The company would be the fourth pan Indian CDMA player after Reliance Communicationa, Tata Teleservices and BSNL.

At present, the company is offering services in Rajasthan only. Shyam was among the 5 companies which were recently given new licences. While the others chose to take GSM spectrum, Shyam opted for CDMA which has enabled the company to beat the queue. The other new players including Videocon, Unitech and Swan have been given GSM spectrum in a few circles.

Sometimes in my coaching interventions a client would come back and ask me why I asked a particular question at that very moment which they found to be the key to unlock themselves (from that situations / problem ) and I have never ever had an answer for it!

I guess its inituition. It has always helped me select that piece of feedback, ask that very particular question at that particular point of time, told me when to probe deeper and also which recurring patterns to be picked up. I am so glad I have been able to build on this muscle because it means I can serve my clients better, something which I am very passionate about.

However I can never forget what my instructor at ICA said in a class " Though inituition can enrich the process of coaching and can lead to breakthroughs yet it is very important to guard against preconceptions and premature closure.i.e leaping to conclusions.The coach needs to listen and acknowledge inituition, use it, maybe write down a thought and come back to it at a later stage in the context of wider information"

Thank you Angela. Will never forget this golden nugget.

# 576, SPECTRUM IN BLOCKS, BY ARTIST ANN SULLIVAN

OIL

12 X 16

Quote in Alice in Wonderland.

I must admit...I own couple of cookbooks and follow recipes from one or two only.Internet however changed things. One it's so darn easy to google a recipe and download it. Of course not all my experiments have turned me into Rachel Ray. But lately I found all these fantastic food blogs with equally tempting pics. Pics which have me drooling ...I thought only Pierce Brosnan could do that. Plus, I faithfully follow showmethecurry.com for ideas and I actually like the format. What separates the video from the pics is the presentation of the step-by-step process. It makes my life easy. And spurs me to quickly whip up curry in a jiffy.

But coming back to the Indian blog cookland, I am amazed at the creativity and ingenuity of all it's creators. I mean watermelon rind dosa, phool makhani curry, sweet chilli lime tofu with spinach and quinoa, saayi dal, zucchini ka bharta ! Mouthwatering and why the heck couln't I come up with something unique ?

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Simple, cooks usually have sporting spouses encouraging and complimenting them and happily devouring what's been cooked.. Mine is no foodie. He loves junk food, chinatown....relishes my friend's chinese temptations ! And I am the opposite. I like Indo-Chinese and some Thai dishes and of course my pappu (daal) and koora (sabzi) and yes of course my dahi ! I love Indian food. Italian comes second. Mediterranean the third. Chinese...I have yet to acquire a taste for American Chinese food. I like it hot, he likes it cold. You get the drift. Plus, I have would have to dig deep to come up with dishes so unbelievably brilliant !

Now growing up my mom was and obviously still is the best cook . She makes simple dishes so delectable and outright tasty. Mainly Indian. My dad and brother love trying out exotic cuisines and always loved the FRESH taste. After my marriage, much to my chagrin, my mother-in-law cooked opposite of everything I learned. Bland as opposed to spicy. FRESH was not a well liked word in my mother-in-law's dictionary. Mainly because they entertained so many guests, relatives at their place. It was impossible to make something right there and then. From her I've learnt the art of culinary embellishments ,chopping veggies in advance and freezing them. Reusing podis as curry powders and so forth. Tips that help her lifestyle and now mine as well in USA.

My mom is from the old school. Pure, fresh and taste are part of her cooking dictionary. Nothing less and she won't compromise.
My husband and I eat out but I miss the taste pleasure that I had with my family. When my parents visit I take them to farmer's market, PYO farms and organic stores. They love it. My mom and dad tried the Wasabi peas from Whole Foods, the organic fruits and vegetables and converted me to their ways. As always, this lasts when they are here. Once they leave I fall into a rut and switch back to short-cuts and at times frozen dinners and eating out a lot more than necessary.

So now that I am hooked onto these wonderful blogs, I feel motivated and inspired to cook with new ingredients and probably don a cooking hat maybe ? Na....I will experiment at home and with friends. I will refrain from heading down the rabbit hole but will greatly relish the cooking adventures of others.

My friend's husband recently lost his dad to lung cancer. He turned 40 in July but was surprised by his wife just this last weekend. It was good to meet couple of friends at the party we bump into often and we usually promise to catch up. Of course life takes over and things get busy. So, I was taken to task by a friend who insisted on finalizing date/time so that we really do catch up !

And, as Labor Day looms , I will be catching up with my sister, brother and my sister's in-laws. My BIL turned 50 and my nephew heads to NY for college. It will be about partying and farewells and most importantly promising to do even more catching up.

Seriously, once the kids are in school I will be running helter-skelter with their stuff , entertaining my in-laws after their arrival, etc, etc. I was just looking at the calendar jotting down kids' related stuff, appointments and occasions, and I realized that it's been a while since Kumar and I went out together. Alone ! We went for a movie maybe but were glued to the screen and the movie plot.

Yes, it's time that we caught up with each other. His b'day is on Tuesday and I got tickets to watch Bill Maher's show later this year. Considering his serious penchant for comedy ! And before the show probably go out for a quick bite. Catching up will probably end up in arguing over silly things. Undoubtedly ! But it would be a change from the mundane stuff and life's blahs !

So, I really have to thank my friend who finalized date and time with me. After all ,this prompted me to really think about catching up. And act on it.

I don't remember when I took this video or where the show was. All I know is that it was a few years ago, and it was in Montreal. I think the show was either at Metropolis or Spectrum. I do remember that it was a really fun show! It was just after The Crane Wife was released so they played a lot of that album, but they also played a few oldies if I remember correctly. I remember that the Decemberists are big on audience participation. The first time I saw them they got the whole audience to scream at the top of their lungs during "The Mariner's Revenge Song" and the last time I saw them they staged this battle in the middle of the crowd. It was quite funny. Anyways, this is a video of them playing "Culling of the Fold", which is a B-side from The Crane Wife. I really love this song. The violin is awesome. Check it out. An interesting moment is when Colin Meloy takes a cell phone from someone in the audience, calls someone on it, and then sings the rest of the song into it. Priceless.

In other Decemberists news...

According to their official site they will be releasing a series of 3 mini albums, starting in October,  with new Decemberists music for our listening pleasure. The albums will be called Always the Bridesmaid: A Singles Series. Oh those Decemberists are crafty. Here's the full message from the Decemberists to you:

Points of Order:
• Always the Bridesmaid: A Singles Series debuts in October!
• Pre-order available through the Decemberists Shop.
• The Band is Currently in the Studio
• Insound throws a design party, Decemberists are implicated

Summer is upon us; our oscillating fans are circulating warm, jasmine-perfumed
air through our bedrooms and ossuaries.  The taste of tangerine sorbet
is perpetually on one's palette.  Our feet are finding themselves often
submerged in mixing bowls filled with ice water.  Summer is upon us.
Which brings to mind a slurry of news regarding your humble Pac NW Decemberists.

First and foremost, you'll be pleased to know that we've recorded a tidy heap
of material which we're releasing as 12" vinyl and digital singles over
the course of three Autumnal months. This 'singles series' is aptly
titled "Always the Bridesmaid" and will prominently feature songs that
the Decemberists really loved but presciently felt they would not fit
on the band's forthcoming LP.

The first volume will hit fine
indie record stores everywhere on October 14th, and will be comprised
of "Valerie Plame," and "O New England" on the A and B side,
respectively.

The second volume, "Days of Elaine" b/w "Days of
Elaine (Long)" and "I'm Sticking With You," will be released on
November 4th.  In celebration of both Volume 2's release and the
promise of a shiny new administration, the Decemberists will be
performing "Valerie Plame" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on the 3rd
of November.

The third and final volume, "Record Year for Rainfall," b/w "Raincoat Song," will be released on December 2nd.

Always the Bridesmaid: A Singles Series will be available on high-grade 12"
vinyl and digital format in the US and 7" vinyl and digital in the UK.
The lovely folks at Rough Trade will be overseeing the UK release of
the series, Capitol Records will oversee the US digital release and the
band's new imprint, Y.A.B.B. Records (in association with Jealous
Butcher) will release the 12" vinyl version.  The digital release will
likely be available world-wide.
You can pre-order the 12" version of the singles on colored vinyl EXCLUSIVELY through the Decemberists Shop (www.decemberistsshop.com)

NOW.  You can either have them arrive at your doorstep in the three
installments or you can have them, all three, delivered in one shot
around the release of the 3rd single on December 2nd.  You'll be happy
to know that no small effort has gone into the design and manufacture
of these beauties -- each one will be on 180 gram vinyl in a rather
lovely custom jacket.  The shop will also be making available two (his
'n' hers) t-shirts to coincide with the singles' release.
And
this mysterious LP which proved an inhospitable home to these little
pop gems?  The band is currently hard at work in the studio trying to
tame its mangy throw.  It's a tough bit of leather. . .a little mossy,
a little evil.  More on that later.

And what better time than summer to consider purchasing a fetching new t-shirt, as designed by Jason Munn of The Small Stakes (www.thesmallstakes.com).  Jason did a nifty design for a Decemberists t-shirt, along with 19 other bands, and you can check them all out at www.insound.com/insound20.  Drop in the code "Insound20dec" for a fan-friendly discount.

That's all for now!  Keep those toes under water!  And REGISTER TO VOTE!!!!

Yours,

The Decemberists

Can't wait to hear it!

There is no denying the fact that the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was acknowledged in 1964 as an unwavering member of the General Assembly to buttress global trade, in particular the export trade of just beginning countries to pick up the pace of the economic development programme of those countries. Those countries actually craving to deal with development issues in a specially created body. It is their conviction that their development problems could not be attempted successfully through active worldwide economic institute due to fact that those countries influencing interrelated business activities were dominated by urbanized countries. Its objectives were to help to attain agreement on the stabilisation of commodity prices, investment, trade preferences and compensatory financing programmes. UNCTAD has long been served as a mouthpiece of the world’s poor and has been a central forum for the North- South dialogue. Although in its long existence it has taken up many issues for encouraging the interest of developing countries, but for some reasons it has changed its role considerably. UNCTAD is doing its business facing the reality of present international economic structure.

It is inevitable for the developing countries to fortify and make it resourceful. UNCTAD conferences from 1964 to 1996 make public that the Third World has transformed their situation significantly. In their first conference in 1964 the developing countries banded together to form the Group of 77 as a coalition of the world’s poor to press for concession from the rich. In UNCTAD 6, 1983 the recognition of the importance of the role of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as multilateral development institution was made. In UNCTAD 8 in 1992 there was a broad consensus on importance of market oriented economic policies and political pluralism as basis for development. Most important decision was the reform and revitalisation of UNCTAD to ensure its continuing relevance on trade and development issues. The issues addressed in the UNCTAD forum have changed over time in response to changing international circumstances. Some of the causes will be described below.

One state one vote ethics of General Assembly gives the Third World nations advantages in the UN forums. Those who are the highest contributors to the UN command only fifteen votes. For that reason the North prefers small forums, usually outside the General Assembly. Indeed, in view of the charter of UN follows the one state one vote principle not weighted voting system like the IMF and the World Bank, so the North states reluctant to the activities of the UN General Assembly which has some influence on UNCTAD.

The major powers of the North made it clear that they were only prepared to deal with key economic problems of the South through the Bretton Woods’s institutions and WTO, which were fully under their control. In our country we have optimistic view in the sense that progressively more, thus, the developing countries, especially those with heavy balance burdens, were both nudged and drawn into embrace of these multilateral financial institutions. This is an important reason for which UNCTAD has changed. The Third World nation’s different level of development, different degrees of economic and political affiliation with the North, different colonial familiarity and different discernment of national interests have created diversified attitude towards North. That may also be a reason for change in UNCTAD. The closing stages of cold war, the earth-shattering alteration in East West relations and the end of bloc politics modified the North- South relation, which has impact on UNCTAD activities.

Suffice it to say that in during 1980, the economic growth rate has deteriorated in many Third world countries. The prices of the commodities exported by Third World nations fell sharply compared with the prices they had to pay for their imports. The debt burden of many Third World countries reduced their bargaining power. The erosion of their bargaining leverage added to the softening of its militancy and increased reluctance to fight against North. The changing economic climate of the 1980’s affected different countries in different way which created diversity within the Third World countries and affected the role of UNCTAD. UNCTAD was subjected to increasing financial pressure, which affected programmes, performance, staffing morale and independence of the body. The creation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has important impact on the change in UNCTAD’s role.

In view of the above discussion, it is obvious that, although UNCTAD’s attitude towards Bretton Woods institutions and as such World Trade Organisation has changed, but despite economic and political transformations in the world in the last thirty years, the essence of UNCTAD’s development mission has not changed. Although in recent years little has been achieved through UNCTAD in the area of consultation and negotiation on general economic issues, but negotiations in UNCTAD sometimes provide a starting point for concrete decisions elsewhere, and the organisation continues to play an important role as a forum for the discussion of development issues and a centre for the study of the problems facing developing Countries. It may be mentioned here that UNCTAD has become at once a negotiating instrument, a deliberative forum, a generator of new ideas and concepts and a provider of technical assistance. As a result of this multifaceted mandate, UNCTAD was entrusted with a wide spectrum of activities cutting across several dimensions of development.

With all this going on, I got a call from my dad yesterday afternoon informing me that my mom was admitted to the hospital after she collapsed in the morning. My dad with the help of a neighbor rushed my mom to Nikhil Hospital where doctors conducted all tests including CT scan to check for the cause of the collapse. Eventually, it's been concluded that her sugar levels were low. My mother was on saline and glucose drip ( this part is still vague). I spoke to my mom for few seconds ...she was too weak too talk.

For few moments I just froze and then became relieved that my mom was OK..not 100 % but could talk to me. I informed my sister and brother who immediately called my dad and we all rallied around. In the night my sister and I spoke at length trying to assuage each other's fears of declining health of my aging parents. We were helpless in USA and my parents ( though will never say it to us) probably missed having one of us around especially at such times.

My parents are very independent...as much as they can be but such a scare had me wondering ? Should I uproot them from their comfort zone and have them in USA, near us so that we can take care of them ? Both my mom and dad are reluctant whenever this topic comes up. I am in a quandry ...I will visit them, but is that enough ?

I am confused and can't think clearly. It's difficult but life's full of tough questions anyway.

I spoke to my parents again. The doctor ruled out any problem and my mom was discharged. But the nagging question stayed in my mind all day and no solution visible in sight. I have to find some solution where both are comfortable but I don't know what it is yet !

Anyway, I am going to convince my parents to carry on with 50th anniversary celebrations whenever they are upto it ...it will probably mask the scent of fear and uncertainty for few days.

I feel all emotional and probably a good talk again with my siblings will help the decision making process. Till then I can only wish my parents A VERY HAPPY 50th and be there for them soon !

for more, head to cuthbert and the nightwalkers @ spectrum

Following up on its more industry-centric work in the Wireless Innovation Alliance, Google is heading up an effort to solicit signatures via a new site called Free the Airwaves intended to generate public pressure on the FCC to open up more wireless spectrum.

If the US is ever going to escape the current failed market duopoly for network service provision and carriage, efforts like this need to succeed.

Who opposes opening spectrum to increase competition, innovation, and access? Incumbent telecommunications firms with dominant market shares and well-entrenched advantages over their competitors.

Here's the National Association of Broadcasters' (NAB) FUD-spewing website featuring "Wally the Unlicensed Wireless Device."

Once you untangle the actual ideas from the pretty pictures and high-flown rhetoric, the NAB's call to retain strict oligopolistic control over the airwaves is based on the underlying assumption that "networks need an owner" - some firm(s) to be accountable for its failure, maintenance, and improvement.

Problem is, the Internet as a whole has already de-bunked this half-baked argument. Well-designed and implemented protocols (or standards) can overcome the hypothetical tragedies of the networking commons. Governments and large private firms play a crucial role in preserving the Internet, but one of the reasons ithe Internet has spawned so much creativity, wealth, and participation is that the underlying protocols are basically device-agnostic (although U.S. ISP's like Comcast are trying to undermine that too). The Internet does not care if you are using a desktop, laptop, PDA, etc or if you are sending an email, a chat message, voice data, pictures, music or movies.

Returning to the wireless spectrum case, though, it's important to note that existing government concessions to large telecommunications firms in the U.S. have stifled broadband speeds and access as well as the growth of wireless communications as a whole.

This market needs more competition, not less. The sooner the FCC (and other firms in this market) can recognize that, the better.

Sign the petition or visit the site to take action.

(H/T JW, SS, and other Berkman Center Fellows)

Update: Check out Lessig's video contribution to the Free the Airwaves campaign - he elaborates further on the idea that the history of innovation on the Internet provides a useful example for thinking about the future of spectrum.

It occurred to me recently that there is a great significance to the fact there are only three basic colors, from which all others are derived: red, blue, and yellow. Once I realized this, it was immediately clear to me that these correspond to the Id, Ego, and SuperEgo:

The following is Excerpted from Wikipedia's Color Symbolism article:

Red: Passion, strength, energy, fire, love, sex, excitement, speed, heat, arrogance, ambition, leadership, masculinity, power, danger, gaudiness, blood, war, anger, revolution, radicalism, socialism, communism, aggression, summer, autumn.

Blue: Seas, men, productive (interior) skies, peace, unity, harmony, tranquility, calmness, coolness, confidence, conservatism, water, ice, loyalty, dependability, cleanliness, technology, winter, depression, coldness, idealism, obscenity, tackiness, air, wisdom, royalty, nobility, strength, steadfastness, light, friendliness.

Yellow: not included because the symbolism is not relevant to this post.

If you think about it, the symbolism of Red corresponds to Id, and the symbolism of Blue corresponds to the SuperEgo. The level of compatibility is amazing, actually.

Naturally, the Ego corresponds to the color yellow. Both blue and red, as best demonstrated by mixing paints, are very strong colors, are strong colors, although their strengths achieve different effects. Yellow, on the other hand, is a very weak color, and as such is, like "Ego", suitable for control- that is, working out the finer details of the work, be it a painting, or our own life.

One of the core matters that I've been concerned with, is how to get ourselves (i.e. "Ego") in touch with the SuperEgo. See- Id, Ego, and SuperEgo, are our mind's materialization of the past, present, and future- Id=past, Ego= present, SuperEgo= future. By looking in retrospect, one can appreciate both truths- these three elements are, in my opinion, just three different ways of looking at the same thing. We have the past, present, and future, and from our mind's perception of these, are born desire, control, and direction, which in turn correspond to the respective three. But God exists outside time (depending on "who" God is(!) and so to him they are all one

As I have more or less already said, I'm currently setting aside the face-value dogmatic interpretations of the Bible prevalent in Christianity, to determine what the true meaning is, if only for me. The Bible is referred to as "The Living Word of God", and "living" is the key word here. The Bible is the literary personification of God himself, and should be treated as a person when reading it. I think it's very unfortunate that God's word, which not only is essentially a person, but also one of infinite proportions, has been simplified into such a dogmatic, close-minded interpretation.

To put into proportion the gravity of this unfortunate development, here's a good comparison: "All Mexicans feel compelled to have babies" In the United States, the rate of Mexican babies being born versus Caucasian babies being born is 3 to 1, despite the fact Mexicans are a minority. Such a statistic might justify that stereotype then, but it's still a bit harsh, right? The figure can also lead people on about the relation to the other aspects of Mexicans' lives.

The dogma that Christianity, and other major religions have become, is infinitely worse than the above example, because God is infinite, and thus infinitely more complex. Not only is this insulting to God, but it has produced many misconceptions.

We should try to understand the Bible as we would a person. When getting to know people, there are two key things to consider:

(1) Everyone who knows that person knows them a little bit differently.

(2) The more that we get to know each person, the more that our own understanding of them changes; over time our perception of them is continually clarified, and more beautiful.

When reading the Bible, we should treat it as we would a person, because it is a person, and God himself at that. God does not change, but our perception of him does.

The Id, Ego, and SuperEgo also correspond to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Genesis 1: 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was^[a] on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

In verse 1, God separates the heavens from the other, but IMO, this does not refer to the physical heavens and earth. Those were created in verses 9-10. Christian conspiracy theorists claim that the first creation occurred in verses 1-3, but that Satan and his angels destroyed it, and God recreated it in 7 days (a rush job!), in verses 9-10. I know these claims are just hot-air, but it's interesting that J.R.R. Tolkien materialized (more or less) this theory in the first few chapters of his book The Silmarillion.

Here's the real meaning (IMO): vs1- Time began when God created the first law (as in standard, without which we could not know one thing from another, or ourselves even, it (and we) would all be one big blob without standards.

vs2- It is clarified that everything is just one big blob "without form, and void" notice also that God's Spirit (the Holy Spirit) is hovering over the "blob"- notice the significance in relation to the Id, which is aimless desire.

vs3- "the Father" (or the Ego) began time (and the first law) with the first, and fundamental law, light and dark. Through establishing this standard, God was able to appreciate his work, and this is acknowledged by God, following the creation of light and dark, and in doing so time itself, said it was good.

Throughout the rest of the creation story, God clarifies the previously formless creation, starting with the basic standards of contrast, and with each new standard things become more and more complex; with the increasing complexity and standards, God is able to appreciate his creation more and more- that is why with each standard he says it is good, because the creation is better than it was the day before. The Son, which is referenced in Genesis, and throughout the Old Testament, but not realized (actuality, i.e. incarnation) until the new testament, is the part of God that focuses on the future, and on ideals, expectations, and most of the aspects covered under the symbolism of Blue (above) Through Jesus we can look forward to a future, are given hope- and that is also the purpose of the SuperEgo.

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all^[b] the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

"Let Us" is key here- it refers to the fact that God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- each of these aspects are reflected on us, because we are an image of all of these aspects of God. In other words, the Id, Ego, and SuperEgo are the reflections of God the Holy Spirit, God the Father, and God the Son within us; because God gifted us with his image, we have a past, present, and future; we have desire, direction, and control. We are "Fearfully and Wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14)

Do you remember a game called Everyone's A Wally? Well, it was my favourite (apart from when I kept falling down the fountain and getting eaten by the sharks in the sewer...)! Here it is:

So, when Kumar dangled Ocean City, Maryland as a bait, I fell for it hook, line and sinker. Ocean City  was Bliss city for me and the family. We were beach bums for all the 4 days we were there. And it was super relaxing. We would drag along the paraphernalia of a colorful umbrella and beach blankets and  spread out on the not-so-crowded beach and sun ourselves to glory. The kids made their sand creations and lapped up the waves. And I got a chance to tune everything out. A couple of books from the library and I was set.

Cycling, strolling and sunning did lot of good. Our moods got better , and tolerance levels went up.

I felt totally rejuvenated, literally.

Now, we are back home and I think this paradise will hopefully last for few more hours and I can finish all the chores and catch up with my volunteering work which btw is getting more fulfilling ...a newsletter and walk a thon are on the cards and I am excited by that.

I loved my family vacation and am all armoured again to tackle the seige of kids, chores, volunteer work, not necessarily in that order....but energized batteries will probably see me through fall and winter and spring and hopefully another vacation will be round the corner to oh so rejuvenate me !

· What is this “Spectrum Splotch”?

It is an event in which a student will be exposing ideas through painting.

Themes:

· In the Mind of an Animal

· An expression of Greed/Hate/Pride/Selfishness

· Bliss

· How am I to Participate?

Register with the help of the registration form provided in the website or mail us your registration details.

· What rules am I NOT supposed to break?

o Brushes must be brought by you.

o Paints would be provided if necessary.

o Only one Drawing sheet would be provided per participant

o Maximum Time limit : 2 hours

· What would you do for me?

o We would send you a confirmation mail after we get your registration

o Any other queries regarding this event please contact

Mr. Riyaaz Basha - +91 – 9994326844

Athletes come together to spread the word and raise some funds

I had the pleasure of spending this past weekend emceeing a fund raising event for Autism.  It is a program called Athletes Against Autism or (Triple A) This fundraising organization was founded by 3 NHL Hockey Players, Byron Dafoe, Olie Kolzig, and Scott Mellanby.  A number of other NHL Hockey Players also showed up with some Hollywood actors as well.  We enjoyed a Gala Dinner that was touching and very informative and then a great round of golf, where I personally got to play with and  rib one of my favourites  Craig McTavish, the current coach of my team the “Edmonton Oilers”.  But the reality of the weekend  was that I found out that  the statistics about Autism are mind boggling.  And the resources out there for parents dealing with this disorder are far and few between.  And to add to the complications, the costs of therapy’s to help their children are very high, making huge strains on families financial situations.  The divorce rate in couples after they find out their child has Autism is 80%. Leaving, to be blunt, 99% moms taking on the burden of caring for and helping their children prosper to the best of their abilities. 

What’s even more difficult to get your head around is how this disorder has evolved over the past 20 years.

About Autism

• Autism is a devastating neurological disorder that impairs – often severely – an individual’s ability to communicate, form relationships with others, and relate to their surroundings
• It is the fastest-growing developmental disorder in the nation
• Affects 1 in 150 children, 1 in 94 boys
• Compared to 1 to 10,000 just thirteen years ago
• 1.5 million affected in the U.S., and tens of millions worldwide
• 3 children diagnosed every hour
• 24,000 each year
• Autism remains severely underfunded
• Autism receives only three-tenths of 1 percent of NIH funding
• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined

If you have a child or know a family who has a child, please pass along the contact information to them.

To find out more and get support go to www.autismspeaks.org

Remember to watch for Linda Edgecombe's new book "Shift ...or Get Off the Pot....26 Simple Truths about Getting a Life". www.lindaedgecombe.com

HRchitect believes that a number of other factors will impact the evaluation, selection and implementation of ITM applications over the next 12-36 months. In this blog we will cover Niche and ITM Vendors vs. ERP Vendors. We also reveal the one ERP vendor with the best shot at closing the talent management gap the fastest that we alluded to in our July 16, 2008 blog about Market Trend Predictions.

Niche and ITM suite vendors have generally increased their feature / function lead - ERPs (e.g., Oracle, SAP, Lawson, Workday) and core HRMS platforms (e.g., Ultimate Software, NuView, Spectrum) will continue to invest in integrated talent management, but will not close the gap with the integrated talent management niche providers or talent-management-system suites – with one possible exception (see below). To put this observation in context, it’s necessary to understand some basic market dynamics:

For the niche provider, ongoing innovation is key to survival – maintaining a 12-18 month feature/function lead over the ERP vendors is necessary to continue market momentum and get enough new deals to guarantee continued solvency. For each Human Capital Management functional area there are generally two to three ‘thriving’ niche vendors and another three to five ‘surviving’ providers that are nimble and agile enough to stay ahead of the ERPs.

The emergence of the ITM suite vendors has further confused prospective customers - as these providers have generally achieved sufficient revenues and customer base to thrive, and have built a partner ‘ecosystem’ that rivals (in miniature) the ERPs. However, due to their niche heritage, most of these vendors have maintained the more agile development environments that enable them to maintain an innovation advantage.

The innovation gap varies by functional area, as the pace of innovation has slowed in more mature areas such as Recruiting and Learning Management, while Workforce Planning, Succession Management, and Career Planning remain quite volatile.

ERP vendors have much larger development organizations than either the niche vendors or full-suite providers; however, that resource is spread across a vast application portfolio. In addition, satisfying the broader customer bases of these providers makes it a real challenge to respond quickly to changes in market conditions.  ERP product managers are faced with the daunting task of determining just how much functionality (combined with the advantage of built-in integration) is enough to “tip the scales” for a representative slice of the market.

The historical “balance of innovation” was dramatically affected by Oracle’s purchase of PeopleSoft in early 2005. The development focus for Oracle’s HCM applications (not only PeopleSoft, but E-Business Suite as well) was fragmented for almost 18 months as Oracle tried to determine sales, marketing, and development strategies in the aftermath of Larry Ellison’s infamous “Fusion” announcement. Oracle’s internal thrashing provided an unprecedented opportunity for niche ITM vendors to extend their innovation lead, and also gave the larger players in the space the breathing room to consider expanding their own application footprint via organic development and/or acquisition.

It is clear that both Oracle and SAP continue to invest substantially in expanding their

ITM footprint, and both deliver some strong capabilities in a tightly integrated environment. However, their development organizations will not be able to close the existing 18-to-24 month lead the niche providers have in feature/function. The midmarket core HRMS platforms will continue to try to build enough ITM capabilities into market core HRMS platforms will continue to try to build enough ITM capabilities into their product line to meet the needs of less complex firms in that space; this functionality is generally not robust enough to compete with the ITM suites.

The one possible exception to this trend is Lawson Software, a longtime ERP vendor that focused on US healthcare, retail and professional services organizations in the late 1990s, but has now broadened into global and manufacturing firms with the Intentia merger in 2005. Over the past two years Lawson has substantially increased overall HCM development efforts, including significant improvements in recruiting, performance management, and compensation capabilities. This functionality has been packaged into a Strategic HR product line (announced with four charter customers in March 2008), along with an updated user experience that incorporates many “Web 2.0” collaboration and communication features. Although the product is new and has a limited number of customers, Lawson seems to be the lone ERP vendor that has made some headway against the ITM suite providers. 

Solving a piece of the puzzle… 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Para seguir leyendo pulsa aquí.

Right now we’re all pretty amped about the Olympics. The opening ceremony was pretty spectacular (those drummers? Holy shit!), we’ve got swimming and cycling and fencing and all those fantastic sports that right now we’re going apeshit over.

Come Thursday when you’re about to neck yourself from Olympic saturation, Teenagers In Tokyo are starting their tour. There’s no sport, no gold medals, no human rights violations, and no Bruce McAveney.

Sam from the band was super awesome and spoke to LNaP ahead of their tour…

LNaP: You guys got picked up for a carefree ad. Have you heard your song all over TV yet? What’s it like hearing it?
Sam: I’ve only heard it a couple of times cause I don’t really have a TV at home. But one day we were sitting around before rehearsal and it came on and we all did one of those double takes you see in old school cartoons. It’s the most surreal thing to hear the song in that context!

LNaP: How was touring with !!!? I’d imagine that would have been totally awesome fun.
Sam: It was so much fun! We’re really big fans of theirs so to go on tour with them was just as exciting to see them play every night. They have a really great vibe that translates onstage and off. After the first show in Brisbane we were all backstage singing an impromptu version of Careless Whisper with Alan (their saxophonist) nailing the sax parts and the rest of us belting it out at the top of our lungs.

LNaP: How was euro tour? Any interesting stories? Selling out Camden Barfly must have been rad.
Sam: We had no concrete expectations for the tour considering the fact that the northern hemisphere seems so far away. So when we finally got there it was so bizarre to see our name in publications like NME or meet people on the street that recognised us! One of the most fun places had to be playing at Sous le Pont which is a club under the Alexandre III bridge in Paris. It’s THE most luscious venue I’ve ever stepped into. Another highlight was Berlin, playing in this abandon building space turned hole-in-the-wall club. There wasn’t really a stage, PA system or anything for that matter. Just a bar in the corner, some rooms upstairs with DJs and packed with people. It was just so Berlin, yah. Selling out the Barfly was so mad cause it’s one of those institutions that you always read about. To have that ticked off our list already is pretty amazing.

LNaP: How was euro tour for rudi? Does he have trouble putting up with four girls, or do 4 girls have trouble putting up with him?
Sam: Ha! I think it’s a delicate balance of both actually. We all had to put up with each other, which was an interesting experiment with unexpected results. I think it was the longest time that we’ve all spent day in, day out with each other.

LNaP: Obviously have Linda working at Triple J so much must affect the band. Is it difficult getting her to rehearsals and tours? Do you ever feel like slipping in some of your songs, maybe 7 times in every shift?
Sam: We all work full time so it can get pretty difficult trying to find time between all five of us, but we’re all really dedicated to the band so we always find ways around to do what we want. I don’t think Linda has ever felt the need to drop one of our tracks into her show. That would be a little weird no?

LNaP: How’s the writing coming along? What sort of sound can we expect on your new tunes?
Sam: It’s a really interesting process as we’re trying all these new methods to see what eventuates. I find it difficult to describe our “new sound”…it’s pretty much like nothing you’ve ever heard before. In fact it’s not even music, it’s just a whole new concept altogether! In all seriousness though, come down to see us play live if you want a better indication than that last sentence!

LNaP: Being from Canberra, a lot of people complain about the lack of shows, yet you guys keep coming back and will be here in about a week, despite it only being a four date tour. What brings you back to Canberra?
Sam: We had a great ole time in Canberra when we last visited, so we thought we’d come back. We met some really nice people who came to the show last time and it’s always a pleasure to stop by. Plus it’s the “Nation’s Capital”, so I’m pretty sure it’s like passing GO in Monopoly.

LNaP: What colour is Sophie’s hair at the moment?
Sam: At the moment it’s a lovely shade of caramel. Any suggestions for what should be next? I’m taking bets.

LNaP: What’s the plan for the next year?
Sam: We’re not that good at planning; we kind of take stuff as it comes. After these shows we’re going to focus on writing our debut album and getting some pre-production done. After that I assume we’ll record the album at some stage, in some place, whether it be this year or next. Some live shows will likely follow, maybe even some more overseas jaunts. Hopefully at some point we’ll be able to squeeze in a holiday as well!

There you have it children. Enjoy the Olympics whilst you still have that patriotism in you, but when the weekend comes and you can’t stand cross promotion any longer, go out and see Teenagers In Tokyo.

I had a fantastic night and it was great to see some old favorites come out to the show who I hadn't seen in a while  (Dandelion and Rockabilly especially)

The rad arse folk at Polaroids Of Androids did a review of the show which you can check out...ah..now... I guess Polaroids Of Androids Review

Plus we had some photos taken by Andrew which you can see on his flickr site or his brand new photo blog site. I liked one photo so much i have used it as one of the headers on this page.