumatologist - https://www.the-rheumatologist.org/article/u-s-health-agency-estimates-2015-prescription-drug-spending-rose-457-billion/
Filed Under: Drug Updates Tagged With: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), cost, Prescription drugs, spending

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


For all caravan lovers, nothing's more satisfying then owning a motorhome that not only makes you feel comfortable when you're inside the caravan, but also looks the part on the outside. To add a touch of class get a number plate that's personal to you, so that people will recognise your caravan everywhere you go! With endless styles, fonts and badges we can give you that finishing touch, like the icing on a cake, and with our wide range of plates to choose from you can certainly make your vehicle stand out from the crowd.
Our number plates are made to regulations set by the British Standards (BS AU 145d), and we can ensure that they are of highest quality. Plates manufactured by us are 100% road legal and carry our trading name and postcode 2 mm (tall). If you already own a personalised number plate, but it has seen better days, then contact us for an MOT compliant number, and we will help you renew it.


"When one door closes, another one opens…", is a saying made famous by Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. It is a call to perseverance that goes a little further than, "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again." by taking into account the fact that sometimes things in life do not go according to plan. Sometimes we get thrown curveballs. Sometimes we just get thrown out. This was the case of the first church in Jerusalem. After the multiple arrests and persecution faced by the apostles, culminating with the stoning of Stephen, it became clear to the community of disciples that they were unwelcome. Just as their Lord Jesus before them was cast out and executed, they found that the city God had chosen for his temple long ago, had no tolerance for God's people within her walls. They had persevered (tried again and again) in the face of persecution. Undaunted by jail, torture, and even death, they continued to preach. Unshaken by divisiveness and prejudice within their own group, they continued to live together in the hope of Christ's return.
However, there came a point where, with Christ's blessing, they shook the Jerusalem dust off their feet and moved on. Not all of them, mind you. Many of the Apostles stayed in or near Jerusalem. However, a great many of the more than 5,000 believers left for safer surroundings. One of these was Philip, the man who had only just been named one of the seven deacons, along with Stephen. He took the gospel north, to the city of Samaria and it appears that he continued preaching the word there, just as they had been doing in Jerusalem. This move was probably not according to his plans, as most of the church was expecting Jesus to come back at any moment. Indeed, we must remember the great stress they were all under. Many of them had already sold their possessions and probably did not have much to live on, let alone move to another city. They had become vagabonds, exiles from their own homes, all for the sake of Christ, and were now traveling through Israel and beyond, praying that God would provide them with daily bread. Their plan A had failed and now they were punting.
However, our plans – even our best attempts to understand God's plan do not always fully grasp the big picture God is painting. Disheartened, Philip could easily have just quit and gone home. God's own top people in Jerusalem apparently did not want to hear from God, why would anyone else? Despairing, he could have renounced his faith like the disciples did when Jesus was crucified, hiding out as far away from the Jewish leaders as he could get. He did neither. He understood what Bell would say over 1800 years later that when one door closes, another door opens.
Speaking of Bell, we typically only quote half of his line. The whole statement he made was, "When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us." It is this second part of the statement that is the difference between Philip the Evangelist, whose ministry flourished in Samaria and beyond, and those who fall away disheartened and despairing: where we are looking. It is the difference between focusing our eyes on a particular door we are trying to get through and fixing our gaze on Jesus and going wherever He goes. Planning is important in ministry. Preparation is key to successfully engaging a community with the gospel or even in simply sharing your faith with your neighbor. However, planning and preparation cannot replace the simple obedience of staying close and following Christ.
God does not change his plans around at the last minute. We just fail to grasp the bigger picture. Philip's move to Samaria was spoken of by God in the book of Genesis, when he promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed by him. This new ministry was commanded specifically by Jesus when he commanded his disciples to make disciples of all people, from Jerusalem, to Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Many of these early Christians probably figured they were going to be the Jerusalem part of that plan, not the "ends of the earth" crew. Yet God had his plan and the gospel would not be stopped or even slowed by either the opposition or the comfort of the Christians. God's love for His people will persevere and overcome any obstacles we, or anyone else may put in His path. When one door closes, God opens another one.


Founded in 2005, The Best Property Agency Limited is a real estate specialist in Tuen Mun and along Tuen Mun's West Rail Line. With over 15 years of experience, all our management team members deliver in-depth market knowledge.
Our team acquires instant market information including the most up-to-date transaction prices, asking prices, and property news. As we understand the importance of integrity in creation of trust, we strictly observe fair dealing and openness to guarantee the first class service to our clients.
Being the biggest property agency company in New Tuen Mun Centre with a leading market share over 50%, our team delivers expert market insight and in-depth local knowledge. We pledge to provide professional service and well-arranged follow-up service to our clients. Apart from sales/ purchase and leasing, we offer free services including property valuation, mortgage, Capital Investment Entrant Scheme etc.
In order to strive for better quality and higher standards, this website serves as a platform aiming to strengthen connection and communication with you and enhance your understanding of our company. We offer exclusive 24-hours enquiry service to owners of New Tuen Mun Centre. You are welcome to contact us via email bestagencyltd@biznetvigator.com or visit us in person. We will try our best to offer you the very best of service.
Wish your home hunting every success. Always live in peace and contentment!


John Wood is quite possibly the coolest artist since . . . well . . . the other John Wood (a 19th century English painter who made a name for himself with his oil landscapes).
Is anyone else intrigued by his work?
More to come after the opening on May 12!


Here at Class, we aren't simply looking to fill spaces. We concern ourselves with perfect matches, not just in the interest of our clients, but our staff too. We understand that there are lots of things to consider when looking for work, so when you take that first step in contacting us, the next step is to get to know you.
Let's get together and have an informal chat. This is an opportunity for you to tell us about your experience, talk about any concerns or constraints you may have, and focus on how we can help find you your perfect placement.
First is an informal and friendly meeting, let's get to know each other and find out how we can sensibly help.
We support you every step of the way. Our enthusiastic team is here to offer advice, discuss your options, and help you with your transition.
I initially made contact with Class Recruitment for bank work over the summer as I was relocating to Bristol. My intention was to discover and learn more about working and teaching in an Early Years setting.
I was not sure what to expect when I arrived at Class Recruitment. When I met Karen, who was dressed smart but causally, she made me feel quite relaxed as our discussion was very informal. We sat in a cosy room, with a coffee and just talked about my experience of primary school teaching, what I loved about my job from characteristics of learning to in the moment planning. I found myself being totally honest about what I was looking for. Karen and the agency understood that I was keen to gain more early years' experience but would hopefully move forward in developing my teaching abilities as well.
I was offered work quickly, which was great as I was keen to start. During my chat with Karen, we spoke about a number of different early year's settings and their ethos. Karen arranged for me to visit a few nurseries to see whether I would feel comfortable taking on an Early Years teaching position, something I hadn't really considered before. This experience was invaluable, as I was able to see different early year's settings without making a commitment. Working as an agency Nursery Nurse was exactly the same, except I was paid! I was glad to see that I was getting regular work- 5 days a week too.
I worked in a variety of settings and ended up returning to same setting. I really enjoyed working at one particular setting and they were recruiting. After discussions with the manager and owner, they created a teaching role for me within their nursery. The role and setting are perfect for me and I wouldn't have found the opportunity if it wasn't for Class placing me here in the first place. I feel that Class really listen to what I was looking for, supported and gave me the opportunity to explore the world of early years. If you are unsure about working for an agency, don't be phased as Class are really supportive, they listen and are always happy to support your journey into a potential job or career.
Recently moving from Oxford to Bristol I knew I had to start the daunting process of finding a new job in a new area. From working in a nursery from the last 6 years I was unsure where to start or even what to look for in Bristol. I decided to put my CV online to keep my options open and hope for the best. Katie called me after viewing my CV and explained who she was and the vacancy's they had within Early Years. I was interested and Katie mentioned about meeting to explain more. Being in a new area and not having transport Katie said she would be more than happy to come and meet myself in my local café, none of the other agencies who had previously rang had offered this and I was keen to take Katie up on this offer. Straight away after the phone call I received a confirmation email of the registration with the date, time and what I needed to bring – which was also explained to me on the phone. Katie phoned me when she left to double check we were still meeting which I thought was good.
Meeting Katie I did feel nervous although she did explain it was more for a formal "chat" than an actual interview. I felt at ease straight away, we spoke about me, my childcare experiences and "my wish list" for my new role. Katie then explained about Class and some of the permanent Vacancy's they currently had, which she matched with what and looking for such as Nursery's close to my home. Knowing I was desperate for work Katie told me that I could also do some temporary work with Class and offered me a guaranteed contract (30 hours guaranteed each week, 6 hours per day). This was amazing news! Katie explained that she hoped the reassurance of the temporary guaranteed contract would take pressure off me rushing into a new job, and would help me find something more suitable and what I was really looking for, she was right and I straight away felt more at relaxed about the process of finding a new job.
A few days later and interviews in place Katie had gone on holiday and had handed over my situation to her manager Karen. I hadn't spoken or met with Karen and being in the middle of interview process which at the time I was still unsure what to do and keen to start the temporary work, I was slightly worried about what would happen. On Monday Karen called me to follow up and catch up with me, which was so reassuring - I could tell she was really interested in helping me even though we hadn't met. I explained how I was feeling and mentioned I was thinking about going back to a previous employer. Karen totally understood how I was feeling and persuaded me to take some temporary work to open my opportunities and to see what was out there. I was offered shifts that same day by Karen for the week which I absolutely LOVED – it was the right decision to take.
By the end of the week of doing temporary work I had been offered a permanent job (from my first interview arranged by Class). When offered the vacancy I felt I could be honest with Karen and I did have some doubts of taking on the new role. With some great advice and not feeling at all pressured at all by Karen, I came to my senses and thought I would be silly not to take this amazing opportunity. I wouldn't have found my dream job without Class and the process made everything easier. I was understood, reassured and they were both always honest with me – the team works really well.
Give us a call or request a callback, one of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
Sign up or log in for job alerts today and keep up to date with the latest vacancies.
View our current open jobs and increase your opportunities.
If you've spotted an opportunity that's for you, check out our FAQs for background information.


text:
What If, Can Be is a fictional work in progress about folks in a small community in an Oregon beach town who are slowly making their way towards resilient economic and environmental sustainability at the same time as they growing a spiritual consciousness worthy of a new age.
Manifesting Together (2005)
I have lived in such a community with my sons and my husband Tom Bender since the late 1970's. In fact, this process – making it real – has long been my life work. Thus you will also find information and links on the community page of this website for connecting into real life examples.
For the novelizaiton, I started by dividing myself into several pieces – the painter, community organizer, recycling/reuse maven, parent, yogi, tantrika, herbalist, and priestess. Soon those roles began to blur. The characters morphed into even more parts, truly taking on lives of their own and sometimes letting me know in no uncertain terms what they wanted….
Thus while locals will recognize some of the events, organizations and places that appear, the characters are truly fictional composites… With one exception: the minor character Seth is based on a real person now passed on who demanded from his new realm to be in this story pretty much as he was in real life. I kept trying to take him out, yet finally felt compelled to follow his directive. So here's to Three-Fingered Ron Hintz who helped make one aspect of this real.
For a while I was posting chunks of this work on this website as they became honed. It was a crazy quilt of characters and adventures that I wanted to have pull the readers along on the adventure with me. I was thinking of Louisa May Alcott and Charles Dickens whose 19th century novels appeared serialized in the newspaper.
But it has all taken longer than I thought it would – life has intervened to slow the process down. Plus I keep revising what I have and wanting to repost it, something those early writers didn't have the luxury of doing once their work had appeared.
And now I'm reworking the novel as a whole…. So what you have here is still a crazy quilt, but it's more teasers of the whole that is still to come….
Other examples of my writing and artwork, as well as my community work, can be found at lanedemoll.com.
One thought on "The Novel"
lanedemoll on August 17, 2010 at 1:38 pm said:
Thanks! i am too. Thank you for the inspiration to do it. It makes it feel like it's all coming together.
"We seek not rest, but transformation.
We are dancing through each other as doorways."


text:
Taylor Swift Calls for the Toppling of Tennessee's 'Racist' and 'Evil' Confederate Statues
"When you fight to honor racists, you show black Tennesseans and all of their allies where you stand," Swift said. "You can't change history, but you can change this."
Entertainment Reporter
Updated Jun. 12, 2020 7:01PM ET / Published Jun. 12, 2020 5:20PM ET
Steve Granitz/Getty
Taylor Swift has no interest in preserving and protecting statues of racist leaders. In a lengthy Twitter thread posted Friday, the singer condemned several "racist" monuments in her home state of Tennessee.
As protests have erupted across the country in support of Black Lives Matter, demanding justice for black Americans murdered by police, statues of various racist figures, most of them Confederate leaders, have toppled. As a result, a debate has begun to rage regarding these monuments' historical significance as some states vow to repair and replace them—despite the violence and bigotry they represent.
"Taking down statues isn't going to fix centuries of systemic oppression, violence and hatred that black people have had to endure," Swift wrote, "but it might bring us one small step closer to making ALL Tennesseans and visitors to our state feel safe - not just the white ones."
As a Tennessee native, Swift wrote at the top of her thread, "it makes me sick that there are monuments standing in our state that celebrate racist historical figures who did evil things."
Among those figures, she said, are Edward Carmack and Nathan Bedford Forrest.
Tennessee's state government has vowed to replace the toppled statue of white supremacist publisher and politician Edward Carmack, who among other things wrote pieces in support of lynching and incited a mob that burned the office of newspaper writer Ida B. Wells, who had written pieces opposing lynching.
As Swift put it, it's Wells who "actually deserves a hero's statue for her pioneering work in journalism and civil rights." Replacing Carmack's statue, she added, "is a waste of state funds and a waste of an opportunity to do the right thing."
Bedford Forrest, Swift wrote, "was a brutal slave trader and the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan who, during the Civil War, massacred dozens of black Union soldiers in Memphis." She then shared a link to a story published today by The Daily Beast on the Nathan Bedford Forrest Equestrian Statue, perhaps the most hideous Confederate state ever.
"His statue is still standing and July 13th is 'Nathan Bedford Forrest Day,'" Swift continued. "Due to social pressure, the state is trying to overrule this, and Tennesseans might no longer have to stomach it. Fingers crossed."
For years, Swift avoided using her platform for overtly political causes. Lately, however, she's become more outspoken, particularly on issues involving white supremacy. This might have something to do with the fact that for years, some on the alt-right have tried to co-opt her as a symbolic "Aryan goddess." At this point, however, Swift's views have been made loud and clear.
"We need to retroactively change the status of people who perpetuated hideous patterns of racism from 'heroes' to 'villains,'" Swift wrote Friday. "And villains don't deserve statues. I'm asking the Capitol Commission and the Tennessee Historical Commission to please consider the implications of how hurtful it would be to continue fighting for these monuments."
"When you fight to honor racists," she concluded, "you show black Tennesseans and all of their allies where you stand, and you continue this cycle of hurt. You can't change history, but you can change this."


text:
Madrid 2016 and Lenny Kravitz Join Together to Open
Tennis - 05 Mar 2009
Madrid, 4 March 2009: International star Lenny Kravitz will be the headline act at the opening gala of Madrid's new Magic Box tennis venue, set to be the best venue for indoor and outdoor tennis in the northern hemisphere. The 'Magic Night' on 8 May 2009 will be preceded by a sound and light acrobatic show which will recount the history of Spain through sport and culture. The opening event is supported by Madrid's 2016 Olympic bid.
The celebration will take place on Magic Box Central Court and host 12,500 spectators. Designed by Dominique Perrault, the Magic Box's three main courts have a retractable roof and seating capacity for 20,000 spectators, in addition to 16 outdoor courts, five indoor courts, six training courts, indoor pool and Club House. It has been described as one of the most significant buildings in worldwide sport architecture and is emblematic of Madrid's 2016 Olympic bid. Mayor Gallardón has called it 'one of the best sporting facilities in the world'. As Madrid's equivalent to Roland Garros or Wimbledon, the venue will then swing into immediate action by hosting the Madrid Open tennis competition for over 200 players.
"Lenny Kravitz is a huge star, and this will be a huge night for a huge venue," said Madrid 2016 bid leader Mercedes Coghen. "In Spain we have a great relationship between sport and culture, both of which unite people and help to bring about social transformation.
"Our Olympic bid features the Human Touch and we are proud to be associated with this opening gala. It will be a fantastic night for music, for sport, and for Madrid."
- ENDS –
For all enquiries, please call Simon Walsh: +44 (0) 7824 473861
www.madrid2016.es


text:
Haydn – Symphony No. 94 'Surprise'
Maxwell Davies – An Orkney Wedding with Sunrise
Stravinsky – The Rite of Spring
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal / Kent Nagano.
Maison symphonique, Montréal. Sunday, October 7th, 2012.
The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal is one of the world's great orchestras and one that, until recently, did not have the concert hall it deserved to call home. Previously, the orchestra played in the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, a 1960s construction that certainly looked imposing from outside and had a attractive auditorium but also lacked the ideal acoustic for symphonic music having been designed as a multipurpose venue. Then, last year the OSM inaugurated their new home, the Maison symphonique, which is a beautiful venue with stunning views of the city skyline from the foyers and a handsome auditorium made mainly from wood. Acoustically, it works very well. The sound is resonant and warm with a strong bass line. Yet it also has exceptional clarity which allows every detail to be heard. I was delighted to be attending my first concert there today and seeing the orchestra that gave me my first musical experiences at the top of its game.
The program was a bit of a mixed bag to be honest. I don't quite see the thematic thread going from the Haydn to the Maxwell Davies to the Stravinsky. The connection between the Maxwell Davies and Stravinsky was self-evident yet the Haydn felt a bit like an afterthought.
During his time in Montréal, Nagano has been trying to expand the orchestra's repertoire by incorporating earlier music than the orchestra had previously specialized in. While our ears have become accustomed to hearing period orchestras playing Haydn, this does not mean that conventional symphony orchestras cannot play it just as well. The problem here was that even with a reduced complement of 8 first violins, the orchestra felt somewhat large and failed to quite do justice to the music in the way that they could have. Part of the problem was that the acoustic was unforgiving, making clear the fact that the string playing was not quite unanimous. The other problem was Nagano's heavy-handed conducting. This is witty music that should swing yet Nagano's heavy tread in the minuet for example meant that that the music remained entirely earthbound. It passed the time agreeably enough but I felt that a more adventurous choice might have been a better way to start the concert.
The Maxwell Davies on the other hand was superb. The orchestra relished the piece and completely inhabited it. It also showed off the wonderful acoustic of the hall. There was a real swing to the piece and Nagano fully realized the vision of the work. The contribution of Alan J Jones on the bagpipes set the seal on a great performance of a work that I would like to hear again. It was rapturously received by the audience.
With the Stravinsky we were in much more familiar Nagano territory. His 1990s recording (with the LSO?) was a revelation bringing out voices in the orchestration that were usually hidden. He succeeded in doing the same today. The orchestra was on top form in all of the sections with fantastically strong string playing and superb brass and woodwind. If there was one thing that I could find fault with it was that Nagano seemed to be holding the orchestra back far too much rather than pushing them to give more. It felt somewhat 'control-freaky' and I wish that he had let this magnificent orchestra off the leash a little more often. They played fabulously and I would love to hear what they can do with someone like Nelsons or Jurowski for example. Still, it was a superb reading, one that presented the work as new. Again, it was rapturously received by the audience who are extremely well-behaved incidentally.
This was a great afternoon of music making from one of the world's greatest orchestra. I am so happy to hear them flourishing in their new hall, it is an institution that the city of Montréal can be really proud of.
An Orkney Wedding with Sunrise
Kent Nagano
Maxwell Davies
Stravinsky
Symphony No. 94 'Surprise'
Published by operatraveller
Operatic wanderer. Flâneur lyrique.	View all posts by operatraveller
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text:
OMB's Financial Management Line of Business Initiative: Background, Issues, and Observations
OMB's Financial Management Line of Business
Initiative: Background, Issues, and Observations
Garrett L. Hatch
Analyst in Government Organization and Management
Government and Finance Division
(FMLOB) Initiative: Background, Issues, and
Federal financial management systems generate the information that is used by
government officials to manage and oversee agency programs and operations.
Concerns about the quality of agency financial information, and about the costs of
operating and modernizing the systems that produce it, have prompted a number of
systems improvement initiatives in recent years. One such effort, the Financial
Management Line of Business (FMLOB), seeks to improve the cost, quality, and
performance of government financial systems by consolidating agency core systems
functions at a limited number of third-party shared service providers (SSPs), and by
standardizing the related business processes government-wide.
As part of the initiative, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 2006
directed all federal agencies needing to upgrade or modernize their financial
management systems either to transfer their core financial functions to an SSP, seek
designation as an SSP, or to prove that they can operate their in-house systems with
less risk and at a lower cost than an SSP. Agencies that undergo migration must, in
most cases, select their SSPs through competitions between public and private
organizations. OMB's guidance also requires all agencies eventually to adopt
government-wide business and accounting practices, which are under development
in FMLOB workgroups.
It is widely acknowledged that consolidation and standardization might improve
the cost and quality of agency financial data. Proponents suggest that the sooner
agencies move to SSPs, the sooner the government might enhance its efficiency and
capacity for oversight. Concerns have been expressed, however, by both public and
private sector observers, that the initiative is moving too fast, and that important
issues surrounding the transition to shared service providers have not been adequately
addressed. Critics argue that migration should be delayed until agencies have
strengthened their internal controls, fully evaluated the qualifications of potential
SSPs, and educated their personnel about the initiative. Evidence from previous
systems modernization efforts suggests that these issues might put the FMLOB at
increased risk for cost overruns, schedule delays, and problems with the accuracy of
the data after implementation.
Effective congressional oversight of agency programs and operations is
dependent, in part, on the availability of timely and accurate financial data. Congress
has invested billions of dollars in systems modernization projects in recent years, but
these efforts have not consistently yielded significant improvements in the
information they produce. The House Subcommittee on Government Management,
Finance, and Accountability has held several hearings on the initiative, although no
bills have been introduced.
This report examines the origins and objectives of the FMLOB, outlines the
arguments of the initiative's supporters and critics, and discusses options for
implementation. It will be updated as events warrant.
In troduction ......................................................1
Background ......................................................3
Shared Service Providers (SSPs)..................................4
Migration Planning Guidance....................................5
Goals ...................................................5
Timing ..................................................5
Competition ..............................................6
Standardization and Transparency.............................6
Outstanding Issues.........................................6
Relationship to Other Financial Management Initiatives................6
Support and Criticisms of the FMLOB.................................7
Concluding Observations...........................................10
Standardization and Transparency............................10
Pilot Projects............................................10
OMB's Financial Management Line of
Business (FMLOB) Initiative: Background,
Issues, and Observations
Each year, the federal government spends billions of dollars implementing,
operating, and modernizing agency financial management systems.1 Financial
systems are vital to the effective management and oversight of public funds, because
the information they provide is used by government officials to make decisions about
agency programs and operations. For example, federal managers use financial data
to monitor contract costs, measure program performance, and identify improper
payments. When agency financial systems provide inaccurate or incomplete data, the
government might be less able to operate at maximum efficiency, and the risk of
waste, fraud, and abuse arguably increases. For example, GAO has reported that
financial management deficiencies at the Department of Defense (DOD) have
resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in over- and underpayments to contractors
and contributed to DOD's high rate of travel card delinquency.2 Significant financial
management weaknesses can be found throughout the government, and according to
GAO most agency financial systems are unable to routinely produce reliable, useful,
and timely information.3
In order to improve the quality of financial data available to government
officials, Congress has funded a number of financial management improvement
initiatives. Such initiatives, by their nature, are often complex and entail a degree of
risk. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), for example,
spent $180 million on two failed efforts to modernize its financial systems, and
NASA's third such attempt, currently underway, will cost an additional $983
million.4 Similarly, problems with inaccurate data led the Department of Veterans
1 Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Council and Joint Financial Management Improvement
Program (JFMIP), Building the Work Force Capacity to Successfully Implement Systems,
Oct. 2001, p. 3, at [http://archive.gao.gov/f0302/a02376.pdf].
2 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), Department of Defense: Status of
Financial Management Weaknesses and Progress Toward Reform, GAO-03-931T, June
2003, pp. 14-15, at [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03931t.pdf].
3 GAO, Financial Management: Improvements Underway but Serious Financial Systems
Problems Persist, GAO-06-970, Sept. 2006, p. 5, at
[ h t t p : / / www.ga o.gov/ n ew.i t e ms / d06970.pdf ] .
4 GAO, Financial Management Systems: Additional Efforts Needed to Address Key Causes
of Modernization Failures, GAO-06-184, Mar. 2006, p. 2, at [http://www.gao.gov/
Affairs to halt deployment of its new financial system after an investment of $250
million.5
One recent effort to improve agency financial systems, the Financial
Management Line of Business (FMLOB) initiative, was launched by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) in 2004.6 Based on the recommendations of an
interagency task force, the FMLOB proposed that the government move to a "shared
services" model of financial management, whereby agencies would transfer their core
financial system functions — such as accounting, payments, and reporting — to
government-wide shared service providers (SSPs).7 Outsourcing administrative and
financial operations to third-party service providers is a common practice in the
private sector, and it has already been employed by the federal government in some
instances.8 The National Finance Center, for example, a component of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), currently provides payroll and personnel
services for 120 federal organizations across the three branches of government.9
According to OMB, the use of SSPs will enhance the timeliness and accuracy of
financial information while reducing the costs associated with operating and
modernizing agency financial systems.10 Several departments and agencies have
already begun making plans to migrate core functions to SSPs, including the
Department of Labor, the Department of Commerce, USDA, and the Environmental
Protection Agency. OMB has estimated that remaining agencies will follow suit
within the next seven or eight years.11
While the objective of moving to a shared services environment is widely
supported in principle, a range of public and private sector observers has expressed
concern that the initiative is moving too fast. Critics say that the capabilities of some
SSPs have not been adequately demonstrated, that internal control problems should
be addressed prior to migrating core financial systems, and agencies need time to
prepare their personnel and build internal support for the initiative. Implementation
new.items /d06184.pdf].
5 Ibid., p. 18.
6 Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Lines of Business, at
[ h t t p : / / www.whi t e house.go v/ omb/ egov/ c -6 -l ob.ht ml ] .
8 Association of Government Accountants (AGA), Financial Management Shared Services:
A Guide for Federal Users, July 2005, p. 6, at [http://www.agacgfm.org/research/
downloads/SharedServi cesResearchPaper.pdf].
9 National Finance Center (NFC), National Finance Center History, at
[http://dab.nfc.usda.gov/about/na-aboutmain.html ].
10 Memorandum from Linda M. Combs, OMB Controller, to Chief Financial Officers,
"Update on the Financial Management Line of Business and the Financial Systems
Integration Office," Dec. 16, 2005, p. 1, at [http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/financial/ffs/
memo_status_fmlob_fsio.pdf].
11 GAO, Financial Management Systems: Additional Efforts Needed to Address Key Causes
of Modernization Failures, p. 32.
should be delayed, critics argue, until these and other risk factors have been
mitigated.
The FMLOB has implications for Congress, in terms of both its appropriations
and oversight responsibilities. Large-scale financial modernization efforts have the
potential to generate more timely and accurate financial data, which are needed for
effective oversight of agency programs and operations. As previously noted,
however, modernization initiatives require substantial funding and often fail to
produce the intended results. The House Subcommittee on Government
Management, Finance, and Accountability, has held several hearings on the initiative,
although no bills have been introduced.
This report provides background information on the FMLOB's origins and
goals, and presents the arguments of supporters and critics of the initiative. Finally,
it discusses options regarding future implementation.
In the spring of 2004, OMB launched a series of interagency task forces to
determine if services commonly found in numerous agencies, called lines of business,12
might be provided in a more efficient manner. The financial management task force
determined that "significant savings" over a 10-year period were possible if the
government consolidated agency financial systems and standardized the related
business processes.13 In order to realize these savings, the task force recommended
that the government establish centralized shared service providers (SSPs) to which
agencies would transfer their core financial management functions, rather than invest14
in modernizing existing agency systems.
12 OMB, Presidential Initiatives, at [http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/egov/
c-presidential.html]. In addition to financial management, the original lines of business were
human resources management, grants management, case management, and federal health
information technology. In addition, OMB has launched lines of business initiatives for
budget formulation and evaluation, information technology security, information technology
infrastructure, and geospatial data.
13 Testimony of OMB Controller Linda Combs, in U.S. Congress, House Committee on
Government Reform, Subcommittee on Government Management, Finance, and
Accountability, OMB's Financial Management Line of Business Initiative: Too Much Toothnd
Soon?, hearings, 109 Cong., 2 sess., Mar. 15, 2006, at [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/
cgi-bin/useftp.cgi ?IPaddress=162.140.64.181&filename =29332.pdf&directory=/diska/w
ais/data/109_house_hearings ].
14 Ibid. As defined by the Business Reference Model of the Federal Enterprise Architecture,
a core financial system consists of six subfunctions: accounting, payments, collections and
receivables, budget and finance, asset and liability management, and reporting. See
[ ht t p: / / www.whi t e house.gov/ omb/ egov/ a -3-5-manage-f i nanci a l .ht ml ] .
Shared Service Providers (SSPs)
OMB concurred with the recommendation and worked with the task force to
develop an FMLOB business case that outlined the shared services concept and its
expected benefits.15 The business case called for consolidating agency financial
systems into a smaller number of government-wide SSPs, each of which could
provide financial management services to multiple agencies. According to the
business case, transferring agency financial management functions to SSPs would
enable to government to:
!improve its leverage in negotiations with suppliers;
!reduce future agency development, modernization, and enhancement
expenditures;
!reduce future agency operation and maintenance expenditures;
!retire agency "stovepiped" core financial systems;16
!re-deploy current agency financial management personnel;
!improve agency program decision making due to enhanced financial
reporting; and
!leverage best practices for investment management, procurement,
budgeting, and real estate management.
The business case explained that agencies may select as their service provider
either a private sector contractor or one of a limited number of government agencies
designated by OMB to be federal SSPs.17 In order to identify potential federal SSPs,
OMB asked agencies with the skills, capabilities, and interest to function as
government-wide financial management service providers to include business cases
15 Financial Systems Integration Office (FSIO), FMLOB Archive, FY 2004, at
[ h t t p : / / www.f s i o.gov/ f s i o / d o w n l o a d / f ml ob/ f y_04/ FM_LOB_V er si on_4% 5B1% 5D.0_9-1
0-04_Final_Final.doc]. A business case is required by OMB when an agency is requesting
funds for a major information technology project as part of a budget submission (Part 7,
OMB Circular A-11: Planning, Budgeting, Acquisition and Management of Capital Assets.)
The business case is essentially a justification for the investment, and it includes the
agency's analyses of the costs, benefits, and risks of the project over time.
16 A "stovepiped" financial system is one that is unique to a single agency.
17 The terminology describing shared service providers has varied. In the business case, the
term Centers of Excellence referred to both OMB-designated federal agencies and private
contractors. In the Migration Planning Guidance, the term Shared Service Provider (SSP)
is used instead. In an email to the author, OMB's Legislative Affairs office said the term
"Center of Excellence"applies only to those agencies designated by OMB to act as service
for doing so as part of their FY2006 budget submissions.18 OMB then evaluated the
business cases using a "due diligence checklist" that assessed agencies' past
performance, current capabilities, skill to operate a customer-focused organization,
and adherence to federal policy and regulations.19 Based on these evaluations, OMB
designated four agencies as federal SSPs: the Bureau of the Public Debt's
Administrative Resource Center, the Department of the Interior's National Business
Center, the Department of Transportation's Enterprise Service Center, and the
General Service Administration's External Services Division. Only these agencies
are permitted to compete with private firms for FMLOB contracts.
Migration Planning Guidance
In order to explain the initiative to federal agencies and help them prepare for
the transition to a shared services environment, OMB released Version 1 of its
Migration Planning Guidance in September 2006.20 Key provisions of the guidance
are outlined below.
Goals. The stated objective of the FMLOB is to improve the cost, quality, and
performance of government financial management systems by utilizing shared
service providers and implementing other government-wide reforms. Specific goals
of the initiative include:
!providing timely and accurate data for decision making;
!strengthening internal controls;
!providing a competitive alternative for agencies to acquire, develop,
implement, and operate financial systems through shared services;
!standardizing business systems, processes, and data elements; and
!providing seamless data exchange between agencies.
Timing. With "limited exception," the guidance requires that when an agency
identifies a need to upgrade or modernize its core financial system, it must, at that
time, either select an SSP or become designated as a federal SSP itself. OMB
maintains that this policy enables the government to avoid investments on "in-house"
agency systems that would eventually be replaced by more cost effective shared
service providers. An agency may continue to operate its in-house system without
being designated as a federal SSP only if it can demonstrate that doing so is a better
c-6-2-financial.html ].
20 Memorandum from Linda Combs, OMB Controller, to Chief Financial Officers, Chief
Information Officers, Chief Acquisition Officers, and the General Public, Version 1 of the
Financial Management Lines of Business's Migration Planning Guidance, Sept. 11, 2006,
at [http://www.fsio.gov/fsio/fsiodata/fsio_fmlob_mpg_v1.shtml].
value and lower risk alternative. The guidance provides no estimated timeline for
migration, but OMB has told GAO that it expects most federal agencies to move to
SSPs "within the next seven to eight years."21
Competition. The guidance stated that all agencies are required to conduct
public-private competitions when selecting an SSP, unless OMB grants a deviation.
Additionally, when public-private competitions involve work performed by more
than 10 full-time employees, those competitions are required to follow OMB Circular
A-76, which establishes government-wide guidelines for opening federal jobs to
private bids. The guidance makes A-76 optional for competitions involving work
performed by 10 or fewer full-time agency employees.
Standardization and Transparency. The FMLOB includes an effort to
establish standardized business practices that all agencies would eventually adopt.
For example, it is developing standard processes for core financial management
functions, such as payments and reporting, which would make it easier for agencies
to share data. The FMLOB has also developed a standard government accounting
code, which was released in July 2007.22 In a January 2008 memorandum, OMB
stated that agencies are required to adopt the new business standards when they
migrate to SSPs.23 There is also an effort to increase transparency by developing a
series of financial system performance metrics, which OMB says would make it
easier for agencies to compare the performance of in-house and SSP financial
Outstanding Issues. OMB said it intends to update the guidance to provide
more complete information on policy issues that remain under consideration,
including (1) arbitration of bid and contract disputes between federal agencies, (2)
screening and evaluation of SSPs, (3) partnership agreements between federal SSPs
and private firms, and (4) and instructions for smaller agencies on migration
Relationship to Other Financial Management Initiatives
OMB argues that the FMLOB will support other government-wide efforts to
enhance federal financial management. In particular, OMB asserts that the FMLOB
will increase the number of agencies in compliance with the Federal Financial24
Management Improvement Act (FFMIA) of 1996. FFMIA establishes standards for
21 GAO, Financial Management Systems :Additional Efforts Needed to Address Key Causes
22 FSIO, Common Government-wide Accounting Classification Structure, July 2007, at
[ h t t p : / / www.f s i o.gov/ f si o/ downl oad/ cgac/ CGAC_St r uct u r e _Repor t _07-31-07.pdf ] .
23 Memorandum from Danny Werfel, OMB Acting Controller, to Chief Financial Officers,
"Update on the Financial Management Lines of Business," Jan. 28, 2008, p. 2, at
[ h t t p : / / www.whi t e house.go v/ omb/ f i nanci a l / f f s / f ml ob_updat e _01-2008.pdf ] .
24 Linda Combs, OMB Controller, "Improving the Cost, Quality, and Performance of
Financial Systems," July 26, 2006, at [http://www.whitehouse.gov/results/agenda/
federal agency financial systems, with the objective of ensuring they generate
reliable, useful, and timely information for decision makers.25 Ten years after its
passage, non-compliance with FFMIA remains high, according to GAO. The most
recent data available, only six of the 24 agencies covered by the act were in
substantial compliance — a finding GAO called "a significant challenge to
improving the management of government."26 OMB has stated that by moving some
agencies to SSPs and standardizing financial processes across the government, the
FMLOB will help agencies select and implement FFMIA-compliant financial
systems.27
OMB also stated that it worked with agencies to align the goals of the FMLOB
with the standards of success defined in the President's Management Agenda
(PMA).28 The PMA is a series of government-wide and program-specific initiatives
designed to improve the "most apparent deficiencies" in government management
and performance.29 According to OMB, the FMLOB and the PMA are aligned in two
ways. First, the "overarching objective" of the FMLOB is ensuring that federal
managers have accurate and timely financial information for decision making, which
is also one of the standards for success comprising the Improved Financial
Performance initiative of the PMA.30 In addition, OMB has stated that the FMLOB
supports the PMA goal of expanding electronic government, although it did not
reference any specific points where the two initiatives overlap.31
Support and Criticisms of the FMLOB
Federal financial managers, policy advisory groups, and private contractors all
acknowledge that the government might improve the cost and quality of its financial
systems through consolidation and standardization. Support for the initiative is
fy06q3-offmupdate.pdf]
25 GAO, Financial Management: Improvements Under Way but Serious Financial Systems
Problems Persist, Sept. 2006. FFMIA requires agencies to have systems that comply
substantially with: (1) federal financial management system requirements, (2) applicable
federal accounting standards, and (3) the Standard General Ledger at the transaction level.
Financial Systems," July 26, 2006.
28 Testimony of OMB Controller Linda Combs, Mar. 15, 2006.
29 OMB, The President's Management Agenda, 2001, p. 1, at [http://www.whitehouse.gov/
omb/budget/fy2002/mgmt.pdf]. For more information on the PMA, see CRS Report
RS21416, The President's Management Agenda: A Brief Introduction, by Virginia A.
McMurtry.
30 The White House, "Scorecard Standards for Success," at [http://www.whitehouse.gov/
results/agenda/standardsforsuccess7-24-2006.pdf].
31 OMB, E-Gov Presidential Initiatives, at [http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/egov/
qualified, however, by concerns over the pace of implementation, which is already
underway at several agencies. By the time OMB released the Migration Planning
Guidance in September 2006, the Department of Labor had awarded a contract to a
private firm for hosting components of its financial system, the Department of
Commerce had announced plans to begin consolidating its financial management
platforms, the Office of Personnel Management had selected the Bureau of Public
Debt as its SSP, and the Environmental Protection Agency had begun evaluating
proposals for software, integration, and hosting services.32 Some observers say that
the initiative, given its scope and complexity, is moving too quickly, and that agency
migration efforts should be delayed in order to reduce the risk of costly mistakes.33
A survey of Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and other federal financial
managers, for example, found "almost no" opposition to using SSPs in principle, so
long as the quality of service and the cost of migration met expectations.34 The
survey also revealed that one of the "greatest fears" of agency officials was that they
would invest millions of dollars into migrating to SSPs, only to discover that their
service provider was not capable of delivering the promised services. One reason for
this concern was that some of the designated federal SSPs were components of
departments that were themselves not FFMIA compliant.35 Some managers also
suggested that small agencies — those with a budget of less than $100 million —
might realize greater gains in efficiency from migrating to SSPs than larger agencies.
Overall respondents said that they wanted more evidence of the capabilities of
potential SSPs, more guidance on agency recourse should an SSP fail to meet
performance expectations, and more time to consider their options before migrating.
Similarly, a report by the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA)
endorsed the objectives of the FMLOB while expressing concerns about its
implementation. In the report, which was prepared at the request of the House
Subcommittee on Government Management, Finance, and Accountability, NAPA
stated that the move to a shared services environment "makes a great deal of sense,"
citing its potential to reduce operating costs and free agency CFOs and their staff to
focus on core program activities.36 Many of the CFOs interviewed for the report
were, however, concerned about moving core accounting and reporting functions
outside their purview, an opinion that NAPA shared.37 The report also said that
economies of scale might not always result from consolidation, particularly if some
of Modernization Failures, Mar. 2006, p. 32.
33 Testimony of Joe Kull, PricewaterhouseCoopers, in U.S. Congress, House Committee on
Soon?, hearings, 109 Cong., 2 sess., Mar. 15, 2006.
34 Ibid., testimony of Grant Thornton partner Clifton Williams.
35 GAO, Financial Management: Improvements Underway but Serious Financial Systems
Problems Persist, Sept. 2006, p. 15.
36 National Academy of Public Administration, Moving from Scorekeeper to Strategic
Partner: Improving Financial Management in the Federal Government, Oct. 2006, p. 23.
37 Ibid., pp. 22-23.
agencies contract with multiple SSPs for different elements of their financial
management system. NAPA recommended delaying further migrations to allow
additional review, discussion, and analysis of these issues.
Private sector observers have also offered qualified support for the initiative.
At FMLOB hearings held in March 2006, Stan Soloway, the president of the
Professional Services Council (PSC), called the strategic underpinnings of the
initiative "sound and rational ... the right thing to do."38 He cautioned, however, that
the benefits of shared services might not be realized if agency leadership and staff are
not "involved and fully invested" in the initiative. Additionally, he questioned
whether sufficient attention had been paid to the need for the FMLOB to connect
with other lines of business, particularly the Human Resources Line of Business
(HRLOB), where travel systems will need to interface with financial systems. If poor
planning causes the government to change its requirements during implementation,
Soloway said, then the costs of the initiative might rise.
PricewaterhouseCooper partner Joe Kull also testified at the March 2006
hearings.39 Kull, a former OMB deputy controller, said agencies should not be
required to meet an "arbitrary timeframe" for implementation, asserting that
government projects like FMLOB have often failed because agencies had not
invested sufficient resources in educating, training, and communicating with
employees about the initiative. Kull also said that it was "critical" for agencies to
improve their internal controls prior to migration — even though those improvements
might take several years — because core systems are only as good as the data flowing
into them. Agency financial systems would thus continue to be limited by weak
internal controls even after migration, and presumably those problems would be more
difficult to correct when core functions were hosted by a third party.
One union, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), has
strongly criticized the initiative, largely over OMB's policy on the application of
Circular A-76 to migration competitions. As previously discussed, agencies are only
required to follow the provisions of A-76 when migrating more than 10 full-time
positions to an SSP, and A-76 is optional when 10 or fewer full-time employees are
involved. In hearings on the FMLOB held in June 2006, the AFGE argued that by
making A-76 optional in some cases, agencies were, in effect, authorized to transfer
federal jobs to private contractors without giving agency employees the opportunity
to compete for them, a practice called "direct conversion."40 An OMB official said
38 Testimony of Professional Services Council President Stan Soloway, in U.S. Congress,
House Committee on Government Reform, Subcommittee on Government Management,
Finance, and Accountability, OMB's Financial Management Line of Business Initiative: Doth
Recent Changes to the Implementation Guidance Clarify the Rules? hearings, 109 Cong.,nd
2 sess., June 28, 2006.
39 Testimony of PricewaterhouseCoopers partner Joe Kull, Mar. 15, 2006.
40 Testimony of American Federation of Government Employees Public Policy Director
Jacque Simon, in U.S. Congress, House Committee on Government Reform, Subcommittee
on Government Management, Finance, and Accountability, OMB's Financial Management
Line of Business Initiative: Do Recent Changes to the Implementation Guidance Clarify the
the AFGE had misinterpreted the policy, stating that while A-76 is optional in some
instances, a public-private competition is required for every migration, regardless of
the number of employees involved.41 OMB's Migration Planning Guidance, released
three months after the hearings, clarifies this point, explicitly stating that direct
conversions are not authorized.42
Observers generally agree that there are potential benefits to moving agency core
financial systems to shared service providers, including reduced costs and enhanced
data for use in decision making. The crux of the FMLOB debate is not whether
consolidation should take place, but when. OMB argues migration should proceed
as soon as agencies identify a need to upgrade their systems, while critics say
migration should not take place until potential risks have been adequately addressed.
This does not mean, however, that the only available options are to proceed with
implementation "full speed ahead," or bring it to a standstill. Two additional
considerations are described below.
Standardization and Transparency. As previously noted, the FMLOB has
undertaken three efforts in addition to migration that might improve federal financial
management. Work on these less-visible initiatives — developing performance
metrics, standardizing business processes, and implementing the new government-
wide accounting code — might continue independently of any migration timetable.
In this way, the government would have the earliest opportunity to realize the
potential benefits of these efforts, such as an improved ability to compare financial
data across agencies.
Pilot Projects. Migration to SSPs might be initiated through a pilot project.
It is not uncommon for large-scale management reform initiatives to begin with pilot
projects. Typically, a pilot project is launched as a way to observe the change
process under controlled circumstances: the agencies involved could be limited in
number and carefully chosen, implementation could be closely managed, and the
consequences could be analyzed and discussed by the initiative's stakeholders. The
results of a pilot project might lead to changes in the larger implementation process,
in order to maximize the likelihood of success.
Rules?, hearings, 109th Cong., 2nd sess., June 28, 2006. Prior to 2003, agencies could convert
public jobs to the private sector without holding a public-private competition. Direct
conversions were eliminated in the 2003 revisions to A-76.
41 Daniel Pulliam, "Guidelines for financial consolidation draw fire," GovExec.com, Sept.
25, 2006, at [http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=35105&sid=6].
42 OMB, Version 1 of the Financial Management Lines of Business's Migration Planning
Guidance, Sept. 11, 2006, p. 15, at [http://www.fsio.gov/fsio/fsiodata/
fsio_fml ob_mpg_v1.shtml ].
Some have argued that a pilot project is unnecessary because SSPs have already
demonstrated their ability to successfully host agency core financial systems. Not all
agencies, however, appear to share this view. In an interview with Government
Computer News, the Deputy Chief Financial Officer at the Department of Education
noted that some large agencies are hesitant to migrate because they "don't see any
real examples of a shared-services provider handling a large external customer that
has a tremendous amount of volume and complexity in their financial business
processes."43 Large agencies might also be concerned about migrating to an SSP
after the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) cancelled its shared-services
contract. In 2005, OPM signed a contract with an SSP, selecting the Bureau of
Public Debt's Administrative Resource Center (ARC). In 2006, OPM cancelled the
contract after determining that the ARC could not meet its service requirements. The
following year, another large agency, USDA, signed a $102.6 million contract with
Accenture, a private sector SSP, to consolidate and modernize its financial
management systems.44 The migration process at USDA might be closely observed
by those federal financial managers who are unsure whether it is feasible and
desirable for large agencies to shift core financial operations to an SSP.
43 Mary Mosquera, "The Big Issue for FMLOB: Small agencies see the benefits in shared
service providers, but large agencies don't want to give up their control," GCN.com, Feb.
19, 2007, at [http://www.gcn.com/print/26_04/43164-1.html?topic=Lines_of_Business].
44 Federal Business Opportunities wesbsite, "Award Notice — Replacement of the USDA
Financial Management System," Sept. 10, 2007, at [http://www.fbo.gov/spg/USDA/
OPPM/POD/Awards/AG-3142-S-06-0011.html ].


text:
Inntopia
PhocusWire
The BHN Group
Axus Travel App
Saas & Ecommerce
© Copyright 2019, Northstar Travel Media, all rights reserved.
Northstar Travel Group acquires Buying Business Travel Media
Thomas L. Kemp
Northstar Travel Group, LLC
London, United Kingdom (7 October 2019) – Northstar Travel Group today announced it has acquired Buying Business Travel from Panacea Media based in London. Buying Business Travel is the leading business-to-business brand in the UK serving the corporate travel industry with online media, events, and a magazine brand.
"Buying Business Travel gives us the leading brand in the UK to expand the geographic reach of Northstar's Business Travel News' dominant leadership in the North American corporate travel industry," said Thomas Kemp, Chairman & CEO of Northstar Travel Group. "Buying Business Travel provides Northstar with a media position in the UK market to complement Northstar's Business Travel Show, the largest exhibition serving the European corporate travel market," said Kemp.
"We are pleased to complete this transaction with Northstar to bring these two leading media brands together in the UK market," said Julian Gregory, Managing Director of Panacea Media. "I am proud of our team who have been so hard-working and innovative in creating the success of the magazine, website, awards and forums and I am confident that Northstar, with its global reach, will take Buying Business Travel to the next level."
Buying Business Travel's portfolio of products includes The Business Travel Awards, the most important annual awards recognizing leadership of corporate travel suppliers, The BBT Business Travel Forums, BBT Editor's Lunches and Buying Business Travel magazine.
"The Buying Business Travel brand is an excellent strategic fit with Northstar's Business Travel News, Travel Procurement and The Beat brands along with the recently acquired Business Travel Show in London," said Louis Magliaro, SVP and Group Publisher of Northstar's BTN Group. "The combination of these leading brands creates a powerful position for our expansion in the UK and European corporate travel market," said Magliaro.
Northstar received legal advice from Jones Day. New Media Law served as legal counsel to Buying Business Travel.
About Northstar Travel Group
Northstar Travel Group is the leading B-to-B information and marketing solutions company serving all segments of the travel industry including leisure/retail, corporate/business travel, corporate and sports meetings, incentives, hospitality, and travel technology.
Northstar is the owner of well-known brands including Business Travel News, Travel Procurement, The Beat, Travel Weekly, TravelAge West, Travel Weekly China, Successful Meetings, Meetings & Conventions, Incentive, M&C China, Travel42, Axus Travel App, and Web in Travel.
The company produces more than 80 face-to-face events in 13 countries in retail travel, hospitality, corporate travel, travel technology, sports travel, and the meetings & incentive industry. Leadership events include the Phocuswright Conference, ALIS, The Business Travel Show, the largest corporate travel event in Europe, The Meetings Show, the largest meetings industry event in the UK, Web in Travel, CruiseWorld, Global Travel Marketplace, and TEAMS, the leading sports travel event.
In addition, Northstar owns Phocuswright, the leading research, business intelligence, and event producer serving the travel technology industry.
Northstar Travel Group owns the Burba Hotel Network, the leading producer of hotel investment events globally, including ALIS, the largest hotel investment conference in the world produced with the American Hotel & Lodging Association in Los Angeles each year.
Northstar is also the majority shareholder in Inntopia, the leading SaaS e-commerce software, CRM database marketing and predictive analytics business serving the mountain destination, golf, activities, hospitality, and specialty destination travel markets.
Based in Secaucus, NJ, the company has offices in New York, NY; Stowe, VT; Denver, CO; Edwards, CO; Burlington, VT; Los Angeles, CA; Costa Mesa, CA; Lombard, IL; and global offices in London, Singapore, Beijing, and Shanghai
Northstar Travel Group is owned by funds managed by EagleTree Capital.
About EagleTree Capital
EagleTree Capital, formerly Wasserstein Partners, is a New York based private equity and investment firm. It manages capital on behalf of global institutional and individual investors. EagleTree's private equity funds invest primarily in the media and business services, consumer products, and water and industrial sectors. For more information, visit www.eagletree.com.
About Panacea Media
Headquartered in London, Panacea Media has a global presence with offices in Asia and Europe and with joint-venture / partner offices in America, the Middle East and India. It publishes the market-leading consumer publication Business Traveller in over a dozen markets, and runs events, research, websites and multi-media productions across all forms of media, from social to inflight entertainment.


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Ulta Gives Investors & Beauty Enthusiasts Something To Smile About
Corinne Jurney Former Staff
I'll be your financial spirit guide.
Beauty big-box Ulta continues to strike a happy medium for customers looking for both luxury and bargains. Its fourth quarter results today reiterate that success.
Ulta reported its ninth consecutive quarter of double-digit comp numbers including a 16.6% increase in same-store sale growth.
Khloe Kardashian appears At ULTA Beauty's West Hills Store To Promote Kardashian Beauty Hair Care... [+] And Styling Line at ULTA Beauty on April 2, 2015 in West Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Ulta reported an EPS of $2.24, and $140.2 million in sales, up 32.5% and 30% from the same quarter in 2015, respectively. That's compared to Wall Street's expectations of $2.13 EPS on revenue of $1.54 billion.
The company repurchased 1.6 million shares during fiscal year 2016 and its board just approved a new buyback program of $425 million.
Still, the stock slipped 5% in after-hours trading due to a lowered outlook for the first quarter, but Instinet analyst Simeon Siegel advises investors not to sweat the company's prediction.
"This is a company that's historically conservative and been very good at beating expectations," says Siegel. "This would seem to be a similar approach and it's important to note its a lighter expectation than the Street and it still puts it at the top of retail."
"We try to be as prudent as we can in our guidance," Dillon said on the conference call with investors.
While other brick-and-mortar retailers struggle, Ulta opened 25 stores in the fourth quarter bringing its total store number to 974 and plans to open 15 in the first quarter. It's also opening its first Manhattan store this year on the Upper East Side.
"In the world of retail bubbles bursting and death of the mall...more people are walking into Ulta stores," says Simeon Siegel, who recommends the stock at a price target of $294.
Why is that? Steph Wissink, an analyst at Piper Jaffray, attributes it to their 50-50 balance of mass and prestigious brands and the importance of experience to cosmetics customers. She recommends the stock at a price target of $290.
"It's a high try-before-you-buy category" says Wissink. "People like to be able to experiment with products most notably at the very high-end price range, so Ulta provides a contemporary environment for that process."
Every Ulta store has a salon and more than 80% of its locations boast a brow bar. Salon sales saw a 15.2% increase from the same quarter a year prior, up to $62.9 million.
Ulta's inventory mix of accessible and high-end products is ideal for customers who may splurge on one or two luxury items and supplement that look with more affordable products.
Ulta carries drug-store and generic "private label" products which are priced below the more premium brands lining Sephora's shelves, many of which are its sister brands under LVMH like Benefit and Dior. Sephora's only accessible brand is the Sephora brand, says Wissink.
Millennials who lived through the recession have learned to budget while staying current and fashionable, says Wissink.
"You see a woman walking down the street with Christian Louboutins and a Prada handbag, but she's wearing pants that are $10 bucks from H&M," says Wissink. She thinks the company's financials look positive and thinks investors will be interested by its momentum.
There's a misconception that someone who wants some luxury products, demands all high-end products. "That price mix-and-match is behavioral," says Wissink. "She [the consumer] mixes it up like all other consumption categories."
The company is also investing in its digital marketplace, having rolled out an improved salon booking experience in the third quarter and launching a "Glam Lab" on its mobile app in December.
Its ecommerce sales also shot up 63.4% from the fourth quarter of 2015, reaching $154.9 million. This was driven by increased transactions, mobile traffic rose more than 90%, driven in part by traffic from Facebook," according to CEO Mary Dillon on a conference call with investors.
While consumers crave the discovery and experimental capability of stores, there is an opportunity for Ulta to capitalize on online replenishment by building out that ecosystem, says Wissink. Once consumers know what they like, it should be easy for them to access their personalized profile online to order items as they deplete.
Despite the drop in after-hours trading, there's reason to believe Ulta is still a crowd favorite. Shares are up 7% this year and 62% over the last 12 months.
Corinne Jurney
I studied business journalism and public policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A Raleigh native, I have reported for the Raleigh News & Observer...


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February 10, 2022 / The Partial Historians
Episode 122 – The Right to Rule Rome
Who has the right to rule Rome? Who should have the right? In this episode, we tackle one of the major developments of the so-called 'Conflict of the Orders' as the plebs push for new laws that would give them greater political power. The archaeology confirms that the mid-fifth century was tough for Rome, so the political unrest may be reflecting this difficult time.
Rome Gets Greedy
In our last episode on the year 446 BCE, Rome was kicking some serious butt. The Aequians and Volscians could not sit down for WEEKS! Sadly, these military victories were undermined by a foolish call by the Roman people. The cities of Aricia and Ardea had been engaged in a dispute over boundaries and appealed to Rome to settle their differences. The Romans got a bit greedy and decided that they had the rightful claim to this land, leaving neither city satisfied.
Their land-lust would come back to haunt them in 445 BCE when revolt brakes out in Ardea. Oh, and did we mention that the Veientes, the Aequians and the Volscians were also attacking Roman territory? With the enemies at every gate, the Romans needed to present a strong, united front and march out to deal with these tiresome foes immediately. At least, that's what the consuls and patricians want. The plebs have other ideas.
The Tribunes Strike Back
Livy and Dionysius provide different accounts of how the internal politics of 445 played out, but there were seemingly two major sticking points for the plebs and Caius Canuleius before they were willing to let the levy go ahead. Firstly, they wanted the very unpopular law that forbid intermarriage between the patricians and the plebeians overturned. This law was allegedly the brainchild of the second decemvirate, so thanks again Appius Claudius. Secondly, the plebeians wanted a share in the consulship. There were two consuls, so why not have one patrician and one plebeian?
Often in ancient Rome, our depictions of married couples come from funerary monuments. This is a funerary monument of Gaius Volumnius and his wife (name potentially lost based on the remains)
Italy, c. 1-50 CE (so much later than our period as well!). Now in the Altes Museum.
Photo by Anagoria via Wikimedia Commons
The patricians are HORRIFIED by both suggestions. Intermarriage would pollute the patrician bloodlines and also have dangerous implications for the auspices (reading bird behaviour to interpret the will of the gods). It would also lead to children who belonged to neither the patricians or the plebeians, and yet was somehow both. As for the consulship, it would clearly be a disaster to hand over such power to the plebs. Look at Icilius, or Canuleius himself – troublemakers, the lot of them!
The 'Conflict of the Orders' Enters a New Phase
This is one of the most confusing developments yet in the so-called 'Conflict of the Orders', especially as we can't be sure exactly who the patricians and plebeians really were or when these groups developed! It can be hard to tell when our sources are projecting their own first century BCE understandings back into the early Republic.
With the tribunes and the consuls swearing that they would rather DIE than give in, 445 BCE is shaping up to be a very conflicted year for the Romans….
Our Players
Consuls 446 BCE
T. Quinctius L. f. L. n. Capitolinus Barbatus (Pat.) cos. IV (471, 468, 465)
Agrippa Furius – f. – n. Fusus Pat. (59)
Angry Old Plebeian Man
Publius Scaptius
M. Genucius – f. – n. Augurinus – Pat.
C. (or Agripp.) Curtius – f. – n. Philo (or Chilo) Pat.
Tribune of the Plebs
C. Canuleius
C. Furnius
Dr G reads Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities, 11.52-54.
Dr Rad reads Livy ab Urbe Condita 4.1-2.
Broughton, T. R. S., Patterson, M. L. 1951. The Magistrates of the Roman Republic Volume 1: 509 B.C. – 100 B.C. (The American Philological Association)
Cornell, T. J. 1995. The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000-264 BC) (Taylor & Francis)
Forsythe, G. 2006. A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War(University of California Press)
Sound Credits
Thanks to Orange Free Sounds, BBC Sounds, Fesliyan Studios, Gfx Sounds, Free Sound Library, Orange Free Sounds, and Sound Bible for sound effects and the wonderful Bettina Joy de Guzman for our theme music.
This episode is dedicated to a very special group of students who are out there somewhere whom Dr Rad may or may not have taught recently...
This third century CE Roman gold ring is thought to have been used as betrothal or wedding band. While we're not sure if similar styles or rings were in use in the 440s BCE, the concept of being connected through a ring has a long history even as far back as Rome.
For more on Roman rings, you might enjoy this article.
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TagsCanuleius Conflict of the Orders consuls consulship patrician plebeian Roman History roman marriage struggle of the orders


Our center is here to accomodate each of our guests' needs, whether they are here for a short stay or for long-term care.
There are certain moments in a loved one's life that are not easy to deal with. Let us help you.
Cancer. Is there a more devastating word in the English dictionary? When a loved one receives this dreaded diagnosis, the entire family is affected. It can be completely overwhelming – choosing a care plan, the right team of doctors, helping make treatment appointments. And then there's the after effects to consider. How well the patient can be made comfortable through it all, and how supportive a recovery team they have is having a proven impact on survival rates and outcomes.
• Can you meet your loved one's physical and mental needs at home?
• Can you meet your loved one's physical and mental needs at home if the condition gets worse?
• Are you willing/able to monitor your loved one's medical equipment, medications, and health status?
• Are your loved one's symptoms under control?
• Are you always available to provide care to your loved one?
• Is your loved one safe in the event of an emergency?
Elderly cancer patients at Arbors at Carroll are receiving much-needed monitoring and care during this challenging time in their life. We reduce the burden on families and provide them with peace of mind knowing that their loved one's safety and health are being looked after by an interdisciplinary team that may not only include doctors and nurses, but social workers, psychologists, and physical and occupational therapists, as well.
With many cancers, a patient's needs change as the tumor progresses or as treatment progresses. Some seniors can remain at home during the early stages of cancer safely but require extra care as their disease progresses. The healthcare team and family should re-evaluate the needs of the patient on a regular basis to determine whether or not a care facility may be able to offer more comprehensive care than they are receiving at home. Many times, the patient may also make the decision, after speaking with a member of the oncology or medical team, to enter a care center.
At Arbors at Carroll, we know how the best cancer recovery efforts create a better quality of life outcome for our patients. Together, we can help you and your loved ones through this difficult time, with the signature support and care that earned us our five-star reputation. If you're curious to learn more about our additional services and amenities, we invite you to schedule a tour or contact us for more information.
Thank you to ALL the staff at the Arbors at Carroll for helping my elderly mom be her best. It is a difficult decision to allow others to care for your loved one. It is obvious that the staff at Arbors at Carroll treat each other like family and work to their very best. Every family has specific concerns for the care of their loved one. For me, it was important that my mom was cared for in a kind, safe, and clean environment. The Arbors at Carroll exceeded my special efforts made to arrange for my mom to attend a weekend event in which I was participating. It helped heal all our hearts.
From the moment we arrived, I felt my entire family was welcome to be a part of the Arbors at Carroll family. I think my mom probably interacted with just about every staff member in the month and a half that she received care. I would hate to leave anyone out by listing names. Honestly, it was the efforts of all that allowed my mom to heal to her best. You are all amazing people! I learned a lot about what it takes to care for the elderly and those with more advanced needs. I made lots of friends and will miss seeing everyone during my daily visits with my mom. Thank you again for welcoming us into your family. We are all better because of all of you!
I feel like my goal was accomplished in my stay here. I found the staff to be very helpful and polite. The stay here was enjoyable!
I'm not sure you realize what a terrific staff you have. They go way beyond—they are caring and loving. Especially those I interact with – Rosa, Mary, Pat, Denise, Rebecca and Janet. I'd like to also thank the nurses that were working when my mom fell – Luisa, Shiela and their supervisor! They were kind, and let me know right a way what was going on. Also I would like to say that whoever decorated for Thanksgiving did an absolutely wonderful job! There were so many families attending and so many rooms and every space had the Thanksgiving Holiday feel! Kudos for everyone! I've never seen such care and decor for Thanksgiving anywhere else.
I really enjoyed being here. I met quite a few friends, especially Cynthia, she will always be in my heart. I will be back to visit everyone soon. I will surely miss everyone. God Bless and good luck to you all.
Thank you for all your kindness and care. I appreciate all the help to get me moving and back on my feet.
I, Michael Zubovich would like to recognize three exceptional nursing staff. Mellisa Massey Smith, Erin Hupp, and Beth Courter; for the above and beyond kind, caring, and compassionate care that they give to the residents.
I came here for one reason and that was to get rid of my dizziness and be able to walk. I've got to say a big thank you to everyone in therapy. I'm very satisfied with all of you for helping me get to where I am!
The staff here is great and understanding. I wouldn't know what to do without Arbors at Carroll!
I have been a patient at Arbors at Carroll for quite a few months and I have enjoyed it. The staff is wonderful and tentative. I would recommend this center to anyone. It is like being at home and you're treated like a family member. The conditions are clean; really spotless! It is also as quiet as can be. Enjoy a treat and come take a walk through to see for yourself, and enjoy the beautiful surrounding.
During my stay at Arbors at Carroll, I participated in physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy with positive results. The therapy and staff did an excellent job caring for me, and i felt my progress was top priority for them. Having been at other centers, I can testify that I received the best care here. I highly recommend this center to anyone in need of rehab care. I praise the Lord for sending me to Arbors at Carroll.
I came to Arbors at Carroll on February 1, 2016. I was bedridden, unable to walk, unable to feed myself, and pretty much helpless. I had one of the nicest rooms and nurses, and STNAs who were very kind and helpful. They would use a hoist from wheelchair to the bed. Each week at therapy we did new exercises. The therapy staff was the best. On March 16th, I was released to go home. Thanks to Arbors for such a quick turn around to my health. I thank God for the great favor. Thanks to all the nurses, STNAs, and everyone else who helped me.


Stephen F. Malouf received his B.A degree in Political Philosophy from The University of Dallas and his J.D. from St. Mary's University School of Law. He is a member and Life-Fellow of the American Board of Trial Advocates and Texas Bar Foundation and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Dallas Bar Foundation. He has been selected a "Texas Super Lawyer" by Texas Monthly Magazine and recognized as one of the "Best Lawyers in Dallas" by D-Magazine.
Mr. Malouf's practice includes commercial and personal injury litigation. His cases have included: defense of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in debt-default and expropriation litigation; representation of clients in mining disputes and contract negotiations involving mines in Angola, Canada, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Namibia, Sierra Leone, and Zambia; representation of 17 families of persons killed in the Air France Concorde crash in Paris, France; representation of the family in a wrongful death medical negligence action that resulted in the largest medical negligence verdict in U.S. history; representation of the homeowner in the largest residential fire in U.S. history which destroyed a home with an appraised value of $45 million; vehicular design defect litigation against automobile manufacturers involving restraint system, fuel system, and brake system design; representation of oil & gas clients in disputes involving operatorship of oil and gas operations, oil and gas royalties, and management of oil and gas investment funds; and representation of Brazoria County, Cameron County, Dallas County, and Harris County, Texas in claims involving the mortgage industry's alleged abuse of the counties' real property recording systems.
Jonathan A. Nockels attended the University of Texas where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History before earning his J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. Mr. Nockels joined The Malouf & Nockels LLP as an associate in July 2006.
Mr. Nockels is a member of the American Association of Justice.
Mr. Nockels has volunteered for Burning Heart Ministries, working in the AIDS Hospice and leading a relief mission to Romania and attending missions to Nepal, Mexico and various other United States cities.
Mr. Nockels's practice areas include business litigation, MDL, legal malpractice, mass torts, and class actions.
Jeremy C. Martin received his B.A degree in English from Stephen F. Austin and his J.D. from St. Mary's University School of Law. After clerking for former Chief Justice Marilyn Aboussie of the Austin Third Court of Appeals, Mr. Martin joined Gardere Wynne Sewell, LLP as an associate in the firm's Dallas office appellate section. Mr. Martin subsequently practiced appellate law as a sole practitioner and a partner in Simpson Martin LLP. He has been selected a "Texas Rising Star" by Texas Monthly Magazine.
Mr. Martin is a member of The College of the State Bar of Texas and The Texas Supreme Court Historical Society. He has served as an officer for the Dallas Bar Association Appellate Section for the past three years and served as the section's chair in 2012.
Mr. Martin's practice areas include business litigation and issues and appeals.
Sarah A. Shulkin received her B.A. degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin and her J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. She is a member of the Dallas Bar Association and the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers. She is also a member of the Cardozo Society Attorneys' Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas.
Ms. Shulkin is a lifetime member of Texas Exes, University of Texas' Alumni Association. She serves on the Board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas' Network Division and chaired and organized their annual community service day in 2010.
Ms. Shulkin assists Mr. Malouf with cases in the areas of business litigation, medical malpractice, and MDL.


The focal length of the human eye is generally quoted as being about 22mm, although figures vary from source to source - and of course for particular eyes. The focal length also changes with the distance at which the eye is focused. The distance from the front of the eye to the retina is 24 - 25mm, so parallel rays of light have about that distance to converge to a single point. The eye's focal length must therefore be less than about 24mm. The focal length is also dependent upon the diopter value of the lens, or its refractive power.
Measurements of the typical diameter of the iris generally produce figures in the region of 7mm, although the diameter tends to reduce with age. The light falling on the retina is of course proportional to the square of the pupil diameter, so when the pupil doubles in size the amount of light passing into the eye increases fourfold. The iris can expand to about 8mm in diameter in low light conditions and can contract to a diameter of only 2mm in bright light. This fourfold change in diameter therefore corresponds to a factor of 16 for the change of illumination of the retina - the equivalent of a four-stop range extending from approximately f/2 to f/8. However, using the typical figure of 7mm for the diameter of the iris, the f/stop equivalent could be said to be 22/7 = 3.14.


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Q: Story about a woman about to go on her first date with a guy and his future self arrives to talk her out of it Title pretty much sums it up. Woman getting ready for her first date with a guy she doesn't know and the guy's future self arrives through time travel and tries to talk her out of going. She believes what the guy is saying but she keeps asking questions. She finds out they  have children and a life and yeah things went kind of bad marriage wise.  Then they guy from the future has to go back to the future and he leaves her there.
She thinks about what happened and what she had been told. She now knows the future of this first date.  She finishes putting on her make up and is waiting for the "first date" to arrive.
Hope I am making sense.  Not exactly my most sober post and time travel is confusing.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Make sure you drive on your best behavior this Thursday (and everyday, for that matter!). Our local law enforcement will be in full force as they conduct a "Temporary Traffic Enforcement Roadblock" tomorrow on the south side of Missoula.
"The purpose of this roadblock is apprehend persons wanted for violation of the laws of this state, and any other state, or of the United States who are using the highways of this state, identifying drivers or checking for drivers licenses, vehicle registration and insurance."


Besides exceling in top quality, mattresses from Puffy are delivered totally free to your door. Hence, you will certainly have the ability to save a considerable quantity of cash by buying their products straight. The Puffy is a net based store, as well as that is why their items come with a reasonable cost. The lack of 3rd parties, stores, dealerships, etc. gives them with excellent margins which they share with their customers. Purchasing a Puffy Mattress is as straightforward as sending out an e-mail. Open their website and there, you will have the ability to acquire by releasing three clicks or two.
The Puffy Mattress is made to do its work despite its host surface area. Speaking you take into consideration anything like flat frameworks, box springtimes, flexible frames, slats or perhaps the floor. Your mattress is mosting likely to create very same outcomes until and unless you won't choose to find up with something out of regimens like gardens or open areas.
Puffy insurance claims that their bed mattress has some distinct attributes which maintain sleepers back aligned while handling the stress factors by eliminating them. It refers the fact that much better and also audio sleep can bring an extremely positive impact on your general mental and physiological wellness and also wellness.
An additional interesting feature of Puffy, worthwhile to be stated below is that lifetime guarantee they are providing. As a matter of fact, it is not similar to the other conventional service warranties being offered these days. The bears guarantee for their bed mattress as long as a consumer has it. Well, Puffy' s we can not consider it like an orthopedic bed mattress however still, it has the tendency to aid you to deal with stress point relevant issues and also undue pains.
Simply like several other businesses the Puffy is operating with a really well designed CSR job. Therefore, preferring Puffy while looking for a spending plan cushion can make you join an extremely worthy reason.
Puffy is a self-adjusting cushion, as well as it will obtain accustomed to your requirements within a hr or two – this showcases it an outstanding choice for customers from different histories as well as age groups.
The Puffy have a strong group of specialists hectic in r & d activities. Maybe this is the reason behind that high learning curve this cushion manufacturer is complying with.