Bilic says Croats can beat keep-it-simple Irish - Football
Published: 09 Jun 2012 - 21:17:40
Croatia's coach Slaven Bilic said Saturday he was well aware of the threat posed to his side by the Republic of Ireland at Euro 2012 but insisted if his men performed then they would win their opening Group C match.
"I have followed the Irish team closely. They did not qualify directly but they did have a tough group with Slovakia and Russia.
"I respect their football - they play it simple and it's not that hard to analyse.
"They only know one way to play - I don't know if they will attack us from the outset but for sure Robbie Keane won't be on the bench," smiled Bilic in allusion to Ireland's record goalscorer.
"They also know everything about us but there will still be some tactical surprises.
"We will have to play a great match tomorrow - but if we are at the top of our game I'm sure we'll win," said Bilic.
At Euro 2008 the Croatians - having eliminated England in the qualifiers - crashed out in the quarter-finals on penalties to surprise package Turkey.
Bilic, who leaves his post after Euro to take over Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow, said that the team had moved on since then although it had been difficult to stomach at the time.
"No defeat is easy to stomach but it's forgotten now," he told reporters. "We're only thinking of these Euros," he insisted.
Bilic, at 43 representing a new generation of coaches, will in 73-year-old Ireland handler Giovanni Trapattoni go up against one of the old guard, whom he greatly respects.
"What can I say about Tapattoni? He is a great coach, he's 'Mister Calcio' (he won seven Serie A titles) and he's worked for some of the greatest clubs in Milan, Juventus, in Germany (leading Bayern Munich to a league title).
"He's done great work in getting Ireland to the finals and I have a lot of respect - even fascination - for him. I have only good things to say about him."
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State likely to set energy standards for consumer electronics - San Jose Mercury News
The typical American household now has 24 electronic gadgets, and those computers, game consoles and cellphone chargers are putting an ever-growing burden on the electrical grid and household bills and the state's electricity grid.
In California, electronic devices now account for 31 percent of home electricity use. And the bulk of those devices are from home entertainment systems and personal computers.
The California Energy Commission, which has led the nation in adopting energy-efficiency standards for traditional appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners, is now turning its regulatory attention to more than 15 new products, from game consoles and computer monitors to outdoor streetlights and water-using products like toilets and pool pumps.
The commission is in the early phases of setting new standards that would likely come up for a final vote next year. The process, which includes workshops with industry, utilities and environmental groups and a public comment period, typically takes 18 months.
"Energy efficiency is our No. 1 priority," said Ken Rider, an electrical engineer with the commission's appliances and process energy office. "It's the cleanest, cheapest way to take care of increased energy demand in the state."
Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, said it makes sense for California to turn its attention to consumer electronics.
"Consumer plug
load is on the rise as traditional loads like refrigerators and dishwashers are becoming more efficient," he said. "Consumer electronics are making up a bigger piece of the home energy pie."But the Consumer Electronics Association, whose 2,000 member companies include Silicon Valley titans like Apple (AAPL), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Intel (INTC), fiercely opposes new standards and warns of "serious flaws and shortcomings" in the process, including the use of old data. The association is also urging state legislators to support a bill by Assemblyman Charles Calderon that would curtail the energy commission's authority. The trade association argues that consumer electronics change so rapidly, with new iterations of products hitting stores every six to 18 months, that regulations are onerous, quickly outdated and unnecessary. And they stress that while the number of consumer electronics per household rose dramatically in the 1990s -- from 9.7 gadgets per household in 1990 to 17.4 per household in 2000 -- the number of gadgets per home has been flat since 2005.
It also maintains that the "convergence" that collapses multiple products into one actually saves energy. The ability to check email and take photographs with a smartphone, for example, means you don't have to turn on the home computer or keep a digital camera. Many game consoles provide access to the Internet.
"The California Energy Commission makes poor assumptions about the direction of technology," said Doug Johnson, vice president of technology policy at CEA. "Convergence is a good thing for efficiency. Smartphones are now a necessity, and many products are used in ways that save energy."
San Francisco-based PG&E is generally supportive of energy-efficiency standards. The utility partnered with Best Buy's San Carlos store to create a "Home Energy Department" display within the store to educate consumers about energy-efficient products.
The state says new standards could save $7 billion each year in electricity costs, reducing the need to build more power plants and lowering water use by 70 billion gallons a year. The state also argues that efficiency standards save consumers money on their electricity bills each month.
Many environmental groups support new standards, arguing that they would not only save energy in California but also serve as a catalyst for improving the energy efficiency of products sold elsewhere. The sheer size of California often pushes manufacturers to make changes. "These standards will ensure that new products sold in California contain the latest and smartest technology so that our products sip rather than gulp energy," said Noah Horowitz, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Several popular products -- including Microsoft's Xbox, Sony's PlayStation, Nintendo's Wii, set-top boxes used with cable and satellite television sets, personal computers and monitors -- would be affected. Because the commission has not yet settled on a definition for computers, it's not clear if tablets, like the popular iPad, will be included.
Contact Dana Hull at 408-920-2706. Follow her at Twitter.com/danahull.
energy tips for your gadgets
1. Unplug It. The simplest way to save electricity is to unplug products when they are not in use. Search the wall sockets in your house for chargers and other devices that don't need to be plugged in. When you detach your cell phone from its charger, unplug the charger too.
2. Use a Power Strip. Plug home electronics into a single power strip with an on/off switch. This will allow you to turn off power to the devices in one easy step. One caveat: home entertainment equipment such as cable and satellite boxes and DVRs need to be reprogrammed or given time to reboot and download information when turned back on. You may want to plug these devices into a separate strip and only turn them off when you plan to be away for more than a few days.
3. Enable the power management features of your computer, such as "sleep" mode.
4. Instead of using a "screen saver," let your computer turn off or go to a dark screen.
4. Use a power meter. Products like Kill A Watt and Watts Up? Pro Power Meter can be plugged in between an appliance and a wall socket to let you see how much electricity it uses. That information can guide your decisions on which appliances to unplug or replace.
Source: American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy; California Energy Commission
Sanjay Joshi’s exit is good riddance for the BJP - firstpost.com
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It also has too many forces meddling with the party – from the RSS to the other elements of the Sangh Parivar. Sanjay Joshi, whatever his good points as an organisation man, was only fomenting trouble for Narendra Modi in the run-up to the Gujarat election.Joshi vs Modi: no clear winner in tangled BJP web (Comment) - india.nydailynews.com
Seven years after Sanjay Joshi had to distance himself from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following the surfacing of a sleazy CD involving him, this low-key apparatchik of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) has had to leave the party again.
It was said during the CD episode in 2005 that Joshi had been 'fixed' by his opponents in the party. The same charge may be voiced again. Only this time, the person who will be identified in this context as his main adversary is none other than Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
The two pracharaks - or preachers of the Hindu nationalist RSS' worldview - have never been the best of friends. However, if Modi has had the last laugh - as of now - in this mutual game of oneupmanship, it is obviously because the chief minister's career has blossomed compared to that of his one-time rival in Gujarat.
It is, however, difficult to say whether there has been a clear winner and loser this time. The fact that Joshi was able to claw his way back to the BJP's national executive despite the earlier scandal underlined his staying power which could only have been due to support from the RSS. There is nothing to indicate that he still does not enjoy the support.
After all, it took Modi all of seven months - from September 2011 to May 2012 - to oust Joshi from the BJP's highest policy-making body although he remained in the party at the time. Not only that, Modi had to boycott one national executive meeting and threaten to stay away from another before he could have his way. Modi also refrained from campaigning in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and elsewhere to give vent to his displeasure about Joshi's rehabilitation in the party.
Arguably, Joshi might still have survived but for a few gaffes of Nitin Gadkari's own. These included backing a controversial London-based businessman for a Rajya Sabha seat from Jharkhand and asking the tainted B.S. Kushwaha to join the party on the eve of the Uttar Pradesh elections. Having been weakened by these missteps, the BJP president presumably came to the conclusion that removing Joshi from the national executive was a small price to pay for placating Modi.
However, even at the time of parting, Gadkari complimented Joshi's large-heartedness for stepping down for the sake of a sulking chief minister. But what he may not have anticipated was the anti-Modi campaign which the supporters of the 'large-hearted' Joshi would launch by pasting posters in Delhi, Ahmedabad and elsewhere, saying that 'chhote man se koi bada nai hota (the small-minded cannot become big)'.
It is unlikely that Modi has faced such a direct attack from his own party men before. But, if Joshi's supporters dared to carry it out, the reason is apparently the belief that the RSS is not quite pleased with the chief minister's antics. Moreover, the latter has been facing an offensive in recent months from the influential Patel lobby in Gujarat led by former chief minister Keshubhai Patel.
Besides, the latest Modi-Gadkari-Arun Jaitley line-up has predictably alerted L.K. Advani to the possibility of being sidelined. Hence his indirect criticism of Gadkari on the grounds that the BJP is unable to fill the vacuum created by the growing popular dissatisfaction with the Congress.
Modi, therefore, is not on as much of a strong wicket as he supposed when Joshi was shown the door. As much was clear when Sushil Modi, Bihar's deputy chief minister, pointed out that the manner in which Joshi was made to leave was not correct since no one had the right to 'hijack' the party and dictate terms.
Now, the scene has become more complicated with Joshi's resignation from the party. It is not impossible that the latter is playing for high stakes where he believes that Modi will be at a disadvantage. Since the background to the events of the last few months is the prime ministerial ambitions of Modi and others, Joshi is probably trying to highlight through his resignation how disruptive for the party can be Modi's coercive style of operation.
Joshi's proximity to the RSS must have made him aware that this is exactly the kind of functioning which the Nagpur patriarchs dislike. In fact, they have been urging Modi to be more accommodative. Since resignations are rather unusual in the BJP, Joshi cannot but create a ruckus inside the saffron brotherhood at a time when the leadership tussles in the top echelons of the BJP remain unresolved.
Till now, Modi has had a roller-coaster ride, winning two successive elections and presenting himself as an able administrator focussed on development. It was natural for him to think, therefore, that his next goal of moving to the national stage would be easy. But the trouble he is having with a former fellow pracharak must warn him about the tangled web that is politics.
(09.06.2012 - Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst. He can be reached at amulyaganguli@gmail.com)
IANS
Hindutva organizations were don’t get justice in Kerala - CNN
Performance management changes for teachers aim to make classroom observations less prescriptive - HRmagazine.co.uk
The changes come into effect on 1 September 2012, and give a standardised legal framework for schools to work within, whilst also acknowledging the difference between individual schools and the way they run, giving them the flexibility to implement an appraisal policy that works on an individual basis.
The aim of the changes is to make the time required for classroom observations less prescriptive, and to use observation only when staff members within the school find it necessary - dependent on what is the most sensible course of action for the teacher being observed. Instead of relying heavily on observation, the new legislation requires each teacher to establish a set of goals and targets, which will be worked upon and monitored throughout the year. These goals will be assessed at an annual appraisal, and will form part of each year's written appraisal report.
The main change is the division between appraisals and capability procedures. Teachers are now not required to pass appraisals on to future employers - which should make the appraisal process much more well-rounded and functional. By removing the necessity to pass on appraisals to outside bodies, feedback from everyone involved is likely to be much more honest, in depth and constructive. Any disciplinary process relating to performance management will be separated from appraisals, becoming part of a 'capability procedure' instead, made available to future employers on request.
Secondly, each school is now required to put together and adhere to an individual performance management policy. This policy must incorporate an annual appraisal culminating in a written report for each member of staff. Individual teachers must also have a set of goals and targets from which to work throughout the academic year. These goals and targets are decided on the basis of the outcome of their annual appraisal, and must contribute to improving the education of pupils.
According to the official guidelines (www.education.gov.uk): 'Most of the prescription in the current guidelines will disappear [and schools…] will also be free to decide many other matters on which they currently have no flexibility'.
Although many schools previously had some sort of appraisal policy in place, the Ofsted report into performance management of teachers concluded:'The system was functioning below its full potential so that appraisal was not contributing as much as it should to raising pupils' standards of achievement and to improving teachers' levels of performance'.
With new flexibility in the implementation of Performance Management, and using the system as something that augments and works within the school, rather than for use by outside bodies, there seems to be an opportunity for schools to adopt a more effective and user-friendly approach to annual appraisals, in the form of 360-degree feedback.
As well as being a system that is easily tailored to the needs of individual teachers and schools, 360-degree feedback is thorough, giving a more in depth and clear picture of the individual's performance, rather than simply relying on one source. It is also an approach that promotes equality and accuracy in performance management in a way that traditional appraisals did not.
The 360-degree feedback takes into account not just feedback from an individual and their manager, but also from colleagues, department heads, and even pupils, depending on which approach fits each staff member best.
A report by the ASCL, ATL, NAHT & NUT (available online) stated appraisals should be 'a thorough yet supportive developmental process [and discussions should be] honest and open between appraiser and appraisee'. Also 'objectives should be set following consultation with teachers'.
By involving teachers in the process rather than taking a 'top-down' prescriptive approach, teachers are more involved and positive about the appraisal process, which means appraisals are much more likely to encourage and support progress and improvement.
Also, when set up properly, this approach is a very cost-effective and efficient way of monitoring a teachers' progress without taking up time and resources that could be better spent elsewhere. By setting each teacher goals based on their initial appraisal report, targets become focussed and much easier to understand.
This means that goals can be tracked throughout the year, and on-going improvement, as well as any problems that may arise, are recognisable much more quickly. Not only does this make progress more likely, but it also means, appraisals are much more focussed and efficient the following year.
With a well-designed performance management system that incorporates annual 360-degree appraisals and the addition of individualised goal setting that is focussed on throughout the year, set up is easy, and the on-going monitoring of progress is both simple and makes future appraisals much more focussed and rewarding, not to mention efficient.
A previously negative attitude to HR in academic professions seems to have led to schools missing out on what could be a valuable and easy to implement approach which could really help improve schooling.
Iain Rhodes, MD at Carbon360
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