11
March
2009
A survey by Adam Continuity has revealed that the local authorities are paying a lot of attention to business continuity, which includes appropriate planning for data management and back up. Most of the IT professionals from local authorities surveyed said that mock drills of disaster recovery systems have been done within the last 2 years. 75% of the survey respondents said they have reviewed the data recovery procedure at least once in the last one year.
The survey also revealed that two thirds of the local authorities are getting the required support for disaster recovery through both internal and external resources, while the rest have chosen to outsource the work.
The IT professionals surveyed considered business continuity highly important for the council’s business. 67% of the respondents ranked business continuity as the number one priority. However, many of the IT professionals were of the opinion that the elected councillors do not consider business continuity as important. In fact, only 25% of the respondents believed that the elected representatives give disaster management the due importance.
Philip Caulfield from the surveying agency, Adam Continuity was impressed with the attitude of the local authorities, especially with their commitment to put in action what they preached in words. He added that how important LAs consider business continuity for their organization is evident from their management of the disaster recovery planning.
However, the IT departments of the LAs seek more support from the councillors. More than 2/3rd of the surveyed IT professionals said that there was no increase in their budget for business continuity in the year 2008 and the current budgets are insufficient for the purpose.
Find out more about the range of training, which includes risk assessment for fire available from the experts at Workplace Law Training.
Posted: Biz, Legal
10
March
2009
Hockey’s most essential piece of equipment? The stick. A hockey stick is about 31 to 38 inches long with a round handle and a hooked end, which is rounded on one side and flat on the other and used to push, dribble and strike the ball.
The hockey stick is traditionally made of wood covered with fiberglass, but modern sticks are also made of Kevlar and composite plastics. They are available in three weight variations; light, medium and heavy. A player should select the weight and length according to his own comfort.
Hockey sticks are made for right-handed playersleft-handed players must rotate the stick hook by 180. Grips may be suede or rubber, though porous suede is preferred. The cost may be upwards of $30, depending on quality.
The hockey ball is made of hardened plastic and costs roughly $5.
Goal-nets are made of synthetic nylon and are 3.66m by 2.1m, which is the regulation size. Galvanized steel rods can be folded for storage. Goal-frames are priced at about $400, not including nets.
Players wear hockey jerseys, shorts and socks, made of synthetic materials such as nylon. Safety gear for the players consists of leg, shin, knee and elbow pads, wrist guards, mouth guards, jockstraps and turf shoes. The goalie must wear full-body safety gear including, helmet with face net, mouth guard, throat protector, chest protector with elbow pads and wrist guards, leg pads with knee guards, shin guards and turf shoes. Safety gear is made of plastic, rubber or fiberglass.
Hockey Equipment provides detailed information about hockey equipment, field hockey equipment and more. Hockey Equipment is affiliated with Plastic Basketballs.
Posted: Sports For All
10
March
2009
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Posted: Commerce News, House Of Loans, Living With Sales
10
March
2009
The mobile broadband sector had been hailed as the rescuer for the global economy at the GSMA Leadership Summit. However, this view wasn’t endorsed by most of the people as even the mobile broadband providers were seeing their profits shrink and no real spurt in demand. Now, it seems that GSMA’s view after all did have some element of truth to it. The case that seems to validate the view is that of the Australian economy, which is benefitting as the national productivity is being boosted by an overwhelming demand for mobile broadband connectivity.
The national economy of Australia has benefited due to this unexpected demand to such an extent that there is a possibility of a massive annual dividend, estimated by some of the nation’s economists to be as much as $7.4 billion, being pumped into the economy. An economic consultant from Concept Economics, one of Australia’s leading financial consultancy firms, is of the opinion that there has been an unparalleled demand for mobile broadband solutions that is continuing to fuel the national productivity and the positive sentiments in the economy.
It has been further noted that the demand has surged primarily due to mobile broadband connectivity being sought by small and medium businesses. Things looks equally promising in the near future as more than half of these businesses that are presently benefiting from 3G connectivity are likely to go for even more mobile broadband services. There is reason to expect that the trend will continue as the demand for wireless applications such as vehicle tracking, making mobile payments, transfer of data and inventory management are likely to be very strong this year. Click for more mobile broadband news.
Posted: Consumism, Technology Tips + More, Telecommunication Management
9
March
2009
Whenever looking at the odds for NBA Basketball, it is important to keep in mind the fact that Vegas is motivated by profit. If Vegas knows that 80% of the public will favor a certain team, you can expect the odds for that team to be shaded by 1-3 points. For example, a team that would under normal circumstances be a 3 point favorite can be set as much as a 6 point favorite. This is what they say as the public betting up the line.
There is no doubt that the astute handicappers will always profit if they are good. There are two types of handicappers: systems bettors and power ratings bettors. Both are good in their own right but both have significant disadvantages.
A systems bettor would look at a team’s situational factors and make a wager one way or the other. A quite common system would include something like “going against a team on zero days rest against a rested foe with revenge”. The disadvantage of such a bettor is that Vegas always keeps track of systems and fades their lines. For example, teams on zero days rest will get an extra 1.5 points to their nba odds compared with if they were rested.
A power ratings bettor makes a prediction on the final outcome of a game based on the teams involved, the home court advantage. The disadvantage to the power ratings bettor is that they do not have the ability to predict situations where a team will outperform and underperform. Will a team be looking ahead?
Vegas uses a mixture of power ratings, systems, and public perception to develop good NBA Odds. They start with a power ratings prediction on what the final outcome should be. They then use commonly used single-scope systems to adjust the line. If they are rested, they will be giving up more points. If they have a division rival or a great team coming up, they will be getting more points. Single-scope means that Vegas does not look beyond 1 or 2 systems factors together. Doing so would require too much effort. After this is done, they will analyze public betting tendencies and fade the line against the public by a point or two.
Think about all those games you lost by a half point or a full point. If you were going with the public, Vegas ate you alive. If you are a systems bettor and continued to use the same lame system that Vegas finally caught up to, Vegas ate you alive. If you are a power ratings bettor but disregarded situational factors, Vegas ate you alive.
We provide you with the best NBA Odds, live and direct to you.
Posted: Sports For All
6
March
2009
Most of the time I bird alone. Not that I am anti-social but due to my busy schedule, my field trips are usually spontaneous and unplanned. Birding alone does have one big benefit because birds are keenly aware of the presence of strangers and there’s nothing more annoying than a big group of birders disrupting their activities.
Rule number one is to be quiet and not to bother the birds. Birds lead active and somewhat very precarious life. Every new day starts with activities that are vital for survival. Be aware of the presence of various bird species in the immediate vicinity by tuning in to the different birdcalls.
Bird songs may express joy but they also communicate territorial claims and the attracting of mates. Territory is about securing sufficient sources for food, feeding, resting, mating, nesting and the brooding of young.
By understanding what’s going on when you enter a given area gives you the best chances of sighting the birds. Getting good photo opportunities you have to observe and appreciate the light conditions, sufficient space for the scope to have good field of vision and getting into a nice observation position.
This is where I prefer to sit quietly and wait for whatever turns up at a fruiting tree or a flowering shrub. In the heat of the day, a shallow forest stream can be a good spot for the feathered denizens to come out for a nice birdbath.
A small portable chair helps me to relax and simply enjoy the moment. The scope will be focused on a prominent object as my reference point. I prefer binoculars with as wide a field of view as possible. The drill is to listen, watch for movement, close in with the binoculars, acquire the bird on the scope and finally capture on the digital camera.
Everything happens naturally in one smooth flow that comes with practice. In a “bird rich” area with lots of birdcalls, the slow patrolling mode with quiet pauses can be very productive. Just relax, just soak in all the birdcalls and become one with the whole environment. Happy Birding.
John is an avid birder since 1996. He is based in Singapore, you can check out his fine collection of tropical bird pictures at Easy Bird Watching Guide
Posted: Sports For All
6
March
2009
There are 3 types of handicaps out there. They include: (1) honest handicaps; (2) sandbagger handicaps and (3) Hollywood handicaps.
Thankfully, the most common type of handicap is the honest handicap. This is a handicap that is determined by using a standard and accepted formula as defined by the governing golf body in a particular country. The golfer who carries an honest handicap is conscientious about keeping accurate scores, adhering to the accepted rules of golf and of considering all rounds played when applying the handicap formula.
The golfer who can be considered to be carrying a sandbagger handicap goes out of his way to make sure that his “official” handicap is somewhat higher than what it should be. The reason for doing this is pretty obvious. When competing in Net Score competitions (often involving money or prizes) he can have a distinct advantage.
A proper handicap, as mentioned above, must be based on all rounds played – good or bad. One “not so subtle” way to achieve the status of an elite sandbagger is to conveniently forget to enter good rounds but to be diligent to the extreme when it comes to entering bad rounds. If the golfer is “on a roll” with nothing but good rounds being shot, it may be necessary to make the supreme sacrifice and actually purposely play a bad round. “Gee, I just couldn’t hit a fairway today!”
The third type of golfer is the one who carries a Hollywood handicap. This type of player is extremely interesting. This golfer has his heart in the right place – he takes the game seriously and desperately wants to improve and, perhaps more importantly, to be recognized as an accomplished player by his friends and peers. For the typical Hollywood handicap player, the handicap is everything. He would rather carry a low handicap and lose money than carry an inflated handicap and win money. A rare, but interesting breed!
To make my point, you should understand that the first step in computing a handicap using the standard USGA formula is to convert the Gross Score to what is called the Adjusted Gross Score (AGS). The AGS is equal to or lower than the gross score with an adjustment made by reducing unusually high hole scores. For example, in the US a typical bogey golfer (with a handicap between 10 and 19) cannot take more than a 7 on any hole.
OK, so you should now understand the difference between the Gross Score and the Adjusted Gross Score. Well, for the Hollywood handicap golfer, there is no difference. In fact, the concept of a gross score becomes obsolete. If the player happens to balloon to a triple bogey or worse on a par 5, he will typically say “just put me down for a double”, knowing that anything higher will not affect his handicap. And of course, the “put me down for a double” statement will have that unmistakable inflection of “surely you would not expect a player of my stature to put down a number higher than that”. Hmm, I have to wonder what would happen if Tiger, participating in a PGA event and after playing a rare bad hole, were to say “just jot down a par for that hole”. It wouldn’t be pretty.
The final interesting thing about the Hollywood handicapper is that he will enjoy a cold beverage after a round of golf and discuss nonchalantly his final score. It would never occur to him that his 9 on the eighth hole should have any bearing on the validity of the score he discusses – a result where a 7 appears on the scorecard.
Still, when all the dust settles, I would rather play a Hollywood handicapper than a sandbagger in a heads up battle. Hey, who wouldn’t?
Posted: Sports For All
4
March
2009
Have you got to grips with the Child Trust Fund and the benefits that it can bestow upon your kids? Not many UK parents startling
low number of parents appear to have made the discovery that all new babies receive a free £250 voucher from the government to put. Your son or daughter’s vouchercan be invested in any one of threekinds of CTF account, Stakeholder – a shares-based account that changesinto cash, a savings account or a shares account. It is a superb chance to for the future financial requirements of a young person
Scottish Friendly is a designated provider of the Child Trust Fund Voucher. The Government is keen for the general public to have access to Stakeholder accounts and this is the sort of account that we are supplying. This means that:
Investments are paid into Scottish Friendly’s Managed Growth Fund, which intends to provide strong growth potential
It invests in part in shares to take advantage of potentially higher returns over 18 years,compared to a cash deposit account (although the value of shares canfall as well as rise whereas capital would be protected in a deposit account)
It comes with a low ‘Stakeholder’ funds charge of only 1.5% per year
At age 18 the child will get a lump sum, wholly free of Capital Gains and Income Tax under prevailing law
It is affordable – extra payments can be placed in the account from as little as £10
An interesting feature of the Child Trust Fund is that anyone – parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends – can give to the Fund to an uppermost limit of £1,200 per year to help boost the child’s Fund (once added, this money is not allowed to be withdrawn).
In a nutshell our Stakeholder account offers a good balance between possible high returns and a lower level of risk. There’s also the additional assurance that our account meets with the Government’s stakeholder criteria. Nonetheless this doesn’t mean that returns are guaranteed or that Stakeholder accounts are suitable for everyone. Remember that the value of shares in the Managed Growth Fund (where your Child Trust Fund money is held) can fall as well as rise and isn’t guaranteed.
Only infants whose birthday is on or after 1st September 2002 are eligible to start up a Child Trust Fund. If you have older kids who are not allowed you could consider investing for them with a Child Bond – it’s a tax-free savings plan intended for long-term growth. There can be no doubt that investing for your son is a sound means of preparing for tomorrow.
Posted: Finance Web
2
March
2009
This is what it’s all about – the White Stuff! No more weaving down the piste trying to avoid the crowds and the fat lady in the lilac shell suit, because this is freedom man, this is the ultimate. That’s roughly how it was explained to me the first time I was encouraged to go off piste skiing in fresh powder snow. It was exhilarating, demanding, and quite unlike anything I had been used to.
Before you try it, you must answer this question: Are you prepared to become a complete beginner again? Yes? Well, read on. You may get the hang of it within the hour. It may take you a little longer, but as long as you read this next section carefully and slowly, and act on it, you will be able to ski off piste in powder snow. Before going out and trying it, I strongly recommend that you read the article on Avalanches. This is not to put you off, but to give you an idea of what is safe to ski and what is not.
To succeed in powder snow you must ski gently, and you must feel what you are doing. You have to be spot on with your balance, because the snow is always trying to snag the outside edges of the skis wherever you try to turn them. You seem to be stuck in tram lines, and then if you do manage to somehow turn, the tips of the skis sink down, stop dead, and throw you out the front.
I’m going to be sexist here. Girls seem to get the hang of powder snow quicker than boys. They are much more gentle with the stuff and this is one of the secrets to skiing powder. Go lightly and treat the snow with the same respect you would give to the spider you gently finger out of the bath tub.
Off piste skiing is just about the only situation where I would recommend shorter, softer tipped skis than you may be using. This is where a pair of the wide modern skis should come in really useful, perhaps 15 cm (6 inches) shorter than your usual ones, but try your normal ones first.
Now for business. The following two exercises are the first stage and quite important, so don’t skip them.
Find a slope of fresh untouched powder snow, steep enough to run down at a steady pace. Don’t worry too much about the people coming past you with beards, shouting at you to stop spoiling their special bit of angel poop.
With your weight slightly back and equal on both skis, carefully bounce up and down. The skis should be about 4″ apart. It should feel as if you are bouncing up and down on a trampoline, as the snow compacts on your down movement. This trampolining effect is what makes powder skiing such magic. The snow needs to be at least knee deep, otherwise you won’t get the bouncing effect.
Let me just repeat where your weight should be while learning deep snow technique. It should be slightly back from the middle of the foot, that is towards the heel. I do not think it a good idea to encourage you to sit well back on the heels of your skis while trying to ski the deep stuff. Your skis are more liable to accelerate, and you will not be able to anticipate the next turn properly, so forget about leaning back! As you begin to get the hang of powder skiing your weight should move forwards to the middle of your feet.
Now repeat this exercise, but this time do alternate left and right pole plants as you run slowly down the slope. (No turns yet!) Feel that your balance is right. The distance that your body goes up and down is important. As you go down to put your pole in, your head should be almost level with your hand! That’s a long way down. Remember the driving analogy while doing this; keep both hands rigidly in front of you and face down the hill.
You can go on to Part 2 now.
Simon Dewhurst has taught downhill skiing in North America, Scandinavia and the European Alps for 35 years. He currently runs a ski chalet agency in the French Alps. His book “Secrets of Better Skiing” can be found at http://www.ski-jungle.com. If you have any comments about the above article, he will be happy to answer them.
Posted: Sports For All
2
March
2009
Sacramento @ Toronto: Ron Artest needed some time to brake into his Kings uniform, partly since he hadn’t played in over 40 days. Now his minutes should be up to about 30-35. The Raptors are one of the highest scoring teams. Does getting Artest mean Sacramento will lose offense or have an increase in defense? In only his second game back, we do not see the defensive impact of Artest yet so yet another high scoring game. The over/under in this game is set at 203 and we advise you to take the over and put a small play on the Raptors getting 1.5 points at home. Predicted Score: Toronto wins 107-103
Heat @ Rockets: T-Mac has to do it by himself against Dwayne Wade. They brought in Stromile Swift just for situations like this. Howard, Swift, and Mutumbo have to combine for 20 points and 20 rebounds to stop Shaq. This game is too close to call as compared to the odds. Predicted Score: Miami wins 95-90
Suns @ Cavaliers: This should be a run-and-gun game. However Cavs coach Mike Brown hasn’t let LeBron and company run the show just yet. In effect, Cleveland probably won’t be able to keep up with the Suns. Gooden and Ilgauskas need good defensive performances. The over/under here is set at 207 and the Suns are underdogs, parlay the Suns with the Over.Predicted Score: Phoenix wins 112-94
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Posted: Sports For All
