text:
$(function() {

  /////////////////////////////////////////
  //
  // Hide iPhone address bar
  //
  /////////////////////////////////////////

  window.addEventListener("load",function() {
    setTimeout(function(){
      window.scrollTo(0, 1);
    }, 0);
  });

  /////////////////////////////////////////
  //
  // Custom select box styling
  //
  /////////////////////////////////////////

  $('.input-select-wrap select').not('.cell-select select').each(function() {
    title = $('option:selected', this).text();

    $(this)
      .css({'z-index':10,'opacity':0,'appearance':'none', '-khtml-appearance':'none', '-webkit-appearance': 'none'})
      .after('' + title + '')
      .change(function() {
        var val = $('option:selected', this).text();
        $(this).next().removeClass(function(index, css) {
          return (css.match(/\bvalue-\S+/g) || []).join(' ');
        })
        .addClass('value-' + val)
        .text(val);
      });
  });

  if ($("#date-submit").length) {
    $("#date-submit").find('input[type=submit]').remove();
    $("#date-submit").on("change", "select", function() {
      $(this).closest("form").submit();
    });
  }

  /////////////////////////////////////////
  //
  // Tablesorter
  //
  /////////////////////////////////////////

  // Tablesorter
  $.tablesorter.addParser({
    id: "hidden-date",
    is: function(s) {
      return false;
    },
    format: function(s, table, cell) {
      return parseInt($(cell).data("fulldate"), 10);
    },
    type: 'numeric'
  });

  $('.log-sortable').tablesorter({
    headers: {
      1: {
        sorter: "hidden-date"
      }
    }
  });

  $('.entries-sortable').tablesorter({
    headers: {
	2: {
	  sorter: "hidden-date"
	}
    }
  });

  $('.sortable').tablesorter();

  /////////////////////////////////////////
  //
  // Tooltips
  //
  /////////////////////////////////////////

  $('.tip').tooltip();

  /////////////////////////////////////////
  //
  // Mark It Up
  //
  /////////////////////////////////////////

  var languageMarkup;

  switch (content_type.toLowerCase()) {
    case 'md':
    case 'markdown':
      languageMarkup = [
        {name:'Heading 1', openWith:'# ', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Heading 2', openWith:'## ', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Heading 3', openWith:'### ', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Heading 4', openWith:'#### ', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Heading 5', openWith:'##### ', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Heading 6', openWith:'###### ', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Bold', key:'B', openWith:'**', closeWith:'**'},
        {name:'Italic', key:'I', openWith:'_', closeWith:'_'},
        {name:'Bulleted List', openWith:'- ' },
        {name:'Numeric List', openWith:function(markItUp) {
          return markItUp.line+'. ';
        }},
        {name:'Picture', key:'P', beforeInsert: function(markItUp) {
          markItUploader.show(markItUp, 'image', 'markdown');
        }},
        {name:'File', beforeInsert: function(markItUp) {
          markItUploader.show(markItUp, 'file', 'markdown');
        }},
        {name:'Link', key:'L', openWith:'[', closeWith:']([![Url:!:http://]!])', placeHolder:'Your text to link' +
        ' here...' },
        {name:'Quotes', openWith:'> '},
        {name:'Code Block / Code', openWith:'(!(\t|!|`)!)', closeWith:'(!(`)!)'}
      ];
      break;

    case 'textile':
      languageMarkup = [
        {name:'Heading 1', openWith:'h1. ', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Heading 2', openWith:'h2. ', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Heading 3', openWith:'h3. ', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Heading 4', openWith:'h4. ', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Heading 5', openWith:'h5. ', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Heading 6', openWith:'h6. ', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Bold', key:'B', openWith:'*', closeWith:'*'},
        {name:'Italic', key:'I', openWith:'_', closeWith:'_'},
        {name:'Bulleted List', openWith:'(!(* |!|*)!)'},
        {name:'Numeric List', openWith:'(!(# |!|#)!)'},
        {name:'Picture', key:'P', beforeInsert: function(markItUp) {
          markItUploader.show(markItUp, 'image', 'textile');
        }},
        {name:'File', beforeInsert: function(markItUp) {
          markItUploader.show(markItUp, 'file', 'textile');
        }},
        {name:'Link', key:'L', openWith:'"', closeWith:'([![Title]!])":[![Link:!:http://]!]', placeHolder:'Your text to link here...' },
        {name:'Quotes', openWith:'bq. '},
        {name:'Code Block / Code', openWith:'bc. '}
      ];
      break;

    default:
      languageMarkup = [
        {name:'Heading 1', openWith:'
', closeWith:'
', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Heading 2', openWith:'
', closeWith:'
', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Heading 3', openWith:'
', closeWith:'
', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Heading 4', openWith:'
', closeWith:'
', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Heading 5', openWith:'
', closeWith:'
', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Heading 6', openWith:'
', closeWith:'
', placeHolder:'Your title here...' },
        {name:'Bold', key:'B', openWith:'', closeWith:''},
        {name:'Italic', key:'I', openWith:'', closeWith:''},
        {name:'Bulleted List', openWith:'
\n\t
', closeWith: '
\n
' },
        {name:'Numeric List', openWith:'
\n\t
', closeWith: '
\n
' },
        {name:'Picture', key:'P', beforeInsert: function(markItUp) {
          markItUploader.show(markItUp, 'image', 'html');
        }},
        {name:'File', beforeInsert: function(markItUp) {
          markItUploader.show(markItUp, 'file', 'html');
        }},
        {name:'Link', key:'L', openWith:'', closeWith:'', placeHolder:'Your text to link...' },
        {name:'Quotes', openWith:'
\n\t
', closeWith:'\n

'},
        {name:'Code Block / Code', openWith:'
', closeWith:'
'},
      ];
      break;
  };

  markItUploader = {
    modal: $('#markituploader'),
    show: function(markItUp, uploadType, lang) {
        var self = this;
        self.lang = lang;
        self.uploadType = uploadType;
        // one-time setup
        if ( ! self.modal.hasClass('initialized')) {
          self.init(markItUp, uploadType, lang);
        }
        // reset
        self.reset();
        // show modal
        self.modal.modal();
        // bind the insert button
        self.bindInsert();
        // add the alt text
        self.modal.find('.alt-text').val(markItUp.selection);
        // adjust the label
        self.modal.find('.alt-label').toggle(uploadType == 'image');
    },
    init: function(markItUp, uploadType, lang) {
      var self = this;
      self.dropzone = $('#miu-dropzone');
      // bind uploader to field
      $('#miu-file').fileupload({
          dataType: 'json',
          url: markItUp.textarea.dataset[uploadType+'Url'],
          dropzone: self.dropzone,
          replaceFileInput: false, // prevent 'no file chosen' when a file is chosen
          done: function (e, data) {
            self.uploadComplete(data);
          }
      });
      // dropzone effects
      self.bindDropzoneEffects();
      // mark
      self.modal.addClass('initialized');
    },
    reset: function() {
      var self = this;
      self.img = undefined;
      self.dropzone.removeClass('done');
      self.dropzone.find('.ss-icon').text('attach');
      self.dropzone.find('b').text('Drag a file here to upload it');
    },
    uploadComplete: function(data) {
      var self = this;
      self.img = data.result.filelink;
      self.dropzone.addClass('done');
      self.dropzone.find('.ss-icon').text('image');
      self.dropzone.find('b').text(self.img);
    },
    bindInsert: function() {
       var self = this;
       self.modalFooter = self.modal.find('.modal-footer');
       self.modalFooter.find('button').one('click', function(e) {
           e.preventDefault();
           self.alt = self.modal.find('.alt-text').val();
           self.replace();
           self.modal.modal('hide');
       });
    },
    replace: function() {
        var alt = this.alt || '';
        var url = this.img;

        if (self.uploadType == 'image') {

          if (this.lang === 'markdown') {
              var str = '!['+alt+']('+url+')';
          } else if (this.lang === 'textile') {
              alt = (alt) ? '['+alt+']' : '';
              var str = '!'+url+alt+'!';
          } else { // html
              var str = '';
          }

        } else {

          var text = alt;
          if (this.lang === 'markdown') {
              var str = '['+text+']('+url+')';
          } else if (this.lang === 'textile') {
              var str = '"'+text+'":'+url;
          } else { // html
              var str = ''+text+'';
          }

        }
        $.markItUp({ replaceWith: str });
    },
    bindDropzoneEffects: function() {
      var self = this;

      // if drag and drop is available
      if('draggable' in document.createElement('span')) {
        self.modal.addClass('draggable');
        $(document).on('dragover', function (e) {
            var dropZone = self.dropzone,
                timeout = window.dropZoneTimeout;
            if (!timeout) {
                dropZone.addClass('in');
            } else {
                clearTimeout(timeout);
            }
            var found = false,
                node = e.target;
            do {
                if (node === dropZone[0]) {
                    found = true;
                    break;
                }
                node = node.parentNode;
            } while (node != null);
            if (found) {
                dropZone.addClass('hover');
            } else {
                dropZone.removeClass('hover');
            }
            window.dropZoneTimeout = setTimeout(function () {
                window.dropZoneTimeout = null;
                dropZone.removeClass('in hover');
            }, 100);
        });
      }
    }
  };

  markitupSettings = {
    previewParserPath: '',
    onShiftEnter:      {keepDefault:false, openWith:'\n\n'},
    markupSet:         languageMarkup
  };

  $('.markitup').markItUp(markitupSettings);

  $('body').on('addRow', '.grid', function() {
    $('.grid .markitup').not('.markItUpEditor').markItUp(markitupSettings);
  });

  /////////////////////////////////////////
  //
  // Datepicker
  //
  /////////////////////////////////////////

  var dateOptions = {
    format: 'yyyy-mm-dd',
  };

  $('.datepicker').datepicker(dateOptions)
    .on('changeDate', function() {
      $(this).datepicker('hide');
    });

  $('body').on('addRow', '.grid', function() {
    $('.grid .datepicker').datepicker(dateOptions)
      .on('changeDate', function() {
        $(this).datepicker('hide');
      });
  });

  /////////////////////////////////////////
  //
  // Timepicker
  //
  /////////////////////////////////////////

  var timeOptions = { defaultTime: 'value' };

  $('.timepicker').timepicker(timeOptions);

  $('body').on('addRow', '.grid', function() {
    $('.grid .timepicker').timepicker(timeOptions);
  });

  /////////////////////////////////////////
  //
  // Auto Slugger
  //
  /////////////////////////////////////////

    $(document).ready(function() {
        var $slug = $('#publish-slug.new-slug'),
            $title = $('#publish-title');

        if ($slug.length) {
            // the slug field is on this page
                // slug does not already exist in the system
                $title
                    .on('keyup', function() {
                        var options = { "lang": $("html").attr("lang") };

                        // if the last move was to erase the title, restart auto-slugging
                        if ($(this).val() === '') {
                            $(this).data('slug-edited', false);
                        }

                        // if someone's manually edited the slug, don't auto-slug
                        if ($(this).data('slug-edited')) {
                            return true;
                        }

                        if (transliterate) {
                            options.custom = transliterate;
                        }

                        $slug.val(getSlug($(this).val(), options));
                    });

                $slug
                    .on('keyup', function() {
                        // if someone edits the slug manually, don't allow title to auto-slug
                        $title.data('slug-edited', true);
                    })
        }
    });

  /////////////////////////////////////////
  //
  // Tags
  //
  /////////////////////////////////////////

  $('.selectize').selectize({
    delimiter: ',',
    persist: false,
    create: function(input) {
        return {
            value: input,
            text: input
        }
    }
  });

  /////////////////////////////////////////
  //
  // The Grid
  //
  /////////////////////////////////////////

  // Patch to rename the ids to something, anything unique
  $('#rename_me').attr('id', randomString());

  var checkGridState = function($grid) {
    var opacity,
      max_rows = parseInt($grid.data("maxRows"), 10) || Infinity,
      rows = $grid.find("tbody tr").length;

    opacity = (rows >= max_rows) ? 0.2 : 1.0;
    $grid.next("a.grid-add-row").css("opacity", opacity);
  }

  var updateGrid = function($grid) {
    $grid.children("tbody").children("tr").each(function(i) {
      var row_number = i + 1;
      $(this).children("th").html("
" + row_number + "
delete");
    });
  };

  var renameInputs = function($grid) {
    $grid
      // Only look for inputs with a specified name attribute
      // to prevent UI-driven inputs from interferring
      .find("input[name], textarea[name], select[name]")
      .each(function() {

        var positions = [];

        // get positioning of each parent
 within their set of
s
        $(this).parents("tr").each(function() {
          positions.push($(this).parent().children("tr").index($(this)));
        });

        // reverse the array, so that root
 is first
        positions.reverse();

        // regex time
        var newName = $(this).attr("name").replace(/page\[[\w\d\-_]+\]\[[\w\d\-_]+](?:\[\d+\]\[[\w\d_\-]+\])+/ig, function(match) {
        var i = 0;

        return match.replace(/(\[\d+\]\[[\w\d\-_]+\])/ig, function(submatch) {
          var output = submatch.replace(/\[\d+\]/i, "[" + positions[i] + "]");

          i++;

          return output;
        });
      });

      $(this).attr("name", newName);

      // Patch to rename the ids to something, anything unique
      $('#rename_me').attr('id', randomString());

    });
  };

  var stick_helper_width = function(e, tr) {
    var $originals = tr.children();
    var $helper = tr.clone();
    $helper.css("width", "100%").children().each(function(index) {
      $(this).width($originals.eq(index).width())
    });
    return $helper;
  };

  var sortable_options = {
    helper: stick_helper_width,
    handle: 'th.drag-indicator',
    placeholder: 'drag-placeholder',
    forcePlaceholderSize: true,
    axis: 'y',

    start: function (event, ui) {
      var num_cols = $(this).find('tr')[0].cells.length;
      ui.placeholder.html(' 	');
    },

    update: function(event, ui) {
      $(event.target).find('> tr').each(function() {
        var row_number = $(this).index() + 1,
            $grid = $(this).closest(".grid");

        $(this).children("th:first-child").html("
" + row_number + "
delete");
        renameInputs($grid);
      });
    }
  };

  // add a new row to the grid
  $(".primary-form").on("click", "a.grid-add-row", function () {
    var $grid = $(this).parent().children(".grid:first"),
        row_count = $grid.children("tbody").children("tr").length,
        max_rows = $grid.data("maxRows") || Infinity,
        empty_row = $grid.data("emptyRow");

    if (row_count >= max_rows) {
      return false;
    }

    $grid.append(empty_row).find("table.grid tbody").sortable(sortable_options);

    renameInputs($grid);
    checkGridState($grid);
    updateGrid($grid);

    $grid.trigger('addRow');

    return false;
  });

  $(document).on('click', 'a.grid-delete-row', function() {
    var message, sublevel_target,
        $grid = $(this).closest(".grid"),
        min_rows = $grid.data("minRows") || 0;

    // if we haven't asked to confirm, do that now
    if ($(this).is(".confirm")) {
      var text = $(this).attr('data-confirm-message') || 'Are you sure?';

      response = confirm(text);

      // prevent row deletion if min_rows is set and this would go under that
      if ($grid.children("tbody").children("tr").length <= min_rows) {
        if (min_rows > 0) {
          message = "This grid requires at least " + min_rows + " row";
          message += (min_rows === 1) ? "." : "s.";
          alert(message);
        }

        $(this).addClass("confirm").html('u');
        checkGridState($grid);
        updateGrid($grid);
        return false;
      }

      if (response === true) {
        // ok, remove this row
        $(this).closest('tr').remove();
      }

      //if there are no rows, add an empty one.
      if($grid.children("tbody").children("tr").length == 0) {
          $grid.append($grid.data("emptyRow")).find("table.grid tbody").sortable(sortable_options);
          $grid.trigger('addRow');
      }

      // rename inputs
      renameInputs($grid);
      checkGridState($grid);
      updateGrid($grid);
      return false;
    }
  });

  $(".grid tbody").sortable(sortable_options);

  /////////////////////////////////////////
  //
  // Confirm Something (Do it!)
  //
  /////////////////////////////////////////

  $('.confirm').click(function() {
    var text = $(this).attr('data-confirm-message') || 'Are you sure?';

    return confirm(text);
  });

  /////////////////////////////////////////
  //
  // Faux Submit
  //
  /////////////////////////////////////////

  $('.faux-submit').click(function(e) {
    e.preventDefault();
    $('.primary-form').submit();
  });

  /////////////////////////////////////////
  //
  // Go Back
  //
  /////////////////////////////////////////

  $('.go-back').click(function(e) {
    e.preventDefault();
    window.history.back();
  });

  /////////////////////////////////////////
  //
  // File
  //
  /////////////////////////////////////////

  $('.btn-remove-file').on('click', function(e) {
    e.preventDefault();
    var name = $(this).next('input').attr('name');

    $(this).parent().parent().append(
      $('
').append($('<input/>').attr('type', 'file').attr('name', name))
    );

    $(this).parent().remove();
  });

  /////////////////////////////////////////
  //
  // Inline Help
  //
  /////////////////////////////////////////

  // KeyboardJS.on('ctrl + m', function() {
  //   $('#markdown-modal').modal();
  // }, function() {
  //     //do stuff on release
  // });

  function randomString(length) {
      var string = '',
          length = length || 32,
          possible = "BCDFGHJKLMNPQRSTVWXYZbcdfghjklmnpqrstvwxwz0123456789";

      for (var i=0; i < length; i++)
          string += possible.charAt(Math.floor(Math.random() * possible.length));

      return string;
  }

  /////////////////////////////////////////
  //
  // Expandable Pages
  //
  /////////////////////////////////////////

  function supportsLocalStorage() {
    try {
      return 'localStorage' in window && window['localStorage'] !== null;
    } catch (e) {
      return false;
    }
  }

  $(function(){
    var hiddenPages = {};

    // Hide previously closed nodes on load
    if (supportsLocalStorage && localStorage['hiddenPages']) {
      hiddenPages = JSON.parse(localStorage['hiddenPages']);
      var tree = $('#page-tree');
      _.each(hiddenPages, function(val, url) {
        var node = tree.find('.page[data-url="'+url+'"]');
        node.children('.subpages').hide();
        node.find('.toggle-children .ss-icon').text('right')
      });
    }

    // Toggle on click
    $('.toggle-children').on('click', function() {
      var btn      = $(this);
      var page     = btn.closest('.page');
      var url      = page.attr('data-url');
      var icon     = btn.find('.ss-icon');
      var hidden   = (icon.text() == 'right');
      var iconText = (hidden) ? 'downright' : 'right';
      icon.text(iconText);
      $(this).parent().siblings('.subpages').toggle();

      // Save state to local storage
      if (supportsLocalStorage) {
        if (!(url in hiddenPages)) {
          hiddenPages[url] = true;
        } else {
          delete hiddenPages[url];
        }
        localStorage['hiddenPages'] = JSON.stringify(hiddenPages);
      }
    });
  });

});


text:
Q: specify file name on upload image on form hello am building a form that uploads images, it works correctly, but i want to add something extra, to be able to specify what the image would saved as. this is what i have, code snippet
<?php

//upload.php

$output_dir = "uploads/";

if(isset($_FILES["myfile"]))

{
    //Filter the file types , if you want.

    if ($_FILES["myfile"]["error"] > 0)

    {
      echo "Error: " . $_FILES["file"]["error"] . "
";

    }
    else
    {
        //move the uploaded file to uploads folder;
        move_uploaded_file($_FILES["myfile"]["tmp_name"],$output_dir. $_FILES["myfile"]["name"]);

     echo "Uploaded File :".$_FILES["myfile"]["name"];
    }

}
?>

HTML:
<!doctype html>

Ajax File Upload Demo

<form id="myForm" action="upload.php" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">
     <input type="file" size="60" name="myfile">
     <input type="submit" value="Ajax File Upload">
 </form>

0%

A: Give this a try, however you'll need to do some work on certain validation.
It uses a form input <input type="text" name="upload_name"> to give it a custom name.
Tested
HTML form
<!doctype html>

Ajax File Upload Demo

<form id="myForm" action="upload.php" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">

Name it:
<input type="text" name="upload_name">

     <input type="file" size="60" name="myfile">
     <input type="submit" value="Ajax File Upload">
 </form>

0%

PHP
<?php

$upload_name = $_POST['upload_name'];

$idx = strpos($_FILES['myfile']['name'],'.');
$ext = substr($_FILES['myfile']['name'],$idx);

$file_name = $upload_name . $ext;

$output_dir = "uploads/";

if(isset($_FILES["myfile"]))

{
    //Filter the file types , if you want.

    if ($_FILES["myfile"]["error"] > 0)

    {
      echo "Error: " . $_FILES["file"]["error"] . "
";

    }
    else
    {
        //move the uploaded file to uploads folder;

//        move_uploaded_file($_FILES["myfile"]["tmp_name"],$output_dir. $_FILES["myfile"]["name"]);

//     echo "Uploaded File :".$_FILES["myfile"]["name"];

 move_uploaded_file($_FILES["myfile"]["tmp_name"],$output_dir.$file_name);

 echo "Uploaded File :" . $file_name;

    }

}
?>

Footnotes:

*

*Link to their project page http://malsup.com/jquery/form/ where you can download all the files, rather than fetching the JS from their website.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
Constitutional Safeguards for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
B Goswami (Author)
Synopsis For centuries past, Shudras, now termed as 'Scheduled Castes' and 'Scheduled Tribes', have suffered immense humiliation at the hands of the remaining three varnas, namely, Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas, and relegated to the lowest rung of the ladder. The constitution-makers realised this and bestowed certain extra benefits and facilities not available to the other three classes of the society. These were: reservation in government jobs and seats in legislatures, abolition of untouchability, prevention of atrocities, grant of land tenures and forest rights, admission to educational institutions, etc. The book has scanned all these measures-legal, executive and judicial-with a view to examine how far the benefits and facilities intended to be conferred on SCs/STs have actually been made available to them. The author has also thrown certain suggestions for the parliament, the judiciary, the executive, the media, the society and finally the SCs/STs themselves, with the ultimate object of ensuring that the unity and integrity of the country is not disrupted in an overzealous attempt to ameliorate the lot of these downtrodden people.
B Goswami
B. Goswami has abundant experience of Indian parliamentary system. During his tenure in Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Secretariat, from 1952 to 1984, the last leg of which was as Deputy Secretary thereof, he was awarded Parliamentary Fellowship of the Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies, New Delhi in 1967, after which he obtained a law degree from Rajasthan University in 1970.
Women, Marriage and Sex in Society : History, Psychology and Sociology of Sex over the Ages
Parliament and Administration: Parliament's Control Over Budget and Legislation
Indian Women in Politics
Expanding Horizons Of Human Rights
Book of Guides (Hudaya) or Nomocanon
Right to Privacy and Freedom of Media
Criminal Law of Islam (In 4 Volumes)
90.00 $ 100.00 $
Title	Constitutional Safeguards for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
Author	B Goswami
Publisher	Rawat Publications
length	290p., Tables; 23cm.
Subjects Social Sciences > Anthropology > Law

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Q&A: Phil Woodhead, Thundering Jacks Ltd.
Video director Phil Woodhead and creative programmer/designer Stuart Smith co-founded software company Thundering Jacks Ltd. in 2011 to produce toys for touring. The UK- and US-based company specializes in realtime video effects for concert touring and other live events. They have developed LightDust and VideoDust, visual effects applications that have been used on tours for Kings of Leon, Stone Roses, Ed Sheeran, and more, and they have developed relationships with touring vendors including Upstaging, Lite Alternative, XL Video, and PRG. Live Design caught up with Woodhead about the company's latest innovations.
For more, download the July issue of Live Design for free onto your iPad or iPhone from the Apple App Store, and onto your Android smartphone and tablet from Google Play.


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An Israeli police officer is seen in Jerusalem on February 8, 2019. Individuals in Kiryat Ata recently assaulted journalist Daniel Siryoti. (AP/Mahmoud Illean)
Members of public assault Israeli journalist Daniel Siryoti in Kiryat Ata
New York, October 28, 2019 -- Israeli authorities should investigate the assault on journalist Daniel Siryoti and ensure that the perpetrators are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
On October 26, in the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Ata, a group of at least five men assaulted Siryoti, a reporter for the daily Israel Hayom newspaper, while he was in the town on assignment, according to news reports and the journalist, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app.
"We are extremely disturbed by this assault on journalist Daniel Siryoti, who was only doing his work reporting the news for the public," CPJ Middle East and North Africa Representative Ignacio Miguel Delgado said from Beirut. "We hope that Israeli authorities will soon apprehend the suspects and make it clear to the public that assaults on journalists doing their jobs will not be tolerated."
A group of men approached Siryoti's car after noticing a "Press" sticker on it, and asked if he was a journalist, he said. When he said yes, the men started cursing at him and said he was probably left wing, a liar, and a traitor, and accused him of working with Arabs, Siryoti told CPJ.
Siryoti attempted to drive away, but a man on a bike blocked his path; when he exited his vehicle, the men started punching him, grabbed him by the arms and legs, and hit him in the face several times, knocking out six of his teeth, Siryoti told CPJ. He said one man took out a knife and tried to stab him in the stomach, but Siryoti blocked the blow with his hand, which was stabbed instead.
One of the men told another to "bring the big knife," at which point two bystanders intervened, allowing Siryoti to get back in his car and drive away, he told CPJ. He drove to a police station in the nearby town of Kiryat Haim, and was taken in an ambulance from there to a hospital, he said.
The hospital treated him for his dental injuries, stab wound, contusions, and a concussion, and released him, according to those news reports.
Siryoti told CPJ that police have opened an investigation into the incident, and said that officers took him back to the scene to reconstruct the attack and showed him pictures of potential suspects. He added that the attackers were men from the ultra-Orthodox community.
CPJ emailed the Israeli Police Coastal District Headquarters in Haifa, which has jurisdiction over Kiryat Ata, requesting comment on the status of the investigation, but did not immediately receive a response.
Siryoti told CPJ that he has worked as a journalist for 25 years in Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories as well as in Egypt and Jordan, and that this was the first time he had been physically assaulted.
"When I was attacked, I told my attackers that my newspaper isn't even a left-wing newspaper," he told CPJ. "And they said, 'we don't give a shit, you're all the same.'"
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Daniel Siryoti
Israel Hayom
Short URL: https://cpj.org/x/7fb6
Palestinian court orders block of dozens of news websites and Facebook pages
Beirut, October 25, 2019 -- The Palestinian National Authority should immediately lift a ban on dozens of news websites and Facebook pages, and allow news outlets in the country to publish freely online, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....
Palestinian journalist Hani al-Agha detained by Hamas forces in Gaza since September 25
October 4, 2019 1:35 PM ET
Beirut, October 4, 2019 -- Hamas security forces should immediately release journalist Hani al-Agha and drop any charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....
Israeli military court sentences Palestinian journalist to 4 months detention without charge
Beirut, September 4, 2019 -- Israeli authorities should publicly file charges against Palestinian journalist Abdul Mohsen Shalaldeh or release him immediately, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....
Hamas attorney general calls for Gaza ban of pro-Fatah weekly
Beirut, June 5, 2019--The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on the attorney general in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip to drop his recommendation that a court ban distribution of the pro-Fatah daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida....
Israeli forces destroy Gaza office of Turkish Anadolu news agency
May 9, 2019 11:35 AM ET
Beirut, May 9, 2019 -- The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the Israeli bombing of Turkish-stated owned news outlet Anadolu Agency's Gaza office on May 4....
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Home › Uncategorized › Read the fine print.
We're pleased to announce that The End Men's latest and greatest, Terms and Conditions, is now available for your internet consumption. Limited-edition vinyl and hand-screened CDs are on the way. Augmenting the dynamic duo's patented rock 'n' roll assault with the addition of saxophone maniac Matt Elia, Terms and Conditions is the loosest, heaviest, jazziest, gnarliest End Men record yet, taking the band's bluesy pummeling in all manner of unexpected but wholly righteous directions. Dig in.
If you're on the right side of the Atlantic, the End Men just may be coming to town near you soon; if you're here with us in the 518, keep your calendars clear on the 4th of July.
‹ Rock 'n' Roll Terms, Rock 'n' Roll Conditions.


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Uthman Ibn Affan: The Third Caliph of Islam
Nafees Khan
Author: Nafees Khan
Publisher: Goodword
Ages: 9 - 12 Years
Uthman ibn Affan (ra), the third caliph of Islam ruled for twelve years, the longest among the rightly guided caliphs. During his rule people became economically more prosperous and he further undertook such activities and projects which also improved their overall quality of life. He was a peace-loving, liberal, and kind-hearted ruler. Uthman Ibn Affan (ra) had all the qualities of a good Muslim, but his generosity and modesty stood out. He was the richest person among the Quraysh, but he spent most of his wealth for the well-being of his people and in the cause of Islam. In particular, he helped orphans and widows. In spite of being rich and powerful, he was extremely humble and lived a simple life. Uthman ibn Affan (ra) was very religious and a man of principles and whatever the circumstances, he never compromised his beliefs and principles. Thrice he received the glad tidings of Paradise from the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Dimensions: (7" x 9" x .15")
Theme: History & Biography
Noorart Code: BKUAF
Maryam the daughter Of Imran (Mary the mother of Jesus): Level 4 مريم البتول
This level tells the story of Maryam as she lived with the People of Israel and gave birth to the Prophet Esa (peace be upon him).
My Fun World
Omaima Abdul- Aziz Al-Essa
This level tells the story of Maryam as she lived with the People of Israel and gave birth to the Prophet Esa (peace be upon him). The fourth level is suitable for 10 year old children and those who are more proficient readers.
Call to Prayer The Story of Bilal
Beautifully narrated and illustrated in full color.
Edoardo Albert
This creative story details the interaction of a young and inquisitive boy who engages Bilal, the first Muezzin of Islam, in conversation about his call to prayer and his days with the Prophet Muhammad (s). Call to Prayer; Story of Bilal is beautifully narrated and illustrated in full color.
Miraculous Happenings in the Year of the Elephant
Miraculous Happenings In The Year Of The Elephant Written and Told By Mehded Maryam Sinclair When You Hear Her, You Will See.
Mehded Maryam Sinclair
The greedy and power-hungry vice-regent Abrahah intends to divert the world's pilgrims from the Ka'ba, the House of Allah, in Makka, to the cathedral his slaves built. When the cathedral's magnificent doors are finally opened, the throngs of people that Abrahah boasted about do not arrive. In a rage, he vows to destroy the Ka'ba, but Allah, the Causer of all causes, has other plans. True happenings, stranger than fiction, demonstrate that if Allah says, "Be!" it surely is to be.
The Persecutor Comes Home - Story of Umar
The story tells of the conversion to Islam of the second Caliph of Islam, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
The Persecutor Comes Home - Story of Umar tells of the conversion to Islam of one of the most famous Companions of the blessed Prophet (s).
Umar, a man of strong will and character, was curious about the faith of Islam, yet he was furious when he found out that members of his family, particularly his sister, Fatimah, had joined the faith.
In great anger, Umar proceeded to his sister's house where a scuffle took place.
But when Umar realized that Fatimah was not prepared to give up her new faith and he reflected upon the wisdom of the new verses of the Qur'an which she had given him, his heart mellowed and he left in search of the blessed Prophet (s), from whom he accepted Islam. This book is intended for 11-14 year olds.
1001 Inventions & Awesome Facts from Muslim Civilization
This book takes the wining formula of facts, photos, and fun, and applies it to this companion book to the 1001 Inventions exhibit from the Foundation for Science, Technology, and Civilization.
We often think that people from a thousand years ago were living in the Dark Ages. But from the 7th century onward in Muslim civilization there were amazing advances and inventions that still influence our everyday lives. People living in the Muslim world saw what the Egyptians, Chinese, Indians, Greek, and Romans had discovered and spent the next one thousand years adding new developments and ideas. Inventors created marvels like the elephant water clock, explorers drew detailed maps of the world, women made scientific breakthroughs and founded universities, architects built huge domes larger than anywhere else on earth, astronomers mapped the stars and so much more! This book takes the wining formula of facts, photos, and fun, and applies it to this companion book to the 1001 Inventions exhibit from the Foundation for Science, Technology, and Civilization. Each page is packed with information on this little-known history, but also shows how it still applies to our world today.
Beautiful Signs
This little light of mine series.
Eastern Washington University Press
Sarah Conover and Freda Crane
"Ayat Jamilah/Beautiful Signs": a Treasury of Islamic Wisdom for Children and Parents is the second book in Eastern Washington University Press' This Little Light of Mine series. A young adult/adult crossover anthology, it draws from not only the core of Islamic spirituality and ethics, the Qur'an, and the traditions (Haddith), but also from the mystical verse, folk tales, and exemplary figures of the Islamic narrative. Unlike any other collection of Islamic stories, Beautiful Signs gathers traditional stories from the farthest reaches of the Muslim world, which stretches from Morocco in the west to Indonesia in the east, and from China in the north to Tanzania in the south. This unique anthology, with its rich and thorough explanatory notes, will be invaluable to anyone wishing to understand, or to teach, geography, world history, or world religions. It will also be treasured by Muslim families and by all parents committed to broadening the lives and values of their children and themselves. Sarah Conover holds a BA in Religious Studies from the University of Colorado and an MFA in Creative Writing from Eastern Washington University. Her first book, Kindness: a Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom and Stories for Children (EWU Press, 2001), won the Skipping Stones Award for Cultural Diversity and was chosen by Booklist as one of the ten best spiritual books for children in 2002. She is also co-author of Daughters of the Desert: Stories of Remarkable Women from the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Traditions (Skylight Paths Press, 2003). With her husband and two children, she lives in Spokane, Washington, where she teaches Humanities in the public schools. Freda Crane is an educator who has worked to develop Islamic curriculum on three continents. She received an MA in curriculum from the University of California, Berkeley, and an EdD from the University of Cincinnati. A practicing Muslim for over thirty years, Dr. Crane has developed instructional methods and curriculum for Muslim students in the United States, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Malaysia. For several years she was children's book editor for American Trust Publications, an Islamic publishing house, and she has long been active in the Islamic Society of North America. Dr. Crane lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband, Dr. Mohammed Shamma. They have five children and five grandchildren, one of whom is named "Ayah Jamilah" (Beautiful Sign). She is in charge of curriculum development at FADEL, the Foundation for the Advancement and Development of Education and Learning.
Salah Ad-Din and the Crusades
conquests and losses, compassionate leaders and dishonest scoundrels... Illustrated in color and recommended for ages 9 and over.
Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd.
Qaiser M. Talib
What were the Crusades? Who were the heroes? Who were the villains? What can we learn from it all? How long did the King of England actually spend in England during his reign and what was Salah ad-Din's favorite food?
You'll find the answers to all these questions as well as lots of fascinating facts in this story of kings and peasants, conquests and losses, compassionate leaders and dishonest scoundrels... Illustrated in color and recommended for ages 9 and over.
A Starlight View of Islam's Past
A Starlight View of Islam's Past, offers a fascinating glimpse of World Islamic History for young children using a unique approach to chorological history.
UK Islamic Academy
Sayyed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi
Based on the premise that a starlight can take years to reach earth, the author gives a vivid eyewitness account of past events unfolding in front of him. He illustrates Islamic history from a global perspective rather than an isolation.
Major events such as the spread of Islam, the Mongol and Crusader invasions and the loss of Andalusia benefit from this novel treatment.


Michael Noonan, Irish Finance Minister confirmed yesterday that bail-ins or deposit confiscation will be used in the EU. The era of bondholder bailouts is ending and that of depositor bail-ins is coming Noonan confirmed yesterday that resolution tools include the sale of business, bridge bank and asset separation tools and also the use of bailins.Preparations have been or are being put in place by the international monetary and financial authorities for bail-ins. The majority of the public are unaware of these developments, the risks and the ramifications.It is now the case that in the event of bank failure, your deposits could be confiscated.
Let's be crystal clear: The EU have plans for bail-ins in the event of banks and other large financial institutions getting into difficulty.
The Irish Banks are Bankrupt and a massive mortgage default is been kept at bay with various Mickey mouse deals designed to help these toxic banks keep "non performing loans" from the books. The Banks are also not showing current values on their property loans as they are using outdated valuations going back 5 years or more in some cases as some of these cases are in the courts! These Zombie Banks are also up to their tonsils in the RED as they are sitting on huge losses in their derivatives trades ,these losses could be even bigger that their entire losses so far in their disastrous property loans!
Now where do you think they are going to get these funds??? There is one obvious area as the picture below shows !
The technical group in the Dail has tabled a motion calling on the Government to lobby the ECB to allow us to destroy the €25 billion in bonds that replaced the Anglo Irish Bank promissory note. You can read the motion here. It will be discussed tonight and tomorrow in the Dáil, and there will be a public protest tomorrow from 6pm, outside Leinster House. Details of the protest are here.
The committee will be sitting today, tomorrow and Thursday and can be watched online here.
Legislating for Assisted Suicide? Last week the Tánaiste and I discussed assisted suicide. We were both in agreement that this is something that should be talked by legislation. I have suggested an expert report that weighs the need to protect those near the end of their lives and cases. You can see the debate here.


The Republican party sold itself off to the religious far right a while ago, and as such they have given them veto power over the party nomination.
"Everyone knows he's conservative and has come out strongly for the things that the pro-family movement stands for," Dobson said of Thompson. "[But] I don't think he's a Christian; at least that's my impression," Dobson added, saying that such an impression would make it difficult for Thompson to connect with the Republican Party's conservative Christian base and win the GOP nomination.
Democrats may or may not be fully satisfied by their candidates, but there isn't the utter rejection and dejection the Republican grassroots seems to have for their candidates so far. To quote Katie Couric, "some might say" this shows the inevitable decline of the party.


TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona State trailed its biggest rival by 19 points heading into the fourth quarter.
Arizona State's defence held up its end with two turnovers. The offence got the buckets. And when one last-second Arizona field goal attempt sailed right, the Sun Devils had the Territorial Cup back in their hands.
Seemingly on their way to a bowl game, the Wildcats couldn't hold the lead, losing the game and their post-season bid.
The Sun Devils defence struggled all game before coming up with the biggest plays when they needed them most.


text:
Construal level theory and escalation of commitment
Nick Benschop*, Arno L.P. Nuijten, Mark Keil, Kirsten Rohde, Jong Seok Lee, Harry Commandeur
Escalation of commitment causes people to continue a failing course of action. We study the role of construal level in such escalation of commitment. Consistent with the widely held view of construal level as a primed effect, we employed a commonly used prime for manipulating this construct in a laboratory experiment. Our findings revealed that the prime failed to produce statistically significant differences in construal level, which was measured using the Behavior Identification Form (BIF). Furthermore, there was no effect of the prime on escalation of commitment, or on constructs that have previously been linked to construal level such as the perceived importance of feasibility considerations relative to desirability considerations, and the number of pros and cons that subjects can think of. Interestingly, however, subjects' actual construal level scores on the BIF were found to significantly affect escalation. Specifically, our findings show that people with a low construal level are less willing to continue a failing project. This relation is mediated by the perceived importance of the feasibility of the project relative to its desirability. For people with a low construal level, the perceived importance of feasibility relative to desirability is higher, which in turn makes escalation of commitment less likely. Our findings are consistent with prior research suggesting that priming construal level may not always be effective. Thus, while construal level has typically been regarded as a state-like variable that can be primed, in this study, we show that construal level may also be considered as a trait.
Theory and Decision
Escalation of commitment
Construal level theory
Project escalation
Construal level theory (CLT)
BIG MUDDY
PROJECT COMPLETION
SUNK-COST
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCE
10.1007/s11238-020-09794-wLicence: CC BY
Dive into the research topics of 'Construal level theory and escalation of commitment'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Escalation of Commitment Business & Economics 100%
Construal Level Theory Business & Economics 99%
Construal Arts & Humanities 78%
escalation Social Sciences 77%
commitment Social Sciences 46%
Escalation Business & Economics 20%
Priming Business & Economics 20%
Benschop, N., Nuijten, A. L. P., Keil, M., Rohde, K., Lee, J. S., & Commandeur, H. (2021). Construal level theory and escalation of commitment. Theory and Decision, 91(1), 135-151. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11238-020-09794-w
Benschop, Nick ; Nuijten, Arno L.P. ; Keil, Mark ; Rohde, Kirsten ; Lee, Jong Seok ; Commandeur, Harry. / Construal level theory and escalation of commitment. In: Theory and Decision. 2021 ; Vol. 91, No. 1. pp. 135-151.
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title = "Construal level theory and escalation of commitment",
abstract = "Escalation of commitment causes people to continue a failing course of action. We study the role of construal level in such escalation of commitment. Consistent with the widely held view of construal level as a primed effect, we employed a commonly used prime for manipulating this construct in a laboratory experiment. Our findings revealed that the prime failed to produce statistically significant differences in construal level, which was measured using the Behavior Identification Form (BIF). Furthermore, there was no effect of the prime on escalation of commitment, or on constructs that have previously been linked to construal level such as the perceived importance of feasibility considerations relative to desirability considerations, and the number of pros and cons that subjects can think of. Interestingly, however, subjects{\textquoteright} actual construal level scores on the BIF were found to significantly affect escalation. Specifically, our findings show that people with a low construal level are less willing to continue a failing project. This relation is mediated by the perceived importance of the feasibility of the project relative to its desirability. For people with a low construal level, the perceived importance of feasibility relative to desirability is higher, which in turn makes escalation of commitment less likely. Our findings are consistent with prior research suggesting that priming construal level may not always be effective. Thus, while construal level has typically been regarded as a state-like variable that can be primed, in this study, we show that construal level may also be considered as a trait.",
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Benschop, N, Nuijten, ALP, Keil, M, Rohde, K, Lee, JS & Commandeur, H 2021, 'Construal level theory and escalation of commitment', Theory and Decision, vol. 91, no. 1, pp. 135-151. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11238-020-09794-w
Construal level theory and escalation of commitment. / Benschop, Nick; Nuijten, Arno L.P.; Keil, Mark; Rohde, Kirsten; Lee, Jong Seok ; Commandeur, Harry.
In: Theory and Decision, Vol. 91, No. 1, 07.2021, p. 135-151.
T1 - Construal level theory and escalation of commitment
AU - Benschop, Nick
AU - Nuijten, Arno L.P.
AU - Keil, Mark
AU - Rohde, Kirsten
AU - Lee, Jong Seok
AU - Commandeur, Harry
N2 - Escalation of commitment causes people to continue a failing course of action. We study the role of construal level in such escalation of commitment. Consistent with the widely held view of construal level as a primed effect, we employed a commonly used prime for manipulating this construct in a laboratory experiment. Our findings revealed that the prime failed to produce statistically significant differences in construal level, which was measured using the Behavior Identification Form (BIF). Furthermore, there was no effect of the prime on escalation of commitment, or on constructs that have previously been linked to construal level such as the perceived importance of feasibility considerations relative to desirability considerations, and the number of pros and cons that subjects can think of. Interestingly, however, subjects' actual construal level scores on the BIF were found to significantly affect escalation. Specifically, our findings show that people with a low construal level are less willing to continue a failing project. This relation is mediated by the perceived importance of the feasibility of the project relative to its desirability. For people with a low construal level, the perceived importance of feasibility relative to desirability is higher, which in turn makes escalation of commitment less likely. Our findings are consistent with prior research suggesting that priming construal level may not always be effective. Thus, while construal level has typically been regarded as a state-like variable that can be primed, in this study, we show that construal level may also be considered as a trait.
AB - Escalation of commitment causes people to continue a failing course of action. We study the role of construal level in such escalation of commitment. Consistent with the widely held view of construal level as a primed effect, we employed a commonly used prime for manipulating this construct in a laboratory experiment. Our findings revealed that the prime failed to produce statistically significant differences in construal level, which was measured using the Behavior Identification Form (BIF). Furthermore, there was no effect of the prime on escalation of commitment, or on constructs that have previously been linked to construal level such as the perceived importance of feasibility considerations relative to desirability considerations, and the number of pros and cons that subjects can think of. Interestingly, however, subjects' actual construal level scores on the BIF were found to significantly affect escalation. Specifically, our findings show that people with a low construal level are less willing to continue a failing project. This relation is mediated by the perceived importance of the feasibility of the project relative to its desirability. For people with a low construal level, the perceived importance of feasibility relative to desirability is higher, which in turn makes escalation of commitment less likely. Our findings are consistent with prior research suggesting that priming construal level may not always be effective. Thus, while construal level has typically been regarded as a state-like variable that can be primed, in this study, we show that construal level may also be considered as a trait.
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KW - SENSITIVITY
KW - PROJECT COMPLETION
KW - SUNK-COST
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Powertrain Poster Child: Mazda Motor Corp.'s DISI 2.3L Turbocharged DOHC I-4
It's hard for us to believe 2008 marks the third 10 Best Engines appearance for this one. When the engine launched in 2005 for the '06 Mazdaspeed6, it was a radical piece of work something we've come to expect from Mazda's powertrain unit. This engine is the poster child for how affordable horsepower has become. Yes, there are models from Japanese auto makers with hyper-tuned turbocharged 4-cyls.
It's hard for us to believe 2008 marks the third 10 Best Engines appearance for this one.
When the engine launched in 2005 for the '06 Mazdaspeed6, it was a radical piece of work — something we've come to expect from Mazda's powertrain unit.
This engine is the poster child for how affordable horsepower has become. Yes, there are models from Japanese auto makers with hyper-tuned turbocharged 4-cyls. that make more power and torque, but the Subaru WRX STI and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution cost 10 grand more.
Now, however, there is some new competition. Chevrolet's new 2.0L turbocharged 4-cyl. in the HHR SS is making 260 hp (130 hp/L), and Chrysler's Dodge Caliber SRT4 slams out 285 hp (119 hp/L) from its turbocharged 2.4L 4-cyl. Both, at $22,995, are within the cost of some floor mats from the price of the Mazdaspeed3.
But our testers still consider Mazda's DISI 4-cyl. the best of the breed, however.
Engine type: 2.3L Turbocharged DOHC I-4
Displacement (cc): 2,260
Block/head material: aluminum/aluminum
Bore × stroke: 87.4 × 94
Horsepower (SAE net): 263 @ 5,500 rpm
Torque: 280 lb.-ft. (380 Nm) @ 3,000 rpm
Specific output: 114 hp/L
Assembly site: Hiroshima, Japan
Application tested: Mazdaspeed3
EPA fuel economy, city/highway (mpg): 18/26
TAGS: Engines Technology


What a lovely spread Harini, all the dishes look so yummy!
Cooking for 60 pax ! Wow ! I have done that when we had the restaurant but not any more . Kudos on that awesome spread .
The whole spread looks lavish and very interesting to make it without onion and garlic . The mattar Paneer looks very creamy and tempting .
Omg, thats fabulous and this spread looks ultimate Harini. Without onion and garlic is definitely a big task. Mattar paneer looks very irresistible. Feel like inviting myself to your place.
Delicious spread.. Mattar Panner is a fav of mine.. Irresistible thali!!
Omg that's a visual treat to my eye :) The thali looks so delicious, all of my favorites in there. wow cooking for 60 people I can only imagine .. Bravo!!
I am jotting down the measure mentioned for 60 people. have never cooked for more than 25 people and Then too I think I had spend the whole dau in the kitchen.
Omg the whole spread looks so delicious and no onion no garlic shahi paneer sounds just perfect. I have had cooked for 30-40 but 60, I can't imagine. Hats off to you.
Wow, Harini that you can cook for that large group. The curry looks creamy and the whole thali looks and sounds delicious even without onion and garlic.
My god harini, that looks rich!!! i have maximum cooked for 20 people, 60 people is awesome! hats off to that experience!!! This side is absolutely delicious, bookmarking to try!
Oh wow....you cooked for 60 people??? That is just awesome. Everything in that platter looks amazing.
I used to do Sathyanarayana Poojai before, so was reminded of that on reading your post. Thats a delicious Thali, No-onion, no-garlic version of PBM is my fav!


South Africa in Winter. Charlie Dimech.
As we sailed out into the wild blue yonder we relied on our strength, built up over seven years of isolation and wilderness to get us through this next phase of our lives. The struggle would not be to cope with lonliness. It would be to cope once again with society. But our instincts were in favour of this particular bunch, otherwise we wouldn't have come. Time would tell.
Cherrinne and I got a cabin below the waterline. Going to the bathroom I tripped and fell breaking my collarbone as the ship rolled in the very heavy seas.
"My first accident in seven years." I said as the doctor came in to examine me.
"Ha ha ha," he replied, and that was all he said. The ship rolled again as he took another step flinging him against the wall.
Cherrinne was a little bemused as she helped him up and did not know whether to laugh or remain silent. She chose the former to our amusement, especially the doctor; an entertaining, demure, sparkling laugh which was also highly contagious to us both.
It was over within a matter of seconds. A final huge roll knocking him against the wall again, down and out.
"Well I guess its just you and me. " I quipped.
Our son was placed in a school on board during the daytime.
We attended another school at night and he was cared for in a dormitory where he decided to remain out of curiosity, joining us for breakfast and on the two hour breaks between learning periods of which there were four, one hour long.
We put the doctor on the bed. Leaving Cherrinne to watch over him I made my way to the hospital section to summon help for the doctor. When they decided no harm done, just a mild concussion, they attended to me.
Expecting for a moment to be thrown overboard as a bad omen I straightened up and asked for the bill. "We'll put it on your tab," he replied smiling." You're already guiding us..... from now on we we'll be taking extra precautions based heavy roll and the ergonomic adaptations of moveable free willed objects."
We thought of Charlie and a quick phone call found him.OK.
For two days we learned the meaning of sea sickness.
The adults had netball and indoor hockey.
For nature lovers the care of the vast array of plants brought on board.
For lovers, of which there were more than they had started with, the moon, the ocean and the stillness of the night.
For all on board there was the adventure of the cruise and the excitement that filled the whole ship from bow to stern at the prospect of our new place of abode; an island in the sea - one hundred miles long by twenty three miles wide, evacuated by the indigenous population twenty years beforehand due to nuclear fallout from the neighbouring continent.
However subsequent tests showed that the fallout was mainly in the sea and whilst the entire population of the island had subsequently been resettled in more favourable parts of the world none were interested to return despite the best efforts of their host countries to persuade them. The test carried out on the island had obviously been faulty from the beginning and it was thought that the international body responsible for the testing had other motives for the 'deception' which is what it appeared to be. This we could not discover. For whatever reason the island had remained virtually deserted of human population, visited only by fishing boats, and conservationists in an attempt to discover the nature of the environmental problem.
Was it a plan gone wrong? Had the powers that be wanted a safe refuge for themselves in the event of an all out nuclear war and Solander island being in the Southern Hemisphere a long way from the Equator, they thought perhaps it was a safe haven for themselves? Who was involved and at what level in order to be able to convince the entire population of an ideally climatised, naturally rich island country to leave?
The conspiracy involved none other than the heads of all nations and the international economic and monetary chiefs - with few exceptions. But why hadn't they done anything about the place after such a mass exodus brought about by fraud on such a wide scale? It boggled the mind.
It was from the conservationists who had secretly visited the island which was supposedly off limits to everyone that much of the information was gained. Much more had yet to be gained.
Ironic that a party of people having had enough of the society they were living in because of the interference, control, coersion and censorship of the powers that be should want to sail into a potential hornets nest. Ironic that is except for the secret that the island contained.
Ironic to you too dear reader that all the worlds leaders would become involved in a nuclear war strategy. Who would they fight?
They apparently all on the one side, all having the same degree of power over their constituents, had only one foe.Who was that foe and how were the general population involved in the scenario? The answer lay unanswered for a long time..
until a computer buff broke a secret code which opened the storehouse of international treachery and intercontinental intrigue.- the consequences of which and indeed the circumstances leading up to those consequences left the most experienced skeptics and cynics blushing their innocence like an aura of white.
Entirely centred yes, on earth but reaching into the depths of the earth's crust and into galaxies which were thought to be light years away, yes and even more sinister reaching into the time before Noah. Time travellers had given the earth a new perspective.
The leaders did not control all that they expected....not in the slightest, and they were undermined by the descendants of a far advanced civilization, the civilization that had long since disappeared, the civilization of Atlantis.
On we sailed...on into destiny. We knew we were safe. We knew the secret of the island.
In the end the world would not be destroyed entirely and our island's secret would be kept intact. Even as we left to return to the mainland to build anew and help rebuild the new society.
reminder like nothing that had gone before of the disastrous consequences of the worlds actions.
The thing that most abhored the passengers on this ship, and indeed it was the straw that broke the camels back was the subservience of the people to the god of money, characterized paradoxically by its abolition.
The new requirement of the current regime was an implant in the forehead or right hand through which the computer generated programs would be able to control them.
Sick as it was those that accepted the status quo were the majority. Those that saw through this aberation were the ones with conscience. Unlike many they valued truth, and sensed their very souls were threatened by this final assault on and enslavement of the human race. They valued their souls.
On the voyage sailed, on into a blank void, on into the unknown. with courage in our hearts, peace in our souls, clinging to the truth in our minds.
Arriving one late afternoon at our unknown destination we spotted several fishermen who had set up their huts inside the harbour. They looked at the spectacle of the approaching ship, as showed in their faces with a mixture of curiosity and wonder.
We docked peacefully enough without causing them or ourselves any concern. the ropes were tied and the anchor dropped within half an hour, but being late, with night approaching we all except those responsible for securing the ship decided to remain on board.
Little did we know that afternoon of the fate that awaited us.


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;

namespace Geocoding
{
	public interface IBatchGeocoder
	{
		IEnumerable<ResultItem> Geocode(IEnumerable<string> addresses);
		IEnumerable<ResultItem> ReverseGeocode(IEnumerable<Location> locations);
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


In the early years of my culinary life, I wasn't really one for slow-cookers, and in the early years of my whole life, the same could be said of pork. Pork is dry, pork is flavorless, and pork chops are a poor man's steak. Right?Wrong!Believe it or not, pork is a unique meat that needs to be treated and cooked very differently than chicken or beef. And when you get it right, oh how the magic does happen. Magic like my slow cooker pork au jus. Here's what you need.
I got the idea for this spice rub from a magazine article and I was completely intrigued with the concept of using Old Bay on pork. Who ever heard of such a thing?? And after playing around with ratios, I think I found an amazing rub. Even better, the ratios stay the same, so if you want to use it to smother, say, a bone-in rib chop, just halve the amounts and go right ahead!
Trim the pork roast of excess fat. By excess, I mean any fat that exceeds 1/4 inch thickness or is tough/sinewy. In this application though, fat is GOOD. Fat = flavor, and fat protects the meat during those long hours in the cooker, so don't go overboard.
Apply the spice rub liberally to all surfaces of the meat, massaging it in as you go.
I know this step is going to be controversial for a slow cooker recipe, but you'll just have to hear me out and trust me; and, trust the science!Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high-high heat, until it's shimmering and very hot. Then brown the pork roast on both sides, for a total of 4-5 minutes, and transfer it to your slow cooker.I know what you are thinking: I thought this was a slow cooker recipe? Set it and forget it and whatnot! Well, it is, and after this step, this becomes a hands-off recipe. But the thing is, there are certain flavor compounds in spices that are only unlocked by fat, in this case oil, and that oil needs to be HOT in order to 'bloom' those spices. It is worth this extra 5 minute step and a dirty pan to get that extra flavor out of your rub! Just look at the amazing crust you will develop on your pork.
That pork left behind some yummy brown bits, or fond, in the bottom of the pan, and you will want them for the au jus! So at this point, deglaze that sucker with the wine and 1/4 cup of the chicken stock, scraping up the crust on the bottom as you go. Bring to a gentle simmer and add the remaining 1/4 cup of chicken stock, the garlic, and the thyme. Then dump the whole mixture into the slow cooker with the pork, and that's it!
Cook the pork on low for 8-9 hours. You will know when it's ready; when you poke it with a fork or tongs, it will literally be falling apart. At this point transfer the roast to a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes, then break up the meat into large shreds with 2 forks. It is so juicy and tender at this point, it's unreal.
Fish the thyme sprigs out of the cooker and toss them, and mash up the garlic cloves into the liquid. If you want to try to skim the fat off of the jus right away you can, but it's easiest once the jus has cooled down, so I just waited until the next day to do that. And speaking of the jus, you should have around 2 cups of this insanely flavorful liquid, just waiting for a pork sandwich to be dunked into it.I used a 3.75 lb roast and it made enough pork for 10-12 sandwiches on small hamburger buns, which was all we had, though this really is preferable on a large Kaiser roll or a long roll, like French dip sandwiches get served in. On larger buns you will probably get around 8 sandwiches!


All last week a thick smoke haze filled the Johnstone River valley. The Defence Department lands at Cowley Beach are undergoing a 'controlled burn'. This area at Cowley Beach is a ' hot spot' for cassowaries. The forests consist of a mosaic of sand dune vegetation, mangroves and melaleuca swamp blending into rainforest, a favoured cassowary habitat. August is the prime month for cassowary breeding and over the last few weeks most male cassowaries have disappeared and are believed to be sitting on eggs. If by chance the birds escape the fire certainly the eggs cannot. Insult upon insult; cars, pig cages, dogs, loss of habitat and burning what hope do the cassowaries have?
The smoke from the fire has been so thick at times that my neighbour John Wilson, an asthmatic has had to lock himself in his bedroom with the air conditioner running.
Living with wildlife can sometimes have some unexpected outcomes. The water pump that deliver water to the property has been playing up lately and it has required constant priming. Unable to sort the problem myself I called the friendly Watershed man, he pulled up the line and stuck in the foot-valve was the decomposed body of a snake.
Yuck, the water flavour didn't seem to suffer!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a new assistant she is called 'Miss Daisy' and she helps my co-worker Gloria. 'Miss Daisy' is an eight week old Jack Russel with real personality, a present from my son Martin.
Going around to pick vegetables this week I saw a small bird on the lawn. I did not recognise it but managed to get one photo before it flew away. The bird is a Japanese snipe. They migrate to Australia in mid-August after breeding in Japan. The birds head for South-east New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. I wonder how many were lost in the earthquake and tsunami?
This was a first sighting of this little bird for me.
The pheasant coucals are showing their breeding plumage of a mantel of shining black feathers covering their neck and head. They build their nest on the ground from branches and grasses that they collect. The pheasant coucal is particularly vulnerable to fire at this time of the year.
My grandson Liam collected the vegetables for dinner while I tried, without luck to get another photo of the snipe.
The sounds of spring are in the air and this week the Orange footed scrub fowl and the pheasant coucal are competing in a chorus to celebrate the end of each and the beginning of the new day. Their calls echo across the mangrove forests as they sing to attract their mates.
Every afternoon a few agile wallabies go down to the river to drink. They do not seem to mind the salt water and their footprints are always on the beach with the cassowaries.
My lychee tree is covered in blossom. Hundreds of zodiac moths are feasting on the nectar: what a sight to see the tree covered in fluttering blue and gold.
The last of the old Jubilee Bridge has been brought to Coquette Point, the steel removed and taken away for scrap and soil brought in to cover the old concrete.
I went to the new arts centre at Mission Beach last Saturday to read poetry. Great morning organised by Pam Galeano. Wonderfully inspiring verse from the very young to the old.
I then went on to Cardwell to spend the afternoon with my old seafaring mates Cocky and Frisco Watkins. We walked along the beach looking at the calophyllums.
The calophyllums trees need the urgent attention of an arborist following damage from cyclone Yasi. If something is not done quickly, before the wet season, dry root will invade through the broken and damaged branches and these ancient trees that have signified Cardwell will be lost to disease. This would be a great shame seeing most of the trees survived Yasi.


Emily Greenwald Becomes President and CEO | Historical Research Associates, Inc.
HRA is pleased to announce that Emily Greenwald is the company's new President/CEO. Emily received her PhD in History from Yale University. She spent eight years in academia before joining HRA in 2002. She became a shareholder in 2006 and became manager of the company's History Division in 2010. Emily's work includes consulting and expert witness testimony for litigation involving Native American or environmental Issues, as well as administrative histories and historical studies for the National Park Service and other organizations.
Emily is the author of Reconfiguring the Reservation: The Nez Perces, Jicarilla Apaches, and the Dawes Act (New Mexico, 2002), which reexamines the federal government's attempt to assimilate Indians into the American mainstream by imposing private property on them. She has also studied how photography shaped tourist experiences and the built environments of America's national parks. Emily is a member of the American Society for Environmental History and the National Council on Public History, and she has served on the boards of both organizations.


When you decide to move check around for a reliable moving company. Whether you move across town, state or out of state, moving is stressful and costly. Not all moving companies are reliable and thankfully the Internet allows you to check on Moving Companies and help you find one that has no complaints and has been in business for many years, in other words has a good reputation.
You also need to know how your household is insured for damage, even a potential accidents can happen while transporting your household goods to its new destination. You want to get replacement cost insurance otherwise you will not get fully reimbursed for damages.
You also want to have the least amount of damage to your treasured household. You don't want to go through a nightmare like some people on the move have made that's experience. I found some good links for you to check out should you consider a move. Of course there are more on the Internet. But this may help you to get started to have a good move.
We have moved 15 times across the US and overseas and learned a lot throughout that process. Because it is sometimes overwhelming I like to share some good information with you and some links that help you to be well prepared for that big day. As Realtor and Broker Associate some of my clients have shared some stories with me and I think I may be able to help you have a good moving experience.
Check out the Moving Company that you call to schedule an appointment to come to your house physically to ESTIMATE your cost to move and how large a truck they will need to load up your household.
I can only share good experiences personally as we selected National Carriers for our moves. But we were right there paying attention to the process of packing up our things to the driver taking inventory and making sure nothing got written down as damaged where it was not.
Be prepared that your goods may not be transported on the truck it was loaded on. We had that experience and when everything was loaded to another truck things get lost or damaged moving it twice. Good to ask if it gets delivered directly to your destination or if there is a detour to another city or state before delivering it to your new home. Long distance moves make more money to the company with a heavier load, or it is the driver that makes that decision, that we never did found out.
I can share a bad experience from other people who had the moving company hold their household "hostage" demanding more money after they started to pack and load and it was more work supposedly than they estimated. See below, it happened to someone I know and you don't want that happen to you.
Here is another way to find out what can happen if you don't have a credible moving company. Consumer Reports Site.
The mover doesn't offer or agree to an onsite inspection of your household goods and gives an estimate over the telephone or online — sight unseen. These estimates often sound too good to be true. They usually are.
The moving company demands cash or a large deposit before the move.
The mover asks you to sign blank or incomplete documents.
The mover doesn't provide you with a copy of the Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move booklet and a copy of FMCSA's Ready to Move brochure, which movers are required by Federal regulations to supply to their customers in the planning stages of interstate moves.
When you call the mover, the telephone is answered with a generic "Movers" or "Moving Company," rather than the company's name.
Offices and warehouse are in poor condition or nonexistent.
The mover says they will determine the charges after loading.
When you receive your household at your new destination you need and want to be prepared to know where everything goes. If you can't tell the people that unload the truck where to put your "stuff" they will just put it down where they find a space and that means you later have to move boxes. The movers want to unload and go. At least that has been our experience.
I hope this will be helpful to you for a less stressful move and I wish you a successful move and good luck in your new home.


One major pro of building a new home is the ability to create an open floor plan that is perfect for bringing the family together.
Laura Schillmoeller has plenty of reasons to be thankful for the brand-new townhome she bought in February 2017. Located within the Lexington Crossing community in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, Schillmoeller's 1,700-square-foot home has an open-concept floor plan with a half-bath downstairs and two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms upstairs. Schillmoeller shares her home with her 15-year-old daughter, Charlotte, and their dog, Knuckles.
The long list of things Schillmoeller says she loves about her new home starts with the fact that it's all new and there's nothing vintage about it.
Schillmoeller is also thankful that she and her daughter had the opportunity to choose the finishes they wanted for their new home. Among the special items they selected were crown moldings for the main level, a gas fireplace and an upstairs floor plan with two larger bedrooms instead of three smaller ones.
A large kitchen island is a feature many buyers appreciate, says Jeff Benach, principal at Schillmoeller's builder, Chicago-based Lexington Homes. Other features on his list of things that buyers like are flex spaces that can be used for a variety of purposes, added storage space, buffets that can be added in the dining room and larger walk-in closets in many master bedroom suites.
"Purchasing a new construction home provides the opportunity to customize and design your home exactly to your lifestyle and design preferences and to hand-select the most ideal location for you," says Jenny NeSmith, marketing director at Edward Andrews Homes, a home builder in Atlanta.
NeSmith also points out that buyers can lower their monthly utility bills by purchasing a newly built home that has energy-saving technology, appliances and building materials.
New construction homes usually come with another benefit to be thankful for: a builder's warranty, says Robert Rosa, a Realtor at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in Wethersfield, Connecticut.
"When I had a big beautiful new home built for me, I loved the idea that the builder would come and fix items as needed during the first year of ownership. I was a young professional with not much homeowner experience or time to work on a home," he says.
Being thankful you bought a new home isn't just about floor plans and finishes. It's also about your investment in your future.
Those conclusions come from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances.
"Homeownership is a primary source of net worth for many Americans and is an important step in accumulating personal financial assets over the long term," says NAHB Chair Randy Noel, co-founder of custom home builder Reve in LaPlace, Louisiana.
Add up all of these reasons, and it's no wonder so many homeowners are thankful they purchased a brand-new home.


Roxy Burger was invited to the uber chic Sherbet Angel salon in Parkhurst recently.
The Strictly Come Dancing presenter was treated to a mani and explained that she's not brave enough to add bling to her fingers. "I can do bling everywhere but not my nails."
Also, we think we've just found our new fav salon. They even serve champers!


Sterling silver charm (5/8") is hand stamped with "i carry your heart in my heart". A single Swarovski pearl comes with the necklace. This hand stamped necklace is hung on a sterling silver box chain. Additional options are available (see below). All orders include first-class worldwide shipping (expedited shipping options available). All orders are shipped in a black velour bag - ready gift giving.


text:
Home » Gus Halper
Gus Halper
Sing Street
By stripping the story of local color—even the projections show little but an anonymous seascape—the creative team does ill by "Sing Street. " Take away the Irish accents, the 1980's songs and a quick reference to The Famine, and this story of alienated teens could have taken place in Boise, Idaho, or Buenos Aires, Argentina. Let's face it, the let's-put-together-a-band-to-solve-our-problems was even a common theme in MGM films of the forties! (The original "Sing Street" movie, of course, was filmed in Dublin and was filled to the brim with local color and the grimness of economic distress.) [more]
Ride the Cyclone
Rockwell who also choreographed has turned each of the songs into an extravagant, go-for-broke production number. Best are Wardell's "Noel's Lament" in which he reveals he wants to be Monique Gibeau, a French street walker in black lingerie à la Marlene Dietrich's Lola Lola, and Misha's rap number, "This Song is Awesome" which segues into "Talia," in which he reveals his rage and passion. Rohm's semi-operatic aria, "The Ballad of Jane Doe," has her flying over the audience as she continues to sing. [more]


You think people are being humble when they say god deserves all credit for their success. They're actually doing the exact opposite.
I recently came across a talk by a well-known author who has met with a lot of success. He was speaking about the great reception his books have received and how grateful he was for it all.
And then, predictably enough, he said that it was all due to the blessings of Shiva — his favourite deity. He said that though he cannot prove it (red flag!), it was something he really believed.
On the face of it, this is nothing unheard of. People credit their god or gods with their personal successes so regularly that we don't think of it as anything other than what it is intended to be — an expression of humbleness.
Humbleness is an extremely attractive quality. I think the reason behind it is possibly evolutionary — an individual who is willing to forgo rewards in favour of an ideal shared by her tribe is a real asset to the collective. Such a person is seemingly without a personal ego and therefore, is a role model that all other members of the tribe can look up to.
So effective is this method that we actually have people pretending to credit god or gods in order to gain favour and support from the people. Our planet's history is full of leaders who rose to power by prostrating themselves before their tribe's gods and deities. I am not saying all religiously-motivated leaders fake it, but a good enough number of them do it for it to become a thing worth writing about. Incidentally, crediting god is also something that works when things don't work out. How many times have you heard someone say he couldn't be held guilty for his actions because he was just fulfilling god's plan?
But here's the thing. Giving credit to god for your success is not really an expression of humbleness. It is actually the exact opposite.
When an author says that he is only successful because of god, what he is essentially saying is that he is special. He is saying that of all the people out there trying to make it as big as he has, he is the one that god chose. Even if you do believe in a higher power that looks over the affairs of human beings, you have to admit that sounds rather presumptuous.
What about all the other writers out there? Why did god not favour them? What can they do to earn such supernatural favour? What are the criteria god uses to determine who is deserving of success and who is not? And most importantly, how does this favourite of god know any of these things? How does he know the difference between a genuine answer and an answer he himself made up because he doesn't want to be seen taking credit for his achievement?
When next you hear someone claim that the reason they are successful is because of god, ask them why god chose them. The answer you get will probably be something on the lines of "that is for god only to know" or "who am I to say why god decides and why". When this happens, point out politely that perhaps they made it because they are talented and/or lucky, that perhaps success has nothing to do with god, and that perhaps there is no god.
Human beings are pattern-seeking organisms who have evolved to process meaning. We communicate using metaphors, we have built our cultures on the foundation of perceived meanings. I have written before about how our thirst for meaning has given rise to entire mythologies where we are the centre of the universe. It is not surprising therefore that we seek to explain our personal good and bad fortunes by appealing to the existence of deities who care about us.
But it is, at the end of the day, an infantile way of processing reality. We should be able to do better.


Here's some things that consultants do that annoy me.
Some consultants brag about who is backing their company or whom they claim as their customers. I've never figured that rich people are any smarter than poor people so I'm not impressed by consultants who brag about who is backing them or who founded their company. Recent ponzi and hedge fund implosions confirm my thinking. And it seems like the really smart people who invented technology 1.0 and made a billion are not reliably repeating their success with technology 2.0. It happens, but not predictably, so mentioning that [insert famous web 1.0 person here] founded or is backing your company is a waste of a slide IMHO.
I'm also not impressed by consultants who list [insert Fortune 500 here] as their clients. Perhaps [insert Fortune 500 here] has a world class IT operation and the consultant was instrumental in making them world class. Perhaps not. I have no way of knowing. It's possible that some tiny corner of [insert Fortune 500 here] hired them to do [insert tiny project here] and they screwed it up, but that's all they needed to brag about how they have [insert Fortune 500 here] as their customer and add another logo to their power point.
I'm really unimpressed when consultants tell me that they are the only ones who are competent enough to solve my problems or that I'm not competent enough to solve my own problems. One consulting house tried that on me years ago, claiming that firewalling fifty campuses was beyond the capability of ordinary mortals, and that If we did it ourselves, we'd botch it up. That got them a lifetime ban from my address book. They didn't know that we had already ACL'd fifty campuses, and that inserting a firewall in line with a router was a trivial network problem, and that converting the router ACL's to firewall rules was scriptable, and that I already written the script.
I've also had consultants 'accidently' show me 'secret' topologies for the security perimeters of [insert fortune 500 here] on their conference room white board. Either they are incompetent for disclosing customer information to a third party, or they drew up a bogus whiteboard to try to impress me. Either way I'm not impressed. Another lifetime ban.
Consultants who attempt to implement technology or projects or processes that the organization can't support or maintain is another annoyance. I've see people come in and try to implement processes or technologies that although they might be what the book says or what every one else is doing, aren't going to fit the organization, for whatever reason. If the organization can't manage the project, application or technology after the consultant leaves, a perceptive consultant will steer the client towards a solution that is manageable and maintainable. In some cases, the consultant obtained the necessary perception only after significant effort on my part with the verbal equivalent of a blunt object.
Recent experiences with a SaaS vendor annoyed me pretty badly when they insisted on pointing out how great their whole suite of products integrate, even after I repeatedly and clearly told them I was only interested in one small product, and they were on site to tell me about that product, and nothing else. "I want to integrate your CMDB with MY existing management infrastructure, not YOUR whole suite. Next slide please. <dammit!>". Then it went down hill. I asked them what protocols they use to integrate their product with other products in their suite. The reply: a VPN. Technically they weren't consultants though. They were pre-sales.
That's not to say that I'm anti consultant. I've seen many very competent consultants who have done an excellent job. At times I've been extremely impressed.
Obviously I've also been disappointed.
Michael I can tell from your last string of posts you've had some 'good' experiences as of recent.
Working for a small business I often see two scenarios. First the incredibly over engineered solution with no consideration to the company's size, business goals, or financial means. Or a solution that would work well for a 10 node office. It's a rare occurrence that even after spending much time describing the business and technical environment, that a well suited solution is provided.
I invest a healthy amount of effort keeping a broad amount of technical knowledge for spotting business benefiting technologies, possibly implementing them, and fending off those like you mention in your post.
Your Mime In A Box post couldn't be more dead on. I think Sales and Pre Sales engineers need to be the folks with wide system technical knowledge that can grasp the customer environment and how their solution will fit - while the single technology specialists stay in the background. Anytime I hear "It can do that" in the initial sales pitch I cringe.
On the flip side, what gets a consultant into your address book?
This is an awesome post! You should read the recent hate mail I got from our IBM/Cognos consultant! It's amazing.
"Don't insult the client" should be high on any competent consultant's list. Telling a client he needs you because he's too dumb to do something on his own is not bright. Sure, the consultant wants to be needed, but there's an important distinction between "We can help you do this faster, and maybe help you catch some gotchas you otherwise wouldn't have noticed until it was too late," and "You're too dumb, let us do it."
Of course, it helps if there actually are gotchas the consultant can help with. Consultants also look like idiots when they try to sell the simple as if it were complex. It raises two possibilities: (1) the consultant is trying to overcharge by making the job look harder than it is, or (2) the consultant isn't competent enough to recognize a simple job. Neither option is good for the client.
Finally, as someone who has worked at several consulting companies, I never understood why they all wanted big name clients whose logos they could flash on PowerPoint slides. I don't think it's (usually) the consultant claiming it was instrumental in making the organization world-class. It's probably a combination of implying that the consultant can handle big projects (the client isn't supposed to wonder if large corporations have small projects), and showing that big important clients trust the consultant.
The real lesson when you see a big name on a PowerPoint is almost always that you're hearing a pitch by a consultant who will give up in anything in exchange for having a big name to reference. If you happen to be a big name too, this is to your advantage. As soon as you see the slide full o' Fortune 50 names, discount the consulting rate you'll pay by at least 10%, and make a mental list of all the menial tasks you'd like the consultants to do for you, because there's little the consulting firm won't do if it will let them add your name to that slide.
"If you happen to be a big name too, this is to your advantage. As soon as you see the slide full o' Fortune 50 names, discount the consulting rate you'll pay by at least 10%, and make a mental list of all the menial tasks you'd like the consultants to do for you, because there's little the consulting firm won't do if it will let them add your name to that slide."
I can empathize with you. I was a one person IT department for a college with a hundred employees and a thousand students for quite a while. In a spot like that, you really need to understand a broad swath of technology to keep things moving in the right direction, and you get a real understanding of budget/financial pressures.
We have problems with vendors selling our small campuses over-engineered solutions that simply don't fit or can't be maintained by a small group of overworked people. That's not good, because the time and money they spent trying to make the ill-fitting technology work is lost, and can't ever be recovered.
As far as what gets a consultant on my good list, I'd have to say that they need to demonstrate competency pretty quickly, and they need to be perceptive enough to understand our environment, both our strengths and weaknesses.
I just wanted to say you have made it into my address book (Google Reader) and I really enjoy your posts.
Personality types and marketing were brought up in a conversation that I had with a friend. Since he has a sales background and I'm kinda anti-sales (I don't like when sales people leave out important details and I don't like being sold something I don't need) and his personality type is the same as mine I wondered how he did it. It is rather simple but it was something that I didn't pay much attention to before.
My guess to get into your address book I would try the following.
• Executive approach, wants to bring about order.
• Orientated towards facts, the more the merrier.
• Curious, soaks up information, fascinated by analysis, very precise.
• Focus on details not the relationship.
• Loves gadgets, intricate details, needs all the facts to give opinion.
• DECISIONS made SLOWLY based on FACTS.
• Consider telling them what the product won't do . they will respect you for it, and they will have spotted the deficiencies anyway.
• Discuss reasons and ask why? questions.
• Become less responsive and less assertive yourself.
Except I do value the relationship with a consultant or vendor, but in the context of a long term professional relationship, not in the context of a short term sale. I know that in many cases, our paths will cross again, and the next time, either they or I might be in a different situation, and the long term relationship will help make the right thing happen.
You are probably right, in that the cases that I wrote about, the consultant or vendor misread me pretty badly.
I'm wondering how consultants who appear to me to do so badly can still make a living. Do they sync up with other IT managers often enough to keep food on the table? If so, what does that say about those other managers?
NAC or Rootkit - How Would I know?
Hijacking a Botnet – What Can We Learn?