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I haven't blogged in a week, due to attending BEA, and now that I'm back I have three things I need to blog about immediately.
First, many of you may have heard about my friend Barry Eisler signing with Amazon for his next Rain book. Barry and I did another 10k word dialog about that, and some other publishing stuff. I'll post it complete tomorrow, but if you can't wait, Barry has already posted the entire conversation on his blog (he couldn't wait either.)
Second, I have a book coming out today. it's called Timecaster, and my publisher is charging $7.99 for the paperback, and $7.99 for the ebook (ugh.) It's a sci-fi thriller filled with humor, sex, over-the-top violence, and Harry McGlade. The hero is Jack Daniels's grandson. I love this book, and so will my fans. It's easily the craziest thing I've ever written, and loads of fun.
This fall, I'll release the sequel myself for $2.99. I'm also working with Brilliance Audio to release both books as audiobooks for extremely low prices. Stay tuned.
Finally, my friend James Rollins has released a 99 cent short story on Kindle. When a big NYT bestseller starts releasing inexpensive ebooks, it is time to ask questions.
Joe: It's great that you're putting out a 99 cent short story. Why did you do it through your publisher, rather than solo?
Jim: I initially was going to self-publish this story. And I naively thought that my publishing house would have no problem… heck, it's only a short story. But when my agent approached them about this, they were adamant that I must not do that. And while I certainly could have refused, I also had to respect the fact that HarperCollins had done a great deal to brand my name out in the marketplace, and I couldn't blithely ignore that, nor trample roughshod over their wishes.
We did come to a compromise, though—moving this story into the gray world between self-publishing and legacy publishing. William Morrow (my house at Harper) and I are co-publishing this book, which means we split all royalties beyond the cost of this book's production. I'm personally curious to see how this all plays out in the marketplace. Yes, I'm losing half my royalties, but Harper has deeper pockets and more marketing connections to hopefully help get his story some attention. Plus they are more personally invested to use this story as a vehicle to promote this summer's book (The Devil Colony).
As you well know, it's a new world out there in publishing. Paradigms are shifting all over the map. So this co-pub deal is yet another experiment, a possible compromise between the old world and the new. But is it the best of both worlds or the worst? Only time will tell.
Joe: I'm a big fan of your Sigma novels, so it's great to read a short featuring those characters. How does writing a short story vs. a novel differ?
Jim: A couple of years ago, I wrote a Sigma short story, titled Kowalski's in Love It appeared in an anthology edited by James Patterson and explained how Kowalski (who first appeared in Ice Hunt) became an adopted team member of Sigma. I found that a short story is a great vehicle for filling in "gaps" in the Sigma universe. And that's how this story came about. In this summer's book, The Devil Colony, the mysterious assassin Seichan arrives on Gray's doorstep with a package of information. The Skeleton Key explains how she acquired that bit of intelligence.
I also wanted to write this story for those readers who have never read a Sigma novel. So I crafted this thriller so it could be enjoyed by anyone new to the series. Confined to one character and restricted to a self-contained adventure, I hoped this story could serve as a "sampler" for any reader interested in the series but too daunted by a full novel.
As to writing a short story versus a novel, they are definitely two different vehicles in which to tell a tale. While both vehicles need a beginning, middle, and end, a short story requires writing very tightly, sticking to one character and really getting into their head, under their skin. Seichan has always been a bit mysterious. The Skeleton Key gave me a chance to reveal more about her.
Joe: How do you like writing in a shorter format?
Jim: It was a daunting task. I think my mind is too wired to think of "story" in a longer format. To restrict this tale to one character, one setting, one goal was a challenge. I wanted this story to "feel" like a full Sigma international thriller. So I did my best to make Paris come to life as a character. I threaded in a bit of its mysterious history, added a smidgen of strange science, and crafted a larger danger looming over the more intimate threat. I hope this story captures the essence of a Sigma novel in a tight, little package.
Joe: You're also releasing one of your previous novels, Black Order, today as an ebook for $1.99. Your idea, or your publishers?
Jim: It was theirs… and I have to give them credit. It think it's a great program. They did it last year with Map of Bones, and it was a resounding success and introduced a slew of new readers to my books. And in this new ebook world, this is another area of consternation and confusion: how to price an ebook?
I see that this is still unsettled in the self-publishing world. There seems to be two camps. Price a new novel at $2.99. This seems to work well when an author has the cushion of several books. But I see another school of thought at setting the price point at $4.99. This seems to be the course with authors with their first book or with only a limited backlist.
As to the $1.99, this is purely a promotional price to encourage someone to sample a new author. I believe it's not so much done to move volume and make money, as it is a loss leader to draw in new readers.
Again I'm curious where this "price point" issue will settle in the marketplace. As I'm sure you are, too.
Joe: You write in your author's note that the apocalyptic cult, the Order of the Solar Temple, really existed. How did you stumble across this in your research, and what made you decide to feature it in a short story?
Jim: I wish I could say there was some mysterious connection, but it was basically Google. I researched various cults operating around Paris and stumbled upon the Order of the Solar Temple, which believes the Knights Templar are still alive and well and manipulating history. This cult's suicidal and apocalyptic stance was perfectly suited for the story I wanted to tell.
Joe: What kind of research or travel did you do for The Skeleton Key? Have you visited the catacombs of Paris?
Jim: I did visit those catacombs. As an avid caver myself, I longed to explore beyond the boundaries of the tourist areas. Those catacombs delve beneath half of Paris, encompassing two hundred miles of tunnels and caverns. While I couldn't go there myself, I learned of amateur explorers who secretly venture into those unmapped sections of the catacombs (they call themselves cataphiles). This story allowed me to become one of them for a short while—and I wanted to take my readers along with me.
Joe: What did you find most interesting or surprising to learn as you mapped out the plot to The Skeleton Key?
Jim: I think it was how fragile those catacombs are. A cave-in back in 1961 swallowed up an entire Parisian neighborhood, killing scores of people. And even today, sections of those tunnels collapse every year, damaging parts of the city—which, of course, made the writer in me wonder: what if something MUCH worse happened?
Joe: The Skeleton Key follows the adventures of Seichan alone, as she is separated from the rest of Sigma Force. Why did you decide to feature Seichan's point of view?
Jim: I always wanted to feature her in a solo adventure. Being a loner, she was perfectly suited for her own tale. This vehicle also offered me the opportunity to explore more about her, while allowing new readers an entry point into the series. Plus her story allowed me to fill in a "gap" in the backstory to The Devil Colony.
Joe: Do you have a favorite Sigma Force character, one whose point of view you especially enjoy writing?
Jim: I enjoy writing them all. Each has their own unique flare: Gray's intensity, Kowalski's humor, Monk's good nature, Seichan's internal conflict, Painter's craftiness. They are like an extended family, and I enjoy visiting with each one of them.
Joe: Without giving away any secrets, will Seichan—and the answers she finds in The Skeleton Key—have a major part to play in the upcoming Sigma Force novel The Devil Colony?
Jim: Indeed. What she discovers in Paris is vital to the plot of the The Devil Colony. It will begin to expose the true identity behind the shadowy organization called The Guild. And trust me, there are some MAJOR surprises coming up in this next book.
Joe: Do you plan to write more Sigma Force short stories?
Jim: In one word: yes. To tell more would ruin the fun.
Joe: Will you ever self-publish?
Jim: Yes. I have some non-Sigma Force short stories that I'm planning on releasing as fundraisers for the Humane Society of America. When it comes to such a cause, I'm not willing to split royalties. Plus I'm starting a new cause to help animals at risk called "Sigma to the Rescue."
Joe: Where do you see the future of the industry heading?
Jim: I think we only have to look at the music industry to fathom that answer. Publishers will need to adjust, evolve, and transform to survive. If they don't, the industry is in trouble. As it is, I think we're heading into a further round of consolidation and winnowing of houses. Will there still be physical books out there? Sure. But the writing is on the wall as a majority of sales move from books to ebooks.
Joe: How are your ebook sales compared to your print sales? Percentages?
Jim: As The Devil Colony is the first new book from me in two years, I can't personally attest to where the market is at the moment. In just those two years, the publishing world has drastically changed. I did hear from a New York Times bestselling author that the sales of his newest book are split about 70% ebooks and 30% hardbacks. That's a new world indeed.
Joe: How did you react to Barry Eisler's decision to decline the contract St. Martin's offered and sign with Amazon?
Jim: Barry must have balls of steel (or maybe even admantium). Someone had to strike out first. I know every published author on the planet is watching to see what happens. And I'm no exception. My prediction: he'll do fantastic. Then again, I'm prejudiced: I love Barry and his books.
Joe: Wouldn't you like to live in a world without deadlines and appearances?
Jim: Of what fantasy world do you speak? What is this mythic landscape? Okay, I get your point, but I think self-publishing has its own headaches. And to be honest, I need deadlines. I'm a deadline sort of writer. If left on my own, having to set and stick to my own deadlines, I'd probably still be a veterinarian.
And while book tours are often hard, I also like meeting readers. Yes, I facebook and tweet. But there's something about meeting people in person. When you get the right mix of people—all likeminded readers—in a one room, sometimes it's magical.
Joe: What's next for you?
Jim: I'm working on my third Jake Ransom novel (of my kid's series), while researching and putting the final touches to the next Sigma novel. Speaking of deadlines…I'd better get back to writing. Otherwise, all this talk of publishing—self or otherwise—is moot, because ultimately if you want to be a writer you have to write. Of course, nowadays that's the easy part.
Joe sez: The Skeleton Key is classic Rollins, and well worth the 99 cents. If you haven't checked out Black Order for $1.99, that's another great read and a steal.
Both were released today, and both rankings are dropping quickly. Kudos to his publisher for understanding that you sell more ebooks for low prices.
Which naturally makes me wonder why Morrow is releasing Jim's latest, The Devil Colony, for $14.99 on Kindle. Ouch. I can already see the dozens of one-star reviews from annoyed fans who won't pay that much, which is unfair to Jim, and to the book. Plus, guess who is going to be pirated like crazy?
Note to Morrow: The way to fight piracy is with cost and convenience. High cost encourages piracy. No one will pirate The Skeleton Key, or those that do wouldn't have bought it anyway. With The Devil Colony, fans who otherwise would have bought it will become pirates, due to your pricing.
Windowing is useless in a digital world. Ebooks are forever, and there is no longer a shelf life, so we shouldn't be forced to pay a higher premium for things just to experience them sooner.
Buy a hardcover for $25 on the release day, or wait a year for the $7.99 paperback. That's always been unfair, in my opinion, but you are getting a better, higher quality version with the hardcover.
But with ebooks? $14.99 now, or wait a year and it'll go down to $8.99 for the same exact version? Or wait a few years and it will go on sale for $1.99?
There are only two reasons for pricing so high. 1. To encourage and protect hardcover sales. 2. To make as much money as possible before the industry collapses.
Ebooks have zero costs to print and ship. They shouldn't be $14.99. And The Devil Colony should be a #1 Ebook bestseller. Perhaps it will be. But it would be one for much longer at a more reasonable price.
Jim will make $2.23 on each $14.99 ebook sold. I make $2.04 on each $2.99 ebook sold, which is why all of my ebooks are outselling his, even though he's a much bigger author than I am.
Now he's getting big advances, and his house is taking care of all the uploading and marketing. If I had a chance to switch careers with him I'd be tempted. Except for the book touring. Meeting fans and booksellers is a noble, worthwhile thing, but travel is exhausting and cuts into my writing time, and I make my money by writing, not by jetting around the world.
If ebooks are really outselling hardcovers by that large a margin, I have to wonder how long it will be before bestselling authors begin to realize that even with large advances, they're losing money long term...
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
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Subscribe To Wreck-It Ralph Teams Up With Vanellope Von Schweetz In New International Trailer Updates
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In less than a month, Disney's animated film about a video game character determined to prove he's hero-material will make its way into theaters. The new international trailer for Wreck-It Ralph gives us a look at some of the highlights of his journey and the partnership he appears to form with Sarah Silverman's character Vanellope von Schweetz.
For those of us who've been looking forward to Wreck-It Ralph since the first trailer was revealed, a lot of what's shown in the new trailer will likely seem familiar. We're introduced to Ralph (John C. Reilly), a video game bad-guy who's feeling down about his lot in life and tired of being unloved for the role he plays in his video game. He soon sets off to take the video game world by storm in an attempt to prove he can be a hero.
Along the way, he meets up with Sarah Silverman's Vanellope von Schweetz, a feisty game character rom a candy-coated cart racing game. We've seen these two together in past trailers, but the last minute or so of this new trailer focuses on their adventure together. And it looks like Ralph's doing a bit of coaching with her as she prepares for a cart race.
"Top shelf!"
As a fan of Mario Kart and Diddy Kong Racing, I'm glad to see cart racing getting some love in this film!
In addition to Reilly and Silverman, Wreck-It Ralph features the voices of Jane Lynch, Jack McBrayer, Alan Tudyk, Dennis Haysbert, Mindy Kaling, Ed O'Neill, Edie McClurg, Rachael Harris and Adam Carolla. The film arrives in theaters November 2. More information, photos and videos can be found in our Blend Film Database.

subset: commoncrawl


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2014 porsche cayenne Model Overview
Vehicle Overview
Our 2011 Sport/Utility of the Year enters 2014 with a new model joining the lineup, the 550-hp 2014 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S. Like the related Panamera Turbo and Turbo S, the 2014 Cayenne Turbo S gets a power boost over the plain Cayenne Turbo. That means the Cayenne Turbo S' 4.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 makes a staggering 550 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. The more 'pedestrian' 2014 Cayenne Turbo has the same twin-turbo V-8, but only makes 500 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. You don't have to go Turbo to get a track-slaying Porsche Cayenne; the 2014 Porsche Cayenne GTS sports a naturally aspirated 4.8-liter V-8 that makes 420 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, while featuring otherwise-exclusive Turbo parts. The rest of the 2014 Porsche Cayenne lineup is rounded out by the base 300-hp V-6 Cayenne – the only in the range available with a six-speed manual) — the ultra-efficient 245-hp (20/29 mpg city/highway) Cayenne Diesel, the 400-hp V-8-powered Cayenne S, and another flavor of efficient, the 380-hp Cayenne S Hybrid, which nets an EPA-estimated 20/24 mpg.
As previously mentioned, the current-generation Porsche Cayenne was named our 2011 Sport/Utility of the Year. The Cayenne won for many reasons including it's "breadth of performance capability, combined with the Cayenne's roomy and comfortable interior and reasonably capacious cargo hold." More recently, we gathered the new-for-2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel up with the new 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel, 2013 Volkswagen Touareg TDI, and 2013 Mercedes-Benz ML350 Bluetec. In that luxury diesel SUV comparison, the Cayenne Diesel placed second, losing to the Jeep.
With the Cayenne being its best-seller, Porsche has focused on its other models for the 2014 model year. The 2014 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S is the only change the German automaker has made to its SUV lineup this year.
New for 2014
The Porsche Cayenne gets a new trim level this year: the 2014 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S. The Cayenne Turbo S gets a 550-hp twin-turbo V-8 that'll reportedly help it accelerate from 0-60 in just 4.3 seconds, and propel the Porsche to a 176-mph top speed. The Cayenne Turbo S comes loaded with performance features like Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), and Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus).
You'll Like
- Huge variety of engine options.
- Sports-car-like handling
- Cayenne Diesel fuel economy
You Won't Like
- The Cayenne can get pricey with options
- Manual transmission only available on the base V-6
Key Competitors
- Infiniti QX70
- Jeep Grand Cherokee
- Range Rover Sport
- Mercedes-Benz ML-Class


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AC/DC, Black Sabbath and Van Halen Axemen Competing for Best Metal Guitarist
It's a question that has plagued man since the shredding gods first emerged: Who is the greatest metal guitarist? And now the question can finally be answered.
Our sister site Loudwire is currently in the second round of letting fans determine metal's most appealing axeman. The tournament, which started with 32 names and is now down to the final 16, is broken into two brackets: the Axe-Slinger Region and the Shredding Region, with the winners facing each other for the title.
One battle in the former pits AC/DC's riffmeister Angus Young against Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society and Ozzy Osbourne fame. Other classic rockers still in the tournament are Tony Iommi, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Slash and Kirk Hammett of Metallica.
Voting for the second round ends on July 28 at 11:59EST. Fans can vote once per hour. In addition, all who vote in the polls can enter to win a $100 iTunes gift card. Complete details can be found at Loudwire.


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Chile Repellent Licensed, Feb. 1, 2001
SOCORRO, N.M., February 1, 2001 -- Dr. Daniel H. López, president of New Mexico Tech, today announced that Global Source Advantage, Inc. (GSA) has licensed the patent owned by the New Mexico Tech Research Foundation that creates environmentally sensitive animal and insect repellents using chile peppers. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
GSA is a fully integrated, international farming, extraction, and marketing firm with headquarters in California and pepper farming operations in several Central American countries.
The process which was discovered and patented by scientists at New Mexico Tech, allows capsaicin, the natural heat of chile peppers, to be molecularly bonded into paints, stains, plastics, and other rubberized materials, thus creating a wide range of repellents.
Research conducted by New Mexico Tech and other independent, third-party scientific teams has proved the chile-based repellents to be effective in protecting against rodents and other mammals, termites and other insects, various wood-boring birds, freshwater and saltwater aquatic pests, plus various snails and reptiles.
"GSA is in a fine position to take this patent to the market," said Dr. López. "Their experience in growing Habañero pepper ensures a quality raw material for the extraction process, so that a consistent product can be delivered to the many end users who have expressed an interest in utilizing our patented process."
GSA currently provides Habañero products for the food and personal protection industries.
Jeff DeVaney, president of GSA, said, "We are very excited to own the exclusive license on this patented process. We believe we are now uniquely positioned to provide our extract on a worldwide basis and directly assist in eliminating many of the potentially harmful chemicals used today for repellent purposes.
"And, that means improvements for everyone," he added.
Related stories:
Media Contacts:
Global Source Advantage
C. Ed Hall
Director of Marketing
(281) 895-7999


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Short description
ComboPass® Paris pass is a combo pass deal for Paris including: Paris Visite metro pass, Paris museum pass, River cruise tour and numerous add-ons listed below.
Type of passes
- Lite (1 or 2 days) or Premium (2, 4 or 6 days with extra day metro add-on)
- Adult only
- Children/teen will get individual passes since museums are free for them
- Add-ons: Paris Hop on hop off bus, RER train tickets to Disneyland or Versailles, Versailles fountain show.
Description Lite version (1 or 2 days)
This is the cheapest combo pass around for a stop over or week-end break. It includes the unlimited travel pass Paris metro pass 1 or 2 days, Louvre ticket (1 day version), Louvre and Orsay museums tickets (2 days version) and a free one hour commented river cruise on the Seine river. Special discounts at some places showing your metro pass and 30 days online French lessons for free and a free street/metro Paris map. We never used it but we're certain it perfectly fits needs for short stays, click here for more details. You can also order the add-ons listed that are accessible to both versions, all details on this Justring pass page.
December 2013 update: I just discovered a new version named 'Suburban' Lite pass, same as above but including 5 zones travel pass for Disneyland residents, good to know.
Description Premium version (2, 4 or 6 days)
This is the only combo pass available that covers the lengh of a stay without holes for transportation for 3 or 5 days. Based on the number of days requested, it will include the unlimited travel pass Paris metro pass, Paris museum pass and a free one hour commented river cruise on the Seine river. Special discounts at some places showing your metro pass and 30 days online French lessons for free and a free street/metro Paris map.
The metro pass card covers 3 zones, meaning the entire city of Paris and that's where the add-ons are really useful because you will need special train tickets if you wish to visit Versailles Castle or Disneyland. A new add-on is now apparently available in 2016 to extend your metro pass for one extra day.
Why kids/teens don't need such combo pass? Because access to museums and monuments is free for them in Paris (if aged under 18). They will only need to get their metro pass, river cruise ticket and they will be able to follow the parents and cut the lines showing their adult passes.
This is the combo pass that we're all using since a few years because it's so convenient with the add-ons, flexibility with coverage and fabulous delivery service. We used once the Paris pass but switched to Paris ComboPass because it's more flexible and much cheaper for the same services. The ability to get the kids their own passes to follow us wherever we were going is really great.


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Originally Posted By: rambler_wannabe

Woobie sit pad, with silnylon on one side to be waterproof against the ground. I am sure you can figure out how to make it work as a pillow and/or dog bed, too.

Considering how big a Woobie-junkie our dog has become over the course of a single weekend, a doggie-sized Woobie might have a market... [img]/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img]
One thing that I thought of while packing breakfast into my pack yesterday: how difficult would it be to make an insulating (internal) pouch? I was thinking of lining a Lock 'n Load with some space blanket material, see how that'd work. Would it keep the contents cool much longer than just packing them into a regular Lock 'n Load #7? Call it the Snack Pack if someone wants to make one commercially? [img]/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]


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General News
: Local News
Thirty People Arrested in Major Drug Bust
Submitted: 04/27/2013
- The North Central Drug Enforcement Group and Northwoods Sheriff's Departments busted 30 people in a drug investigation. The Forest County Sheriff's Office says the investigation lasted SEVEN MONTHS, and wrapped up just yesterday. The suspects will be charged with selling marijuana and prescription drugs. Forest County worked with the Crandon police, Langlade County and NORDEG on this investigation. Names of the 30 suspects won't be released until formal charges are filed... ...we'll keep you updated on the latest.
Written By: Lyndsey Stemm
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Men's Athletic Socks
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Learn More About Men's Athletic Socks
Train in Comfort with Men's Athletic Socks
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Choose from men's low-cut socks that are perfect for the gym or running around the track, over-the-calf baseball socks for that retro look on the diamond, basketball socks that are optimized for the demands of the hardwood and men's shin socks designed to be pulled up over a soccer shin pad. For an extremely low-profile look, turn to men's no-show socks.
Pair your basketball socks with great basketball shoes, check out our selection of Jordan Shoes.
Available in a range of colors, you'll have no trouble finding men's athletic socks that match your team's uniform. Shop today and complete that professional look.
Upgrade your active wardrobe with high-quality shoe insoles from DICK'S Sporting Goods.
For the best in comfort and support, shop our selection of Nike Elite Socks.
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Get the Most From Athletic Socks for Men
Athletic socks from this selection at DICK'S Sporting Goods are manufactured from high-tech fabric by some of the industry's most popular brands. Though there are differences between designs for different sports, all men's socks from this assortment feature:
- Great Breathability: Get the warmth you need without overheating. With your feet feeling cool and dry, you'll be focused on your game.
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Get all the traction, support, and impact absorption you need with lightweight and comfortable men's athletic shoes from this large collection at DICK'S Sporting Goods.


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PROVO Professor Steven Jones and Brigham Young University finalized a retirement package Friday, six weeks after the school placed the physicist on paid leave to review his statements and research about the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center.
"I am electing to retire so that I can spend more time speaking and conducting research of my own choosing," Jones said in a statement released by the university. "I appreciate the wonderful opportunity I have had to teach and serve and do research at BYU for more than 21 years."
Jones and BYU worked on the package for weeks, Jones said in an interview with the Deseret Morning News. The university abandoned its review of his 9/11-related work Friday after the agreement was reached, university spokeswoman Carri Jenkins said.
Jones' retirement is effective Jan. 1. He hasn't decided what he'll do next, though he has received a feeler from another school and intends to keep talking about the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Both sides declined to release details about the retirement package, but Jones said he was told it was pretty standard.
"The university's been great," he said. "I feel like they've been fair with me in this settlement we've reached in this retirement. I feel pretty chipper."
Jenkins said BYU's aborted review, which was expected to last the rest of the semester, was still in the early stages.
"It was at the department level, and we were still in the process of putting together a review panel," she said.
Jones submitted a letter to the editor of the Deseret Morning News via e-mail Friday afternoon. Written two weeks ago, the letter did not mention his decision to retire and avoided any reference to BYU. In it, Jones renounced the Iraqi War, questioned the official explanations of the collapses of the World Trade Center towers and expressed concern that a future terrorist attack might be blamed on Iran or Syria to justify American aggression against those nations.
"I stand firmly against the war in Iraq and any war of aggression," Jones wrote. "I support scientific scrutiny of the events of 9/11/2001, a day which will live in infamy."
BYU stripped Jones of two classes he was teaching when the university placed him on paid leave on Sept. 7 to review a paper he wrote about the physics behind the collapse of three towers on Sept. 11. He published a paper saying experiments he conducted at BYU on material from ground zero and other evidence led him to believe the towers fell because pre-set explosives were detonated throughout the buildings after the hijacked jets struck the Twin Towers.
BYU planned to review the paper to see if it met scientific standards of peer review. The university also expected to look at statements made by Jones at conferences and in the media and determine if Jones was appropriately distancing himself from BYU when he spoke about his explosives theory.
Jones said Friday he welcomed the review because he hoped it would encourage people to read his paper for themselves. He said he feels a responsibility to bring attention to questions about what happened on Sept. 11, 2001.
"My stewardship is to get people thinking about and studying these things," he said. "I have my stewardship, and I'm going to keep going at it doggedly. The administrators (at BYU) have their stewardship. We both were just doing our best in our stewardships, and I'm not mad at them at all. I sense it is a friendly type of arrangement. It's probably the best thing, and we'll move on. I feel good about it."
A member of Scholars for 9/11 Truth, co-founded by Jones in December 2005, launched a drive to get 10,000 signatures on a petition in support of Jones to send to BYU President Cecil Samuelson. As of Friday afternoon, the petition had 2,924 signatures.
James Fetzer, the other co-founder of the scholars group, published an open letter to Samuelson on www. scholarsfor911truth.org. Fetzer wrote that the buildings were constructed to withstand impact from airplanes and the fires that resulted. Physics can't explain the rapid, pancaking fall of the towers either, he said.
Jones said he hoped news coverage of his retirement would spur media organizations to print his entire letter and explore his paper at www.Journalof911Studies.com.
Jones' letter quoted two Swiss researchers who announced last month that they believe explosives were responsible for the collapse of the building not struck by a plane.
He closed the letter saying he wants to avoid a military draft to fight what he considers unnecessary wars.
"Because of my concern for college-age students I have taught and loved for decades, I am motivated to speak out emphatically against what I judge after thorough study and reflection to be terrible wars, wars of aggression, founded on deceptions."
Jones will finish the semester by transferring duties as chairman of a committee within the Physics Department to his successor and working with students under his tutelage to complete their research.
E-mail: [email protected]


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by Katie Parker, sports information graduate assistant
DAHLONEGA Ga. - The Georgia College & State University women's basketball team (20-7, 13-4 PBC) closed out the regular season with a road win, slipping past the Saints of North Georgia (9-17, 4-13 PBC) 72-68 in overtime Saturday. The Bobcats reach the 20-win plateau for the ninth time in school history, hitting 20 victories for the first time since 2006-07.
The Bobcats were led by a pair of double-doubles from senior Antoinette Reames (Orlando, Fla.) and junior Chimere Jordan (Gray, Ga.). The 6-foot-2 senior put up a career best of 23 points, while snagging 13 rebounds. This is her eighth double-double, 15th double-digit scoring game and first contest breaking the 20-point mark. She also had two blocks and four steals.
Jordan scored 22 points and grabbed 11 boards, recording her second consecutive double-double and third on the season. This was the Gray native's seventh 20-plus scoring game and her second contest in a row tallying 11 rebounds, her career-high. Jordan also had five assists, two steals and one swat.
Senior Shandrea Moore (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) rounded out the double-digit scoring for the 'Cats putting up 11. The point-guard also recorded a game-high of five assists, while collecting four rebounds.
The North Georgia offensive efforts were led by Whitney Randolph and Sarah Stinson. Randolph captured an impressive 26 points with eight boards, three steals and two blocks. Stinson claimed the third double-double of the contest with 16 points and 12 rebounds, eight off the defensive glass. She also swatted five Bobcat shots, while getting two assists and two steals.
Georgia College struggled at the charity stripe today shooting .522 compared to the Saints' .909. NGCSU also out-shot the 'Cats from the floor .404-.375 as well as from three-point range .353-.273. However, GCSU won the battle of the boards 46-37.
Down four with just over two minutes left in regulation, Reames cut the lead in half with a foul and lay-up at 1:55. The Bobcats pulled down the offensive board, missed another shot and grabbed their second offensive rebound of the possession. After a timeout, Jordan nailed a jumper to tie the game. Neither team could find the bottom of the net in the final 1:31 as the game went to overtime.
The 'Cats out-scored the Saints 11-7 in overtime, with Reames netting six in the frame.
The Bobcats are back in action Tuesday, March 2 hosting the first round of Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Tournament action at 7 p.m. Georgia College, the No. 1 seed in the PBC West, hosts No. 4-seed Georgia Southwestern State University at the Centennial Center.
The GCSU Department of Athletics, winners of the 2008-09 PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 10 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, GCSU prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the Bobcats' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at Twitter.com username GCSUSID for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit www.GCSUBobcats.com to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GCSU Athletics Hall of Fame.


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City law enforcement officials say the province's shift to high visibility licences on vehicles will make it easier to catch scofflaws. But Calgary's police service and parking authority believe nabbing those who speed and park without paying would be simpler yet if motorists were also required to have a second plate on the front of their car or truck.
Should Alberta vehicles require two licence plates?
City law enforcement officials say the province's shift to high visibility licences on vehicles will make it easier to catch scofflaws.
But Calgary's police service and parking authority believe nabbing those who speed and park without paying would be simpler yet if motorists were also required to have a second plate on the front of their car or truck.
Alberta is the last jurisdiction in North America to abandon painted tags in favour of a plate with a reflective covering that is easier for officers and cameras to read during the daytime and at night.
"There's lots of infractions that go unpunished now because we can't make out the numbers or letters because of fading and cracking," said Staff Sgt. Paul Stacey, who heads the traffic section with the Calgary Police Service.
"These new plates will make life for us and witnesses a little easier and a lot tougher for the bad guys."
The province dropped the requirement for a front plate in 1991 in a move that the government said then would save about $700,000.
While a 2007 poll found over 60 per cent of Albertans were opposed to re-introducing a second tag, Stacey said the province's law enforcement community has long supported the idea.
"It would be outstanding to have two plates because it identifies the vehicle so much easier." Stacey said.
"For example, if we could take radar photos from the front that show the driver that would allow us to prosecute them if it's a serious offence instead of just fining the registered owner."
About one per cent of the 30,000 licences that Calgary's parking authority photographs with its mobile units each day are unreadable.
But CPA general manager Troy McLeod said he expects the high visibility plate will reduce the proportion the number of infractions that are thrown out because the licence of the offending vehicle is not clear.
"We have lights on our patrol cars that allow us to see the painted plates that are currently used," said McLeod, "but the new plate will make it easier."
He said a front plate would be helpful in identifying owners who back their car into stalls at lots that are not controlled with gates.
"Right now, we have to dispatch foot patrol officers to photograph those plates manually and log infractions," McLeod said.
"There would certainly be a reduction in the manpower we required if we had front plates again."
Tories feel the backlash over bid to drop 'Wild Rose Country' slogan from licence plates
The anecdotal observations of police and parking authorities in Calgary are backed up by a 2012 study south of the border that found millions of dollars in cost savings and millions more in additional revenue was collected in states that require both front and rear plates.
For example, Colorado officials reported that one-third of the total revenue collected over a 12-month period on a Denver-area tollway — some $23 million — came from the ability to capture information from front licence plates.
Meanwhile in Arizona, a state that only requires a rear plate, up to 15 per cent of parking transactions at a Phoenix airport had to be processed manually at additional cost because sun glare prevented accurate reading of the licence.
"Identification of vehicles is a critical issue for enforcement, tolling, parking and homeland security," says the study co-authored by Melissa Walden, a research scientist at Texas A&M.
"The presence of two plates maximizes the opportunity for this identification to be completed efficiently and effectively."
Alberta's survey of 1,000 adults seven years ago found that roughly 40 per cent of those opposed to re-introducing front plates thought they were unnecessary or were concerned about the additional cost.
Officials with Service Alberta have said the one-time cost of manufacturing the new reflective plates is about $2 each, but the department is hiking the amount it charges owners to register their vehicles by $5 a year when the new licence is introduced.
While 30 jurisdictions in the U.S, require front and rear plates, only four in this country require they be displayed on both ends of a vehicle.
"The single licence plate approach is common in Canada," Service Alberta spokeswoman Jessica Johnson said in an e-mail reply to Herald questions.
"While I believe law enforcement generally prefers front licence plates, they note in the 2008 consultations that their practices have adapted to single licence plates."


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Can an Alliance make Desktop Virtualization Easier? Gary says yes!
Today, Cisco announced a strategic alliance with Citrix focused on helping customers simplify and accelerate large-scale desktop virtualization deployments—which means the companies will work across a broad range of technology areas, including datacenter, networking, devices, multimedia to deliver more integrated desktop virtualizations solutions.
Sounds nice, but I wanted to know than just vision, so I met with Gary Borad, Cisco's the partner manager supporting the Citrix relationship to hear how Cisco and Citrix actually hope to deliver on this vision. Here is what he said…
Pam: So, Gary what is this Strategic Alliance Agreement really all about?
Gary: It's about helping our customers quickly gain the benefits of desktop virtualization and cloud computing. The alliance will focus on four primary technology areas of collaboration including:
- Enabling the Cisco network to become Citrix XenDesktop aware
- Improving device support with integrated multimedia;
- Further extending our success in the data center with Cisco UCS and Citrix XenDesktop;
- And strengthening our commitment to cloud computing
Also as you probably are aware Cisco is a leader in enterprise networking, compute, and end points. Citrix is a leader in desktop virtualization software. Combining our technology and go to market assets together to create fully tested solutions (Cisco Validated Designs) we believe will provide the confidence and clarity that customers are looking for in order to make the to move to virtual desktops.
A key data point for this is our first product – the new Cisco Wide Area Application Service (WAAS). Cisco will release a new revision of WAAS optimized for Citrix XenDesktop. This is the first third-party WAN optimization solution that Citrix has validated, supported, tested, and certified as Citrix Ready.
Pam: Sounds great, but specifically how will customers benefit?
Gary: Good question. By bringing our technologies together to help our customers reap the rewards of desktop virtualization. So for example with the WAAS that will ship later this year, customers will be able to more deeply view the Citrix HDX protocol across our their Cisco network to optimize the bandwidth across the WAN. Ultimately the result is virtual desktop users get a LAN-like experience over the WAN. There of course will be more to come in the future.
Pam: What's this Desktop Virtualization all about?
Gary: Another good question Pam. You see a number of things have happened over the past few years that enterprises have had to address. These include managing desktop refreshes in the enterprise, security of information on laptops, mobility, and simply managing new OS's and applications. With desktop virtualization all the operating systems and applications are managed and maintained securely in the data center. That means if a laptop is misplaced or stolen no data is lost – just pick up another device, log in and your ready to go!
Also, for the IT team, OS's and applications are centralized – no need to run around the enterprise to assure all devices are up to the latest version of software. This means more secure and easier to manage. Finally, with Citrix and Receiver you can access your desktop from any device, anywhere, any time. As an enterprise user you're free to buy that new laptop or mobile device without having to be concerned about IT support – just load Citrix Receiver and you're ready. Couple that with Cisco's networking leadership and our new WAAS product, which accelerates and optimizes in the enterprise, and you've got a high performance virtual workspace from the two market leaders in desktop virtualization!
Pam: Yes, but what about performance? How will this improve performance of Desktop Virtualization from my PC or whatever device I want to use?
Gary: With this strategic alliance announcement we have Wan Optimization to accelerate and optimize the performance of the desktop giving users LAN-like experience over the WAN. Taken all together users will have a more consistent application experience regardless of device; a thin client; a PC; or business tablet and regardless of location. That is why this is so cool. The key here is that Cisco brings amazing things to the story that will accelerate adoption of desktop virtualization. First, we have UCS with its extended memory and unified fabric – enabling industry leading density and performance. We also have purpose built enterprise class end points- VXC and Cius – with Power Over Ethernet – all built to be Receiver Ready. These are truly unique devices.
Pam: Okay I am convinced this is pretty cool stuff.
Gary: Yes, and we're not stopping here. Over the next 5 years the Cisco/Citrix alliance will continue to deliver more cool stuff in the area of desktop virtualization as we continue to work together. This is all about helping our customers become more innovative and cost effective. Desktop virtualization and cloud computing are two growing trends are customers are needing help to simplify; and Cisco is doing that with all of our strategic alliance partners…not just Citrix, but VMware, EMC, NetApp, and others as well.
In an effort to keep conversations fresh, Cisco Blogs closes comments after 60 days. Please visit the Cisco Blogs hub page for the latest content.


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This place is amazing! I have gone down a whole pant size since going. Cody and Jan are encouraging and very helpful. They push yo to keep going and guid you on keeping good form. For anyone looking to try CrossFit style workouts, this place is for you! - Lauren E. (Nov. 17, 2015)
This is such a great gym! Both trainers are amazing, and are really good about checking form. the workouts are perfect length, and are always varied so that you work your whole body. Jan and Cody are very encouraging and helpful. I have gotten much stronger since coming here ad have improved my endurance. I recommend this gym to everyone I know in the area! - Laura G. (Nov. 16, 2015)
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text: You can see that my sidebar contains small square "button" ads -- this space I offer to anyone who'd like to advertise. To include your ad in my sidebar, simply fill out the form below. Please review the audience profile & ad policies. Pricing Options1 week button ad $361 month button ad $1443 months button ad $3246 months button ad $6001 year button ad $11646 mo. exclusive 300x250 featured ad $150012 mo. exclusive 300x250 featured ad $2700What date would you like to start running your ad? MM DD YYYY Please allow at least 48 hours notice.Website* Please provide the destination URL for your advertisement.Upload your ad imageAccepted file types: jpg, jpeg, gif, png, pdf.Dimensions should be 125 x 125 pixels. (If you don't know how to edit your image, that's okay. Just send me what you have.)Name* First Last Email* Enter Email Confirm Email PhonePayment MethodPayPalCheckI'll send you an invoice shortly. Your ad will be confirmed when payment is received.Please calculate your total amount and click here to pay via PayPal. (Link will open in a new window.)Any additional comments or special instructions?EmailThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


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Nov. 8, 2009
IRVINE, Calif. -- Pete Dolan was awarded the 2009 Big West Coach of the Year Award in women's cross country, after leading the Gauchos to their fifth Conference Championship in the last seven years.
UCSB re-captured the crown after a one-year hiatus, for their seventh crown overall. The women's program has won titles in 1993, 1994, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009, all under Dolan's guidance. He has now won seven coach of the year awards in women's cross country, and has coached UCSB athletes to All-Conference honors 17 seasons in a row.
The Gauchos scored 51 points to win the title, ahead of second-place UC Davis (61 points) and third-place Cal Poly (74 points). The top runner for UCSB was Crystal Reed, who completed the 6k UCR Agricultural Operations Course in 20:43.45 to place fourth individually.
This weekend the men's and women's cross country squads will travel to Eugene, Ore. for the NCAA West Regional. The meet will be held on Nov. 14 at the University of Oregon.
Earlier this year UCSB Athletics unveiled the BE Great initiative. BE Great is dedicated to maximizing leadership ability, strong on-campus interaction, and general welfare for all 450 student-athletes and Intercollegiate Athletics staff at UC Santa Barbara. BE Great also focuses on personal and career development, diversity, and social awareness, along with ensuring academic success. UCSB has a 92% student-athlete graduation rate.
UCSB Athletics has a new weekly radio show called Talk'n Gauchos which airs every Tuesday from 6-7 p.m. on AM 1490 KIST. The show is broadcast live from State & A Bar and Grill, located on the corner of State Street and Anapamu Street in Santa Barbara. Fans are encouraged to attend the show for free gear and ticket giveaways or to even e-mail a question in to one of the guests and have it read live over the air. The show also airs live online via audio streaming and fans can click here to check out the entire lineup of live audio streaming online.
- UCSBgauchos.com -


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- Hermione: "It's not going to work... You see this? This is an Age Line. Dumbledore drew it himself...a genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by a dodge as pathetically dim-witted as an Ageing Potion."
- Fred: "Ah, but that's why it's so brilliant!"
- George: "Because it's so pathetically dim-witted."
- — Hermione Granger and Fred and George Weasley on the twins' attempt to fool the Age Line[src]
The Age Line (incantation unknown) was an enchantment used to prevent people above or below a specified age from accessing a specific object or place.[1]
On 30 October, 1994, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore used this spell on the Goblet of Fire in the Great Hall of Hogwarts Castle to restrain under-age students from placing their names within the goblet for the Triwizard Tournament; anyone under the age of seventeen was forbidden from entering.[2] He then traced a thin golden line with a ten-foot diameter on the floor around the goblet to show how far out the enchantment reached.[2] Fred and George Weasley of Gryffindor, Summers of Hufflepuff and S. Fawcett of Ravenclaw all used Ageing Potion to attempt to bypass this line, believing that it relied on physical age as opposed to calendar age, and were all proven wrong; they all ended up in the Hospital Wing with long, fine white beards, as witnessed by Dumbledore himself, who found the notion amusing.[2]
An age line cannot be fooled or bypassed, even by a powerful potion like the Ageing Potion as proven by Fred and George Weasley, Summers and S. Fawcett; subjects who were not at the preset age and attempted to breach the spell regardless were thrown backwards and sprouted long white beards, regardless of gender.[2]
Behind the scenes
- In the book, the thin golden line is a regular line and is gouged into the floor of the Hall; in the film, however, the line appears to be a mark of the spell itself, shimmering and glowing with a weird yellowish gleam. The Pottermore illustration (seen above) features yet another take on the Line, which manifests as a circle of large Rune-like symbols, glowing blue with power like the Goblet's fire itself.
- Also, in the film, the diameter of the age line is much smaller than described in the book.
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game) (Seen in Game Menu)
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
- Pottermore
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Pottermore - From the Story: Age Line
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 16 (The Goblet of Fire)


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binguy necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 57 diseños de 20 diseñadores freelance.
Blue Bin Rentals (bluebinrentals.com) tagline rent blue, save green
Blue Bin Rentals is a start up company that rents, delivers and pickups plastic moving bins. When a business, homeowner or renter plans on moving they will be able to use our website to order plastic moving bins, packing suppliers and dollies online. The bins and supplies will be delivered to their home or business and picked up a few weeks later at their new location. Our business model saves time tracking down boxes, is cheaper than buying cardboard boxes and environmental friendly. We are not a moving company.
Our target audience will be business owners, home owners and renters that plan on moving and are comfortable doing business online. In addition to marketing directly to end users we will also be marketing to property managers both commercial and residential, moving companies and Realtors. Our web app has a portal for marketing partners set up orders and to direct traffic to our company to generate referral income.
We would like our website to have a clean web 2.0 looking logo. I think a blue and green color scheme would make sense since our bins are blue and we are a green company (saving trees and money). The logo may also be used on our products, letterhead, business cards, etc. Our blue bins are similar to what you see on the following link;
Our company slogan is Rent Blue, Save Green. I am not sure if our logo will become to busy with the tagline included, it would be nice to see both options. We would like to direct out customers to the website instead of the phone to start the order process so it may make sense to use bluebinrentals.com in the logo versus just the company name, Blue Bin Rentals.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Saturday, April 20, 2013
How it Was Today: Reflections in Yosemite Valley
4 comments:
you lucky, lucky bastard, to quote monty python. beautiful pics.
- April 20, 2013 at 11:35 PM
- Cory said...
I think the butterfly might be a Chalcedon Checkerspot. I'm no expert but I took a picture of a similar butterfly yesterday and looked it up. It's beautiful whateve it is. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Euphydryas-chalcedona And thanks for blogging all of this. I've spent a few hours now reading through it. I'll definitely keep it in mind when I'm planning my explorations of California.
- May 19, 2013 at 10:04 AM
The butterfly is Euphydryas editha rubicunda, the Edith's checkerspot that occurs along the western foothills of the Sierra, mostly below 3000'. it's a male, but the females lay their eggs on Collinsia tinctoria, which you didn't post a photo of. I've not previously seen records of it in Yosemite Valley, but a famous site for the butterfly is at Indian Flat along the Merced River on the way into the park. the butterfly would be a real find if you took the picture in YNP...
- February 4, 2014 at 2:54 PM
- Garry Hayes said...
I took the butterfly picture at Indian Flats on our way into the valley, so no coup!
- February 4, 2014 at 3:07 PM


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This month's two highly anticipated wrestling pay per views tell you all you need to know about the differences between WWE and TNA, and why TNA continues to struggle to grow its modest fan base.
In this corner you have WWE's August 14th SummerSlam event – traditionally one of the company's two or three biggest pay per views of the year. For the 2010 installment, WWE is delivering the pay off of one of the hottest storylines the sport has seen in years – the invasion of the WWE NXT Season 1 rookies. While it has not been without its flaws, it is still one of the most compelling and intricately booked wrestling storylines in a long time.
That feat is particularly impressive considering the fact that the whole angle – and really much of WWE's business in recent months – has relied on the performances of seven very green and very unproven "rookies." In fact, it would have seemed downright impossible just a few months ago that the likes of Michael Tarver and Skip Sheffield would be headlining one of the biggest wrestling pay per views of the year.
But WWE has done a tremendous job of establishing the Nexus as a group that is far more than the sum of its parts. Rather, they are a gang of bullies whose strength in numbers makes up for what each member individually lacks in experience and technique. It's believable that every WWE superstar would be afraid of the Nexus, just as even Brock Lesnar would be afraid of taking on seven first-year mixed martial arts fighters –at the same time.
Still, WWE was presented with a particularly difficult challenge in delivering the inevitable Team WWE vs. Team Nexus match: How do you create an even playing field? Logic dictates that a team of seven of WWE all-stars, including several former world champions, should make easy work of seven "rookies." But WWE has taken care of those details as well.
It makes sense that John Cena would put aside past differences and reach out to both friends and enemies alike to put together the very best team he could. It makes sense that he would want multiple-time world champions Edge and Chris Jericho on his team, as well as upper-mid card role-players like John Morrison and R-Truth and a powerhouse in the form of Great Khali. And because of the strength of those six members alone, it also makes sense that Cena would extend an invitation to the team's "weak link," Bret Hart, who would understandably want his pound of flesh for Nexus' attack on him several months ago.
But it also makes sense that, despite Cena's best intentions, the various personalities on his team would clash. And it's that dissention within Team WWE that makes it vulnerable in a match against a group of wrestlers who would otherwise be no contest against seven established WWE stars.
It all combines to create a main event worthy of one of the most anticipated events of the wrestling year.
More importantly, it continues on WWE's nearly year-long streak now of creating new top level talent. The notoriety that the Nexus members are receiving from this opportunity will undoubtedly help them in the long run – even long after Nexus one day disbands. What's more, the popularity of the Nexus storyline could help draw attention to the NXT Season 2 rookies, and even give WWE some momentum in trying to get Season 3 picked up. Now that's an investment in your future.
And in this corner you have TNA's Hardcore Justice.
Add mine to the list of those people who think Dixie Carter's latest ECW reunion – a derivative of a derivative of a derivative of an old concept – is a terrible and potentially disastrous idea.
This much I cannot dispute: In the short term, the buzz – even the negative kind - behind this Sunday's Hardcore Justice pay per view is helping TNA's business. Last Thursday's Impact! delivered one of show's highest ratings of the year. And I expect TNA to sell many more pay per views than it usually does this Sunday. Heck, I'm not about to miss what could be the biggest train wreck since the notorious Heroes of Wrestling pay per view.
But even if the small number of ECW nostalgia-buffs is enough to give TNA's a short-term bump in business - at what price is that reward coming? TNA is essentially banking that it can make more money promoting a brand it does not own than it can featuring its own talent, writers and storylines.
Having stabilized its ratings on Thursday night after its failed bid to go head to head with Monday Night Raw, it is critical for TNA to keep its momentum going in the right direction. Instead, during an important time in TNA's growth, Dixie Carter has effectively handed over her company's monthly pay per view showcase to help get over a WWE brand and a number of aging wrestlers who don't work for her. Not only does she see nothing wrong with this, she is so proud of her plan that she began hyping it weeks in advance as something that would "change TNA forever."
Far from true "change," TNA's Hardcore Justice experiment embodies all the same deep flaws that have plagued TNA for years. Rather than invest in creating new stars, TNA continues to stake its business on old names and old ideas.
It's astonishing that in the same month that AJ Styles is announced as the first TNA wrestler ever to top the PWI 500, he will likely be left off one of TNA's biggest pay per views of the year.
-Al Castle
Pro Wrestling Illustrated Senior Writer
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
A Tale of Two Pay Per Views
1 comment:
Did the pay-per-view tonight just make you sad? If there is one thing everyone should know, you can't turn back the clock. Time marches on. The hands on the clock move forward each second, each minute, each hour, each day. This seemed like TNA was trying to turn back time.
I was a fan of ECW back in the day, but that was then. To me, this was sad. And I was sad that Paul Heyman, Tod Gordon, Shane Douglas, and the others weren't there to say goodbye. It's time to let go ...
- August 8, 2010 at 11:13 PM
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The Tunisian National Tourist Office (TNTO) considers its obligations under the Data Protection Act and related legislation to be of paramount importance, and has taken steps to ensure compliance with those provisions. This privacy policy explains what information TNTO and its subsidiaries collect about those customers that use its website and the procedures we have in place to safeguard your privacy.


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stoner wrote:
Off topic? Maybe,,,,, probably,,,, but you won't win friends if you arc up about it. I'm just trying to follow your stilted brainspace mate (the stuff you say, but don't realise you say)
Check this for instance
fokiten wrote:
Our slingshot dude is all pimped out, he's the main reason I'm ain't hype anti growth anit promo;
the poor sap believed him, launched his new 12,,,BAM parapaligic
That tragic event took place three years ago...
First I've heard of this. I've been reading here for over three years.
It appears this is the first time you've mentioned it here... I did a "fokiten" search for paraplegic/paralyzed/paralysed/etc... even searched for parapaligic Nothing. BUT... the events surrounding this tragic injury are the main reason you hype your anti-hype hate
More self-serving BS,,,eh? Do tell? What else you got? I mean, most kiteboarders would have brought this up sooner so we could learn from it... and you call yourself a safety guy What else you got?
Back ON TOPIC
I'm not aware who my local SS rep is (or if he's an nice person) but I have seen guys with the SS spreader gizmo... looked like a gizmo. I'm sure it works fine... if you've got the latest trigger release version. These types of releases have been tried before haven't they?
I've got a homemade 3-ring release and use it everytime I self land my twinskin. But that's not my safety.
My safety is a good spot with open space and smooth cross-on wind. It's not the closest spot but it's worth the drive. I need my space... I'm a kitesurfer not a rockclimber.


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Criminal Justice
This page contains various documents and forms used to participate in the Criminal Justice Summer Camp.
Note: Items shown in the table below are Adobe PDFs and require Adobe Reader.
|Summer Camp 2013 Application (Size: 64 KB)
|This form is used to register the child, provide medical and emergency information.
|Mature Content and Behavior Release (Size: 69 KB)
|This form is used to make sure parents and guardians are aware of the expected behavior from the camp participant, as well as inform them that their child may be exposed to mature content.
|Media Release (Size: 40 KB)
|This form is used to make sure parents and guardians are aware that their child may be photographed and later shown in promotional, educational and other means to depict the camp's activities.


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What's happening on the North Shore? Police find a sixth cannabis-growing house
Press Release – New Zealand Police
Police and staff from the Organised Financial Crime Agency New Zealand (OFCANZ) are examining another property believed to have been used as a cannabis grow-house on Auckland's North Shore.
This follows the arrest of 11 people over the last week alleged to have been involved in a methamphetamine smuggling ring from Canada and cannabis growing syndicate on the North Shore.
Operation Express has already identified five properties on the North Shore where large scale cultivation of cannabis was underway.
Following yesterday's publicity a landlord has notified police about a further property in the Bayview/Glenfield area which is also believed to have been used by the syndicate.
OFCANZ Taskforce Leader Detective Inspector Alistair Murray says there may still be further properties used by the syndicate in the North Shore which have yet to come to the attention of the investigation team.
"I urge landlords to be vigilant in checking their rental properties" he said.
"In this case the landlord went to inspect their property after rent payments were missed. While the tenants had abandoned the property, it still had cannabis plants present and thousands of dollars worth of damage had occurred in the house.
"It is important that landlords carry out regular checks on their rental properties, carry out appropriate reference checks on prospective tenants and listen to any concerns which neighbours may raise about tenants." said Mr Murray.
Tell-tale signs of illicit cannabis growing at a property include:
• Distinctive smells coming from the property
• Residents increasing fence heights
• Curtains closed day and night
• Shed and garage windows being blocked out
• Bright lights on constantly or at strange times
• Sounds of fans continually running
• Vehicles and people visiting hours at all hours of the days
If you have information about drug cultivation, manufacture or supply rings please contact your local police station. Alternatively information can be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Operation Express began in December 2012 and is a joint investigation involving staff from OFCANZ, New Zealand Police and the New Zealand Customs Service working in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Content Sourced from scoop.co.nz
Original url


text: Hi list Sometime back i posted this problem on the list and now that i solved it i wanted to share my experience with the list. I had console redirection enabled on a Tyan 2505 T bios and everytime i used to boot it used to go straight in the BIOS. On the other side i was using Hyperterminal(customer requirement). I checked the console redirection on an older version of hyperterminal(windows 2000) and found it to be working . I mean the system was not going into BIOS everytime. But when i used the Hyperterminal version 5 that comes with win2000 professional the system it was going into BIOS every time it booted without touching any key. So much for microsoft technology that the newer version doesnt work and the older version does . Finally we resorted to using CRT in windows to do console redirect and it worked fine. I was trying to convince the customer to use minicom since we were selling Linux based servers and knew it would work, but to no use. being a tech i was amazed at what we can do with linux since we have the code open. U dont realise it a lot of time until u get a Application that doesnt run and u cant do anythign abt it . Its ridiculous that the older version of Hyperterminal works and the newer one shows strange problems... Abhishek Sinha California Digital Abhishek sinha wrote: > hi list > > > This might be just out of the topic, but i couldnt find help anywhere. > I am using serial console redirect on the 2505 t Tyan board. now i am > getting strange things that i have never seen before. When i connect > the machines with the null modem cable , the machine (where the > console redirect is enabled ) goes into the BIOS. If u save and exit > again it goes into the BIOS without doing anything. When u disconnect > the cable then this does not happen . I tried using a cross over rj45 > cable. With this i cannot see the POST messages and i can only see the > messages when the kernel boots. Is this an issue with the BIOS or some > one has been in wonderland and seen this issue . > > Please advise > abhisek > > _______________________________________________ > Beowulf mailing list, Beowulf at beowulf.org > To change your subscription (digest mode or unsubscribe) visit > http://www.beowulf.org/mailman/listinfo/beowulf >


text: Rose-Lynn Fisher's Bee is a visual exploration of the anatomy of bees; she used an electron microscope to capture close-ups of honeybees from 10 to 5000x! She first became involved in this project nearly 20 years ago, when she noticed that the hexagonal field of a bee's eye nearly perfectly mirrored the six-sided pods they created in their honeycomb, leading her to wonder if there was a more profound relationship between vision and action; does the way we see affect the way we construct our world? Her book is a marvel of science and design – as are the bees she shoots – and provides incredible insights to the nature of the insects that so many of us take for granted. It's an educational read without trying too hard, (you won't have to try either, it's mostly pictures). Read it.


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What's New
Smarty Pants BTN Font Family by Breaking The Norm
Smarty Pants is a scrapper's dream.
This playful typeface is ideal for journaling and lettering all your scrapbook layouts. With its relaxed and playful homemade look, this font is perfect on everything from recipe cards to gift tags.
Tags: 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, Font, Fun, Retro, Sans Serif, Wacky


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Australia - Give, Save & Spend - High School Study - Facilitator
by Compass - finance's God's way
The Facilitator Workbook contains all of the same material as the Participant Workbook. In addition, it contains tools and tips to help facilitators conduct successful small groups.
This six week small group study, designed for high school age students, teaches individuals God's perspective of managing money and possessions. It will provide the practical applications of handling finances, and really gets to the heart of the matter. The study has been designed for small groups but has the flexibility to be used as a self study, in a classroom setting or one-on- one.
Topics Include:
God's Part & Our Part
Work & Spending
Saving & Counsel
Crisis & Eternity
Practical Applications Include:
30- Day Diary of Income and Expenses
Completing "The Deed"
Personality Profile Test
Completing a Resume
Compound Interest Exercises
Building a Spending Plan- two options:
Electronic Worksheets
Online tool- Mint.com
Financial Goals Worksheet
Additional Features of the Study:
Online gaming- reinforcing what students learn
Online Memory Verse Tools
Money Mutt Videos
Setting Up a Bank Account
Preparing for Job Interviews
Understanding a Paycheck
Online Calculators
Daily Giving Challenges


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Monday, April 18, 2011
Wondering if you are "Facebook Depressed"? It's not that simple.
By Tristan Gorrindo, MD and Eugene V. Beresin, MD
Eugene Beresin, MD. Director, Center for Mental Health and Media, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital
Earlier this month, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a clinical report entitled, "The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families." While the report mostly describes the challenges parents, teachers, and pediatricians face in the new digital world, one piece of the report caught our attention in particular. The report makes note of a previously described phenomenon afflicting teens, "Facebook Depression." The AAP defines this novel diagnosis as, "depression that develops when preteens and teens spend a great deal of time on social media sites, such as Facebook, and then begin to exhibit classic symptoms of depression."
While we applaud the efforts of the AAP to bring the dangers of unmonitored or extensive social media use to the attention of parents and clinicians, we worry that the term "Facebook Depression," might be more confusing than helpful. As child psychiatrists, what concerns us is that there is no scientific study of this diagnosis, nor are there criteria for how this diagnosis is made. This might be confusing for parents and clinicians who see it billed in this report with the same level of importance as sexting, cyberbullying, and other behaviors that we know to be detrimental to children. Additionally, the term "Facebook Depression," confuses the real meaning of the term depression. A diagnosis of "depression" should not be based on the amount of time one spends with a particular media. Certainly, a student who practices piano five hours a day and then develops symptoms of depression, does not have "piano depression." While it may be true that the excessive use of social media may be a form of an "addiction" or other "disorder" provided that it is dysfunctional and disrupts social, academic, or recreational functioning, these behaviors have not yet been formally labeled as disorders because careful research and clarification of these behaviors has not yet been completed – a similar process is needed before "Facebook Depression" can be deemed a valid disorder.
Tristan Gorrindo, MD. Assistant Director, Center for Mental Health and Media, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital
Most importantly, we worry that using the term "Facebook depression," might mask the true problem afflicting a child. Here we find the classic problem of which came first -- the chicken or the egg? But in this case, was it Facebook which made the child depressed, or was the child depressed and therefore spending more time on Facebook? Clinical depression is more than just being sad; it's a neurobiological disorder that comes with a whole set of ancillary symptoms such as irritability, social isolation, changes in sleep and appetite, poor concentration.
Imagine Jimmy, a 16 year-old boy who develops (traditional) depression. If Jimmy is like most teenage boys with depression, he starts to pull away from his friends and family as his depression worsens. He might even quit his high school baseball team and his grades might start to fall. All that friends and family know of Jimmy is that he's spending more time alone in his room, roaming around Facebook and listening to mp3's of the Beatles. A casual observer from the outside might see this behavior and say, "oh' Jimmy -- he's just Facebook depressed. Look at how much time he's spending online. What he really needs is to spend less time on Facebook and then everything will be okay." However, limiting his access to Facebook will not improve his mood or help adjust the neurobiology which underlies his depression. Rather, what would help is referring him to his pediatrician, a counselor or therapist, or a child psychiatrist for a comprehensive treatment intervention.
In our work with depressed teens and teens with problematic internet behaviors, we see a broad number of things that could be contributing to why a child is spending a lot of time online: social anxiety or social awkwardness, feeling unsafe at school, and depression, just to name a few. In fact, one could argue from the opposite angle that a teenager with severe social anxiety might attempt to combat the fear of interacting face to face with others using Facebook as a means of "opening a door" that is too hard to do in real time.
So, what's a parent or clinician to do with the AAP's new diagnosis of "Facebook depression?" While we don't personally believe that Facebook can cause depression, we agree with the AAP report that parents should be aware of how much time their children are spending online and that they should be monitoring the types of activities their children are engaging in. In fact, our advice to pediatricians and parents extends beyond what is outlined in the AAP statement:
1. For pediatricians, we recommend that they incorporate an assessment of a teens "media diet" into all their check-up visits with teens. A Media Inventory should be a core part of all medical histories for children, adolescents and adults.
2. For parents, we agree with the AAP recommendation that they should be discussing internet use with their kids. However, we feel that these discussions should start long before their children are teens. Parents should begin talking to kids about computer use as early as possible. In fact, parents should be talking with their kids about relationships, risky behavior and other important social issues from early childhood – setting a tone early on that parents are open to discussion about confusing and difficult topics.
3. From researchers, anyone who treats children needs a better understanding of what the impact of social media truly is. We need to know the true risks of prolonged social media use and we need strict criteria which help us know when a child has crossed over from excessive usage into what we would deem problematic or pathologic usage.
4. Many parents don't understand social media websites (such as Facebook), let alone know how to offer guidance to their children about it. Parents should educate themselves using websites like http://getnetwise.org/ , http://www.netsmartz.org/Parents , or http://www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents. Pediatricians and parents should strive toward media literacy by frequenting such sites, that review internet games, sites, social media sites, etc.
5. Kids should not be on social media websites before they are emotionally ready to handle what they might encounter. Facebook draws an arbitrary line at age 13 and says that no child younger than that age should be on their website. However, that age might be different for each child. If parents are worried or don't know, they should discuss it with school counselors or their pediatrician.
6. If you are worried about a child who appears depressed, for whatever reason, seek help.
Browse the Entire Newsroom Archive


text:
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It is currently Sun May 26, 2019 4:43 pm
Jonathan E. wrote:
How does anyone eat with sales like this? .
In fact, I'd go as far as to say that the distinctive, brightly coloured design is the very thing that makes it attractive to retailers, who know a decent bit of marketing design when they see it and who, crucially, would never have thought of stocking world music before.
howard male wrote: 'isn't the world just one big shiny happy village of dancing simpletons' covers, I'm sure that some of their CDs are perfectly acceptable.
Jonathan E. wrote:
"And while we're talking graphic design, IMHO, Songlines spends far too much time on theirs, it looks too polished and fussed over — and there's waaay, waaaaay too much white space!"
Ian A. wrote:
"Whilst it's very nice to have magazines and CD booklets look jolly arty, we should never lose sight of the fact that their main purpose is to carry information and be read, so page design should first and foremost be reader-friendly. I know a number of magazines in associated fields where a cover feature will be under 1000 words, plumped up to 4 or 5 pages with groovy graphics - I mean, Straight No Chaser always looked great but there was very little to read in it. Whereas with fRoots a cover feature is 4-5000 words. Mind you, the editor of a certain US world music magazine was once overheard at Womex asking somebody why on earth anybody would be interested in reading all those long features we publish, but I didn't lose heart!"
"I'd say that the main problem with CD booklet designers these days is that many never learned the basic rules of typography (in particular, why stuff works). Too tight leading, widows and orphans everywhere - aaarrghh, my visual equivalent of the sound of chalk scraping on a blackboard! Get the typography right and better design flows on from it . . ."
Should I worry about the validity of your reviews now?
I do hope the design, and dare I say it, the white space, occasionally sells a few more copies of the mag.
howard male wrote:Tom wrote -Should I worry about the validity of your reviews now?
Yeah, you probably should, Tom
benserbutt wrote:Just as I wouldn't design the same album cover for Britney Spears and Ali Farka Touré, I wouldn't apply the same design to each article.
benserbutt wrote:We are all bombarded with so much information nowadays, online, in newspapers, in magazines, that not many of our pieces go over 2,500 words, as people just don't have the time to read every page in every issue but we want to tempt them to at least want to! Having said that, we do operate in a slightly different market to fRoots.
I wish we had more reviews here on the Forum in general - seems like we used to. Maybe those editors got a bit miffed by the re-publication - might lose them sales...
I also had a long-held belief that world music was what men you didn't want to date professed to like.
Rod B. wrote:Blimey, that's a new one: world music fans as bad dates. But I guess it would make sense, what with all the sandal-wearing, bark-chewing, muesli-choking, and everything
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text: Read moreRead less1/7|THE BIRTH OF AN ANECDOTEBy Steve Martin When I was 67, I knew I could make money by taking tourists by Judd Apatow's house. I had been a big fan ever since his first movie, Young Adults, Gotta Love 'Em. One day I was driving the tour bus by Judd's house, and I saw him making coffee in the kitchen. I just knew my tourists would love to get his autograph, so I drove them up his driveway and a few of them rang his doorbell. I suggested that others go around to the backyard. Judd finally came out and said, "What's going on here?" It was funny the way he said it, but I could picture Seth Rogen or Jonah Hill saying it and making it really funny. Actually, I could see it becoming a movie, What's Going On Here? Anyway, he signed everyone's autograph book and posed for pictures, and then he took me aside and said he was going to end my banjo career. But now I have a great anecdote. Watch: Steve Martin and Judd Apatow Discuss Their First EncounterFacebookTwitterPinterest


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Just went through some of my old rejection letters. As readers of this blog know, I garnered more than 500 rejections before getting published.
One of my unpublished books was The List.
A billionaire Senator with money to burn...
A thirty year old science experiment, about to be revealed...
Seven people, marked for death, not for what they know, but for what they are...
THE LIST by JA Konrath
History is about to repeat itself
Book Description:
THE LIST is a bit of a departure for Konrath. It's a technothriller about a group of ten people who each have tattoos of numbers on the bottoms their feet, and don't know why.
One of them, a Chicago Homicide cop named Tom Mankowski, has had one of these strange tattoos since birth. When he investigates a violent murder and discovers the victim also has a tattooed number, it sets the ball rolling for an adventure of historic proportions.
To say more would give away too much.
The above description was, more or less, the query letter that my agent sent out to over a dozen top editors.
Here are some of the rejections The List received:
Here is The List. I'm returning it to you. Sorry it didn't work out at Ballantine, hope you'll place it elsewhere soon. - Ballantine Books
As discussed, The List by Joe Konrath isn't a book for me. Thank you, and I'm sorry. - Penguin Putnam
Thanks for letting me see The List by Joe Konrath. While it's certainly not a plot I've seen before--at least the cloning part--it seems very familiar all the same, plus the humor in the storytelling seems a little forced and sitcom-ish, and finally exhausted my interest. So it has to be a pass for me. Despite my reservations about The List, I suspect the originality of the concept will prove a lure to someone, and I wish you all the best with it. - Simon & Schuster
I have just taken on a thriller with comparable qualities, and we have such a small list that I can only afford to publish one novel of this kind every year. So, a pass, but many thanks for sending it my way. - Talk Miramax Books
Thanks for sending me The List by Joe Konrath. There's much to like here--particularly the author's savvy prose and the way he ieasily integrates his knowledge of police procedures into the story. As for the plot, I was initially intrigued by the way the protagonist was linked to the murders, but ultimately I had issues with it. I had a hard time believing inthe way he learned about his bizaree adoption taking it so well and regarding it simply as another clue surrounding the murders. I suppose the story twists from that point on were harder to swallow. But this is just my opinion, of course... I'm sure other editors will disagree. - Doubleday
Thanks for letting me read Joe Kramath's (sic) The List. I', sorry to say that despite the good writing and humor, I think the story may be too fabulous for us to publish it successfully. Thanks again and best of luck to you and the author. - Little, Brown and Company
As you know, Will passed along to me The List by Jo (sic) Konrath, which I read with great interest. It's certainly an original premise, and Konrath has an engaging style. I'm afraid though that ultimately we weren't sufficiently drawn into the thriller aspects of the novel, and thus have decided to pass. Thanks very much for thinking of us for this. I'll be interested to hear where this lands. - Hyperion (who later went on to publish six of my later novels)
Thanks so much for the look at The List by Joe Konrath. Needless to say, I found the premise extremely imaginative and original, and the author does a remarkable job balancing the brisk pacing with humor. In the end, however, I just thought it would be hard for us to really break this out in a competitive fiction market, as its novelty seems to hamper its commercial potential. - New American Library
I must say the cop-protagonist of this novel is one of the brightest lights in the clone world, an exact replica of Thomas Jefferson. But as I kept reading, the improbabilities kept bumping into each other and I just couldn't believe the storyline. Thank you for letting me see this, and I wish I could be more enthusiastic. HarperCollins Publishers
Thank you for sending me The List by Joe Konrath. I liked the set-up for this novel a great deal--a detective investigation a murder finds that the victim shares the same enigmatic tattoo that he possesses. Unfortunately, I just didn't think the rest of the novel could sustain that sense of eerie anticipation. The reason for the tattoos, that all participants were part of a secret government cloning experiment, just seemed a little too familiar, and the constant joking, while witty at times, also eroded the tension and sense of menace. I appreciate the look and hope another editor feels differently. Bantam Dell Publishing Group
I shared The List by Joe Konrath with some colleagues here. Several found it amusing but ultimately we felt it was a bit too odd and were concerned about the audience. So I will be declining. William Morrow
I certainly give Joe Konrath lots of credit for trying to put forth a most creative and different kind of thriller involving clones of famous people. And for the most part his wise-cracking dialogue held my attention, too. But int he final analysis, I just thought he tried to hard in this over-the-top novel. I just think it would be a very difficult thriller to sell to our sales force in a major way. The credibility factor is strained a wee bit too much. As such, I'm returning it with my regrets, but with my thanks for the look. - Warner Books
Thank you for sending The List by Joe Konrath. It has a lot going for it--especially certain moments of humor--but in the end it seemed too much like the novelization of a movie than a genuine novel. The characters are types, and the echoes of such movies as Lethal Weapon became distracting. if this really were a movie tie-in, I could see pursuing it, but as it is, I'm going to pass. I'm sure you'll find the right home for it, though. - Pocket Books
Thanks for following up so promptly and sending The List by Joe Konrath. I believe the idea is strong and the writer has great style.Unfortunately, I can not take this manuscript on in the state that it is in. To begin with, it is simply too long. The writer needs to trim his work down a good deal. The story is also too riddled with conversation, which slows down the pace and is cumbersome to read. It lacks the spark and sustained suspense required to stand out on the crowded fiction shelf. - St. Martin's Press
In April of 2009, I self-published The List.
As of this writing, December 26, 2011, The List has earned me over $100,000.
Right now it is in the Kindle Top 100 again (it has cracked the Top 100 four different times since I published it.)
What does that translate into sales?
The novel, rejected by everyone, is right now selling over 100 copies an hour, currently earning $3.50 a minute. That's $210 an hour, $5040 a day. And it seems to be picking up speed.
Hopefully, it will catch up to my novel Trapped, which is also in the Top 100 (for the third time) and is currently ranked at #73. Trapped was part of a two book deal with Grand Central, but they rejected it. I published it myself in June of 2010. Since then, it has earned me more than $100,000.
So I'd like to take this opportunity to send warm holiday cheer and sincere thanks the editors at HarperCollins, Bantam Dell, Hyperion, NAL, Simon & Schuster, Doubleday, William Morrow, Warner Books, St. Martin's Press, Ballantine, Penguin Putnam, Talk Miramax, Pocket Books, Little, Brown and Company, for rejecting The List. And thanks to Grand Central for rejecting Trapped.
Much success to you all in 2012.
And just to show my story isn't unique, my friend and writing partner, Blake Crouch, recently had a similar experience with his novel Run. It was shopped during the fall of 2010 to a dozen major publishers, all of whom rejected it. Since Blake published Run himself in March, it has sold over 40,000 copies, and is currently ranked at #92 in the Kindle store. In the last 48 hours alone, it has sold over 2000 copies.
Blake and I want to wish all of those editors who rejected us a very Happy New Year.
Monday, December 26, 2011
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