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Comments about Bell Variant Helmet 2010:
I love this helmet. It fits great and has very good ventilation. Its really easy to mount up headlights or gopros. The back of head TAG adjuster works great and easily dials in the fit. I use this helmet for all my riding including mountain, dirt jumping, and some road riding. I will definitely buy bell helmets in the future.
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Comments about Bell Variant Helmet 2010:
Have used it for 3 years. Great fit, comfortable. Adjustable visor. Visor is removable too. Design nothing to shout about.
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Comments about Bell Variant Helmet 2010:
Exactly what I was looking for.
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Comments about Bell Variant Helmet 2010:
My first helmet came damaged. Jenson sent a new one out immediately. Can't say enough good about JensonUSA customer service.
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Comments about Bell Variant Helmet 2010:
This helmet looks cool, has good coverage for more aggressive riders, and I really like Bell's fit and retention system. It works well and is easily adjustable. Sometimes I wear a headband and need to adjust the fit on the fly. It is easy to do.
Great helmet and a good price!
Comments about Bell Variant Helmet 2010:
Nice fitting helmet and does exactly what it's supposed to! I had a crash the other week and cut my face pretty good, but the helmet took a good hit (knocked off the visor and dented it) but that in turn spared my skull from a good bashing! The design looks pretty neat too.
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Please note this offer is only available to physical shipping addresses in the 48 continental United States (no PO Boxes), and oversize charges still apply on some heavy/large items.


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Editor's Note: Given the amount of interest in the prospect of replacements for the single-aisle airplanes, including the Boeing 757, our Guest Columnist provided a follow-up think piece.
By James Krebs
With the reengined Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320 neo families selling like gangbusters, it may seem premature, before one even flies, to be considering a New Small Airplane (NSA) successor to enter service beginning in 2025. But I'm convinced the NSA will come before conventional wisdom expects. The marketplace will demand them.
A combination of market forces could make a compelling case for a NSA in service in 2025.
- Continuing high fuel prices
- Increasing urgency to reduce aviation carbon emissions
- Availability of technology for 20% fuel savings vs 737-8 max and A320 neo (at same seat number) at acceptable risk
- Traffic growth calling for more seats for 2025 and beyond.
- Growing pressure from the airlines later in this decade for cleaner, more economical short haul NSA's
- Huge global market potential for NSA families — with their performance improved through the years
- A short haul market share by 2017-18 (neo's and MAX in service) very disappointing to Boeing.

subset: commoncrawl


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Availability: Belmond Grand Hotel Europe
Superior RoomMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
Deluxe RoomMax Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 2 children, 2 infants)
Classic historic roomMax Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 2 children, 2 infants)
Junior SuiteMax Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 2 children, 2 infants)
5-star luxury hotel in St. Petersburg (Nevskiy Prospekt) near State Russian Museum
This luxury hotel is located in the heart of St. Petersburg, walking distance from St. Petersburg Philharmonia, State Russian Museum, and Kazan Cathedral. Also nearby are Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood and Palace Square.
Hotel Features
Recreational amenities at Belmond Grand Hotel Europe include a health club and a sauna. Other amenities include a bar/lounge and a coffee shop/café.
Room Amenities
LCD televisions come with premium satellite channels. Guestrooms also feature complimentary wireless Internet access, air conditioning, and DVD players.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
Belmond Grand Hotel Europe Amenities
- General
In addition to a health club, Belmond Grand Hotel Europe features a sauna and a steam room. Dining options at the hotel include a coffee shop/café and a snack bar/deli. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. Public areas are equipped with complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access.
This 5-star property offers access to a 24-hour business center, limo/town car service, and small meeting rooms. Event facilities measuring 8073 square feet (750 square meters) include conference/meeting rooms. This luxury hotel also offers spa services, tour/ticket assistance, and multilingual staff. For a surcharge, the property provides a roundtrip airport shuttle (available on request) and a train station pick-up service.
Belmond Grand Hotel Europe is a smoke-free property.
- 24-hour front desk
- Airport transportation (surcharge)
- Number of floors - 5
- ATM/banking
- Babysitting or childcare
- Bar/lounge
- Coffee shop or café
- Complimentary newspapers in lobby
- Conference space
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Hair salon
- Health club
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Free Wi-Fi
- Total number of rooms - 265
- Laundry facilities
- Limo or Town Car service available
- Spa treatment room(s)
- Meeting rooms
- Multilingual staff
- Parking (limited spaces)
- Porter/bellhop
- Room service (24 hours)
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Train station pickup (surcharge)
- Snack bar/deli
- Year Built 1875
- 24-hour business center
- Conference space size (feet) - 8073
- Conference space size (meters) - 750
- Number of meeting rooms - 9
- Sauna
- Shopping on site
- Smoke-free property
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Spa services on site
- Steam room
- Wedding services
- Internet
Available in all rooms: Free Wi-Fi
Available in some public areas: Free Wi-Fi
- Parking
Parking (limited spaces)
- Room Amenities
- Premium TV channels
- DVD player
- Pay movies
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Air conditioning
- Phone
- Minibar
- Complimentary bottled water
- Daily housekeeping
- Turndown service
- Private bathroom
- Bathrobes
- Complimentary toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Slippers
- Shower/tub combination
- In-room safe
- Iron/ironing board (on request)
- Desk
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Cribs/infant beds available
- Satellite TV service
- Free Wi-Fi
- Pillow menu
- Dining
Europe Restaurant - This fine-dining restaurant serves breakfast, dinner, and brunch.
Caviar Bar - This restaurant specializes in Russian cuisine and serves dinner only. Open daily
Lobby Bar - This lobby lounge serves light fare only. Open 24 hours.
Mezzanine Cafe - This restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and light fare. A children's menu is available.
24-hour room service is available.
- Recreation
Recreational amenities at the hotel include a health club, a sauna, and a steam room.
- Spa
- Massages
- Body treatments
- Facial treatments
- Accessibility
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessible bathroom
- Accessible path of travel
- In-room accessibility
- Roll-in shower
Belmond Grand Hotel Europe Policies & Fees
- Check-in
Check-in time starts at 2 PM
Minimum check-in age is 18
- Check-out
Check-out time is noon
- Payment types
Accepted at this hotel: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
- Pets
Pets allowed, Only dogs and cats are allowed, Maximum number of pets per room 1, Pet maximum weight in lb is 5
- General
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- Fees
- Unless otherwise indicated, the charges below are not included in the overall room price. If not included in the overall room price, they will be charged by the property at check-in or check-out. Charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book. This property told us they will charge you for the following:
We have included all charges provided to us by the property. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book.The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- A mandatory registration fee for foreign citizens is charged at this hotel.
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
- Breakfast fee: RUB 2000 per person (approximately)
- Airport shuttle fee: RUB 4000
- Pet fee: RUB 2500 per night
- Rollaway bed fee: RUB 2950 per night
- Additional Details
If you require a visa to enter the country, your hotel may be able to help with the supporting documents needed to obtain one. To learn more, you can reach out to the hotel via the contact details included on your booking confirmation. The hotel may charge for this assistance, even if you end up cancelling your reservation. All arrangements are solely between the hotel and yourself. Reservations are required for massage services and spa treatments. Reservations can be made by contacting the hotel prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. Children 12 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.
Awards & Affiliations
- Details
- Belmond Grand Hotel Europe is listed in the 2013 Travel + Leisure 500.


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Back to homeschool savings— Save 10% and get Free Shipping on your entire order now through August 4! Learn how.
A foundation for geometry is laid through the introduction of undefined terms, definitions, and incidence theorems. Subsets and measurements are covered. Logic is introduced as a basis for proofs. Other topics covered are area, circles, space, volume, transformations and symmetry, and similarity. The course concludes with an introduction to trigonometry.
Mrs. Tammie Genco teaches this course.
This course includes an abridged electronic version of the teacher's edition and student textbook that can be viewed while logged on to bjupressonline.com.
Lesson Content: five 45-minute lessons per week; 177 lessons total
>>Click the Resources tab to view technical requirements for Distance Learning Online and information about the course's instructor.
|Item #
|Geometry Student Text (3rd ed.)
*Note: Windows Vista and Windows 7 users will need a minimum of 1 Gigabyte of RAM to run Windows Vista or Windows 7, but 2 Gigabytes is recommended for optimum efficiency.
FAQs about Distance Learning Online | Terms & Conditions for Distance Learning Online
Mrs. Tammie Genco was blessed to grow up in a Christian home. The Lord gave her the grace to believe on Him as her Savior when she was in kindergarten. Since then the Lord has faithfully guided her steps. She attended BJU and obtained an undergraduate and a master's degree in education. She began working at BJU Press Distance Learning as an assistant and later as an algebra teacher. During that time she met her husband, Tom. They were married in May 2002. Mrs. Genco likes monster trucks, theater, mountains, roller coasters, and teenagers. Her desire for her Algebra and Geometry students is that they will be better equipped to serve Christ after this class.
Geometry Online with Books365916
Geometry Online Only366898


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August 1, 2014
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Candidates for congressional and
legislative seats have fanned out across Kentucky in search of
votes on the last full day of campaigning ahead of Tuesday's
Republican congressional hopefuls locked in a competitive race
in northern Kentucky's 4th district spent Monday urging supporters
to go to the polls. That's an important task considering Secretary
of State Alison Lundergan Grimes has predicted that only 10 to 12
percent of Kentucky's nearly three million registered voters will
bother to cast ballots.
Republican Mitt Romney already has an apparently lock on the GOP
presidential nomination, which has left some Kentucky voters
feeling little need to participate.
Voters will have a say in five contested congressional primary
races, 38 legislative races, and several local races across the


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Kentucky excess
The NCAA thought it had legislated against Kentucky basketball players living like oil tycoons. The rule was at least half of a dorm had to be comprised of non-athletes. But John Calipari and Co. still built a $7 million "dorm" right out of MTV Cribs. His players share the palace with some lucky normal students.
Cakes are baking
UTL birthday wishes go out ex-Haverhill and Merrimack basketball star Keri Guertin Ryan (turns 38 tomorrow), ex-Pentucket star and current Tufts football coach Tommy Beaton (turns 25 tomorrow), Merrimack hockey coach Mark Dennehy (turns 45 Thursday) and ex-Pinkerton football star Bryan Farris (turns 25 Friday), who is now working on Wall Street.
UNique Football player
Milford (N.H.) High senior Morgan Andrews had quite a weekend last week. The 2011 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year had five goals Friday including the 100th of her career.
That same night, the returning first-team All-Division 3 kicker booted a 30-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter to beat Nashua North 24-21. Then Columbus Day the Notre Dame recruit scored three more goals.
Nelsen's options
North Andover's 6-6 senior Isaiah Nelsen has received scholarship offers from Merrimack and Assumption. UMass Lowell had offered, too, but is likely out of the picture after it received a commitment from another forward.
Jewish ballplayers
Martin Abramowitz is introducing the video, "Jews and baseball: An American Love Story," next Sunday at 9 a.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 541 Main St., Haverhill. Abramowitz has created 150 Jewish player baseball cards and was honored at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Fish story
Windham's Rich Campiola, who was the 2007 Eagle-Tribune Golfer of the Year from Central Catholic, is also a talented fisherman. He won the Herman Lucerne Memorial Tourney in the Florida Keys.
Foreign legion
Twenty-nine of the 31 players in the Maine-Fort Kent men's soccer program are foreigners.


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Kenneth Rapoza, Contributor
I cover Brazil, Russia, India & China.
Over the last two weeks, gasoline prices have risen by 17 cents a gallon on average nationwide. In California, it's even worse. The state's refineries are going through scheduled winter maintenance and many of them have to come off line to do that. Gasoline prices are already over $4 a gallon in Los Angeles county.
"Once gasoline starts hitting four bucks a gallon, people start to lose their patience," says Chris Faulkner, CEO of Breitling Oil & Gas, an independent energy company based in Dallas.
Faulkner says geopolitics will continue to underpin oil prices and undermine American drivers.
Whether it's Islamic terrorists going after oil companies in Algeria, or hedge funds revving up their speculative bets on oil futures, if West Texas Intermediate is over $100 by the time Memorial Day rolls around in just three and a half short months, this American summer's going to be a costly one for gasoline.
There's not too much one can do about gas prices, except maybe this:
1. Fuel Additives: I'm too lazy to do this, and think that by spending $6.99 on a fuel system cleaner to save $2 on gas is the wrong way to beat the oil companies, but Faulkner disagrees. Over time, it's good for the engine and, with the right product, that's going to be good for the car. "Fuel additives that you can pick up at a Pep Boys or the local gas station, stuff like STP, all make your engine run at peak efficiency and that matters for fuel economy," says Faulkner. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has tested supposed gas-saving devices — including "mixture enhancers" — and found that very few provided any fuel economy benefits. Those devices that did work provided only a slight improvement in gas mileage. Eh, it's better than nothing.
2. Fill 'Er Up Locally: I'm horrible at this. I seem to enjoy paying through the nose because I like convenience, but hell…I drive a Prius. Anyway, Breitling CEO Faulkner says steer clear of the gasoline stations that line the highways. "If you're working in downtown Los Angeles, you do not want to go there on E. Gas stations downtown are going to run you over five dollars a gallon. Fill up in the suburbs. It's still over four, but at least it's not five," he says. There are specialized phone apps and websites that can help you find the cheapest gas prices in your area.
And my favorite, one I've never heard before:
3. Never Ever on a Thursday: When I was in grade school, my grandmother used to sing me this song by The Chordettes called Never on a Sunday, so that's where I came up with this one: never ever fill up on a Thursday, because Wednesday is best. "Gas station owners tend to raise prices on Thursday ahead of the peak demand weekends when everyone is off to Home Depot or the super market. You want to fill up before 10 A.M. on Thursday to beat the price hikes. If you can do that, you'll beat rising gasoline prices heading into Friday and Saturday," Faulkner advises.
As a Prius owner, one thing I've learned by looking at the ECO drive gauge on my dashboard is that when I'm in hybrid mode, meaning my gasoline engine and electric engine are working together, my gas mileage immediately declines by at least half. In full eco-mode I'm getting well over 50 miles per gallon and sometimes 100 miles per gallon. Soon as the gasoline engine kicks in, it drops precipitously. When I step on the gas pedal like my former teenage-self in an Iroc Z-28, the Prius' gas gauge goes to maybe five to 10 miles per gallon. The Prius has really taught me how to drive.
Driving within the speed limit and avoiding jack rabbit starts after red lights also help improve gasoline consumption. Less gas burned, means less times gassing up. And, quite frankly, other than owning a high MPG vehicle, there is not much consumers can do to outwit, outplay and outlast ExxonMobil.
The East Side Mobile gas station on 2nd Ave in lower Manhattan is over $4.39 a gallon for regular unleaded despite a sluggish economy. The Shell NJ-37 heading into Seaside Heights on the Jersey Shore is a cheap $3.51 a gallon; good for JWOWW. The Shell on Royal Palm Ave in Miami Beach is fetching $3.93 for unleaded. And the Mobil on Santa Monica Blvd and Lincoln: $4.29 a whop. In the 'burbs of Texas, the Phillips 66 on Pasadena Blvd in southeast Houston has unleaded going for $3.25 a gallon, according to GasBuddy.com.
This year might beat 2012 when it comes to gasoline inflation. "If prices do come down, they will come down slowly. If prices stay at these levels now into May, it will be more expensive to gas up this summer than it was last," Faulker says.
I too have a Prius. I never drive out of my way for gas. Typically I can put about 10 gallon to fill up. At $.10/gallon, that make a $1 different. Given the total cost of driving a car calculated by the experts, that would only be about 3 miles of driving. Plus there is the cost of your time. I look for cheap gas, but only on my regular trip.
BTW, I just picked up a 750 watt voltage inverter for $35 and it runs my fridge just fine. It just clips on the 12v battery in the truck, leave the engine on will heat, radio, etc. off, and the Prius will keep the 12v battery charged. Very handy in a power outage, and cheap, with no maintenance.
The Schaeffler Company is an innovator in the new car market. For example, two-cylinder engines used in small cars, three-cylinder engines used in compact cars, and four-cylinder engines used in high-end cars all deliver respectable performance and are therefore increasingly in demand today.
exactly , u seem very right abt this point !!!!!!


text: made-in-aviary By Adam West August 26, 2011 2:23 PM Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Category: Share on Facebook Share on Twitter More Leave a comment Send to a friend! Print this page Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr! More From 106.9 The Rock Comic-Con 2014: 'Evil Dead' TV Series Coming From Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell 'The Walking Dead' Season 5 Trailer From Comic-Con 2014 New Movies This Week: 'Lucy,' 'Hercules,' 'And So It Goes' You Can Watch Conan O'Brien in 'Sharktopus Vs. Pteracuda' Right Now Best of the Web


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How Rich is $400,000 Where You Live?
President Obama's new dividing line on tax hikes means different things in different cities.
For months, the cutoff for the "wealthy" in the tax debate has been $250,000. Now it's $400,000.
With the end of the year approaching, fiscal cliff negotiations have reached a fever pitch. The White House has suggested higher taxes for taxpayers earning over $400,000, up from $250,000, the president's dividing line on the campaign trail.
In terms of the average American taxpaying family, $400,000 is unquestionably a high income. Tax filers earning $400,000 a year fall somewhere between the 98th and 99th percentile, according to 2011 tax data from the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan tax research group. In this sense, $400,000 isn't a huge shift — filers making $250,000 are still in the upper reaches, between the 96th and 97th percentiles as of 2011.
[ENJOY: Political Cartoons on the Fiscal Cliff]
In addition, tax proposals tend to focus on earners' adjusted gross income — total income minus deductions like contributions to retirement plans. That means that taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes that come in just above $400,000 can often earn far more than that.
Still, earnings are relative. A family earning $400,000 in Manhattan exists in a very different world than one earning $400,000 in McAllen, Texas, according to cost-of-living data from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), an organization that promotes economic data availability and research.
That organization's cost of living index for the third quarter of this year scored Manhattan at 229.6, with 100 being the national average cost of living across 304 urban areas studied. That means that the after-tax cost of a professional or managerial standard of living in Manhattan is more than twice the average cost of living.
[RELATED: GOP Gets Behind Boehner's 'Plan B']
By this measure, $400,000 in Manhattan is roughly equivalent to $174,000 in cities that have nearly-average cost of living scores, like Champaign-Urbana, Ill. (with a cost of living index of 100.1), or Kansas City (100.2).
Of the 304 urban areas that C2ER studied in its latest cost of living index report, these are the ones where $400,000 buys the least.
|Urban Area
|Cost of Living Index
|Cost-of-Living-Adjusted $400,000
|New York (Manhattan), N.Y.
|New York (Brooklyn), N.Y.
|Honolulu, Hawaii
|San Francisco, Calif.
|San Jose, Calif.
|New York (Queens), N.Y.
|Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.
|Stamford, Conn.
|Boston, Mass.
|Juneau, Alaska
Then again, $400,000 is still a large income, especially in cheaper cities. Fully 215 of the 304 urban areas have cost-of-living index scores below 100, led by Harlingen, Texas, where the cost of living is 20 percent lower than the national average. Here are the urban areas with the lowest costs of living, as well as what $400,000 means there.
|Urban Area
|Cost of Living Index
|Cost-of-Living-Adjusted $400,000
|Harlingen, Texas
|Norman, Okla.
|Ardmore, Okla.
|Pueblo, Colo.
|Memphis, Tenn.
|McAllen, Texas
|Muskogee, Okla.
|San Marcos, Texas
|Fayetteville, Ark.
|Idaho Falls, Idaho
In any metropolitan area, however — from Harlingen to the Big Apple — $400,000 is still a high income. The top 20 percent of earners in the New York City metropolitan area earned over $132,000 in 2011, according to Census Bureau data. In the Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas, metro area, only the top five percent of earners earned more than $127,000.
[CHARTS: Cities Where Income Is Growing Fastest]
Whether the White House's shift to a $400,000 cutoff for tax hikes is a big or a small change is a question of perspective. It affects only a small part of the population, and it would likely make for a small impact compared to the entire federal budget, according to Joseph Rosenberg, a research associate at the Tax Policy Center.
"In a lot of sense the difference seems small in the context of the entire debate. Any one change is
almost by definition sort of small," he says.
The president's proposal would raise $1.2 trillion over 10 years, down from his initial plan to raise $1.6 trillion. Meanwhile, House Speaker John Boehner's framework, which aims to raise rates on income over $1 million, would raise $1 trillion. The $200 billion over 10 years that separate those two proposals is a paltry sum compared to federal spending. In fiscal year 2012, for example, the government spent around $3.5 trillion.
[READ: Middle Class Can't Afford Homes in Half of Major Metros]
However, a few hundred billion of dollars are a weighty matter in the context of the fiscal cliff debate.
"It's small in absolute terms but meaningful in relative terms as a part of this sort of negotiations that are going on," says Rosenberg. "A few hundred billion dollars over ten years is a sizable portion of what the debate is about."
More News:
- Congress Reacts to Connecticut Shooting
- Fed President: Central Bank Overstepping Its Bounds
- Gun Control Talk Sends Shooters Shopping
Danielle Kurtzleben is a business and economics reporter for U.S. News & World Report. Connect with her on Twitter @titonka or via E-mail at email@example.com.


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Syndicated — "Off-the-grid" may conjure images of die-hard survivalists, but the term actually has a spectrum of meaning.
"Now more people are starting to understand how quickly we are driving toward the edge of our ecological capacity on the planet," said Katrina Morgan, princi ]]>
Many of those disconnected from the electrical grid are living in homes powered by renewable resources like wind and solar. Some eschew other public utilities, like municipal water and sewage systems. Others forage for building materials. Many live communally. Here are a few of their stories.
"Shed" home - Western Washington
Little did Keith Callahan* know when he and his wife started building a shed on their 5-acre property, they were building their house.
Keith and his wife live in a 320-square-foot home (photo above) on a tiny island in the Puget Sound. They originally built their shed-turned-house to store belongings while they traveled in South America. "When we came home, we just moved into it and never left."
That was eight years ago. At first their home had no insulation, no running water and no electricity - just kerosene and candles for light. But living humbly suited their "debt-free" philosophy: "We didn't take any loans out to build it. We built it little by little."
They now have a small solar electric system. Hot running water arrived on Thanksgiving Day 2010, in time for the birth of their son. Water comes from a rain-harvesting system on the roof. Their bathtub and shower are in their garden.
As small business owners, Keith says he and his wife straddle the off-grid world and the "Internet, cell phone, data-exchange" world. "It's hard to keep up. You just have to experience it."


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Availability: Ramada Louisville North
Standard Room, 1 King Bed with Sofabed, SmokingMax Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 2 children, 2 infants)
Standard Room, 1 King Bed with SofabedMax Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 2 children, 2 infants)
Deluxe Room, 2 Queen BedsMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children, 3 infants)
Deluxe Room, 2 Queen Beds, SmokingMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children, 3 infants)
Standard RoomMax Occupancy: 5 guests (up to 4 children, 4 infants)
Louisville hotel with an outdoor pool
When you stay at Ramada Louisville North in Louisville, you'll be in the suburbs and convenient to Howard Steamboat Museum and American Printing House for the Blind.
This hotel is within close proximity of Historic Kentucky Grove and Falls of the Ohio Interpretive State Park.
Make yourself at home in one of the 116 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include desks and complimentary weekday newspapers, as well as phones with free local calls.
Be sure to enjoy recreational amenities including an outdoor pool and a fitness center. Additional features include complimentary wireless Internet access, a fireplace in the lobby, and a television in the lobby.
Enjoy a satisfying meal at a restaurant serving guests of Ramada Louisville North. Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge.
Featured amenities include a business center, express check-in, and express check-out. Event facilities at this hotel consist of conference/meeting rooms and small meeting rooms. Free self parking is available onsite.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
Ramada Louisville North Amenities
- General
Ramada Louisville North features an outdoor pool and a fitness center. The hotel offers a restaurant. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. Guests can enjoy a complimentary breakfast. High-speed wireless Internet access is complimentary.
Business-related amenities consist of a business center and small meeting rooms. 6 meeting rooms are available. This business-friendly hotel also offers complimentary newspapers in the lobby, a fireplace in the lobby, and laundry facilities. Complimentary self parking is available on site.
- Number of meeting rooms - 6
- Free RV, bus, truck parking
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry facilities
- Television in lobby
- Express check-in
- Express check-out
- ATM/banking
- 24-hour front desk
- Free breakfast
- Bar/lounge
- Complimentary newspapers in lobby
- Conference space
- Outdoor pool
- Meeting rooms
- Total number of rooms - 116
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Fireplace in lobby
- Number of floors - 2
- Business center
- Fitness facilities
- Restaurant
- Free self parking
- Internet
Available in all rooms: Free Wi-Fi
Available in some public areas: Free Wi-Fi
- Parking
Free self parking, Free RV, bus, truck parking
- Room Amenities
- Cable TV service
- Free Wi-Fi
- Complimentary weekday newspaper
- Premium TV channels
- Coffee/tea maker
- Hair dryer
- Air conditioning
- Complimentary toiletries
- Desk
- Iron/ironing board
- Climate control
- Access via exterior corridors
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Phone
- Free local calls
- Cribs/infant beds available
- Microwave
- Refrigerator
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Dining
A complimentary breakfast is offered.
El Napol - This restaurant specializes in Mexican cuisine and serves lunch only.
- Recreation
Recreational amenities at the hotel include an outdoor pool and a fitness center.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
Ramada Louisville North Policies & Fees
- Check-in
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Minimum check-in age is 21
- Check-out
Check-out time is noon
- Payment types
Accepted at this hotel: American Express, Diners Club, Discover, JCB International, MasterCard, Visa
- Pets
Pets allowed, Maximum number of pets per room 2, Pet maximum weight in kg is 11, Pet maximum weight in lb is 25
- General
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
No elevators
- Fees
- The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
- Pet fee: USD 10 per pet, per night plus USD 150 one-time cleaning fee
- Deposit: USD 50 per stay
- Additional Details
Children 17 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding. This property allows pets in specific rooms only (surcharges apply and can be found in the Fees section). Guests can request one of these rooms by contacting the property directly, using the contact information on the booking confirmation.


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Senate Poised to Pass Continuing Resolution This Week
After rift with two Republican Senators, Senate back on path to stop government shutdown.
Sen. John McCain, one of two senators who placed holds on the Senate's continuing resolution, has released his hold on the bill.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) backed off their objections against a continuing resolution Wednesday morning, clearing a hurdle that could have doomed a stopgap measure aimed at preventing a government shutdown.
[SEE: Political Cartoons on the Federal Budget]
A Democratic Senate leadership aide said Wednesday the Senate can now open up debate on the CR, introduced by Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-Md) and ranking member Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). Their bill attempts to soften the blow of the $85 billion sequestration for defense and domestic agencies by giving them more flexibility to reallocate the across-the-board cuts.
The legislation would provide numerous departments, including agriculture, commerce, homeland security, justice, defense and veterans affairs with the ability to shuffle around cash to preserve critical functions of each agency.
"We must prevent a government shutdown," Mikulski said in a prepared statement. "Senator Shelby and I worked together on this bipartisan agreement that avoids a shutdown, complies with the Budget Control Act, improves the House CR for many critical priorities, and lets us wrap up fiscal year 2013 so we can get to next year's budget and find a balanced solution to sequester."
[READ: Congress Acting Ahead of Schedule to Stop Shutdown]
Sens. McCain and Coburn put a hold on the CR late Tuesday because they feared the 587-page bill was packed with bloated government waste including $65 million for Pacific coast salmon restoration, $154 million for the military to develop alternative energy programs and more than $990,000 in grants to dig private wells for private property owners.
A spokesman from McCain's office said that McCain and Coburn have read through the bill and released their hold. The two may still introduce amendments to curb what they perceive to be out of control spending provisions in the bill.
"Offering amendments to improve bills of this size and importance is not just our privilege but our responsibility," Coburn said. "The American people have a right to know how we intend to use their tax dollars. The inconvenience we may feel as senators as we cast tough votes is nothing compared to the struggles millions of families in America experience each day because of our failure to manage their resources wisely."
[READ: Does Congress Even Need a Budget?]
The Senate legislation includes numerous appropriations bills for domestic agencies and defense programs. The House version, on the other hand, which passed out of the chamber two weeks ago, includes appropriations bills for the DoD and the VA.
After the Senate passes its bill, which is expected to happen this week, lawmakers will kick it back to conference to work out differences between the two chambers.
Although a gulf remains between the plans Republicans and Democrats on both sides have signaled that a government shutdown is not something they want to play chicken with.
That said, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) could still put a wrench in the negotiations. He indicated on Twitter Wednesday he may cause havoc yet again for the upper chamber, referencing his filibuster last week of an Obama administration nominee.
This time a week ago, I was just getting started on my 13-hour filibuster. Are they ready for round 2? #tcot #filiblizzard
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) March 13, 2013
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©2013 Intuitive Surgical. All rights reserved. Intuitive, Intuitive Surgical, da Vinci, da Vinci S, da Vinci Si, Single-Site, TilePro, FireFly, Skills Simulator, EndoWrist and EndoWrist One are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intuitive Surgical. All other product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
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Posted 12 March 2013 - 10:47 AM
Posted 12 March 2013 - 12:21 PM
I made a similar smallish app for android. Does sound FX and background music.
There's something complicated about memory rentention of objects such as .mp3 or .ogg music where you can lose control of the memory it occupies and when that happens, the stop button no longer works. I'm still scrambling to find how you deal with this in android development.
Posted 12 March 2013 - 12:43 PM
That's the first I've heard about memory retention issues with android. But I haven't done any serious development in it either. Where did you source your sound files?
Posted 12 March 2013 - 12:59 PM
Wow, this will be nice in my next game, thanks, greettings.
"That the reward for you, don´t be so high".
Kaxel Vofer.
Posted 12 March 2013 - 02:11 PM
aphextheory said:
That's the first I've heard about memory retention issues with android. But I haven't done any serious development in it either. Where did you source your sound files?
Music comes directly extracted from the movies. All sound fx come from the online star wars soundboard that you can find in the first results from a google search. I used audacity to edit the clips to keep them as short as possible.
If anyone wants to try my app (send me a PM), just be aware that it still has the bug I described, that it's 11 megs and I will obviously not publish it on Google Play, I don't want to make a cent off some intellectual property that isn't mine. You'll have to copy over the .apk install package and "run it" from a file manager such as ES File Manager (you can find it in Google Play).
Posted 12 March 2013 - 05:01 PM
aphextheory I would love to be able to get this on iPad. I was looking and looking but there is only a crap sound board available.
Posted 13 March 2013 - 03:12 AM
Mu0n, I'd love to give your android app a try, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to send you a PM on this board.
Posted 13 March 2013 - 05:43 AM
Here's the link:
Posted 13 March 2013 - 07:41 AM
It runs on the Ipad as well. The buttons and such are optimized for the retina display on the iPhone 4s, so it looks very pixellated, but still works. Unfortunately, it's not open source like Android, so it's pretty difficult to give anyone a copy. To install it on a device you need a special security cert. as well as a provisioning profile (and it would violate the apple TOS). I just posted it to give people inspiration.
Posted 14 March 2013 - 03:16 AM


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Haydn Shaughnessy, Contributor
I write about enterprise innovation.
Nigam Arora's technical analysis of the Apple stock price suggests it faces a few key days. At one stage Friday it was down at $558, from above $700 in September.
How ludicrous is this? Apple is a top performing company with plenty of room to grow. In the mobile space it is normal to count sales in the hundreds of millions. In computing you are big at 30 million units. Contrast with Nokia. At its peak, the Finnish company sold around 450 million phones a year. Mobile represents scale beyond the dreams of computer makers.
So Apple has upside – here's the story on the iPad Mini. And Apple has reinvented enterprise structures to facilitate extraordinary growth at low relative cost.
What's changed is sentiment. In the past what mattered was trader sentiment – that's why share prices go up and down – but what matters now is pervasive sentiment.
Eighteen months ago I wrote a few pieces here on Forbes about the relationship between specific sentiments and stock price. Here's one on innovation and share price performance.
I wrote about it six months ago too – suggesting that sentiment against Apple was turning. Last week I came back to the issue of public sentiment towards Apple. And shared with readers the view that part of Apple's problems stems from the broad spectrum of opinion forming around its performance. For a number of reasons anti-Apple sentiment has accelerated even as the company's performance improves.
Apple is in a fairly new place with sentiment – performing extremely well but getting nailed by opinion. It's not entirely new. Apple competitor Nokia lost its shine before it lost its competitiveness, taking criticism for its design shortcomings while it was a global powerhouse.
Nokia was poor enough at managing perceptions about its performance that senior management lost the right to manage. And that view is forming around Tim Cook, rightly or wrongly.
The flow of sentiment, and the management of reputation around it, is vastly different from PR, and the reason could be that sentiment analysis is now deeply embedded in trading systems as a buy/sell signal. Here's Chris Thomas from Media Measurement, one of those involved in developing sentiment analysis for trading.
"….automated sentiment analysis is viable commercially ONLY because of high frequency trading applications. Algorithmic trading is an anomaly in that it creates a feedback loop – it almost doesn't matter about the accuracy of the signal, as long as there is a definite pos or neg signal the signal drives the trades, the trades drive further moves in the same direction in terms of investor sentiment and the value lies in latency, who can act first to exploit the opportunity creates, so that's why sentiment analysis is a market at all."
In other words Apple's problems lie in the signals swirling around the market place, all quite detached from its PR machine that largely emerge from social media sources like blogs. We need to know more about the impact of online sentiments. They are clearly taking a toll on Apple right now. Just as clearly we have a misplaced emphasis on social media as a marketing tool when in fact its real impact might be on valuations.
The right way to deal with it – Cook has to up his game and become more of a peer in the community of people building their businesses around Apple.
Related on Forbes:
Follow me on Twitter @haydn1701
You might also like to read The Elastic Enterprise where Nick Vitalari and I analyze Apple's enterprise advantage.
Apple is bleeding their old supporters with their mobile trajectory, which I can't blame them for doing, but as a long term MacPro Book user I found that when the cancelled the 17″ MBP my support for Apple diminished drastically. They are basically saying they don't want the old guard around that helped them build Apple to where it is today.
Because of the weight and hauling it out for airport security, I looked for any reason not to bring my laptop with me traveling. iPad is perfect for 95% of what I need on the road.
88 percent of the apps in Apples app store have never been downloaded. Having a million apps in your app store is not an advantage like Forbes and every other tech/business site would have you believe. I don't know anyone who has 250K apps on their phone. After installing 10-50 main apps that every ecostem has everything else is overkill and fart apps.
For years, Microsoft bragged about it's Windows ecosystem and how many applications they had made them so much better than anything Apple had to offer. Nobody said a word about application overkill. They all just agreed with Microsoft. Of course, now with the ball in Apple's court, the high number of apps means absolutely nothing. I love the way the iHaters flip-flop like a dying fish. Whether the high number of apps means anything or not as far as OS supremacy goes, they're there for whomever wants to download them.
The missing factor in all this future apple speculation is the axiom "once you go mac – you don't go back." People love their apple products. And those apple lovers tend to have more money than the people who buy something else. This isn't speculation. This is reality.
So setting aside all the predictions of how other platforms are going to eat into the apple pie lies the fact that Apple is going to continue to make boatloads of cash as apple owners upgrade to future versions of the iphone and ipad.
With all respect, I have no idea what this article is saying. The last sentence is indicative of the impenetrability of the rest of the piece: "The right way to deal with it – Cook has to up his game and become more of a peer in the community of people building their businesses around Apple." What on earth does that mean?


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|Leola Cullen, 92
|Written by TRF Times
Goodridge - Leola Cullen, 92, died on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 at the Good Samaritan Center in Warren.
Mass of Christian Burial was held on Monday, January 17 at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Goodridge, with Father John Kleinwachter presiding. Casket bearers included Kyle Syverson, Bill Cullen, Mike Cullen, Joe Kuznia, John Cullen, Anthony Cullen and Ron Stucy. Honorary casket bearers included all of Leola's grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Interment was held at Poplar Grove Cemetery in Espelie Township in Marshall County.
Leola Margaret Portwine was born December 13, 1912 in Guttenberg, Iowa, to James and Della (Lewis) Portwine. She comes from a family of seven. Leola attended school through the eighth grade.
Leola was visiting with her sister in Goodridge, when she met her future husband, Thomas Cullen. They were married February 8, 1934 at St. Ann's Catholic Church, Goodridge. They farmed in the Goodridge area raising grain, turkeys, cows, and sheep. Leola and Thomas raised eight children. Leola worked at Valley Home, the Mint Café and Fountain Café in Thief River Falls.
Leola enjoyed crocheting, reading and her garden work and yard work. She also enjoyed camping and loved spending time with her grandchildren, especially when they were babies. She also enjoyed quilting, bird watching, and stamp collecting. She was active with the Goodridge Historical Society. One of the highlights of her life was when she saw the Pope in Iowa.
She served as president of the Senior Citizens in Goodridge. Leola and her husband enjoyed going to auction sales as a past time. She was a member of the St. Ann's Church, Goodridge. Leola was a strong leader and had a deep faith in God. She lived at Valley Home, in Thief River Falls, for awhile before moving to the Good Samaritan Center, Warren in 1992.
She is survived by children, Lauretta (Edward) Stucy of Goodridge, John H. (Jan) Cullen of Goodridge, Agnes (Raymond) Kuznia of Stephen, Tommy (Marilyn) Cullen of Goodridge, Douglas (Virginia) Cullen of Goodridge, Joe Cullen of North Pole, Alaska, and Margaret (Warren) Syverson of Thief River Falls; 36 grandchildren; 70 great grandchildren; 12 great-great-grandchildren; and one sister, Golda Moser of Strawberry Point, Iowa.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas, in 1989; one son Robert; her parents; three grandchildren; one great-grandchild; sister, Mildred Stone; and brothers, Harvey, John, Raymond and Donald. A00003B2005JA19


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Thank you for choosing Summa Health System as your healthcare provider. Our goal is to provide you with the right care at the right time in the right place
A listing of all services offered by Summa Health System
The City of Wadsworth invites residents and visitors, alike, to an open house at the new Wadsworth Community Center on Monday, February 4, 2013 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. All five entities with offerings at the new facility will be available for touring: the SOPREMA Senior Center & Café, Wadsworth Public Library, WCTV, Summa Wadsworth-Rittman Hospital and the YMCA.
Summa Wadsworth-Rittman Hospital's outpatient facility at the Center opens February 4th and will include physical and occupational therapy through Summa Rehab Services, radiology (X-ray), and two sports medicine physicians' offices.
The Wadsworth YMCA oversees the operation of the recreation portion of the facility, which includes 3 indoor pools, a fitness area, and walking track.
The SOPREMA Senior Center & Cafe provides programs, activities and events for seniors of all ages. A full-service kitchen and modern Cafe operated by Windfall Industries in cooperation with the Senior Center is scheduled to open in February.
The Wadsworth Public Library kiosk allows customers to return books, videos and DVDs, or pick up reserved items from secure lockers and access the Library's website from one of the computer workstations in the kiosk.
Wadsworth Community Television (WCTV), the City of Wadsworth's PEG access television studio offers local television coverage to Wadsworth residents, as well as the opportunity to produce their own shows using equipment provided free of charge.
Adjacent to the new Wadsworth High School, the 70,000-square-foot Community Center provides a variety of resources to the greater Wadsworth area, as well as to the high school. Students will have access to the Community Center's 8-lane competition pool for training and competitive meets; and, the school system's new field house features four full-size basketball courts and a walking track which will be available for community use through the YMCA. Visit wadsworthcity.com or call 330.335.2708 for more information on the Community Center.


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Erik Kain, Contributor
I write about video games: the industry and the culture.
The verdict is in, folks, and it's the same as it was last year: calling upset gamers 'entitled' is still a lazy substitute for an argument.
I'll be the first to admit that gamers can often go way over the top when they're upset about something.
Anyone who has been in this business for any length of time has been attacked by one horde or another of video game fans who are Seriously Angry with you because you A) liked a game that they hate or B) disliked a game that they love or C) prefer a specific console or PC over other consoles or the PC. The list goes on. Mobs are irrational, and mobs of gamers are no different.
And so we come to a moment of deja vu, in which we see gamers once again labeled with that most perennial of put-downs: Entitled. Anyone who disagrees with the review consensus of DMC, the Devil May Cry reboot from Ninja Theory and Capcom, is just whining for no good reason apparently.
"Look, kids, the verdict is in: DmC is a lot of fun," writes Brenna Hillier at VG24/7, appealing to authority by linking to a list of scores for the game compiled by VG24/7.
I wasn't aware that there were verdicts when it came to accounting for taste, but I'm likely just behind the times. As a critic of scores, I'm downright hopeless when it comes to verdicts.
From here on out, Hillier's post wanders through a thicket of fallacies.
"What I do not understand is the blithering insanity of Devil May Cry fans in the face of a reboot which does the franchise no harm and by all accounts, quite a lot of good," she writes, apparently unaware that to many fans of the franchise the reboot has done it harm and is not by all accounts "a lot of good."
Simply saying so doesn't make it true. There is no objective barometer of truth when it comes to things like video games.
"The existence of DmC: Devil May Cry doesn't stop the earlier games existing," Hillier continues. "It doesn't betray or compromise that existing (incoherent) vision you love so much. If Microsoft threw up in a puddle and sold it under the name "Halo 5″ it wouldn't stop Halo and its sequels being what they are."
I was never a huge Devil May Cry fan, so this new reboot hasn't really ruffled my feathers despite its obvious shortcomings.
But I can imagine a series of games that I do love very much—the Souls games by From Software, for instance—and I can certainly imagine how I would feel if it Dark Souls 2 changed in ways that hurt the series: betrayed and upset.
This is partly because yes, a new installment in a video game or film franchise really does impact how we feel about the former titles.
This is true in film as well.
For instance, I have never been able to enjoy Star Wars as much as I used to not just because of George Lucas's shameless edits of the old films, but because of how bad the prequel films were. The awfulness of the second trilogy hurt my overall appreciation of the Star Wars universe.
If Microsoft "threw up in a puddle" and sold it as Halo 5 then yes, that would indelibly harm the Halo brand, and cast a long, bleak shadow back on the earlier games.
This is partly because of association and partly because canon entries in a series really do impact earlier installments. A story is not just beginning, middle, and end. It's our appreciation of all these components together that counts.
In Jurassic Park 2 (the book) a main character that died in the first book turned out to be only "mostly dead" in the second. That hurt the original a great deal.
The last two Song of Ice and Fire books by George R. R. Martin have been a huge let down for many fans of the series, and this has cast a pall over the earlier books, regardless of how much better they were.
And yes, of course some fans will go too far in their tactics. You know what they say about bad apples. Petitioning the White House is silly, for instance, but only a tiny handful of Devil May Cry fans have actually done that.
In the internet age, we're privy to all the most ludicrous actions of the vocal minority in every realm of life, but that doesn't mean that anyone upset with this game is just an "entitled" crybaby giving gamers a bad name.
Just because someone doesn't agree with VG24/7′s "verdict" doesn't mean…well it doesn't mean anything actually (and no, a subset of reviews is not scientific proof of quality anymore than you can gauge a game's value after it's been bombed by Metacritic users. These are signposts that can help you in your journey, but not proof of anything at all.)
"And yet despite the complete absence of logic behind this ill-will," Hillier continues, "it runs so strongly that some of you have gone so far as to send death threats to Ninja Theory staff, to accuse VG247 and its peers of corruption, a charge which stinks of conspiracy-theory paranoia, and to write thousands of words of rabid vitriol against Dante's hair colour rather than react like a normal human being to a game that has absolutely no impact on your life and happiness in any meaningful way."
She follows this up with a remarkable saving throw against irony by telling gamers to "grow the #*&$ up" proving once and for all that things that have "absolutely no impact on your life and happiness in any meaningful way" can inspire even the best of us to bouts of rhetorical excess.
Here's my two cents: I'm about fifty-fifty on DmC so far. There's good, bad, and ugly in this game, and I can both enjoy it for what it is and lament it for what it isn't.
But it's good to criticize and to complain when it comes to video games, television, film, and any other thing which we consume for personal enjoyment. That's how you get your point out there. It's not good to do it by issuing death threats, of course, or by attacking the messenger—a much more common fallacy gamers tend to resort to. And of course some people will complain about everything and rarely offer up solutions. Misery loves company, or something like that.
My advice? Make your arguments solid. Make them more solid than your opponents' arguments. Your arguments should be rocks to their scissors. Utilize data whenever possible, and avoid logical fallacies at all costs.
But don't ever think that you can't voice your opinion just because of some artificial "verdict." Just try to be less of a jerk than the new Dante when you do it.
I'll probably be far more mild in my critique of DmC than hardcore fans, but that's because my opinion is going to be inherently different from yours—my taste and my experience and what I want in a game are all unique to me as a gamer and as a human being. Indeed, I imagine many reviewers really did legitimately enjoy DmC.
There is no objective standard here, and there never will be. We are designed to disagree—and that's a good thing.
Follow me on Twitter or Facebook. Read my Forbes blog here.
I think the main concern for many fans in Ninja Theory's DmC is that the release of this new game puts forth a dilemma.
If it sells well, Capcom will assume this is what fans want and continue to churn out more DmC by Ninja Theory, something they consider unacceptable. But at the same time if this game flops, a very real possibility exists that Capcom will abandon the franchise in its entirety, meaning fans will never the the DMC 5 they are waiting for.
Food for thought.
Absolutely agree. I've the same feeling when the new Ace Combat come out. I've feel betrayed when they decided to put down the very unique Strangereal world and go for CoD style story "real world". I fear it will sells well and further incarnation of Ace Combat would be Call of Duty: Sky Combat. Turns out, it did not and I'm really glad about it :)
Never change Erik, these articles are great.
Wow, you're way ahead of me, Erik. I was just about to make the point that this is seen in other mediums like movies (Star Wars) and books (A Song of Ice and Fire), but you beat me to the punch on both. It also happens in TV, as the last two seasons of Lost (especially the last five minutes of the finale) were basically an unmitigated disaster. I'd go ahead and add Final Fantasy to that group. The series has been in decline ever since the release of X over a decade ago, and yet I still see people telling fans of the classics (basically IV through X, but excluding V–though not everyone agrees on exactly which games are classics and which aren't) that they're entitled for actually expecting a new Final Fantasy game to feature top-notch storytelling and not just great graphics and endless hunt side quests to go along with a decent story that is nowhere near the series' best.
There's a reason why fans of great things insist that terrible sequels (or prequels) "never happened." The existence of the terrible sequel somewhat tarnishes the great memories of the original. The Star Wars prequels never happened, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (and I'd throw in Temple of Doom as well) never happened, Major League: Back to the Minors never happened, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III never happened, the final two seasons of Lost never happened and Final Fantasy X-2 never happened (unfortunately, there's just enough good stuff in A Feast for Crows that I can't pretend it didn't happen). At least, that's what I tell myself. But of course, they *did* happen, and that's the problem.
And the thing is, this "entitled" nonsense isn't just restricted to video games. I've seen otherwise intelligent people actually defend the Star Wars prequels* (as good movies, not just that they aren't as bad as they're made out to be) and trash those who disagree. I've seen people defend Lost's ending and tell anyone who disagrees that they just didn't understand it. Just last week, Jason Schreier wrote about the decline of Final Fantasy, and there were a ton of people coming to the defense of the series' disappointing recent games and blasting those who were disappointed. And let's not forget that Neil Gaiman famously said, "George R.R. Martin is not your bitch," which is just about a perfect encapsulation of the "entitled" argument. I didn't realize that giving someone fame and fortune for doing something they ostensibly love is the same thing as "making him your bitch." It is such a stupid argument, and it is so insulting to the fans. It's disgraceful.
And that's what bothers me so much about Hillier's diatribe. Instead of just accepting that people disagree with the critics and moving on (this happens all the time–"Drive" is sporting a 93% rating at Rotten Tomatoes, but it got a C- on Cinemascore–and it doesn't mean either the critics or the fans are necessarily wrong, though I generally side with the fans in most cases because I think critics have a view of the subject matter that is somewhat detached from the average person because they just see so many movies or shows or games and lose a little bit of their grip on what an average person thinks), she has to go out of her way to attack dissenters.
And I absolutely love that she trashes people who complain about things that have "absolutely no impact on your life and happiness in any meaningful way" and tell them to "grow the #*&$ up." Now, I had never heard of Ms. Hillier before this (truth be told, I don't read that much of the gaming press–I hadn't heard of her Web site either), but it appears that she is a full-time video game writer. In other words, she has dedicated her career to things that have (in her own words) "absolutely no impact on your life and happiness in any meaningful way." Irony, thy name is Brenna Hillier. I'm not sure if she's actively trying to be a hypocrite, but she sure has done a great job of it.
I'd agree that some of the criticism is out of line (obviously, death threats are always wrong, and petitioning the White House does seem like an overreaction), but that unfortunately comes with the territory. As George Costanza's psychiatrist once told him, "If you're going to be in a creative field, you're going to have to learn how to deal with criticism." This is true both for the people who create fiction and those who write about it. Unfortunately, it seems like creative people and the writers who cover them also have the thinnest skins. I'm not sure anyone likes negative criticism, but we have to deal with it, especially if we choose to put our product out to the masses and especially if our product is something that is judged subjectively. Biting the hand that feeds is not a good strategy.
*One important note: I'm not saying anyone who likes any of the things I just cited as terrible are wrong. Everyone has different opinions, and that's fine. My problem is that people are attacked for finding something disappointing (or in some cases, for *not* finding something disappointing), especially when they have valid reasons to do so. I have a hard time believing anyone likes Rocky V, but I'm sure there are people who do. I can't understand why anyone would, but I wouldn't insult anyone who does.
As you note in your article, I don't agree when some gamers complain in really offensive ways that are not constructive. This is not entitlement. They're just being jerks.
Death threats and aggressive, offensive language will be taken personally by anyone that worked hard on a project (as pouring countless late nights and time away from family & friends is common place in the industry). There are a lot of people that make games because they love them and think of them as a true art form. These are the people that will be reading these comments. And I think that's only hurting our industry. Attacking the artists trying to do what they can within time, budget & artistic constraints is not going to make games better.
I think as a consumer base we've grown tired of the large conglomerates acquiring our favorite companies only to tarnish beloved franchises with the taint of greed and hopeless misunderstanding of artistic vision. This combined with the internet subculture of enjoying making someone else's life miserable through anonymity makes for a pretty angry & disturbing mob.
Sometimes I wonder if the founders of Bioware left because of the pressures they felt from both the executives and the fans that were pushing on both sides of their artistic vision. Top that off with the fact that you're not really living your life and boom! It's no longer fun anymore and you're out.
I'm afraid if fans keep acting this way, this will just be another reason why great writers, artists, and visionaries will either avoid or quit the gaming industry.
I think Bill O'Reilly should review it and give it a thumbs down.
Having read this article and the blog you linked to by Brenna Hiller I gotta ask if her writing level peaked at junior high. Although, unfortunately, its pratically prolific compared to many of her peers in this industry.
This newest gamers/fanbase VS. developer/journalists is just another example of how badly games journalists need to grow up.
Their target audience isn't always going to be 12 to 21 year olds where runaway hyperbole is considered a witty turn of phrase. The gaming industry is in deperate need of real journalism. A check and balance against the excesses and missteps of the industry as well as a check against the more fanatical excesses of the fan base by being calm and rational.
Instead we have people who are admitted fanboy's/fangirl's who are now inside the industry and more concerned about being best friends with the developers of the games they love. And it shows in the content and quality of the reports and blogs they produce.
The argument that "video games don't matter" made by that other… person, do in deed, make the best of us squirm in our seats. It's hard not to write a rebuttal 50 pages long to such insipid thought-vomit.
But to put it simply: Things matter. Video games do matter. Who are you to say video games do not matter? Are you God? A supreme being capable of deciding what things in the universe do matter? Things may or may not matter, but I for one believe there is a subtle distinction among people philosophically: There are people who have read Hamlet, and people who have not. Err, or rather, they are either alive, have committed suicide, or have not thought whether it is "to be" or not. In the second case, who cares about their opinion? So that leaves us to two kinds of relevant people, people who know they want to live, and people who don't know yet.
If you want to live, chances are, saying a phrase like, "It doesn't matter" comes hard to you. Because ALL THINGS MATTER WHEN YOU ARE ALIVE. If you're some nihilistic goth who's ready to cut his or her arteries and bleed out in a bathtub, great, but for the rest of us, things matter. Saying that they don't, as some kind of argument, and saying that thinking they matter is "childish" — is just… well ignorant is the wrong word, but it's disgustingly trite, uninspired and underdeveloped.
Any "journalist" who utters the word "entitled" in serious reference to any audience is just trying to pander to nerd-rage-views. That's it. It has absolutely no meaning or value and contributes nothing. Video games matter. Especially if you're a consumer supporting an industry that makes these "works of art".
If you're alive today, then you should care if Capcom shits all over one of its most beloved series. You should care if a game isn't made to your tastes. And you should explain why you don't like it. So at the very least, the developers know what kinds of people won't buy their game when they make it.
The problem is most gamers feel as if their opinions is the only right one and it should go there way and if not it's shit. Look at all the heat "fans" of the game gave just for the hair. Really? Hair? That's all it takes? The game is out and the general consensus is, it's not as good as the godly 3, but solid game. That doesn't keep people from saying "I will not buy this shitty game" without playing 1 second of it. It's based on some sort of experience, you can say it doesn't appeal but to say it sucks is another jump. Not saying that in order to have an opinion you HAVE to do it but in general you kinda do. That's how we spread word about good food, movies, games, music.
But again, it's NOT just the hair that the fans of the game are complaining about. it's everything else about the game. Did you even read the article?


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SOURCE Society for Information Display (SID)
CAMPBELL, Calif., May 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society for Information Display (SID), together with IHS Technology, today announced that early bird registration for the Business Conference and Market Focus Conference (MFC) Series at Display Week 2014 ends Friday, May 16th.
Business Conference, Monday, June 2
This year's Business Conference takes place on Monday, June 2nd and will focus on how the rise of the LCD has made high-quality electronic displays ubiquitous, enabling the new era of flat-panel TVs, smartphones, tablets and wearable devices. But is the innovation phase that propelled LCD technology to dominance coming to an end? With the theme of "Creating a Path to the Future of Display," the Business Conference will feature a notable lineup of top industry insiders and IHS experts that will reveal the key market and technology trends shaping the future of the panel display industry.
Touch Gesture Motion Conference, Wednesday, June 4
For the 5th year, the Touch Gesture Motion (TGM) MFC is bringing together a blend of experts in the rapidly developing and amazingly diverse area associated with human interaction with display devices. While direct touch technologies have become commonplace, other sensory technologies that involved gesture and motion recognition, now combining with facial and emotion recognition, are enabling technology to more accurately anticipate human expectations.
The TGM event will provide attendees with an opportunity to consider some of the latest developments in the field. The goal of the event is not only to educate and inform, but also to entertain the mind with some novel ideas that are likely to change the way we interact with display devices in the future.
The conference's mid-morning keynote will be from Marnie Bartlett, founder and lead scientist for Emotient. Her keynote will be complemented by presentations from other companies and organizations at the forefront of this sector.
Flexible Display Conference, Thursday, June 5
In its first year, the Flexible Displays MFC is taking the idea of a "flexible display" out of the laboratory and into the commercial market. Speakers from both display manufacturers and system-level companies will discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with getting flexible devices to market. It's not obvious that traditional display devices have a need for true flexibility, but delegates will learn about opportunities for new ways in which traditional solutions can be configured.
Additionally, speakers will be considering new markets that may open up as a result of the availability of truly flexible displays. The goal of the event is to help delegates explore novel form factors, new manufacturing processes, and the implications these changes may have on the market for flexible displays.
Click here to view the full agenda for all conferences and participating companies/speakers.
About Display Week
The 51st SID International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition, or Display Week 2014, will take place June 1-6, 2014, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif. Display Week is the premier international gathering of system integrators, consumers, scientists, engineers and manufacturers in the field of electronic information displays. For more information on Display Week 2014, visit www.displayweek.org or follow us on Twitter at @DisplayWeek. Display Week-related tweets can be created, viewed and shared using the hash tag #SID2014.
About SID
The Society for Information Display (SID) is the only professional organization focused on the display industry. In fact, by exclusively focusing on the advancement of electronic display technology, SID provides a unique platform for industry collaboration, communication and training in all related technologies while showcasing the industry's best new products. The organization's 6,000-plus global members are professionals in the technical and business disciplines that relate to display research, design, manufacturing, applications, marketing and sales. To promote industry and academic technology development, while also educating consumers on the importance of displays, SID hosts more than ten conferences a year, including Display Week, which brings industry and academia all under one roof to showcase technology that will shape the future. SID's global headquarters are located at 1475 S. Bascom Ave., Ste. 114, Campbell, CA 95008. For more information, visit www.sid.org.
About IHS (www.ihs.com)
IHS Technology (NYSE: IHS) is the leading source of information, insight and analytics in critical areas that shape today's business landscape. Businesses and governments in more than 165 countries around the globe rely on the comprehensive content, expert independent analysis and flexible delivery methods of IHS to make high-impact decisions and develop strategies with speed and confidence. IHS has been in business since 1959 and became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange in 2005. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, USA, IHS is committed to sustainable, profitable growth and employs approximately 8,000 people in 31 countries around the world. IHS is a registered trademark of IHS Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Copyright © 2014 IHS Inc. All rights reserved.
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This is a lovely fixture for my little girl's room. It was easy to put the crystals on, maybe they improved the design since some of the other reviewers said it had been difficult for them. Took maybe 15 minutes to do so. Quality is fairly good, can't beat it for the price. We live in an older home and this fixture has that nicely antiqued look that feels authentic.
A lovely mini-chandelier! Works great in a small laundry room, bringing lots of charm to an otherwise boring space. Does require some assembly with the crystals and the directions did not exactly match up with the number of pieces/holes to put them in, but was otherwise pretty straight forward. My set seemed to have extra clear crystals in addition to the pink, so I was able to leave the pink off. (My plan in the first place!) Sturdy and beautiful!
Such a pretty chandelier! So sparkly and girly! Looks great in my girls' room... it matches perfectly with her decor. I can't speak for longevity but so far we are loving it!
This chandelier is perfect for my 4-year old daughter's room. It looks just like the advertised picture and we didn't have to pay too much for it. We wanted several lights on the chandelier and it was difficult to find so many lights on a chandelier at that price point. It installed with no glitches, and works fine.
I bought this for my little grand-daughter for her 5th birthday which is coming up. I am sure she will love it.
Placed in my daughter's room. She loves the genuine beauty. It gives off just the right amount of light. The beads were a bit time consuming to place but overall a good buy.
I bought this for my bedroom closet and I love it! Perfect size, nice quality. It looks just as I expected.
This mini Chandelier is not off white as it looks in the picture. It is actually a pure white color and does not look vintage as shown. The quality is average and the majority of my crystals arrived scratched. Over all you get what you paid for. The packaging is good and the delivery was speedy. It looks cute hung up in my daughters bedroom bit nothing fancy. I would recommend since I only paid XX.XX for it.
Didn't love this for the money! Thought it would be white and it's antique white. Returning it for something white.
I love, love, love this little chandelier! This is the second one I have purchased for my home. I used one in my remodeled laundry room and this one is for my master closet. Adds a bit of glam to both spaces!
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Traverse City Record-Eagle
— KALKASKA — A Kalkaska teen died in an Ingersoll Road accident after her vehicle left the roadway.
Stormi Ann Elkins, 15, was killed on impact in a crash early Friday. Authorities said she was on a curve just east of Deibert Road but was unable to stay on the road, struck several trees and came to rest in waist-deep water on the edge of Ingersoll Lake.
Kalkaska County Sheriff Dave Israel said Elkins did not have driver's license, but did have a learner's permit. He said the vehicle belonged to the family of one of the vehicle's three male occupants, who were aged between 17 and 19 years old.
"We're not sure where they had been," he said.
One of the passengers crawled out of the vehicle and walked a mile to a neighborhood house to report the accident. Israel said all three received treatment at Munson Medical Center and at least one was seriously injured.


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4 ways to fight financial failure in 2010
1. Focus on service. Good service is always important, but businesses that have always had it as a mantra are still seeing results.
2. Be smart about cost cutting. Cutting the obvious dead weight was easy. But from here on, all cuts are best handled with care. Practice owners who cut too deep will face trouble hiring qualified team members when the economy turns around.
3. Train. Turn downtime into learning time. Better-educated team members make for better client service and can be an added boost.
4. Hold back on spending. Pay down debt, but think long and hard about prepaying any loans. Keeping cash on hand can be more important than prepaying a mortgage whose ending balance is decades away.
Practice owners who take an active role in practice management are staying afloat and sometimes excelling, according to the newsletter. There's no reason you can't be in that group.


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Javier Marías: Haa-vee-air Mar-ee-us
Javier Marías was born in Madrid in 1951. The recipient of numerous prizes, including the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the Prix Femina Étranger, he has written thirteen novels, three story collections, and nineteen works of collected articles and essays. His books have been translated into forty-three languages, in fifty-two countries, and have sold more than seven million copies throughout the world.
This biography was last updated on 08/31/2013.
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UPDATE 2:25 p.m. Dec. 6:
A toilet-paper-wearing man who alarmed parents and school staff Tuesday morning at Temecula Luiseño Elementary was not arrested, a sheriff's official said.
"Several deputies went out there and located the man on Wolf Creek," said Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Lisa McConnell. "He was never on the school campus and was not attempting to get on campus. The call was a suspicious person and the man was given a ride home."
There was no arrest and no report taken, McConnell said.
A barefoot man draped in toilet paper alarmed parents dropping their children off Tuesday at a Temecula school.
The incident occurred at about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday at Temecula Luiseño Elementary School, 45754 Wolf Creek Drive North, a district spokesperson confirmed.
Temecula Valley Unified School District Spokesperson Melanie Norton said the incident was called to the attention of the school's principal, Tim Dignan, by staff and parents who noticed the oddly outfitted man walking on the sidewalk in front of the school.
"(He was) wearing loose fitting clothing and had toilet paper wrapped around his body and head. In one hand he had a roll of toilet paper and in the other a black wallet," Norton said.
When approached by the principal, she said the man did not respond or turn his head to look at him.
"At that time, the principal called 911," Norton said.
In an effort to lead the man away from the school, Norton said Dignan walked alongside him for a few blocks. The principal was aided by a parent who happened to be an off-duty police officer who drove alongside them in his vehicle, she said.
"After walking for a few blocks, the man stopped, took the toilet paper off and began walking back toward the school," Norton said.
By that time, she said five or six parents—all of whom were Military or off-duty officers—were driving alongside the principal and the man.
"As they approached the front of school, two police officers from the Temecula Police Department and a school resource officer were able to take the individual in for questioning without incident," Norton said.
Dignan sent an email and automated phone call to parents immediately after the incident, reassuring parents the man was not armed and did not act in an aggressive manner, Norton said.
"The safety of our students is our utmost concern and we are grateful for the alert parents who first brought this to the attention of school staff as well as those who provided their assistance until the police arrived," Norton said.


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Earlier today on my Facebook page, I made an announcement that most everyone who already knows me already knew: I am a Republican. And I am not a horrible person. I believe in being fiscally conservative, but am also quite socially liberal. I am a Christian. I don't hate any minority populations as a general rule. I don't believe everyone who happens to be poor is just lazy and living off the system. I think homosexual couples should be able to marry just like heterosexual couples. I'm not rich - far from it, in fact.
I wish the entertainment industry would stop using television shows and movies to play the "Good Democrat, Bad Republican" game over and over and over again. I wish awards shows were simply shows in which entertainment awards were bestowed and grateful winners did not take the opportunity to spout off about politics - no matter which party they support - but simply said, "thank you" and maybe shed a few tears of gratitude. I wish the sentiments of anti-bullying and being non-judgemental were applied to me just as I apply it to others. No one - of any race, color, creed, gender, persuasion or political party - likes to be judged on only one facet of their personality or belief system.
I grew up in a heavily Democratic family. In fact, I'm one of the only Republican members of that family and I have had my share of debates and even battles. Through trial and error, I learned which family members and friends were "safe" to talk to about politics; meaning they wouldn't cut me off or spout pithy remarks meant to belittle me and my opinions and they would actually hear me out and listen to my point of view. I'm quite certain that I have never swayed anyone to my point of view in any of those conversations, just as my opinions, while perhaps modified or more well-rounded, haven't changed, either. I always appreciated having conversations with those who listen, share their thoughts and don't make it personal or argumentative.
Rather than feeling truly free to think and express my opinions and leanings, I've more often than not covered them up. Not really hiding them, per se, but just not being forthcoming about them. I don't have bumper stickers or key chains. I don't make financial contributions to any political party or group. And I hold an equal disdain for telemarketers from both campaigns. Democratic and Republican ads alike receive the same treatment when the remote control is in my hand: the mute button is firmly pressed.
But I've grown tired. From my observations, bullying a Republican is okay (we're heartless, selfish and unfeeling anyway, right?). In my experiences, admitting to supporting or agreeing with a Republican political official is an invitation to name-calling, pulled faces and snide remarks. Even though I, personally, go out of my way to not begin or respond in kind. Several years ago, someone said to me, "When you grow up, you'll realize how stupid it is for you to be Republican." I once was tempted to put a pro-Republican bumper sticker on my car and someone else told me I shouldn't because my car would likely be keyed for the sentiment. Those, and many other examples, have led me to believe that, as long as you aren't a Republican, you are entitled to your opinion, and your voice should be heard by anyone and everyone. There's free speech, after all. That is, as long as you're not a Republican.
Now, I don't believe this is true of everyone. But, this has been true in much of my personal experience with a great many of my personal friends, family members and acquaintances. Many, but not all. And it strikes me as sad. I should be able to make my voice and opinion heard - in appropriate venues and at appropriate times - without fear of being shushed because it isn't the opinion or belief of the majority in the room. Without fear of reprisal in the form of snide remarks and character judgements. Without the reaction I honestly received from one person when she found out that I am a Republican: "But you can't be! I like you!"
Sure, to a large extent, this is human nature. The baser inclination to mock someone or something different than ourselves. And I certainly can't expect the whole of humanity to rise above that instinct (though I wish it would!). My point being is that I'm done biting my tongue and covering my tracks so that people don't feel differently about me or don't look at me differently or judge me because of my opinions and political leanings. I am me. I am a Republican. I am a good person. And those who are going to judge, demean, mock, ridicule or not like me anymore because of it can go right on ahead and do so.


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Do banana plugs fit into stock vintage Polks? It seems like the posts on the vintage Polks are about half size of new speakers and I'm thinking that only about half the banana plug will even fit, or am I way off base here?
Lastly, is bare wire better than pin type connectors for spring loaded terminals such as on the Monitor 4's? My logic says yes because the area of contact on the pin would be much smaller than bare wire squished down as well as it seems the pins could move around/fall out easily, or am I way off base again?


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12:29PM After late certification arrival what position did Lakeshore move to? Second.
And who got contract 2014? Lakeshore.
Did you discuss with Mercado who the contracts should go to? Yes he didn't want both to go to one company so DPM would get 2015 and Lakeshore would get 2014.
Mercado "didn't like to put all his eggs in one basket" by giving both contracts to one company.
Had you ever seen certifications being revoked or issued like this? No it only happened on one other contract that I can remember.
Latimer says the pulling of the certification for DLZ reduced their score and put Lakeshore in the running.
Do you know if Ferguson Enterprises was sub-contractor on 2014? I believe so.
Did Superior's technical proposal meet all the standards? Yes.
12:34PM A recommendation from Latimer to Gary Fujita and Mercado in May 25th 2006 on awarding contract 2014.
Latimer recommended the contract go to Lakeshore. Lakeshore's costs are about $1.6 million higher than Superior Engineering? Yes.
Another recommendation from Latimer in May 2006 this time on May 23rd 2006 on contract CM 2015.
Detroit Program Management team was recommended. Superior's costs were about $2 million less than DPM team.
If they had gone with Superior would that have resulted in saving costs? Latimer says he can't say for sure.
If superior had performed contract as anticipated would that have resulted in cost savings to department? Yes says Latimer.
Thomas objects as speculation. Judge sustains
12:39PM Jim Thomas for Kwame Kilpatrick cross-examines.
Thomas says he wants to talk about what was going on in the city of Detroit at the time.
Discusses the hiring of minority persons.
Were you aware of preferences given to minorities? Latimer says that was in the past but it was struck down.
But there was in the 24 years a preference. and the reason for that? Because there was a disparity in terms of business says Latimer.
Thomas asks Latimer to explain multiplier factor.
That was struck down by the supreme court says Thomas.
When did Detroit headquarter business come into effect? Latimer says not sure somewhere around 2000.
But it was in effect around the time of these businesses we were talking about? Correct says Latimer.
That is still in effect even now? Correct says Latimer.