Consulting Jobs Require You to Name Microsoft's Worst Product, Coffin Math

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By Beecher Tuttle, 30 Jan 2013

How many people will buy coffins in a country with five million people? What?s Microsoft?s worst product? These are just a couple of the questions M.B.A. graduates and prospective interns from New York University?s Leonard N. Stern School of Business were asked by consulting companies in recent months.? If you can answer them and the others below, you may have a shot at a job with the likes of an IBM, Oracle or Bain.

• A coffin company in a little country called Moldavia makes budget-priced, machine-made coffins and hand-made, high-end coffins. The company?s craftsmen who make the hand-made coffins are slowly retiring and new people are harder to find. The company is thinking about revamping their factories to install machinery to manufacture high-end coffins. What issues would they have to think about to make this decision? How could we estimate the market size for coffins in Moldavia if there are 5 million residents, people only live to age 75 and coffins are sold at $1,000 each (you have to make your own assumptions)

• How profitable would it be to serve a cup of coffee to a tourist on Alcatraz?

• Should you get an offer from multiple consulting firms how will you decide which firm?

• A private equity firm is looking to acquire a company that installs and operates independent banking machines/ATMs. It is looking to get a 25% return over the next five years. What factors should it be looking at when considering the acquisition?

• How would you prepare a proposal for a client who is manufacturing a special cable which can be used in power lines and telephone lines? The client wants to evaluate the future of this product.

• You?ve been hired by a PE firm to evaluate buying a dormant cell phone network in a city of 5 million people for $50 million. They plan on offering a $30 a month plan that offers free calls anywhere in the metro area but nowhere else. Market penetrations of cell phones is 40%, max is 60%. There are 3 players in the market. The average customer life is 3 years. Acquisition cost is $500 per customer, 20% of non-cell phone users would be interested in the plan, 10% of users would switch. Should they do it?

• Tell me about a poorly marketed product. What do you think was the rationale behind this marketing?

• Tell me a Microsoft product that you hate? How would you fix it?

• The new CEO at Apple is asking you for help on continuing Steve Jobs? legacy through Apple?s products and services. Where do you begin?

• You have a company that is the number one producer of baby nutritional products in Europe. You would like to launch your product in the U.S. What are the issues around launching that product? Given these issues, would you recommend launching the product?

(Note: Some questions were altered for grammar and readability purposes)
Check out our previous post on interview questions posed by asset managers, commercial banks, private wealth managers and other finance firms.

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Source: http://news.nni.efinancialcareers.com/newsandviews_item/wpNewsItemId-133277

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The NFL and the NFL Players Association have haggled over various elements, prim...

2 NFL seasons since agreement, still no HGH tests

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? When the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers meet in the Super Bowl on Sunday, two complete seasons will have come and gone without a single HGH test being administered, even though the league and the NFL Players Association paved the way for it in the 10-year collective barg...

Source: http://www.facebook.com/APNews/posts/135540256612142

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Syrian state news agency says Israeli warplanes bombed military site near Damascus

Of course Israel bombed it, this morning, and the US media has been hiding and lying about the truth all day so it wouldn't effect the markets immediately. Didn't even catch a blurb on the Nightly Network News, only for them to state Israel bombed a convoy with weapons. Reuters acts as though no one has a camera phone, and doesn't even attempt to verify anything anti-rebels or anti-Israel. The credibility of the US media has become a joke. The rich will be dumping their related stocks first thing in the morning, before the US public even gets wind of this.

Even though the US media is hiding the truth, non US media will be reporting the facts... and Russia, Iran and China with security interests in Syria will be pressed to respond to a blatant international act of war on one of its allies by Israel. Israel didn't do this without US permission, because even NutinYahoo knows who supplys his bombs, missiles and aircraft parts. This could easily turn into a prelude to WWIII, provoked by no other than our terrorist US government. Let's see how well our government keeps this genie in the bottle.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-state-news-agency-says-israeli-warplanes-bombed-190748965.html

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US eyes drone base in Africa with al-Qaida in mind

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Plans to base unarmed American surveillance drones in the African nation of Niger highlight the Obama administration's growing concern about extremist influences in the volatile region. They also raise tough questions about how to contain al-Qaida and other militant groups without committing U.S. ground forces in yet another war.

In the short run, a drone base would enable the U.S. to give France more intelligence on the militants that French troops are fighting in neighboring Mali. Over time it could extend the reach not only of American intelligence gathering but also U.S. special operations missions to strengthen Niger's own security forces.

The U.S. and Niger in recent days signed a "status of forces agreement" spelling out legal protections and obligations of American forces that might operate in Niger in the future.

Pentagon spokesman George Little acknowledged the agreement, but declined Tuesday to discuss U.S. plans for a military presence in Niger.

"They expressed a willingness to engage more closely with us, and we are happy to engage with them," Little said, adding that the legal agreement was months in the making and saying it was unrelated to the recent fighting in Mali.

The U.S. has found some of its efforts to fight extremists hobbled by some African governments, whose own security forces are ill-equipped to launch an American-style hunt for the militants yet are reluctant to accept U.S. help because of fears the Americans will overstay their welcome and trample their sovereignty.

At France's request, the U.S. has flown 17 Air Force transport flights to move French troops and their equipment to Mali in recent days, Little said. U.S. aircraft also are conducting aerial refueling of French fighter jets based in Mali, he said, and those operations will continue.

Other U.S. officials said the Pentagon is planning a new drone base in northwestern Africa ? most likely in Niger ? but the plans are not yet complete. It would provide more extended U.S. aerial surveillance of militants in the region without risking the loss of air crews. The main U.S. drone base in Africa is in Djibouti in East Africa.

Niger has accepted the idea of hosting unarmed U.S. drones as well as conventional and special operations troops to advise and assist Niger's military on border security, but it has not endorsed armed U.S. Predator strikes or the launching of U.S. special operations raids from their territory, according to a senior U.S. military official briefed on the matter. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly.

Africa is increasingly a focus of U.S. counterterrorism efforts, even as al-Qaida remains a threat in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere. The recent terrorist attack on a natural gas complex in Algeria, in which at least 37 hostages and 29 militants were killed, illustrated the threat posed by extremists who have asserted power propelled by long-simmering ethnic tensions in Mali and the revolution in Libya.

A number of al-Qaida-linked Islamic extremist groups operate in Mali and elsewhere in the Sahara, including a group known as Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, which originated in Algeria and is active in northern Mali. Earlier this month French forces intervened to stop the extremists' move toward Mali's capital, and Washington has grown more involved by providing a variety of military support to French troops.

In Addis Ababa on Tuesday, several African and Western nations pledged more than $450 million to fund an African-led military force to fight Islamist extremists in the Mali. And Britain announced it had offered to send up to 200 military officers to help train a West African force in Mali, including as many as 40 who could be sent as part of a European Union training mission of 500 personnel.

African nations including Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Gambia and others lined up with developed countries including the United States, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom to pledge money for the military effort. The U.S. share is to be $96 million, pending congressional approval.

As for al-Qaida-linked groups operating in Mali and elsewhere in northern Africa, the issue for the Obama administration is the degree to which they threaten U.S. security interests.

"AQIM poses a threat in the region, and I can't rule out the possibility that AQIM poses a threat to U.S. interests," Little said. "This is a group that has shown its ability to demonstrate brutality and to conduct attacks. And it is very important that we work with our partners in the region and our allies to thwart them."

Army Gen. Carter Ham, the commander of U.S. Africa Command, said last week that the worry is not just the intentions of AQIM but the ability of like-minded groups to leverage their capabilities by working together.

"We're starting to see the increasing collaboration, sharing of funding, sharing recruiting efforts, sharing of weapons and explosives and certainly a sharing of ideology that is expanding and connecting these various organizations," Ham said at Howard University. "And I think that's what poses at least the greatest immediate threat in the region."

The administration has ruled out sending U.S. ground forces to Mali. Its view is that military involvement, while necessary, is not a solution to the region's problems.

"We have said all along that there has to be more than a purely security solution to the problems in Mali, that the security track and the political track have to go hand-in-hand, that a key component of returning stability to Mali includes new elections and overturning the results of the coup firmly," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters on Monday. She was referring to the coup last spring that prompted the U.S. to withdraw military trainers and cut off other forms of direct military assistance.

Some of the Malian troops that had received U.S. training wound up siding with the rebels in the north, and others who remained loyal to the government proved incapable of standing their ground against the militants.

Adm. Bill McRaven, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, told a Washington conference on Tuesday that the key to future U.S. training operations like that is to ensure that the effort is long-lasting.

"We had an episodic presence in Mali," McRaven said, "and while I don't know if a persistent presence would have changed our relationship with the Malian forces -- whether they would have exponentially gotten better or not. "But in order to work with a host country, you really have to have that persistent presence."

___

Associated Press writers Writer Kimberly Dozier and Pauline Jelinek in Washington and Kirubel Tadesse in Ethiopia contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-eyes-drone-africa-al-qaida-mind-211304820--politics.html

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Family of 14 gives up everything to live in RV - Early-Retirement.org

Family of 14 gives up everything to live in RV

Yesterday, 11:04 AM	? #1
Recycles dryer sheets ? Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 199	Family of 14 gives up everything to live in RV Family of 14 gives up everything to live in RV | The Lookout - Yahoo! News It is a large family and a crowded RV. Not a whole lot of information on the couple and about how they support themselves and 12 kids (unless the planned book is a hit). From what you read, and from visiting the family's website, they seem to be well put together though. Best of luck to them. ' + '?' + google_ads[i].line2 + '?' + google_ads[i].line3 + '?' + '' + google_ads[i].visible_url + ' '; } } '' } if (google_ads[0].bidtype == "CPC") { /* insert this snippet for each ad call */ google_adnum = google_adnum + google_ads.length; } document.write(s); return; } google_ad_client = 'ca-pub-7757781251671730'; google_ad_channel = '3711355403'; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '6'; google_ad_type = 'text'; google_feedback = 'on'; // --> __________________
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Yesterday, 11:39 AM	? #2
Full time employment: Posting here. ? Join Date: May 2005 Location: Lewisville Posts: 963	Perhaps they are hoping for their own reality show? Don't see this lasting long. ' + '?' + google_ads[i].line2 + '?' + google_ads[i].line3 + '?' + '' + google_ads[i].visible_url + ' '; } } '' } if (google_ads[0].bidtype == "CPC") { /* insert this snippet for each ad call */ google_adnum = google_adnum + google_ads.length; } document.write(s); return; } google_ad_client = 'ca-pub-7757781251671730'; google_ad_channel = '3568142076'; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '6'; google_ad_type = 'text'; google_feedback = 'on'; // --> __________________ In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not.
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Yesterday, 12:57 PM	? #7
Recycles dryer sheets ? Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Sacramento area Posts: 241	Dear God. When we take one g'kid with us, that changes the dynamic. Cannot imagine 12. __________________
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Yesterday, 03:44 PM	? #18
Confused about dryer sheets ? Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Posts: 3	I thought the 12 kids thing was more interesting than the RV. You don't see that much (unless you are in Utah) anymore. ' + '?' + google_ads[i].line2 + '?' + google_ads[i].line3 + '?' + '' + google_ads[i].visible_url + ' '; } } '' } if (google_ads[0].bidtype == "CPC") { /* insert this snippet for each ad call */ google_adnum = google_adnum + google_ads.length; } document.write(s); return; } google_ad_client = 'ca-pub-7757781251671730'; google_ad_channel = '2895579729'; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '6'; google_ad_type = 'text'; google_feedback = 'on'; // --> __________________
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Japan female Olympic judokas ?beaten? by coaches

TOKYO ? Japan?s female Olympic judo athletes were beaten with bamboo swords and slapped by their coaches, officials said Wednesday, weeks after a schoolboy?s suicide sparked anguished debate over corporal punishment.

A 15-strong group of judokas complained to the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) last month that they had been subjected to physical punishment by the team?s head coach.

The group, which included athletes who took part in the London Olympics, says head coach Ryuji Sonoda routinely abused them, slapping them in the face and hitting them with thick wooden swords, like those used in the Japanese martial art of kendo.

They also complained that some were forced to compete in matches while injured, reports said.

?We have asked the All Japan Judo Federation (AJJF) to investigate the case and improve their methods if the charges are true,? a JOC official said.

AJJF head Koshi Onozawa said the federation had admonished Sonoda and other coaches, who had admitted several of the allegations.

?We received information that Mr Sonoda, the head coach of the female national team, might have been physically bullying athletes,? Onozawa told a news conference in Tokyo.

?Our executive office took this seriously and questioned both him and athletes, discovering the charges were largely true,? Onozawa said.

The AJJF told Sonoda and other coaches that they must mend their ways and ?will face a harsher punishment if a similar incident happens in the future?, he added.

Kyodo News said Sonoda did not deny the allegations when asked by reporters.

?Until now I have been doing things the way I saw fit, but I will mend the things that need fixing,? it quoted him as saying.

A spokesman for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police said: ?We are trying to confirm the facts around this issue, including questioning relevant people.?

Japan?s women returned from London with one gold, one silver and one bronze medal in judo, well below their haul from the 2008 Beijing Games.

The case comes weeks after a Japanese high school student killed himself after repeated physical abuse from his basketball coach, an incident that has provoked a bout of national hand-wringing over the way children are disciplined.

Under a law dating from 1947, teachers are not permitted to physically discipline their charges. However, there are no statutory penalties for the minority of teachers who do so.

It is not the first time Japan?s sporting world has been rocked by violence.

In 2007 a trainee sumo wrestler died after a hazing incident revealed a shocking level of punishment for would-be champions.

Referring to Wednesday?s claims, education and sports minister Hakubun Shimomura told reporters a re-think was required.

?It is time for Japan to change the idea that use of violence in sports including physical discipline is a valid way of coaching,? he said.

Source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/japan-female-olympic-judokas-beaten-by-coaches

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The Thankless Job of Being a Step-Parent | Black and Married With ...

Step-parents! I salute you?.I know first-hand that it?s not easy being a parent. So, imagine how difficult it must feel being a step parent in a lot of blended families. I?m not one, but I?m understanding more and more that most of these step-parenting roles take courage, understanding, and definitely love. I can never question my husband?s love for me, because the way I see it, it takes a VERY SPECIAL person to help raise someone else?s child. I hear of beautiful, ideal, and seamless circumstances where the step-parents just jump right in and never miss a beat. While that is a beautiful thing and is every blended family?s dream, the truth of the matter is, that the struggle is real for some families and the road to blending a family can get quite bumpy. Here are a few reasons why I think being a step-parent is so special and I?m singing the praises of all the step-parents out there:

You have never been without children. From day one, its been you, your spouse, and YOUR KIDS. True enough, your spouse knew what they were getting into, but if you think about it, your relationship with your spouse in these types of situations needs even more TLC that a traditional marriage, because throughout your entire relationship, your focus can never be 100% on each other because you?ve always had your kids to consider.

You often live in a state of uncertainty and ambiguity. Even if you try to spell things out, step-parents can easily be confused about where they fit in, or better yet, HOW they fit into their step-children?s lives. If the kids are young, they may be resentful. They may act out or be difficult to deal with. Sometimes, if the biological parents are still active in the child?s life this too can potentially cause even more chaos and turmoil if all parents involved are not on the same page. It helps when all parents communicate often and support each other?s households and not speak negatively of the other spouse.

Because you?re ?damned if you do, damned if you don?t. ?Step-parents get a bad rep sometimes for being mean or crass, even when they?ve done ?nothing differently than the biological parents would have done. Whether they admit it or not, biological and sometimes custodial parents are keeping an eye on the step-parent. It?s like they live under a microscope. If you take a laid back approach, then you?re blamed for ?not caring or loving enough.? If you?re being a disciplinarian, then, ?you?re mean.? It?s kind of hard to win, don?t you think?

Sometimes, you are the forgotten parent. I once read a quote that said, ?Being a step-parent is like working as a late night convenience clerk. You have all the responsibility and none of the authority.? I have heard similar gripes form several step-parents that I know. Even if your spouse gives it (authority) to you, there is still an unspoken spirit or sense of a lack of true authority over that child. No one likes to hear those dreaded words: ?You?re NOT my real mother/father.? Yes, that may be a true statement, but the usual context of this is rarely ever nice.

I mean it. I really and truly tip my hat to all the step-parents out there. The tough job of parenting can sometimes pale in comparison to this other thankless job of helping to run an automatic family. We, as biological parents, know the perils that we sometimes face raising our own kids, and can certainly appreciate how hard it has to be to raise someone else?s. Step-parents, you don?t always get the praises that you deserve, but please know that you, your love, and your efforts are not in vain, nor do they go unnoticed.

BMWK, do you agree, is being a step-parent oftentimes a ?thankless job??

About the author

Sheree is a wife and WAHM of three who passionately blogs about marriage, family, health tips and more as Smart & Sassy Mom. Sheree is committed to helping blended families and keeping marriages strong, healthy, fun and SPICY!

Source: http://blackandmarriedwithkids.com/2013/01/the-thankless-job-of-being-a-step-parent/

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Unusual Creatures for Kids in Song, Book and Video!

If you have kids, or teach, or were observant when you were a kid yourself, you know that kids learn in all different ways. Some are happy to sit quietly and read a book, some need the visual input from photo and video and some want to sing and dance their way to learning the material. Fortunately for all of these types of learning, Michael Hearst of the Unusual Creatures Project has just released his first episode of ?Songs for Unusual Creatures?, a video series full of music and an accompanying book to help kids (and adults) learn about some of the interesting creatures in the world! My kids would have LOVED this series when they were younger!

Watch the introductory video about the adorable and elusive Aye-Aye here:

Michael is a musician himself and how cool is it that the famous Kronos Quartet from San Francisco is helping him out in the first video? I especially appreciate that there is an interaction with the musicians in the video, asking for some musical interpretation, creating a music and natural science collaboration. This demonstration is a great message to send to kids, that the world is not neatly compartmentalized into the topics they teach at school, but rather a flow and blending of many aspects at any given time, and the introduction of a bit of the classical music world is extremely important in a day when that music is rarely heard by some children on a day to day basis.

The music and video series are meant to be accompanied by the book, ?Unusual Creatures: A Mostly Accurate Account of Some of Earth?s Strangest Animals?. You can also purchase the album for long car rides or for playing day to day!

This sounds like a great idea for birthday gifts for the young kids in your life. I can think of a few in my life who would love this. In addition, I will alert my local library to its existence and perhaps you should, too.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=7efeb87b59adf4ce8351796e86641330

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Marine wounded in Iraq climbing Mt. Washington with one leg

Keith Zeier believes simple acts of friendship and informal instruction in a common interest can save returning wounded soldiers and their families.

More than just donating money, he believes people can share time and a skill for, say, fixing cars or building custom cabinets to help returning soldiers adapt and find new meaning in life.

"It is just what Andy did for me," he said, referring to his ice climbing partner on Mount Washington, Thursday, Andy Politz of Ohio.

He described a sort of rescue of the soul, to bring new meaning to continuing on with one's life.

Retired Marine Sgt. Keith Zeier, 26, of Brooklyn, "isn't like any normal guy you ever met," said Politz, an accomplished ice and rock climber from Ohio, who met Zeier when he was tied to him by rope for 19 hours climbing 14,411-foot Mount Rainier last June.

"He's a special ops guy. They are like that." he said.

Politz is taking time from his work and life in Ohio to offer Zeier a "sampler" of climbing experiences, which Thursday includes Mount Washington's ice in winter.

"The Rainier climb was the most important experience of my life," said Zeier.

It came after suffering incalculable loss. First, the loss of many of his comrades of the Second Reconnaissance Battalion in 2006, which still tears him up at the thought. Then, sustaining a traumatic brain injury and the eventual loss of his left leg from a roadside bomb in Iraq. The injury to his brain makes it hard to recollect and study while the shrapnel in the leg has left him in constant pain.

Zeier began running as a way to honor the fallen and help their families pay for educations for their children.

He has raised over $100,000 for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and continues to raise money with this climb.

Source: http://www.wmur.com/news/sports/escape-outside/Marine-wounded-in-Iraq-climbing-Mt-Washington-with-one-leg/-/17752420/18153406/-/3d6j59/-/index.html?absolute=true

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100 Movies To See In 2013

News ? Features ? 100 Movies To See In 2013

MAN OF STEEL Superman gets rebooted once again, this time in the hands of Watchmen director Zack Snyder.

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FBI rounds up dozens of alleged N.Y. mobsters

By Joe Valiquette, NBCNewYork.com

More than two dozen alleged mobsters associated with three of New York's five organized crime families were rounded up by the FBI Wednesday morning in connection with an ongoing investigation, NBC 4 New York has learned.

The arrests are based on indictments charging extortion and other federal crimes relating to the private garbage-hauling industry, law enforcement sources said.

The suspects are being transported to the FBI office in Lower Manhattan for processing and will appear in federal court later Wednesday. ?

The U.S. Attorney's office is expected to release a statement outlining the investigation and specific charges.

The names of those arrested have not been made public yet.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/16/16543851-fbi-rounds-up-more-than-two-dozen-alleged-ny-mobsters?lite

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Marcus Scott "very happy'' as West Jefferson football coach

Mike Strom, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, January 14, 2013 7:56 p.m.

West Jefferson Coach Marcus Scott could not be happier for his close friend and?new head football coach of the Karr Cougars, Nathaniel Jones.

Scott and Jones were classmates and teammates while attending Karr Junior High?School from which Scott moved on to Jesuit while Jones finished his education and playing career at Karr Senior High.

Scott, 35,?has compiled a 33-15 mark in regular-season play, 33-20 overall,?in five seasons as head coach of the Buccaneers, with all five of his teams advancing to the state playoffs.

The Buccaneers have won two district championships and twice finished as district runner-ups during that time, with the most recent being?a second-place finish in District 9-5A in 2012 behind Rummel and ahead of Jesuit and Brother Martin.

Scott's success and ties to Karr lead to natural speculation?that he would be a candidate for the vacancy created by Jabbar Juluke's December decision?to take a college coaching position as an assistant on Coach Skip Holtz's staff at Louisiana Tech.

Karr officials announced Jones' selection on Monday, three days after Scott attempted to clear the air about his presumptive candidacy.

"There are a lot of great people at Karr and many of them helped raise me because I went to junior high there,'' Scott said. "They assisted my parents in raising me. There have been a lot of rumors going around linking me with the Karr job because of my ties there.

"But I'm very happy at West Jefferson. I'm very confident that (Karr officials) will hire the right person to continue that tradition.''

"I was not a candidate for the Karr coaching position,'' Scott added. "I did not interview. I'm very happy at West Jefferson and I just want to end all of the speculation and rumors regarding this.''

Following Jones' appointment on Monday, Scott said, "I'm very happy for Nathaniel. I know he will do an excellent job.''

The future appears bright as well for Scott and West Jefferson as the Buccaneers return to a Jefferson Parish Public Schools league that will include Higgins, Ehret, Bonnabel, Grace King and Chalmette, plus one new addition?from Class 4A in?Helen Cox.

The Bucs also return one of the state's top dual threat?quarterbacks in senior Chavin Gougis and a pro-athletics principal?in Vanessa Brown-Lewis.

"The administration here at West Jefferson has been very supportive,'' Scott said. "I believe that we're on the right track for continued success.''

CITY HALL COUGARS: Karr's football team was honored Thursday by the New Orleans City Council for winning the Class 4A state championship with a record of 14-0. Karr is the first Orleans Parish public school to win a state championship in football since the school's 1993 team claimed the Class 3A crown?with a 14-1 record.

Nearly 200 Karr students appeared in the City Council chambers as Council Vice-President Jackie Clarkson of Algiers presented the school and each football player with a proclamation from the city, reciting the school motto of "second to none.''

Clarkson and the Council also?recognized the school band, cheerleaders, dance team, flag team and their moderators.?
Karr Principal John Hiser and Assistant Principal Harold Clay presented Clarkson and the Council with a poster depicting the design of the school's championship rings.?

An emotional Clarkson later said that she would make sure the City Council and the New Orleans community raises funds to to ensure that every member of the football team receives a state championship ring.

"She is efforting beyond belief to help the Cougars secure funding for their championship rings,'' Weilbaecher said.

COURT MAESTRI: TroyUniversity has honored its legendary basketball coach Don Maestri by naming the playing surface at Trojan Arena?after the former Holy Cross Tigers coach. "Court Maestri'' officially was dedicated last Thursday prior to?the men's basketball?game versus UL-Monroe. ?

Maestri, who was inducted into the inaugural class of the?Troy University Sports Hall of Fame this past summer,?has amassed 501 victories over his 30-plus seasons as?head coach of the Trojans and stands as the school's all-time winningest coach. Troy has reached the 20-win plateau eight times during Maestri's illustrious career and has won seven conference titles.

?I was really caught off guard and very surprised when they told me,? Maestri said prior to the court's dedication.??It is a very nice honor and it's also very humbling. It is an honor that I share with so many people that have helped make Troy basketball a success. In a team sport like this, there are so many people that made us successful.?

Maestri took over a struggling NCAA Division II program in 1981 and quickly turned the Trojans into a powerhouse. Troy averaged 23 wins a year over its final six seasons as a Division II member, including a 72-19 record from 1990-93.

Maestri and his longtime partner, associate head coach?David Felix, form the nation's longest tenured head coach-assistant coach duo as Felix has been on the Troy sideline for 32 seasons and Maestri for 31.

Over that span, the Trojans have led the nation in scoring three times (1991, 1992, 1996) and led the country in 3-point shooting seven different times (1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2006). Troy became the first team in NCAA history to score 200 points in a game when they defeated DeVry 258-141 in 1992. The Trojans sank 51 3-pointers in the game, which is still an NCAA record.

A graduate of Southern Mississippi, Maestri began his coaching career in the fall of 1970 at Holy Cross High School where in 10 seasons as coach he posted a 211-99 record. Maestri led the Tigers to a state runner-up finish in the top classification in Louisiana. His 1974 Holy Cross team finished 35-6.

Maestri has been named a conference coach of the year seven times and has earned the honor in five different leagues. Only West Virginia's Bob Huggins can claim that distinction among active coaches.

?

*************

Mike Strom can be reached at?mstrom@nola.com?or 504.232.2517. Follow him at?twitter.com/MikeStromTP.

?

Source: http://highschoolsports.nola.com/news/article/-4394275707842142782/marcus-scott-very-happy-as-west-jefferson-football-coach/

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DCM Dealer software platform mines social media for stock sentiment, Wall Street licks its chops

In this episode of "What could possibly go wrong?!", allow us to introduce you to DCM Dealer. Billed as an "online trading platform," this here project was whipped up by the same London-based investment outfit (DCM Capital) that went belly-up after losing some $40 million in assets in just one month during the summer of 2011. Granted, that was a pretty tough time in the market, and it did manage to squeeze out a 1.9 percent gain in the period it was open, but it's still worth keeping in mind. Now, the firm is hoping to catch a second wind with a tool that mines Twitter, Facebook, and the whole of social media in order to pick up clues about the public's view on a stock. Reportedly, it'll spit out real-time ratings from 0 (negative) to 100 (positive), giving investors yet another "leading indicator" on what to invest in flip for a quick buck.

Founder Paul Hawtin confesses: "This is not some kind of holy grail of buy-sell signals that's guaranteed to make you money. This is an additional layer of market information...markets are driven by greed and fear, so if you can understand fear and quantify it in real-time, you could use that to protect yourself." We'll leave it to the 99 percent to comment on the idea below.

Filed under: Internet, Alt

Comments

Source: CNBC, DCM

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/CXfFEu4A38U/

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Can MOOC's Really Transform Education? | WIRED COSMOS

Traditional colleges often struggle with limited space availability in popular (or even core curriculum) courses. Higher education costs in the U.S. have sky-rocketed in recent years. A recent USA Today article reported that costs to attend a 4-year public university rose a staggering 15% between 2008 and 2010. To make matters worse, many graduates that are coming out of college are unable to find jobs while being saddled with enormous amounts of debt. Higher education in the U.S. is broken.

An Emerging Alternative

The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) paradigm offers a rare opportunity to remedy these situations along with many others. The fact that the term includes the word?massive illustrates the fact that such courses can be taken by a virtually unlimited number of students. This is revolutionary in its own right. The problem right now is not with student enrollment numbers, but the fact that organizations currently offering these MOOCs aren?t actually accredited to issue regular course credit to those that do the work. In other words, they don?t translate into college-level work that can be applied towards a degree. While some MOOCs are geared towards students who might want to learn more about a specific topic, most of them are essentially recreational at this point. Even so, individuals are learning new things, in an exciting way, in record numbers?so this is a good thing.

The other issue is (of course) about money. There is no clear indication of how organizations such as Coursera, Udacity, and EdX will sustain their operations in the future. Equally unclear is if/when they start charging students, whether or not costs will be significantly lower than they are today. Plagiarism and other areas need to be addressed as well before these programs become viable degree options. However, existing online schools have found ways to deal with these issues and I?m sure these organizations will as well. Despite the obstacles that remain, the recent popularity of online learning has proven that learners are seeking alternatives to traditional schools in a big way.

The Logical Progression in Education

In the near-term future, MOOCs could ultimately transform the way that education works. Anyone who has done research on the recent success of MOOCs are familiar with the fact that some courses have had tens of thousands of signups. Last year, Google unleashed an open-source MOOC-building tool, and Stanford unveiled?Class2Go?with two courses. MOOCs are expected to continue to rise in popularity in 2013.?While all of this may seem astounding, the idea of virtual teaching has been around for years. For instance, colleges have made use of radio and television in the past to provide instruction to students irrespective of their geographical location. MOOCs are simply the next logical step in this evolution given the rise of the Internet in recent years.

Despite the rise of popularity in online learning in recent years, many traditional institutions have been reluctant to offer full degree programs to people who never step foot inside of a classroom. For some degrees this makes perfect sense. No one would want to issue a medical license to someone who has been taught solely online. On the other hand, it seems relatively innocuous to incorporate distance learning into degree programs in a variety of other areas. As long as standards are created to ensure that learning occurs as designed and appropriate, there is no reason online education should continue to take a backseat to classroom-based learning in the future.

I view MOOCs as the 21st century descendents of the old broadcast instruction programs of the past. As education moves towards this new model, the work that students have done on their own will certainly become more important. Students might be able to customize their own education plans based on all of the courses completed that apply to a particular field. In fact, if MOOCs become more of an integral part of an education plan, credits could become less important. Instead, colleges could focus on how much work students have done in a particular field. Once enough coursework (and even practical application) has been completed, a degree would be awarded.

A Changing Paradigm

Considering that we live in the information age, elements of data are being created at a greater rate than at any other point in time. Aggregation is one of the strongest tools that MOOCs bring to the table. In the near future, software could bring together different bits of information and aggregate it together into a single source for delivery to students. Lesson plans and lectures would be a thing of the past, since information would be produced in real-time. Instead of a rigid curriculum, students could learn from a number of sources and receive a truly well rounded education. And that?s the point here. This isn?t about transforming education for the sake of transformation. This is about making education more accessible and affordable to learners while ensuring that they learn what they need to know in order to be successful in the workforce and society.

What Do the Critics Say?

Critics often point to the fact that online programs permit students to enroll with little or no admissions standards. I maintain that many of these critics are those that are directly threatened by the MOOCs and the promise they hold for their own futures. If I?m the president of a traditional school and seeing my enrollment numbers dwindle because I?m against online learning, than naturally I?m going to be against MOOCs (or any other similar change). While admissions requirements have been important in the past, in the future everyone with an Internet connection will have access to higher education. If they need foundational courses, they will take them online just as they?ve done in the past. This is they way it should be. In fact, today virtually anyone can sign up for courses with EdX and other MOOC providers. That?s a good thing.

Critics also point to the completion rates of these courses. Because they are free, many people sign up for the courses and then fail to complete them. But consider this. If you have 50,000 people sign up for a course and only 5% complete all of the work, you still have 2,500 people that finished, right? How many traditional classrooms does it take to teach 2,500 people? And how many of those 2,500 people would have missed out on the chance to learn the material otherwise? Those in education that would argue against this type of success need to seriously consider a new field.

Education for Everyone

In the future, with less stringent admissions criteria and much lower costs, students will be able to earn accredited certificates or degrees in record numbers. These individuals can take what they?ve learned to create new businesses or perform better in their own jobs while ultimately becoming lifelong learners. This in turn will hopefully prompt society to transform right along with them. I would argue that along with a more educated population comes a better society. And if we?re not working towards that objective, what the hell are we doing as a species anyway? Whether MOOCs will transform education remains to be seen. There are still a lot of unanswered questions. Regardless, they are a step in the right direction. They have successfully highlighted the need for change in higher education and perhaps more importantly, that individuals are seeking new learning options in today?s increasingly connected world.

Reference:

Dalal D, Brancati FL, & Sisson SD (2012). Factors affecting learner satisfaction with an internet-based curriculum. Southern medical journal, 105 (8), 387-91 PMID: 22864092

Mark Hochberg, J. (2006). Online Distance Education Pedagogy: Emulating the practice of global business Distance Education, 27 (1), 129-133 DOI: 10.1080/01587910600654841

Forster, A. (2012)., edited by E. Burge, C. Campbell Gibson , and T. Gibson
Distance Education, 33 (3), 429-436 DOI: 10.1080/01587919.2012.723169

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Source: http://wiredcosmos.com/2013/01/14/can-moocs-really-transform-education/

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Ex-President George H.W. Bush May Leave Hospital Soon

Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, who has been hospitalized in Houston since November, may be released from the facility in the coming days, a family spokesman said on Sunday.

"We are hopeful that the president can be discharged this coming week, but we're still taking everything one day at a time," spokesman Jim McGrath said in an email.

Bush's son, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, said on Saturday that his father was expected to be released from the hospital on Monday, according to TCPalm.com.

The former president, 88, who led a coalition that pushed Iraqi forces out of Kuwait in 1991, was admitted to Methodist Hospital on Nov. 23 for bronchitis and then transferred to intensive care in December after coming down with a persistent fever and other complications. He was moved to a regular patient room after his condition improved last month.

Bush has lower-body parkinsonism, which causes a loss of balance, and he has used a wheelchair for more than a year.

The 41st president, who is also the father of former President George W. Bush, served as a congressman, ambassador to the United Nations, envoy to China, CIA director and as vice president for two terms under President Ronald Reagan.?

? 2013 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.

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The Cheap iPhone Is Already Here - Business Insider

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Starting today, Walmart is?offering Americans?by far the cheapest option for purchasing an iPhone and wireless plan. Customers can buy the iPhone 5 at its wholesale price of $650, which is steep, but then save lots of money over time with an unlimited data plan that costs just $45 a month and doesn?t require a contract.

It?s the latest, most significant pre-paid plan for Apple?s iPhone in the United States, but the?question is whether Americans will be willing to do the math to glean how much they stand to save.?So far, the evidence suggests they won?t.

Walmart is offering its dirt-cheap plan through TracFone Wireless, a subsidiary of?Am?rica M?vil, the wireless arm of Mexican telecom magnate Carlos Slim. The only other pre-paid plans for iPhone in the US are offered by Leap Wireless, under the Cricket Wireless brand, and Sprint Nextel?s Virgin Mobile USA.

The math behind these plans isn?t very complicated. Here?s how Walmart?s offering for the cheapest iPhone compares to the equivalent from AT&T:

Walmart:?$650 for the phone + $45/mo. for unlimited data =?$1,730?over two years
AT&T:?$200 for the phone + $85/mo. for?1 GB?of data =?$2,240?over two years

That?s savings of $510 over two years, or 23% less than AT&T?s offering. Put another way: Walmart is offering about the same discount as the ?cheap? iPhone that Apple is?rumored to be working on, which could cost about $500 less than the least expensive iPhone currently on the market.

But math is one thing, and psychology is another. There are signs that Americans simply can?t get over the large, upfront cost required when signing up for pre-paid plans, which are standard in many countries but less common in the US. Americans are accustomed to signing two-year contracts with their wireless providers, which discount?or, in industry jargon, subsidize?the phone in return. Pre-paid providers, which don?t require contracts, can?t do that.

Take, for instance, Leap?s pre-paid iPhone plan, which is very similar to Walmart?s. It appears to be a dud so far. In May 2012, Leap heralded ?compelling differentiation? from the larger wireless providers that offer the iPhone, but the company declined to provide any?sales figures in its?most recent quarterly report.?To address the lackluster consumer response, Leap?said it was introducingfinancing plans ?to help customers afford higher-priced devices.?

Walmart, too, is offering the option of paying $25-a-month installments for the phone at no interest, which, along with the data plan, will let people pay $70 a month and nothing upfront for the phone. That could prove more palatable.

The major carriers are clearly watching to see if Walmart has any success selling high-end smartphones with pre-paid plans.?T-Mobile USA, a unit of Deutsche Telekom,?will carry an unsubsidized iPhone?later this year, and the CEOs of Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility?both said this week?that they would like to end subsidies, if they can.

A lot of that depends on whether Americans are ready to dust off their abacuses and recognize a discount for what it is.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-cheap-iphone-is-already-here-2013-1

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