INTERESTING: Monolithic Domes

Saturday, April 5, 2014

http://www.monolithic.org/

Monolithic is dedicated to improving people’s lives worldwide by introducing and constructing Monolithic Domes, for personal and public use, that are disaster-resistant, energy-efficient and cost-effective.

Monolithic Domes are the most energy efficient and safest buildings that can be built and that can be designed for many uses. Many schools now conduct their classes in Monolithic Domes. Some are designated as tornado shelters. Others have Monolithic Dome gymnasiums, auditoriums, multipurpose centers, libraries, cafeterias, etc. Because Monolithic’s technology meets FEMA criteria for a structure that can provide near-absolute disaster protection, some schools have received FEMA grants of 75% of their construction costs. These schools will save 60% to 75% of the energy costs as compared to conventional buildings. The energy savings will pay for the building in total in less than 20 years. And in most cases, they save money on first cost for the construction.

In addition to schools, Monolithic designs homes, churches, office complexes, bulk storages, etc. Located in Italy, Texas, Monolithic has been constructing these quality buildings for more than 35 years. The buildings are built to last for centuries.

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Sounds interesting?

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POLITICAL: The McCutcheon case

Friday, April 4, 2014

The Supreme Court has decided the McCutcheon case. If you haven’t heard yet, it’s a disaster.

Few were surprised with the result. The Court has held that aggregate limits on contributions — the total amount you can give to all candidates, not the amount you can give to any one candidate — are unconstitutional. The inevitable result of this decision will be to reduce the number of relevant funders of campaigns. We’re on our way from Lesterland to Sheldon City — from a democracy where about 150,000 Americans are the relevant funders of campaigns (the same as are named “Lester”) to a world where about 40,000 Americans are the relevant funders of campaigns (the same as are named “Sheldon”).

I’ve written a short piece about the mistake in the Supreme Court’s decision. But as I’ve long insisted, the real problem in American democracy is not the Court. Or at least, not only the Court. The real corruption is the way we fund elections. This decision makes our fight against that corruption even more urgent.

Now is the time to add your name and support the Government by the People Act.

This Act is an opportunity to take our elections back from the handful of funders whose grip on our democracy tightens by the day. And only by adding your name to the call for reform will we be able to compete with the Lesters or Sheldons of this country.

They say the darkest hour is just before the dawn. If so, then the dawn is not that far away.

Act now to fight back and voice your support for the Government by the People Act.

-Lessig and the entire Rootstrikers/Demand Progress Team

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This is an understandable decision. I’m not so sure it’s good or bad. 

Secession!

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JOBFINDING: Senior Sharepoint 2010 / 2013 Developer Piscataway NJ 08854

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Senior Sharepoint 2010 Developer full-time needed ASAP in Piscataway NJ 08854

Need someone for permanent opportuntiy either very strong SharePoint 2010 or strong SharePoint 2010/2013

Will interview ASAP and make quick decision

Seeking only 5-7 years experience between 100 – 110K plus benefits if needed

2 Developer openings and one requires NewsGator experience, both are permanent opportunities as well, thank you

Title: Senior Sharepoint 2010 / 2013 Developer
Company: Aequor Technologies
Primary Recruiter: Alan Naroden
Start Date: NEED ASAP
Type: Full-time Permanent Position with Benefits
Location: Piscataway NJ 08854

US Citizen or Green Card welcome to apply; unable to sponsor H1B and no 3rd party employers please, thank you

KEY: SharePoint 2010 / 2013; Development; SharePoint Farm; SharePoint Designer; IIS; Visual Studio 2010 / 2012

Description:
Aequor Technologies is a leading managed service and staffing provider to the Pharmaceutical industry. To support our growing SharePoint practice, we are hiring SharePoint consultants to join our practice here in our Piscataway headquarters. Be part of our growing team and participate in multiple project initiatives

Scope of Position: Duties include developing SharePoint web apps and site collections using SharePoint 2010, managing security, maintaining and customizing SharePoint sites using SharePoint Designer and .Net. As the SharePoint Developer / Architect you are responsible for the overall management of SharePoint 2010, accountable for the SharePoint farm, monitoring and maintaining all SharePoint servers, ensuring they are updated to the latest patch level. Responsible for management, maintenance and administration IIS servers.
Serve as the internal subject matter expert on SharePoint, liaison with the .Net development team, mentoring and teaching SharePoint Administrators and Developers, interfacing with end users to provide solid solutions and accessibility.
Additional Responsibilities:
· Gather and detail business processes and transform them into applications specifications.
· Designs solutions and creates test scenarios throughout the development life cycle.
· Oversees mobile web development.
· Develop and maintain custom components including master pages, features, user controls, and server-side code, for web sites within a SharePoint environment.
· Create and maintain deployment processes for SharePoint deployments.
Requirements:
· Five to seven years of progressive SharePoint experience up to the Architect level .
· Must have designed and architected solutions around SharePoint portal farms and expertise with both development and migration of sites.
· Experience should include training, certification or actual experience with SharePoint 2013
· .NET development with C#, ASP.NET, Visual Studio 2010 / 2012
· Must have experience designing applications, platforms, test environments, setting in place the environment, ongoing monitoring and maintenance
· Experience designing SQL Server databases, performance tuning, optimization, extracting data, stored procedures, scripts
· Experience with IIS, Windows Server experience including 2008, 2012
· Mobile web development is preferred
· Good communication and client presentation skills is mandatory.

Aequor Technologies, Inc. is a global IT Consulting & Solutions company that has been providing high value-added business solutions to enterprises of all sizes. Headquartered in the United States with offices across North America as well as High-Tech Global Remote Development Centers in US and India; Aequor Technologies, Inc. has proven competencies in business and technology areas.

We offer the opportunity to work on cutting edge technology, in exciting development environments. To learn more about the services we offer, and the value we provide to our employees, please visit our website at http://www.aequor.com

We offer visa sponsorship for the right candidate (no employers).
An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V

Sincerely,
Alan Naroden
AEQUOR Technologies
377 Hoes Lane Suite 200
Piscataway NJ 08844
(732) 781 – 2937 Direct
Alan.naroden@aequor.com

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RANT: K-Cup$$$$$

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-reasons-k-cups-arent-ok-for-the-environment.html

5 Reasons K-Cups Aren’t OK for the Environment
The Green Divas
March 27, 2014

*** begin quote ***

However, only the filter and coffee grounds are compostable. The plastic part on top of the pod gets tossed into the regular garbage. Do you think my son and husband are separating these pods? Nope. That would take time. And I’m pretty sure they don’t even realize that’s what they need to do in order for the pods to be somewhat eco-friendly. (Can you tell this really steams me?)

*** end quote ***

The thing that gets me is how expensive it is!

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INSPIRATIONAL: Thinking about the old folks

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-new-undergarments-that-could-revolutionize-eldercare.html

This Underwear Could Revolutionize Eldercare
AgingCare.com
March 27, 2014
5:00 pm

*** begin quote ***

When you think about paradigm-changing products, underwear typically isn’t top-of-mind, yet these under-appreciated undergarments may soon play a vital role in enhancing the health and safety of seniors living on their own.

Two top technology honorees at the recently-held 2014 SXSW (South By Southwest) Conference in Austin, Texas aim to elevate underwear beyond the mundane and into the medical care arena.

*** end quote ***

Guess I better keep my eye on this!

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FUN: A dog commercial that is REALLY funny

Monday, March 31, 2014

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pjl2R_XZ4bo

From my “old” friend, made me laugh!

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CLOUD: Use Google Drive as opposed to a local hard drive

Sunday, March 30, 2014

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/use-google-drive-capture-great-ideas-never-lose/

How To Use Google Drive To Capture Your Great Ideas & Never Lose Them
By Danny Stieben on 27th March, 2014 | The Internet

*** begin quote ***

Google Drive already ties all your favorite Google services together and adds a whopping 15GB of free storage. With all this right at your fingertips, you can’t help but feel like you need to make good use out of it all. Why not start by using Google Drive to make your ideas stick and make them more effective?
Move over Evernote — here’s how you can use Google Drive to keep and grow your ideas.

*** end quote ***

It’s almost a “translation” of hard drive cost into inet access cost.

Obviously, no access to the inet, you need stuff locally.

But with cheap MIFI and easily tethered phones, it’s making Google Drive and other cloud storage meaningful.

imho!

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CLOUD: Google Docs as opposed to Microsoft Word

Saturday, March 29, 2014

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/google-docs-adds-ons-students-5-will-help-write-paper/

Google Docs Adds-Ons For Students: These 5 Will Help You Write A Paper
By Dann Albright on 27th March, 2014 | The Internet 

*** begin quote ***

Word-processing for students has long been the domain of Microsoft Word. The recent release of add-ons is making Google Docs an appealing free option. The five add-ons we are about to meet have the potential to become quick favorites for people working on research papers, essays, and collaborative projects. But, are they good enough to make Google Docs the go-to option?

*** end quote ***

Good enough for me.

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JOBFINDING: Enterprise Applications Manager Colmar, WA

Friday, March 28, 2014

Please take a look at the enclosed Enterprise Applications Manager (permanent) role I’m recruiting for, and share with qualified candidates along with my contact information. We are paying a referral fee for successful placement of your referrals!

Job Description

Job Title: Enterprise Applications Manager

Location: Colmar, WA

Employment Status: Direct Hire

The Business Systems Manager’s role is to manage and maintain the organization’s repository of software applications through best practices and the appropriate staffing and management of the Applications team. The Business Systems Manager is also responsible for planning and coordinating the processes required for the provision of user applications and systems necessary for business operations. This individual will apply proven communication and problem-solving skills to guide and assist the user groups on issues related to the design, development, and deployment of mission-critical information software systems and process changes.

Responsibilities:

• Manage those involved in Business Systems development and support across The Client’s to ensure the best use of available resources as determined by IT Steering Committee and departmental priorities

• Oversee applications support operations and implement new operational processes to improve availability and functionality

• Manage incidents, work requests, problem resolution, and change control workflow

• Manage customers’ SLA expectations and ensure delivery against committed SLAs

• Provide a high level of customer service and develop solid partnerships with internal and external customers to attain excellence in customer service

• Manage a team of employee, contract and consulting resources to ensure adequate support for all assigned IT applications – including mission-critical applications – for both day-to-day operations and on-call support

• Assign projects, tasks, and support responsibilities to team members

• Ensure the staff is given appropriate training so that depth of support for individual application systems is provided

• Guide and coach team members to optimum performance and achievement of goals; conduct annual reviews and provide career growth counseling to Business Systems staff

• Evaluate, install, configure, and deploy new applications, systems software, products, and/or enhancements to existing applications throughout the organization

• Ensure that applications meet business requirements and systems goals, fulfill end-user requirements, and identify and resolve business issues

• Collaborate with analysts, designers, and system owners in the testing of new software programs and applications to ensure they meet specified goals

• Provide guidance to Business Systems personnel in the use of standard technologies and best practices for the support and development of software applications

• Ensure that new software integrates into company systems, meets functional requirements, system compliance, and interface specifications

• Work with department management to ensure applications conform to standards needed to deliver them efficiently over the The Client’s network.

• Liaise with company’s software suppliers for prompt rectification of any problems or emergencies

• Coordinate feasibility studies for software and system products under consideration for purchase, and provide advice based on findings

• Evaluate proposals in order to identify potential problem areas, and make the appropriate recommendations

• Liaise with network administrators and software engineers to assist with quality assurance

• Compile and maintain inventory of company software and systems assets and their corresponding contracts/agreements

• Review and analyze existing applications’ effectiveness and efficiency, and develop strategies for improving or leveraging these systems

• Develop and communicate application training and documentation for end users as necessary

• Develop, distribute, and coordinate end-user reviews for modified and new systems or applications

• Research and make recommendations on software products and services in support of procurement and development efforts

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of IT management experience, leading support teams of 4-6 direct reports

• Strong knowledge of ITIL® and PRINCE2® /PMP best practices and methodologies is preferred

• Working knowledge of application development technologies

• Strong customer-service orientation

• Excellent written and oral communication skills

• Excellent listening and interpersonal skills

• Ability to conduct research into application issues and products

• Highly self-motivated and directed

• Awareness of applicable data privacy practices and laws

• Four-year college diploma or university degree in computer science or a related field and/or 10 years equivalent work experience

• Proven experience in overseeing the direction, development, and implementation of software strategy and solutions

• Experience working in a team-oriented, collaborative environment

• Occasional evening and weekend work to meet deadlines

• Light travel required (+/- 10%) for the purpose of Managing and coordinating off-site software and system applications personnel.

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MONEY: Gold and silver?

Thursday, March 27, 2014

SEC Set to Alter Stance on Money Funds
U.S. securities regulators are preparing to exempt a majority of money-market mutual funds from a central plank of rules intended to curb risks in the $2.6 trillion market, according to people familiar with the agency’s discussions.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is expected to broaden an exemption for mom-and-pop retail investors from requirements that certain money funds abandon their signature $1 share price and float in value like other mutual funds. Supporters of a floating share price argue it would train investors to accept slight fluctuations in the value of their shares and so not panic if they fall below the $1 price.

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What it trains investors is to think about the underlying counter party risk.

Any one want gold and silver? (Like the Chinese?)

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