KNOXVILLE — On December 11, the University of Tennessee Extension launches a second online learning portal geared to the professional development of its state-wide workforce.

UT Extension Online Learning (extOL) is a group of Web sites that deliver online professional development offerings and in-demand Extension programming that has traditionally been delivered at county meetings and in-services throughout the state. The launch of the extOL Workforce Learning Web site caps off a series of training events related to e-learning scheduled throughout the week of Dec. 7-11 (officially proclaimed Employee Learning Week in the state of Tennessee by Governor Bredesen through the efforts of the Nashville chapter of the American Society for Training and Development).

Richard Karel, Instructional Technology Specialist for UT Extension Online Learning, said Extension has come up with some innovative ways to deliver the same valuable programming to Tennesseans, and the workforce that makes up UT and TSU Cooperative Extension Service, in order to remain effective in their mission.

“UT Extension has already certified 49 private applicators in the Pesticide Safety Education Program through online delivery via extOL, seeing an average gain of twenty-three percentile points in test scores,” Karel said. “Now, UT Extension is focusing on the optimal performance of our workforce with the soon-to-be launch of our professional development online learning portal—which will be ‘powered by’ the knowledge transfer of Tennessee Extension professionals.”

Tim Cross, dean of UT Extension, says that he is pleased to announce that Extension is nearing the official launch of the extOL Workforce Learning site—a web site that will serve the purpose of sharing knowledge with colleagues around the state. “For Extension, many opportunities exist to expand our abilities to reach our audiences and support our own training needs through online courses and tutorials.”

Karel asserts that, while there are many challenges ahead in the Moodle implementation, “Our LMS Implementation Committee was able to target specific training needs for UT Extension and our clientele, and this will ensure productivity and cost-savings by generating the intellectual capital required for each employee to meet compliance guidelines and achieve excellence in all areas of their employment.”

The first extOL Web site went online in October of this year. The extOL Certifications site was a campus-wide effort, requiring many departments to collaborate within Extension and without. “I’m very impressed with the way this came together—from the Treasurer’s Office to the Office of Information Technology—to achieve the launch of the fee-based certifications site,” said Karel. “LMS companies have resorted to telling about the dangers of finding the right partner for implementation in their own advertising, so to have ours go so well is quite a testament to UT, Extension and our service providers.”

For more information on extOL, visit http://extol.tennessee.edu.

The holiday spirit definitely is high up in the PlayStation Store air now, especially with the release of the latest Store Update filled with bags of sweet Christmas cheer. No time to waste! Check out what’s in

It seems a few days after I stopped waiting for the HTC HD2 with a sliding keyboard and decided to commit to the black slab, it seems Vodafone has decided to stop selling the HTC HD2.

Vodafone:

"We haven’t recalled or stopped selling it, at the moment we have simply ran out of stock. When our next batch of stock arrives, this will be used to fulfill our outstanding back orders but we won’t be taking any additional orders via Telesales."

The reason for this shocking development is not clear. Suspected reasons vary from Vodafone making way for the iPhone 3GS, HTC not being able to supply demand or the handset simply being moved from the consumer to business section and requiring a business contract.

Whatever the reason, there is likely to be thousands of disappointed current Vodafone subscribers who may be not be Vodafone subscribers for very long.  I am certainly glad I got my order in on the 8th, and am expecting the handset on the 15th, but I know many others are not as lucky.

We will be pinging our HTC rep tomorrow for an official denial or confirmation.

Are you an angry Vodafone subscriber?  Let us know below.

Read more in Vodafone’s forums here.

Via Engadget.com

Filed under: UK, Celebrities, Humor

What to Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May all have in common with the Village People? Well, nothing really, except for the fact that all of them were present and accounted for at last Sunday’s taping of Top Gear in Britain. Sort of… actually, it was four men that the BBC crew hired to dress up like the stereotypically gay musical group of “Y.M.C.A.” and “Macho Man” fame.

So, the next logical question: Why? To prove that Top Gear isn’t homophobic, obviously. Just last week, word hit the Interwebs that a gay couple had been denied tickets to the super-popular British show due to a rule that TG’s cast be made up equally of men and women. The BBC claims it doesn’t deny gay people from its audience as long as the 50/50 rule is adhered to.

Never one to back down from controversy, Jeremy Clarkson reportedly said during the taping, “The truth is, we welcome homosexual couples. We particularly like the lesbian sort… I saw a film about lesbians on the Internet once. It looked very interesting.” This is sure to smooth over any tensions between the gay community and Top Gear, dontcha think?

[Source: Mirror.co.uk]

Top Gear crew responds to gay audience kerfuffle by bringing on the Village People. Sort of. originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Need for larger plate sizes triggered new design
“With the DISA MATCH being an immediate success,” says Kurt Larsen, General Product Manager at DISA Industries A/S, “we spotted the potential to help foundries by offering a solution for match plates larger than 20×24 inches”.

High performance means higher earnings
Fast plate changes using the Quick Match plate Changer combined with speeds of up to 100 uncored moulds and 80 cored moulds per hour for the largest sizes (32″x32″) provides foundries with a new level of flexibility and performance.

Independent adjustment of cope and drag height on each mould half enables optimization of the iron/sand ratio as well as reduction of sand consumption.

Magnum Impact Torque Wrench Systems —

Features and Benefits:

•Combines the power of impact and hand torque wrenches in one tool

•Multiplier increases speed and productivity, as well as accuracy

•Interchangeable multiplier sets: 800, 1,800, 3,000 and 4,500 ft/lbs

•2-1/2″ impact wrench

•19,800 ft-lbs

•Weight: 242 lbs

Geeks trump alpha males as algos dominate Wall St – By Phil Wahba and Emily Chasan – … The days of swashbuckling backslappers on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange have given way to an era of trading dominated by analytical technical whizzes …  While street smarts and an ability to socialize were crucial to successful floor traders, today’s trader needs math and computer science, and quite possibly a PhD … – Reuters

————

Pimco hires former TARP chief Kashkari – Neel Kashkari, the first head of the government’s $700 billion financial rescue program, will join Pacific Investment Management Co. as a managing director and head of new investment initiatives, the company said Monday.  … The hire will help cement Pimco’s status as one of the firms closest to the Treasury Department and Secretary Timothy F. Geithner. … – AP Washington Post

and

Where else could Kashkari have gone? – Felix Salmon – … There’s no shortage of jobs for the likes of Neel Kashkari, and yet he picked the one which conflicted most egregiously with his attempt to serve his country. His decision to join Pimco right now means that no one will ever look at his decision to join Treasury quite the same way again. … – Reuters Blogs

————

WARNING: A Centralized Derivatives Clearing House Will Create Invisible and Deadly Global Risk – John Carney – …  Rather than actually reducing risk, the risk would simply be shifted to the clearing house. Worse, instead of having a diversity of market participants individually responsible for monitoring their own counter-party exposure, we would be stuck with a centralized, monopolistic monitoring that would likely increase risk.  The clearing house would almost certainly be viewed as too big to fail by market participants … – Business Insider Clusterstock
————

  + 

Dealers to Create Prime Mortgage Credit-Default Swaps – By Jody Shenn and Sarah Mulholland – Wall Street banks have agreed to create credit-default swap indexes tied to U.S. prime-mortgage securities, in a move that may risk driving down prices for the bonds after a record rally.  The benchmark contracts, similar to ABX index swaps linked to subprime loans, may begin trading as soon as the first quarter of 2010, Michael Gormley, a Markit Group Ltd. spokesman, said today in an e-mailed statement. – Bloomberg

and
Markit plans CDS index for US prime mortgages – … The index, tentatively called ABX.PRIME, will launch in the first quarter of 2010, said Markit, which also administers benchmark credit default swap indexes on corporate and emerging market debt and on subprime mortgages.  The company also plans to launch a new total return index, likely to be called IOX, which is based on pools of mortgages that are guaranteed by Fannie Mae (FNM.N). … –  Reuters
————

Themes on the Economy – The Quiet After the Storm – Annual Outlook Edition – by Diane Swonk, Chief Economist, Mesirow Financial
————

RICHARD RUSSELL EXPECTS THE NEXT DOWNTURN TO BE “VICIOUS” – The Pragmatic Capitalist

A recent story in USA Today explores the differences between one-time and serial infidelity highlighted by the Tiger Woods incident. Kristina Gordon, a UT Knoxville associate professor of psychology who researches infidelity issues in marriage, says serial cheating may stem from a sense of entitlement coupled with insecurity.

Read the USA Today story here.

Filed under: Budget, Europe, Hatchback, UK, Tata

Ever since Tata first showed off its diminutive Nano, heavily hyped as the Cheapest Car in the World, the Indian automaker has continually said that it intends to sell the machine in somewhat modified form in both Europe and the United States. The blokes over at Autocar were given a sneak peek at the Nano Europa, which is currently slated for a 2011 introduction, and they’ve seen fit to share a couple of new details with the rest of us.

For instance, the Nano Europa will ditch the Indian market’s 33-horsepower twin-cylinder engine for a new all-aluminum three-cylinder unit with 60 horsepower. That new powerplant will be mated to a five-speed manual transmission with ratios optimized for higher sustained speeds while still offering good fuel efficiency and low carbon emissions.

Not surprisingly, the Nano’s tiny dimensions will grow a bit for European use, with overall length said to be up by about eight inches than the Indian market version. That extra bit of sheetmetal ought to prove sufficient for the Nano to pass European NCAP crash tests and help provide a bit more space for passengers and their goods. According to Autocar, the £4000 – £5000 Nano (roughly $6,500 to $8,100 on the pricy UK market) “will change the way car prices are viewed when it hits British showrooms.” We’d imagine a similar reaction if it ever hits the States, especially if it comes with an even lower price.

[Source: Autocar]

REPORT: Tata Nano Europa production details, images come to light originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Moody’s published the results of its latest CMBS “delinquency tracker” on Thursday and, as usual, they made for less-than-cheery reading.

The rating agency said the aggregate rate of delinquencies among US CMBS conduit and fusion loans stood at 4.47 per cent as at the end of November, an increase of 46 basis points compared with the prior month. That increase was the largest yet of the economic downturn, Moody’s said.

Continue reading at FT Alphaville >>

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• CHART OF THE DAY: The Amazing Spiraling Mortgage Delinquencies
• Credit Corrosion Continues With Bank Delinquencies At A Record
• CMBS Update: $32.6 Billion In October Delinquencies (504% YoY Increase)

Shanghai. The largest city in China. All hell is about to break loose in this metropolis of over 20 million people, and caught right in the middle of it are Tyson Rios and Elliot Salem. That’s how

Filed under: Coupe, Europe, Alfa Romeo, Luxury

Alfa Romeo Brera Italia Independent – Click above for high-res image gallery

Say what you will about its driving dynamics, but there’s little doubt that the Alfa Romeo Brera is one of the most stylish and fashionable sets of wheels on the road today. As if to reinforce that notion, the Italian automaker has teamed up with fashion house Italia Independent for a special edition model of the angular coupe.

The Alfa Romeo Brera Italia Independent is distinguished by its titanium paint shade, 18″ turbine-style dark alloys hiding red brake calipers and an aluminum fuel cap. Inside it’s all carbon fiber, black leather and red top stitching, accented with Italia Independent logos.

The special edition is available with the 185-horsepower 2.2-liter four or 260-hp 3.2-liter V6, in front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive. Only 900 units will be sold in Europe, Japan and Australia, starting at €29,700 (the equivalent of about $41k USD) for the 2.2 and €38,850 ($57k) for the 3.2. Check out our gallery below for a closer view of this fashion-forward forbidden fruit.

[Source: Alfa Romeo]

Alfa Romeo teams up with Italia Independent for special-edition Brera originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You’ve just returned home from a great holiday party, and smiling as you walk by the hallway mirror, you see it! A big green bit of spinach is stuck on your front tooth. Now you’re asking yourself who saw this and didn’t say anything. Or maybe they didn’t see it…

To help you avoid embarrassing dental disasters during this holiday season, Dr. Lee Gause DDS has offered a few tips to help you. Dr. Gause is a dentist at Smile Design Manhattan in New York. He’s also a clinical associate faculty in the Continuing Dental Education Dental Implant Program at NYU College of Dentistry.

Dr. Gause suggests alleviating some of the discoloration of “red wine mouth” by eating a bit of cheese or even drinking water between sips of wine. He also says to avoid chasing white wine with red. That’s a “surefire stain maker.”

Since acids in wine temporarily dissolve a microlayer of tooth, Dr. Gause recommends that wine drinkers should avoid brushing their teeth immediately after drinking. He adds that since teeth remain in a weakened state for about 20 to 30 minutes, rinsing with water instead of brushing right away will help protect the teeth.

To avoid getting food stuck in teeth at holiday gatherings, Dr. Gause suggests skipping broccoli, spinach and other “stringy” foods that often lodge themselves between teeth. He also recommends avoiding sugary sweets, but if you must indulge, he says you should opt for chocolate rather than caramels or lollipops. Also, Dr. Gause suggests storing toothpicks or dental floss in your pocket to use when you visit the ladies room.

Have you gotten food stuck in your teeth at a party?

(Image via stock.xchng)

Post from: Blisstree

Keep Your Smile Bright at Holiday Parties

This post is part of the IT Innovation series, sponsored by Sun & Intel. Read more at ITInnovation.com.
Of course, the content of this post consists entirely of the thoughts and opinions of the author.

There’s a new study that’s making the rounds, noting that the average American consumes about 34 gigs worth of data/information each day. That number has been increasing at a pretty fast pace as well. This is, obviously, not just internet data. It includes TV, radio, mobile phones, newspapers, video games, etc. However, what struck me is that more and more of that is moving to the internet, and that seems like a trend that will continue. And, yet, we still hear stories of ISPs looking to put in place broadband caps that are as low as 5 gigs per month. Clearly, something has to give. Even Comcast’s relatively generous cap of 250 gigs per month could run into trouble at some point as well.

And, indeed, this is part of what concerns me most about efforts to put in place broadband caps. As we consume more data and a growing amount of that data consumption moves to the internet, more and more people may find themselves butting up against those caps. Even though plenty of studies (and many comments from the technology — not policy or marketing — people at ISPs) show that ISPs can easily invest in infrastructure upgrades to keep pace with the traffic, the move to put in place broadband caps may create serious unintended consequences for broadband. They add a mental transaction cost to any kind of internet usage (you have to think if it’s worth it) and limit the interest and/or ability to build newer, more powerful internet applications and services that can serve what we need.

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Heroes

Editor, The Times:

The Lakewood officers were doing ordinary police work; doing their jobs. And then in a moment they were executed. Does that make them heroes [“‘We will remember them always,’” page one, Dec. 9]?

Yes, forgive me for being a slow learner. The killings of the Lakewood police officers finally made it clear to me.

These officers had counseled troubled youth and comforted victims of crime. They kept us safe by being warriors against crime, and by being champions of community building.

We sat safely in our homes while these officers ensured the safety of us all — because we depend not only on our local police, but also on the police of the communities around us. Not only on our justice department, but on those of other states. Collectively, these systems form an armor that protects our entire society.

The state of Arkansas revoked their warrant for Maurice Clemmons, opening a chink in this armor, and we suffered a cruel cost: four people killed by a man who should have been jailed. They were killed because they represented that armor of safety.

How fitting that the officer who found Clemmons was doing ordinary police work: investigating a suspicious car. It’s ordinary police work, 24/7, that keeps us safe and makes them all heroes.

Let’s insist that our justice system mends the armor so that no one meets another Maurice Clemmons.

— Keith Logan, Seattle

Community should be proud, too

I was one of the thousands of officers who was privileged to attend the services for the Lakewood police officers on Dec. 8.

I would like to praise those who put together the service for the officers. It was truly beautiful.

I would also like to say how impressed I was with the citizens I met during my time there. Everywhere we went, people told us how thankful they were that we made the effort to attend. I watched as people in the streets stopped what they were doing and paid their respects.

Even in the airport as Sgt. Mark Renninger’s body was loaded on the plane, people throughout the airport stopped in their tracks.

If that is reflective of your community, you should be as proud of yourselves as you are of your officers.

— Lt. Pete Krall, Sparks Police Department, Sparks, Nev.

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Volkswagen, UK

The Volkswagen Scirocco R was recently introduced to the European motoring press, and all of its details have been delivered unto the people. The 2.0-liter, 265-horsepower front-wheel-drive hot hatch comes in two versions: six-speed manual and six-speed DSG, either of which will get you to 60 mph in six seconds or less.

The R is loaded with tech and mods: XDS electronic transverse differential lock to combat understeer, Dynamic Chassis Control for variable damping, Anti-Slip Regulation, and massive 17-inch brakes among other features. If that makes you want to see what one can do in the corners, VW’s already found out: two slightly more powerful Sciroccos won the 2.0-liter turbo class at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring earlier this year.

There’s an exhaustive press release after the jump that will tell you all about it, and a high-res gallery of photos below if you like your stories in pictures.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading (More) Pics Aplenty: VW plays up Scirocco R with new pics, details

(More) Pics Aplenty: VW plays up Scirocco R with new pics, details originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Excuses, excuses, excuses

Mike Huckabee’s excuses for commuting the sentence of Maurice Clemmons have the hollow ring of one who is desperately seeking to distance himself from the consequences of his own lapse of good judgment [“Huckabee explains pardon of Clemmons,” Opinion, guest commentary, Dec. 9].

The former governor has never given a convincing reason for bestowing clemency on Clemmons.

Huckabee’s pathetic whining that he was relying on what turned out to be terrible advice, which resulted in tragedy, is hardly a recommendation for one who seeks to lead the free world.

— Arlene N. Heath, Seattle

I don’t care if he’s a Democrat, Republican or independent

I do not care if Mike Huckabee is a socialist, independent, Democrat or a Republican, when the clemency paper comes across that desk, and the inmate has only served about 10 percent of his 108-year sentence, you need to engage the mind.

That is something good leaders do.

If Huckabee had not commuted Maurice Clemmons’ sentence, there would most likely be four police officers alive tonight, and nine children would have their dads or mom home during the holidays.

— David Shaw, Everett

Commending The Times’ lengthy coverage of a tragedy

I highly commend The Seattle Times on the in-depth story of Maurice Clemmons [“A path to murder: The story of Maurice Clemmons,” page one, Dec. 6].

These tragic cases are not random, but the result of a person’s upbringing gone very wrong. Rehabilitation is beyond our systems’ capabilities and finances. Punishment appeases the victims, their family and society, and incarceration takes a dangerous person out of circulation for a length of time.

But as this case shows, often damages the person even further. Society feels helpless, but there is information the public should be aware of, and is available only to those who do their homework.

As I read this article, I anguished that Clemmons’ parole officer had not read the work of former parole officer Barbara Reed Stitt. She had an 80 percent nonrepeat offenders record, and used nutrition to balance brain chemistry gone awry with improper diet and lack of nutrients. Also, the work of cell biologist Dr. Bruce Lipton should be mandatory for anyone involved with children, in any capacity. What he discovered about cellular behavior from environmental stimuli spawned his passion for what he calls conscious parenting.

As a society, we are all responsible to educate ourselves to raise our children more consciously, and have a conscience and compassion toward our fellow man. For a nation that prides itself on scientific achievement, I simply do not understand why guiding scientific evidence has been scoffed at and ignored.

— Julie Craker, Tacoma

New question: How did Clemmons qualify for mortgages?

There are so many failures in this tragic, horrible case. In addition to the legal intricacies around granting bail to a pathological three-strikes criminal, The Times story also raises the question about how a felon with no job and no work history could qualify for mortgages on three homes.

This question is relevant because it was the collateral in this property that allowed Maurice Clemmons to post bail and free himself to commit the murders in the first place.

I would be interested in seeing details of these transactions and what banks saw fit to give money to this man, and on what basis. Undoubtedly it would reinforce my belief that the financial industry in this country deserves none of my support. It might even reveal that shoddy lending practices could be considered an accomplice in these senseless murders.

— Eric Perkunder, Seattle

Reward money should go to lone Seattle officer

Columnist Nicole Brodeur writes that Chrisceda Clemmons should be considered for the $120,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of her nephew, cop killer Maurice Clemmons [“No reward for turning in cop killer,” NWTuesday, Dec. 8].

I submit that the Seattle policeman who got Maurice Clemmons off our streets should receive the reward since he took care of the terrible situation. I’m sure his family could use the reward too.

— John Stubb, Kirkland

Jerry Large hits the nail on the head — treatment for youth

Kudos to Jerry Large for the very thoughtful column, “Looking at the whys of a tragedy” [NWThursday, Dec. 3], which can be summarized by his statement, “We’ll have less violence if we are willing to focus more attention on the underlying causes of violence.”

Those words put the responsibility where it properly belongs: upon all of us.

The events surrounding the death of four Lakewood police officers are extremely sad: the tragic murder of these public servants, the life of loss their families face, and the death of a very disturbed Maurice Clemmons.

An added tragedy is the likelihood that this may have been prevented. Clemmons was failed by the judicial and the mental-health systems in two states over many years. He clearly displayed symptoms of mental illness as a youth, but never received treatment.

We have programs to serve adults whose mental illness has led to incarceration. Now, we need more programs to serve children with serious emotional difficulties, before they get into trouble.

The solution is not a matter of limited resources, since it is less expensive to fund prevention and intervention programs than to pay for more prisons. The solution involves understanding that we can and must intervene to break this cycle of tragedy.

— David Stone, CEO, Sound Mental Health, Seattle

Social services failed cop killer

The column “Those who aided cop killer deserve full weight of the law” [Opinion, Lynne K. Varner editorial column, Dec. 2] is a myopic perspective on Maurice Clemmons’ tragic life.

Clemmons violently took the lives of four innocent police officers, however, his life was taken from him before he was killed. Varner stated there should be no expectation of slipping through the legal loopholes, as Clemmons did so many times.

There should also be no expectation of slipping through the social-service loopholes, as Clemmons did so many times.

The RCW 71.05 states that those who are a danger to themselves or others will be given treatment without consent. Involuntary treatment laws are put into effect to protect those in an acute phase of mental illness who, because of the illness, are not able to recognize when to seek help.

It was evident that Clemmons needed help, yet did not receive it. Varner scorns the callous disregard for the law by those who aided Clemmons. Shouldn’t it be recognized that there too was callous disregard for involuntary treatment laws?

— Alisa K. Pisciotta, Seattle