Beneath the haze of recrimination, it also seems clear that, as the inspectorate concluded, the contract did not contain adequate provision for resolving disagreements over performance standards, or for taking remedial action.

ECONOMIST: Local government

The seven-time Tour de France winner asked the court for action against the USADA for a host of reasons, having maintained he's never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and accusing the USADA and its CEO, Travis Tygart, of being out to get a "big fish" to justify the agency's existence.

CNN: August 21, 2012 -- Updated 0154 GMT (0954 HKT)

The simple answer is, a skill or talent developed over time, refined and honed in the cauldron of competition to status in a hierarchy where action, performance mean everything and the unadulterated results speak for themselves (and for those who own them).

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With England's three-day warm-up match in Baroda was cancelled, the performance squad will help prepare the Test side for competitive action.

BBC: Pietersen praises collective move

For example, in the Operations column, the action steps focus on safety and on-time performance.

FORBES: Communications: Develop Your Flight Plan

Campaign group Suffolk Action For Truth had objected to the plans saying the move to a two-tier system coincided with recent poor performance.

BBC: Suffolk middle school closures continue

Ideal for capturing wildlife and action-packed sports, the upgraded super-telephoto zoom builds further on the premium performance of its predecessor with enhanced optics and faster, more responsive autofocus.

ENGADGET: Sony NEX-3N and Alpha A58 unveiled, heading to Europe this spring