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Monday, December 4, 2017

Did the e-filing downtime on Monday caused you to miss a deadline? Here's what to do:

Beginning at roughly 2PM on Monday, December 4, the State's side of the Indiana e-filing system was down for an extended period, thus preventing users from e-filing. At 3PM, we received confirmation of the outage from the Office of Judicial Administration. At 5:30 PM, the system became available again.

If you are reading this before midnight on 12/4 and have a deadline today, the simplest course is to just go ahead and submit your filing now to avoid the need to file a motion for an extension.

If it is now too late, and this situation caused you to miss a deadline, take a look at Trial Rule 86(N)(1), which essentially provides for a one-day extension when an lengthy e-filing system outage prevents filers from meeting a deadline.

We expect that the Trial Courts will all be aware of the scope and timing of this statewide outage via direct communication from Trial Court Technology. However, if the court you are working with requires a statement from Doxpop to attach as an exhibit to the motion described in TR 86(N)(1)(d), please let us know and we'll be happy to supply documentation in support of your motion. (Simply attaching a screen print of this blog post may be sufficient.)

On the appellate side, take a look at Rule 68(M)(1)(d), which appears to be nearly identical to the Trial Court rule on this topic.

Managing service contacts and preparing for new rules.

Last week, Doxpop added new tools for management of service contacts in batches to our e-filing account administration screen.

The first tool allows you to attach the service contact you specify to every open (pending) case where you or the attorney you work for is an attorney of record. This tool is important for two reasons:
  1. Currently, when each county begins e-filing, none of your old (pre-e-filing) cases for that county will have your service contact attached. It is a hassle to attach those contacts manually, so our tools will allow you to automatically attach the service contact you specify to every case where you (or the attorney you work for) is the attorney of record for an open (pending) case. This lets you hit the ground running in every county.
  2. At the first of the year, Trial Court Technology has notified us that they intend to do away with public contacts managed by private firms. The only public contacts will be one for each attorney created based on the information found in the roll of attorneys. This change means that if you want to control how e-service occurs for your cases, you will need to make sure you attached your preferred private contact (that you control) before another person attaches the public contact that you don't control.

The second two tools allow you to detach a service contact from all cases where it appears, or replace a service contact with a new one. This is useful in situations where an attorney is closing up shop or moving to a new firm.

We'll post more guidance soon about the change in public/private service contacts that will occur on January 1. In the meantime, take a look at these new tools, and in particular, start using the first tool to make your work easier as each new county comes online.

Our support staff has put together a brief (under 3 minute) video to demonstrate how these tools work:

And here is where you will find the new tools:

Please don't hesitate to give us a call at 866-369-7671 or email if you have questions about how to use these new tools.

If you want to make sure you never miss an important blog post, please subscribe using the "Follow By Email" tool found near the top on the right side of this blog.

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Need help with an urgent matter over the long Thanksgiving weekend? Here's how to reach us.

At Thanksgiving, one of the blessings we are most thankful for is our employees, who cheerfully spend their working days solving problems for other people. They are a joy to work with.

One way we express our gratitude is to make sure our support team enjoys some uninterrupted time with family & friends during holidays.

However, we understand that sometimes you have to deal with an emergency situation during holidays, and four days is a long time to go without support, so here's how to get help between 5PM on 11/22 and 8AM on 11/27:

We will not be monitoring phone lines, so you must use email. One of our managers will be checking email at 10AM, 2PM and 6PM every day. If you've got a real emergency, please send an email to that contains a brief description of the problem and phone number we can call to reach you.

Please be respectful when using this option. It's for real emergencies that can't wait until Monday morning.

We hope you have a great holiday and also get to spend some quality time with the people you enjoy. (Or some quiet time with a book if you're an introvert.)

Monday, November 13, 2017

The Latest (and best!) clarification on paying for Sheriff's service fees.

On November 2nd, I posted some information on Sheriff's service fees that wasn't right. I'm sorry!

Clerk Debra Walker from Henry County And Laura Martin, President of the Clerk's Association helpfully called to explain the preferred process to me. Here is how the Clerks' Association and the Sheriffs' Association want you to handle paying fees for civil service:

No matter where service is to occur or how many defendants or counties are involved, you always pay the Sheriff's civil service fee to the clerk of the county you are filing the case in.  No exceptions.

A few details:
  • If you are filing in a county that e-files, the preferred method for paying the clerk is through the e-filing system.
  • If you are filing in a county that doesn't use e-filing yet, then write your check to the Clerk (not the Sheriff.)
  • If you forgot to add the Sheriff's service fee when e-filing, the case won't be rejected, and there is no way to pay it later via e-filing. If that happens to you, just write a check to the Clerk of the county you filed that case in.
In some counties, the Sheriff will require proof that the payment occurred. Here's how you provide that:

  • If you paid via e-filing: Attach the first emailed "Notice of Electronic Filing" that you receive showing the fee breakdown and the "Notice of Acceptance" to the front of the packet of documents you deliver to the Sheriff for service. The first email shows the fee and the second one confirms the case number and acceptance.
  • If you already paid via check at the clerk's office: Attach the receipt from the clerk's office.
  • If you haven't paid yet, and service is to occur in the same county that the case is filed in: Make the check out to the clerk and send it along with the documents to the Sheriff. The Sheriff will hand off the check to the clerk, but can process the papers right away because the payment was noted.
  • If you haven't paid yet and service is in a different county from the one you filed the case in, you will have to pay the clerk in the county of filing first, and then attach the receipt for that payment. (Yes, this results in a delay- that's why you really ought to pay at the time of filing, and do it via e-filing.)

Monday, November 6, 2017

Ripley County Courts move to Odyssey. Access to court records via Doxpop unaffected.

Over the weekend of November 4th/5th, the Ripley County Courts converted to the Odyssey case tracking system, thus moving their data storage and administration to Indianapolis.

This move does not significantly affect Doxpop users because Doxpop buys access from the State Court Administration to a real-time feed of court data from the Odyssey system. Our customers' access to court information will not be interrupted during this transition.

A few of the services we provide will look odd during the transition because there will be a short period when both the old data and the new data are available. In particular:
  • If you use the personal calendar feature to keep track of hearings connected to your Bar ID, you will see two colors for each County on your calendar. Every event will be available, but the older cases will have a different color from the newer cases. When we complete the merge process, these will go back to being a single color.
  • When you look at our "County Details Page" for Ripley County Courts you will find two entries for each court until the merge is complete.
  • When you are doing searches, you will find two entries for active cases. This is because while we are loading the information from Odyssey, we will also be maintaining the old data until the operation is complete to ensure you don't miss anything. When you see two case entries, please look at both to ensure you have the most current information.
  • If you use any of our "watch" services to keep an eye on cases or people of interest, we will be moving those watches over so they point to the cases and people that are a part of the Odyssey data feed. We run a process to convert these twice each day, but it is possible for notification of events to slip through the cracks between conversion runs so you may want to periodically do a manual check between now and the first week of December, after that, we'll be back to normal.
Finally, one deficiency in the Odyssey system from our perspective is that financial information is not exported in their data feed, so that detail will not be available after the transition. We regularly ask that Court Technology add this to the Odyssey data feed. If this information is important to you, please encourage the clerks you work with to tell the Indiana Office of Judicial Administration of your needs so we can get the information back online.

As always, we are available to answer any questions in person, so don't hesitate to call support at 866-369-7671 if you have any questions.

Friday, November 3, 2017

Clarification on Sheriff Civil Service Fees

The text of this post has been removed because it was wrong. You'll find the corrected version here:

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

E-Filing: "Comments to Clerk" are gone! What happened to it?

Doxpop recently removed the "comments to clerk" area from the "Add Document" dialogue box in e-filing.

We learned that most clerks don't look at this area during the typical review process and believe that any feature that is not completely reliable and useful shouldn't be cluttering your work-space.

A more reliable approach to passing along comments for a particular document is to begin by sending the Clerk's office chocolate or other treats regularly and then call when you need help with a specific filing. Calls should be limited to one or less per each treat previously delivered, and it really helps to have your envelope number ready when you call so they can go straight to the filing in question.

Seriously, Clerk's office employees are always helpful, no delicious bribes are required.... But please don't overdo the calls, have the envelope number ready, and be sure to let them know they are appreciated!


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It’s been too short an amount of time since I wrote one of these posts. We are still going to and sending our children to schools and universities… We are still shopping at malls… We are still going to movie theaters.. We are still worshipping in churches… We are still running races… And those that … [Read more…]

What Inspires Me? (September edtion)

I skipped July and August for this post because, well, my summer was crazy!Summer didn’t feel like it was happening until the first of August, so I wanted to enjoy it!But I’ve got some links and items that inspire me as summer ends and fall begins! This. Is. Fascinating.:Why I Called Out Joel Osteen & … [Read more…]

Music that Inspires: DEMF

D.E.M.F. Not sure what that is? I didn’t either until I was introduced to it a couple of years ago. It’s one of the greatest music festivals to attend because it celebrates great music and great musicians and is a good time all around. What is it, you ask? Detroit Electronic Music Festival. (I guess … [Read more…]

Music that Inspires: Dark Side of the Moon

One of the things that I have come to admire from my friends who appreciate and are more knowledgeable about music, is the idea of the album and enjoying a collection of songs, rather than just one here or there. I am the type to hear a great song on the radio, but not really … [Read more…]

Music Series

I am contemplating a blog series about music and how it speaks to me. I love worship music, but I am not going to limit it to that. Not all music has a good message, but I am also not going to say that good messages are limited to Christian music.  I think we can … [Read more…]

Lately, I have been feeling stuck. I’ve been coming down from a huge high of participating in a event that has consumed my time and energy for the last few years. I came to the realization that our current city is only temporary for us. My summer hasn’t felt much like summer because work had … [Read more…]

I’m Back!

Wow, I just looked and it has been three weeks since my last post! It’s not because I have had nothing to say, that’s for sure! At the end of June/early July I spent 10 days at a national youth convention where I teamed with hundreds of volunteers to serve 25,000 participants! To say that … [Read more…]

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It’s Chili Season

Hey, Camp Fans.

As we move into the fall and winter seasons, the weather starts getting cooler, we bundle up under more layers of clothing, and we usually want something hot for dinner. What’s one meal that’s always sure to please no matter how you choose to prepare it? You got that right. On a cold night, we want chili!

Group Shot

This incredibly popular meal is something of a stew. Typically made with chili peppers, meat, beans, and tomatoes, it’s unlike any other stew or soup dish you’ve had before. On a cool autumn day, nothing else will warm you up the same way that a piping-hot, big bowl of chili does. My mouth is watering just writing about it.

Perhaps one major cause to this unique stew’s popularity is that it’s so versatile. The cook is free to leave ingredients in and take them out as they choose. Virtually every variation on the recipe has been tried, tested, and (most-likely) approved.

Everyone has different tastes. Some people put noodles in their chili. Others swear by beans. Yet some people feel that chili needs an exotic meat like—brace yourself—kangaroo. There’s no shortage of possibilities to bend the recipe a little (or a lot) more.

Some chili has no beans. Some has no meat. Some isn’t even red! It’s white. So, with all these possibilities, variations, and beliefs, people always swear that their chili recipe is the best. Everyone at Everything Summer Camp is ready to roll up their sleeves and put on their chef hats.

We’re going to get to the bottom of this spicy, burning question: whose chili is best? It’s Everything Summer Camp’s Chili Cook Off! We’ll be cooking for competition against each other’s chili concoctions to see who makes the best.

Who will it be?

To see our recipes click the links below:

John’s recipe:

Kristy’s recipe

Missy’s (Husbands) recipe

Mark’s recipe

Ryan’s recipe

One thought on “It’s Chili Season

  1. Pingback: Stew Recipes » Tips By Angie

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Sharing widgets harm your website’s performance

[UPDATE: I reworked lyteShare into a standalone javascript-thingie]

Doing Web Performance can be so easy, really! I was asked to do a performance analysis of a new website and one of the things I didn’t like was the fact that the footer contained social media sharing buttons using the ShareThis widget. I’m not a fan of sharing widgets in general, as they tend to slow webpage loading and rendering down and as they almost invariably come with “3rd party tracking” for behavioral marketing purposes.

So why not do a quick comparison between a simple page with ShareThis, AddThis, AddToAny/ Lockerz share and one which uses inline javascript to render the buttons? For that purpose I quickly created lyteShare, an inline JavaScript thingie that dynamically adds the Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus sharing buttons after the load event has been fired. I’m not going to bother you with code (but you can look at the page’s source here if you want)  it’s probably far from perfect and it sure isn’t pretty, but it works and the tell it all.

ShareThisAddThisLockerz/ AddToAnyinline JS (“lyteShare”)
Document Complete0.677s0.487s1.352s0.283s
Start Render0.715s0.279s0.304s0.298s
Fully Loaded1.507s3.718s1.407s0.500s
Full Download size70 KB384 KB 111 KB7 KB
Test Reportsharethis resultaddthis result lockerz/ addtoany resultlyteshare result
3rd party tracking?yes yes yesno

So yep, ShareThis, AddThis  and AddToAny/ Lockerz (and all sharing widgets really) are performance-hogs that also track your visitors’ every move while offering little or no added value to what anyone could do with some simple JavaScript (or server-side code, for that matter).

Conclusion: if performance is of any importance for your website (and it should be), you really have to avoid using 3rd party widgetery!

2 thoughts on “Sharing widgets harm your website’s performance

  1. Adriaan Vermeersch

    nice article, vergelijking ivm laadtijd is de moeite om verder te onderzoeken. Die sharing knoppen worden relatief heel weinig gebruikt en je moet je de vraag stellen of het sop de kool waard is.

    1. frank Post author

      Inderdaad. Ik overweeg om verder te werken aan lyteShare om er een high-perfomance, privacy-honouring alternatief voor AddThis, AddToAny en ShareThis van te maken. Iets wat ik zelf ook zou gebruiken dus :-)

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Gamification Highlights of 2016

A collection of some of the most relevant publications and news of 2016 related to Gamification — from the point of view of an HCI researcher.

Note: all the slides have links to the publications; if they are not working on SlideShare, please download the PDF file.

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About Gustavo Tondello

Gustavo is a Gamification Consultant and Ph.D. Student in Computer Science at the University of Waterloo, Canada. He is ranked one of the top Gamification leaders in the world by Rise’s Gamification Gurus Power 100 leaderboard. His main interests include gamification, and games for health and learning. His research focuses on the design of gameful applications. Before coming to Canada, he worked for several years as a Software Engineer in Brazil. Gustavo is also a researcher of Logosophy, and he is affiliated to the Logosophical Foundation of Brazil and of the USA.

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Greater Atlanta Christian School Blog

The Value of Christian Education: Finding the Right Christian School for Your Child

Posted by Greater Atlanta Christian School

Raising children with Christian values in a secular society continues to be challenging. The advancement of technology and the changing landscape of communications is making it even more difficult to protect children from beliefs and behaviors that don't coincide with the Christian faith.

Many parents want to ensure their kids have role models who positively influence their child's character, model empathy, serve others, and encourage him or her to utilize their God-given talents to impact the world around them. This leads many parents to consider a private Christian school where their children will be educated in a community with other families who share similar values, beliefs, and educational goals. Parents concerned with academic excellence, qualified teachers, a positive learning environment, and a safe and engaged community, should consider partnering with a private Christian school to give their child a well-rounded educational experience.

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Topics: STEM, co-curriculars, private christian school, christian schools

Engaging girls in STEM education and careers

Posted by Greater Atlanta Christian School

Skills gained through subjects like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can impact the world around us, and therefore, are some of the most desirable in the present and future markets. Despite the fact that more women than men are graduating from college, fewer girls are seeking careers in STEM fields.

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Topics: STEM, Girls in STEM

Empowering Girls to Pursue STEM Fields

Posted by Greater Atlanta Christian School

This month, many organizations in the United States and abroad are celebrating women working in, and making a difference in STEM-related fields. STEM is an acronym that stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. The skills gained through these subjects are desirable across industries and necessary to compete in today's workforce and careers of the future.

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Topics: STEM, Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Empowering Girls, Girls in STEM

These Top 6 STEM Toys Make Great Christmas Gifts

Posted by Greater Atlanta Christian School

Finding the perfect gift for the kids on your Christmas list may seem like a daunting task, but don't fret -- we've got you covered.

We've gathered some creative and surprising gift ideas that are fun and educational. You may be aware of the emphasis on STEM in schools. STEM education (which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is crucial for the development of children who are entering a modern world where innovation, leadership, problem solving, and high-level thinking skills are in high demand.

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Topics: STEM, Gift Ideas, Educational Toys, Christmas

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Oh hai. I have been working on this OU Quilt since umm this time last year. Actually since July last year. I don’t have much to show for it. But! I did spend part of yesterday sewing the backing fabric together. Then I sewed together the top and backing for another quilt. It’s going to be a Six of One, A Half-Dozen of the Other quilt from Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts.

For whatever reason, trying to get into quilting is making me completely devoid of all confidence. It’s a rather odd reaction for me. Especially when it comes to sewing. I generally barrel through things figuring I can do it. 🙂 I think it’s the precise nature of quilting, that and people showing me that I have been doing it wrong when it comes to cutting fabric. Now I am afraid to cut for fear of not being square. (hahaha, does that crack any of you up as much as me?)

At any rate, Saturday I had to do some quick mending for a Halloween costume and just sitting there barreling through the sewing on this dress so that I could wear it that night got me excited to make sewn items again. So Sunday afternoon while the boy was attending his weekly Mario Kart gathering, I sewed quilt backings together. Then after some yard work I basted the smaller quilt using up all my quilting safety pins and googling furiously to try and figure out what I was going to do with the extra fabric. Apparently the extra fabric is there in case you need it and when you are done and before you put on the binding, you just cut it off. (Now why couldn’t my book just tell me that?) Then I went to another room and laid out the quilt sandwich for my OU quilt. It’ll probably sit there for a short while since I don’t have any pins to secure it right now. I also need to learn how to do this whole quilting bit so I can get the pins out of the smaller quilt. But enough rambling, you want to see photo evidence, don’t you?

OU Quilt laid out as a Quilt Sandwich

Six of One, A Half Dozen of the Other Quilt all basted

I will say that I did a pre-test of the small quilt and laid under it. It felt warm to me. 🙂 I really do dig the colors too!

About LittleWit

Rockin'. I eat my snacks in multiples of two.
This entry was posted in Quilting. Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to Quilting!

  1. MsDragonfly says:

    Looks good to me on my tiny screen. 🙂 You could have called me if you needed help. I know a little bit about quilting.

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I COULD tell you about myself, but … NAH.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/MosquitoEater

9 thoughts on “About

  1. How did you predict the Idaho Lottery on 5/14/2008. The 5 numbers were correct except the PB number. Can you predict the the powerball numbers for MN on 10/19/2011?

    • Sorry, I was getting 2 much bad attention when I was predicting lottery numbers, if you know what I mean. I’m not 26 or 35 anymore, I’m closer to 52 or even 58, not 2 mention I have a child who is almost 16. I’m sorry, but it’s 2 bad I can’t help you.

  2. That pretty amazing that you matched 5 out of 6, Jim please help me, you don’t even have to tell me the prediction, but some strategies you use? I can even pay you in return. Would really appreciate it. Email me in private if you would like to

  3. I ran across your site can you predict the power ball for today 9/24/2014 or 9/ 27/2014 and send them to my email you have my word I will share my winnings with you and I will keep this conversation discrete as possible

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Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Learned Something New: CHM on UNC Behavior

Stefan Krueger emailed me asking if I had problems viewing the new MSI.chm. To be honest I hadn't even looked at it yet ( despite my moaning earlier this year about not having access to to it ) because I've been so swamped with recent changes at work and the struggle my wife is going through.

After finally downloading the file and testing it on a clean virtual machine, I stumbled onto the fact that the CHM wouldn't work from a UNC path but that it would work when I copied it locally.

So I did some searching and I found a KB article from Microsoft pointing in the direction of a change to CHM behavior in security bulletin MS05-026.

I had never noticed this behavior before. I love learning something new every day. Now off to read the MSI.CHM and learn a few more new things.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Who Had Some Fun This Weekend?

A recent post by Rob Mensching made me wonder a question:

What cool fun did you do this ( or a recent ) weekend?

You you know I'm what is called a Foodie. Fortunately or unfortunately, I love to eat. Since moving to Texas, I've really grown to appreciate peppers like I never did before.

Poblano, Green chili, Serrano, Jalapeno, Habenero and Scotch bonnet. While I do like the heat ( as anyone who has had my Jamaican Jerk Chicken can attest ) I really like to get past the heat and enjoy the flavor of the pepper.

So my fun for this weekend it was all about one word: Hatch

You see, as the summer winds down it's that time for the annual harvest in a small New Mexico town known worldwide for this yummy peppers. While I can't make it out there to the festival with my father in law ( who lives in ABQ, NM ) I can certainly stop by Central Market and load up. And load up I did! They sell the peppers preroasted but it's just not as fun as doing it yourself. So I spent hours roasting, steaming, skinning and cleaning peppers. Some I used right away for green chili hush puppies, green chili remoulade and green chili tarter sauce. The next day I made green chili guacamole for a seven layer dip. But most of it will be frozen to provide an endless supply until next year.

Of course I also picked up all kinds of goodies like green chili pork sausages. This ensures that when friends and family come to visit to help take care of Cheryl, we'll have plenty of fun foods to grill and eat together.

So don't forget, post a comment telling me about your fun weekend.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Time for Change Again

Well, it's been about a year since I changed employers so I guess it's time for my next move.

I'd like to say goodbye to my friends at Hart InterCivic and say hello to my new friends at Manatron.

Well, kinda.... It seems that my group has been purchased so I'm not really going anywhere other then on paper. Well, kinda... we will be moving to a new building.

For anyone who's curious, I've been trying to count how many jobs I've had over the years and I can't because I can't decide on how to count a job. The answer is somewhere between 7 and 11 though with the longest being 2.5 years and the shortest being 3 months.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

FormatMessage Bug?

A recent thread in the PlatformSDK.MSI newsgroup involved a question on why calling FormatMessage() for MSI errors above 1644 didn't return a message.

I had never noticed this before and I'm at a loss other then to wonder if it's a bug in Windows. I tried InstallScripts FormatMessage() wrapper and I wrote up a C# class that DllImports Kernel32.dll to call FormatMessage(). Neither work... I havn't tried on Vista yet.

Has anyone else ever seen this before?

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

BUGBUG: Yikes!

Black and Yellow Argiope
Argiope Aurantia

I couldn't help taking a picture of this scary looking, yet harmless spider this morning. It's the coolest thing I've seen in awhile so I'm going to let it live what's left of it's short life. Regardless, it's a fitting picture for my thoughts today.

I've been getting contacted by fellow developers thanking me for noticing the InstallShield COM Extraction bug. I did a dinner/movie with a former coworker who expressed relief that this was found.

But the truth is, I didn't catch it, I just finally noticed it. Others have been stung much worse and I'm suprised that given the severity of this issue, that Macrovision hasn't been more proactive in raising attention to this issue. The annoying Update Manager popped up on my screen today and it wasn't listed. There wasn't a DevLetter style email, or anything else.

I decided to do a search of Community and I found this interesting thread:

And just to prove history repeats itself, this has happened before:

BTW, I don't know about you, but when I encounter the same bug more then once, thats a clue to write a unit test. Perhaps my next blog will be an InstallScript ICE that checks for scary registry table entries. Until then, remember two things: Always use an integration test machine that you can virtualize or reimage and always test your uninstalls.

Friday, August 10, 2007

InstallShield COM Problems

In a recent blog I spoke about a nasty experience that I had and a hotfix that was available in IS2008.

I've been thinking about it more, and I realize that I actually experienced that problem using IS12! What this means is that while the hotfix is available for IS2008, IS12 users are actually at risk also. The KB article says that it applies to IS2008 but it should also say that it applies to other versions since the work around notes state:

For users who are not using InstallShield 2008, please use the following steps to work around this behavior:

Disable the 'COM Extract at Build' property for the component with the '*' character in the 'Name' column of the registry table
Locate the 'Advanced Settings' -> 'COM Registration' view of the component
Right click on 'COM Registration' in the middle pane, and select 'Extract COM Data for Key File'
In the Direct Editor, locate the offending entry with the '*' character in the 'Name' column of the registry table, and delete it.

A hotfix for IS12 would be good, but to be honest, I don't reccomend using COM Extract at build unless you always plan on doing Major Upgrades and you know your COM components don't have binary compatibility.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

InstallShield 2008 HOTFIX: COM Extraction Causes System Corruption during Uninstall

About a month ago I was working on an Installer for a North-Texas company when I did something I would normally never, ever do.... install/uninstall an untested prototype install on my dev box. The results were horrific... my entire network stack was trashed, all kinds of services weren't running and I actually got a message from Windows Vista saying something to the effect that a certain error that should never occur, occurred.

I looked at my package to see what could have happened and I noticed some TCP/IP settings had been picked up as part of a COM Extraction. I grabbed another laptop, transcribed the data and rebooted and all was well. Whew... bad setup developer!

I didn't think much more about this because at my day job we have almost no COM in our solution. The Server Installs ( Web Services and WebUI ) are pure .NET and the client only has some third party controls that we interop with. But all of those COM servers were authored in InstallShield 12 with the Right-Click Extract COM pattern. They never had a chance to be butchered by IS2008.

Then I came across a KB article today that described the exact situation that made me lose a few heartbeats.

I'll let you read the article, but basically it described a situation where the COM Extraction didn't filter well enough and that there is Hotfix available. I'd pick this one up for sure....

Sunday, August 5, 2007

.NET CA's are NOT (always) Evil

I recently came across this post on the WiX-Users mailing list:

Be very careful using C# within a Microsoft Installer based installation(like those generated using WiX). By doing so, you place an additional dependency on the .NET framework, and has been discussed many times this is a *bad thing*. Ideally you should choose something (e.g. C++) that can be built to have minimal (ideally no) external dependencies.

I couldn't disagree with this poster more. Adding the .NET framework as an install time dependency is not automatically and blanketly a "bad thing". It is increasingly becoming an "inevitable thing". After all, how else would you publish assemblies to the GAC? How else would you PreJIT assemblies?

I would agree that it's a bad thing to do things like use Installer Classes to use the framework to install services when MSI is natively capable of doing that, but not just because it's a MC CA, but because it's an unneeded CA in general.

The reality is we are now starting to see new API's that have no unmanaged counterpart. We are having developers write managed code and they are now business requirements for doing things that can only be done in .NET or are done in with 95% less effort in .NET.

We can bury our heads in the sand and repeat the '.NET is Evil' group think, or we can get with 2007 and start using .NET to our advantage and demand that the Windows Installer team do the same. Otherwise MSI's days are numbered.... remember after all that only about 50% of the setup space has switched to MSI. Other technologies are still out there.


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“Consciousness over physics,” describes how John views the challenge of combining diverse materials in unexpected ways. Fusing two elements, whose inherent properties appear completely contrary, into a beautiful and fully functional piece of art is why many seek JOHNHOUSHMAND creations.

Havas Worldwide, one of the leading global advertising and communications companies, commissioned us to create a communal table for their break room that would facilitate the ever-changing creative process. Monumental in scale at 24’ long, they asked if we could incorporate a “chalk board” feature with our signature live-edge wood aesthetic. Additionally, the wood used had to meet their deep commitment to sustainability.

Using a tree that was downed in a nor’easter, we began. Turning two live-edges of high character black walnut in towards the center of the table, and creating mating live-edges in Italian slate, Table No. 0268 comes alive with touch, kiss, and flow. Elevated on blackened steel legs with a stiletto heel curve, this communal table invites the firm’s creative talent to gather for sustenance as well as stimulation. Coffee in one hand, chalk in the other, No. 0268 invites all to gather and brainstorm.

Chalk it up to Houshmand to design and create a venue to bring creative ideas to the planet.

Check out this great time lapse of No. 0268 being installed! Created by the amazing team at TPG Architecture!

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Movie Review: "Eagle Eye"

I've never written a movie review before. And I may well never write another. But I saw "Eagle Eye" at one of those pre-screenings on Wednesday night and as such I saw it before most everyone else so I thought I'd take a minute here to let you know what I thought about it in the hopes it might be informative to you.

Now, my goal here isn't to be objective or to evaluate the movie on any particular set of criteria--I'm simply going to tell you my thoughts. Note that I cannot be held responsible for any irreparable damage this may cause. ;P

Here's the thing about this movie: the villain is a computer. Specifically, the antagonist is a computer that has become too smart for its own good and is now trying to do things that the humans in the movie consider to be nefarious. These include wearing white shoes after Labor Day, swimming immediately after eating, and killing people. Silly computer--tricks are for kids! Okay, so the computer doesn't have feet on which to wear shoes and it doesn't appear to have any interest in either eating or swimming, but it sure ain't kidding around on that whole killing people thing!

Let me say this: I like Terminator as much as the next guy. But that's set way in the future. And that machine at least acts like a dude. The computer in Eagle Eye, on the other hand, isn't all that different from the computers we're all used to, only except this one is ginormous, has these befuddling infrared innards which Hollywood apparently thinks will impress people with their complexity, and oh yeah--is trying to kill people (and I don't want to hear about how your computer seems to be trying to ruin your life by crashing at all the wrong times--it's not the same thing). The computer in Eagle Eye isn't at all like a dude--it does talk, but it has no face, no body, and it can't move around under its own power. Actually, it does have a bit of a thing for car chases so maybe it's a little like a dude after all.

So anyway, much as I like Terminator, I don't like movies set in the present day where the main difference between our actual world and the world depicted in the movie is that in the movie there's a crazed computer bent on destruction. Eh, I suppose that if the crazed computer were some minor plot line, I could hang with it if the rest of the movie were interesting, but when the crazed computer is core the entire story of the movie, I'm pretty much done. Because I was with my girlfriend and I simply don't like giving up on things, I hung in there with Eagle Eye for a bit after it became clear that the villain was a computer. But the film is so predictable that there wasn't anything even interesting to keep my attention, and so it got to the point where I just couldn't wait for it to end. To the film's credit, it at least didn't drag things out.

If you like movies where the antagonist is a computer, have at it. But if you're like me and such movies aren't your thing, skip this one. And remember, computers don't kill people, people kill people. Or something.

2011-04-21: given the age of this post, it seems unlikely to receive further legitimate comments. Yet comments continue to be posted: spam. Accordingly, it seems wise to me then to stop the insanity by closing comments to this post. Should you have a legitimate comment you wish to post here, please contact me via the the contact form here on my blog. Thanks!

junkie's Gravatar cool site! Add your reviews to I will feature them for you!
# Posted By junkie | 9/30/08 7:04 PM
DeeAnn's Gravatar I totally plan to see Eagle Eye anyway. I love this kinda junk and as a writer I like to try to figure out "how would this be possible? would it be possible?" To me, a good story is a way more important than good acting, unless of course the acting is seriously substandard. (which my ability to act is.) but I probably will catch it on HBO on demand or something like that. maybe the dollar movie... Still I do like hearing what you have to say.
# Posted By DeeAnn | 10/27/08 5:31 AM
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Thursday, 17 January 2013

Sample chapters from Romancing The Sale: Customer Seduction

Below I have pasted an excerpt from my book Romancing The Sale: Customer Seduction.

For many, sales is seen as a unethical, distrustful profession - it doesn't need to be that way!
The book compares dating and sales and shows how to build lasting successful relationships with sales techniques that are honest and ethical.
The book is aimed at novice sales professionals as well as more experienced sales professionals that have lost their way or picked some STD (Selling Technique Disasters) along the way !

If you like it, it's available on Amazon Kindle: Romancing The Sale. You don't need a Kindle as there are readers available iPhone, Android and even PC.

Death to Bad Selling

Most selling sucks. Like you I've bought lots of things in my life and I've been on the receiving end of many hundreds, if not thousands of sales people selling me things.

I can smell almost instantly when someone is selling something to me. More often than not, my barriers go up. Occasionally however I have that encounter with that special sales person. They stand out and I remember them afterwards with a smile. I know they are selling to me but rather than wanting to escape, I want to stay and play. I've even had sales meetings where it didn't feel like I was being sold to - it was more like building a lasting friendship. How come? What were they doing that countless others didn't do?

I love it when I'm treated special by a sales person. They flirt with me. They seduce me. It's fun. It's a two way game arousing desire and lust.

Contrast that with. I've got this – I want your cash. Hardly romantic. It's almost prostitution. The sales technique doesn't turn-me-on, arouse me, titillate me or even make me feel good.

So do you want your selling techniques to be romantic too? Romancing the Sale explores the art of selling romantically and shows you how to be romantic with your prospects.

I can't promise reading this book will get you more sales but I can promise you:

1/ It will make sales fun
2/ Your sales will be for the right reasons – love

Welcome to Romantic Sales and the art of Romancing the Sale.

What is a business without any sales? Trick question. It's not really a business - it is already failed or dead.
Without selling in business – nothing happens. Until somebody sells something, there is no need for anybody in the organisation – the business simply doesn’t have a purpose if there are no customers for its products.

Sales is one of the most important roles in a company yet amazingly in the UK, sales used to be looked down upon as a low status profession. However the good news is that sales' reputation is changing. Sales is a fun, rewarding and important career.

The goal of this book is to teach you how to make your customers fall in love with you, enabling you to be successful in sales.

This book will teach you how to sell by comparing the steps you will have taken when dating and apply these principles to the act of selling. When you sell, you are taking a journey with your prospect from stranger to customer which is remarkably similar to the journey from stranger to lover. Not all sales require human contact however complex sales usually are based on strength of relationships and it is these kinds of sales that this book focuses on. Complex sales are a type of sale which are characterised by the buyer needing to trust the seller either because of the scale of the deal or because there is an ongoing relationship between the seller and the buyer, once the deal is consummated. Complex sales are a lot like marriage.

Before we delve into the world of selling lets first lets look at sex. Yes sex. The need for human contact is at the very core of human emotions. Yet we've built a set of rules in society that need to be followed to get to that highly desirable sex.

Mating rituals allow the human race to continue and selling yourself to a prospective mate can be a daunting task yet it is something we feel compelled to do.

Now imagine a world where men and women failed to sell themselves to each other – we wouldn't have births and marriages and presumably death wouldn't happen either. The existence of the human race depends on selling ourselves as good sexual partners. Without sex – nothing happens – the human race ceases to exist.

If you are a virgin sales person you may feel much like you did when you first asked someone out on a date. Butterflies in your stomach. Lacking in confidence to make the first move. Basically your fear of getting it wrong is stopping you getting out there and selling. There are rituals which need to be followed in sales too and you are about to embark on a journey that will help you figure out what rules you need to follow in order to win the heart of your customer.

You might be thinking “I'm useless at pulling the chicks so I'll be useless at sales” – if that's the case you're in luck. This book will improve your love life as well as your sales!

Most people fear selling, so you are not an oddball. Most people are terrified of selling themselves, ideas or products. In the top 10 of fears, fear of dying comes third whilst fear of public speaking comes first. Your fear stems from the fact that you are making yourself vulnerable to attack, whether real or imagined. This fear is irrational. How many sales people have you heard of that have been killed whilst selling to a prospect? What's the worst that can happen?

Dating is the same - asking someone out on a date is one of the scariest things we've probably done – it is the fear of rejection that makes it so scary. There can be a lot of rejection in sales and I'm going to show you how to cope with these fears and handle rejection. And when you find that dream prospect that you think, “this could be the one” you'll know how to romance them and whisk them off their feet so they fall in love with you.

People buy from people and all things being equal people will buy from people they like. All things not being equal they still buy from people they like.

So a bit about this book. Firstly I've written the book from a male perspective since (i) I'm a man (ii) generally men do the chasing in dating (iii) in sales the seller usually has to do the chasing.

Some readers might be thinking I'm being chauvinistic. Well ask yourself “Is a sale male or female?”.

The French seem to know the answer. “Sale” in French is “la vente” - female. There is no doubt in my mind that a sale is a feminine thing. Just like a woman, the sale needs to be romanced to win it over. Women control dating, in fact I would be so bold to say that the groom doesn't know he is going to get married until the bride implants the idea in his head. Women certainly know whether their guy is going to get lucky. On the big night she will be in her best sexy underwear whereas he will probably wearing socks with holes in them and some threadbare boxer shorts.

Customer's control the sale – the sale isn't going to happen unless the customer wants to get hitched.

My final proof that a sale is female is the phrase “the customer is always right”. It shouldn't therefore be a surprise when you consider women are always right too.

This book is designed for two types of reader. Newcomers to sales that want to develop their own selling style that they feel comfortable with and those with some sales experience that are struggling to find selling natural. The selling style I cover here is more relevant for complex sales – those that are selling high value products and services however the techniques can be used on any sale where there is a lasting relationship. If your business is all about one night stands then this book is probably not for you.

By the end of the book you should be confident about going out there and engaging in lots of fun, unprotected sales.

Sales is some of the most fun you can have and make money from it ! Selling needs to be fun. Consider this. Who would you rather be sold to by? (a) someone dry and boring (b) someone fun and energetic.

The Beginning of Sales

According to the bible somewhere near the beginning there was Adam and Eve. There wasn’t much need for selling in the garden of Eden. However along came some pesky snake and changed the balance of power and from then on, the need for sales arose.

Over the course of time, sales has grown to have a bad reputation. In fact the phrase a slippery salesman has emerged. I don’t know if this is a reference back to the serpent in the garden of Eden but if it is, it's wrong. Snakes are not slippery – they are smooth.

Sales is sometimes viewed as a sleazy, pushy profession. In many ways this doesn't sound any different to rape. If you have a perception that sales is forcing you to compromise your values then stop worrying. You won't be learning a rapist selling style here. You will be learning how to romance your customers to build a lasting relationship. Your goal is happy sales. Sales that both you and your customer are happy with.

Before we jump in, it's worth covering the basics. Sometimes the basics are not as basic as you might think. Now picture a sale in progress. There you are facing your customer. You're having a really fun time so you're smiling. Your customer is enjoying the sale and is smiling too. Now take a look at that customer. Look closer. What do you see?

They are a person just like you. They are not some scary monster. Lets zoom in a little further. Take a look at their head. Look closer. You'll find they have a brain just like yours. It's full of random thoughts, desires and emotions just like yours. Your customer is not a monster so you don’t need to be scared of them. They are not an object – they are human just like you.

It is very easy to start viewing people as objects in the sales process and when that happens, sales start to become very transactional. Customers are not a barrier or obstacle-course to a big pile of cash which you want to get at. Sure you want to earn money from selling but that is a side effect. If you get the sale right, your customer will want to give you their big pile of cash because you are giving them something that they value as much as, or maybe more than, the pile of cash.

The moment you forget your customer is a person with these needs and wants, you're straying into rapist territory. Selling is about satisfying your prospect's needs and not selfishly forcing your needs upon them.

Brain Power

Now you know that you'll be selling to a person and they have a brain just like you, it's worth taking a look under the hood. Knowing how your brain works will help you tremendously in sales and knowing how your customer's brain works will help you even more to be a success.

Brains are pretty complex and amazing things. Your brain is in fact three brains: left half, right half and the oldest brain - a small reptilian brain at the top of your spinal cord. You've probably heard about the left and right half of your brain.

The left side handles speech, time, logic, details, facts, problem solving, order and sequential information. The right brain recognizes pictures, faces, symbols, past and future, risk and spatial concepts. As a generalisation the left brain handles more logical, practical male tasks and the right side handles more emotional and creative tasks associated with females. This is often reflected in gender related jobs for example engineering is a male dominated profession which requires logic and attention to detail whilst women are stereotypically associated with artistic and creative jobs and therefore the right brain. One side is not better than the other – you need both sides to function fully.

Everybody uses both sides of their brain however one side tends to dominate. Now we come to the reptilian brain. The reptilian brain is probably the most important brain in many ways and it is also the brain that doesn't switch-off and have down-time as you will now find out.

You might think you're a very sensible person in control of yourself however you are wrong. Utterly wrong.

The reptilian brain exerts massive control over the rest of your brain (and body). This brain isn’t just some evolutionary legacy like an appendix, it is there to keep you alive. It handles most of your body's basic life support functions. Humans are pretty weak animals and it's the reptilian brain that's kept us alive for millions of years – it tells us when there is danger and it controls most of our emotions too, including sexual desire and love.

Now reptiles are not known for being particularly clever. They don't do tricks and in-fact reptiles don’t even dream. Yet this brain exerts a lot of control over you – it thinks it is looking after your best interest and can seize control whenever it wants. Right now it's working out whether you need to run from that sabre tooth tiger behind you? Did you feel your reptile brain kick into action for a fraction of a second as you read those words?

The fact that our weak logical brain is not in control is not new information. Phrases like “I know in my heart this is right”, “I have a gut feel about this” recognise that your logical brain is not the only brain. Go back to the 1500s and the Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus (Erasmus of Rotterdam) observed this and said “Jupiter has bestowed far more passion than reason – you could calculate the ratio as 24 to one”. The emotional brain overwhelms the logical brain.

So if you thought sales was a logical process, think again. It is a messy emotional process. It's a lot like falling in love.

All of your senses, except smell, are hard wired into the reptile brain. That means everything you look at, hear, touch and taste is being processed first by your reptile brain. It is screening and censoring everything. You might have noticed that reptiles don't talk much or make much noise. Unfortunately speech is a product of your higher order brain. I say unfortunately because you think you're being clever when you speak but the person you're talking to is a reptile until they have screened your message to see if it is acceptable to be passed to the “higher order” brain.

Every time you look at something your reptile brain is evaluating what to do. Is this situation dangerous? Should I run away? Should I fight? Is this safe? So some of your primary emotions like fear and anger are because of the crocodile in your brain.

These base responses are termed “fight” or “flight”. In fact there are 4 responses referred to as the “four F's”. Fighting, fleeing, feeding and sex.

We don't want to invoke fighting (active resistance) responses or fleeing responses in our prospective customers when we come onto them. If we trigger these behaviours then they will manifest themselves as doors being slammed in our faces or ignoring us for example not returning our calls. We want to romance our customers into a sale so we need to be considered safe or stimulating.

Over the years I've come to the conclusion it is almost impossible to teach somebody your experiences – they pretty much have to make the mistake themselves in order to learn. Old habits die hard, and billions of years of crocodile brain evolution have given you some hard coded rules and behaviours that are designed to keep you alive. That means that there's nothing more stubborn than your reptile brain. It's developed what it thinks is a winning recipe to keep you alive so it won't change easily.

A key part of the reptile brain is the filter. It has a fancy name, the Recticular Activating System, which filters most information so only the really important stuff has to be processed by the brain. I first became aware that I had this filter in my head a few years ago when I decided I wanted a new type of car. Until my interest was aroused I thought these cars were pretty rare however I suddenly noticed these cars everywhere. I had literally been living with blinkers on and had filtered out this unimportant information. We are bombarded with information and filter out most information we are exposed to and probably for good reason. Without this filter we would collapse in a confused heap, overloaded with millions, if not billions, of bits of information which we are exposed to each day.

This filter has big implications for you. Firstly you need to learn about sales and because you're reading this book you need to have an open mind. If you haven’t got an open mind when reading this book, very little of this book's content will lodge in your brain – you'll carry on doing what you've always done. Secondly all your sales prospects have this filter which you need to get past. You need to understand how to get past their filter. One classic sales technique to break through the filter is brute force persistence.

Let's start with you. To get your reptile brain to do something different you either have to show it, that the task is very similar to something you already know (not a threat) or you have to shock it into a different way of thinking – effectively invoking the fight or flight mechanisms.

We'll be meeting your new reptile friend frequently and I'll be showing it that there is nothing to fear. Sales is fun and safe.

If you've ever tried to learn a foreign language it can be pretty daunting. Often you're on the path to failure before you've even started because if you think it is impossible to learn a foreign language then it will be impossible. I discovered Michel Thomas' language courses – they are great. His approach is to show you all the things that are the same – that way you don't feel threatened and you learn very quickly. We will be doing the same.

The reality is you already know how to sell. You will have bought a product or service in your life and interacted with a sales person, so you have been on the other side of the table of the sales process. You've seen selling in action and you've built a mental store of what worked well and what got your back up.

This book will tease your latent sales skills out in the open or adapt some existing skills from elsewhere. Don't believe me that you already know how to sell? Ask yourself “Have I ever had a good or bad sales experience?”. If you know what good and bad looks like then we know where we are headed.

To help you navigate your way around a sale, we need a map. A sale is a journey – the actual point of sale is just a specific point on that journey just like the wedding day is a specific point in a relationship. The diagram below shows the typical flow of a successful sale. Of course not all sales result in a commitment to buy. If you pick a sale you're familiar with, say you are walking into a clothes shop. The shop assistant might do a very basic introduction, they might sell you on a particular item such as “this colour suits you”. You select the item, go into the changing room to trial the product. You discover the item doesn't fit or they don't have your size. The result is the sale falls through.

In a more complex sale the introduction phase can involve the seller identifying prospective clients, some preliminary qualification and background information about the buyer. Once the formalities or pleasantries are over it then evolves into the selling phase – does the buyer need what we are selling. Once the customer feels the need for what is being sold, the next step is often some kind of validation or proof that the solution does what is needed. The validation step is required to ensure purchasing does not pose a risk to the buyer whether that is a risk to business or simply a risk to wasting money. Once a successful trial/demo has been completed, it may lead to a commitment or sale.

Not surprisingly, relationships follow a similar process:

Now you might look at this model and be saying “people don't get married nowadays” - living together is considered the commitment. In which case sex can be considered the trial or demonstration of compatibility. Just like in selling, not everyone you date will result in a marriage. Like sales, all dates are unique. The time spent in each phase of this model varies with each deal.

You should now have a mental map of where you are in the selling/dating process. Let's get busy and find the partner of our dreams.

Exercises and Actions

Reflect on your sales experiences both as a seller and a buyer.

  • How did you feel in the sales experience?
  • If you were being pushed into a sale what emotions and reactions, such as fight or flight were triggered?
  • Write down where your head-is-at – what are your current feelings about selling? For example are you nervous, confident, love it or feel you're compromising your values.

Getting Match Fit

Athletes warm-up before a race. Winning a race is about being physically ready and just as importantly, being mentally ready.

Success is all about getting in the right frame of mind.

Physically there is very little difference between the best tennis player and the number five tennis player in the world. The real difference is inside their heads. One knows they can win, the other thinks they can win.

So to prepare you for this dating frenzy, we need to get you mentally prepared and your mind in the right place.

Sales is as much about having the right mindset for success as it is about the process of selling. If you think you can't sell – you will fail. If you condition yourself to believe you can sell – you will succeed. The sales mindset is not just about feeling confident about the technical aspects of selling – it is also about feeling that you deserve success. Many sales people crumble under pressure like bottom league professional tennis players when the pressure is on and the stakes are high. If it were possible to play a “sales friendly” they would sell like a professional sales champion but once the stakes rise for a big deal, they choke under the pressure. Odd destructive behaviours can emerge.

How comfortable would you feel selling a £10,000 deal?
What about a £5 million deal?

Reflect for a second. Did you feel a twinge of panic about whether you could sell a £5 million deal?
No. What about a £5 billion deal?

The rules of selling are the same – it's the stakes that have changed. The moment doubts creep in and you start to believe you won't win the sale, then doubts will turn into beliefs and unfortunately beliefs turn into reality. Competition for the big prize will be high – don't let nerves and other human defects blow your sales deals.

First the big ask – please forget all the emotional baggage you're carrying around about sales. Maybe you've had a really bad sales experience that still haunts you. Do I only have to mention the word sales and you start twitching? ...”I really wasn’t comfortable buying that car but the sales guy pushed me into the sale. I hated that car. I hate that salesman. Why did I buy that luminous orange car. I couldn’t sell it on and everyone laughed at me. Being a sales person means I have to be like him!”

Like what you've read? Tweet about it.

If you enjoyed this sample, you can buy Romancing The Sale on Amazon Kindle. You don't need a Kindle as there are readers available iPhone, Android and even PC.

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Why Are CFOs Stuck With Outdated Payment Processes?

Why Are CFOs Stuck With Outdated Payment Processes?

If you’re a chief financial officer at a life sciences company, you know how hard it is to pay sites.

I have had fascinating discussions with members of The Association of Bioscience Financial Officers (ABFO) at their annual meeting in San Diego and a recent seminar we co-hosted with ABFO in Cambridge. We heard a consistent message from financial officers that there is a lot to be resolved in making it easier for sponsors and CROs to pay investigators and sites.

[We’ll save our conversation with Alex Cotopoulis from Ernst & Young for another day. I previously spoke with Alex about outsourcing global payments and how to avoid tax traps in a recent webinar that’s now available to download.]

Anybody that has processed investigator payments knows that it comes with a handful of challenges. There are difficulties with reporting, indirect tax considerations that vary country by country and a multitude of other global complexities.

We’ve done research at Medidata that suggests up to 50 percent of a clinical trial budget is devoted to investigator payments, so this is a significant piece of the financial consideration for a life science company.

The reality is that a lot of the industry still handles payments manually through Excel spreadsheets combined with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. But in combination with the complexities mentioned above, this pieced-together solution often results in late and inaccurate payments to sites.

Late payments can be a financial strain on sites, and we estimate that roughly 40 percent of new sites that participate in a trial drop out after their first study because of this burden.

So what does this mean for life science companies that are expanding into new regions, expanding the size of their trials, etc.?

Sponsors often struggle with the accruals process and forecasting when they outsource. We consistently hear of mid-sized sponsors who work with CROs that getting accrual data is a really difficult thing. They don’t get accrual data in a timely fashion, and to make it worse, many organizations outsource to multiple CROs, which means they get the accrual data on a different frequency in a different format. Forecasting is hard enough as it is. By using one payment system, forecasting can be updated automatically.

Throughout the industry, life science organizations are bringing payment technology in-house, similar to what happened with EDC. When companies switched from paper to EDC, many small and large sponsors centralized the process by bringing the technology in-house for their CROs to use while giving sponsors the insight they need.

Interestingly, life science companies and CROs have an opportunity to potentially drive site behavior by linking EDC to their payments process. To the extent that companies can bring together the time EDC data is entered and putting cash in the site’s hand, sponsors can improve the site experience while also encouraging them to enter data faster.

There’s no reason we can’t treat investigator payments like payroll in terms of the funding mechanism. The cash should be in your hands until you need to pay it out. Sponsors that are taking payment technology in-house are seeing how easy it can (and should) be, and this approach simplifies the process for CROs as well.

I’m curious to hear from finance folks in the comments section. Does this all ring true?

About Author

April Mulroney

April is the managing director of Medidata’s global investigator payment solution.


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Friday Under $50

Happy Friday! This week was definitely a busy one, spent putting finishing touches on the next issue of Sweet Lemon Magazine (which goes live this Sunday afternoon!).

This weekend I'm looking forward to lounging around, hanging out with the boyfriend and heading to a kick-butt yoga class. And I'm hoping I can get my hands on a copy of the new Cupcakes and Cashmere book by Emily Schuman – I've been reading her blog for years and I can't wait to see all the inspiring goodies in her new book!

So to kick things off, here's a little roundup of my favorite finds under $50. Go ahead, treat yourself!

ASOS Cat Eye Sunnies
Loren Hope Neon Studs
Julep Polish Hayden
Julep Polish Sienna
J.Crew Striped Top
ASOS Clutch
Lush Butterball Bath Bomb
Cupcakes and Cashmere Book
Jennifer Ramos 'LOVE' Print
Topshop Ballet Flats
J.Crew Neon Skinny Belt
West Elm Gold Flatware
+ Lululemon Align Mat (on sale!)

Keep in touch! :: Twitter :: Instagram :: Pinterest

  1. Beautiful! Loving this and can't wait for Sweet Lemon!

    1. Thank you Miss C :) I can't wait for this issue – definitely our best yet!

© mademoiselle by melissa noucas. .


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Tag Archives: Publishers Network

Announcement of Publishers Network – Free Jobs Portal for Web Publishers

Mustakbil.com starts the Jobs Publishers Program that will enable website owners to add a Jobs Section to their website and attract more traffic.

It is Fully Hosted Service, and Publishers can customize the Jobs Portal depending on their needs. They can add their logo, top banner and customize the color scheme to match their website theme.

Who Should Join? Universities, Colleges, Web Portals who want to display the latest jobs from all over Pakistan to their website.


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Tag Archives: CNG
MHC Kenworth Tour

MHC Kenworth Tour Showcases CNG Technology

MHC is featuring a 2013 compressed natural gas-powered Kenworth T660 at eight MHC locations across the country. MHC said the tour, which started in the heart of the Midwest at MHC Kenworth – Kansas City, was launched to give customers a look at the newest natural gas technology. “CNG is a new product that is […]

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Company to Construct CNG Stations Nationwide

Trillium CNG and AMP Americas have announced a joint venture, AMP Trillium, focused on building a network of CNG stations across the US. Initially, AMP Trillium will construct stations along the I-65 and I-75 trucking corridors and major routes in Texas, with the first station breaking ground by fall 2012. The stations will be open […]

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Freightliner CNG

Freightliner Road Trippin’ on Compressed Natural Gas

LONG BEACH, CA. — Freightliner Trucks and Westport Innovations are in the midst of cross-country U.S. trips running compressed natural gas-powered trucks to prove the availability of the fuel out on the road. The trips are meant to show that a CNG infrastructure is rapidly developing, and that long-haul runs on CNG are feasible. Freightliner […]

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Frito Lay

Frito-Lay Pledges a Major Shift Toward Natural-Gas Trucking

On Tuesday, Frito-Lay announced it would add 67 trucks that would run on compressed natural gas, known as C.N.G., to its fleet. Eventually, the company said, a majority of its longer-range vehicles would run on C.N.G., as well as liquefied natural gas for longer-distance hauls. The C.N.G.-powered trucks would save the equivalent of $2.50 a […]

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Compressed Natural Gas Trucks

Freightliner’s natural gas trucks are changing the way fleets do business by saving them money. In the video below see how one business took the CNG leap and saved money. Veolia Environmental Services Introduces New Fleet of Compressed Natural Gas Powered Trucks to Evansville Market EVANSVILLE, Ind., Apr 11, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Veolia ES […]

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The Collaborative Economy – The New Globalisation?

New organisations, new social media platforms, great connectivity – all of these are expanding the wealth of knowledge and skills that individuals have access to. As this continues, are we looking at a shift in the nature of global trade?

Ten years ago, I sat in a business lecture debating why globalisation was a good thing, and why organisations needed to be alive to the possibilities of being able to source any item, at any time, from anywhere in the world. Although I won that argument, I couldn’t have known how the world would change in the intervening decade.

Globalisation and Trade

At the time, I was young, idealistic and thought large, dominant global organisations couldn’t be a bad thing, no matter what my debate opponent said about local economies and global trade. I should say that this was also back when I drank coffee from the red, blue and green chain companies, before realising local, independent providers had them beat…

Now, reports are suggesting that traditional globalisation, the trade between countries, is decreasing. Some forecasts show that, for a third consecutive year, growth in global trade will be lower than overall economic growth, while others highlight that international capital flows are worth 10 per cent of what they were in 2007.

While it may be true that globalisation in a traditional sense may be on the wane, there is a new form of globalisation on the rise.

The Collaborative Economy

Cross-border trade is changing thanks to technological advances and increasing interconnectedness of subject matter experts and those who require specific skill-sets that they don’t already have access to. This is the Collaborative Economy.

Sites like Upwork (a combination of two pioneers of the collaborative economy, Elance and oDesk) allow organisations to ‘hire’ independent talent for one-off or short-term jobs, filling a requirement or skills gaps, without having to hire a full-time employee.

The difference in this case is that the individuals offering their expertise to meet business requirements are frequently in a different country or in a different time zone, but able to leverage technology to provide a service.

There are an estimated 80 million ‘sharers’ in the collaborative economy in the USA, as well as over 23 million in the UK and over 10 million in Canada. And with conservative estimates of investment totalling $25 billion, it appears that we are just scratching the surface.

Procurement Professionals without Borders

Procurement is very much at the start of its journey when it comes to the Collaborative Economy, but the potential is enormous. Asset sharing and transfer of knowledge could enable procurement to work across borders and access knowledge, all while reducing costs associated with travel and adding value through accessing best practice and reducing risk.

Online sharing platforms, such as FLOOW2 can assist with supply chain transparency and reduce overheads by facilitating the sharing of assets. And could we end up seeing this go one step further, with procurement professionals themselves being shared between organisations? It’s not as far-fetched as you might think.

This isn’t consultancy – this is freelance procurement. When asked about my ‘Big Idea’ for procurement, I voiced the opinion that in the next decade people wouldn’t work for one organisation or in one place, but on multiple projects and in many teams, dependent on the required skills for the job.

It has taken less than 6 months for others to talk about the same subject – how long before talk becomes reality? I’d be interested to hear what you think and if you would set yourself up as a procurement freelancer. Let’s start a debate – maybe someone else will win this time!


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Thursday, March 23, 2006

Nanoelectronics roadmap aims to speed commercialization

"The effort is designed to move nanoelectronics innovations from laboratory to the marketplace for applications ranging from communications, information technology, consumer products and optoelectronics."

I agree that patents are pretty crazy now. What really needs to happen is a patent can ONLY be upheld if the patent owner can show they have made significant progress on the patent contents. When going to court a judge should look at the case, and if the patent holder is just a patent troll the case should be thrown out of court. Only those companies which actually make progress or at least attempt progress should be allowed to continue with the patent.

I could even see a market for selling patents if a patent holder cannot make any forward moving progress on the thing they thought up. For instance, I come up with a great idea and patent it. However another company can actually make something out of my invention. That company should be allowed to purchase the patent instead of licensing the rights, otherwise I would lose my patent because I cannot make progress on it. Snooze you lose type of thing.

Sure, I don't have all the answers here, but something has to be done.

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Friday, January 26, 2007

John Kerry's not running

Ted Danson lookylikey John Kerry, who managed to screw up beating George W Bush in 2004, despite Dubya only having an approval rating of something like 35%, has thankfully announced he won't be running in the 2008 election. He announced it during a speech to the senate a couple of days ago. Thank god for that....

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The amazing truth about Costco’s organic food

You like to think you’re all special. You think you’re engaged, thoughtful, doing your part by recycling all your bourbon bottles and buying fair-trade coffee and always showering with a friend because hey, you actually care about the drought, mostly.

And why? Because these things matter. Choices matter. “Be the change you want to see in the world,” someone – I think it was Beyoncé – once said. Damn straight, girl.

But you are also not stupid. You know there’s a bit more to saving the planet than composting your dryer lint and flipping off Taco Bell every time you pass by (but by all means, do it anyway). You understand that sometimes the only way serious, lasting change can happen is when it happens at scale, from the top of capitalism’s ruthless food chain on down. Sad but true.

Free sample of pressed  meat-like product?

Free sample of mysterious, pressed meat-like product?

You know, for example, that sometimes it requires the faceless CEO of a massive retailer based somewhere in Issaquah to decide it’s time to start selling organic food alongside the regular, heavily processed stuff in their various megastores – lots and lots of it, historic amounts, even – and boom, farmers for 1,000 miles convulse, consumers flock and the world lurches forward, sort of, a little, because capitalism.

Right? So it is that somehow, while you weren’t looking, while Whole Foods was busy opening lavender-misted gluten-free cookie lounges, big ol’ Costco wholesale, that glorious bulk-shopping wonderland that lets you walk in with a quivering soul and walk out with a 75” TV and a hot tub and a 10 gallon vat of olive oil and 4,000 licorice whips and also some sushi and car tires and a coffin, Costco has somehow become the biggest organic grocer in America.

You read that right. According to one investment bank, anyway, Costco’s organic sales – some $4 billion annually – are now bigger than Whole Foods’. Certainly far bigger than nasty ol’ Walmart, which is a weird thing to write given how Walmart is, despite all their “green” improvements, slightly improved wages and organic efforts, still very much the devil.

It’s one of those things you have to acknowledge. Whole Foods may have innovated the category, but it’s discount places like Costco that really make it go. The Issaquah giant is moving a lot of organic product, unprecedented in American history. Of course, they’re also moving a ton of disgusting, cancer-causing garbage food, too.

Question is, does it matter? Is it making a difference?

Of course it is. That much organic product in the pipeline only further normalizes the concept, makes it easily available, affordable, friendly to the average consumer. It also completely transforms the supply chain, all the way back to the soil itself. Farmers use less chemicals. Fields are happier. Trees, animals, bodies, kids, air and water tables, too.

Well, sort of. It ain’t all organic peaches and grass-fed cream, of course. You can argue that “organic” as a worthwhile movement has, thanks to the meekness of the USDA, been gutted beyond recognition, and that tons of organic produce are now hauled in from faraway farms in Mexico, which translates into both a massive carbon footprint and serious environmental/labor problems we hear nothing about (we’re not the only ones going through a drought, for example).

Nevertheless, it’s still kind of amazing. Organic is no longer some sort of rarified, precious commodity reserved for the 1%. And while “organic” doesn’t necessarily mean sustainable, or even local, it does mean free of certain pesticides and growth hormones – which, as we like to say in America with a bittersweet shrug, is better than nothing.

The upshot? Yes, your choices matter. After all, Costco wouldn’t be making billions on organics if the market wasn’t there, and it was almost certainly all us “hippie lefties” who, slowly but surely, alerted the dogs of capitalism that there’s real money to be made in not poisoning people.

All the cool companies are doing it

All the cool companies are doing it

Does Costco give a damn about the planet? The soil? Farmers? Maybe. Doubtful. Unlike Whole Foods, Costco doesn’t much care about the ethics of what it stocks; they’re equally happy to sell you ten pounds of organic tofu and a case of Monsanto’s lethal Roundup weed killer. Organics are just a nice, new profit sector. And to be sure, ruthless monoliths like Walmart aren’t going green because they want a better future; they’re doing it because they know we’ve screwed the planet beyond recognition, and they gotta try and shore up their precious supply chain.

So, how do you hold it all? What’s your feel for this sort of news? Mixed blessings? Doomed no matter what? Glimmers of positivism and hope? Some of each? I’m with you.

Doesn’t hurt to try and stay positive. After all, companies from Chipotle to McDonald’s are improving pay and benefits for employees, due to pressures both political and PR. And Costco has always offered above-average pay and benefits to its employees. What’s more, thanks to the godawful SCOTUS and evil trolls like the Koch brothers, the entire country pretty much hates the idea that corporations are now people – and the corporations know it.

Maybe this is why there’s also a rather amazing new trend in corporate responsibility popping up, something called a B Corp, which has become a much-desired designation for truly progressive companies who really do wish to meet certain (quite strict) standards for sustainability, fairness and transparency, both because it’s the right thing to do, and because they still want to be relevant in, you know, ten years.

Could such a trend catch on? Take over the discussion? Could a behemoth like Costco ever become a B Corp? Is a nascent, but palpable revolution at hand?

It’s nice to think so. After all, the planet sure as hell isn’t going to wait much longer.

Mark Morford


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All posts by Erin Gifford

Erin Gifford is Washington, DC based travel writer and founder of Kidventurous, an award-winning family travel resource. When she's not planning the next family road trip or seeking out new adventures for her four kids, like dog sledding and llama trekking, she's crossing off the next state in her quest to run a half marathon in all 50 states. Follow her on Twitter at @kidventurous.
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Carlsbad Beach
Visit Carlsbad

San Diego has long been a popular tourist destination; the near-perfect weather and beautiful beaches make it a no-brainer. But you may want to set your sights just 35 miles north — on Carlsbad — a city that’s made a name for itself thanks to Legoland California. Surprisingly, there’s... Read More

Monticello Wine Trail
Facebook/Monticello Wine Trail

When most people think about a wine tasting getaway, areas like Napa and Santa Barbara spring to mind. But surprisingly, there a number of lesser-known locations worth a look…er, a sip. From Colorado to Pennsylvania, their award-winning wines are plentiful and you’ll want to explore the regions by foot, by bike... Read More

Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida
Flickr/Tim Corradino

One of the great things about Walt Disney World is that it’s accessible to travelers with just about any vacation budget. However, we’ve recently noticed that the resort is pulling out all the stops with its newly launched, pricey add-ons that aim to enhance your visit. From additional-fee transportation... Read More

When Rolling Stone announced its picks for the 100 best Instagram accounts, some were shocked to find that the TSA came in fourth place — even beating out Beyoncé — but if you scroll through its feed, it’s not hard to see why. The account is both informative and entertaining.... Read More

Trader Sam's Hippopotomai-tai in Orlando, Florida
Trader Sam’s Hippopotomai-tai/Carrie McLaren

For adults looking to unwind after a long day at the Walt Disney World parks, a boozy beverage may be just the solution. With creative menus across the resort, a craft cocktail is easy to find. Here are five libations you should sip on your next trip to the “Most Magical Place on... Read More

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 flickr/Jason Jenkins
flickr/Jason Jenkins

Next year marks the 70th anniversary of the UFO encounter (and controversy) in Roswell, New Mexico. In town, you’ll find a McDonald’s shaped like a UFO and the International UFO Museum, which provides a deep dive into what took place in July 1947. You can also head to the extra-kitschy Area 51... Read More


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Suze Orman Has Nothing on Us! Introducing Our Personal Chakra Pendant

Chakra PendantWe’ve had multiple inquiries from customers looking for a pendant “like the one Suze Orman always wears.”  It seems there are many customers out there hoping to channel this powerful woman’s financial savvy by wearing similar spiritual jewelry. Well, we are always happy to help our customers with their pursuit of fine custom jewelry, wherever the inspiration comes from!

We researched Ms. Orman’s pendant and discovered that it was given to her by a spiritual adviser from India who told her that the pendant would protect her. It is fashioned around the Chakra traditions found in the far east which holds there are seven Chakras, or energy centers, in our bodies that receive, assimilate, and express life force energy.

We styled our Personal Chakra Pendant in the shape of the sixteen petal wheel that represents the 5th Chakra. You personalize it by choosing the precious metal it’s made in and the gem that is set in the center. We offer seven different genuine gems; each one represents one of the seven Chakras.

  • 1st Chakra – Root:  Ruby
  • 2nd Chakra – Belly:  Canelian
  • 3rd Chakra – Solar Plexus:  Citrine
  • 4th Charkra – Heart:  Green Jade
  • 5th Charkra – Throat:  Turquoise
  • 6th Chakra – Third Eye: Lapis
  • 7th Chakra – Crown:  Amethyst

Learn more about the meaning of each of the seven Chakras: Chakra Chart


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News Article

SRS Distribution: Proud to Support Luke's Wings

By Dan R. Tinker November 02, 2015

Luke’s Wings was founded in January of 2008 by a group of young people who observed the struggles of our wounded warriors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.Luke’s Wings was named after two people, Luke Shirley (a wounded warrior at Walter Reed who lost an arm and a leg in an IED blast) and Sarah Wingfield, a Redskins Cheerleader Ambassador who was visiting the troops at Walter Reed in May, 2007 when she met Luke…ergo, “Luke’s Wings.”

It was immediately obvious to the Luke’s Wings founders, as well as their social network, that our wounded warriors were the most deserving group of Americans in immediate need of travel tickets and travel planning services. Bottom line: having family on site and by their bedsides during their long and difficult recovery and endless surgeries is mission critical. Having family and loved ones by their bedsides helps pass the time, but also boosts their spirits, and in the most extreme cases, helps eleviate depression and reduce the risk of suicide.

From January 2008 through 2011, Luke’s Wings was run and operated as a strictly volunteer based charity. There were no salaries. There was no office space. Operating expenses were kept to a minimum. Material expenses were limited to fundraising activities and flights for our wounded warriors and their families. Between 2008 and 2012, Luke’s Wings grew and grew. As of 2012, Luke’s Wings has raised more than $1,000,000.00 and has answered the call of more than 600 wounded warrior families, Texas Veteran families, and Veterans in Hospice Care.

Lukes_wings.jpgBetween 2008 and 2012, most of the funding came from fundraising events and individual donations. As the organization grows, so does the strategy. From 2012 forward, Luke’s Wings develops long term relationships with Corporate America.

Luke’s Wings is committed to maintaining a clear and obvious mission: To provide travel tickets and travel planning services. This is what we do… and we are excellent at what we do. We can, and often do, book the next flight in or out. This will always be our mission.

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Monday, November 12, 2007

Christmas Gift - Graphite & Charcoal Cat Portrait of Zak- Update #3

I have added a few more layers of graphite pencil to Zak's fur and will add more still but needed to get the background established first. The blanket has been drawn with 4B graphite pencil and I will either use charcoal for the background behind his tail or 6B graphite pencil, will see how it progresses.

I definitely need to get his eyes drawn in, cats just do not look right without their eyes!

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The pinnacle for every field hockey athlete is to make it to the Olympics, and to come out victorious. But even Olympic athletes have to overcome major setbacks, like getting cut from the team.

STX field hockey athletes Jereon Hertzberger, Shona McCallin, Katie Bam, Jill Witmer and Kelsey Kolojejchick share their own #RoadtoRio.

To hear what songs Jereon Hertzberger listens to in the gym and the locker room as he trains for Rio, click here


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Home - Tags: na li

Tag: na li

Mats Merkel: From the Australian Open 2013, Day 9

Posted on January 22, 2013 in Miscellaneous Tournaments

Another great day of tennis today!

First, Na Li beat Agniezka Radwanska in a high level match. A lot of long rallies with the better end for Na Li with a score of 7/5 6/3. The former coach of Justine Henin seems to really have a positive impact on her! Li’s husband has been doing a lot of roadwork in the past years especially since Na’s former coach Thomas Hogsted switched to work with Maria Sharapova. Carlos Rodriguez, Na Li’s current coach, has been with her since shortly before the US Open 2012. You can really see that he has certain things he wants his players to do during a match. Na Li is definitely playing more offensive meaning she is going to the net or at least playing a couple of swing volleys after the opponent has been pushed into the corner.

Another 5 set match was played by the two Spanish players, Almagro and Ferrer. They were battling each other out there for hours. Almagro was up two sets to love serving for the match at 5/4 in the third but couldn’t serve it out. Ferrer grinded his way back into the match to win in five sets 4/6 4/6 7/5 7/6 6/2.

WTA Blog: 2012 Year End Power Rankings

Posted on November 8, 2012 in Pro Tennis Talk

Serena Williams dominated the WTA Tour in 2012.

With the 2012 WTA campaign coming to an end, I wanted to post my end of the year Power Rankings. Just like in football and basketball, these don’t exactly follow the official rankings, but are reflective of who I feel is playing the best tennis to close the year and head into 2013. Without further ado, I give you…

2012 Year End WTA Power Rankings
Power Ranking. Name (WTA Ranking)

1. Serena Williams (3)
When she’s at her best, there’s no woman in the world that can beat her, and for the last half of the year she’s been on fire! Since her first round loss at the French Open, she’s 32-1, winning Wimbledon, the Olympics, the US Open, and the year end WTA Championships (among other titles). There’s no question she’s the best in the world as the year comes to a close.

Victoria Azarenka finishes 2012 with 69 match wins, the highest total on tour this year.

2. Victoria Azarenka (1)
There’s no debate who the second best player in the world is. Vika has dominated the rest of the tour, with a 69-5 record on the year against players that aren’t named Serena. The feisty 23-year-old from Belarus reached two Grand Slam finals this year and won one of them (Australian). Look for her to build on her best year as a pro in 2013.

3. Maria Sharapova (2)
Maria has quietly put together a very nice year, with a 60-11 record and a French Open title to complete her career Grand Slam. She also reached the finals at 7 other major tournaments this year and beat Vika Azarenka twice, the only player other than Serena to do that this year.

4. Na Li (7)
She didn’t perform well at the majors this year, but Na Li has had a nice second half of the year and given the rest of the Top 10 fits. Since the start of the summer hard court season, she’s 6-2 against the rest of the Top 10 outside of the Top 3, and took the title in Cincinnati.

5. Agnieszka Radwanska (4)
The young Pole had an excellent start of the year, and after all is said and done, is finishing the year with 59 match wins, good for 4th best on tour. She’d be higher on the list if Na Li hadn’t beat her three times since August.

6. Sara Errani (6)
The 5’4″ Italian built on her surprise French Open finals appearance and turned in an even bigger surprise semifinal appearance at the US Open. She also took home 4 singles titles and 8 doubles titles this year, along with $3 million in prize money. Not a bad 2012!

7. Angelique Kerber (5)
She’s one of three players to reach the 60 win mark this year, and the only person to beat Serena in the second half of the year. However, she’s struggled for the most part against the best, with a 3-10 against the rest of the Top 10 since the start of Wimbledon. On the bright side, this is the first year the big hitting lefty will finish inside the Top 30.

8. Nadia Petrova (12)
Ever since losing close to Maria Sharapova at the US Open (6-4 in the third), she’s been on a tear, winning two titles and posting a 12-2 record to finish the year. She’s hot and one to watch for at the beginning of 2013.

Caroline Wozniacki looks to get back into the Top 5 in 2013.

9. Caroline Wozniacki (10)
She might be better known for being the First Lady of the PGA Tour this year rather than her on-court results, but Woz has quietly closed 2012 with a flurry. Since the US Open, she’s won two titles and reached the finals of the third tournament, and is gaining momentum going into 2013.

10. Marion Bartoli (11)
The French veteran has been streaky all year, but she had two of her best tournaments at the US Open and in Beijing to finish the year. She’s been hovering around the top 10 for years, and continues to be a threat if the best aren’t at the top of their games.

Thanks for reading!

WTA Year end championships kick off in Turkey

Posted on October 22, 2012 in Pro Tennis Talk

World #1 Victoria Azarenka leads the pack into the WTA year end championships in Istanbul, Turkey

The WTA year end championships begins today in Istanbul, Turkey, with the top 8 players competing in a round robin format.  There are two groups (Red and White) of four players each, with the top two from each group moving into the semifinals.  The Red Group is loaded up with world #1 Victoria Azarenka, red hot Serena Williams, Angelique Kerber (the tour’s leader in match wins this year), and Na Li.  In the White Group, Maria Sharapova headlines with Agnieszka Radwanska, Petra Kvitova and Sara Errani.

In other news…

Venus Williams won her first WTA title this past weekend since the beginning of 2010.

Venus Williams won her first title since February of 2010, defeating Monica Niculescu in the Luxembourg final 6-2 6-3 this past weekend.  It’s her 44th career title, the second-most among active players behind only her sister Serena.

Caroline Wozniacki won her 20th career title at the Kremlin Cup last week, defeating Samantha Stosur in a riveting final, 6-2 4-6 7-5.  Caroline built up a 6-2 4-3 lead, but the Aussie came storming back, winning five straight games, winning the second set and taking an early lead in the 3rd.  ‘Woz hung tough and battled back to take the deciding third set.

Caroline Wozniacki won her 2nd title of 2012 at the Kremlin Cup.

Stay tuned this week as the world’s best battle it out in Turkey for the year end championships!  Thanks for reading!

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