Year-round activities both on land and in the water make Rhode
Island a place that will be enjoyed by the entire family. With its many
museums, parks and historic sites, there is something for everyone.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Friday, March 22, 2013
TGIF?
Monday morning I'll fly out to Georgia for our quarterly review. I'll spend a week in Atlanta discussing projected sales, refund percentages, database developments, customer service automation, budgeting, growth plans, staffing, benefits, supply, et al.
I'll be asked how I feel about moving to Boston or Detroit for awhile to help start up our third or fourth operation.
I'll sleep in a hotel room, and spend almost every waking hour with our management team. I'll train a new lead for our plant down there because the last lead - my right hand girl - has just been promoted to a management position in another department.
I'll leave Georgia for Texas, where I'll stand before a judge and receive my divorce decree. And then, I'll come back to Tacoma and move into my new place within 4 days.
I can't remember the last time I felt so excited.
But in the meanwhile, I sit here looking out my window at the rush-hour traffic. It's raining, the sun is gone. People are going home to their families and loved ones. I have a good four hours of work left, and no one at home waiting to hear all about this.
I know, I know. I said I had a renewed appreciation for being single. And I do. But nights like this, I wish I had a boyfriend. We'd order a ten o'clock pizza, watch a movie while we talk about our workdays, and fall asleep together on the couch. Nights like this, I want to share my excitement.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Dr. Hwang Controversy
Dr Hwang's cloning (ala, Snuppy)? Well, it turns out that such work maynot be exactly truthful. A scandal over Hwang's work with stem cells is brewing to no small degree. A last look at Google News' referral of the Bloomberg article on the Dr Hwang controversy showed 671 related stories. The controversy erupted as such:
1) Dr
Hwang et al. publish a Science paper (interesting because Nature
has a much higher impact factor, especially for biology) suggesting that they
are now able to create pluripotent, donor-matching stem cells from human
epidermal cells and oocytes (human ovarian eggs).
2) Word gets out that the oocytes he used were actually from a postdoctoral researcher in his lab! That's a conflict of interest if I ever saw one. Further, Hwang makes the ridiculous assertion that the eggs were forced on him.
3) Hwang's US collaborator at the University of Pittsburgh, Gerald Schatten, leaves the project and demands his name be taken off the paper.
4) Roh Sung Il, another postdoc in Hwang's lab, makes a statement today claiming that out of the supposed eleven stem cell lines created by Hwang's lab, nine are fictitious and the remaining two may not even be pluripotent. Ouch.
2) Word gets out that the oocytes he used were actually from a postdoctoral researcher in his lab! That's a conflict of interest if I ever saw one. Further, Hwang makes the ridiculous assertion that the eggs were forced on him.
3) Hwang's US collaborator at the University of Pittsburgh, Gerald Schatten, leaves the project and demands his name be taken off the paper.
4) Roh Sung Il, another postdoc in Hwang's lab, makes a statement today claiming that out of the supposed eleven stem cell lines created by Hwang's lab, nine are fictitious and the remaining two may not even be pluripotent. Ouch.
This may turn out to be a case of "falsifying data," the cardinal sin of scientific research (is there a cardinal sin in the practice of law?), just like this genius turned dumb. Falsification of data is Science's summum malum for several reasons: first, it calls in to question the veracity of all the author's previous publications, some of which may have been used to base other work; second, it is a form of embezzlement if the author is receiving grants that rely, obviously, on the truth behind his study's assertions; and third, other authors may have filed grants using the untruthful author's results as cause for further investigation. Let there be no doubt, John Q Public of South Korea: if Dr Hwang is guilty of falsification of data, it will be you, the Korean taxpayer, who is paying for it.
So where do these acts lie, legally speaking? Well, at least in the US, the NIH has established one of my favorite sites, what I like call the PI blotter(in labspeak, PI stands for principal investigator, or the person running the lab). This delightful little site lists in an easy to read format all those in the past year who have been found guilty of scientific misconduct--much like your local police blotter! Individuals found guilty of such crimes are often "disbarred" from scientific research for a set period of time. In one instance, a PI has gone to prison.
I was interested to note, however, that most of what makes scientific illegitimacy a crime is an Executive Order, not a federal statute. While this may seem somewhat strange, it makes sense when you look at it in terms of the federal budget. The Executive Branch controls the Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP). [Note: ever wonder how the President is able to say things like, "We're going to go to the moon!" or "Build the Fermi collider!" and actually get it done with little argument from Congress? In a nutshell, this is why.] The OSTP works with the Office of Managerial Budget (OMB) to allocate funds to various departments with a scientific bent (Labor, Energy, etc.) The NIH, subsumed under the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), gets allocated a certain amount of money for bone plate research and other medical research. The Executive Office (i.e., the President), therefore, hold the NIH's pursestrings. Piss off the NIH, you piss off the President. A little more meaningful than cutting the heads of parking meters, huh?
So before you try to clone something, please, check the veracity of your tissues. Or, as Shakespeare could have written (had he been alive to see this): To thine own cells, be true.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Better Supply Chain For Consumer Safety
 |
| Nintendo Wii Injury (Photo credit: evansonline) |
In our modern era, where political decisions often resemble bumper sticker marketing slogans rather than sensible nuanced policy, simplistic over-reaction is always a danger. A perfect example…the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which President Bush signed in 2008 after lead was found in many childrens’ toys. The law requires every material in products aimed at children under 12 years old be tested by a 3rd party lab for lead levels. It’s a massive undertaking for large stores and a near impossibility for smaller toy makers and retailers.
Most people - including regulators, manufacturers and the impacted retailers - seemed to think the law would be postponed or modified before taking effect February 10th. After all, there isn’t even enough capacity in the nation’s 3rd party testing labs to handle the new workload. No such luck. In fact, as late as Monday, regulators were frantically putting FAQs up on the internet to help retailers, from posh children’s boutiques to thrift stores, figure out what needs to be tested or pulled from shelves.
But the question we should be asking is; is this the most efficient way to protect consumers from a supply chain risk?
This situation reminds me of advice a colleague once had for the toy industry after WalMart and Toys R Us voluntarily imposed new phthalate restrictions on their suppliers. They urged that testing (which smart retailers already do on their own - a scenario that’s NOT allowed under the CPSIA) was only part of the solution, and that retailers must push for greater visibility into their supply chains and hold their vendors accountable when the rules are broken.
Wouldn’t that be a better way to protect children, manufacturers, retailers and…perhaps even a few politicians, who could claim real world results through comprehensive, collaborative risk reduction strategies? I guess that approach won’t fit on a bumper sticker.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Assessing a Property
Market Analysis
Your agent should do the homework before suggesting a possible list price for your home. They will perform a comprehensive market analysis based on homes sold in your area and homes currently on the market. Information about homes that failed to sell also will be provided indicating prices that buyers were not willing to pay. Learn more about a market analysis here.Property Condition Assessment
The condition of your property will have a lot to do with the selling price and how quickly your home will sell. If there are minor repairs that you could perform easily, or perhaps some cosmetic upgrades that will make your home more appealing, your agent should discuss those enhancements with you, and which makes the most sense from a financial and practical standpoint. Learn more about property condition assessments here.
The goal is to make your house more appealing than the
competing houses on the market and this is where the experience of an Equity
Group agent begins to pay off.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Loaders, Steel and Construction
Excavator loaders are very important equipment in the
construction industry. There are two types of loaders backhoe loaders and wheel
loaders. A backhoe is a piece of excavating equipment consisting of an digging
equipment called as a stick or dipper on the end of an articulated arm. Modern
technology has made backhoes which are powered by hydraulic methods. There are backhoe
loaders which are engineering vehicles which consists of steel tractor and a small
backhoe in the end. They are smaller an size and very versatile by nature, which is why backhoe loaders are extremely important in urban engineering and small
construction projects.
Backhoe loaders are used for a variety of tasks such as
building houses, breaking apart asphalt, fixing city roads and highways, small demolitions, light transportation
of building materials such as cold drawn steel bar from Capital Steel & Wire, powering building equipment, digging holes/excavating. The
backhoe loaders bucket is often replaced with other tools such as breaker for
smashing concrete and rock. There are many uses of backhoes and hence they are
important equipment in the construction industry. Majority of the contractors
who deal in the construction arena own a backhoe loader. There are many
companies which manufacture backhoes.
The Excel equipment for sale are a good bargain at any point
of time for the contractor. They can buy these equipment and make full use of
their versatile nature by using these equipment for various uses. If you are on
a low budget spending spree, you can look out for buying global equipment. These used equipment are not only cheaper but usually offer the same
function to that of a brand new one. While you are looking out at buying a used
backhoe you should check out the following points.
You need to check the three essential parts of the backhoe i.e
tractor, loader and the bucket and if they are functioning to its full
capacity. Even if you are buying branded Excel equipment, it makes more sense
to inspect the equipment as they are also prone to wear and tear. Check out the
hydraulic, mechanical and electrical issues, the part of the equipment should
not be close to deterioration. Else you might save on the purchase but end up
paying more for their spares. It s your money that you are going to spend so it
makes more sense to check the equipment that you are going to purchase so that
you are sure that you are making a good investment. Before you make any purchases though, be sure you're wearing the right construction equipment. I would recommend Dickies work pants for something that will last you a long time.
You can take advice from an expert if you are not sure about
the mechanics of the equipment. You should also be sure about the company
policy whether they offer any warranty or is there any service and maintenance
contract of the company. If you carefully select the loader before buying, you
can make an investment for a lifetime.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Switzerland vs. Mexico
 |
| switzerland-futbol-soccer-stamp-1970 (Photo credit: karen horton) |
Switzerland needs a victory to advance, and a big one at that. Of course, it all depends on what the other coutnries do in their group, but if Switzerland can beat Mexico by 2 or 3 goals, then they should be the ones to advance. I've always been a big Switzerland fan, so you know who I will be cheering for, as I've traveled around Switzerland quite a few times. My favorite place to stay while I was visiting there was the Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof in Interlaken Switzerland. They were a great last minute hostel find for me, and as far as a hostel goes, you can't find much of a better deal that that one for as many tourists that come to Switzerland.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)