Essential Reading! Get my 2nd book: The Lost Art of Closing “In The Lost Art of Closing, Anthony proves that the final commitment can actually be one of the easiest parts of the sales process—if you’ve set it up properly with other commitments that have to happen long before the close. The key is to lead customers through a series of necessary steps designed to prevent a purchase stall.” Buy Now Experts will tell you that time kills deals. But time doesn’t kill deals, especially if you are engaged in a complex sales, where your buyer doesn’t make the decision frequently enough to know how to make a good decision, and where the decision is vital to their future (i.e., strategic). When time passes and deals die, this is what kills them:No Commitment to ChangeYou are going to engage with prospective clients who are more than willing to explore change with you, the second of the ten commitments you will find in The Lost Art of Closing: Winning the 10 Commitments That Drive Sales. The reason prospects are willing to engage in exploring change is because they aren’t required to commit to taking action. Instead, they get to discuss their challenges and opportunities so they can start to understand what they might need to do and what kind of changes may be necessary.No more pushy sales tactics. The Lost Art of Closing shows you how to proactively lead your customer and close your sales. The mistake many salespeople and their managers make is believing that they have an opportunity before the client has agreed they want to move forward with a conversation about change. At some point in a conversation where you are exploring change, you have to ask whether it makes sense to do something now and if your contact is ready to move forward. When you haven’t had a conversation about moving forward, you didn’t lose the deal because of time. Setting aside the fact that you weren’t really working a deal, the reason you don’t have a deal is that your dream client didn’t commit to change.No Commitment to the Next StepWhen it feels like time is killing a deal, time is not to blame. Instead, you are the reason the deal is dying a slow, painful death.Time isn’t the problem; a lack of a client commitment to move forward with whatever comes next in the process is the real culprit. It isn’t time; it is the lack of activity. Time is going to pass whether or not you are taking action, and while you can’t do anything about time (it will pass no matter what), you can do something about the activity. If you don’t want potential deals to die as time goes by, you need to acquire a commitment to take the next step—and your prospective client needs to keep that commitment.The way to keep deals from stalling out and dying is by keeping the momentum by controlling the process, linking together the necessary commitments that allow you to keep the momentum. To do that, you must control the process.Controlling the ProcessDisclaimer: When I write “control the process,” I am not suggesting you try to control the client or control the outcome. Controlling the process doesn’t require that you use a hard sell or pressure them. If you have to pressure other people to take the action you believe will benefit them, you are not a good salesperson. The way we think about controlling the process is by recommending what comes next and ensuring the client understands how they benefit from taking the next step.There is a rule that makes it easier to control the process. It’s called the Trading Value Rule. This rule is that you have to share the reason and the value proposition for the next meeting. If you can’t clearly make a compelling case for what comes next, you can’t expect your dream client to agree to the meeting or keep the commitment if they do agree. You must be able to convey how your prospective client benefits from taking the step. Because you help your clients produce better results, you know better than your client what should come next for companies that succeed in creating new and better outcomes. You struggle when you lose control.Managing NonlinearityIn The Lost Art, I wrote about nonlinearity. The methods described in that book assume that your deal may not take as straight and certain a path as your sales process suggests, or your theory about your client’s buying journey might suggest.No more pushy sales tactics. The Lost Art of Closing shows you how to proactively lead your customer and close your sales. A framework like the one in The Lost Art is a map providing you with the everyday conversations and commitments a prospect generally makes, but with the caveat that you may not follow the order they appear in the book (time, explore, change, collaborate, consensus, invest, review, resolve concerns, decide, and execute). Even though the list of commitments is useful, there are commitments you may need to gain in order to keep the momentum that doesn’t appear here. You may need to obtain the commitment to provide you with the data you need to assess your client’s current state. I would bundle that under the commitment, “collaborate,” but it may come earlier or later in a particular deal, for reasons that may only make sense in that specific deal.Nobody’s Fault but YoursThe recognition that it is not time that kills deals, but a lack of activity is critical. The time only passes without movement for a couple of reasons, starting with the idea that you have an opportunity before your contacts agree they want to move forward to do something to improve their results.If you leave meetings without acquiring the commitment to what comes next, you have created the circumstances that increase the odds that you have to chase your dream client across time and space, badgering them over voicemail and email. You have also created a gap between one meeting and the next, increasing the time between meetings, should you ever acquire another one with that particular client. The time isn’t a problem you can solve; you can only solve the problem of obtaining the next commitments.If you don’t recognize the need to control the process or the necessity of trading enough value to justify the next meeting, you will likely see time as the obstacle, when in fact, you are the obstacle.If you want to make time your ally, then link together the necessary commitments and spend more time with your contacts engaged in the process of change. The more time you spend with your client, the greater the likelihood you win their business. Time face to face is a competitive advantage. Time without any communication and with no real commitments will cause you to lose deals.
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Big test for Adityanath on Sunday
The prestige of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is at stake as Gorakhpur and Phulpur go to vote on Sunday in the Lok Sabha bypolls.While the BJP, which rules UP with an overwhelming majority, has all to lose, the stakes are also high for the Opposition after BSP chief Mayawati went out of character and announced support to the Samajwadi Party (SP). The compatibility of the SP and BSP working together will be assessed on March 14, when results are declared.Prestige, caste equationsThe contest will not only determine the popularity of Mr. Adityanath and assess the ground situation of his colleague Keshav Prasad Maurya but also test the experiment of caste equations by both sides, in particularly Akhilesh Yadav, who has tried to stitch together a rainbow of castes.In Gorakhpur, the BJP has fielded its regional office-bearer Upendra Shukla, a Brahmin, in what appears to be an attempt to calm the Brahmin-Thakur tensions that surfaced in the constituency after Mr. Adityanath’s rise to Lucknow.Besides, Mr. Shukla, if he wins, will become the first MP in Gorakhpur since 1989 to not belong to the Gorakhnath temple. The SP has also attempted a social experiment in Gorakhpur by nominating an outsider, Praveen Nishad as its candidate. Mr. Praveen Nishad, an engineer by profession, belongs to the Nishad Party of which his father Sanjay Nishad is president.Nishads have a good presence in the rural pockets of Gorakhpur and in the 2017 Assembly elections the Nishad Party secured over 60,000 votes in the three Assembly segments it contested in Gorakhpur. The community, an OBC, is associated with riverine life and counts bandit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi among their icons. Picking a Nishad is also an attempt by Akhilesh Yadav to cast a wider net of caste equation and bridge the gap between the SP’s core social base of Yadavs and other major OBC communities, the conflict between whom the BJP exploited last year.Old rivalryAdd to that Ms. Mayawati’s core Jatav Dalit voters and Muslims, it becomes a formidable proposition, at least on paper. However, the incompatibility of Yadavs and Jatavs due to prolonged SP-BSP rivalry could prove to be a spoiler.In Phulpur, both the SP and BJP have fielded Kurmis, who are arithmetically dominant in the constituency. The BJP won the seat for the first time in 2014 under the Modi wave and will consider it the tougher of the two contests. The seat also has a good number of Yadavs and Muslims and three rural segments where the SP and BSP alliance will be tested.The SP’s Nagendra Patel will take on the BJP’s Kaushalendra Patel while the Congress is also in the fray with Manish Mishra. The equation in Phulpur turned complicated for the SP as its rebel Atiq Ahmed, a jailed former MP, filed nomination. Not only does Atiq have the potential to cut into Muslim votes but also turn the contest into a polarised fight, which will suit the BJP.In 2014, the BJP’s Keshav Prasad Maurya won the seat by over 3 lakh votes, securing over 50% votes. In Gorakhpur too, the party crossed the halfway mark, winning by over 3 lakh votes.Akhilesh’s roadshowOn the eve of the voting, Akhilesh Yadav shared pictures of his roadshow in Phulpur on Twitter and said the people were “restless to vote the cycle” and give a fitting reply to the BJP for its “disruptive politics,” false promises, looting of banks and woes of farmers, traders and unemployed youths.Over 39 lakh voters will decide the fate of 32 candidates in the two constituencies. Among them are only three women, including the Congress’ Surhita Karim in Gorakhpur.The UP Chief Election Officer’s office said 4,728 EVM control units, 7,098 ballot units and 4,728 VVPATS have been deployed for the polls. “VVPAT facility will be available at all voting centres,” it said in a statement.
IOC tries to calm Olympic concerns amid North Korea tension
BSP sees higher prices in November, but expects stronger peso, low rice costs to put up fight Brace for potentially devastating typhoon approaching PH – NDRRMC Fire hits houses in Mandaluyong City “Athletes’ safety and security are of course a primary concern for the IOC,” the Olympic body said.U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun said “we will continue to work with our State Department and local organizers to ensure that our athletes, and our entire delegation, are safe.” He added that the USOC is confident South Korean organizers would deliver a “great games.”Olympic officials in winter sports hubs like Austria, Denmark and Sweden said Friday it was too early to doubt participation in Pyeongchang, where the games open Feb. 9.“We feel safe,” Peter Reinebo of Sweden’s Olympic Committee said, adding that a decision to stay away would require an “international decision from the United Nations and a strong warning from Swedish authorities.”“But such things do not exist today. We are completely focused on going and taking part,” Reinebo said.ADVERTISEMENT People watch a TV screen showing an image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivering a statement in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech to the United Nations, in Pyongyang, North Korea, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Kim, in an extraordinary and direct rebuke, called U.S. President Donald Trump “deranged” and said he will “pay dearly” for his threats, a possible indication of more powerful weapons tests on the horizon.The signs read “I was angry.” (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)LAUSANNE, Switzerland — With France’s sports minister raising questions about security, the IOC is trying to calm concern about the Pyeongchang Games.The International Olympic Committee said Friday it has been in close contact with the United Nations and the “heads of government concerned.”ADVERTISEMENT Trump says protesting players in NFL should be fired Protesters burn down Iran consulate in Najaf PLAY LIST 01:37Protesters burn down Iran consulate in Najaf01:47Panelo casts doubts on Robredo’s drug war ‘discoveries’01:29Police teams find crossbows, bows in HK university01:35Panelo suggests discounted SEA Games tickets for students02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games Frontrow holds fun run to raise funds for young cancer patients LATEST STORIES Read Next
E.T. returns to earth, reunites with grown-up Elliott in new ad IOC President Thomas Bach met with China President Xi Jinping in Tianjin last month and with South Korea President Moon Jae-in at the U.N. in New York.“In none of the discussions, has anybody expressed any doubt” about the Winter Games, the IOC said in a statement.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSWATCH: Drones light up sky in final leg of SEA Games torch runSPORTSSEA Games: Philippines picks up 1st win in men’s water poloSPORTSMalditas save PH from shutoutTensions fueled by North Korea’s missile testing rose this week after U.S. President Donald Trump used his U.N. General Assembly speech to threaten the country’s destruction. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un described Trump as “deranged.”France’s sports minister, Laura Flessel, suggested on Thursday its team could stay home if its security could not be assured in South Korea. MOST READ LOOK: Loisa Andalio, Ronnie Alonte unwind in Amanpulo for 3rd anniversary Nonong Araneta re-elected as PFF president Kammuri turning to super typhoon less likely but possible — Pagasa Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. View comments
Sonakshi Sinha celebrated International Women’s Day by clinching a Guinness World Record
Known for her bubbly onscreen presence, actress Sonakshi Sinha was joined by hordes of women to set a rather unique world record.Also read: Beauties at work: Sonakshi, Parineeti and Kangana rock business casualsMarch 8 aka International Women’s Day saw the actress and her mother Poonam Sinha, accompanied by a number of women, attempt to achieve the Guinness World Record title of ‘Most people painting their fingernails simultaneously’.Held at Palladium Mall, Mumbai, the event saw a brightly dressed Sonakshi in a Promod blazer and top, Mango pants, Charles & Keith shoes and accessories from Aldo and Fendi. Sticking to the bright hues she was sporting, the actress chose to paint her nails in a similar tint.Picture courtesy: Yogen Shah Also read: Pink on point: 3 times Sonakshi Sinha made pink her colourThe Akira star also took to Instagram to convey her excitement after successfully completing the record.Picture courtesy: Instagram/@aslisona Organised in collaboration with Polish beauty brand Inglot, Sonakshi had earlier expressed her eagerness over accomplishing the record. The Rowdy Rathore actress had been quoted saying, “As kids we had always heard that so and so has set a record or broken a record and has made a mark for themselves in the Guinness Book of World Records, it was always considered to be prestigious to have a record against your name in the Guinness Book. Back then I never imagined I would get to be a part of one such attempt.”
Sonowal meets Rio Olympics hopefuls at NIS
Patiala, May 16 (PTI) Union Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today visited the SAI training institute here and met the Rio Olympics probables to get an idea of the preparations and facilities offered to them. During the surprise visit, Sonowal interacted with many sportspersons, including sprinter Dutee Chand, discus throwers Kirpal Singh and Baljinder Singh, and enquired about their preparations for Olympics Games, which will begin on August 5 in Rio de Janeiro. “The athletes conveyed that they are quite comfortable and satisfied with the facilities offered to them,” Sonowal said. However, a few sportspersons, including Ankit Sharma said that Athletics Federation of India has not been providing them food supplements since October 2015 and requested the Minister to do the needful so that they get it. Sonowal assured the athletes that the problem will be sorted out within next few days and ensure that the food supplements which are internationally accepted will be provided. Ankit Sharma said that due to doping issues the AFI was not providing food supplements. Veteran coach Bahadur Singh said except AFI, other sports bodies were providing food supplements to the sportspersons of different disciplines. Minister said that as suggested by two foreign coach, government will look into the need for constructing indoor training tracks to give comfort to athletes who practice during summer seasons in places like Patiala which is extremely hot between April – June. Sonowal said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is personally monitoring Indias preparations for the Rio Olympics and wishing that the Indian team do well in Olympics. PTI ACB KHS KHSadvertisement
A Taste of Peru in Brooklyn
10 Destination-Worthy Food Halls Throughout the U.S. The Manual Podcast Celebrates 100 Episodes With a New Name How 2 Brooklynites are Reviving an Iconic Midwestern Supper Club Editors’ Recommendations 15 Best Subscription Boxes for Men Who Love Gifts Feasting is our column dedicated to cooking, grilling, eating and discovering what’s on the menu across America and the world.Anyone who’s super into the restaurant world right now will tell you Peru is currently one of the most exciting places to eat on earth. Especially in the country’s capital of Lima, some of the most innovative chefs in the world are putting their restaurants on the map right next to the culinary heavyweights. So can imagine how excited we were when Chef Erik Ramirez, formerly of Eleven Madison Park, took the reigns at Williamsburg, Brooklyn newcomer Llama Inn.Inspired by childhood summers spent in Lima, years of classic French training and the seasonality of New York ingredients, Ramirez’s menu is inspired by the culinary melting pot that is each city. You’ll find traditional ceviches next to not-so-traditional ingredients like the burrata that beautifully compliments a purple potato salad. The kitchen’s Japanese grill turns out a number of antiuchos, skewers filled with things like octopus and beef heart. And you can’t leave without having a cocktail from the restaurant’s killer bar, helmed by beverage directors Lynnette Marrero and Jessica Gonzalez. We chatted with Chef Ramirez to learn more about what’s cooking in the Llama Inn kitchen and where he likes to eat after hours.You grew up in New Jersey but have Peruvian roots. What are some of your favorite, earliest memories of eating in Lima?Every summer, we used to visit my grandmother in Lima in a district called San Borja. She was an amazing cook, but the first thing I always wanted to eat when I got to her house was salchipapas from this lady with a food cart right down the street from her house. Salchipapas are a mixture of hotdog and French fries served with a few different sauces – it’s Peruvian street food. There was always a line but it was worth the wait and super cheap, like 3 soles, which is not even a dollar. She served the fries and hot dog over shredded lettuce and doused it with salsa gulf, which is mayo and ketchup mixed together, and aji verde, a spicy green sauce. My mom always told me not to eat there because I was going to get sick, but I couldn’t resist.Before opening Llama Inn, you worked in Manhattan kitchens like Raymi and Eleven Madison Park. How has the fine dining environment inspired your take on the Peruvian food at Llama?It gave me a different perspective and approach to cooking. It helped me elevate it.Related: Rider Brooklyn modernized the dinner & a show experienceThe menu is built for sharing with both small plates and some large format options for two. Is this the way it’s done in Lima, or would you say sharing culture is more of a New York thing at the moment?For me, it’s the best way to eat because I’d rather share my enjoyment for/of food than keep it all to myself. It’s how it’s done in Peru and a lot of other places – it’s all about family and friends, and we always share. Peruvian people are very proud of their cuisine and they always want people to know how delicious it is, so we share.You also have a Japanese grill in the kitchen, used to make the anticucho skewers. What made you want to incorporate this element?It’s the best way to grill right now because it imparts great flavor. We use very special charcoal, which has a lot benefits to it.After the kitchen has closed, what are some of your favorite neighborhood places to grab a late-night bite or cocktail?For late-night bites, Zona Rosa, St. Anselm, Tacos Morelos, Brooklyn Star, Commodore, Ramen Yebisu, Williamsburg Pizza, Hana Foods and Lilia if they’re still open. For cocktails, Donna, The Richardson, Dram, Night of Joy, Hotel Delmano, Pete’s Candy Store, Maison Premiere and Lilia. Pisco Cocktails are the Refreshing Balm You Need for the Dog Days of Summer 
You Can Spend Your Next Vacation in Australia’s Famous Pole House
How to Cure Prosciutto at Home For Sale: A Treehouse in the Suburbs Designed by John Lautner Editors’ Recommendations The Best Valet Trays for Keeping Your Stuff Together Ask anyone who has driven along Australia’s Great Ocean Road and they can probably show you a photo they’ve snapped of Pole House. Located in Fairhaven, Victoria, Pole House is exactly that: a house the sits on top of a 43-foot-tall pole. Overlooking the Bass Strait, this vacation rental is listed as one of Australian Traveller Magazine’s 100 Great Australian Holiday Homes.Originally built in 1978, Pole House quickly became an icon of this seaside vacation town and a must-see stop along the scenic Great Ocean Road drive. Over time, the harsh sea air began to wear away at the building and it started to fall apart. In 2013, new owners took over and decided to start from scratch. With the help of F2 Architecture’s Frank Fiorentini, Pole House was demolished and painstakingly rebuilt, restoring the home to its former glory.Accessed via a vertigo-inducing floating walkway, the home is surrounded by a glass railing balcony, allowing visitors to enjoy the views from all sides. Inside, these views helped to determine the layout of the space. The design is unique, not just because the home sits on a pole, but because it was built on a diamond plan rather than the standard square. The entrance is located in a corner instead of a side. In the center of the space, a curved wall pod covered in burnt ash panels helps to divide the otherwise open floor plan (and hide the bathroom).Simple materials and black accents were used to keep the focus on the star: the incredible vista of the water. In the living area, the reclinable sofa is angled to face the corner of the room, which also features a ceiling-mounted floating fireplace. The wall of glass that faces the water is retractable, allowing in fresh sea breezes. Just off the living area is the bedroom. The bed is situated to take advantage of the spectacular views of the water. A simple dining area and kitchenette round out the amenities.If you book a stay, be prepared for minimal provisions — no welcome baskets or bottles of wine to greet guests. The Pole House is sparsely furnished with just the necessities, knowing it’s the view and the chance to spend the night in this Australian icon that has guests flocking there.Images courtesy of Great Ocean Road Holidays/The Pole House. Previous 
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Lotto Scam Legislation by March
The Senate on Thursday, March 21, passed a Bill to prosecute persons involved in the illegal lottery scam.Some 14 amendments have been made and it will be sent back to the House for approval. The Bill Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions) (Special Provisions) Act addresses, among other things: obtaining any property or inducing any person to confer any benefit on any person by false pretence; inviting or otherwise inducing a person to visit Jamaica for the purpose of committing an offence under the Act; and knowingly conducting a financial transaction with the proceeds of an offence.It also makes provision for powers of search and seizure and restitution, and for guilty persons to be fined and sentenced to a term of imprisonment for up to 25 years.In his comments, Government Senator, K.D. Knight, said he agreed with the provision of the Bill which states that a person charged with an offence under the Act will be committed for trial without any preliminary examination.“As a member of the legal profession I have heard some comments from some of my colleagues dealing with this, and expressing some discomfiture with it. But, I don’t share the discomfiture because it exists in the Gun Court Act. There is no preliminary enquiry on a charge of illegal possession of firearm,” Senator Knight said.He also argued that it has become necessary to increase the number of judges in order to deal with the level of cases that will arise from this illegal activity.For his part, Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate, Senator Arthur Williams, emphasised that the Bill is needed to effectively tackle the crime that has become a scourge on the country.“This legislation is the culmination of efforts of law enforcement to tackle this problem that has been with us for some time now. The nature of the criminal minds involved in the lotto scam are constantly evolving and finding new ways to carry out their nefarious activities. Law enforcement must be one step ahead of them in order for us to effectively deal with this problem as a nation,” Senator Williams said.Opposition Senator, Alexander Williams, in his remarks said he is concerned that offences committed under the Act will not be tried by jury, but instead by a single judge. “These offences are going to be harder to put together than your normal routine charge, so I only hope that when this becomes law, the prosecutors and the Supreme Court will have a better working relationship with the investigators, to ensure that the cases are properly put together,” he said.In his comments, Senator Lambert Brown raised concern that preliminary examination will not be facilitated under the Bill.“There is no magic in the single judge. We need to strengthen the (justice) system. Given the emergency that we face, I will vote for this Bill. This position is not to defend the criminals who are guilty; they must pay,” Senator Brown emphasised. Meanwhile, Minister of Justice, Senator Mark Golding, in dealing with the levels of sentencing, said there is need for a strong deterrent, given the prevalence of the lottery scam.“We feel that the levels of sentencing that are in the Bill are appropriate for that purpose. They are not a minimum, they are indeed a maximum and there is full discretion given to the judge,” he said.On the matter of jury trial, the Justice Minister noted that this was not feasible, due to the nature of the crimes. “Where organised crime is involved and (there is) propensity for violence and intimidation, we will not have an effective trial if there is a jury,” Senator Golding argued.By Latonya Linton, JIS Reporter
Bombardier to lay off half the 1100 workers at Thunder Bay Ont
THUNDER BAY, Ont. — Bombardier Inc. is laying off half of the 1,100 workers at its Thunder Bay, Ont. railway car plant, according to a federal government source.Two major contracts in Ontario — for the Toronto Transit Commission streetcars and Metrolinx GO Transit rail cars — are slated to halt by the end of the year.Local union president Dominic Pasqualino says he fears more job losses are on the horizon beyond the initial 550 as the contracts wind down.He says part of the blame for a lack of new contracts lies with the Trump administration, which has backed Buy America-like clauses requiring a minimum threshold of local content.Last month, Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford said Ontario’s regional transportation agency, Metrolinx, extended an offer for 36 additional rail cars to Bombardier, but Pasqualino says the plant needs 10 times that amount to sustain employment.The regional transit agency has also given Bombardier the option to slow down production of the 63 remaining rail cars slated for completion by year’s end.A Bombardier spokeswoman declined to comment.Companies in this story: (TSX:BBD.B)
Peyton Manning Isnt Finished
As a late-1990s fan of the Miami Dolphins, I’m offended — Simmons mocks my pain. With Dan Marino putting up some of the worst statistics of his career, the Dolphins won as many as 10 games only once in his final five years. Manning has won as few as 10 games only once in more than a decade.Granted, in Denver’s 24-13 loss to Indianapolis last weekend, Manning had an epically bad day, throwing for only 211 yards on 46 passes. His 4.6 yards per attempt were the second fewest in a postseason game of his career.And this put an exclamation point on what many perceived as a late-season decline, which has led to much speculation as to what happened — some charitable (Manning was playing while injured!), some less so (Manning’s arm strength has regressed!).As far as passing stats go, the perceived decline looks legitimate. At midseason, Manning looked like a possible MVP, with 24 touchdowns and only five interceptions through eight games. But since then, he had looked more average, with 15 TDs and 10 interceptions in the second half of the season.Using ESPN’s Total Quarterback Rating (QBR), we can see this decline in action. Here are Manning’s game-by-game QBRs, including the playoff loss to the Colts:His eight-game rolling average has dropped by more than 20 points. Terrible, right? Manning must be too old to handle the grueling NFL season!But there’s a problem with that: Before the playoff debacle, the Broncos went 6-2 in the second half of the season; that’s the same record they had in the first half. “Wins” are a much-maligned stat in sports analytics, largely because they can fail to capture a lot of what goes on in a game: A QB can play terribly and be rescued by his team’s defense, or a team can just get lucky. But other stats have their blind spots as well. For example, passing stats, no matter how advanced, will generally always miss the potentially considerable effect that a quarterback can have on other aspects of his team’s offense.Something like that may be going on with the Broncos this year. Let’s look at a similar chart, except instead of QBR, let’s look at Denver’s overall points scored per drive:In the first half of the season, Denver was fifth in the league in points scored per drive (with 2.38 points per drive). In the second half, Denver was fifth in the league in points scored per drive (with a slightly smaller 2.25 points per drive).People noticed that Denver could still move the ball despite Manning’s declining stats, but they tended to attribute that to the running game. The Broncos gained nearly 130 yards per game and 4.4 yards per rushing attempt in the second half vs. 95 yards per game and 3.7 yards per attempt in the first.But I think this argument — that the running game compensated for Manning — is actually a pretty good example of how narratives based on short-term statistical fluctuations can be off-base. Whether and how much credit a QB should get for his team’s running game can be difficult to determine because we don’t know who’s responsible for what. We’re generally willing to give Adrian Peterson credit for Minnesota’s running game, but much more difficult cases abound: Mike Shanahan’s Denver squads had six different thousand-yard rushers in nine years (between 1998 and 2006).But here we have a 6-2 team maintaining a similar offensive efficiency, leading to a similar 6-2 record, despite a decrease in its quarterback’s QBR. Is it plausible that this known quantity at quarterback suddenly got a lot worse while his running game suddenly got a lot better?If the two were independent, maybe. But they’re not. Both offenses and defenses can divert resources to focus on one thing or another, and the results don’t always show up in the stats the same way. For example, defenses may key in on the passing game, thus hurting a quarterback’s stats but opening up the running game. Punishing a QB for letting running backs do the heavy-lifting is as silly as criticizing a point guard like Chris Paul for getting a bunch of assists instead of a bunch of points. Or sometimes it’s just dumb luck: You try a few short-yardage runs and a few short-yardage passes — even if they’re equally effective, sometimes you’ll just run better one way than the other.This isn’t to say that Manning’s later-season QB stats are irrelevant. They’re just as relevant as his early-season stats. The salient point is that, with fairly consistent performance from Denver’s offense, there’s little reason to think that anything changed, such that the bottom line couldn’t be trusted. And here’s the bottom line:Peyton Manning is still an amazing quarterback. Peyton Manning had another bad postseason, losing 24-13 to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday and going “one and done” for a record ninth time among quarterbacks. The mystery of his seeming underperformance in the playoffs remains, but I’ll leave that for another article. For now, let’s focus on a more pressing question: Is Manning finished?Many respectable people seem to think so. Manning demurred when asked about whether he’d play next year, and my colleague Bill Simmons tweeted this:
Sevenyearold amputee proudly shows off new prosthetic leg to her schoolfriends
Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings. In the same incident Mrs Hope, who is married to Christopher Hope, was badly injured and her mother Elizabeth was killed. Before, prosthetic legs on the NHS only allowed amputees to walk.A portion of the funding – £500,000 – was ring fenced to fund new sports prosthetics for 500 children, to allow them to run and swim.BBC Midlands Today reported that Anu is one of these, and she is very happy with her new blade.Anu’s family have been supported by the West Midlands Rehabilitation Centre for the treatment.The money was found because of a campaign by the family of Telegraph journalist Christopher Hope, whose child Pollyanna lost her right leg below the knee when a bus hit her on a pavement in south London in 2007 when she was two years old. Mr Osborne said when the funding was announced: “I have been very moved by Sarah Hope’s campaign. She got in touch with me and explained her family’s story and the problems Polyanna and too many children like her had experienced.“I am determined that we do all we can to ensure children who have lost a limb experience full and active lives. So through the NHS, we are going to give £1.5million for new prosthetic to help amputee children run and jump when otherwise they have not been able to and build on the 2012 Paralympics legacy,”This will mean a £500,000 fund to make sure 500 children get special sports prosthetics on the NHS, because too many aren’t currently being offered what they need, like running blades or aqua limbs for swimming.” When seven-year-old Anu showed off her new sports blade to her friends at school, she got a lovely response.”Is that your new pink leg?” asked one friend as Anu, from Birmingham, proudly walked on her new leg.”Wow!” another exclaimed, as a small girl went up to her and hugged her.Anu had her leg amputated shortly after she was born.She is happy now as her new pink sports blade allows her to play, jump, run and dance.This blade was made possible because of a £1.5m funding injection given to the NHS last year. This money allowed research into the blades, which allow amputees to run and play properly.
5th grader plays with nitroglycerin model discovers new molecule in science class
There aren’t many people in the world that can claim to have been published in a scientific paper, let alone those that have done so before their 11th birthday. 5th grader Clara Lazen can however, as she has been officially listed as the co-author of a published study on tetranitratoxycarbon, a molecule that she discovered during her chemistry class one day in a Kansas City public school.During a class assignment where the students were studying a nitroglycerin molecule, Lazen decided to play around with some different configurations using the stick and ball modeling tools she had been given to use. The result of her experimentation was a model that not only looked feasible, but also brand-new. When she brought the model up to her teacher, Kenneth Boehr, he was deeply intrigued. The two talked a bit about the model, during which he snapped a photograph and sent it off to one of his friends at Humboldt State University in California. Robert Zoellner, the friend in question, confirmed that the model was a new discovery, something that has never been seen before.From there, the new molecule received the easy to pronounce name tetranitratoxycarbon, was written up by Lazen and Boehr, then published in Computational and Theoretical Chemistry. Certainly not a bad thing to bring home to your parents at report card time!There has been some debate that Lazen stumbled upon the new model, she herself has said that the model she created “looked better and seemed more stable.” Right now, the co-authors are waiting to see if a lab will be successful in synthesizing tetranitratoxycarbon as it doesn’t appear naturally in the world. Experts have stated that if it can be successfully made that there is potential for it to be able to store energy, or cause a very large explosion. The total possibilities of the molecule will be unknown until it can actually be made.As for Lazen? She is already dreaming about monetizing her find, in a report on the local news she states that she could sell it to the US military. Way to go kid!Read more Humbolt.edu, via the Escapist.
Oregon fines Vancouver contractor 1125
Portland — The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has levied a $1,125 penalty against Vancouver-based Minority Abatement Contractors Inc. for failing to notify the DEQ before it began an asbestos abatement project in downtown Portland.All licensed absestos abatement contractors are responsible for making sure the state receives all required notification forms and fees in a timely manner, the agency said Wednesday. Without this notification, DEQ is unable to inspect these projects to ensure they are done safely and in compliance with regulations.Minority Abatement Contractors paid the penalty in full in March, according to DEQ.
Live chat transcript Vancouver City Council candidate Anne McEnernyOgle
Vancouver City Council candidate Anne McEnerny-Ogle took some time on Monday to field questions from Columbian.com users. Her opponent, Bill Turlay, declined to participate in the chat.The chat touched on a variety of topics, including the Columbia River Crossing, annexation, collaboration between city and county government, and how the city can help small businesses. Here’s a transcript that’s been edited for clarity.The full transcript is also available at www.columbian.com/chat-archive/.Libby Tucker:Let’s get started! First, Anne, can you tell us a bit about yourself? Why are you running for City Council?Anne McEnerny-Ogle: Good afternoon, Libby.I’m a retired mathematics teacher and Terry and I have lived in Vancouver for 32 years. Our son, John, attended Vancouver public schools and is in college.I believe I can help our citizens determine where they want to go, what they want to be, and how to get where they want to go … to achieve their vision for the future.I am passionate about our potential and our future. I believe our diverse community can fulfill its vision by working together. I’ve studied and worked for more than 30 years with our citizens and businesses and find that they share many of the same livability goals.
The best deals from Amazons oneday storage sale
Storage Review • SanDisk Ultra SSD Sarah Tew/CNET Are you kidding me? This tiny drive can be left in your laptop full-time, making this an awfully cheap way to add a ton of storage. SanDisk Ultra SSD SanDisk 128GB Ultra Fit USB 3.1 drive: $18.39 (save $19.60) See at Amazon Sarah Tew/CNET Got storage? Today’s the day to get some, as Amazon is holding a one-day sale on a variety of storage products. It includes everything from microSD cards to solid-state drives to wireless flash storage.See it at AmazonSales like this aren’t uncommon, but products do tend to sell out quickly when they happen. Everything is in stock as of this writing, so if you’re in the market for drive deals, grab these while you can.Here are my top picks from the big sale: Any other drive(s) catch your eye? Hit the comments to tell me which deal you’re jumping on and why.Originally published Oct. 24, 2018.Update, Feb. 27: New sale, new products and prices.CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Note that CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter! The Cheapskate See at Amazon Can’t fit all your songs, movies and other media on your phone or tablet? Plug the iXpand directly into the Lightning port for instant expansion. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s a solution. Best laptops for college students: We’ve got an affordable laptop for every student. Best live TV streaming services: Ditch your cable company but keep the live channels and DVR.
Comments It looks like a fairly typical flash drive, but slide the lever and a USB Type-C connector pops out one end or a USB Type-A connector out the other. In other words, this will work with older and newer PCs alike. Amazon Tags SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive 64GB for iPhone and iPad: $29.99 (save $50) Share your voice SanDisk 10 SanDisk 256GB Ultra Dual Drive: $40.70 (save $15.29) SanDisk See at Amazon
Snuffing it out Tobacco has not run out of breath yet
Creative CommonsSmoking is bad for you, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun, argued smokers down the ages, both the famous and the infamous. “For me an object is something living. This cigarette or this box of matches contains a secret life much more intense than that of certain human beings,” wrote Spanish artist and sculptor Joan Miro.The intensity of Miro’s “secret life” — played out within the ephemeral walls of cigarette fumes enveloping him in his supernal happiness of the moment — has seared the sensibilities of non-smoker majorities and sparked deeply polarised debates across borders. These have dwelt on early death and the agonies paving the tortuous roads leading to it, those momentary lapses of reason, meaning pitted against impulse, groundlessness contrasted to shared vice; even the economic benefits created by tobacco jobs for the living. Or, the government profiting from its share of smoker money.While the interests of cigarette smokers and regulators rarely align, a full-blown divide worries the industry not least because of profits being affected. The industry, has withstood the regulatory onslaught pretty well down the years as it argued that absolute majority of opinion did not mean absolute truth.This month, as India joined a select group of nations to ban ENDS (Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems or electronic cigarettes), it witnessed new arguments being reincarnated by the industry in the same old packs. Successive waves of bans have rarely elicited the cries of protest which greeted the ENDS ban, a revenue-hungry government’s next crusade.After the steep hike in cigarette prices, the ENDS ban raised alarms in tobacco industry circles. The irony can’t be missed for an industry which has not seen negative growth in sales in the last 15 years, save 2015. The tobacco lobby, long used to taking smoking proscriptions and bans on the singular vice without much murmur, raised its hands in collective dissent.The Tobacco Institute of India (TII) protested this week that a ban on electronic cigarettes would disregard the rapid growth of these products and the huge IPR and technological advancement being made globally in making e-cigarettes a safer alternative to the real thing. Euromonitor projects the world market value of ENDS in excess of $60 billion by 2030.ENDS, not justifiable An e-cigarette is a battery-operated device that uses liquid nicotine, propylene glycol, water, glycerin and flavour to give the user the sense of smoking a real cigarette.TII’s rationale does not cover any emerging threat to its captive cigarette market. It simply airs overblown fears of e-cigarette IPR being monopolised by overseas intents. Indeed, TII stencils into its protestations a familiar argument which it earlier applied while opposing cesses on cigarettes. It says that in view of the growing global acceptance of electronic cigarettes, a ban in India will pose a serious threat of these products being smuggled into the country.While TII’s call for a balanced regulatory approach is timely, hardly 5 million e-cigarette smokers (or ‘vapers’) exist in India at the moment, and the possibility of illegal trading catering to such a minuscule portion of the market seems far from tenable.Canada and New Zealand which had earlier prohibited ENDS have reversed their decision and allowed these products to be made available in their respective countries. But both countries have successfully restricted their smoker populations to less than three-fourths their total people count. A national survey in 2015 found that the smoking rate among Canadians is at an all-time low, at 15 per cent of the population, from 19.9 percent in 2011.In India, the percentage of women smokers alone increased from 5.3 million in 1980 to 12.7 million in 2012. That matched the combined populations of Austria and Denmark that year.Kicked by the habitTobacco products giant ITC Ltd’s June quarter results were a slap in the face of a government cess imposed last month. Sales of the company, which holds a 76 percent market share of the organised cigarette market in the country, rose 6.6 percent from a year ago, while segmental profit rose 9 percent. This was in a period when destocking by dealers led to most consumer companies reporting lower than expected sales growth. In the June quarter, 93 percent of the increase in the segment profit over a year ago was contributed by the cigarettes business.Scroll down for video ReutersIndia is home to 117.37 million smokers. Its organised cigarette market has survived and thrived the ravages of a plethora of price bump-ups and bans, ranging from individual states banning public smoking, blackouts of surrogate cigarette advertising in print, online, television and outdoors, and statutory warning coverage on cigarette packets stipulated at as high as 90 percent.The social stigma of being seen with a glowing stick of cured tobacco arbitrated between the pointer and middle fingers does not make habitual nicotine sippers shrink away in the grip of an epiphany. Enlightenment makes no sense when the medium has long subdued the message.The tobacco industry has throughout voiced restrained though genuine concern over the cumulative impacts of steep taxation and intense regulatory pressures. It believes that illegal tobacco trade continues to grow resulting in significant revenue loss to the exchequer. The vast underbelly of the illegal trade caters largely to a vast majority of India’s tobacco users over 18 years of age. This age group relies on gutkha (chewing tobacco), bidis and smuggled cigarettes, according to a study by research firm GlobalData Plc titled ‘Cigarettes in India, 2017’ published this month.The introduction of e-cigarettes in the tobacco industry over the past decade has increased their use by many vapers — a reference to the evaporation technology used by them to ingest nicotine in limited doses. India’s e-cigarette market is pegged to grow at a CAGR of 63.38 percent over the 2013-2018 period.Those wanting to quit smoking tobacco preferred to vape and get a feel of satisfying smoke without apparently damaging their lungs. But criticism against e-cigarettes intensified after teenagers and school children went about vaping with a will.Where’s me smokes?Researchers went to the extent of concluding that vaping is as harmful as cigarettes, which the e-cigarette industry took pains to deny. Call it a bad case of brand carryover or sheer prejudice, it was obvious that e-cigarettes would not easily erase the prevailing scepticism regarding their use. Neither would they be fully accepted as alternatives to real cigarettes — when the brutally amplified health implications of what they sought to replace were imprinted stubbornly in the minds of non-smokers, health professionals and regulators.Use of e-cigarettes by teenagers and middle-school children has riled critics of e-cigarettes globally. However, the market is expected to witness huge growth driven by people working in the IT sector in cities such as Bangalore, Hyderabad and New Delhi, and celebrities, because of changes in their preferences. That worries governments, small or big, despite conventional cigarettes and their electronic counterparts, though rooted in the same vice, being vastly different beasts. But, why do smokers still do it? Not the vaping types, but the never-say-die ones who ingest tar-sodden nicotine from tobacco wrapped inside paper treated with carcinogenic chemicals. Why would they willingly disregard sensible counsel to forego pain and suffering, ignore their guilt pangs to indulge in fetishist nee rebellious self-gratification, and wilfully succumb to the wrong kind of cool?As Gregor Hens, an accomplished author and translator writes, “Every cigarette that I’ve ever smoked served a purpose — they were a signal, medication, a stimulant or a sedative, they were a plaything, an accessory, a fetish object, something to help pass the time, a memory aid, a communication tool or an object of meditation. Sometimes… all at once.”If it is a deeper urge to connect more with oneself at the cost of health, wealth and future happiness, smokers may have a point. The government will disagree, and with good reason. Scientists talk of the deepest justification for smoking as the smoker’s relationship to a very close friend or parent. Giving up smoking means severing the relationship, or a part of oneself. Essentially, ceasing to be oneself. That’s why kicking the butt is not Mission Hard, but Mission Impossible.Disclaimer: The video and photographic material used in this article are part of and relevant to the subject matter of the article and are in no way intended to promote or encourage the vice of smoking.
Its indirect attack on Bangladesh
Abul Maal Abdul Muhith. File PhotoFinance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith on Monday described the massive exodus of Rohingays fleeing persecution by Myanmarese security forces in Rakhine State as their indirect attack on Bangladesh.”Yes, it’s an attack on Bangladesh. It’s Burma’s indirect attack on Bangladesh, and it’ll have to be resisted,” he said.Muhith was responding to queries from reporters on the Rohingya issue after attending a meeting of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital managing committee.He, however, called it his personal opinion.The minister said the government is dealing with the Rohingya issue following its policy. “The government is giving shelter to the Rohingya refugees on one hand and demanding establishment of a safe zone in Myanmar for them on the other.”He also said the international community will have to think what steps should be taken against the atrocities unleashed by the Myanmar government against its citizens in Rakhine.
British queen marks 100 years of Royal Air Force
Britain`s Queen Elizabeth, prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall wait in Westminster Abbey for a service to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force (RAF), in central London, Britain on 10 July 2018. Photo: ReutersBritish queen Elizabeth and senior members of her family were attending celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of Britain’s Royal Air Force on Tuesday, ahead of a flypast of almost 100 aircraft over Buckingham Palace in central London.World War Two Spitfires will be joined by the country’s newest stealth fighter, the Lightning F-35, along with helicopters and spy planes in London’s skies at 1200 GMT.The tribute to the RAF, which became the world’s first independent air force when it was founded as a separate entity from the British Army and Royal Navy in 1918, began with a service at Westminster Abbey.Some 1,300 serving RAF men and women were then due to parade down The Mall, the main approach to Buckingham Palace, before the Queen and heir to the throne Prince Charles host a ceremony to present the RAF with a new Queen’s Colour.The flypast planes were gathering off the coast of eastern England. After cruising towards London and flying over the Olympic Park and the capital’s financial centre, they will roar past the royal family, who will be watching from the palace balcony.Prince Charles and his elder son Prince William both served as RAF pilots.Later on Tuesday, Charles, his wife Camilla, William, and brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, will host a reception at Buckingham Palace for RAF servicemen and women.
Third Texas Coal Plant Closes Since Start Of 2018
Dave Fehling The Big Brown Power Plant in Freestone County, TX officially retired on February 12, 2018As of this week, Texas has lost three coal plants since the start of the year.On Monday, Vistra Energy subsidiary Luminant officially retired its Big Brown power plant near Fairfield, Texas. In January, the company shut two other coal-fired plants. The company announced plans to close the plants in October, saying they were having trouble competing against low power prices, cheap natural gas and Texas’ growing wind and solar sector. The fact that electric grid managers allowed the plants to retire means that Texas just didn’t need them.Ches Blevins, head of the Texas Mining and Reclamation Association, is pretty straightforward in explaining what that means.“You know, the bottom line is, it doesn’t bode well for the industry,” he said.Blevins said he expects to see coal production in Texas drop by millions of tons in the coming years, in part because of economics that don’t justify companies going after resources that are still technically recoverable. Blevins said when he talks to coal workers in small Texas towns, he tells them to diversify their skillsets in case their local mine or power plant closes. At the three recently-shuttered Luminant plants, a total of about 850 jobs are being lost. 00:00 /00:38 To embed this piece of audio in your site, please use this code: X Listen Share