text:
BOSTON, Mass. – Four unanswered goals including the game-winner in the 107th minute earned the Bears of Bridgewater State University (5-4) a 4-3 double overtime victory over men's soccer (7-4) Tuesday afternoon at Clark Athletic Field.
Clinching the come-from-behind victory for Bridgewater State was Conor Murtagh on his first goal of the 2013 season. The forward received a long pass from midfielder Camilo Mora which he pushed forward with his head. With the ball up in the air, Murtagh was able to get around the Beacon defender and with a one-timer to the far post sealed the victory for the Bears with exactly three minutes left in the match.
The 4-3 overtime decision marked the second straight for the Bears over the Beacons. Last season, UMB came from behind, but was edged out on a golden goal late in the first overtime.
Despite being out played by the Bears in the opening minutes the Beacons eventually settled down and would use a Marcus Pizzetti (Malden, Mass.) free kick goal to take a 1-0 lead into the half. Pizzetti would score his second free kick goal of the afternoon less than four minutes into the second half to put UMB up 2-0. The final goal for the Beacons came from Edmilson Barros (Boston, Mass.) on a penalty kick after a Bridgewater player was whistled for a handball in the box.
With the Beacons in firm control of the lead, the Bears knew they had to increase the pressure in hopes of closing the large gap on the scoreboard. Bridgewater did get on the board in the 62nd minute on a Colin Neri goal. From there it was the Bears leading scorer Craig Shadduck who evened the score at 3-3 to force the overtime play. The forward made it a one-goal game on a penalty kick in the 79th minute after UMB was whistled for a take down in the box.
After that Shadduck drove home a flick from Danielson Andrade to knot the score at three each with less than five minutes to play in regulation. With the momentum now in the corner of the visitors UMB knew they had to weather the storm and hold the Bears off the scoreboard in the closing minutes.
With only one shot recorded in the final four minutes of action the two squads prepared for the two overtime periods. The first 10 minutes of overtime was controlled by the Beacons, but they were unable to capitalize on their chances as they held a 3-2 advantage in shots.
In the second overtime it was all Bridgewater State for the most part, as they outshot the Beacons 5-3. However Anderson Espana (Chelsea, Mass.) nearly ended the game with a rocket of a shot from 18 yards out, but that was stopped dead by a tremendous save from Matt Bagley. Bagley, who notched his fifth win of the campaign on Tuesday made a total of three stops. Rosales combined for six saves, and made an impressive save of his own moments after Bagley in the second overtime.
Combined the Beacons held a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks, but it was all Bridgewater State in the shots category as they ended the contest with a 27-13 advantage, 10-6 shots on goal.
The Beacons return to action this Saturday when they host the reigning Little East Conference champions Eastern Connecticut State University at 1 p.m. in a huge conference showdown.


text:
Woodward is a world leader in turret control systems and gun drives. Our Cadillac Gage® systems are for main battle tank and fighting vehicle applications. The U.S. M1 series of main battle tanks, one of the best main battle tanks in the world, incorporates Woodward's Cadillac Gage® integrated turret drive, gun control, and stabilization system. Our SmartDefense™ capabilities include a broad range of electric and hydraulic actuation components, and we continue to advance our Cadillac Gage® technologies for next generation fighting vehicles.
We have extensive experience in system design and development for new and retrofit fighting vehicle applications requiring:
Woodward Integrated Systems for Turret and Gun Contol
Along with upgrade programs for various fighting vehicles around the world, our systems experience includes the M60 Patton, LAV-105, and the Bradley IFV all electric system.Woodward is at the forefront of providing reliable and affordable, advanced technology defense vehicle solutions.For more information or assistance with your particular application, contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Cadillac Gage® is the registered trademark of Textron Innovations, Inc.
©Copyright 2019 Woodward, Inc

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Weston Independent
Last Bank in City Closes Tuesday
State Department of Banking in Charge of Citizens Bank; Heavy Withdrawals. Closed to Protect
October 14, 1931
Last Bank in City Closes Tuesday
State Department of Banking in Charge of Citizens Bank; Heavy Withdrawals. Closed to Protect Depositors.
The Citizens Bank, Weston's sole remaining banking house, did not open for business at the usual hour Tuesday morning. The bank was closed Monday in observance of Columbus Day.
The following notice was posted on the door of the banking house: "Owing to unusual withdrawals and in order to conserve the assets of this bank for the depositors to the end that all may be treated equitably, the board of directors has deemed it advisable to place the bank in the hands of the State Department of Banking.
The Citizens Bank of Weston.
"R. H. Hall, President.
Immediately below this notice was another giving the information that in accordance with the foregoing, the bank has been taken over by the State Banking Department. This notice signed by A. A. Fletcher.
This was astounding news to the merchants and business people of the city and was unbelievable for quite a while. The gathering crowd and the notice however were sufficient evidence that the Citizens had actually closed. Even then it was difficult to conceive Weston without an open banking house.
No statement other than the posted notices have been issued. This notice states that the institution was closed that the depositors "may be treated equitably." Knowing the men who have the affairs of the bank under their control, this should be ample guarantee to the depositors. The instituion was pronounced sound and solvent by the State Commissioner of Banking little more than a week before.
The writer of this article is not a banker and knows but little of the arts and sciences of finance as applied to the management of a banking house. However, it should be clear to everyone that no bank can operate successfully without using the depositors money. The money is loaned out and the returning interest provides a profit for the institution. It should be clear to almost every one that a bank with deposits totalling more than two million dollars, could not have that amount in its vaults at all times. It should also be even clearer that no bank could within a few days call in all its notes and the money it has loaned. The state laws require a certain amount of money on hands to meet demands. Because of conditions banks have kept even much greater amounts available for the depositors. Therefore a little bit of thinking should make it clear that no bank in the land however sound and solvent could continue with repeated withdrawals from day to day. These withdrawals by terrified depositors have resulted in the closing of many sound and stable banking institutions.
It is going to be difficult without a banking house in the city. We have oftimes read of such happenings elsewhere but at present are giving it a trial. The business men know just how inconvenient it is; others are finding out, and more will have reason to learn. The real value of banks will be appreciated through their absence.
The Independent does not believe that all is lost. The outlook may appear dark and gloomy to most every one during these trying times, but the future holds promises of better days ahead. It is only through the periods of depression that we learn to appreciate the prosperity that is ours practically all the time. It is during times such as these that confiden[c]e and faith are needed. It may appear to some that these terms have been overworked and are meaningless, yet without them life is not really worth while. Weston will emerge from the present crisis a better city, and from the present experiences we will learn from that hard school what to do in the future to avoid such happenings.
This paper hopes to have pleasing news about the local financial situation for its readers in an early issue.
Business and Industry


text:
Airline fee revenues draw scrutiny
With Congress searching for ways to narrow the gap between spending and revenues, there's a growing pot of money with a giant target on its back: fees that airlines charge for everything from seat upgrades to food.
Why? These "ancillary fees" — items tacked on to the base price of a ticket — don't get taxed like the price of airfare. That means airlines rake in the dough, but Uncle Sam isn't getting his piece.
Story Continued Below
The government funds a large portion of the aviation system through a 7.5 percent tax on the price of a commercial airline ticket as well as taxes on certain kinds of aviation fuel. But the Treasury Department considers charges outside the base cost of a ticket to be exempt from that tax.
For several years, lawmakers have been aware of untapped — and growing — add-on charges, but so far, they haven't made any moves to change the tax regime. For the airline industry, which generally dislikes anything that raises the price of a ticket, the idea is a nonstarter.
But as revenues from the fees grow, and airlines get less and less of their income from base fares, it may be only a matter of time before Congress moves — particularly with talk of a tax overhaul in the air.
Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), ranking member on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said the issue deserves at least a look, though he noted it would fall to the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.
"Yeah, I would say it needs to be examined at some point because they are playing pretty fancy-free and footloose with raising the various fees," he told POLITICO.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), who sits on Ways and Means, said the committee is "serious about doing a deep dive on tax reform, and this is an area where it is — it has been noticed by a few folks," he said. "And I'm confident that it will be looked at."
But Blumenauer said it's important not to jump in too fast. "Why we get screwed up on tax reform is everybody leads with the solution instead of, 'Let's take a deep breath and see how it works,'" he said.
As revenues from many traditional sources shrink, lawmakers are starting to consider new structures to try to stabilize tax flows.
"We're in a series of downward spirals — the gas tax is in a downward spiral. The excise fee that we have on trucks and heavy equipment is creating real hiccups in revenue. And this is part of the business model changing the economics of how we finance aviation," Blumenauer said. "So all of these things are worthy of being looked at, and I think they will be."
According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, revenue from fares as a percentage of total passenger airline revenue has slowly been dropping. In 2007, the year airlines began charging for checked baggage, BTS recorded U.S. airlines as receiving 74.3 percent of revenues from fares. For the first three quarters of 2012, the most recent data available, airlines received 70.7 percent of revenue from fares.
Meanwhile, airline revenues from ancillary fees continue to grow. According to BTS, U.S. airlines collected nearly $3.5 billion in baggage fees in 2012 alone — and that's not counting any of the other fees they now charge. That figure is nearly three times the $1.2 billion income from bag fees the airlines collected in 2008.


text:
Published Opinions are available for viewing with Adobe Acrobat® Reader™.
Cite published opinions using the official citations followed by any generally recognized reporter citation System. SCR 6.08
Docket Number / Case Name
97855 - Jeanes v. Bank of America.
100112 - State v. Longstaff.
106192 - State v. Trotter.
Docket Number / Case Name / Judge / Disposition / County
The Kansas Supreme Court did not release any unpublished opinions on March 8, 2013


text:
(Phoenix, Ariz. – Sept. 18, 2008) Attorney General Terry Goddard today announced that he is urging MillerCoors LLC not to put its new alcohol energy drink, Sparks Red, on the market. Goddard has serious concerns about health and safety risks posed by the drink, especially to young people.
On Wednesday, Goddard and 24 other state Attorneys General sent a letter to MillerCoors asking the company to stop the planned launch of Sparks Red. As the letter states, recent studies have shown that mixing alcohol with stimulants, such as caffeine, can reduce drinkers' perception of intoxication and enable them to feel they can function without impairment. Consumption of alcohol energy drinks also correlates with increased instances of heavy episodic drinking among college students.
In May 2007, Anheuser-Busch stopped production of Spykes, a malt beverage mixed with caffeine, after Goddard and 28 state Attorneys General sent a similar letter to that company.
Goddard, in partnership with the Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, Nickelodeon and the Century Council, is launching Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don't Mix in Arizona on Friday, September 19, at 3 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Scottsdale Barker Branch, 2311 N. Miller Rd., Scottsdale.
Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don't Mix, is a multimedia program developed by The Century Council and Nickelodeon that helps facilitate conversations between parents and their children before they are confronted with the opportunity to drink alcohol. It is evident that the conversations are needed and make a difference; 65 percent of adolescents say parents are their leading influence not to drink.
A copy of the letter to MillerCoors is available on the Attorney General's Web site, www.azag.gov . For more information, contact Anne Hilby at (602) 542-8019.


text:
ReleasesBack to
Lou Donaldson
Gravy Train is a fine, if not quite exceptional record from Lou Donaldson's initial soul-jazz phase of the early '60s. Actually, given the title and the period in which it was recorded, the album isn't quite as greasy and funky overall as one might expect; most of the repertoire is devoted to pop ballads and mid-tempo standards, the latter of which tends to bring out more of the bop elements in Donaldson's playing. That's not true for the entire album, though; the title cut is a laid-back, conga-tinged, bluesy groover in the classic Donaldson mold, even if it's a bit workmanlike. Donaldson's longtime pianist, Herman Foster, is allotted quite a bit of solo space here, and he concentrates more on thick, rippling chords than single-note lines. For his part, Donaldson's playing is pleasant, and the rest of the supporting group maintains a steady groove throughout. All of Donaldson's sessions from this period (Here 'Tis, The Natural Soul, Good Gracious) have enough worthwhile moments for devoted fans, and that's true of Gravy Train as well, though casual fans probably won't find it necessary enough to track down. ~ Steve Huey


text:
Source: https://bodypositivelove86.tumblr.com/post/180666732124
( May no longer be available on tumblr – Dec 17 nudity banned )
Source: https://bodypositivelove86.tumblr.com/post/180666732124
( May no longer be available on tumblr – Dec 17 nudity banned )
After spending the last few years trying to figure out where I fit within the queer scene, I feel I've finally started to develop a solid relationship with my body, gender, and sexuality. So to test out this newfound sense of self…
Source: www.vice.com/en_us/article/3k4jxb/paris-first-nudist-club-night-naturism
There's no better way to prank unsuspecting pedestrians than to do something totally naked in public, covered only in a thin layer of paint. Just ask the aptly-named Internet personality known as Jen The Body Painter.
Source: www.maxim.com/women/body-paint-model-does-yoga-2018-4
"Preaching, 'Don't take nude photos of yourself,' it's like preaching abstinence as a form of birth control. While it's a great idea, it's not effective in a practical means."
Source: www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/kenton-county/in-an-age-of-leaked-nudes-finstas-and-sexting-how-can-we-teach-kids-to-be-safe-online
A naked man with an amputated leg. A transgender woman. A small penis. A woman with one breast… Hooray for real naked humans – this body-positive dating show should be praised, not censored, writes Maggie Wicks.
Source: www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2018/04/opinion-naked-attraction-is-just-what-this-body-negative-world-needs.html
With its delicate china tea-set and ringleted women in bonnets, this appears to be the perfect illustration of British country life from a bygone era.
British freelance artist Mike Hill added an amorous naked couple and a pair of over-excited dogs to the decorative Huntley & Palmers biscuit tin lid…
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5593669/Can-spot-X-rated-antics-hidden-biscuit-tin.html
Hi! I'm David, in NJ…been practicing nudism moderately for 20 years. I want to share with you some information, about a great nudist organization which I experienced for the first time over St. Patrick's Day weekend.
They're known as West Penn Naturist of Pittsburgh. Do search them out here on FB!
From September thru April, they host a series of indoor nude swim parties…each uniquely themed, held at the Olympic Swim And Health Club in East Pittsburgh.
They also host special meetups at White Thorn Lodge, a nudist campground and resort in Darlington, PA, north of Pittsburgh.
Do pass the information on! Great organization, if anyone's visiting Pittsburgh on a weekend trip. Not to be missed! 🙂
Schedule | Policies | News | Rates | Facilities | Visitor's Guide | Links | Contact
Source: www.westpennnaturist.com/
Naked hiking is getting more popular than you might think – in this interview, a female naked hiker answered several curious questions and shared stories.
Here is our practical guide to starting your journey, staying on the road and planning ahead… Today, we tell you how you may make stripping off just that little bit easier… But with it comes trepidation, will I be judged? Is it legal? Where can I do it safely? Are there benefits?
Source: anakedgirl.com/thinking-about-nudism-heres-how-to-get-started/?platform=hootsuite
Does nudity negate professionalism? Distract from intelligence? Challenge integrity? In a time when sexual freedom is still a battleground, six journalists a…
Source: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC4LmqIfXHM
Translate Source
The French motto of "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité" could not be more fitting as the number of French people identifying as nudists has risen by more than 50 per cent in the past four years alone… Young people reportedly make up a large proportion of the growing interest…
Source: www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/france-nudists-population-rise-naturists-ffn-events-explained-a8461366.html


text:
Today's always-on, always-connected consumers expect mobile access to everything and a simple user experience—even in traditional "in-person" industries like automotive, cycles and RV. No one wants to be a "lead" or be put on hold. They want help. Now. Contact At Once! makes those meaningful connections instantly possible through almost any site or ad and on any device with our all-in-one mobile messaging platform (live chat + mobile text + managed chat services).
Welcome to the digital world with a personal touch.


text:
If your home's style currently wouldn't win any awards, there's no reason to put off a redo indefinitely. With a little ingenuity and a few hours of time, it's possible to transform a "Plain Jane" into a trendsetter.
RE/MAX of Greensboro & Partners
Triad Real Estate: Greensboro, High Point, Kernersville, Winston Salem
With the cost of a home on the rise and the concept of being sustainable becoming more popular, many people are considering moving to a smaller home to minimize their impact. It's important, however, to consider what living small is really like before deciding that it's the right move for you.
There are so many ways in which you can green up your home and make it more sustainable these days that many people are considering tankless water heaters. While this can certainly be the right option depending on the space you have and the type of water you use, here are some things to consider before you decide to invest in the switch.
Before an owner can market a property to buyers that want to use a FHA loan, he will want to familiarize himself with the FHA's standards. FHA won't insure loans on just any property. While their standards aren't as stringent as they used to be, a home needs to be in relatively good condition to qualify for FHA financing.


text:
Just another WordPress.com site
See on Scoop.it – SNS Marketing
View these Linkedin Profile Tips to build and optimize your profile on the platform, as well as learn how to use the many features available to users.
Linkedin provides access to a multitude of features, make it the most advanced professional user base in the web, from which you could harness its technical platform to get the best out of it.
Here is a great infographic with facts about Linkedin Profile, followed by the tips to build your profile with optimization techniques.
See on deepknowhow.com


text:
Login Into Your Account
Don't have an account?
- It's Free!
- Create and store your grocery list information.
- Calculate your grocery list total.
- Access your shopping list from anyplace by using a browser.
- Over 8,000 Recipes.
- My Recipe Box - Save recipes for later.
- Categorize your recipes for easy access.


text:
Don't see your question? Visit our help section.
Get access to great in-store deals and local pick-up
Sign up for our email deals newsletter!
The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct is a do-whatever-you-need-to-survive first-person action game that brings the deep, character-driven world of AMC's Emmy®Award-winning TV series onto console gaming systems and the PC. The game follows the mysterious, crossbow-wielding survivor Daryl Dixon, brought to life by TV series star Norman Reedus, alongside his overbearing brother Merle, voiced by Michael Rooker, on a haunting, unforgiving journey across the Georgia countryside. Players will need to tread carefully on this desperate quest, scrounging for food, water, and ammunition to survive against nightmares both living and undead.
"The Walking Dead © 2013 AMC Film Holdings LLC. All rights reserved. Game © 2013 Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.
Purchase or use of this item is subject to the PlayStation®Network Terms of Service, this item's use restrictions, and other applicable terms located at http://www.us.playstation.com/support/useragreements. If you do not wish to accept all these terms, do not purchase or use this item. One-time fee for downloads to up to 2 systems that are associated with the purchasing account
Pro Price


text:
Set Designer
Honoured Artist of Russia.
Recipient of the State Prize of the USSR.
Graduated from the Secondary Arts School of the Leningrad State Repin Academic Institute in 1956.
Graduated from the Leningrad State Repin Academic Institute in 1962 (theatre workshop of Professor Bobyshev).
From 1962 ¢ 1965 worked at the Russian Drama Theatre in Vilnius (Lithuania).
From 1965 ¢ 1969 was Principal Designer with the Youth Theatre in Vilnius.
From 1969 ¢ 1971 was a designer with the State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Vilnius.
From 1971 ¢ 1976 and from 1978 ¢ 1981 was Principal Designer with the Leningrad State Academic Akimov Comedy Theatre.
From 1976 ¢ 1978 was Principal Designer with the Leningrad State Academic Komissarzhevskaya Drama Theatre.
From 1981 ¢ 1989 was Principal Designer with the State Academic Kirov Theatre (Mariinsky), where he worked on the operas Don Pasquale (staged by Yuri Alexandrov), The Queen of Spades and Eugene Onegin (staged by Yuri Temirkanov), Boris Godunov (staged by Boris Pokrovsky) and Mayakovsky┤s Debut and the ballets Giselle, Swan Lake and The Angara. He specially designed the ballet La BayadĶre for a tour to Greece.
In 2003 he designed Ostrovskyæs play The Forest for the Comķdie Franńaise (Paris).
In 2005 as part of a Russian Culture Ministry project he designed the sets for Rimsky-Korsakov┤s The Snow Maiden at the Ufa Opera House.
He has worked with theatres in St Petersburg, Moscow, Minsk, Kiev, Baku, Tallinn and Poland, where he has designed over one hundred and fifty productions in various genres.


text:
MISSION VIEJO – City officials are in the process of determining whether to allow residents of single-family homes to install artificial grass in their front yards.
City Council members indicated a desire to address the issue after resident Barbara Wegner in January spoke at a meeting about a $250 fine she received from her homeowners association for installing artificial grass in her front yard.
"We went and put it in at like $2,000 and now they came by and said, 'Oh, that's against the law, you have to rip it out,'" Wegner said. "We didn't know that there was any problem.
Wegner wants the city to allow residents to use artificial grass in their front yards, hoping it will influence her HOA. The city allows residents to install artificial grass in side and back yards, but front yards must have real grass.
Artificial turf was first introduced in the late 1990s when sports teams began covering fields with AstroTurf, according to EasyTurf President and CEO David Hartman.
The turf originally was made from nylon and resembled carpet. The fibers were highly absorbent, resulting in bad odors and concerns about cleanliness, Hartman said. Today, the grass is mostly made from polyethylene, which is nonabsorbent and can look and feel like real grass.
Among the benefits:
•Santa Margarita Water District spokeswoman Michele Miller said that typical 1,200 square feet of grass in a front yard would require approximately 36,500 gallons of water per year. Far less is needed to maintain artificial grass, mainly to wash it down.
•Having artificial grass eliminates the use of chemicals, fertilizers and insecticides needed to maintain real grass, Hartman said. It saves money spent on landscaping and mowing, and reduces lawnmower emissions.
•Depending on the type of artificial grass and whether it was installed properly, it can last up to 20 years with little maintenance, Hartman said.
Among the disadvantages:
•In some cases, crumb rubber and sand are mixed together and used as infill in the grass. The mixture has raised questions about the potential for abrasions and infections. A state-mandated study in 2010 by the California Environmental Protection Agency found cases of abrasion were higher with the use of artificial grass, while infection were higher with the use of natural grass.
The study also looked at chemical inhalation from the rubber during summer heat, but found no evidence of health concerns, said Sam Delson, a deputy director with the Office of the Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.
"We can't say that we have studied all possible health issues related to artificial turf," Delson said. "But our study of inhalation risks and skin infection hazards did not find increased risks from artificial turf compared to natural turf."
•Artificial grass also reduces natural vegetation, the crux of the issue for Mission Viejo.
The city had no policy on artificial grass until a few years ago when the Metropolitan Water District of Orange County began offering a rebate program for installing it, and Mission Viejo residents asked city staff about it, Director of Community Development Chuck Wilson said.
Wilson said the city's zoning code requires residents' lawns be landscaped, and having artificial grass did not fit that definition.
To maintain the natural beauty of the city, he said he made a decision to prohibit installation of artificial grass in front yards, but it was allowed in side and back yards.
"It was a new concept at the time, and I felt there's varying types and degrees of quality of material, and I just didn't consider that to be the intent of our code," Wilson said of artificial grass.
The city doesn't enforce the code unless a complaint is made, Wilson said.
Requests by Wegner and a few other residents have brought the issue to the forefront.
Even if the city does sign off on artificial grass in front yards, homeowners associations could veto it, Wilson said. About 65 percent of Mission Viejo's residential community is managed by HOAs. Wegner said she's hoping city approval will provide more leverage with her HOA.
The Planning and Transportation Commission began discussing the use of artificial grass in April, with the task of deciding whether to recommend the issue to the council for discussion. Commissioners seemed eager to explore its benefits and advancements, but some had concerns that allowing it would change the character of Mission Viejo.
Mayor Rhonda Reardon said she wants to know more about it before making a decision.
"With all the issues we have with water conservation, it's something that we need to take into consideration when we look at artificial grass," she said.
The commission June 10 voted to forward the issue to the council, which is expected to consider it in August.
Contact the writer: 949-454-7363 or firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
T-shirt selling web store that will blow you mind.
Crescendo Canada sells European oils, vinegars and spices.
More than 10 000 of authors and hundreds thousands of quotations.
While making the "Under construction" image for our site we decided to make the full alphabet out of several letters we made.
Site for our partner web developement company based in Vancouver CA.
For Specialten Magazine (UK). An exclusive A4 Limited print. Featured in Issue 22.
Plasticine city for Microsoft Youshapeit project. This was made for a quiz which shows buildings and characters for right answers. Client: Wunderman Zurich for Microsoft.
For .Cent Magazine(UK). 'The Spaces In Between', The greyworld Issue.
Web shop featuring beautiful cotton patchwork and hand appliquéd quilts with over 200 quilt styles to select from. Bedding accessories include pillow shams, toss pillows, decorator pillows.
Set of plasticine characters for Microsoft PDC08 conference held in LA. Client: Wunderman Zurich for Microsoft.
Album artwork for a french artist known as Disiz la Pest and his new project Disiz Peterpunk.
For a spanish magazine Caldodecultivo Issue 5. Story called Diego.
The "G-man" is a great experience biker, who knows everything about motorcycles.
Mostly Polycat develops i-phone and i-pad applications. We made a logo and several wallpapers for these devices.
Application development company that mostly develops iPhone and iPad applications
"The Wandering Essence" Collaboration with the card company Epos, Visa and Japans' leading fashion stores Marui Co. EPOS commissioned a special edition of their credit cards to 100 designers around the world.


text:
LSC-Tomball English Department
English courses at Lone Star College-Tomball are divided into two groups:
- traditional courses that are college-level and that transfer to four-year colleges and universities and
- developmental courses that help students overcome reading and writing deficiencies to make them ready for the traditional college-level courses.
College-Level English Courses
The English Department offers a range of college level English courses, including Composition and Rhetoric, Creative Writing, Surveys of British, American, and World Literature, and Forms of Literature—courses specializing in selected genres such as Women Writers, African-American Literature, and Literature & Film. You may be able to test out of some of our first-year English classes if you've had prior learning in the subject.
Developmental English
The department provides exemplary instruction to those who need improvement in the areas of reading and writing with the intention that students will develop the skills necessary to function efficiently in an academic environment and in personal endeavors. The members of the DS faculty are dedicated to the success of each student; furthermore, by focusing on course learning objectives and utilizing various instructional methods, the faculty ensures that each student has a well-rounded, structured learning experience.
The function of the developmental program is to involve students in building relevant skills necessary for success in college-level courses and programs. The program includes:
- courses
- lab assignments
- tutorials
- seminars
- learning activities
- a referral system
Developmental course numbers begin with a zero; the Course Description section of the catalog provides specific information about these courses.
Developmental courses appear on transcripts from Lone Star College System but do not transfer to four-year institutions, nor do they apply to Lone Star College System degrees or certificates.


text: High definition multimedia entertainment The V6-M4A3000E is built around offering excellent entertainment and multimedia. With the latest AMD Socket AM3 CPUs and regular BIOS updates made easy, getting an optimized experience is a breeze. Shop Modal header High definition multimedia entertainment AMD Phenom™ II/Athlon™ II/Sempron™ The V6-M4A3000E supports AMD® AM3 45nm multi-core processors with their unique L3 cache, delivering better capabilities at lower power consumption. It features dual-channel DDR3 memory support to accelerate system performance. Exceptional performance with advanced hardwareThis PC has housed AMD® 780G Chipset, designed to support up to 5200MT/s HyperTransport™ 3.0 (HT3.0) interface speed and PCI Express™ 2.0 x 16 graphics, to redefine gaming, multimedia and business experiences. It supports DirectX10 for enhanced 3D graphics-rendering capabilities in games and high-end 3D applications. Dual-Channel DDR3 1333/1066/800MHz The V6-M4A3000E supports DDR3 memory with data transfer rates of 1333/1066/800MHz to meet the higher bandwidth requirements of the latest 3D graphics, multimedia and internet applications. The dual-channel DDR3 architecture boosts system performance. Gigabit LanThe highly integrated onboard Gigabit LAN controller is enhanced with ACPI management functions to provide efficient power controls. Exclusive EPU power saving technologyASUS barebones products have always kept their promise of helping you lead a sustainable lifestyle. EPU - the world's first PC power saving engine, provides total system power savings by detecting current PC loadings and intelligently moderating power in real-time. The EPU-4 Engine automatically provides the most appropriate power usage for the CPU, graphics card, hard drives and CPU cooler fan - helping save power and money. Exclusive ASUS Software ASUS Software Feature My Logo Download your favorite images from Windows onto the BIOS Flash ROM, providing a fast, convenient way to "decorate" your system AI Manager A simple platform to adjust performance, operate utilities and get system information Express Gate™ An exclusive ASUS-developed operating system empowering users with quick access to a host of commonly used features, including browser, instant messenger, photo manager, and other key applications - all before loading Windows® DriveClone Pro 7 DriveClone Pro 7 back-ups user data in a few seconds for recovery in minutes. It's an always-available recovery tool, storing user data, applications and operating system settings in the host-protected area of the hard drive. Users can easily recover their system to any state without use of restore CDs, eliminating worries over data loss due to virus attacks and other hazards. EZ Flash Simply update your BIOS from a USB flash disk before booting an operating system Q-Fan Intelligently and automatically adjust CPU fan speeds according to system load and temperatures Crash Free BIOS Allows users to restore BIOS data in case of corruption from a USB flash disk containing the BIOS file, saving costs and hassles due to buying a replacement BIOS chip.


text:
Welcome to Free Photo Effects - our website brings you easy-to-use online tools to help create special effects for your online photos.
Free Photo Effects is helpful if you don't have PhotoShopTM or another image editor available. Even if you have no experience with graphics or special effects, you'll find our site very simple to use ! Choose from the photo effects above - grayscale, negative, monochrome or the thumbnail generator and upload your image. You'll then receive a link where you can access the processed image. Download and you're done!


text:
Rudi's Market
Rudi's Market is a weekly farmers market held every Friday at the corner of Bushland and Kanangra Drives in Taree.
Stalls include Mentges Master Meats, Black Market Bagels, Hooting Owl Coffee, Burn 4 U Candles and Melts, Hot n Tasty 4 U Sauces and many more. Fresh fruit and vegetables are also available.
Open 8:00am to 2:00 pm.


text:
LONDON—Canadian Daniel Nestor and Belarusian partner Max Mirnyi were eliminated in the group stage of the ATP World Tour Championships Friday, losing to the Indian pair of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna 7-6 (5), 6-7(5), 10-5.
It was the first time since 2009 that Nestor has failed to reach the semifinals at the eight-team, year-end event.
"It's definitely frustrating, but it was not from a lack of effort," said Nestor. "We tried everything we had and left it all out there. At the end of the day, we just didn't have enough."
Nestor, 40, and Mirnyi ended their two-year partnership on a losing note, with Nestor set to team with Bhupathi starting in January.
The doubles ace from Toronto got a taste of what to expect on court in 2013. The Indians dominated the second seeds 17 aces to two — with their last one coming on match point in the tiebreak final set.
Nestor had played on the winning team in four of the last five editions of the tour wrap up.
He and Mirnyi won the title undefeated last year in their first season together.
Nestor and Mirnyi, the reigning French Open winners, were never truly dominant against the underdogs with whom they stood 2-2 this season heading into the playoff match.
The contest was a one-hour, 53-minute struggle which ended without a break of serve.
But Nestor and Mirnyi went begging at break points, missing on all seven of their chances while Bhupathi and Bopanna went 0-for-4.
"They returned well and made more big shots on big points than we did," Nestor said. "They had some outright clean winners and outplayed us today.
"I missed a couple of backhands on key points and a volley that I normally wouldn't miss. If we had made any of those and gone up a set, who knows."
The first two sets each lasted for almost an hour as the powerhouse teams attempted to impose domination, The Indians saved break points in early service games but trailed 3-1 in the first-set tiebreaker before pulling ahead to seal the opening set.
Nestor and Mirnyi reversed their luck in the second set, winning that one in a decider thanks to a winning Mirnyi lob.
But the Indians ran away with the match-tiebreak third, reaching five match points as Nestor hit a volley into the net. Nestor's side saved a first break point on a volley error, but went down to defeat on the second from the concluding ace.
Nestor ends the 2013 season with 80 career doubles titles, including a repeat of Roland Garros honours with Mirnyi.
"Any time you win a Grand Slam, that's successful," Nestor said. "But I realize we've not won two matches in a row since Queens' (in June). That's a bit disappointing."


text:
You are about to enter a website that may contain content of an adult nature.
Hello everyone, this is black cam girl viperviolet here. I'm 22 year old Female speak English and French in the ebony live sex chat action. I am the kind of girl who loves her body and also wants to show it all.. I am the kind of girl who loves her body and also wants to show it all.. anal sex , dildo , fingering , live orgasm , close up , roleplay , strap on , striptease is my expertise and also what I will do in private black sex cam show. I have Green eyes, Long Black hairs and my measurements are 90-8-90. For Turn ons: I love giving blow jobs to men and feel their big dicks slide down into my throat. There is no greater feeling for me than having their cum in my mouth. If You got turned on enter into my room. I can make Your day.. For TurnsOff: I just don`t like when I am treated like a property.. If you prefer kinks, then Piercings,Shaved, are mine. I'm just hungry for a HARD cock, can't wait to see u at my ebony sex chat room! :)
Show more models
This website contains black cams, webcam ebony and black girl webcam related sexually explicit content.
You must be at least 18 years of age to enter this website. © Since 2012 ebonycamsplus.com Ebony Cams Network All Rights Reserved
AllHosts1 - AllHosts2 - AllHosts3 - AllHosts4 - AllHosts5 - AllHosts6 - AllHosts7 - AllHosts8 - AllHosts9 - AllHosts10 - AllHosts11 - AllHosts12


text:
Used in indoor garden to reflect the light back onto the plants. This film can be tacked or taped directly to a flat surface.
Both sides metalized for optimum reflectivity.
Neatly wound on 2 cores.
Individually poly-bagged and labeled
This item is sold individually. The case size is listed for your convenience for instances where you wish to order in case quantities.
— Ships separately from H: WA, CA, CO, MI, TN, PA, FL USA.


text:
* Cover is given where known
* There is a one-drinkminimum per set
* Reservations for shows downstairs can only be made by phone:212-989-9319
Dayl Wise was drafted into the US Army in 1969 and served in Vietnam and Cambodia in 1970. He is a member of VVAW (Vietnam Veterans Against the War) and VFP (Veterans for Peace). He is one of the speakers of NY Veterans Speak Out, a group of veterans who talk to high school and college students about the experience of war. He lives and writes in The Bronx and Woodstock, New York with his wife, the poet Alison Koffler and Molly, a Labrador-pit bull mix.
Alison Koffler was three times the winner of the Bronx Council on the Arts� BRIO Award for poetry in 1993, 2000 and 2006. She was the recipi ent of the Poetry Teacher of the Year Award from Poets� House and McGraw-Hill in 2003. Her poems have appeared in such publications as Iris: A Journal For Women, Heliotrope, Poetry in Performance, and Kalliope. An English and creative writing teacher, she currently works as an on-site teacher-consultant for the New York City Writing Project at Lehman College.
Cover $7
(includes one house drink)
Here's a red state song:
And here's a blue state song:
The String Messengers are: Frank York, lead vocals and fiddle; Mandola Joe York, bass vocals and various double-coursed pluckables; Jon York, middle fiddle (a.k.a. "vy-o-la");
Jeff York, electric guitar and effects; Ratzo "Hatzo" York, bass; and Uncle Murphy, guitar and vocals.
Cover $10
Barbara Sfraga with CSQ�s Chris Sullivan, Michael T.A. Thompson
Their no-chords trio is an exploration of sounds and silence. �Medicine Woman of Jazz�, poet Golda Solomon provides the words
�On stage at the Cornelia Street Cafe, that intimate haunt in the heart of Greenwich Village that has fostered a vital alternative jazz scene in New York City, voicist Barbara Sfraga is lost in another song. Closing her eyes tightly while holding the microphone gingerly by the fingertips of both hands, she bobs and weaves to the surging flow generated by the telepathic rhythm tandem of bassist Chris Sullivan and drummer Michael Thompson (collectively known as Center Search Quest). Bending at the waist when digging for a low note, throwing her head back in rapture when chasing after a high note, she communes with the groove. Immersed in the moment, her fingers begin depressing invisible valves on the microphone as she freestyles her way through another wordless verse like a trumpeter riding the peak of a scorching solo. It�s Sfraga in full stream-of-consciousness stride, going out on a limb...again.� ~ Bill Milkowski
Cover $15
(includes one house drink)
Arrive before 6 pm to sign up.
Featured : Janice Bishop.
Janice Bishop, a resident of Manorville, has published poems in journals across the United States, in Canada, Ireland, Wales, and England. She has been a featured reader at Walt Whitman House, and radio host at Adelphi, Stony Brook, and L.I.U. As an actor she has appeared in Long Island productions of The Heiress, Picasso�s Desire Caught By The Tail, Kenneth Koch�s 1000 Avant-Garde Plays, and in NYC Klub Ka, The Blues Legend, Caryl Churchill�s Heart�s Desire, and as Tiresias in Burial At Thebes. Recent film Credits include, Parable and Saints Speak for Arcadia
Cover $7
(includes one house drink)
Poet Kahlil Almustafa is known as the Peoples Poet, whether for a mass rally of hundreds of people, a nightclub, church, university or a backyard family reunion. almustafa is the 2002 Nuyorican Grand Slam Champion and the author of four collections of poetry and his debut CD CounterIntelligence. In 2008, he was selected by the Hip-Hop Theater Festival as a grantee of the Future Aesthetics Artist Re-grant (FAAR), funded by the Ford Foundation. Kahlil recently completed the 100 Poems For 100 Days project where he wrote 100 poems in the first 100 days of Barack Obamas presidency. A true poet from Queens, New York, he uses poetry to engage with communities in critical dialogue.
Composer Chris Becker lives and works in Long Island City, Queens, New York, composing, arranging and recording music for a wide variety of solo and collaborative projects including music for dance, mixed-media installations, and film.
Cellist, pianist, composer and producer Lenae A. Harris began her music career at the age of six. Though classically trained in cello and piano, Lenae has performed with several artists including such diverse musical personalities as Beth Arentsen, Jeremy James, Maya Azucena, Stori James, Abby Dobson, Mike Viola and the Candy Butchers.
Cover $10
(includes one house drink)
From Soul and Reggae to traditional African and Vietnamese music - Blake is always exploring music that inspires him while staying true to himself.
Panoramic imagination -The New York Times
Cover $10
Poet Kahlil Almustafa is known as the Peoples Poet, whether for a mass rally of hundreds of people, a nightclub, church, university or a backyard family reunion. almustafa is the 2002 Nuyorican Grand Slam Champion and the author of four collections of poetry and his debut CD CounterIntelligence. In 2008, he was selected by the Hip-Hop Theater Festival as a grantee of the Future Aesthetics Artist Re-grant (FAAR), funded by the Ford Foundation. Kahlil recently completed the 100 Poems For 100 Days project where he wrote 100 poems in the first 100 days of Barack Obamas presidency. He uses poetry to engage with communities in critical dialogue.
Gabriella Callender is a Singer, Songwriter and is the heart of Mahina Movement's music. Gabriella lives in Queens, New York but is just back from performing at La Pena Cultural Center in Berkeley, California She has performed on over 500 stages, from the Nuyorican Poets Cafe to Lincoln Center. Her music has been heard on WBAI radio, Manhattan News Network and Al Jazeers television. She currently working on her debut album Emma, expected to be out in January of 2010.
Matt Darriau - reeds (Paradox Trio, Klezmatics)
Andy Laster - reeds (Julius Hemphill Sax Sextet)
Frank London- trumpet & mutes (Klezmatics)
Curtis Hasselbring - trombone (Jazz Passengers, Tom Harrell)
Anthony Coleman - Piano, Hammond B3 organ (John Zorn, Marc Ribot)
Joe Fitzgerald - bass (Gene Bertoncini, Fred Hersch)
George Schuller - drums (Schulldogs)
"Of the many centennial tributes to Duke, this could be the
most entertaining and forward thinking. Certainly it's the zaniest and
very in your face... Ballin' The Jack revives [these tunes] in an
ultra-modern way that makes them seem like they were just written....
A strong candidate for Jazz CD of the Year"
- Michael G. Nastos, All-Music Guide
Can "downtown" players deliver classic jazz and swing tunes? The Big
Head should quickly win over skeptics with the speed precision and
boisterous energy brought to tunes like Benny Goodman's Seven Come
Eleven ... their enthusiasm and beat quickly become
-Jon Andrews DOWNBEAT
Cover $10
Harold Norse (1916- 2009) was among the American expatriates who sought experience and creative insight in Europe during the 1950's and early 60's. He was one of the occupants of the Beat Hotel on Paris' Rue G�t-le- C�ur, where he first caught up with the Beat generation writers in 1960.
Norse, whose surname comes from an anagram of his mother's name in Russian, was born in Brooklyn on July 6, 1916. His mother was an unmarried Jewish immigrant from Russia, and though he never knew his father, Norse surmises that he was a German-American soldier. Harold took an interest in literature while in high school, and in 1934 attended Brooklyn College, where he became the first freshman to win the school's annual poetry contest.
Poets who will pay tribute to Norse include Ira Cohen, Max Blagg, Jeffrey Cyphers Wright, Steve Dalachinsky, Shelley Miller, Tom Walker, Judith Malina, George Wallace, and Angelo Verga.
Cover $7
(includes one house drink)
The Songwriter's Beat Festival presents 24 of NY's best songwriters in 6 nights, from July 20 - July 25, 2009.
Now in its 9th year, The Songwriter's Beat is New York's most popular acoustic songwriters series, curated / hosted by singer-songwriter Valerie Ghent. The Songwriter's Beat features four songwriters of varying musical styles who are encouraged to try out their newest material and arrangements.
The Songwriter's Beat is delighted to share in the 32nd birthday celebration of the Cornelia Street Cafe!
Proceeds of the Songwriter's Beat Festival benefit "Feel the Music!" , a NYC nonprofit which brings music and art to children and families impacted by trauma.
Cover $10
"A Winner. 4 Stars." 2008 Edinburgh Festival
TimeOut NY Critics Pick
Cover $10
"A Winner. 4 Stars." 2008 Edinburgh Festival
Cover is given where known
Many spoken words events are free
There is always a one-drink minimum per set; times are door opening times


text:
Today we have this headline: Obama presses for tougher controls on US car emissions
Barack Obama made his opening move in the greening of America's economy yesterday, using his presidential authority to press for tougher emissions controls on cars and promising global leadership on climate change.
In signing a pair of executive orders, Obama delivered his strongest repudiation to date of the policies of George Bush, inviting environmentalists to the White House to announce that America would play a global leadership role on climate change.
Less than a week after an inauguration unprecedented in size, cost, and pollution levels, Obama has shown some audacity for sure. This is another example of America's systemic failure to live up to the wise adage of the venerable Mahatma Gandhi- to be the change that we want to see in the world. Instead we force the change that we want to see in the world on everyone else and in many cases fail to live up to the demands of that change ourselves.
An Inconvenient Truth
How could Obama and the environmentalists believe that our climate and pollution situation is an emergency and yet emit over 500 million pounds of CO2 in an unnecessarily extravagant inauguration? Why can't Obama and his followers suit action to words? What I personally find even more appalling, is the 130 tons of trash left behind by the crowds, which didn't consist exclusively of garbage, but included left behind tables, sleeping bags, blankets, hand warmers, and other personal effects. In an event that was supposed to exemplify unity, change, responsibility, and "the putting away of childish things," we have people committing a selfish, common, irresponsible, and entirely childish act- that of failing to clean up after themselves.
"No we can't!" save the environment.
Echoing what may become a common theme on this blog, this is yet another example of the "No we can't!" mentality at work. We have said collectively as a nation by voting for Barack Obama and his environmental policies, "No we can't be the change we want to see in the world and live up to our values by purchasing cleaner and more efficient cars voluntarily. No we can't put economic pressure on car companies to produce the vehicles we desire by refusing to buy vehicles we believe harm the environment. Hell, we can't even pick up our own newspapers and sleeping bags and throw them away or carry them out because it's easier to leave them in the street for someone else to deal with! So it's great to have a President who will force us all to be responsible, especially people who disagree with us."


text:
Pennington County Targets Pine Beetle Trees
RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - Pennington County is expanding its focus in the fight to suppress the mountain pine beetle despite a large budget shortfall.
The county budget for the pine beetle suppression program is close to $300,000 this year.
County employees say $125,000 of that budget is supposed to be from the federal government, but they have yet to receive it.
Close to 11,000 trees infested with beetles have been cut down in the county.
KOTA-TV reports that the program is now shifting its focus to clearing roughly 3,800 trees which have the potential to fall onto roadways, largely near Hill City, Rochford and Silver City.
Scott Guffey with the Pennington County Weed and Pest Department says it's vital to keep right of ways clean.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Bolton striker Michael O'Halloran has cut short his loan spell at Carlisle and has returned to the Reebok Stadium.
The 21-year-old, who has represented Scotland at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level, featured as a substitute in the 2-0 defeat at MK Dons at the start of the month but has not appeared for Greg Abbott's side since.
Abbott told the Cumbrians' official website: "Michael came to see me and he told me that he felt that he wanted to get back down to Bolton to carry on his work down there.
"He wanted more in the way of pitch time with us and we couldn't guarantee him that at this moment in time.
"I spoke to Owen [Coyle] and he has been fantastic about the situation, so Michael leaves here with our very best wishes."


text:
'Sons Of Anarchy' Shocker: Which Major Character Was Killed Off?
Warning: Stop reading if you don't want to know who was killed on 'Sons of Anarchy.'
Wondering why Kurt Sutter was trending on Twitter last night? It might have something to do with the fact that the Sons of Anarchy creator decided to suddenly kill off one of the show's most beloved characters — and fans were not happy about it. So which biker bit the bullet on the Sept. 25 episode? Drumroll please…
Opie (Ryan Hurst)!
Here's how he met his tragic end: Pope (Harold Perrineau) worked out a deal with Jax (Charlie Hunnam), forcing him choose which of the Sons would enter a behind-bars death match. Ever the valiant hero, Opie decided to attack one of the prison guards, essentially volunteering himself to fight. Though he gave it his all, and seemed to stand a pretty good chance, he was eventually beaten to death by a lead pipe. (For a more in-depth analysis of last night's episode, check out the recap on HollywoodLife.com's sister site TVLine.)
As you might imagine, fans immediately took to Twitter to express their outrage:
"@sutterink i absolutely hate you," tweeted user @dmpullen.
"@sutterink DAMN YOU!" added @WaltonsCastro.
Even Avenged Sevenfold drummer Mike Portnoy joined the mob: "I cannot believe what I just watched…why @sutterink why????????"
UPDATE: Kurt spoke with reporters Sept. 26, explaining why he decided to kill Opie.
Were you shocked by Opie's sudden death? Do you think it was a huge mistake, or will it make for good drama moving forward? Drop us a comment with your thoughts on the dearly departed.
— Andy Swift
More shocking TV deaths:


text:
So way back in 2009 I made some predictions about the future of publishing. I was right about quite a bit. In fact, it's hard to believe those predictions were considered wild at the time, because many are now taken for granted.
I've been looking to the future, wondering what is going to happen next, and I've got a few equally wild ideas.
1. The end of Barnes & Noble as we know it. In 2014, paper book sales will no longer be significant enough to sustain the nation's largest bookstore chain. There may be bankruptcy and restructuring and the selling of assets (like the Nook), but ultimately it will result in many stores closing, and possibly the demise of the brand.
2. Libraries will have the opportunity to buy ebooks at a fair price, with fair usage, directly from authors. Namely me and those who join me via a new company I'm starting. I'll be making an announcement soon, but in short, I want to give libraries everything the Big 5 are denying them, and I want all authors who control their rights to enroll in a new, innovate, and extremely generous way for everyone--including libraries--to profit from ebooks.
3. Permafree will be monetized. The ebook library company I'm starting will help fund another ebook company I'm also starting, one where authors will earn money via free ebook downloads. More soon.
4. Indie bookstores will need to start selling self-pubbed books, or perish. Paper isn't going away anytime soon. But there won't be enough of a legacy supply that will keep the necessary number of diverse titles on shelves to make indie stores a worthwhile destination for shoppers. If indie bookstores deal directly with self-pubbed authors, and print their own copies to sell in their stores, they can build inventory and cut out the share normally taken by publishers. I outlined how to do this years ago.
5. Visibility will become harder. As more ebooks get published, and virtual shelf space expands, it is going to become harder to find eyeballs. Ebooks aren't a competition--readers buy what they want to, without limits, even if TBR piles become impossible to ever finish within a lifetime. So someone who buys my ebook will also buy yours; there is no either/or. But only if the reader is aware of both.
The future will be about actively cultivating a readership. So far we've been lucky. With KDP Select and BookBub, authors have been able to get visible without reconnecting with longtime readers. There have always been enough new readers to sustain sales. But I believe maintaining a fanbase is going to become increasingly more important.
That means having an up-to-date website, making it easy to sign up for your newsletter, staying active in social media, and regenerating your brand with new titles and continued promotions.
My prediction: self-pubbed authors who don't focus on their current, core readership will see sales diminish.
6. Self-publishing will witness a new support industry grow around it. According to Amazon, there were 150 KDP authors who sold more than 100,000 ebooks in 2013. That's 15,000,000 ebooks sold outside of legacy publishing, and those are just the top 150 sellers. It isn't a stretch to believe tens of millions of self-published ebooks are being sold annually.
So far, the only companies interested in working with self-pubbed authors are predators trying to take advantage of them.
We don't need self-publishing services. We don't need to pay Kirkus or PW for reviews. We don't need writing organizations (MWA, Authors Guild) who don't look out for our interests.
Here's what we need:
a) An independent journal that reviews and recommends self-pubbed titles to readers and libraries. One that doesn't charge authors anything.
b) A writing organization and annual conference where indie authors get together to share information and help one another. Something that gives us leveraging power in the industry. Something with imprimatur, that will let readers know they are guaranteed quality.
c) New third party ways to make self-pubbed titles visible. There are methods to find eyeballs that no one has thought of yet. Someone is going to figure out a new way of introducing ebooks to readers, and that person will make a fortune in the process.
d) Agents who specialize in estribution, foreign markets, and TV/movie deals for clients as paper deals occur less and less.
7. Big 5 mergers and layoffs and bankruptcies. As the publishing cartel loses its quasi-monopoly on paper distribution, there will be no way to support its infrastructure. Manhattan rent, in-house employees with benefits, length of time to publish, and the temptation for authors to avoid legacy and self-pub, will bring down the industry. There is too much waste, their share of the pie is getting smaller, and when B&N disappears there will be no way to recover.
8. Interactive multimedia. I've blogged about this before, and I'm still ahead of my time. Once I launch the library company and the free ebook company, this will be my next endeavor.
The publishing biz has become a tech biz. You don't win at tech by playing catch-up. You win by innovating.
9. Amazon will continue to blaze trails. They're smart, they're determined, and they're willing to take chances. In 2013 I watched Amazon expand into different countries and markets, and try different programs. As ebooks go global, Amazon will be the dominant global player.
If they continue to treat authors like they treat customers, this will be a good thing.
But if Amazon ever starts to treat authors like we're interchangeable suppliers who will take whatever we're offered, things could get dicey.
I'm looking forward to selling a lot of books with Amazon in 2014, and I hope Amazon continues to work with writers in a mutually beneficial way. There are billions of people on the planet, and only Amazon has the power to reach that many, which will be a boon for everyone involved.
10. Legacy will fight back. We've seen some push-back from those invested in the legacy industry. The collusion, the Authors Guild, the AAR, Patterson and King and Russo. But these were all just warning shots across the bow. They're afraid, and rightfully so, but not desperate yet.
Desperation will eventually settle in. And I don't expect it to be pretty.
We'll see more auctions of entire backlists, demands for government bailouts, and restructuring that will involve a whole bunch of lawyers. Everyone always assumes that after a revolution, things will improve. But I don't see that happening. I see chaos and confusion and no real way to rebuild things once the legacy industry implodes. Those being liberated will feel like they're being screwed. Those being screwed will wish for the old ways because at least they were familiar. Lots of people will point fingers and place blame, and lots of people will be worse off.
Change is hard. It's also inevitable. The best thing you can do right now, as a writer, is look to the future and try to find your place in that future. That might mean you'll need to forget the past. It also might mean you'll have to learn to accept, and forgive.
In my wildest dreams, I never thought ebooks would come so far, so fast. But in just five years, I believe we're on the verge of a true paradigm shift. Once the revolution hits a critical mass--which could happen in 2014--there is no going back.
The way to succeed in this future is to live and think in this future. That means continuing to innovate, experiment, and refuse to be satisfied.
Happy new year. Now get back to work.
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Technology debt is more than just the sunk costs of hardware, software and code. It is the inefficiencies, duplicate processes and extra work created by an outdated or out of control technology architecture. Recognizing the full scope of technology debt allows organizations to address it, and, in doing so, tip the balance from maintaining to innovating.
In response to the push and pull of innovation vs. legacy, enterprises try to address their technology debt with a short-term view. This approach is ineffective in managing debt, and may actually add to it. Instead, organizations must take a step back and plan strategically across all technology platforms, processes and people.


text:
It was only a matter of time ... but professional playboy George Clooney is finally moving on from his super-hot Italian GF of two years Elisabetta Canalis ... and her UNBELIEVABLE physique.
The former couple just released a joint statement -- "We are not together anymore. It's very difficult and very personal, and we hope everyone can respect our privacy."
Who's next????
CommentsClick To View
Hot Video


text:
What Ingredient Is Making Fast Food Taste Different in the US Than in Other Countries?
Foods in foreign lands are often different than what US residents typically eat, but even the fare at decidedly American chains like McDonald's or Burger King may not taste the same — and now a new study reveals why.
Dr. Norman Campbell, a University of Calgary professor of medicine and community health, and his colleagues examined the nutritional data chains like McDonald's, Burger King, Domino's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut and Subway provided for consumers in the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and France.
The results? Food in the US and Canada generally has more salt than the same items sold elsewhere.
While the salt in a McDonald's Big Mac didn't vary much between countries, the restaurant's Chicken McNuggets in the US and Canada have almost three times as much salt per serving as those in the United Kingdom. In addition, the Subway club sandwiches offered to diners in the US, Canada, and New Zealand contain about twice as much sodium as those sold in France.
Excess sodium has been linked to heart attacks and strokes, but some chains have resisted lowering the sodium amounts in their offerings, saying doing so would make them unpalatable — something Campbell discounts.
"These companies can reduce the salt in their foods because they are doing it," he said. "Decreasing the salt content of fast foods is certainly technically feasible and it would improve health and save billions annually in health care costs."


text:
Recent graduate and current student awarded accreditation fellowships
A May graduate and a current student with the Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC) School of Rural Public Health recently were awarded accreditation fellowships by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Daphne Quick and Anna Maria Pulido Saldivar will be assigned to work with local health departments in rural Texas and assist with documentation of performance and compliance with accreditation standards.
This fellowship program is part of the Local Health Department Accreditation project where recipients assist local health departments during the accreditation application process for the Public Health Accreditation Board. Awardees gain invaluable on-the-job experience by working with local health departments and other government agencies to assess the health needs of that community. They will be exposed to the strategies, procedures and functions of a local health department while providing them with needed personnel support.
Quick will work with the Milam County Health Department, while Pulido Saldivar will work with the Andrews County Health Department.
The fellowship program was created by the University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health in conjunction with the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health, TAMHSC-School of Rural Public Health and the Texas Public Health Training Center. Each fellow will receive a $3,000 stipend for the fellowship in addition to a $2,000 living and travel allowance.
Interested in this topic? Contact us for more information.


text:
Whether you're working, learning, or just straight up doing nothing today, there's no excuse not to rock out to music from The Legend of Zelda.
These talented folks have put together a lovely re-creation of every track from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, otherwise known as the series' Super Nintendo entry, otherwise known as the best Zelda game, otherwise known as "that one where you turn into a bunny."
Watching this whole video almost feels like playing through the entirety of Link's 16-bit adventure. And now I want to go back and play it again. Damnit.
Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past Cover [YouTube, thanks Josh!]


text:
- deepOfix Mail Server
- Solutions
- Partners
- Verticals
- Training
- Community
The deepOfix Mail Server makes it possible for organisations with minimal GNU/Linux or Free Software expertise to build robust, scalable and affordable messaging and network infrastructure. Our mail server effectively delivers the freedom, reliability and excellence of GNU/Linux and is available to you as pure Free / Open Source Software.
The deepOfix Mail Server is powered by a Debian-based GNU/Linux operating system. Featuring the fastest and simplest installer ever designed in the Free Software world, we ensure that someone without any prior GNU/Linux experience can also deploy a complete and fully functional deepOfix server within minutes.
The EasyPush Server Manager is our integrated server management tool that simplifies all server administration tasks. deepOfix administrators don't spend long and frustating hours trying to get systems to work or integrate or to fix problems. They simply use EasyPush to get their work done conveniently and confidently.


text:
About the gsp
The General Studies Programme (GSP) interfaces with all of ESA's programmes, and its main role is to act as a "think tank", laying the groundwork for the agency's future activities.
The objectives of the general studies programme are:
- Contribute to the formulation of the overall ESA strategy;
- Study the feasibility of new mission concepts ready for selection;
- Prepare/demonstrate the case for approval and funding of new optional projects/programmes;
- Support the evolution of ESA by analysing and testing new working methodologies.
A remarkable diversity of topics is investigated, running across the entire spectrum of the agency's activities.
Each study usually lasts one to two years, which is sufficient time for an in-depth exploration of each subject. 30 to 50 new studies are typically initiated during each cycle.
The GSP is organised around three domains:
- Mission assessment studies: The programme performs mission feasibility studies, typically up to Phase-A level, which provide ESA member states and the scientific community with the necessary information for the selection of new mission concepts. These studies also serve to both prepare and demonstrate the case for approval and funding of new optional programmes. The GSP also performs ESA internal mission concepts assessments via the Concurrent Design Facility (CDF).
- Interdisciplinary activities: The GSP enables unique opportunities for inter-directorate work, e.g., through the internal biannual Call for Study Ideas and the new activities resulting from it in each cycle. All GSP activities are characterised by their cross-disciplinary approach; proposals for new studies must involve representatives from at least three different directorates. As a result ESA staff members act as the main "discoverers" and "filters" of new ideas in the European space sector. GSP activities also reflect the views and suggestions of industry gathered through workshops, visits and hearings.
- Strategy studies: The GSP's role is also to serve as a corporate "strategic think tank": the actions within the programme contribute to the formulation of the overall ESA strategy. It also supports the evolution of ESA by analysing trends and identifying potential issues, and by testing new working methodologies. In doing so, the GSP lays the groundwork for the Agency's future activities.
Industrial Policy
One of the GSP's objectives is to achieve a balanced participation between industry and experts in all member states. The majority of the studies are undertaken by companies of all sizes and by academia under the technical guidance of staff from the various ESA directorates. The success of the General Studies Programme is largely due to these non-ESA organisations.
Established and supported by the GSP, ESA's Advanced Concept Team operates a specific tool named "Ariadna" to facilitate access to the GSP for the academic world.


text:
About Garden FreshGarden Fresh owners Alice and Robert Liang are proud to offer you delicious, healthy, plant-based dishes that nourish your body and your soul.
Chefs Robert Liang and Paul Hsueh have spent decades creating and refining dishes that are enjoyed by vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. The dishes at Garden Fresh are so tasty, it is hard to believe they contain no animal products, but it's true. No meat, no dairy, no eggs…our dishes are strictly vegan, compassionate, nutritious and yummy.
Chinese vegan cuisine (齋菜) is a centuries-old tradition that we are pleased to offer. Our chefs use only the freshest ingredients and most tantalizing seasonings to please and tease your palate. We never use MSG, trans fats or high-fructose corn syrup, and all of our meals are cooked to order on location.
Lunch and dinner are served at both Garden Fresh locations: in downtown Palo Alto's University Avenue area, and at El Camino and Shoreline in Mountain View. Speedy takeout is always an option at Garden Fresh.
We think of our patrons as more than just customers. At Garden Fresh, you are a welcome guest, a friend in a community of healthful eaters. We are grateful for your visit, and hope you will return whenever you crave a palate-pleasing meal that is good for you…and good for the planet!
Both Garden Fresh locations are Humane Planet-certified businesses, partnering with the Palo Alto Humane Society.


text:
With new senator, a lower national profile
Senator-elect Edward J. Markey will land in Washington with less fanfare than any Massachusetts senator elected in recent memory, a 1970s holdover who triumphed in a sleepy election with an outcome that seemed foregone nearly from the start.
Even Markey's comfortable victory margin over Republican nominee Gabriel E. Gomez will not fashion him a celebrity senator, in the mold of first Scott Brown and then Elizabeth Warren, who came to Washington with national profiles. Nor does he spark talk about someday running for national office, the way Brown and Warren, and their predecessors, did.
Instead, Markey is likely to operate in the Senate as he has for years in the House, focused on policy and without the marquee name recognition that Massachusetts senators have long had.
Further, Markey will arrive in a Senate deeply ossified and largely dysfunctional, in part because of the way the body has changed in recent years and in part because any bill approved by the Senate must clear the House, which is even more limited in its ability to advance legislation. A comprehensive immigration bill cleared an important test vote in the Senate Monday, but faces an uncertain fate in the House.
For the Malden Democrat, who has carved out a profile as a policy wonk during his 37 years in the House, there are opportunities and warning signs. In policy areas where major debate is expected in the coming years, such as telecommunications and energy, Markey has distinguished himself as a go-to member in the House, a role he could reprise in the Senate. Congress will probably grapple with how to distribute broadband spectrum and how to manage the nation's burgeoning natural gas and clean energy industries.
"There may be some opportunities to legislate there and create supermajorities,'' said Norman Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, who praised as "masterful'' Markey's work on House passage of cap-and-trade legislation.
"Senators know that he's got a deep vein of expertise in legislating in those areas,'' Ornstein said. "And unlike most freshmen, they're going to listen to what he says. He's going to be able to play a major role right away.''
But, said Ornstein, the Senate has become so jammed with partisanship that significant work in any areas has become rare.
"The big problem is the one that everybody coming into the Senate faces, which is: Will any of that matter?'' Ornstein said of Markey's policy chops.
And no one expects Markey to re-create the high-profile, household-name profile held by his Bay State predecessors. For the first time in a half-century, Massachusetts will be represented by an elected senator who does not have presidential ambition or an outsize ability to draw national attention.
One of the state's two US Senate seats passed grandly from Leverett Saltonstall, the former governor who served for 22 years and rose to the GOP leadership ranks, to Edward Brooke, then from Brooke to Paul Tsongas to John Kerry. Edward M. Kennedy held the other, for 47 years, before dying of cancer in 2009, only to have Scott Brown win a special election by running against a bill that Kennedy envisioned as the capstone to his legislative career.
Even before the youngest Kennedy brother took his seat, replacing seat-warmer and family associate Benjamin Smith, Massachusetts had John F. Kennedy, who served with Saltonstall for eight years. The future president took the seat from Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., who ran for the Republican presidential nomination eight years later.
For many years bipartisan, and then for nearly 25 years dominated by Democrats Edward M. Kennedy and Kerry, the state's representation in the upper chamber has been one of uncommonly high wattage.
Both those long-serving senators leveraged their well-known personas into significant achievements on Capitol Hill. Both ran ill-fated campaigns for the White House, Kennedy in 1980 and Kerry in 2004, before turning to substantive policy work in a familiar chamber they had long inhabited.
Warren has, through the aggressive brand of economic populism she champions, followed the more recent Senate model of cultivating a celebrity fueled by personality. When Democrats discuss their 2016 presidential ticket, Warren's name frequently pops up.
Still, she is something of a neophyte in Washington. After 25 years with just two senators, Massachusetts will now have seen seven in less than two years, including interim senators Paul T. Kirk and William "Mo'' Cowan.
"When you lose people like Kerry and Kennedy, you're losing something, naturally; you're losing the influence,'' said Francis X. Bellotti, the state's former attorney general who was elected lieutenant governor in 1962. "When you lost Kennedy, you lost a lot, because, on both sides of the aisle he had influence. Now, with Markey, we'll see what he can do. He's got plenty of experience, he's got plenty of relationships down there, unlike [Warren], so he should be able to do some things.''


text:
WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee rejected the idea on Tuesday of requiring all H-1B employers to make a "good faith" effort in hiring U.S. workers before taking on an H-1b worker.
The good faith amendment to the comprehensive immigration bill was offered by U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a longtime H-1B critic. It was opposed by the Gang of Eight, the bipartisan group of senators who drafted the immigration bill.
The "good faith" requirement was described as a "deal breaker," with the potential of sinking the entire bill, and it failed by wide margin.
The committee met all day to vote on more than 300 amendments to the immigration bill. Tech industry groups are opposing provisions, such as "good faith" that impose new requirements. The tech industry's supporters, who appear to be led by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), will be seeking a higher H-1B visa cap and fewer regulations.
A number of Tuesday's amendments were H-1B related, including one from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), which sought to raise the H-1B cap to 325,000.
"I think high-tech immigrants are an unambiguous good for our economy and our country," said Cruz.
Cruz called the immigration's bill plan to raise the cap to as high as 180,000, "a half measure." The amendment had little support and failed. The longer discussion was around Grassley's "good faith" amendment.
Under the law today, H-1B dependent employers, companies with than more 15% of their workforce on a visa, must attest that they made a "good faith" effort to fill the job with a U.S. worker before offering it to a visa holder. Grassley wants to the "good faith" requirement to cover all employers, not just dependent ones.
Grassley was bracing for a fight, and told the committee that "some employers don't like this provision, they say they already make every effort to hire an American; well, then they shouldn't have a problem with this amendment."
But Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who is part of the eight senators spearheading the immigration bill, said the bill had to have a balance between industry and labor. In low skill market, Schumer said the hiring rules are tougher, but in the high-skilled market "we have somewhat fewer protections."
Schumer believed, however, that the protections in the bill were enough.
The proposed law requires all employers to recruit U.S. workers, and the bill proposes creation of a jobs database run by the Dept. of Labor. Employers will be required to post jobs for 30 days that they want to fill with H-1B workers.
Schumer also pointed to one requirement, however, that raises wages for H-1B workers by eliminating the lower tier of the prevailing wage. "You have to pay a higher wage to a foreign worker than you pay to an American worker," said Schumer. "That's a very strong protection."
But committee member Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), questioned the opposition to Grassley's amendment. "All this requires is that all H-1B employers, not just dependent employers, essentially have a good faith recruitment obligation to be able to show that they tried to recruit a qualified American worker," said Feinstein. "What is wrong with that?"
Schumer said "it sounds good on the surface," but "good faith" is an "elastic standard" that's open to interpretation and difficult to prove. Feinstein provided a backstory for her concern.
"A while back I met with a group of workers in San Diego, interestingly enough they, were all above the age of 50," said Feinstein. "They'd all been replaced by H-1B workers, and you saw it clearly. They were traditional engineers; the technology had moved on. What was seen to be desirable was the young, flexible, highly qualified techie, generally Asian in Californian, and I felt very badly for these people."
"Above the age of 50 it's very hard for an American to get another job," she said.
Schumer responded by saying that employers are not allowed to fire American workers. He didn't go into a detail, but there are non-displacement rules in the bill that prevent employers from immediately replacing a U.S. worker with a visa holder. "That's prohibited under our proposal and will not change," he said.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) expressed interest in supporting Grassley's amendment, but said he was told that it "would be a deal breaker to the deal," but added, "I frankly don't see how that would be the case."
The committee will return Thursday to take up more amendments on the immigration bill.
Find your next job with computerworld UK jobs


text:
Imagine a world where global warming has contributed to a massive catastrophe. On top of all of the environmental issues like drought and famine, the icecaps and glaciers have all melted, causing sea levels to rise dramatically. With a large amount of the world's population killed, the last refuge of humanity lies in an artificial floating city as sea known as the Ark. This isn't an emergency scenario trying to force countries into ratifying the Kyoto Protocol – this is the backdrop for the latest shooter from Splash Damage and Bethesda. At E3, Splash Damage showed off some of the gameplay from a pre-alpha build for this upcoming shooter, which will land on the PC, PS3 and 360 in Spring 2010.
Clearly, under such tragic situations, and a limited amount of space, it's only a matter of time before conflict breaks out. In Brink, the fighting erupts between two separate forces: the Security forces of the Ark, who are trying to re-establish a measure of control over the deteriorating conditions and the Resistance, who are battling against the organization of the Ark itself. Players will establish unique characters for both sides, tailoring their individual looks, outfits and other personal details, and will carry these unique characters across the single player, co-op and multiplayer modes of the game. Every mission that your characters take on will earn you experience points, which can be used to acquire new skills and abilities, further making your characters more specialized in combat.
The demo of Brink took two separate phases. The first was placed within the Airport, which had been long deserted thanks to the fact that there was nowhere to fly to anymore. Here, I saw some of the basics of movement. Brink utilizes traditional FPS controls, but it also has what the designers are calling a "Smart Button," allowing the game to interpret what you'd want to do with a single touch. For instance, if you see a hazard like an alarm and you don't want to trip it, you can hit the button as you approach it, leaping over or sliding under the infrared beams. You can also use the Smart Button to reach objectives faster, leaping up walls and vaulting over barricades to reach distant areas.
The other segment of the demo was a battle sequence that took place in what was being called Container City, an old dockyard that was once used to store people's belongings and had now been converted into a shanty town. The security team was tasked with trying to secure the area and stop the unrest, but as they were fired upon, survival quickly became more important. Creatively, missions within Brink are never set in stone; in fact, you're able to continually select what mission you want to take on at any point in time, seeing what kind of experience bonus you'll receive for successfully completing that mission. For instance, one mission I saw was an interrogation mission behind enemy lines. As the character blasted his way towards his target (which he was directed to by an arrow onscreen), he produced a device that looked like an iPhone and walked towards the prone man on the ground. The device morphed into a taser, and after a significant amount of electric "persuasiveness," the man talked. The experience bonus was accomplished, and it was time to select a new task and move on. Multiple people can choose to select the same mission, and these will in turn spawn other missions for other players. So a repair mission for one soldier might involve an escort mission for another player, etc.
Of course, the character I saw was trapped behind enemy lines after his successful interrogation mission. Fortunately, this isn't as much of a hassle as it could be in other games, particularly because there are different character classes, like the operative, that excel at this kind of stealthy maneuvering. In all, I managed to see at four separate classes that players will be able to choose from: the operative, soldier, medic and engineer. While you initially select your class at the start of a mission, you can easily switch between these at will by approaching one of the numerous terminals scattered around a map. These locations also allow you to manipulate you equipment loadout, letting you swap between light, medium and heavy weapons loadouts. This is particularly useful because you may find that either player or AI controlled teammates might request a specific kind of character or loadout, and you can tailor yourself to provide the right kind of support at that moment.
Brink appeared to be extremely fast paced, particularly for a shooter. In many ways, the single player experience had a heavy multiplayer feel, which isn't surprising given that Splash Damage created Quake Wars: Enemy Territory. But the action seemed to be fast paced and the inclusion of dynamically generated missions appeared to provide a large amount of flexible play, which should prevent the gameplay from getting stale as you eventually complete your objectives. The mission ended as the security team successfully managed to blast their way to a container, but were shocked by what they saw as they opened the container. Before I could see what was inside, the demo ended. It was enough of a tease to make the glimpse of Brink rather intriguing as a shooter that will be coming out sometime next year.


text:
Watch This Amazing Dance Montage To Carly Rae Jepsen's 'Call Me Maybe'
The Harvard baseball team went viral last week with their "Call Me Maybe" dance video in a van while driving down the highway back from a game.
Now, the Southern Methodist University Women's Rowing team made this creative foot dance video in response, also while bored in the van.
I hope the driver was paying attention to the road with all that commotion going on in the back!
Which dance was better? Call me during my show today at 1-800-905-5369 or take our poll below:


text:
Should you wish to make an enquiry about then please complete the form below. We will then pass on your details to our members who have registered an interest in this subject.
Your Name *
Your Email *
Your Phone Number
Details of your enquiry
1 likes, 0 comments ⋅ 2 months ago
10 likes, 1 comments ⋅ 4 months ago
A complete index of past CIFHS Journals can now be found at:
6 likes, 0 comments ⋅ 5 months ago


text:
Who's Got Next? Austin Nichols Stays In Memphis; Jarrell Martin Picks Hometown LSU…Posted by CLykins on November 6th, 2012
Who's Got Next? is a weekly column by Chad Lykins, the RTC recruiting guru. Once a week he will bring you an overview of what's going on in the complex world of recruiting, from who is signing where among the seniors to discussing the recruitments of the top uncommitted players in the country. We also encourage you to check out his contributions dedicated solely to Duke Basketball at Duke Hoop Blog. You can also follow Chad at his Twitter account @CLykinsBlog for up-to-date breaking news from the high school and college hoops scene. If you have any suggestions as to areas we are missing or different things you would like to see, please let us know at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Note: ESPN Recruiting used for all player rankings
Austin Nichols Stays Local, Picks Memphis
There's no place like home. At least according to 6'8″ Briarcrest Christian (Tennessee) power forward Austin Nichols, who ended his college recruitment on Monday by committing to the hometown Memphis Tigers. The No. 12 ranked player in the class of 2013, Nichols will join an already loaded recruiting class that includes fellow ESPN 100 prospects small forward Kuran Iverson, small forward Nick King and point guard Rashawn Powell as well as three-star shooting guard Markel Crawford. He chose the Tigers over Auburn, Duke, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Virginia.
"At the end of the day, Austin wanted to stay at home and play with some talented guys who he knew very well," said his father, Mark Nichols. Once back home after completing his last official visit to Auburn, Memphis head coach Josh Pastner showed up at the Nichols residence for one final recruiting pitch. Rumored by many to be fading down the stretch to the likes of Duke and long-time favorite Tennessee, Pastner never wilted and kept pushing to land what he considers a "future Memphis basketball icon."
With his recruitment shut down for a week once Pastner made his last attempt, the Nichols family spent Sunday night pondering the important decision. Mark Nichols then presented Austin with a 58-page report from KenPom.com to review advanced statistics of each of the six teams he was considering. The innovative approach factored into Nichols selecting the Tigers, which was decided as the perfect place for his future. The allure of playing in the area he grew up and in front of family and friends at the collegiate level proved to be all he could have ever wished for. "I'm just honored, I can't even explain it," Nichols said. He intends on signing his national letter of intent during the early signing period, which runs from November 14-21.