What Is Django

Django is a high-level Web framework written in Python that encourages fast development and pragmatic, clean design. Python is the equivalent to Ruby on Rails that lets you build high-productive, awesome Web applications quickly. The primary goal of Django is to ease the development of complex, database-driven websites. This framework stresses reusability of components and adheres to the "Don't Repeat Yourself" (DRY) principle. This principle is targeted to reduce the repetition of information of all kinds. Thus "Don't Repeat Yourself" principle gives the possibility to make a modification of any element of a system and does not require changes in other logically-unrelated items.

Django uses the model-view-controller(MVC) method. It means that in Django, developers have practically complete separation of data structure, programming and display logic.

Content Management System

Django framework is well-known for its brilliant inheritance-based templating system that provides ease of nesting templates within templates, using various templates for various parts of the site, and eliminating any redundancy in a template code. Working with Django's templating system is usually described as "a pleasure. "

Site on Django framework consists of one or several applications that are recommended to be make as alienable or pluggable. This is one of significant architectural differences of this framework from others (Ruby on Rails for example). Also in contrast to other frameworks URL handlers in Django are configured with the help of regular expressions and are not derived automatically from the model structure controllers.

Django framework uses its own Object-relational mapping (ORM) for work with database. In this Object-relational mapping the information is described using Python classes and according to it the database is generated.

The initial development of Django, as a means of news resources development, is rather strongly reflected in its architecture: it provides a number of tools that help in the rapid development of informative websites. So, for example, the developer does not need to create a page and controllers for the administrative part of the site, there is a built-in Django application for content management that can be incorporated into any site, made by Django, and which can control several sites on one server. The administrative application allows you to create, modify and delete any objects filling the site, noting all the committed actions, and provides an interface for users' management and group management (with item-by-item assignment of rights).

In general the greatest advantages of Django framework are the perfect documentation and the largest community of Python web frameworks.

What Is Django

Organic Aquaponics Gives You Power Back Over Your Food Supply and Saves Money in the Process

Along with the current economic climate running out of control, coming across low-cost yet qualitative goods has developed into a challenge even for the smartest individuals. It seems like virtually all costs have gone wild plus you've got to pay out big money simply to get a healthy, nutritious food intake. Normally, the products that come less expensive are usually of lower quality, so that you need to give up more for qualitative products. But, you can now save a lot of money and devour organic veggies and also high-quality fish from your own farm, your own aquaponic farm.

Aquaponic gardening is really a more rewarding model of hydroponics. In fact it is a mixture between the two, hydroponics and aquaculture. Exactly what you do is actually mature fish in a specially engineered fish tank and use water in the tank to cultivate home grown vegetables too. In this way you create a type of farming based on interdependence: the fish get clean and fresh h2o because of the plant roots, while the plants manage to get their food from the aquarium, without negatively affecting the fish. It's as elementary as it appears! You will just need to build your aquaponic system (which can be completed by you, with a little assistance and direction) after which it begins growing the fish. After about a month, the water will certainly have a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals that you can commence cultivating your own plants, this means you just place the plant seeds in the water and wait for them to mature. If your fish are content and in good health, there are really good odds that you will have a lot of vegetables and herbs to prepare your favorite meals.

Content Management System

The best thing about this system is the fact that after you have made it you can preserve it going for ever, since it will involve nominal funding and offers back ten times more than you invest, so you will not only have adequate food available for you and your family, but you also are able to share it with your neighbours as well as build an independent business with this type of aquaponics. They are environmentally friendly, with absolutely no chemical fertilizers which sometimes cause harm to people's health, meaning you can create a tremendous profit out of it!

Anybody can commence with this type of aquaponic farming as it is not difficult to create and even easier to take care of. And even some elderly people who have a tough time in bending and moving will quickly realize this hobby can be calming and very interesting to maintain.

Why spend a fortune any time you head to the market when you can create your own 100 % natural greens and fish contained in the comfort of your home with almost no effort and a small amount of dollars spent?

Halt your market place habits this time with the aquaponic farming method!

Discover just how cheap and easy it is to create your very own organic aquaponics system by checking out this guide to Aquaponics.

Organic Aquaponics Gives You Power Back Over Your Food Supply and Saves Money in the Process

Ten Important Classroom Management Tips and Strategies

By now, you have probably already learned that a good classroom management system is responsible for building a positive classroom climate. As a classroom manager, A good classroom manager knows that the benefit of using classroom management strategies can both stimulate and encourage learning.

Using Classroom Strategies for Improving Motivation

Content Management System

When consistently implemented, these strategies can enhance the quality of your own teaching. This can be done in a variety of ways:

- Always aim to model the desire behavior. - Modeling is important for setting the expectations of both behavior and learning procedures.

- Creating opportunities for personal contact with students. - This includes providing tutorials and positive reinforcement whenever needed.

- Taking the student seriously. Students sense when they are taken seriously by the little things a teacher does in the classroom. Teachers can communicate this in a variety of ways using positive reinforcement, communicating expectations, and motivating pep talks.

- Being supportive, encouraging, helpful and available.

- Sharing information and ideas with the students.

- Accepting students' feelings especially regarding assignments and tests.

Classroom Management Procedures

Effective classroom managers can also use the following classroom management procedures for reinforcing their rules and procedures. Some classroom managers believe that sharing responsibility with students leads to cooperation and a positive classroom environment.

- Allow students to participate in rule setting. This strategy helps with developing their own responsibility as learners and managing their own classroom behavior.

- Allow students input into the daily schedule. This strategy helps them with organizing, prioritizing and planning content of the daily lesson as well as managing their work efforts and contributions to the lessons.

- Allow students to give input about assignments. This strategy helps them to become more aware of how they manipulate their learning.

- Allow students to select their own books to read. - This strategy has important implications for enhancing motivation.

- Allow students to plan and set goals for learning. Students can set two to three goals that they feel will help improve their learning such as handing in homework on time and improving their spelling.

- Allow the student to use self-evaluation procedures. Teachers can provide checklists and rubrics to encourage independent learning.

Building a positive classroom climate includes involving students in on classroom procedures and rules and treating them with respect. If you do these classroom procedures and strategies consistently, you'll find that the quality of your teaching will shine. So what are you waiting for? Try it!

Ten Important Classroom Management Tips and Strategies

The Death of Management

"You cannot treat a patient if he doesn't know he is sick."
- Bryce's Law

INTRODUCTION

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Epitaph:

"Here lies the body of 'Management,'
Who at one time moved mountains but was put to death by
government regulations, social mores, office politics,
and general apathy. R.I.P."

I have a good friend who was recently elevated to the job title of "Systems Manager"
at a large Fortune 500 company in the U.S. Midwest. As someone who has been in
the Information Systems field for over 30 years now, my interest was piqued and I asked
her how big of a staff she was going to manage and what kind of systems she was
going to be responsible for administrating. She told me she had no staff and her
responsibilities primarily included going to user sites and helping them setup their
laptop computers with office suites and pertinent Internet software.

This is certainly not how I have come to understand the concept of a "Systems"
person or, for that matter, a "Manager." What she described was more of a technical
or clerical role as opposed to one of management. But I guess the times are changing.

I always viewed "management" as a people oriented function, not a mechanical
function (which is why "man" is used as part of the word). I define it as, "getting
people to do what you want, when you want it, and how you want it." But perhaps
I am beginning to date myself as more and more "managers" are appearing with
fewer and fewer people involved. Even though the title is flourishing, I contend
true management is becoming a thing of the past.

WHY IS MANAGEMENT DISAPPEARING?

First, we have to understand that managers are in the business of conquering
objectives and solving problems in the workplace through people. If we lived in a perfect
world where everyone knew what they were suppose to do and when they were suppose
to do it by, there would not be a need for managers. Inevitably, this rarely occurs as
people are social animals and rarely agree on anything, particularly on how to perform
a given task. Hence, a manager is needed to establish direction and referee. As such,
managers are the field generals for their departments.

There are three basic attributes of a manager: Leadership, Environment, and Results.
Let's consider each separately and how they have evolved:

1. LEADERSHIP

To properly coordinate human resources, an effective manager should always be at least
one step ahead of his staff. This requires visionaries who inspire confidence in their troops
and can set them marching in the right direction. The problem though is that little, if any,
planning is being performed in corporate America. Instead, we are content to react to
calamities as opposed to looking into the future and trying to anticipate problems. As
a small example, we are now embroiled in a tempest over the Hurricane Katrina disaster
in New Orleans. Engineers have long known that the levees used to keep the sea out
of the city were inadequate for a category four or five hurricane (Katrina was a category
four). In fact, I saw a documentary on this very subject just weeks prior to the disaster. Now, we
have local, state and federal government agencies rushing to correct the problems (and
doing a lot of finger pointing in the process). As costly as it would have been to fix the
levees, it would have been a spit in the bucket when compared to the costs to clean up the
aftermath.

In the corporate world, Detroit is reeling from the types of automobiles now being
imported into this country. Asia has stolen Detroit's thunder who now finds itself
offering cash incentives to stem the tide. It is no secret America has developed an
ever-increasing dependency on foreign oil, and is now saddled with an aging oil
refinery infrastructure and a shaky economy. Why then was Detroit surprised to see their
market share take a nose-dive in favor of quality fuel-efficient automobiles from overseas?

The point is, our planning and leadership skills are at an all time low. Why? Because
it is easier to react to a problem than to do a little planning; easier, but costlier. Let's face
it, planning is hard work and, as the old adage goes, "You can pay me now or you can pay
me later, but you are going to pay me." Planning is a projection into the unknown and involves
a certain level of risk that most people are not willing to assume (and are afraid to do so).
Consequently, our society is more interested in safety nets than in taking risks. I guess this
is why I admire gamblers who mentally calculate their odds for success and are unafraid of
taking risks.

Nonetheless, American competitors (and our enemies) fully understand our weakness as
planners and are not afraid of taking the risks that we balk at. As a result, they will continue
to take advantage of us until such time as we get some serious leadership.

2. ENVIRONMENT

In order to set workers to task it is necessary for a manager to establish a
suitable work environment. This includes:

Defining the location of the workplace, hours of operation, and corporate policies to be observed (e.g., payroll, benefits, performance reviews, etc.). Defining the methodologies, tools and techniques to be used by the workers in their assignments. Defining the corporate culture - Although this is normally defined by the company overall, the astute manager establishes the ethics, customs and social intercourse to be observed within his area of responsibility (a subculture). By doing so, the manager has defined the code of conduct in the department denoting what will be tolerated and what will not.

As part of the corporate culture, the manager defines his own personal style of
management, for example:

The types and level of discipline, organization, and accountability expected from the workers. Will the manager try to micromanage everything (top-down) or empower his people, delegate responsibility and manage "bottom-up"? How employees are evaluated and rewarded; by accomplishments or by political maneuvering.

The manager's objective is to create a homogeneous working environment whereby
everyone is "rowing on the same oar" towards common objectives. Unfortunately, the
problem here is that our society is now more inclined to accept rugged individualism
as opposed to team effort. For example, employees are commonly rewarded based on
individual initiative as opposed to group effort. Between this spirit of individualism
and government regulations that embolden employees to resist the company, loyalty and
teamwork are at all-time lows and apathy and restlessness permeates corporate
America. Such spirit disrupts the harmony of the work environment, thus compounding
the problems of the manager.

3. RESULTS

Ultimately, the manager is charged with the responsibility of producing a product or
performing a service. As such, the manager must establish and prioritize
assignments, and assure they are accomplished in a timely and cost effective
manner. This requires managers who can articulate assignments and coordinate
resources towards this end. Sounds pretty simple, right? Then why are we failing
in this regard? Three reasons:

Managers are more interested in gamesmanship than actually producing anything of merit. They have developed a "fast track" mentality whereby managers have little interest in their current job and want to advance to the next plateau in their career. "Long-term" planning is no longer measured in years, but rather in months or weeks (a "long-term" project is now considered three to six months in length). Consequently, managers are primarily interested in quick and dirty solutions which will see them through their tenure of office, but will create burdens later on for their successors. Managers now spend more time scheming and maneuvering than worrying about getting the job done. What's the sure sign of such a manager? He/she knows the latest buzzwords and is always "politically correct." Managers are no longer results oriented, Instead, they are more focused on the process or mechanics of getting a job done. Although it is desirable to be well organized and precise in our work effort, it is for naught if you cannot deliver what you are charged to produce. The manager needs to be focused on deliverables, not mechanics (with apologies to the ISO 9000 folks). Managers no longer hold people accountable for their actions. This is due, in part, to government regulations that are more concerned about the rights of the employees as opposed to the manager's. As a result, managers spend less time managing and more time supervising people. Understand this: there are substantial differences between management and supervision; the two are most definitely not synonymous. Supervision is much more "hands on" with employees being continually watched and directed in their work assignments. Managers should manage more and supervise less, and employees should do more self-supervision. Unfortunately, this philosophy is not in vogue these days. Workers no longer seek responsibility and prefer to be told what to do thereby they cannot be held accountable if something goes awry. This alone says a lot about our society and is worrisome to me.

Let us never forget, unless you can deliver what you are charged to perform, you
are a failure as a manager. Consider the numerous coaches and managers in
the world of sports who have been fired over the years, not necessarily because
they didn't run fine programs, but because they lost sight of the end result: winning.

CONCLUSION

What I have described thus far pertains primarily to large corporations. Management
is still alive and well in small businesses that are not encumbered with bureaucracy
and need to manage simply to survive. I have also been primarily describing corporate
America, but many of these bad habits are creeping into the management style of Asian
and European companies as well.

Now and then, I like to make an analogy between management and dieting. There
is nothing magical about losing weight; you simply watch what you eat and get some
exercise. However, millions of dollars are spent on the latest diet craze, usually to
no avail. The same is true with management; you simply need some leadership,
organization and follow-up and you will get the results you want. However, it
seems companies today do everything but manage.

Beyond this, our social fabric and government regulations discourages
effective management. Instead of discipline, organization and accountability, we
are more concerned with nurturing free-spirited individualism, gamesmanship, and
chasing panaceas. In many cases, managers are inhibited by the press who
scrutinizes decisions, particularly in the government sector. Fearing to make
a bad decision, managers suffer paralysis and nothing is accomplished.

Bottom-line, corporate America is no longer managing; instead, we are playing
games or as I like to call it, "Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic." In other
words, as the ship is going down, we tend to focus our attention on everything other
than saving the ship or passengers. In the past we have talked about Theories X, Y, Z
for describing different styles of management. Perhaps we should describe today's
management style as "Theory Zero."

What is needed is someone who isn't afraid of taking the reigns and is allowed
to run the department to produce the necessary results - that is the job of a
manager. Let me give you a small example. Recently, I attended a meeting for a
nonprofit organization who wanted to draft legislation for the association. The
meeting started out pleasantly enough but quickly slipped into an uncontrollable
series of arguments. I could tell by the confused look on the faces of the attendees
that the meeting was out of control and so I grabbed the gavel and brought the
meeting to order. I next divided the group into subcommittees to discuss the
different issues and gave them a deadline to produce a rough draft of the
legislation. Within each subcommittee I appointed a chairman, a secretary,
and someone to research the legislation. I then went outside to smoke my
cigar. When I came back to the room, bedlam had been replaced by quiet
organization. The legislation was drafted according to my instructions and the
members left the building saying it was one of the best meetings they had
attended. Why? Because a manager took the gavel.

One last note which I will specifically address to my colleagues in the IT Industry;
In my 30 years in this field I have never encountered a technical problem that
cannot be conquered by good old-fashioned management. I'll bet this is true
in any industry, not just IT.

The Death of Management

3 Top Benefits Of A Website Content Management Software

There are many entrepreneurs and website owners who do not know the benefits of opting for a website content management software. Ask such website owners, and they will tell you that they are not satisfied with the amount of business their websites are bringing for their companies. It is mainly because there is no fresh content on the websites of those companies. Thus, the sites get stagnated. Moreover, those sites continue to lose ranks on search engines. Moreover, as there is no interesting content or information on those sites, customers do not return. Thus, the website owners lose valuable customers. However, you should not let that happen to your website. You must know that if the content of your site is managed and maintained well, you can gain more than the expected amount of business. Moreover, there will be a huge traffic to your site and your site will rank on the topmost pages of different search engines. All these are possible due to a website content management system.

A web content management system is an application that can be installed on your website. This can turn your website into a platform, which allows regular edit, delete and modification of data without the need to make changes to the structure and design. Moreover, a website owner does not need to have knowledge of HTTP or program to be able to make changes to the content or information present on the site. There are loads of other benefits of website content management software. Top 3 of those advantages are given below in brief:

Content Management System

A vital benefit of choosing a website content management software is that, with the help of such a software, you will be able to popularize and promote your products and services to a large number of people. Having an online presence helps a great deal in reaching millions of online visitors. Thus, your goods and services get the maximum exposure.

Putting fresh content on your website at regular intervals helps to gain good search engine rankings. There will be a large number of customers on your site. Thus, sale of your products will increase. More and more customers will come to know about your products and will avail discounts and offers of your company.

Online promotion is the fastest means of popularizing products and services of a company. In addition to that, you can interact directly with your customers and get feedback and comments from them. This will help you to grow your business further.

So, you can see that there are loads of benefits of choosing a website content management. So, what are you waiting for?

3 Top Benefits Of A Website Content Management Software

3 DIY Tips - How to Prevent Getting Stuck Through Outsourcing

Reviewing The Old Mindset

Let's do a recap for you today by having a little reverse psychology: list down the things that you're currently hands on with and evaluate how productive have you been in managing time, competition and profit through these tasks. By taking the corporate world as an example, you will be adjusted from the way the internet marketing world works. Outputs may vary on how you finish what you're doing alone and what should be done to produce better profits at home.

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To help you get through this dilemma, let me give you the basics on how you'll start to prevent getting stuck by outsourcing your business in 3 essential steps:

Step 1: You Should Love Time Better

Everyone has been struggling to manage time properly because they haven't planned everything ahead. For a successful entrepreneur, planning is the first thing to enhance and fix broken schedules, the deadlines, and absolutely to automate the action plans to finish more tasks in less time. As my time has been getting more precious for me, I would always think of ways on how each day will be beneficial in my business by setting new goals planned today and will have to be enacted the next day. Definitely, you'll have to blend in with time like you're speeding it up - it's not that you'll be hurrying tremendously but it's the way you handle future targets by preparing ahead.

Step 2: Not Doing The Right Things But Doing Things Right

I've learned this mindset from Drucker's Wake Up Productive and The Effective Executive, all great resources on time management - he's shared trivial thoughts on how people will have to apply the right strategies for their businesses and not just by managing it the way they wanted. So if you think your business has been always the right thing for you to succeed, having the wrong ways to distribute tasks to your virtual staff could make time spent all wasted efforts. Why waste to always maintain and update your plugins but leaving your contents outdated? If you're having a really hard time to prepare for your next posts, start outsourcing it through your staff.

Definitely, you'll have to invest time training them and let them have this "personal" touch to allow them to camouflage the way you write from experiences but still in the end, you'll be surprised on how your blog has always been upgraded without even feeling your skyrocketing rankings in the search engines plus the increase in earnings in less than a month.

Step 3: Identifying The Outsourcing Benefits

If you're wondering how it's been easy for me to identify how outsourcing benefits my business then it's because I have started to target which could be more productive for me - if you still recall the 80/20 rule, it's how you should focus on which tasks will weigh better on income and which tasks play the role non-dollar productive ones and yet will compose most of the tasks essential to liquidate the 20% of your earning strategies in the business. In order to effectively do this, you should let go off your thoughts through your system applications. Since you have already evaluated your staff from the start, you should have determined beforehand that your systems will be in good hands the way you trusted them. Also, you'll not have to worry that you'll be out for weeks to attend a date or an important event and you're leaving your business because you know your virtual staff are able to handle issues and sustain management despite your absence. That's how the benefit works!

Best Results Happen For Best Reasons

Since I have outsourced my business, I realized that sometimes even expecting the impossible targets may happen by the way you dedicate yourself and putting enough time to think on how you'll be able to pre-plan a goal in just few weeks. Usually it'll be hard for most people who've always filled up their everyday schedules but freeing time through effective outsourcing may bring in positive results in the business even from the events that you never expected. Obviously, you'll sweat a little in investing time to teach your staff on how to go about your systems but once they've been through all these things that you manage, you'll feel it is the best time for you to initiate positive results and see brighter days as you've planned ahead of tomorrow's challenges.

3 DIY Tips - How to Prevent Getting Stuck Through Outsourcing

How Does Inhaled Insulin Work

There has been lots of research in the field of insulin administration. To keep blood sugar under control insulin is injected. Patients would prefer inhaled insulin to injected insulin especially, when sometimes you have to take up to 6 injections daily. The different targets tried for insulin delivery are through the upper airways i.e. the mouth, the nose, the skin and even as suppositories. Oral delivery is not possible due to the acidity of the stomach and the digestive enzymes of the intestines which prevent the insulin molecules to absorb into the blood. Inhaled insulin can reduce or eliminate the daily insulin injections.

There are several systems in developmental phase by different pharmaceutical firms with products like AerodoseR, AERxTM Diabetes Management System, QdoseR, and ExuberaR.

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An advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on September 8th 2005 recommended approval of Exubera an inhaled insulin for adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. It is predicted that Pfizer would launch Exubera in late 2006. Exubera is produced by Sanofi-Aventis and Nektar Therapeutics, a California biotechnology firm (formerly Inhale Therapeutic Systems, Inc.) in partnership with Pfizer.

Other inhalable insulins still on human testing are by Indianapolis-based Lilly and Alkermes Inc. and another is by the Danish firm Novo Nordisk and Aradigm. The Lilly-Alkermes inhaler is small enough to fit in the palm of the hand and is breath-activated, but Exubera, a larger device and it relies on compressed air to operate. The Lilly-Alkermes inhaler is expected to reach the market only by 2008.

The delivery of the Exubera is designed in such a way that this should be small enough to get into the lungs and not large enough to be breathed out. Exubera is a rapid-acting, fine dry-powder insulin. The blister packs are loaded into the inhaler device and a trigger is squeezed to disperse the insulin powder into the compartment above. When this is inhaled through the mouth the finely powdered air reaches directly into the lungs. Insulin passes through the alveolar wall found in the lung and enters into the blood circulation. Breathing once or twice would be sufficient. The content in the blister pack is 20 % insulin and 80% is not revealed. The insulin is reported to be stable for 6 to 24 months at room temperature. Proper training will also be given to people on how to use the inhaler properly. Inhaled insulin enters the bloodstream more rapidly than by subcutaneous injection.

Blood sugar control was equivalent when compared to injected regular and inhaled regular insulin. There are some concerns about the long term effects of chronic inhalation of a growth protein into the lungs. Some experts are also worried about people exposed to second hand smoke or lung disease like asthma or emphysema especially since there have been minor reductions in breathing efficiency in some patients and some patients reported coughing.

This inhaler is also effective during cold and upper respiratory infections but may not be that effective during pneumonia. Smokers will be excluded from taking the drug because the cells in the lungs will be already damaged due to smoking and their blood sugar could fall dangerously low with Exubera because they absorb much more inhaled insulin through their lungs than nonsmokers.

Delaying insulin treatment can contribute to higher blood sugar levels, which can lead to complications such as nerve damage, cardiovascular problems, vision loss, and kidney disease.

How Does Inhaled Insulin Work

Juicing For Health - Fifty Fascinating Facts

1. If you are juicing for health, it is useful to remember that fresh juice starts to lose nutrients as soon as it is made. If you want to retain the full benefit of your effort, drink the juice immediately or as soon as possible.

2. Some juice extractors, such as the centrifugal-ejection type, generate enough heat during operation to do some damage to the delicate structure of the juice. The resultant oxidation destroys nutrients.

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3. Masticating juicers use a more gentle process, preserving more of the valuable nutrients. This also enables you to store the juice for a longer period.

4. If you have to store the juice for a while, make sure that the container is airtight, add a few drops of lemon juice, and keep it refrigerated.

5. When juicing for health, a clever gadget named PumpNseal can be used to vacuum seal juice in any jar. Removing the air enables you to store the juice for longer periods without nutrient loss.

6. In general, masticating juicers offer extra features, such as accessories you can use to mill, grind, puree, to make pasta, and to come up with the most delectable frozen desserts. When juicing for health, these extras will give you a fairly varied repertoire in the kitchen. A raw food diet will become more feasible in the process.

7. If you are concerned about a high noise level, rather choose one of the masticating models.

8. Remember to remove hard pits from fruit such as peaches. You won't eat these and neither will your juicer! Don't ruin the blades! Apple seeds contain small amounts of cyanide. Be sure to remove these before juicing.

9. Most body-building, leafy greens have strong flavors. Cucumber is a terrific disguise for this, and has the added advantage of containing important nutrients. Maximise the benefit by using one that doesn't need peeling.

10. If you are juicing for health, use organic produce as far as possible. Otherwise wash everything thoroughly.

11. Often the greatest concentration of nutrients lie just beneath the rind or skin.

12. Don't peel carrots, but do remove their greens. Rhubarb greens also need to be removed. There may be a problem with toxicity if you juice these.

13. Do peel citrus, mango and papaya. These peels are not usable and may even be harmful to you. The skins of oranges and grapefruits contain toxic substances. However, the white, pithy part just below the skin, contains valuable bioflavonoids. Aim to retain as much of this as possible.

14. Soft fruits such as peaches, melons and strawberries will produce a much thicker juice than harder textured fruit such as apples. Combine the two to improve the results.

15. Rather blend banana and papaya. They don't juice well. If you have one of the masticating juicers with added features, you can try these as a frozen dessert. Juicing for health isn't suppose to be a punishment, after all! Enjoy something sweet regularly.

16. Follow soft fruits with harder textured produce, to facilitate clearing the pulp.

17. Juicing leafy greens becomes much easier if you roll the leaves into a little ball, before feeding it into the machine.

18. Wheat-grass is exceptionally nutrient-rich, and has a taste strong enough to equal its value! If your juicer can manage it, start with tiny amounts and increase the quantity slowly.

19. It is claimed that the benefits of drinking wheat grass juice includes cleansing the lymph system, building the red blood cells, removing toxic metals from the cells, nourishing the liver and kidneys, and restoring vitality.

20. Wheat-grass needs to be consumed in juice form, as the body cannot process the plant fibres.

21. Wheat-grass is gluten-free, in spite of its name. Gluten is found only in the seed kernel, and not in the stem and grass leaves of the young plant. It should therefore be safe for individuals with a gluten intolerance.

22. Drink freshly made juice daily and concentrate on using as wide a variety of produce as possible, to ensure that your body receives a bit of all the most beneficial micronutrients.

23. Your need for expensive supplements in the form of vitamin and mineral tablets, will diminish significantly, if you are juicing for health on a daily basis.

24. Many ailments will improve if juice forms a regular part of your diet. For example, cabbage juice is one of the most healing juices in case of ulcers. In this case, use under medical supervision.

25. If you experience water retention, juices such as celery, cucumber, cranberry, and watermelon are extremely helpful.

26. A general rule is that a pound of produce will give you about a cup of juice.

27. One cup of carrot juice is equal to about four cups diced, raw carrots. Carrots are much easier to consume in liquid form. Your body is also able to assimilate them better.

28. Vegetable juice is a low-calorie snack and contains no fat. Use it as part of a sensible eating plan, and experience the wonderful results.

29. Fresh juices act as a healthy, harmless appetite suppressant, and craving curber.

30. Vegetable juice can also help to stabilize blood sugar levels. It has much less sugar than fruit juices and about 50% less calories, yet it will satisfy that sweet tooth every time. Try carrot or a combination of carrot and parsley juice when a craving hits you, and the juice jolt will give it a knock-out before you know it!

31. A water fast may leave you feeling drained, while a vegetable juice fast will give you an energy surge. Fasting should always be done under supervision.

32. If you really don't like the taste of certain vegetables, try juicing these and adding them to some of your favorites. You probably won't even notice the difference in taste, but your body will certainly notice the difference in nutritional value!

33. Your skin may become slightly yellow if you consume large quantities of carrot juice. This effect is harmless and will disappear once you reduce your consumption.

34. Juicing for health is more beneficial if you consume juice that is at room temperature.

35. Ginger gives a bit of a bite to juice. Try it! It has anti-inflammatory properties. Stomach irritations, nausea and motion sickness can be relieved by taking ginger.

36. The nutrients in the juice you drink, is taken up immediately by all the cells in your body. Your juicer magically transfers the produce into pre-digested food. This means that your body is able to make maximum use of all the enzymes, vitamins and minerals.

37. Juices help you to maintain the proper PH in your body, which is important in preventing diseases like cancer.

38. The phytochemicals in the juice also helps to remove carcinogens from your body.

39. The properties in many vegetables, such as cucumber and carrots, will improve your skin, hair, and nails. If you up your intake of fresh juice, expensive beauty treatments may become a thing of the past.

40. Juicing for health is anti-ageing and puts the spring back in your step.

41. Children love the sweet taste of carrot juice. It is easy to add other, perhaps detested veggies to the juice, without them noticing it.

42. Remember that, it you have kids, they may be more willing to try the juice at first if you turn it into a smoothie. Try apple, carrot and grapes or strawberry. Put ice-cubes in a blender, and pour in your juice mixture. Add some frozen yoghurt or sherbert if you want, and blend to the desired thickness.

43. A good way to add extra flavor and sweetness to juice, is to use fresh or shredded coconut.

44. You can also add some cranberries if you like the taste. Cranberries have an extremely high antioxidant content. In addition, they may help you to avoid urinary tract infections.

45. Scientists recommend 8 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables to be consumed per day. A substantial portion of the population don't even reach 20% of the ideal. Juicing for health is the easiest way to bring you closer to this goal.

46. Although juicing removes some of the fibre, the process allows you to ingest a much more concentrated, easily assimmilated form of enzymes, minerals and vitamins. Just be sure to boost your fibre intake, by eating fibre-rich foods such as cereals and whole grains.

47. It is believed that sugar cane juice has properties that help to prevent tooth decay. In contrast, eating sugar cane often, will result in frequent visits to the dentist.

48. There is also evidence that there may be some wound healing and immune strengthening properties in sugar cane. In addition, the juice has a soothing effect on the digestive system, especially when combined with fresh ginger.

49. Juicing for health isn't a cure-all! If your lifestyle is unhealthy in general, don't expect juicing to magically wipe out the negative effects of all the things you know you probably shouldn't do!

50. If you are pregnant, planning to get pregnant, nursing or have any illness, you need to get medical advice before starting a juicing for health program. The same rule applies to small children. Some juices are quite potent and may do more than good under certain circumstances.

Juicing For Health - Fifty Fascinating Facts

Post Recession Planning - Leadership Strategy For 2010

So you survived it all..... you emerged with your business intact, but your balance sheet has been savaged, and your workforce traumatized?? You battled through this "perfect storm", and consider yourself amongst the fortunate ones. Did your executives pat themselves on the back "if we can survive that, we can survive anything"?

Q4 - TIME TO RE-THINK

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In this brief article we argue however; that this is not a time for navel gazing and vivisection of our how we survived and what we learned. We argue instead that; if any time in the economic cycle is perfect for aggressive planning, and even more aggressive action, it is now.

Q4 2009 - strategic planning time... and time to get really creative! Consider these suggestions - they may be painful, and they may not be for you.... BUT.....

GET BLUE OCEAN

In 2009, did Revenue growth take a back seat.....why? Were you in 'survival mode"? Were there no opportunities for acquisitions, or new product lines, no openings in emerging markets?

Survival strategies are not success strategies.

Now is the perfect time to get BLUE OCEAN in your thinking:

· seek out the un-served market segments,

· search for pioneering technologies,

· challenge your supply line model and break the value - cost trade-off;

· challenge existing market boundaries, and create uncontested market space.

Example

Tata built the NANO, focusing on an un-served market segment in India of potential car owners who can only afford 00 - building modest unit level profits, but enormous market presence. Tata applied Blue Ocean thinking to its supply line.; building partnerships with a limited number of suppliers and putting everyone in the same room to work through problems and innovate- thereby delivering a unique value proposition, which makes the NANO viable.

RE-ALIGN

Did the recession require you to combine business units, realign teams, and divest layers of management? Or did you simply tighten your belt?

How do you ensure that you remain competitive? How do you structure your organization so it is most effective and manage resources so the company' most profitable? Winning companies will take this planning opportunity to realign their structures by consolidating, merging, acquiring and investing now in capabilities that will best differentiate them from their competitors.

Successful companies in every industry need to make portfolio decisions that:

a. Build on the distinctive competencies they already have;

b. Acquire businesses that complement or extend those competencies, and

c. Divest businesses that require inconsistent competencies, driving down costs in the process.

DIVEST

What's has been clear from our experiences in 2009, is that there is the potential for discontinuous change in the structure of most industries. Rapid growth experienced up to mid 2008 provides no assurance of future survival. Your, success hinges on your ability to adapt immediately and continually to structural changes, and seize strategic opportunities. These opportunities are likely to be present in front of you now.

Senior Executives need to ask:

· Is this business core to your company's future value?

· Can you envision it as the basis for a sustaining stream of growth opportunities?

· Does it offer a path to building financial performance that is greater than what investors can earn elsewhere in their equity portfolios?

Instinctively, we react cautiously to any surgery in the portfolio fearing the loss of a revenue stream now, which cannot ever be recovered. More likely however, the disappearance of poorly performing assets, will mean an opportunity to focus on growing more promising lines of business, or facilities at a faster rate.

GET NEW BLOOD

Did you have contingencies ready in 2008? Did you respond quickly enough to market decline? Did you divest uncompetitive activities? Did you right size effectively? or did you opt for the 15% across the board slash and burn strategy?

If you answer to most of these in 'no', then who was responsible? Who was in charge? Who had failed to recession proof the portfolio (are we dreaming here?), Who failed to dump the underperforming lines of business? Who failed to cut the high costing underperforming managers, while cutting the hard working front-line staff (sound familiar?)?

· Anyone willing to put their hands up? "Global melt down' is a humdinger of an excuse for failure!

· So... time for new blood... the talent pool is rich, the time is now.

TWEAK YOUR CULTURE

Fear permeated all workforces in 2009. Fear crushes motivation and energy. Creativity and innovation are inextricably linked to energy, and motivation. The creative spirit is essential to drive your organization out of the current economic and emotional malaise.

The conventional focus of organizational behavior therapists argue we need to extract more value from de-motivated and detached workers through the latest fashionable techniques of "motivation", "engagement", engendering "discretionary effort" etc.

Reality however is often painful: you will need to rebuild goodwill in your workforce, particularly if engaging in any aggressive re-alignment, and asset divestment (human or other).

First - understand your culture....is it cohesive, is it participative? Does you workforce feel aligned with your values and your vision? (Affiliation). Or is it overtly performance focused? Failure to deliver bites hard in times of downturn. Performance - focused cultures feel this pain the most.

We suggest you SURVEY your CULTURE to learn what you have, and know what you need. Then align organizational development initiatives with your strategic growth priorities.
Invest in your Leadership

Your talented high performers will probably be very skeptical of simplistic approaches to "cultural engineering". Indeed, it is our contention that high performers are often turned off by bureaucratic process, by internal politics, by smoothing over the 'crack's with statements of "shared cultural values", and - above all -, they will be disenchanted by inadequate leadership.

Ineffective leadership is immensely costly - we only have to look around the global business landscape today to see the remnants of companies which were once dominant. Much of the blame for their demise lies squarely in complacent, short-termist and poorly educated and trained leadership.

The conventional wisdom has it, that in uncertain times the role of the leader is to provide certainty. But smart people know that certainly in business is illusory - it is in the ability to adapt, and to cope with constant change that true leadership emerges.

Adaptability, managing change, thinking strategically are learned competencies - they are not simple attributes. Invest in DEVELOPING your LEADERS as a matter of priority.

EMBRACE WEB 2 - REALLY!

Web2 - not just having a web site. or an intranet. How much is your ERP costing you? How much is your CRM system costing?... what is the real ROI? what is the true cost of ownership - did it cost 5 times the original price of the software (the normal projected Total Cost of Ownership)?

Today, SaaS (Software as a Service) offers vastly lower Total cost of ownership, and delivers much, if not all the functionally of conventional locally hosted software - at a fraction of the price. (Salesforce.com etc).

How web 2 are your communications systems? Do you still fly managers from field operations, or offshore locations in for QPRs - why... how much does it cost? Does your organization embrace interconnectivity? Do your employees collaborate virtually? Are there forums for them to do so? How much value can be generated through enhanced collaboration?

Web 2 also enables you to offshore numerous tasks which would have been unmanageable 5 years ago... where is your drawing office or your design facility located?

Not to mention - Marketing with twitter, facebook, squidoo to name a few.

Make 2010 your Year - Live Long and Prosper!

Post Recession Planning - Leadership Strategy For 2010

When It Is NOT Alzheimer's

Take a straw poll of any gathering of older adults or their caregivers and you are likely to find that what they fear most is not their death, but their loss of their mental faculties. Yet, about one in every four persons who begins to manifest that cloudy thinking we all fear is some form of dementia may actually have a reversible condition. And this condition may be brought on by allergy medications or some other prescriptions as well as some over the counter medications.

Researchers from the Alzheimer's Association have reviewed studies from large clinics around the country and report up to 25 percent of people who come to specialists fearing they have dementia really are suffering from bad medicine instead. Most often the culprit is a family of drugs referred to anticholinergics, drugs that are common to a wide range of medications ranging from anti-depressants and pain killers to antihistamines. And the cloud that they create in a person's mind usually is the result of side effects of the medications.

Content Management System

The problem is particularly acute among older adults for a number of reasons. First, older adults are more likely to engage in polypharmacy, the situation in which a person with more than one medical condition may therefore be on more than one medication. Second, older adults have lower water content in their systems and tend to flush medications out of their system a lot more slowly. And third, older adults also may be taking over the counter medications in addition to what may be prescribed by their providers.

Sadly, these medicines may be creating more than a fog for older adults; it may also be killing them. In a study reported in The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society ( The Journal ), researchers gathered clinical data and followed more than 13,000 British men and women 65 years of age and older. Those who were taking more than one of the drugs in this class of medicines tended to score lower on cognitive tests than those who did not take anticholinergics. Alarmingly, they found that the death rate among the heavier users of these drugs was 68 percent higher than the others.

In America, it is estimated that about one in five of the 36 million adults 65 years of age and older are taking one of these medications. And other research shows that taking one of these medications for only 90 days can have a measurable impact on cognitive function.

So, the lesson from all this is to steer clear of this class of medications where possible. But even short of that make sure your older loved one's primary care provider knows about all medications the patient is taking - prescription and non-prescription. There may be no steering clear of anticholinergics totally, but we all can keep from adding more to our load by taking over the counter drugs that contain it.

When It Is NOT Alzheimer's

Why Invest in Acid Reflux Pillows?

For individuals suffering from heartburn, a number of possible treatment and prevention options are now available and the list includes acid reflux pillows. Are these effective. Acid reflux pillows are actually specialized pillows designed to help prevent individuals suffering from heartburn from not having the same episode especially while at rest.

Generally, the item is about 24 inches wide and 7 inches deep. The size is designed to fully support the head and the neck while sleeping. It is also waxy in nature in order to sustain support even if the user either sleeps on their sides or is not comfortable in one position only.

Content Management System

Maintenance of the pillow is quite manageable since most are made of washable materials. Aside from using it along with your usual pillows, the same is also perfect for those who are always on the road or often have out of town trips.

The Pillow Can Help Prevent Heartburn

Aside from aiding in preventing incidence of heartburn this product has also been proven just effective for use of individuals with snoring problems, asthmatics, those with heart ailments, smaller kids as well pregnant women.

There is a particular special precaution when you use this product. However, it is quite necessary that users take time to read the instructions that are included in each package.

You can use it along with your usual sleeping companion or have it plainly as the sole support for your head and neck. Most items are designed in such a way that the user's head is slightly elevated from the rest of their body. The act of merely elevating ones head makes it a little difficult for the stomach contents to travel up, as the particles have to go against gravity.

Compared to pharmacological treatments for heartburn, the use of acid reflux pillows will not give users any side effects. Recurring heartburn attacks will be eliminated in your list of worries. Although one of the major problems new users might possibly encounter is the new sleeping position. If you are used to lying flatly on your back with the rest of your body in line with your head then you might have to practice placing your head slightly above the rest of your system.

Why Invest in Acid Reflux Pillows?

Could Net Neutrality Block Users From Using Torrents?

Net neutrality has been a pretty hot topic lately. There are those on both sides of the debate that point out some very good arguments. When discussing the topic, one must note that the debate is over net neutrality as written and not the concept. Of course users want the concept, but if the bill is written in favor of ISPs, you as a user have lost.

One part of the bill is that ISPs have the option to "prevent the unlawful transfer of content" as well as have "reasonable network management". Now these seem pretty harmless because no one is advocating to pay a low fee and cost the ISP more money for bandwidth than they can handle or to rip off as many copyrights as possible because it's easy to do.

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The problem lays in the fact that these two phrases are what ISPs typically use to justify throttling or even shutting off the ability to torrent. With this language it seems as if doing so would be legally justified.

Many have a negative view on torrents as immediately the thought of illegal file sharing comes to mind. While there is illegal file sharing through a torrent there also is sharing through http and ftp. It would be like shutting down the post office or UPS for everyone because someone did something wrong or illegal with it. It would be like closing off a street forever because one time an illegal activity was done on it.

True neutrality allows users to have access to various forms of bandwidth like a torrent which can save quite a bit on costs if you are legally sharing large files and folders between client computers or peers however the congestion on the internet of the those sharing the files can slow down the system due to lack of compression and networks not being built out.

On the pirating issue, if torrents are blocked, they will move elsewhere and still occur. The blocking of them won't solve the copyright problems faced with digital media on the internet.

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Could Net Neutrality Block Users From Using Torrents?

Joomla CSS Templates

As I am sure you already know Joomla is an open source content management system for websites. Since it is open source, this means that anyone can write an extension of the core components that come with the initial software installation and the new extension will be able to work with and to extend the functionality of the original core components.

However, to write various extensions of the core software components, one must have a little knowledge of HTML codes and CSS codes. Without this knowledge, writing the extensions can prove to be very difficult. The extensions have to be written just right, so that the core components will work with them.

Content Management System

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) help give the website its fonts, headings, borders and the alike. You will not be able to change the fonts, unless you change the CSS coding. Style Sheet codes help to give the little touches to the overall feel of the website.

Even if you can write in HTML coding, that coding will have to be converted over to CSS as the Joomla software requires that you have both in order for the program to function properly. Being an expert in HTML will not help with CSS because it is essentially two different "languages". In other words, you can structure your style sheets to HTML standards without compromising the look and feel of the website.

CSS templates help to provide smaller file sizes and faster browser rendering. Search engines love websites who have smaller file sizes. This is the advantage of the CSS templates compared to the HTML templates.

I know, all of this can be confusing. Don't be scared by all of this, unless you have a background working with style sheets or HTML, this can prove to be extremely confusing. Believe it or not, this programs style sheet an even be confusing for the professionals as well; however, if you will search the internet you will find several different tutorials available that can help you to understand more about this subject.

There are people out there who can do this or we wouldn't have all of the various extensions to the Joomla core program that we have today. So, if you find that you do need help understanding all of this mumbo jumbo, you surely can find someone that can help you with it.

One of the best pieces of advice that I can offer you, is to visit the "help desk" for this open source software program. They will be able to answer any questions that you may have. TeachmeJoomla is another website that I have found that can be very helpful to the Joomla programmers or non-programmers that want to try. Another extremely helpful website is that docs joomla website. You can find Joomla documentation on anything and everything that you want to know.

This software and all of the codes involved can be extremely confusing for the majority of consumers out there; however, don't be afraid to ask for help. You can research it as well, as you will find many websites that are dedicated to this topic.

Joomla CSS Templates

Free Alternatives to Safari - A Roundup of Mac Web Browsers

Safari 3 is an awesome browser on the Mac, but if you fancy something different, there are some great free alternatives out there for Mac users. Let's take a look at the main contenders.

Firefox

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Mozilla Firefox is the second most popular browser used today (behind Microsoft's Internet Explorer on Windows). It's easy to use and reasonably fast. One of Firefox's major advantages is the wide range of add-ons available. This allows you to heavily customize your browser, with add-ons such as Forecastfox (weather reports right in your browser status bar) and iMacros (for automating browsing tasks).

Firefox's popularity and excellent standards support mean you'll have no trouble browsing the majority of websites. You'll also find that Firefox is great for sites that use in-page WYSIWYG editors, such as blog software and content management systems; traditionally Safari has struggled with such editors, though support has improved in Safari 3.

Firefox also has a superb, reliable pop-up blocker, and one of the nicest Find functions in the business, with a small Find bar at the bottom of the browser window rather than the clumsy pop-up dialog used by many other browsers. (Safari now has a similar feature in version 3.)

The main disadvantage of Firefox is that it eats up memory; if you're accustomed to having a lot of tabs open at once then it can really grind to a halt. It also doesn't integrate into Mac OS X as nicely as Safari. Firefox's bookmark handling is also clumsy; an issue if you have a lot of bookmarks.

Opera

Originally a commercial product, these days Opera is completely free to download and use. It's a full-featured browser, even incorporating mail and chat clients. Despite this, the browser is very fast at loading pages, and memory usage usually isn't an issue. The user interface is a little strange for a Mac app - some would say "dated" - but it works well enough once you're used to it.

Some nice features of Opera include a quick Wand feature for auto-filling forms; a handy Speed Dial page to quickly access your nine favourite pages; a built-in BitTorrent client; and a nice Sessions feature that lets you save the state of your opened tabs, so when you restart Opera you can carry on where you left off.

If you're after a browser with a lot of nice, useful features that's still fast and slick to use - and you don't mind a bit of time learning its interface - then Opera could be the perfect match for you.

Camino

In many ways, Camino is a cross between Firefox and Safari and, arguably, it gives you the best of both worlds. On the one hand, it's based on the same engine as Firefox, which means websites look great and the browser has good standards support. On the other, it features the same tight integration with Mac OS X as Safari. Managing bookmarks with Camino is also a much nicer experience than with Firefox.

On the downside, Camino lacks Firefox's and Safari's nifty in-page Find feature and, although Camino does support add-ons, it doesn't have the huge range that Firefox does. Still, if you're after a lean browser that looks great and integrates well with Mac OS, look no further.

Flock

The last browser of the bunch, Flock, is a bit different to the rest. It's based on the same engine as Firefox and Camino, but it includes a lot of unique features that integrate with social networking sites like Flickr, Facebook, YouTube, Blogger, and Twitter.

The browser looks nice and is reasonably easy to use, but the current version - v1.1.1 - does have some stability issues, at least on the Mac platform. If you're heavily into social networking then you'll appreciate the extra features that Flock offers. If not then you're probably better off with one of the other Mac browsers.

Choosing a browser is largely a matter of personal taste, so why not download the above four and give them a test-drive. Maybe you'll find that Safari is still your favourite!

Free Alternatives to Safari - A Roundup of Mac Web Browsers

HRIS, HRMS - Is There a Difference?

As an HRIS Solution, a.k.a. HR software, HRMS solution, HR Payroll Software, web vendor, I am anyone in this industry are constantly searching for new keywords to improve our rank and thus, bring more users to our websites. Currently, we track over one hundred and fifty unique HRIS solutions keywords. The problem is many of these keywords define the exact same thing. So I ask the question: -Are we confusing the HR profession by refusing to offer a language of terms that is more consistent?- With this article, my intention is to provide definitions to many of the terms those in the HR profession are likely to hear regarding HR software.

Perhaps the reason for so many terms for HRIS software is online advertising itself. The vendors who market online are constantly searching for new terms with which to rank well and attract vendors. There have been some vendors who have a brand strong enough to create their own terms and then everyone else jumps on the bandwagon. The terms 'Talent Management' and 'Talent Acquisition' are the two best examples I have seen. This improvement of terms by marketing gurus happens in other industries as well. My father owned a Chevy blazer known today as a sport utility vehicle. Now every auto manufacturer has jumped on the band wagon and uses the same term. The new term is cross over. What will the new term be for HR management software?

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It seems like the more simple terms which may have been created by IT people or programmers slowly become replaced by more sophisticated terms created in the marketing world. An example is HR database versus human resource information system (HRIS) or applicant tracking software versus talent acquisition software.

- HR Software - It used to be enough to say you were looking for HR software. Well, not anymore. Now saying you are looking for HR software is sort of like saying you are hungry but not providing any idea of what you are hungry for. Think of the term HR software as all encompassing. It includes all of the terms used below.

- Personnel Software, Employee Software, HR Database, HR system - These were the common terms used to define what we know today as HRIS, HRMS or HRM software. These were terms likely created by programmers or technical people; in other words, non marketing people. These terms of yesterday seem to perceive smaller less sophisticated systems than the terms more commonly used today in HR software marketing.

- Human Resource Information System, a.k.a. HRIS Solutions - This is the type of term you receive from marketing as opposed to terms used above created by an IT staff. Yep, it's all pretty much the same thing. However, an argument could be made that an HRIS application is more comprehensive in its capabilities than an HR database but this may, or may not, be true as there are no standards for the terms in our industry. In marketing, however, perception is reality.

- Human Resource Management System, a.k.a. HRMS Solutions - Again, as far as I can tell, this term means the same as HRIS, or any of the other terms used above or most offered below. Overall, I believe HRMS is perceived as being a more comprehensive HR application than HRIS systems.

- HRIS Solutions and HRMS Solutions: Is there a difference?

Webpedia.com defines HRIS as a system used by human resources departments to track employees and information about them. A HRIS is often a database system or a series of inter-related databases.

Webpedia.com defines an HRMS as a software application that combines many human resources functions, including benefits administration, payroll, recruiting and training, and performance analysis and review into one package.

So according to these definitions, HRMS software is more comprehensive than HRIS software. I would love to accept this but, in reality, I can name a dozen HRIS applications that contain all of the features listed in the HRMS application. So now we are back to my original contention that the two terms, and many of the others, mean the exact same thing.

I worked with one HRIS vendor who changed the name of their system to an HRMS. It's important to note that they only changed the name, not the functionality. They simply believed the perception was that HRMS systems were more comprehensive than HRIS applications.

- Talent Management Software - A relatively new term to the market, this has replaced the term performance management software.

- Talent Acquisition - Like talent management software, this is a relatively new term to the market which is replacing the terms recruiting software or applicant tracking software.

- Licensed Purchase, Hosted License, ASP, SaaS, Online Subscription HRIS or HRMS - After fifteen years of selling HR software programs, these terms were confusing to me when I began working on CompareHRIS.com. I will do my best to define each. For these definitions, I will rely on that which was offered by George Brady with Vista HRMS.

- Subscription Service HRIS solutions (also referred to SaaS or PEPM) - Are sometimes referred to as multi-tenanted, as many companies share the system that has been configured for general use. The software and the data reside on servers in a secure facility, managed by the Vendor, where you access it from a Web browser. These solutions do not require IT support on your part. They usually require a set-up fee and you typically subscribe to this service monthly based on your employee population for a minimum term.

- Licensed/Purchase HRIS Solutions (You buy it and own it) - Licensed/Purchased solutions are sometimes referred to as In-House or On-Premise solutions. You pay a one-time license fee and your IT department installs and maintains the solution on your hardware using your network. License software is configured to your particular needs. There are implementation fees to set up the software. Ongoing annual Support fees are a percentage of the original license cost.

- Licensed/Hosted HRIS Solutions (also referred to as ASP) - Are the same as Licensed/Purchased with the software being configured to your particular needs. However, the Vendor hosts your software in its secure facility and provides the back office IT support. There are still implementation and Support fees. There is usually no minimum term as you own a license.

Closing - You are likely not the only person who has asked -What is the difference between an HRIS and an HRMS application?- I have worked in the industry for 15 years and I have asked the same question. Before today, I did not have a definitive answer. They are the same.

HRIS, HRMS - Is There a Difference?

Foundation Repair Guidelines For Homeowners Groundwater Control Part 2

This article is the forth installment of the Foundation Repair Guidelines for Homeowners series. The first three articles covered information on structural repair, site analysis, foundation repair proposals, preventing foundation damage, and basement leaks. Part one of this article discussed the importance of ground water management, not only as essential to a complete foundation repair plan, but as a proactive approach to preventing foundation damage and basement seepage from occurring. Groundwater Control Part 2 discusses passive groundwater control strategies and repair solutions to relive or eliminate excess hydrostatic pressure present on your foundation.

The best approach to correcting water seepage, moisture issues and in certain cases, preventing the need for foundation repair is to remove or control the source of the problem in addition to repairing the foundation. As previously noted in my last article lack of proper drainage causes pooling water around your basement which leads to hydrostatic pressure on the walls. Hydrostatic pressure can result in foundation damage, allowing foundation walls to crack, deflect inward, settle vertically, and allow water infiltration into the basement or crawl space of your home. Common examples of basement seepage issues are foundation cracks, slab floor cracks, tie rods leaks, and pipe penetrations.

Content Management System

A great number of foundation repair and basement waterproofing problems can be controlled by handling rainwater and surface drainage properly to redirect the water away from the foundation. Even when foundation crack repair, subsurface drainage systems, and steel pier underpinning is required, removing or controlling water at the source is necessary.

The most basic solutions to relieving groundwater pressure include redirecting surface water away from the structure. There are numerous methods that can be utilized for groundwater control based upon the existing site conditions. The groundwater management systems discussed in this article focus primarily on the maintenance of existing drainage systems.

Maintaining Gutters and Downspouts:

Maintaining your existing gutter and downspout system is an important step in groundwater control. Clogged gutters will overflow causing rainwater and roof runoff to free fall one or two stories to the ground surrounding the foundation. Water leaking into the ground near the foundation of your home is undesirable, as it is likely to erode the soil and backfill and create excessive hydrostatic pressure. Additionally the water seeping into the soil can lead to settlement of the foundation caused by variations to the soil moisture content.

The most common recommendation for gutter maintenance is to have the gutters cleared of debris (leafs, twigs, pine needles, etc.) three to four times each year, with the change of seasons. After the gutters are clear, check to make sure that downspout extensions divert roof runoff at least 5 ft. beyond the foundation and that the water discharged pitches away from, not toward the house.

Roofs collect a massive amount of water; in fact the average 2,045 square foot roof will collect 1,275 gallons of water in a one inch rain. Extending downspouts away from your home is essential to preventing future foundation damage and keeping your basement or crawl space dry. Directing water on a positive grade away from the foundation reduces the amount of water that can percolate downward through the soil adjacent to the foundation walls, where it can exert hydrostatic pressure.

Sloping Concrete and Pavement Surfaces:

An often overlooked cause of foundation damage is settlement of paved surfaces such as concrete, blacktop, and brick paver stones. Concrete slabs crack or sink primarily due to poor soil preparation, or washout of material that originally sup¬ported the slab. When concrete or paved surfaces settle the result is often improper water run off toward the foundation of the home. Further, once cracked, water penetrates the slab more easily, and the freezing and thawing of this water expedites the potential for damage to the foundation.

There are several options for repairing concrete slabs that slope toward the foundation. The most common approach is to remove the slopping concrete and install new concrete at the proper pitch. An alternative to concrete replacement is called mudjacking, or slabjacking. The process hydraulically lifts existing damaged concrete to the original position. Since it typically costs about half as much as total replacement, it is often an alternative worth exploring.

Improper Grading:

Improperly graded home sites often lead to future foundation issues. Grading should always divert water away from your home as to not allow water to pool around the foundation. Surface grading should be sloped away from the foundation at 5% or greater pitch for the first ten feet from the foundation. The BOCA code is even more conservative, requiring a 1 in 12 (8.7%) slope.

Restoring the site grade requires specialized equipment and trained experience installers. Even when foundation crack repair and foundation underpinning is required, removing or controlling water is essential in providing permanent foundation repair. The best approach to groundwater management and foundation restoration requires a qualified professional to provide a comprehensive site evaluation.

Installation of trench drains, extending downspouts and sump pump discharge lines below the existing grade are the most basic groundwater management solutions. Effective groundwater management, installed in conjunction with foundation crack injection, interior drainage and sump pump installation provide an effective combination to prevent basement leaks and foundation damage.

Additional information on foundation repair, basement waterproofing and foundation repair can be found in the first three segments of the Foundation Repair Guidelines for Homeowners series.

Foundation Repair Guidelines For Homeowners Groundwater Control Part 2