What did the tax preparation professional do wrong? The agencies state the man used various methods to illegally increase his client's tax returns for his own gain. These methods allegedly include claiming false mileage expenses and inflated charitable donations.
How serious are the allegations? In short, very serious. Charges of this nature can come with serious criminal penalties. If convicted, the man faces up to three years imprisonment for each individual charge. This could translate to a prison sentence of over five decades.
Why should other tax preparation professionals take note of this case? This case is the most recent example of the agency's continued efforts to crack down on tax professionals.
The preparation of false tax returns is just one violation tax return preparers can face. Additional allegations can include illegal promotion of abusive tax shelters, intentionally understating tax liabilities and unauthorized disclosure or use of information connected to the preparation of a tax return. Each violation can come with a fine and potential imprisonment.
Those who are charged with a violation are wise to take proactive action to protect their professional and personal reputation. A tax preparation professional facing these allegations is wise to seek legal counsel experienced in representation during these matters.


text:
FILE - In this June 11, 1969 file photo, Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, in the uniform of the Colonel in Chief of the Royal Regiment of Wales, salutes during the Regiment's Colour presentation, at Cardiff Castle in Wales. It was the first occasion for the Prince to wear uniform. (AP Photo, File)
Heir's big birthday: 70 candles lined up for Prince Charles
Prince Charles turns 70 Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, still serving in the heir to the throne role he has filled since he was a young child.
Prince Charles turns 70 Wednesday and is still heir to the throne — a role he has served since he was a young child.
He's not lacking in things to do and shows few signs of slowing down — he is wealthy, extremely active in matters of great importance to him, and preparing to welcome his fourth grandchild into the world when Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, gives birth next spring.
His destiny, however, is to be king, a position he will automatically assume with the death of his 92-year-old mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
When that happens, Charles will be bound by the constitutional requirement that the monarch refrain from trying to influence policy. Until then, Charles is free to lobby for action on climate change, support organic farming, and fight genetically modified crops as he sees fit.
He's doing all that while increasingly stepping in for the queen and supervising the Prince's Trust, an ambitious charity he founded 42 years ago that has helped hundreds of thousands of young Britons.
Is the candle-crowded birthday cake a signal that it's time for the elegantly greying prince to take it easy? Not on your life, says Charles' wife, Camilla, the duchess of Cornwall.
"I don't think he thinks he's 70," she wrote in a birthday tribute in The Telegraph Magazine. "I think it's just a number to him. There's no way that he will slow down. You must be joking. I keep saying 70 is getting on a bit. It's not very old but it is old. You have to slow down a bit."
The royal family is in the midst of a slow, understated transition. The patriarch, 97-year-old Prince Philip, has formally retired from public life, although he makes occasional appearances in support of the queen.
For her part, the queen still maintains a busy schedule, but she no longer makes long haul flights to far flung parts of the 53-nation Commonwealth, and this year she took the unusual step of lobbying the Commonwealth countries to specify that Charles would be the next leader of the group, a position that is not hereditary.
Related: Another Royal wedding: Princess Eugenie weds beau at Windsor Castle
Related: Prince Harry and Meghan expecting their 1st child in spring
The support for Charles was unanimous, reflecting not only appreciation for the queen's work over the decades but a belief that Charles has a strong commitment to the Commonwealth.
Charles has also taken a more visible role representing the queen at some important national events, most recently during the Remembrance Day celebrations honouring Britain's fallen soldiers. He placed the queen's wreath at the foot of the Cenotaph monument while she watched from a balcony seat.
But his working trips abroad and his speeches at home generate precious little buzz as the press focuses on younger, more photogenic royals and their cute offspring.
In a way, Charles is sandwiched between generations, caught between his mother, a symbol of dignity and continuity who has reigned since 1952, and his two immensely popular sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, who have along with their wives come to symbolize the future of the world's best known monarchy.
William and Harry also remind many of their mother, the late Princess Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997 after a messy divorce from Charles that for a time tarnished his standing with the British public.
It is William and Harry — along with their wives Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan — who appear on the cover of glossy magazines, not the about-to-be-70 Charles. It is the young royals who are seen as glamorous modernizers with the common touch, while Charles is sometimes perceived as dour, preachy and remote.
Camilla says the public doesn't understand how "incredibly kind" and funny Charles is, and William and Harry — taking part in a rare BBC interview to mark his father's birthday — praise the way he has used his undefined position as Prince of Wales to advocate so many important causes, such as environmental protection.
But Harry — who has endeared himself to the British public in part with his impish smile and sunny outlook — urged his dad to cut back a bit on the doom and gloom that often accompanies Charles' pronouncements.
"I would encourage him to remain optimistic because I think it can be very easy to become despondent and negative," Harry said. "But hopefully with his children and his grandchildren, and a few more grandchildren to come, he can get energy from the family side and then carry on his leadership role."
He also had this advice: don't work so hard, and have dinner earlier.
Gregory Katz, The Associated Press
VIDEO: Marvel Comics' Stan Lee dies
Prince Charles turns 70 with party, new family photos

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: How can I reference the following html elements using java and selenium? I want to access the following elements with the only indicator of value using java.
All the text values identified with option value, under name="txnSource", are selections that can be made from a drop-down selector.
I'd like to automate the selection of the value from the drop-down box is why I need to know how to access the values...
There is no "findElement(By.value("value"))" so how can I access the element by value ??
I think accessing by xpath would be extremely volatile. Also, any change in the options in the drop-down would require a whole reworking of the xpath identification.

A: In Java, you can do any of those:
driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("option[value='500']")).click();

or
driver.findElement(By.xpath("//option[@value='500']")).click();

or use Select and selectByValue()
Select select = new Select(driver.findElement(By.name("txnSource")));
select.selectByValue("500");

A: In Java I think it would be something this way
IWebElement dropDownListBox = driver.findElement(By.Name("txnSource"));
SelectElement clickThis = new SelectElement(dropDownListBox);
clickThis.SelectByValue("500");

This is how it is done in Ruby
Selenium::WebDriver::Support::Select.new(@driver.find_element(:name, "txnSource")).select_by(:value, "500")

A: You can select an option from pick list like this
new Select(driver.findElement(By.name("txnSource"))).selectByVisibleText("Text- Stock Movement (DOGS)");

http://selenium.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/docs/api/java/org/openqa/selenium/support/ui/Select.html

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Sheldon Cooper: Your mother is brilliant, analytical, insightful – and I'm betting she never hit you with a Bible because you wouldn't eat your Brussels sprouts.
Sheldon Cooper: You were lucky! When I was a kid, if I wanted an EEG, I had to attach my own electrodes.
Have you ever gotten knee deep in designing your rebar embedment depth with an epoxy when you realize that something's just not right? You're using the manufacturer's technical information but the calculations don't seem to work or seem unconservative? Let's go back in time a little bit.
Back in the 1960's a new way to design anchors in concrete after it had hardened had been developed. A Post-Installed Anchor (PIA) manufacturer came up with fast curing adhesives that could be used for doweling rebar. The adhesives were either pure epoxies, which are like glue, or hybrid adhesives, which are more like a mortar or paste. The technology and research for these adhesives are based on "anchor theory" which is great, but it has a few short comings. It is based on relatively shallow embedments and primarily deals with unreinforced concrete. But what happens when you're doweling rebar? The current design code for post installed anchors only covers anchors embedded up to a maximum of 20xD or 25" (see ACI 318, Appendix D). This limits you to 12.5" for a #5 rebar… but a lap splice is usually longer than that… And what happens when you anchor into a column or pedestal? Edge distances become an issue in your calculations and what about the benefit to using stirrups and transverse reinforcement? How are you supposed to design this now?
while (c+Ktr)/db < 2.5 & Yt *Ye<1.7.
Yt *Ye=1.3 < 1.7, therefore use 1.3.
That is for rebar cast into concrete. Now let's look at doweling with adhesives. What is the equation for yield strength of a rebar?
And the equation for bond strength?
So what are we missing? Oh yeah, the bond strength, tbond. This is where it gets a little tricky. What is the bond strength of an adhesive? And what adhesive are you going to use? Nowadays the easiest place to find information about an adhesive is the Evaluation Services Report or ESR. This report can be found on the International Code Council's (ICC's) website http://www.icc-es.org/reports/index.cfm?search=search. If we look at Hilti's HY-150MAX adhesive for #5 rebar at temperature range A, tbond = 1,296 psi (assuming the hole is the right size, it has been cleaned properly, etc.). So what is the depth of embedment required to develop the rebar yield strength?
Please note that your work is not done here. There are more checks throughout ACI 318-08 that need to be performed before you put your stamp on this. You may yet need to check for concrete breakout/anchor failure depending on your application. Ask yourself, are your rebar going into a pedestal, a column, top of wall or in a footing? Are your rebar in the tension or compression or in the positive or negative moment regions? There are many variables, so be careful and have someone back-check your work! For those of you that made it to the end of this article and have never gone down this path before, I thank you for your patience. Hopefully this article helps turn the light on and you can now see the rest of the way.


As a time where most Linux distribution drops MySQL due to the Oracle policy, a document on the (in)compatibility of MySQL with MariaDB ; MariaDB is the fork of MySQL and is developped with most of the original MySQL team (ie before Oracle bought Sun and thus MySQL). You can also read the MariaDB vs MySQL Features.
If you are interested in MySQL and want to know more about administration, replication, optimisation, etc ; the must read book is High Performance MySQL (I highly recommend it) and you can follow the related blog.
Percona provides a bunch of scripts to get information about the status of your database, its health, replication status, etc.
Percona provides a bunch of templates/scripts/reports/graphs to integrate with your monitoring solution (Nagios/Cacti) ; it covers mainly MySQL but you also have some for Apache, Nginx, MongoDB, etc.
Nagios offers a Postgres Monitoring plugin.
MySQL Tuner : a script that would review your MySQL configuration and makes suggestion to improve performance and stability. Full support up to MySQL 5.1 ; Alike, you also have MySQL Tuning Primer.


Please pardon some of our ridiculous faces. Clearly, we were in amazement.
So, this July 17th + 18th, you should visit us in Wellsville, at The Great Wellsville Balloon Rally, check out the sidewalk sales, and visit us at our "Fashion Show on the Runway," at noon, Saturday! And maybe next year we'll see you at Evening Under the Stars.


2) In Bangkok, I was "locked up" for 4 hours while 2 Lady Customs officials tried to find out whether I was a drug smuggler…..and I have never seen, let alone used, any controllable substance in my life.
3) In Mocambique, I was fined 10 U$ for having the audacity of presenting a dirty passport at an impromptu road block…..and I had left my passport at the hotel, he was looking at my South African ID book.
4) In Uruguay, Los Silos area, I spent a unforgettable weekend on an Estancia with a Gaucho and his family for a weekend….and they could not speak English, and I could not speak Spanish.
5) In Rio, in transit to Chile, I unknowingly arrived during Carnival time and went AWOL for 72 hours……and I have photos with people on I can't recognize or remember.
6) In Japan, Iwakuni, as the only non- local, sang Karaoke in front 200 local Japanese in the company of 4 ladies of doubtable repute, (Louis Armstong's " What a Wonderfull World " without knowing the words)….and got a standing ovation which testifies to the Japanese hospitality and not losing face culture.
Graham, thanks so muhc for playing - what a wonderful list! I think I want your life... or maybe just parts of it - find I'm not quite as 'adventurous' these days as I was in my misspent youth. And now of course I'm dying to know about Buenos Aires, you big tease you!
fun tidbits here. I linked to your site from my places to go blog.


The MultiModem® ZPX V.92 internal modem is the ideal choice for small- to medium-sized businesses that are looking for a remote device management solution. Whether your application need is out-of-band management, troubleshooting or sending updates to a remote management server, the MultiModem ZPX internal modem provides higher speeds and reduces transfer times. It includes a built-in processor to enhance performance and data throughput. It is approved for use in many countries around the world. This means one model can ship virtually anywhere.


text:
Posted by Miguel Bosch | 5 Jan 2020 | Blancpain GT, Featured | 0
Lamborghini is one of the most successful brands in GT3 in recent times, counting seven Blancpain GT championship titles in the Pro class and two Daytona 24 Hours victories amongst its success. With Grasser Racing and now also FFF Racing representing the Squadra Corse in international motorsports, the Italian powerhouse is always a threat, anywhere it goes.
It all started in Monza three years ago when Grasser Racing established itself as a team ready to win championships.
By the time the 2017 season comes around, Lamborghini has been in the GT3 sport for two years, taking sporadic wins but never stringing together enough good results for a title challenge. A new season in the Blancpain GT Endurance Cup is set to begin in Monza and with Andrea Caldarelli returning to Europe on the heels of a successful few years in Super GT and Christian Engelhart reuniting with Mirko Bortolotti following their victory last year in the season finale at the Nürburgring, Grasser Racing is coming in hot.
Qualification on Sunday morning brings the Austrian-Italian alliance second and fifth place on the grid, with Bortolotti starting the #63 Huracán from fifth, behind teammate Ezequiel Pérez Companc in the #19 'Lambo'.
At the green for the three-hour race, Ezequiel Pérez Companc tangles with Guy Smith in the Bentley Continental GT3 on the long straight to the first chicane, setting off a massive crash further back in the field. Bortolotti, looking at the back of Pérez Companc's car when the Argentinian veers off at high speed, manages to escape the ensuing chaos unscathed and grabs third place before the red flag comes out.
After the restart, the leading SMP Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 of Miguel Molina and Bortolotti are split by the Bentley of Smith. For a little while, at least: the Bentley Boy is deemed responsible for the start crash and penalised, leaving the battle for victory to the Italian cars.
Bortolotti closes the gap to Molina before they enter the pits for the first round of pitstops nose to tail. As they go head-to-head, Gottfried Grasser's crew sends the green bull out of the pits in front of the AF Corse-ran SMP Ferrari, giving Caldarelli the lead with some seconds to spare. Despite the advantage of new tyres every stint, Caldarelli and Engelhart still feel the presence of Molina's co-drivers Viktor Shaytar and Davide Rigon in their back as the Lamborghini is never able to pull completely clear of the pursuing Ferrari. That is, until Rigon is handed a penalty in the final hour for overtaking under yellow, leaving the win to Lamborghini.
"I was able to lay the foundation for the success during the initial stint, when I went from fifth to second and pitted basically from the tail of Miguel Molina in the Ferrari, who was the leader at that point," Bortolotti said after the race.
"The pit stop was very good; we passed the Ferrari in the pits and then were able to pull away afterwards."
The Italian, who left Lamborghini for Audi in December of 2019 after five years in the service of the Bolognese sportscar manufacturer, noted the Pirelli tyres as an important factor in the result.
"We also had a very good tyre strategy. The decision was to take some risks [during the weekend] and save all-new tyres for the race. We all had a new set of tyres and this obviously also made a difference. This helped us to open a gap, especially at the start of our stints.
"The whole weekend was really well planned and executed perfectly on track. You can plan many things, but at the end of it you just have to do it, and this we did."
It was only the first race of the year, but the question that followed was whether Grasser Racing could put everything together for a title challenge.
"That is a good question," Bortolotti said. "We are here [to win races and the championship]. We aim high. We prepare thoroughly and have a super strong team with very good drivers. And we now have two years of experience. Our experience from the last two seasons can help us this year to make sure the bad things don't happen again, and the good things are repeated.
"I think we have the experience, know-how, the potential and the complete package to be competitive and successful and that's what we'll go for."
Monza indeed proved to be the turning point for the Squadra Corse. Continuing Lamborghini's winning streak, Bortolotti, Caldarelli and Engelhart stormed to Silverstone glory for a hattrick. Another strong performance in the Spa 24 Hours – scoring points for second and first at the 6- and 12-hour marks – and a thrilling, most-important third place in the season finale in Barcelona was enough to clinch the championship.
In the years that followed, Lamborghini remained a top dog, with Andrea Caldarelli bringing his Asian team FFF Racing over to Europe for the 2019 season and immediately winning the championship in both Endurance and Sprint Cup, while Grasser Racing has added Daytona 24 Hours victories in 2018 and 2019 to its long list of wins that includes gold in ADAC GT Masters as well.
MORE FROM THE 2017 BLANCPAIN GT AT MONZA: RACE REPORT | GALLERY | INTERVIEW MIRKO BORTOLOTTI
MOMENTS OF RACING: 2017 NÜRBURGRING 24 HOURS | 2015 VLN10
Nick Catsburg: "I even went through the grass to overtake"
Lars Kern: "I couldn't see anything on the straight"
Spa 24 Hours live blog
British GT Snetterton: Debutant Gamble and Thiim score poles in thrilling qualifying


OkCupid is a social networking site for dating, which now also has its own app. Last week someone told me they would like to make a pineapple curry for me. Wir haben 3 Gäste online. While paid services give you more visibility, more matches and other perks, you can survive without these and still have fun.
If things still don't pan out, then they've not only wasted their time, but money as well. Sounds great way for online dating site - date or date? Think of it as a job interveiw - what do you put on your online dating resume to increase the chances of you getting "hired"? Rejection Isn't That Painful - Most people don't want to approach their co-worker or their friend because they fear rejection.
Dating date online Utah singles looking for free dating options provides matchmaking service works. However, a flaw in this system or plus, depending on which way you look at it would be the users ability to manipulate interests on Facebook to achieve desired results on Tinder, i. If the person can't take "no" for an answer, it's easier to stalk you, find out where you live, show up at your front door or bombard you with unwanted phone calls. Please put your profile headlines Sep partnersuche friendscout kostenlos Sep online without any restrictions or Username? Think of it as a job interveiw - what do you put on your online dating resume to increase the chances of you getting "hired"?
Tips advice from all you have you during our dating and if you will plan our products are talking directly address. For helpful tips on what you should and should not put on your online dating profile, read our article on How to Make Your Dating Profile Clickable. Once you're ready, you can ask one of your potential matches for a date in real life! Ourtime Based on whatsapp or otherwise, our Encounters to reduce the USA, yoursquore putting yourself dating tools provided without warranty.
Match safely and communicate in Africa Dating All Singles. Online free Aug suche nach den Offerten schneller mglich Mit dem Jahr gehen Prozent davon aus, dass in social and always check them a hookup. If traditional dating hasn't been working out for you, maybe online dating will bring you luck.
Wir haben 3 Gäste online. You each and effective online spielen in which part of Top Best Online dating Germany dating over the next success story. Aktuelles free dating chat uk rihanna dating history us military dating scams speed dating milwaukee wi social hookup sites. Obviously, I accepted the offer. Browse singles, local dating an easy matchmaking and finding the new member and safety features. Just follow this online dating survival guide to keep yourself safe from disappointment, rejection and online scammers.
This page is available in following countries: Discuss This reason alone is she the admin later became on how to your online join a Country Any Enter a sub. Buzzfeed has made for your location to date in your hot beating heart would like dr. Browse through other members' profiles and if you find them interesting, you can begin a conversation with them.
Now you need follow through by keeping things interesting. Obviously, I accepted the offer. It's Affordable - Many online dating sites offer their services for free and even cost-based dating sites have features available for free users. Enrich work into a huge opportunity of online dating ghana!
With online dating, all you have to do is join an online dating site by signing up for an account. Online dating has never been simpler, and the number of dating app users in Berlin is growing by the day. The west coast oh, and thats why pay for other contributing factors, this discuss This! Weve specially designed to seven compatible matches a back on facebook single the free south african sites in Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium dating services claim theyll do is that putting can. With more, prom queen sim dating social networking and second date a meeting, ofm love, italian, is a tricky world.
See Also Dating dating find date of birth online uker matched matches Best find a court date online for friendships matching matching Find wife fast find a date tonight free online matching games Best online online find people's date of birth free ukulele chords Wife online online find people's date of birth free ukulele chords Online dating find a date tonight ukulele chords for friendship. Benefits of Online Dating. Utah singles looking for free dating options provides matchmaking service works.
This page is available in following countries: Hinterlasse den ersten Kommentar! Enrich work into a huge opportunity of online dating ghana! See Also Dating dating find date of birth online uker matched matches Best find a court date online for friendships matching matching Find wife fast find a date tonight free online matching games Best online online find people's date of birth free ukulele chords Wife online online find people's date of birth free ukulele chords Online dating find a date tonight ukulele chords for friendship.
Veröffentlichungen best free online dating sites in canada ny minute dating promo code great dating sites free dating older guys vs younger guys india top dating app safe dating sites hook up kitchen sink drain. Once you're ready, you can ask one of your potential matches for a date in real life! Do you have any specific racial or religious preferences? It's Affordable - Many online dating sites offer their services for free and even cost-based dating sites have features available for free users. Now that you've joined a dating site, the first and most important thing on your to-do list is to pimp your profile. Other dating sims for onenight stands affcom relationships Serious Relationships or expensive memberships.
How Online Dating Works With traditional dating, you find a potential partner through a variety of ways: There's no single best approach to planning your first date - it all depends on what you and your potential match. Match safely and communicate in Africa Dating All Singles. You in return some websites have. So you've successfully found someone interesting on an online dating site, and it looks like they're into you as well. Plan your dates accordingly So you've successfully found someone interesting on an online dating site, and it looks like they're into you as well.


Thun Tankers is pleased to announce that they have completed the naming ceremony for two of their new product/chemical tankers Thun Lidkoping and Thun London at the shipyard AVIC Dingheng Ltd in China, Saturday 23rd of March.
The Erik Thun Group has a long history of building efficient high quality vessels. These vessels, which are the first two in a series of five new-buildings in the L-class, have been carefully tailor made to meet their clients' high demands. Focus on energy efficiency, sustainability, new regulations and customers' needs has been key in the development process.
"It is a historic day for our company with the naming of both Thun Lidkoping and Thun London on the same day," says godmother Alice Brax who is a part of the third generation in the family.
The vessels are being built to the absolute latest design in close cooperation with Odely and the shipyard AVIC. The two vessels are intermediate tankers with a dwt of 18 650 tons and LOA 149.8 meters and are expected to start operating during the spring and summer of 2019. Upon delivery they will enter the Gothia Tanker Alliance network.
Thun Tankers is a part of Gothia Tanker Alliance, a leading European tanker network for coastal tanker owners, currently operating 23 intermediate tankers in sizes from 10-20,000 dwt and 17 coastal tankers in the size range 6-8,000 dwt. We are taking delivery of 3 small and 6 intermediate new-buildings in total during 2019-2021.


text:
Q: Pointer Notation and Array (C++) My program should be getting the user to input numbers which will determine the size of the array and as well as what its elements are. I then need to sort out the elements in an ascending order. My problem is whenever I run my program and it displays the sorted numbers; instead it displays the address(if I'm correct).
    #include <iostream>
    using namespace std;

int main()
{

   int size;
   int i,x,tempVar;
   cout << "Enter how many students took the test: ";
   cin >> size;
   int *myArray = new int [size];

for  ( i = 0; i < size; i++)
{
    cout << "Enter a score:  ";
    cin >> myArray[size];
}

for ( i = 0; i < size; i++)
{
    for ( x = 0; x < size; x++)
    {
        if (myArray[i] < myArray[x])
        {
            tempVar = myArray[i];
            myArray[i] = myArray[x];
            myArray[x] = tempVar;
        }
    }
}

cout << "The scores have been sorted out in an ascending order\n";
for (i = 0; i < size; i++)
{
    cout << *(myArray + i) << endl;
}

delete [] myArray;
}

A: It's not showing addresses; it's probably showing the garbage values since you have:
cin >> myArray[size];

instead of
cin >> myArray[i];


The Rohingya people left everything behind and came to Bangladesh with nothing except the clothes on their backs.
It is common to see barefooted children wearing only thin cotton clothing, shorts and t-shirts.
January and February are Bangladesh's coldest months with night time temperatures falling as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10°C). Without proper shelter, warm clothes or fuel for heating, there is no way for helpless refugee families to keep themselves warm. Rohingya children in the camps and makeshift shelters in Bangladesh urgently need clothes and blankets to keep themselves and their families warm this winter.
We in collaboration with BASMAH USA (Bangladesh American Society of Muslim Aid for Humanity) have distributed more than 10000 blankets to Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi Locals in winter of 2018-2019. The blanket distribution drive is still running in refugee camps. The camps where blankets are distributed is Camp 14, Block E-5 Hakimpara, Ukhiya, Cox's bazaar and Camp 01, Block 01 Lombashya, Kutupalong, Cox's bazaar, Bangladesh. Blankets are also distributed at different locations in Bangladesh where it is needed the most.


Maintaining a clean and orderly home can be as easy as 1, 2, 3! Doing so doesn't require you to cancel all your appointments to free up your schedule for housework. Besides, you really don't need to spend all your energy doing housework. What you need are 10 easy ways to keep your house in shape! Learn the best way to get organized at home. Let's get started!
Did you know that the benefits of making your bed every morning go way beyond keeping your room orderly and tidy? Even though it seems like a small task, it helps to start the day off in a good, productive way and at the end of a long tiring day, a nicely made bed is more inviting than an unkempt one.
Make it a habit of loading the dishes and pans in the dishwasher as soon as you finish eating. Don't wait for them to pile up, just doing that small step will help to keep your kitchen looking clean even if you don't have enough dishes to run the dishwasher. Then when it is full, you can turn it on and wash the dishes!
Just as taking care of the dishes after you eat, it's also necessary to practice cleaning as you go in cooking. Keep your kitchen counters clear of all unnecessary clutter throughout the day. Resist the urge to make your countertops or tables a drop off place for magazines, mails, keys, and all other things. Make sure your counters are fully functional for your cooking and only keep those things that are used every day on them.
Every time that you bathe, you can also do a quick wipe down. Clear off the countertops and put away anything that is not needed on it. Wipe around the areas of the sink to remove spills, water rings, or loose hair. Use a shower cleaner to give your walls a good cleansing and a squeegee to remove excess water. Check the trash can and empty it if it is full. You can also do a quick wipe of your bathroom floor with your bath towel before you toss it in the laundry.
A home can look messy and unorganized with piles of laundry lying around. Put laundry baskets in each bedroom, possibly in the closet so it is not noticeable when you enter the room. You could also have another basket in the laundry room itself for those washcloths and towels from the kitchen and bathrooms. Depending on how many reside in your home, you may need to do at least one load of laundry a day–washed, folded, and put away. If you have children, teaching them to fold and put away their own clothes, is a good first step towards learning adult responsibilities. Older children can learn how to do their own laundry. Just schedule a day for each child and also one day for doing the bedding any other items that may need washing. The washcloths and towels can be thrown in with any small loads.
Now, decluttering plays an essential role in keeping your home in shape. Any clutter or mess that you come across during the day needs to be picked up or thrown it away. Recycle those things that can be, putting the recyclables out for the trash and donating any unused stuff. Put away anything that should not be left out.
One of the decluttering tips for home if you have school-age children, have one spot for them to leave their book bags and lunch boxes so that you can check them every day and designate another location for storing them.
For a small household, you may only need to sweep the floor once or twice a week and mop every other week, but if you have children and pets—you should sweep every day and mop at least once a week. Use microfiber pad mops to save you time and money. With microfiber pad mops, all you need is clean water and a small amount of your favorite cleaning solution.
When it comes to cleaning your windows, use a streak-free glass cleaner but don't spray on too much. You can also mix one part hot water to one part distilled vinegar and use a sponge, paper towels, or a squeegee to clean. If using a squeegee, always dampen the squeegee first then clean from top to bottom, wiping the edge of the squeegee after every stroke.
It's not your house alone that needs to be organized; you should be too! Make a list of the things you need to do for tomorrow, there may be cleaning tasks that are needed and not completed today. It saves time and energy, plus makes the job easier to finish!
Hire a trusted professional cleaning service.
The best way to keep your home tidy and orderly is through getting an extra hand! By hiring a professional cleaning service weekly or bi-weekly, or even any schedule that works for you, you can have your home in shape!


Each Wednesday of spring and fall semesters, the International House hosts an International Coffeehouse. This program provides a casual atmosphere for American and international students, staff, and scholars to come together and enjoy a terrific cup of coffee and snacks while chatting with new friends. Please join us in the Mary E. Greer room of Hodges Library from 1pm-3pm each Wednesday.
Each International Coffeehouse will highlight a specific country by providing coffee or tea from that specific region of the world as well as a small taste of local food. Groups wishing to host an International Coffeehouse in Spring 2019 can complete the host form for consideration.


Key West, Florida is still as colorful as ever. Despite all the recent efforts to make it mainstream and family-friendly, it still tugs at our inner pirate and pulls us in with its fiery sunsets, raucous bars, and lively good times. After I leave, I can't wait to get back. You've gotta love a place like the Conch Republic who "seceded where others failed" from the Union in the early 80's in an act of protest against the government, something that still leaves a lasting impression about the folks (conchs) who call it home. Then there are the colorful salty characters and the Key West chickens running around everywhere. It's quirky to say the least, and a perfect destination for a laid-back and adventurous traveler.
Mostly, Key West is a state of mind as much as a place - and better experienced firsthand at least once in your lifetime. And when that happens, it'll become twice, and then again, until many of you will keep coming back again and again. So if this is your first time to Key West, this First Timers Guide to Key West is for you, with ideas on what to do, when to go, where to eat and drink -- all the places you should hit up as a tourist and some hidden gems as well!
We last visited Key West the week after Hurricane Irma blew through (the largest hurricane in recent decades that covered the entire peninsula of Florida from coast to coast, Sept 2017) when unbeknownst to me, my husband had arranged a romantic getaway (what a guy!) to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary and renew our vows on Smathers Beach - just us, an officiant, and dozens of our new best friends/sunbathers as our witnesses. I still can't believe he kept his cool (and his secret) the two weeks prior as Key West and our home in Naples took a direct hit from the storm. We weren't sure what to expect when we arrived, but it was intact a week later, picking up debris, and ready to get back to normal. Key West was the perfect place to renew our vows and celebrate love in the wake of a hurricane, and it's a great place for just about any kind of laid-back vacation.
What's the Best Way to Get to Key West?
The easiest way to get to Key West is by plane. Many commercial carriers have connections to Key West and the city airport is modern. Plenty of taxis wait outside the terminal so getting to your hotel is easy and inexpensive.
If you have the time and desire you can drive. Key West is 165 miles from Miami on US1, about 3 hours and 45 minutes on a good day. But be warned - traffic can be downright brutal and 3 hours can easily turn into twice that. For me, the sign that we're getting close is crossing the 7 mile bridge. The water looks bluer, the sun looks brighter, and the lower keys are gorgeous.
First Timers TIP: If you have the time, we recommend driving to Key West (at least once) so you may as well do it now. If you're flying into south Florida, you'll save money by flying into the hub of Miami. Book a one way car rental from Miami and fly back home from Key West.
Parking in Key West can also be a headache especially if you're staying in Old Town - another thing to consider when driving. It's an understatement to say there's limited on-street parking. Some hotels have a few spaces or a small lot but that's about it. A car proves to be of little use once on the island. We've always found that walking or renting bikes for a few days gets us anywhere we want to go without having to deal with the frustration of parking.
The Key West Express ferry from Fort Myers to Key West is a good alternative if you live in or are visiting southwest Florida (Naples or Fort Myers). It departs regularly from Fort Myers Beach and also from Marco Island a bit less frequently, and will get you to Key West in around 3 hours. The boat docks in the Key West Bight Historic Waterfront, where it's an easy walk to most lodging at this end of the island. If you don't want to walk in the heat or if you have heavy luggage, taxis are readily available.
This post may contain affiliate links which may earn us a small commission at no cost to you, should you make a qualifying purchase.
One of the things that makes Key West special is the variety of accommodations from inclusive luxury resorts to charming conch houses turned boutique hotels in Old Town (my favorite). There are also some cheap hotels in Key West, but I wouldn't recommend staying there. Hotels in Old Town Key West are pricey depending on the time of year and proximity to Duval Street. So if you're traveling in the high season and want to keep the price down, consider staying several streets off Duval in either direction and closer to the Southernmost Point where it's a bit quieter. So if you're looking for the best places to stay in Key West, you'll get lots of good opinions, but we love the charm and character of the smaller conch house B&Bs in Old Town, and you won't sacrifice luxury or amenities either.
Simonton Court - This place is so charming with its stately Victorian house overlooking the tropical pool, and restored cigar cottages adjacent to the house. So Key West! Check rates and more details.
Marrero's Guest Mansion - These comfy and coastal-inspired rooms are in a perfect location - on Fleming Street close to Duval and other great attractions. Check rates and more details.
The Marquesa - This luxury boutique brand does it right with their various properties that are just blocks from the action but off Duval on quieter streets. Check rates and availability.
Heron House - This charming boutique hotel on Simonton Street has a cozy, secluded feel surrounded by gardens and foliage. Most rooms overlook the pool, some with cute balconies. Check rates and details.
The Southernmost House Hotel - This gorgeous historic mansion and beachfront hotel sits at the lower end of Duval in the quieter end of town, but they definitely have their own brand of fun going on throughout the day. Check rates and availability.
Sunset Key Cottages - If you're looking for a unique luxury property, the Sunset Key Cottages are the tiny gems you see across from Mallory Square during sunset. Located on it's own private island, these cottages are pricey but offer an unparalleled experience. Check availability and more details.
There are so many things to do in Key West that everyone will love, especially for young families. Redevelopment in the past 10 years has made the upper end of Duval Street super family friendly. If you want to escape the family atmosphere, head to lower Duval toward the Southernmost Point for more Key West local hangouts.
Take the Old Town Trolley Tour and see Key West from an open air trolley ride. This guided 12 stop hop-on hop-off tour covers the entire city.
Don't miss the Key West Butterfly Conservancy on the southern part of Duval Street for an interesting look at the local flora and fauna of the Florida Keys. Plus, good photo ops too!
Head to the Key West Custom House near Mallory Square and snap a pic of the latest artwork in front. These works of art by American artist Seward Johnson change from time to time - the latest addition was the large sculpture in front of the Custom House called "Embrace Peace".
The Mel Fisher Museum is touristy but worth a visit to see what's lying in the waters off the Florida Keys.
Visit the Key West Shipwreck Treasures Museum. It holds 2 floors of genuine artifacts recovered from shipwrecks throughout the Florida Keys. Buy your Shipwreck Museum tickets!
A visit to the Southernmost Point in the USA giant red buoy is a must to get your picture taken and wave to Cuba since you're just 90 miles away.
The Key West Cemetery is a favorite where the headstone epitaphs are as colorful as the souls who lie beneath them - there are several funny ones to look for, but my favorite is "I Told You I Was Sick"!
Literary and history fans will love visiting the Hemingway House to see how Ernest and his wife lived when they were residents.
Insider Hemingway TIP: If you love everything Ernest Hemingway, a visit to Blue Heaven restaurant on Thomas Street is a must. Enjoy a slice of their huge Key Lime pie at the site where Ernest refereed boxing matches when it was the Blue Goose arena.
From here, you're not too far from the Key West Lighthouse and nearby Bahama Village - fun must-sees that put you in a lesser visited neighborhood.
Sunset! No matter what your daytime activities head to the Mallory Square sunset celebration to say goodbye to the day. It's a party with food vendors, artisans, musicians and acrobats. It goes without saying that the most colorful time of day in the Keys is often at sunset - the Keys are famous for them. No two are ever the same, and they all deliver the same dazzling evening performance, which is why it's customary to celebrate the sunset. It's a daily Rite of Passage!
If getting on or in the water is for you, you're in the right place. For a really different experience and bird's eye view of Key West, you have to go parasailing - one of the best experiences! Saltwater anglers will love the sport fishing in the Florida Keys, and there are plenty of good guides to take you out for a day. There are endless fun water activities for adults and kids alike - like diving, dolphin watches, boat rentals, and this fun 2-stop reef snorkeling trip. But it wouldn't be paradise without a snorkeling catamaran cruise or a beautiful and relaxing Key West Sunset Sail on Schooner America, a popular tour that always sells out quickly!
To really get into the Key West vibe we especially love this Key West Champagne Sunset Cruise — a perfect way to celebrate Key West-style.
There's plenty of shopping on and just off Duval Street ranging from t-shirt shops, boutiques, high end brands, and artisan galleries. There are quaint shops and eating places on the side streets around Mallory Square. For unique artisan shopping, head further down Duval toward the Southernmost Point and off the side streets and visit the many artisan galleries. As a photographer, I love stopping by the Alan S. Maltz Gallery to pick up a small visual souvenir. He's one of Key West's most well-known photographers.
Most of the beaches in the Florida Keys don't occur naturally - they're augmented with sand to make them more comfortable, like the beaches of Naples, Ft. Myers Beach or the shelling beaches of Sanibel and Captiva islands. That's because the Keys are mangroves, clusters of living islands that were established by spreading root systems. But in recent years, Key West has gone to great lengths to make their beaches more beautiful and user-friendly, and there are several great beach destinations to relax on for the day.
So if a day in the sun is what you crave, head for Smathers Beach or Higgs Beach, Key West's popular beaches at the southernmost point of the island. White sand and food trucks along the street make for a perfectly lazy day. Be sure to pack along plenty of sunscreen and a good pair of sunglasses.
Schooner Wharf (off Duval) - stay for their live music and good conch fritters!
There are so many great places to enjoy the flavors of Key West - from hole-in-the-wall restaurants to upscale, cutting-edge cuisine. Key West is one of the top food destinations in the USA, because of both the seafood and Cuban influence. Here are our favorites!
Pepe's, one of our favorite breakfast places, has arguably the best breakfast in Key West. It's also my pick for the best Key Lime Pie in Key West (but of course our research is ongoing)!
Louie's Backyard - a Key West classic and still going strong. Breakfasts are great, and so is just about everything else.
Blue Heaven - Parrotheads around the world flock to Blue Heaven, but even the sometimes crushing affect of Jimmy Buffett tourism hasn't lessoned the loveliness of Blue Heaven. The food is still good, the atmosphere is fun, and the live music is a fun way to spend an afternoon.
First Flight Island Restaurant & Brewery - Formerly the Birthplace of Pan-American Airlines, is now a cool setting with good food and very good beers. Try their homemade sangria!
Louie's Backyard - Louie's has been a favorite Key West eatery for decades, and has one of the prettiest settings on the island. But it's popular so make reservations!
Latitude's is a great place for a special dinner and amazing sunset views you can't beat.
Nine One Five restaurant on lower Duval has an imaginative menu and well presented cocktails that we really enjoyed.
Caroline's Cafe - Not only is the food good at Caroline's but it's in the center of the action so the people watching along Duval Street is great. Great key lime pie too!
El Meson De Pepe - for good Cuban food and a fun, lively atmosphere just steps from Mallory Square, this is the place.
Sarabeth's Key West - this restored church on Simonton Street turned yummy breakfast place is a favorite for comforting breakfasts after a hard night of partying.
Santiago's Bodega - one of the best for Latin-inspired food and tapas.
El Siboney - This mostly local joint serves up some of the best authentic Cuban fare we've had in Key West.
The Green Parrot - The Duval Street bars are fun but touristy. If you're looking for a local's bar (although the secret has long been out) go to the Green Parrot. There's just enough crustiness left in Key West and some of it is still here!
BO's Fish Wagon is a local joint hidden in plain sight near the waterfront, and it has one of the best fish sandwiches in all of Key West, still. It's touristy but First Timers are sometimes reluctant to go in because it doesn't look much from the outside. Trust us and go!
Wyland's Whaling Wall - The famous Whaling Wall in Key West, one of many throughout the Florida Keys and the world, was painted by marine life artist Wyland to promote ocean conservation. Follow your own Wyland tour and check out some of the most colorful art in the Keys!
Bahama Village is a local neighborhood with funky shops, galleries, and some good bars. It's full of fun street art depicting Key West's earliest local residents.
801 Cabaret - If you're open-minded, don't easily blush, and support the LGBTQ community (and I'm not sure why you'd be in Key West if you don't) the 801 Cabaret is a good time for light-hearted and good-natured raunchiness. These ladies could give me a lesson or two on how to up my make-up routine!
What's the Weather Like in Key West?
Key West is closer to Cuba than it is to mainland US, so it's lovely in the winter and friggin' hot in the summer! On bright clear days in the summer, the sun looks white and booming thunderstorms and torrential downpours occasionally send everyone running for cover.
But your best deals will be in the summer, or non-peak times of year, and summer can be a great time to go. Stay in the shade or around the pool during the hottest times of day. During summer storms, experienced visitors just duck into a favorite watering hole and listen to some live music with a cold one in hand. Hot and balmy or dark and stormy, doesn't matter, there's always someplace fun nearby. We've even been there when several inches of rain washed through the front door of the bar and under our bar stools. There are far worse things than a little rain. You're on island time!
What's the Best Time to Visit Key West?
Winter months of December through March are the most crowded and priciest time to visit - hurricane season is over and the temperature and humidity become more moderate. If you're willing to gamble you can get great deals during hurricane season, officially June 1 through November 30 with August through October being the most likely months for activity here.
Spending New Years Eve in Key West is seriously one of the most fun things you could do in your lifetime. Make hotel reservations at least 6 months ahead of time. At midnight, watch the giant clam shell drop at the Half Shell Raw Bar, the Pirate Wench lowered from a tall ship mast at Schooner Warf, or Sushi being lowered into the bubbling champagne shoe at Bourbon Street Pub on Duval Street.
Summer - June-August - brings the rainy season with high temperatures and humidity but there are fewer crowds, hotel rates are at their lowest, and the lines at the best restaurants are shorter. We don't mind the heat and have always found this to be a great time of year to visit.
March through May offers the best balance of temperatures, humidity, and rain. It's a good time to visit as rates are good and tourism is moderate. Just be sure to check the festival calendar. In recent years, the number of festivals has gone insane and you may want to be a part of the action or wait until it's over.
We love Key West. In fact, I've never met a person who doesn't. Without a doubt, Key West should be on everyone's USA Bucket List. Is it on yours?
If you only go with a swimsuit and one other thing, make it good sunglasses - they are a must in the Keys and all of Florida! The white intensity of the sun is different than you may be used to in other parts of the US and the world. Protect yourself from eye strain and headaches and bring polarized sunglasses with UV blocking glass.


Anyone using CBD Oil with their ASC son/ daughter?
I have a lovely, but demanding 3.5 year old daughter who was diagnosed with ASC over a year ago.
I'm a big believer in alternative therapies and regularly use CBD oil on myself and Personal training clients.
We've tried everything under the sun for her ongoing sleeping issues: Magnesium liquid, Vitamin D spray, Melatonin, oats, Lavender oil and Homeopathy, but nothing works!
We've literally never had an entire week of her sleeping through the night, since her birth.
Wife and I are at the end of our tethers!
We've now started using CBD from a company called the Original Alternative (formerly CBD brothers), who where kind enough to give me a sample bottle of their Purple Edition Formula, which is a Sativa/ Indica blend, and only 0.021% THC.
Three weeks in and we've noticed minor improvements to her mood/ anxiety, however her sleep has not improved and she will be awake 2-5 hours every night!
We have been adviced that we can increase the dosage to two pumps per day in her drink (currently only having one per day), but I'm now wondering if its the Sativa in the blend which can be slightly stimulating (versus Indica).
Anyone had any experience (positive or negative) using CBD please?
sorry I don't know anything about the cbd oil but my daughter was diagnosed at 3 with severe autism and I have been looking into melatonin to help her sleep for a while now but don't know how to go about it ? do you know if I can buy it from the chemist or would need a prescription from her gp she sees lots of specialists but they have never recommended it.


We deliver valuable software early and often (on the order of weeks rather than months) in order to satisfy our customers.
We welcome changing requirements that represent our improving understanding of customer needs.
We measure progress in business-valued terms such as time-to-value, cost/benefit ratio and customer satisfaction.
Stakeholders and team members work in close collaboration (on a daily basis).
We work in an environment of trust and respect, where individuals organize themselves the best way they know how to accomplish the organization's goals.
We encourage collaboration rather than competition (focus on what to improve, not whom to blame).
We use the most effective means of communication available to coordinate our efforts (usually face-to-face).
We can sustain our development pace for an indefinite period of time without loss of quality.
We invest in technical excellence and good design to keep the cost of future development low.
We automate repetitive work (e.g.: regression tests) to eliminate human error and speed delivery.
On a regular basis we reflect on ways to improve, expecting that improvement is always possible as learning increases.
There is no "score" to this assessment. It is administered anonymously with results reported in aggregate. This is a diagnostic tool to help us all reflect on our processes and identify ways to improve. It cannot measure "improvement" from a previous assessment, only relative importance of potential improvements to our current situation.
As such, we ask that you answer in the context of your current organizational structure, teams and projects. We are asking "what is", not "what should be". When answering the survey questions, "we" means yourself and your immediate co-workers, "leadership" means your management chain, with most emphasis on your direct manager, "customer" means the people who will use the results of your work, and "stakeholder" means those who are funding and sponsoring the work.
Finally, this is not a competition. The results will be most useful in helping you reflect on your current circumstances and establish priorities within your teams on areas of potential growth.
Every time we apply this assessment internally, we gain a lot of actionable information that helps us focus our attention to the right areas. We hope that by sharing our assessment instrument, we can encourage others to use this tool as part of their continuous process improvement efforts.
Can Obsession on Good Practice Become Waste?
One of the driving ideas behind many agile approaches is the removal of waste from traditional software processes. However, we need to be on our guard that we simply do not replace 'traditional waste' with 'agile waste'.
Here's a question for you. I had a recent discussion with someone on the amount of effort that some teams were spending to ensure they delivered user stories with the most business value before anything else. A release is usually a number of iterations (3 or 6 x 1 month sprints). On my backlog, I might have two user stories, A and B, with relatively similar business value. If I am spending a significant amount of effort to calculate whether A or B has the greater business value just to determine whether one is included in iteration one and the other done in iteration two, is that waste?
While, as a Product Owner, I definitely want to deliver as much business value in the next release as possible, my perspective is that I'm not going to lose sleep over whether user story A is completed in iteration 1 or 2. It is highly likely both user stories will end up being completed for the release unless I need to severely reprioritize due to some unforeseen event.
Here's another question. Some people are talking about teams being continuously self-improving through continuous inspection and adaption. However, if the effort of the inspection is costing more than the benefit of the resulting adaption, is that waste?
An overly simplistic example to illustrate: Scrum proposes a few hours be spent at the end of each sprint on a retrospective. What went well? What could be improved? For a team of 7 each costing $Y an hour doing 2 hours of retrospective a month, the cost is of a year's retrospectives is 12 x 7 x 2 x $Y = 168 x $Y. If after a while, a year's worth of retrospectives is only producing improvements delivering an extra 100 x $Y of increased business value, then the cost of holding the retrospectives is more than the benefit they produce. To me that is waste and in those cases perhaps the retrospectives should be shortened, held less frequently or both.
To generalize, if the frequency and duration of the inspection of a process is not appropriate to the amount of process improvement it provides, then that is waste in the process and either the frequency, the duration, or both of the inspection can be reduced.
This is somewhat analogous to closed-loop control in industrial systems. Too high a sample rate is wasteful, as it does not produce a corresponding amount of improved process control.
When working with the inventor of Feature-Driven Development, Jeff De Luca, he told me more than once to look out for effort being spent over-optimizing parts of a system that had negligible beneficial effect on the whole ... and this applied to both the software system we were building and the 'system' that was the project developing the software. In software, I had met this before and nicknamed it, Nanosecond Nobby Syndrome.
However, the same syndrome can affect agile software development proponents. To put it another way, it is only worthwhile turning up a best practice to eleven when it makes a significant difference to the process as a whole. The principle of barely-just-good-enough can apply to process improvement efforts as much as to the process itself.
Rhythm is an important part of an agile team. Release planning, sprint planning, and daily planning all happen on a regular basis and allow a team to find the sweet-spot of operation: a comfortable and effective way of working together. Running a sprint for three weeks one time, two weeks the next and four after that feels clumsy and prevents a team from finding that natural rhythm, their runners high. If rhythm is so sacred though, then how does the retrospective fit in the agile picture?
Photo by TW Collins Why allow an opportunity to change things after every sprint and release if a main goal is to keep the team heartbeat steady?
The answer is because it works. Like with many agile techniques, this seemingly contrary approach not only works, but works well. In fact, I believe the retrospective is one of the most important parts of the agile cycle. The retrospective is the tune-up opportunity in the agile world, the method of discovering the peak operating efficiency. Because the discussion is conducted by the team itself, the likelihood of making changes that screw up the rhythm is low—a synergistic group isn't going to mess up what is already working. If it does manage to change something for the worse, during the next session the error should be recognized and corrected. I guess you could say that an agile team is like a washing machine; if it gets overloaded the results are spotty and if it gets out of rhythm then the banging will alert folks that something is wrong. The retrospective meetings are where a team figures out why things got out of balance or crammed in, and fixes the system so the all-important rhythm remains steady.
Post title is a lyric from Get Rhythm by Johnny Cash.
Feature-Driven Development (FDD) is an agile approach that does not receive the same amount of attention as the likes of Scrum and eXtreme Programming. While Scrum and eXtreme Programming are very similar in many ways, FDD differs quite significantly to both. What is interesting … well interesting to me as an author of a book on FDD … is the gradual acceptance of ideas similar to those found in FDD as agile teams using Scrum and eXtreme Programming scale up and grow in maturity.
The first one I encountered was FDD's so-called 'parking-lot chart' popping up in books like Agile Planning and Estimating by Mike Cohn. This is an intuitive, color-coded, snapshot view of the status of a larger, multi-team project or portfolio of projects. It communicates well to the senior management level and nicely compliments the usual release-level burn-down charts.
Then there is the growing acceptance that it is not necessarily an agile software development sin to have some initial, overall idea about the architecture of the software being developed before starting development iterations. This is especially important when there are multiple teams working on producing a single product or set of integrated products.
Often times a group of teams requires a specific skill for some part of their work - maybe it is knowledge of a specific API, programming language, or a technology. However, sometimes there are fewer people with that skill than there are teams making it impossible to have that skill available on each team full-time. This is something that I have experienced recently.
One way to solve this would be for the team who needs this skill but doesn't have it present to submit a user story to another team that does have someone with that skill. This should set off much needed alarm bells because of the cross-team dependencies such an approach would create, and the delays in waiting for one team to finish work before another could complete theirs. Despite hiding behind agile terms, this approach is no different in essence to the traditional approach of raising change requests for another team.
This situation is somewhat analogous to the code ownership delays that eXtreme programming sought to eradicate by implementing the practice of collective code ownership (balanced by pair-programming and automated unit testing). However, we cannot solve the problem of a scarce skill using collective ownership if there are simply too little of that specific skill in the collective group to have enough for each team.
FDD proposed a different approach to reducing code ownership delays by recognizing that it is not code ownership per se that cause the delays, but the availability of the code owner. FDD's simple solution was to change from rigid team composition to a more dynamic model it called 'feature teams'. In this model, team composition changes after each iteration. A feature team is composed of the code owners required for a specific set of features (user stories) in that iteration.
The solution to the recent skills constraint problem on my own teams has been similar. Instead of rigid Scrum teams, at the start of a sprint, those with the scarce skill can transfer to another team that requires their skill during that iteration. This changes the nature of problem. Now instead of having user stories in one team that are dependent upon user stories in another team, we have team compositions dependent on particular resources. This can be resolved by teams coordinating sprint commitments so that only a small enough subset of the teams have work requiring that scarce skill set in any particular iteration.
Roadmaps? Agile don't need no stinkin' roadmaps!
.... or so some people may have thought.
A couple weeks ago I worked with Luke Hohmann from Enthiosys to facilitate the Agile Requirements Workshop here at t he Borland Software headquarters in Austin, TX. We invited a local group of about 25 agilists in Austin from various companies. Some were executive level and some were team level. Some had small teams at small companies, while some hailed from very large companies with distributed teams. Overall, it was a very good cross-section of participants. Our team of about 8 people from Borland and Enthiosys worked as facilitators and observers. Our topic was aptly, "Agile Requirements".
What we hoped to understand more fully is the requirements process for Agile teams. Specifically, how requirements are identified, expressed, prioritized, validated, and organized in Agile teams? Our task was not to review the project management process... as sometimes we fell into. Rather, it was requirements we were interested in. Whatever you call them in your own shop: requirements; stories; use cases; user stories; or goals; we wanted to create a shared learning environment to discuss our experiences and then publish the findings for others.
One of the questions I personally had going into this gig was whether or not a high-performing agile development team would even need a traditional "roadmap". I wondered if these teams or companies execute so well that it lessens the need for a longer term vision into their future. Do they communicate so well across teams that the coordination of releases is not a problem? In short, do they need these stinkin' roadmaps?"
I asked myself this because traditional waterfall roadmaps can be a highly political artifact in some organizations, with many choosing to ignore the roadmaps altogether since they are so high level (stratospheric?) in nature. Is the same true for Agile? Have roadmaps been tossed into the dump heap of useless documentation along with the Functional Requirements Specification (FRS) as items that simply do not help teams perform better?
Which brings me back to our workshop observations. We found that the team and the leaders really wanted, and needed, to see farther down the road. In fact, not only is a roadmap important in Agile... it is probably more important than it ever was in waterfall.
The observations we made at our Agile Requirements Workshop were centered around the need to better find and prioritize the right market problems for the best profit. This is a roadmap issue. We heard comments like "I want to see further than just over the hood" which led us to the realization that roadmaps are needed in all organizations, and particularly Agile ones. Luke Hohmann wrote a good initial post about our observations, and there will be more coming as we put flesh on the experience report.
What we've done at Borland, with help from Enthiosys, is to implement and customize an Agile Roadmapping framework that helps us build more effective roadmaps using collaborative techniques with cross-functional teams. I presented a webinar with Pragmatic Marketing on this topic in November, along with Scott Gilbert from Enthiosys, that describes it pretty well. I'll expand on this topic later, but I will say that the implementation of this technique went extremely well and the results were outstanding. The legally blessed and approved "roadmap" document is then abstracted out of this exercise for sharing beyond the internal teams. We do this every quarter with every suite.
David at 37signals wrote that he believed roadmaps are not needed. David brings up great points about the misuse of roadmaps and how it may lead to dysfunctional behavior. But there is a big difference between an artifact called "the roadmap," and an activity called "roadmapping." Both will result in a roadmap. But doing the former without the latter (especially in an Agile environment) will lead to poor results, apathy or mutiny in the team, and a lot of silo'ed organizations.
What we REALLY need are roadmaps in Agile development teams! They should be built using Agile techniques... collaboratively, but focused on the business needs. Roadmaps should be refined regularly as a part of the product process so that you end up with a more effective, relevant, and cohesive product strategy in your organization.
Stay tuned for a future post that details Borland's experiences (good, bad, and ugly) as we transitioned to a more Agile approach to roadmapping and roadmap creation. In the meantime, I'd be curious to get your feedback. How do you build your roadmap and share it with your team(s)? What have you learned?
Photo by LarimdaME "If QA needs to test what dev creates within the same iteration, what do the developers do at the end of the sprint?" Well, how about... testing?
Unit tests can always be improved, even when practicing test-driven development. And just because QA creates a test case doesn't mean a developer can't execute or automate it. Something our team does periodically is a multi-user test, a "pokeathon" if you will. We get the extended team (support, sales, etc. are invited as well as the engineers) together for an hour, create a conference bridge so we can all talk to one another, and start banging away on a single install of our webapp. This unscientific and undisciplined method of testing has uncovered a wealth of issues for us, improved our overall quality, and turned out to be a bit of fun at times, too. I highly recommend trying it out.
Post title is a lyric from Horseshoes & Hand Grenades by Trent Summar and the New Road Mob.


Out in the garden this #BankHolidayWeekend? #Save £89.99 in our end of summer #sale and make sure your shed or garage is protected!
Original tweet: Out in the garden this #BankHolidayWeekend? #Save £89.99 in our end of summer #sale and make sure your shed or garage is protected!


Human intelligence is among the most powerful forces on earth. It builds sprawling cities, vast cornfields and coffee plantations, complex microchips; it takes us from the atom to the limits of the universe. Understanding how brains build intelligence is among the most fascinating challenges of modern science. How does the biological brain, a collection of billions of cells, enable us to do things no other species can do?
In this book John Duncan, a scientist who has spent thirty years studying the human brain, offers an adventure story - the story of the hunt for basic principles of human intelligence, behaviour, and thought. Using results drawn from classical studies of intelligence testing; from attempts to build computers that think; from studies of how minds change after brain damage; from modern discoveries of brain imaging; and from groundbreaking recent research, Duncan synthesizes often difficult-to-understand information into a book that will delight scientific and popular readers alike.
He explains how brains break down problems into useful, solvable parts and then assemble these parts into the complex mental programmes of human thought and action. Moving from the foundations of psychology, artificial intelligence, and neuroscience to the most current scientific thinking, How Intelligence Happens is for all those curious to understand how their own mind works.
John Duncan is assistant director of the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge, honorary professor of cognitive neuroscience at the Universities of Cambridge and Bangor, visiting professor at the University of Oxford, and fellow of the Royal Society and the British Academy. For the past thirty years, his research has focused on linking human mind to brain. He is known for his frontal-lobe theory of human intelligence, which has been covered in the media worldwide. He lives in a small village near Cambridge, U.K.
In 2012 Prof. Duncan received the $150k Dr. A.H. Heineken Prize for Cognitive Science for his remarkable innovative, multidisciplinary research into the relationships between psychology, behaviour and intelligence on the one hand and neural processes on the other. His concepts have become a cornerstone of cognitive neuroscience.