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Amazon launches an online store for 3-D printed wares
The marketplace gives consumers access to more than 300 products created using a 3-D printer.
Amazon launches an online store for 3-D printed wares
The marketplace gives consumers access to more than 300 products created using a 3-D printer.
Amazon's Q2 revenue increases 23%
The e-retailer reports a $126 million net loss, stemming from a $640 million year-over-year increase in spending in the quarter on technology and content ...
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There were no secret ingredients that turned Diapers.com from a category leader into a category killier in 2009.
There were no secret ingredients that turned Diapers.com from a category leader into a category killer in 2009. And it also wasn't rocket science. Instead what Diapers.com, No. 85 in the in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, did to grow sales 104% to $182 million last year from $89 million in 2008 was to keep plugging away at what it does best: providing solid customer service and creating a unique online shopping experience for young parents and soon-to-be parents. While other web retailers scaled back their spending on marketing, merchandising and inventory because of the bad economy, Diapers.com went ahead and expanded its inventory to 60,000 products and used a combination of initiatives such as trucking orders from its various warehouses to the hubs of major shippers, to offer next-day delivery to 70% of its customers. Next year Diapers.com, which had just $2.5million in web sales its first year in business in 2005, expects to offer next-day delivery to 80% of its customer base. "We built this business on the basics of good customer service," says CEO Marc Lore. "We've never lost sight of that." Web retailers, whether they are on the way up or already there, can't stray too far from online retailing fundamentals – but many do. Diapers.com is morphing from category leader to category killer because it knows who its customers are – mostly time-starved and burden-laden young moms – and it keeps on creating an easier and more relevant shopping experience that makes them repeat buyers. The formula works. In 2010, Diapers.com expects sales to top $300 million. What's the takeaway for other web retailers here? To be a category killer, never forget that it's all about serving the customer. Like Diapers.com, keep that fundamental in mind and everything will fall into place.
As B2B e-commerce companies face increasing competition, MarketLive founder and CEO Ken Burke offers tips ...
Posted 07/07/14
NetSuite's Owen Fayle provides several tips on how to effectively engage online B2B customers.
Posted 06/30/14
Companies must design mobile sites specifically for the use cases and needs of B2B customers.
Posted 06/24/14
When developing a B2B mobile commerce strategy, it's best to first understand what your customers ...
Posted 06/16/14
If there's something you've bought offline that you weren't able to buy online, we're probably thinking about that."


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Step Back in Time features news items from The Daily Star 25 and 50 years ago.
25 years ago
Nov. 28,Text ColorSwatch/NoneStrokeStyle/$ID/SolidText ColorSwatch/NoneStrokeStyle/$ID/Solid$ID/NothingText ColorText Color$ID/NothingText ColorText Color 1987
SIDNEY — The committee preparing for a Hungarian-Romanian refugee family coming to Sidney has been given extra time because the family will not arrive until January.
"We were given a reprieve and now we can take some time to get everything settled," said Tim Morley, part of the committee.
The group originally thought the Kalman family would come to the United States after the first of the year. But later they learned the family was given refugee status in August, after which it normally takes about three months to arrange visas and transportation. The committee had to scramble to find housing, jobs and household items for the family, who might have arrived as early as November.
A cable two weeks ago told the committee to expect Otto and Irma Kalman and their two children, ages 12 and 16, after Jan. 1, said Morley. The family is now in a refugee camp in Traiskirschen, Austria.
The committee is still looking for a job for Otto Kalman, who worked as a machine mechanic and welder before leaving Romania. The family also needs a three-bedroom apartment or house to rent.
The Church World Service Refugee Resettlement of Central New York matched the Kalman family with the Sidney group, made up of representatives of several Sidney churches.
Church World Service matched the Kalmans with the Sidney group because there is already a Romanian family living in the village, which could help during the Kalmans' adjustment.
50 years ago
Nov. 28, 1962
COOPERSTOWN — A total of $305,000 is earmarked in the 1963 approved Otsego County Budget, designating roads of the county road system to be either constructed or reconstructed.

subset: commoncrawl


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By Ronnie Ellis
CNHI News Service
LEXINGTON — They call it the Lincoln Day Dinner, but when Kentucky Republicans gathered Saturday night at the Hyatt Regency, it was mostly about Mitch McConnell.
Mitch McConnell and Barack Obama.
McConnell was the star attraction, and he didn't disappoint the 300 Republicans on hand — or at least most of them. Spotted in the crowd were some associated with the tea party, including Louisville businessman Matthew Bevin who has been mentioned as a potential 2014 primary opponent for McConnell.
Even with no announced Democratic opponent yet, McConnell made clear his 2014 election strategy: make President Barack Obama the opponent.
A campaign web video preceded McConnell's speech and he showed another during his remarks, this one focusing on the IRS targeting of conservative groups seeking non-profit status. It is filmed in dark, foreboding light, raises alarms about the IRS controversy and even features a brief shot of Richard Nixon.
McConnell then told the crowd his 2014 race will be the most significant election in America and Democrats "would like nothing better than to take me down."
But he pointed out that Obama only carried four Kentucky counties in 2012 and promised to win in 2014 and "go back and be Barack Obama's worst nightmare for the last two years of his presidency."
He said after the 2008 election, Obama and Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress passed "a trillion dollar stimulus" (actually about $800 billion) which McConnell went on to blame for the poor economy.
Things got better in 2010, he said, when voters gave Republicans control of the House and his own party made McConnell the Minority Leader.
McConnell said Obama has "created a depression in the coal-fields," and the man Democrats call the "chief obstructionist" called Obama "a very divisive president." He pounded Obama on the IRS and the administration's "arrogance of power."
As is his recent habit, McConnell declined to take questions from reporters.
Bevin talked briefly with a couple of journalists. But he didn't provide any clues about his plans, saying there's really nothing to tell. When asked if he is at least considering a race, he hesitated and then said:
"When there's a time and something to tell you, I'll let you know."
McConnell's Republican Senate colleague, Rand Paul, was vacationing at Lake Cumberland with his family and didn't attend.
He sent a video address in which he talked about issues "Sen. McConnell and I" have worked together on, from the Freedom to Fish Act to military issues. Unlike McConnell, Paul also harshly criticized the National Security Agency review of telephone records.
McConnell was preceded on the program Sixth District Congressman Andy Barr, state House Minority Whip John "Bam" Carney, state Senate President Robert Stivers and Agriculture Commissioner James Comer.
Comer — viewed by some in the party as a potential 2015 gubernatorial candidate — received a standing ovation and introduced McConnell.
Comer used one of his lines both to praise McConnell and hint at his own plans.
He said the "A-team" of the Democratic Party, referring to Gov. Steve Beshear, Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson and other Democratic office holders, chose not to challenge McConnell in 2014 and seem to think their prospects are better in 2015.
"But I've got some bad news for them — they're not going to win that race either," Comer said as the crowd cheered.
Barr hit on his usual themes, criticizing the size and spending of the federal government and the Affordable Care Act which he called "Obamacare." Barr said the "lesson from the (2012) election is that Washington is worse than ever."
He criticized the IRS and NSA controversies or scandals even more forcefully: "Tyranny is just around the corner."
Carney zeroed in on Republican hopes of taking control of the state House in 2014 when McConnell will head the ticket.
"I want to thank Sen. McConnell," Carney said, and then, looking at McConnell seated in front of the podium, he said, "I'm proud to run with you in 2014."
That was a double reference to the discomfort of Kentucky Democrats running last year on the same ticket with Obama as well as Republicans' hope that McConnell's 2014 coat tails will carry them to a majority in the state House.
Stivers said, "We are the party of Lincoln and we are the true abolitionists," talking about Republican sponsored education legislation that he said will boost the fortunes of the poor and minorities.
Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cnhifrankfort.


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A New Fairfield man faces first-degree manslaughter charges after allegedly shooting his wife at the couple's home Saturday night, according to police sources cited by the Associated Press.
The deceased, identified by the AP as 47-year-old Svetlana Bell, was a music teacher at Wilton's Cider Mill School, according to the Wilton Bulletin.
Robert Bell, 63, called police shortly after 7 p.m., according to the AP. Svetlana Bell, unresponsive on the kitchen floor had gunshot wounds in her chest and was pronounced dead at Danbury Hospital, the AP said.
Robert Bell is to be arraigned Monday in state Superior Court in Danbury.
Tax records show a one-story ranch house at 8 Hilltop Drive in New Fairfield (pictured) has been owned by Robert and Svetlana Bell since December 1998.
According to a cached faculty profile from a private music school in Danbury, Svetlana Bell had been a string instructor at Cider Mill and a member of the Danbury Symphony Orchestra. A teacher for 20 years, she had received her early instruction in music in Russia and had gone on to become a teacher in Connecticut after attending Western Connecticut State University in Danbury and Charter Oak State College in New Britain, the profile says.


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The Smithtown branch of the Smithtown Special Library District closed its doors Sunday to start boxing up books, DVDs, computers and more, in preparation for building renovations.
"Most likely it will take around two-to-three weeks to everything emptied out of here," said Robert Lusak, library director. "Office spaces will be moved out last. A majority of books and DVDs will be going into storage, some materials are going over to Nesconset."
With the June 30 opening of the Nesconset branch at the old armory, the Smithtown branch can move forward with the building and renovation process, which Lusak said could be complete by the end of this year, if not early 2012.
Lusak said the construction for the Smithtown building would be different than the other branches because much of the current building will remain as is, with new paint, light bulbs and fixtures, and more.
Work on the roof is scheduled to be complete Wednesday.


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Study Rooms
Reserve a Library Group Study Room:
- By completing the online reservation form
- By e-mail
- By phone: 213.736.1117
- In person at the Circulation Desk
To reserve a group study room, please submit the following information:
- Full name of all group members. Please note that some rooms require at least three students.
- Study Room number
- Day(s) and Time(s) of reservation. Please note that rooms can be reserved for a maximum of four hours per day.
To view room availability, please click on the desired study room below to view the study room calendar. [Maps of the floors are available in brackets]:
Small rooms (Minimum of two students required)
- R12 [Rains Basement]
- MCR1, MCR2, MCR3, MCR4, MCR5, MCR6 [Rains 1st floor Media Center]
- R151 [Rains 1st floor]
- R220, R221, R222, R223, R224, R225, R226, R227, R228, R229, R230, R241 [Rains 2nd floor]
- R206 [Computer Lab]
- C203, C205 [Casassa 2nd floor]
- C303 [Casassa 3rd Floor]
Large rooms (Minimum of three students required)
- R5, R14 [Rains Basement]
- C204 [Casassa 2nd floor]
- C302 [Casassa 3rd Floor]
- C405 [Casassa 4th floor]
After submitting your request, please check the room calendar to verify your reservation. We will make every effort to post your reservation within one hour (during library hours). You can make reservations up to two weeks in advance.
For any questions, please contact the Circulation Desk (213.736.1117), or see the complete Group Study Room Rules.
William M. Rains Law Library
919 Albany St
Los Angeles, CA 90015


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Journal Sentinel TV and film critic Duane Dudek looks at life on the small and big screen, and some of the cool stuff on both.
Packers' Driver joins 'Dancing With The Stars,' joins Urkel
ABC announced Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver would be a contestant on the 14th season of "Dancing With the Stars." Driver is the Packers' all-time leading receiver.
Driver's partner will be Peta Murgatroyd, who is in her second season on the show.
According to ABC's bio of Driver, he "overcame a childhood of homelessness to become a Super Bowl champion and the all-time leading receiver in Green Bay Packers history.
"After being selected in the last round of the NFL draft, he went on to hold the Packers' all-time receiving records for yards and receptions as well as a host of others."
Other contestants this season include: Jack Wagner of "Melrose Place"; Melissa Gilbert of "Little House on the Prairie"; "The View" co-host Sherri Shepherd; Jaleel White, best known as Steve Urkel from "Family Matters"; tennis star Martina Navratilova; TV host Maria Menounos; singer Gladys Knight; opera singer Katherine Jenkins; Disney star Roshon Fegan; singer Gavin DeGraw; and telenovela actor William Levy.
In 2000, Driver and his wife created the Donald Driver Foundation to help homeless mothers and underprivileged kids. The foundation offers high school scholarships.
He is "a force to be reckoned with," "Dancing With the Stars" host Tom Bergeron said when he introduced the new cast Tuesday morning on "Good Morning America."
Hines Ward of the Pittsburgh Steelers won season 12 of "DWTS."
Other athletes who have appeared on the show include football alum Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and Warren Sapp, skaters Evan Lysacek, Kristi Yamaguchi, driver Helio Castronoves, and basketball players Rick Fox and Ron Artest, a.k.a. Metta World Peace.
The new season starts March 19. The show is a strong ratings performer for ABC and in the past its finale during the May ratings sweeps has helped local affiliate WISN-TV win the 10 p.m. news race. The question is can Driver make it that far?
There are plenty of cheesecake shots of 31-year-old Australian Murgatroyd on the web.
The photo above features her and former partner Artest.
Here is a link to her website, which is called Heavens to Murgatroyd.
Below watch a clip of Murgatroyd and Artest, who were the first couple booted off the show during season 13.
Tags: Donald Driver : Dancing with Stars : Packers
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I see a mirror ball trophy in his future! I'm so happy for him!!
Get ready to vote people and let's blow up their phone lines!!Hide replies
I agree - every vote counts and it's so easy to do online....I think his only competition will be from Jaleel White, Urkel from Family Matters.. He will have a large fan base.
What fun!
Historically, and for some unknown reason, the ratings for DWTS in the Milwaukee market have been near the top for the entire country. I think it's safe to say that we'll now have the HIGHEST ratings in the country this season.
BTW, wonder how Double D will incorporate his "first down" gesture into his dance routine?
Great to hear...still won't watch.
It will be hard to beat Ms. Knight.Hide replies
Midnight train to Georgia, baby!
Say it ain't so Joe .
I've never been a regular viewer, but I'll be putting this on my DVR now. Go DD! Not to mention Urkel and Half Pint will be there too. Great TV!
They'll all be doing the Lambeau Leap !!!
Heavens to Murgatroyd! Exit stage left.


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Emmy winner Holland Taylor stars as former Texas governor Ann Richards in the new solo play Ann. Find out if the new bio-play won the votes of Broadway.com Word of Mouth panelists Anna, Fernando and Elissa.
Tupac Shakur has come to Broadway with the official opening of Holler If Ya Hear Me at the Palace Theatre. Star Saul Williams and the rest of the crazy talented cast talk about bringing hip hop to the Great White Way.June 20, 2014
Pippin's Ciara Renée gives us a sample of one of the many JT songs to be featured in Broadway Sings Justin Timberlake at 54 Below on July 14.July 9, 2014
Cabaret Tony nominee Danny Burstein shares his favorite Broadway credit and reveals his true feelings for Tony Shalhoub.May 30, 2014
Put down the knitting, the book and the broom and check out video footage of Alan Cumming, Michelle Williams and more in Cabaret at Studio 54.April 22, 2014
Scenes from the Broadway production of "The Lion King"January 21, 2010
In a very special look at life backstage at If/Then, James Snyder hangs out in the pit, does some work as a Broadway dresser and interviews Idina Menzel. Now that is one awesome vlog!June 6, 2014
The upcoming star of the Broadway's Les Miserables, Ramin Karimloo, sang with his idol, original Jean Valjean Colm Wilkinson, at a special charity event in Toronto.January 16, 2014
Broadway.com puts on some make-up, turns on the eight-track and catches up with Neil Patrick Harris at the opening night of John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask's Hedwig and the Angry Inch.April 23, 2014
See stars Zach Braff, Marin Mazzie and more sing, dance and talk about about Woody Allen's new killer musical comedy Bullets Over Broadway, directed by Susan Stroman.February 13, 2014
Something's been brewing at off-Broadway's McKittrick Hotel, where the Macbeth-inspired noir adventure Sleep No More has been running. Find out what makes this unique show one of the most unforgettable theater experiences in New York.June 25, 2013
John Lloyd Young, who is back in Jersey Boys through September 30, stopped by Broadway.com to answer burning questions from fans like you!August 31, 2012
In Violet, Sutton Foster and Joshua Henry star as a physically scarred white woman and a young black solider whose unlikely friendship shakes up a town nestled in deep south in 1964. Check out Broadway.com's clips from the Encores! staging.July 17, 2013


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S J Watson was born and grew up in Stourbridge, in the West Midlands, England. After graduating with a degree in physics from Birmingham University, Watson moved to London and began working with the hearing impaired in various London hospitals, eventually specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of hearing impaired children, while spending evenings and weekends writing fiction.
In 2009, Watson was accepted into the first Faber Academy 'Writing a Novel' course. Before I Go to Sleep is the result. Now sold in over 30 languages around the world, Before I Go to Sleep has also been acquired for film by Ridley Scott's production company, Scott Free, with Rowan Joffe to direct.
This biography was last updated on 05/18/2011.
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Just a few years ago, downtown New Haven was transformed to look as though it was still the 1950s in the university city. Locals could walk down Chapel and see that Starbucks was offering – supposedly – 5-cent drafts. Very little of the scenery actually made it into the fourth Indiana Jones film, but the level of detail was convincing, even for your average pedestrian – like me.
Do Branford and surrounding shoreline towns have a Hollywood history? It has a connection to at least one film, the 1963 World War II feature, The Great Escape. Do you know how the film is related to Branford?
Do you know any other films that have featured Branford, or have had bits filmed here? Inquiring minds, like this history columnist, want to know!


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John Devine, Dave Kellogg and Tommy Wright discuss the CCS playoffs.
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The Monterey County Herald's commenting service is provided by Disqus. We encourage commenters to use their real names and to respect other commenters and readers.
New Jersey sues over Florida pizza shop logo
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Turnpike Authority wants a Florida pizza shop to pay a big toll for using a logo similar to the Garden State Parkway's green and yellow signs. Full Story
(Richard Shotwell/Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Bing Crosby's kids recall dad's duet with Bowie
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — David Bowie's duet with Bing Crosby on the entertainer's 1977 Christmas television special left an indelible impression on Crosby's teenage children. Full Story
(AP Photo/Jeff Christensen)
Adele's 1-year-old son wins British paparazzi lawsuit
Angelo Adkins scores five figures from photo agency that court rules trampled his rights.


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Browning A-Bolt Target Centerfire Rifle
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Product DescriptionThe innovative Browning A-Bolt delivers dependable, pinpoint accuracy that exceeds the stringent standards of the modern rifleman. The renowned A-Bolt is available in three action lengths in a spectrum of popular chamberings, materials, and finishes to satisfy your needs in any hunting or shooting situation. The A-Bolt Target features a free-floating barrel, a top-tang safety, a single-set trigger, a front sling swivel, and it's been drilled and tapped for scope mounts.


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Slow deterioration of metal parts where the metal is worn away by an electro-chemical reaction called oxidation that is formed when combining exposed metal, oxygen, and electrolyte (eg acids, salts, moisture).
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Cola vs Baking soda vs Water to clean battery, and what should be used afterwards?
This questions is to extent the following question Should I use coca cola or baking soda + water to clean my battery clamps?. I have heard of using both Coke and baking soda to clean battery clamps ...
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Dealing with deposits on salt flats/mines
I am planning to visit Bonneville Salt Flats in a few weeks, and wanted to take my bike out for a spin there. Not breaking any speed records, you see, just for fun, and the sense of history, so to ...
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After the last couple of winters, my alloy wheels are getting quite corroded, and one of them has large flakes of the surface missing, and almost a bubbling effect in the metal. I have read on ...


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"There was no time here... until you brought it with you."
A young man wakes up in an old mansion, isolated among high, snow-topped peaks. The maids tell him that he was carried there after hitting his head, but he doesn't remember a thing. Since he arrived, the old grandfather clock has begun to work again, for the first time since anyone can remember. When the clock strikes twelve, the maids are overcome with irresistible desire, and all manner of orgies and bizarre sex acts fill the mansion.
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Milholme Bikini Top
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With four designs to choose from the Milholme Bikini Top is perfect for pool side style. With a tie neck and supported bust cups all you need worry about is soaking up the rays.
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We ship from both our Distribution Centre and stores in the US, and from the UK. The majority of orders will be from within the US using UPS. However should your order be sent from the UK we ship with DHL International. Whether your order is coming from the US or the UK, it should be with you within 2-5 business days.
We do everything possible for you to get your items as quickly as possible. But since we use a third party carrier, there will occasionally be circumstances that are out of our control that may affect your delivery time.
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Public outcry prompts tweak of county school bus plan
- Last Updated on 07:50 AM 07/17/13
- BY Tiffany Hudson
Following a public outcry from disgruntled parents and guardians, Halifax County Public School administrators have decided to revise the newly implemented transportation plan.
The transportation plan was unveiled last week during the Halifax County School Board meeting.
According to Superintendent Dr. Merle Herndon, the decision to change the plan was made following a staff meeting Monday when county school administrators agreed the original transportation plan was a little "too rigid."
The plan, as presented at the school board meeting, didn't provide all the necessary information, the superintendent said it was later realized.
A newly revised form now includes "options" and a schedule that will be filled out by the parent or guardian detailing locations where the student will get on and off the bus/car each morning and afternoon Monday through Friday.
The clarification of the new transportation plan can be found on the school's website and reads as follows: "The primary goal for Halifax County Public Schools is the safety of our students. In an effort to further explain changes to the new transportation plan, a copy of the form has been posted on the Halifax County Public Schools' website. In addition to the form, the following information will assist in understanding the new transportation plan.
• There is flexibility to address household schedules.
• All parents or guardians will need to have a transportation plan on file in the school's office. Parents may print and complete the transportation form and bring it to open house, or it may be completed at open house.
• The requirement for a parent or guardian to come to the school to change the plan only applies if the change is for an extended period of time.
• In case of emergency, phone calls will be accepted on an individual basis. Callers will be required to give the password that is determined by the parent and is included on the transportation plan.
• It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to arrange for a person of their choice to meet the bus or pick up the child at school if no one will be at the address listed on the transportation plan.
• Parents can call or come by the school's main office for help with completing the transportation plan form."
Herndon said parents are asked to complete the transportation plan before school starts, and if they are not able to attend open house, parents can mail the transportation plan to the school.
The clarifications were discussed Monday with two of the county's largest school's principals, Cluster Springs Elementary School Principal Lisa Long and South Boston Elementary School Principal Sue Bagbey. Also participating in the discussion was elementary advisor Scottsburg Elementary School Principal Catherine Glass.
"We have to get away from making a change every day," said Herndon.
Parents will establish a password to be used for emergency phone calls and to check out students.
"We hadn't used the system with passwords before, but in this day and time...it is about safety," she added.
A copy of the new transportation plan can be printed from the Halifax County Public Schools website at www.halifax.k12.va.us.


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Metropolitan Police home page
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Have you been a victim of crime? Did you know there are a number of different ways you can report your crime to us? You can always call 999 in an emergency or 101 for non-emergencies.
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With a New Introduction by Jonathan Franzen
There's Rob, Bob, Tom, Paul, Ralph, and Noah; Nick, Dennis, Bertram, Russell, and Virgil. The doctor, the documentary filmmaker, and the sculptor in burning steal; the eldest, the youngest, and the celebrated "perfect" brother, Benedict. In Donald Antrim's mordantly funny novel The Hundred Brothers, our narrator and his colossal fraternity of ninety-eight brothers (one couldn't make it) have assembled in the crumbling library of their family's estate for a little sinister fun. Executed with the invention and intelligence of Barthelme and Pynchon, Antrim's taxonomy of male specimens is in equal proportions disturbing and absurdly hilarious.
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Read the full excerpt
"A fiercely intelligent writer . . . This is a bravura nightmare."—The New York Times"The author's surreal vision is both imaginative and wholly his own . . . A striking literary discovery."—The Boston Globe
"Elegant, outrageously imagined, comic . . . Antrim exaggerates his narrator into hilarious existence."—The New Yorker
"A fantasy that capers between atavistic ritual and inspired slapstick."—Time
THE HUNDRED BROTHERS by Donald AntrimKirkus Book ReviewsRead the Kirkus Review of THE HUNDRED BROTHERS . Surrealism is alive and well in the antic universe of Antrim's fiction.- Kirkus Reviews
Donald Antrim is the critically acclaimed author of Elect Mr. Robinson for a Better World, The Hundred Brothers, and The Verificationist, as well The Afterlife, a memoir about his mother. A regular contributor to The New Yorker, he has also been the recipient of a MacArthur "Genius" Grant and fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York Public Library. He lives in New York City.
Donald Antrim


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The Scales of War Adventure Path began back in Dungeon Magazine 156, and by the sixth adventure the PCs are close to paragon tier level. This mini-climactic adventure from Dungeon 161, "The Temple Between," brings to a close the current plot and opens the way for a broader threat to the Elsir Vale to emerge. The PCs are 9th or 10th level for this adventure. To enhance the fun of these adventures, and make preparation a little easier, this article explores how to handle trouble spots and considers some broader issues that may come up in running the adventure. In addition, you can find lists of suggested Dungeons & Dragons miniature figures and suggestions on how to make the encounter maps using Dungeon Tiles products.
This adventure offers a lot of opportunity for different kinds of play: role-playing, problem-solving, combat, and skill challenges. But with this freedom comes opportunities to derail the adventure.
You may or may not have players who like investigation, and if they don't (or are not practiced with it) then the whole first part of the adventure may frustrate them. Bored players either lose interest and don't want to finish the adventure, or start trying to provoke combats (what they want) and thus change the flow of the NPC reactions. So, be ready to toss in a combat or two during the investigation beyond the Alley Ambush if that's what it takes to keep your players interested. You could even bring some of the clues into the combats so that they move the adventure along instead of just act like filler.
If you have players that like investigation, but are terribly accomplished at it, then you have a different problem. The PCs may do very well going to all the locations but still not find enough clues at the locations to move the adventure along. This is delicate, because you don't want to give them clues no matter what they do (i.e. reward poor playing) but you don't necessarily want them to fail utterly. In this case you can do one of two things. You could reintroduce clues at other locations, so the PCs have a second chance to find the information that they missed (for clues that are not effectively duplicated elsewhere anyway). Or, you could use Lavinya or some other NPCs (even possessed ones) to suggest that the PCs missed something at such-and-such a place, or that the missing information should have been found at such-and-such a place. Don't be overt about it, though.
The Battle for Overlook
This section is not difficult to run; however, it is very easy here to forget to show the desperation in the Overlook defenders and the dire situation in town by just running the three encounters and summarizing what happened elsewhere. You must remember to insert scenes of fighting in the streets or the wall or outside the city. The PCs should even be able to get involved in these scenes, because they'll want to help if they don't have their own thing to do. So have some extra combats ready to go between the army and the defenders. Minions could be good here, because the PCs could sweep in, slay a lot of minions and help the overmatched defenders, and then move on.
The miniatures are selected from the most recent sets when possible, but occasionally there is a call for an older figure. In some cases you need a lot of the same figure, and in others you might not have the figure suggested. You usually don't need more than eight of the same figure, though. If you don't have enough, or don't want clones on the battlefield, substitute something that looks appropriate to you. That's what a good DM does, and you are (no doubt) a good DM.
The instructions for Dungeon Tiles assume you have access to all sets of the tiles (and I recommend having two or three sets of Dungeon Tiles 1st set and Arcane Corridors). The empty dungeon floor tiles come from the first three sets: Dungeon Tiles, Arcane Corridors, and Hidden Crypts. You'll need a lot of them for these maps, even though you can take apart rooms to make other rooms as the PCs progress. Special tiles have their set source listed. You can get any old figures that you don't have from various online resources or your friendly local gaming shop.
Encounter: Wartime Urban Encounters
18 is a lot of figures, so get out a bunch of humanoids for the streetwise thugs.
Miniature Figures Suggested
Dungeon Tiles
These occur in different places in Overlook, so get out your Streets of Shadows and make up interesting settings.
Encounter: C4/C5: The Shrine of Erathis and Haelyn's Home
The easiest way to create this map accurately is to print page 41 of the adventure file at 400% using a banner program and cutting out the map part. But if you want to use a lot of tiles, here you go. This area is 29x34 squares, so start with (16) 8x8 grass tiles. That makes an area 32x32 squares, which will be good enough. Building C4A requires (1) 4x4 dungeon floor, (1) 1x4 dungeon floor, and (1) 1x1 floor tile. Building C5 requires (1) 4x4 floor tile, (1) 1x2 floor tile, and (1) 1x1 floor tile. Add single doors to both. Area C4 requires (1) 4x8 floor tile and (1) 2x8 floor tile. The tiles from set 1 are more yellowish than grayish, and might be better for ground. Use 1x1 and 1x2 statues for the trees. You can use (8) 2x8 path tiles for the road, or (4) 4x8 dungeon floors. For the fountain, make a 5x7 square area using (1) 4x4 floor tile, (1) 2x4 floor tile, (2) 1x4 floor tiles, (1) 1x2 floor tile and (1) 1x1 floor tile. Then place (1) 1x2 floor tile on the left and right sides. On the top and bottom place a row with (1) 1x4 and (1) 1x1 tiles, and then (1) 1x2 floor tile. In the center place a huge miniature figure for the statue.
Encounter: C7: Alley Ambush
Because the whole area is on a diagonal, it is best to lay out the area using base tiles, and then add buildings. The area is 19x24 squares, so take (15) 4x8 street tiles from Streets of Shadows and make an area 20x24 squares. You can use the 8x8 tile with the fountain in the middle as part of it, if you cover the fountain area with buildings. There are 3 roof tiles in Streets of Shadows, and you'll need many more, so you might get more sets. The problem you might have is that it looks like the buildings are 3 squares wide, and the roof tiles are 4 squares wide. Just make the buildings bigger and expand the area a little. The small buildings in the bottom center are 4x4 roof tiles. The large building with the two thugs on it in top center is made from (4) 4x8 roof tiles. Then add roof tiles to put in the other buildings as best as you can. If you want to be more accurate, you can use dungeon objects for roof areas, and make them to what you think the size is. But the encounter will run quite well using the less accurate approach.
Encounter: C9: The Warehouse
This is a really fun encounter area that is quite complex, but let's simplify it. The warehouse is a 30x20 square area with a 10x4 square section at bottom left. Using dungeon floor tiles, use (6) 8x10 tiles, (3) 4x8 tiles, and (3) 4x4 tiles for the main area. Then use (1) 4x8 and (1) 2x4 tiles for the smaller part. In the smaller part, put in 2 single doors and walls from Hidden Crypts or Arcane Corridors for the room on the second level, and use the 1x4 stair tiles from Hidden Crypts for the two sets of stairs.
For the crates, you can do one of two cool visual things, but both take a few hundred parts. First, you can use d6s for the crate squares, setting the top number to 1 for 5 ft, 2 for 10 ft, or 3 for 15 ft. The second choice is to get or make chits in three different colors.
Putting in the catwalks could take a lot of 1x4 tiles, so if you've got them you can put them in. In this case, you want the chit method for the crates so that you can put catwalk tiles on top of the chits. If you don't have a lot of 1x4 tiles, you can lay the floor, then place a sheet protector over that and draw in the catwalks, and then place the dice or chits for the crate squares. In either case, assume the ladders instead of actually placing ladders from Streets of Shadows, because there are already a lot of things on the map.
Encounter: C10: The Portal in the Sepulcher
If they were large, you could use chain golems. But they're not -- so, to at least look something like a writhing chain, try this.
This area is really big for a combat at one end. The main area is 21x41 squares but you can do it with a 20x40 area. For the modified size, take (8) 8x10 tiles to make a 16x40 area. Then add (5) 4x8 floor tiles to complete the main area, Add (2) 1x2 tiles on the left side for the alcoves, and use 2x2 statue tiles from set 1 for the statues. At the other end of the room, you need (1) 1x4 and (1) 1x2 on top and bottom for the wider section. Then add 2x2 statues in the corners. To create the slopes and the lower section, it takes (22) 2x2 and (22) 1x2 tiles plus (2) 2x4 tiles. If you use portcullis tiles, door tiles, and wall tiles you can frame in the rest of the lower section without laying the center corridor separately from the base floor. Place (2) 2x2 stair tiles from Hidden Crypts for the stairs into the lower sections. You can put in the dais section at far right using (1) 1x2, (1) 2x4 and (1) 2x2, and then (1) 1x2 tiles.
Encounter: M1: The Chamber of Doors
Start this room using (3) 8x10 floor tiles and (3) 2x8 floor tiles to make a 12x24 square area. Use a 1x2 rubble tile from set 1 to block off the two squares at top right. Across the top, use (3) 2x4 bookcase tiles (overlapping the room). Make the extended top section using (3) 1x1 floor tiles, (1) 1x2 tile, (1) 1x4 tile, and (1) 2x8 tile. Across the bottom center, use (1) 1x8 and (1) 1x1 tile for that extended section. On the right side, use (1) 1x1, (1) 1x2, (1) 2x8, for the room and (1) 2x2 for the opening into the tunnels. Add the tunnels from Lost Caverns of the Underdark only if you need them. Place 4 double doors and 2 single door tiles, (1) 2x2 statue tile from set 1, and (1) 1x1 object for the small rock. Make the big rock from (5) 1x2 rubble tiles. Make the platform by stacking on top of the base floor (1) 2x4 tile, (1) 1x4 tile, (2) 1x2 tiles, and (2) 1x1 tiles. For the stairs to the platform, you can use 1x4 stairs from Hidden Crypts instead of the 1x2 stairs on the map.
Encounter: M5: The Vault
Starting in the bottom left, make that room using (1) 2x4 floor tile, (1) 2x2 floor tile, (2) 1x2 floor tiles, (1) 1x4 tile, and (1) 1x1 tile. Use a 2x2 stairs from Hidden Crypts. Make the next room up on the left using (2) 1x4 tiles, (1) 2x2 tile, (2) 1x2 tiles, (1) 1x1 tile, and (1) 2x2 stairs from Hidden Crypts. For the top left room, use (1) 4x4 and (1) 1x4 for the left side, then (1) 1x4 column, then (1) 2x4 bookcase from Arcane Corridors and (1) 2x4 tile, then (1) 1x4 column, then (2) 2x4 bookcase tiles and (1) 1x4 floor tile for the right side. Use 1x1 and 1x2 objects for the tables, or dice. Use (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x4 tile to make the slope. Across the bottom, use (2) 1x2 and (1) 2x2 stair for the bottom room area. For the bottom right room, use (1) 2x4 tile, (1) 1x4 tile, (1) 1x2 tile, (1) 1x1 tile, and (1) 2x2 stair tile. Separate the tiles for the upper level a little from those of the lower level to create the visual effect better.
For the lower level room, start with (2) 1x2, (2) 1x1, and (1) 1x4 floor tiles to make the floor around the ladders at the bottom of the room. Above that, place (1) 4x4 and (1) 2x4 tile. For the alcove left, use (1) 2x2 tile, (2) 1x1 tiles, and (1) 1x1 floor tile. To the right of the existing tiles, place (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x4 tile to complete the right alcove area. Then place 1 4x8 tile such that the left edge goes under the stair from the room above. Above that place (1) 2x8 and (2) 1x4 tiles (under the slope as needed). The place the left alcove using (1) 2x2, (2) 1x2, and (1) 1x1 floor tiles. Use (1) 2x2 and (1) 1x2 floor tiles for the right alcove area.
If the PCs find the secret door, add (1) 4x4 tile, (1) 2x4 tile, 2 double doors, and 1 single door tiles.
Encounter: M6: The Grand Cathedral
They have not come out with a banshrae yet, so we need something basically white and humanoid. Also, there only two-headed humanoid figure is the ettin, so we use one for the two-headed troll.
This vast and interesting area is built from the top down in rows. It takes a lot of tiles. Start at the top row with (1) 1x4 and (1) 1x1 tile, and 1 double door. Placing (1) 8x10 tile sideways fills in most of the top area to the slopes and stairs. To the left, place (1) 1x2 tile, and beneath that (1) 2x4 tile, and beneath that (1) 1x4 and (1) 1x1 tile in a row, then beneath that (1) 2x4 and (1) 2x2 tile in a row, and finally (1) 1x4 and (1) 1x2 and (1) 1x1 in a row. To the right of the main section, place (1) 1x2 tile in a row, then (1) 2x4 tile in a row, then (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x2 in a row, then (1) 1x1 floor tile and a 1x2 rubble tile in a row, and finally (1) 1x2 and (1) 1x1 in a row. That finishes off the top part of the room. Place (3) 1x2 rubble tiles for the big rock. The platform is made from (1) 1x4 tile, (2) 1x2 tiles, (2) 1x1 tiles, and (2) 1x2 objects to represent the stairs (such as benches from Streets of Shadows).
The next large part of the room is basically 19x24 squares with the second level and some rubble imposed, so start with (6) 8x10 floor tiles to make a 20x24 area. Over this part of the room, place a sheet protector and draw in the slopes and rubble and rock squares, since there are a lot of them. Place (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x4 stair tiles for the stairs from the lowest to the mid level, and (2) 2x4 stairs to the upper level. Add (1) 2x2 statue from set 1.
For the bottom part of the room, start with (2) 2x8 floor tiles, (1) 2x4 floor tile, and (1) 2x2 floor tile in a row attached to the bottom of the middle section. Beneath that, make a row of (2) 2x8 tiles and (1) 2x4 tile. Beneath that make a row using (2) 2x8 tiles, and (1) 1x1 tiles on the top ends (this makes one row of 18 squares and 1 row of 16 squares). Then make a row using (1) 2x8 and (1) 2x2 tile, plus (1) 1x1 tiles (one on each top end) to make a row 12 squares long and a row 10 squares long. The last row at the bottom is 6 squares long, so use (1) 1x4 and (1) 1x2 floor tiles. Add a double door. Add more sheet protector and draw in the rest of the collapsed section.
It takes (1) 2x8 and (2) 1x4 tiles to make the corridor at the bottom end.
Encounter: M7/M8: The Shattered Barracks And The Lesser Sanctum
Starting in M8 (the sanctum), place (1) 1x4 tile, then (1) 1x4 and (1) 1x2 tiles, then (2) 1x4 tiles, then (3) 1x4 tiles to make the top part of the room. The rest of the room is based on a 14x21 square area, so cut off 1 row on the bottom and use (2) 8x10 tiles, (3) 4x8 tiles, (1) 4x4 tile, and (1) 2x4 tile to make the area. Use dice for the pillars, 1x2 rubble tiles for the rubble, and lay a pen or pencil across the map for the broken pillar. Add (1) 4x4 45-degree corner tile from Hidden Crypts to the lower left to make the area above the chasm. For the chasm area in the room itself, you can use (4) 1x2 rubble tiles to mark where it is.
Add a single door, and for the room beyond the door use (1) 2x2 tile, (1) 2x4 tile, and (2) 1x4 tiles. Then place (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x2 floor tiles for the area behind the ruffian noted at "S." If you need more, add more as the fight moves into that area. Since the majority of combatants are in M8, you can kind of force the combat to take place in there. You don't need any tiles for the rest of the chasm unless some fight goes into there, in which case add 2x2 floor tiles to make the area that you need.
Encounter: M9: The Reliquary
Starting at bottom center with the entrance corridor, use (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x4 floor, then (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x4 stair, then (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x4 floor, then (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x4 stair, to reach the middle platform. This adds 1 row to the bottom of the room, which you can block off using the double door tile. The platform itself is made from (1) 2x2, (2) 1x2, and (1) 1x1 floor tiles. Continuing upward, use (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x4 stair, then (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x4 floor, then (2) 2x4 stairs and (2) 1x4 stairs. This adds 1 row to the top, which will be added in the rest of the room as well. It's just that there are not 3-square stair tiles. Going left and right from the central platform, use (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x4 stair, then (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x4 floor, then (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x4 stair to reach the floor. Then add (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x4 to reach the far walls from the bottom of the stairs.
In the top left quadrant made by the walkways, place (1) 8x10 tile, (1) 2x8 tile, and (1) 2x2 tile. This makes a room 10x10 squares (instead of the 9x9 squares on the map), but you extended the stair walkways so it should fit right. Add 1x2 objects, dice for 1x1 objects, and 1 double door in the appropriate places. Complete this quadrant with (2) 4x8 floor tiles and (2) 2x8 floor tiles on top, and (1) 4x8, (1) 2x8, (1) 2x4, and (1) 2x2 to the left of the rooms. Place a 2x2 statue tile or large figure in the corner.
For the lower left quadrant, make the rooms near the center using (2) 2x4 tiles, (2) 2x2 floor tile, (1) 4x8 tile, (1) 2x8 tile, and (1) 1x4 floor tile. This adds 1 square to match the upper left quadrant. Add single doors and objects as appropriate. The area outside the rooms is made from (1) 2x8 and (1) 2x2 tile, (1) 4x4 and (2) 2x4 and (1) 2x2 tiles, a row of (3) 1x4 tiles, a row containing (1) 2x8 and (1) 2x4 tile, and an area containing (1) 4x4 tile, (1) 2x4 tile, and (1) 4x4 tile. For the rooms, use (1) 4x4 and (1) 2x4 for M9I and (2) 2x4 and (1) 1x4 floor tiles for M9H.
For the lower right quadrant, create the room using (1) 4x8 tile, (1) 2x8 tile, (1) 4x4 tile, and (1) 2x4 tile. Add a double door and objects as appropriate. To the right of the room, use (1) 8x10 floor tile, (1) 4x8 floor tile, and (1) 2x4 floor tile. The area beneath that is made from (2) 2x8 tiles and (4) 1x4 tiles.
For the upper right quadrant, Start at the top of the room with (1) 4x8 and (1) 2x4 tiles. Beneath that add (2) 1x4 tiles in a row. Then add a row using (1) 1x4 and (1) 1x2 tiles. Then add a section using (1) 4x4, (1) 2x4, (1) 1x4, and (1) 1x2 tiles. Then add (1) 1x4 tile at the bottom. Add 1 double door and 1 single door, and bed objects (1x2 coffins) as appropriate. For the area outside the room, starting at the top outside edge use (4) 4x8 and (1) 2x8 tiles vertically, plus (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x4 and (1) 1x2 and (1) 1x1 and (2) 1x2 tiles by the room, and (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x4 tiles for the part nearest the walkway. Add a 2x2 statue or large figure in the corner.
Encounter: M10: The Underchambers
It might be better just to use d6s for these creatures, since that's what they look like (blocks with arms carrying hammers), but if you want something more interesting and still along the right lines, try this.
Starting with area E, place (1) 4x4 floor tile, (2) 1x4 floor tile2, (1) 2x4 floor tile, (1) 1x2 floor tile, and (1) 1x1 floor tile. Place a figure in the corner for the statue, and place 2 single doors. Leave some space between the rooms to account for wall thickness without having to draw in walls somehow. Make area D using (1) 4x8 tile and (1) 2x4 tile, plus (3) 1x2 tiles to finish out the ends of the room. There isn't a good table tile, but you can use the 1x2 flower planters from Streets of Shadows. Add 2 single doors, and use dice for other obstacles as needed. Place (2) 1x4 tiles for the corridor between E and B, and add a single door at the bottom end. Add (1) 1x2 floor tile for the side extension of the passageway.
Area B is made using (1) 4x4 and (1) 2x4 tile, but you need 12 single doors for the little cells and a 13th for the other exit. Use a 1x4 and a 1x1 floor tile for the corridor between B and C. Area C is just (1) 2x4 and (1) 1x1 tile. The corridor from A to F is made using (1) 1x2 at the left end, then (1) 1x4 and (1) 1x2 and (1) 1x1 to get to F. Area A is made from (1) 2x2 tile, (2) 1x2 tiles, and (1) 1x1 tile. You need (1) 1x1 for the little closet, and 2 single doors to complete the room. Area F is made using (1) 2x2 and (1) 1x4 across the top, and (1) 2x4 and (2) 1x2s for the bottom. Add a single door.
Encounter: T2: Death From Above
This area is a 15x35 square town street with buildings. There is a 2x8 path tile in Ruins of the Wild, and you can use 4 of them to make the street in the middle of the layout. For the area beside the roads, you need (4) 8x8 grass tiles for each side (8 total). The buildings are the problem with this layout, since most of them are not 4 squares wide. In fact, most are not the same size as the roof tiles in Streets of Shadows. But by using grass tiles, you can then use dungeon floors for the building roofs.
For the top side:
For the bottom side:
Encounter: T3: Hold the Wall!
Start by using (3) 2x8 path tiles from Streets of Shadows for the road on the right side of the map. Then place (3) 8x8 grass tiles and (3) 4x8 grass tiles for the area between the road and the wall. This adds 1 square to the distance between the two, but that should be okay. For the houses, use:
For the wall, use (1) 4x8 and (1) 4x4 dungeon floor tile for the part above the break, and (1) 4x8 floor tile for the part below the break. Use 1x2 rubble tiles for the rubble parts. Use (3) 2x8 grass tiles for the area to the left of the wall.
Encounter: T5: The Final Encounter
This area is very complex. You might be better off printing the map from page 75 (or the whole page) from the adventure file at 533% using a banner printing program. But it can be done with tiles (a lot of tiles). Start with (12) 8x10 dungeon floor tiles to make the 24x40 square area depicted on the map. Then using roof tiles from Streets of Shadows, dungeon obstacles like pits and darkness squares and fountains and stairs, place them using the corner coordinates of the buildings until you have a close representation of the map. I know I usually have better instructions, but this time I recommend printing the map big.
Robert Wiese has been playing D&D since 1978 after he watched a game played in the car on the way home from a Boy Scouts camping trip. He was fascinated, so he delved into this strange world of dragons and magic and sourcebooks. Years later, he was hired to edit tournaments for the RPGA Network, and from there he progressed to running the network after his boss was assassinated in the great Christmas purge of 1996. Times were tough, but he persevered and brought the RPGA into a shining new era. Eventually he met a girl who liked to play D&D too, and he left Renton for the warmth and casinos of Reno, Nevada. Now, he works in the Pharmacology department of UNR, where he studies mouse foot muscles and the effects of RF emissions on same, and teaches physics at Truckee Meadows Community College. He spends as much time as possible with his wife Rhonda, son Owen, and daughter Rebecca.


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Devin Golden
Jonathan Willman's original love was basketball. But the Northwest Whitfield High School athlete made a sacrifice.
After suffering a serious injury two years ago, he gave up that sport to ensure his track and field aspirations stayed possible.
In the end, that paid off.
On Tuesday at Northwest, Willman signed an athletic scholarship that will cover his full tuition at Rome's Shorter University, where he'll be part of the school's track and field team next season.
In November 2011, Willman tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a Northwest basketball game. Recovery time for the injury is anywhere from six to 18 months, and Willman missed both basketball and track season his junior year. He then decided he wasn't mentally ready to come back for basketball, a decision Willman called "hard" because it meant he was giving up the sport to which he had previously dedicated the most time.
"He understood what he had to do to get back," said Northwest track coach Chad Brewer. "And look, he loves basketball. He loves it. He gave up that because he knew that it might have been a little too early to do the pounding and running on the leg. ... That thought process, you don't see that in a 17-year-old. To give up something he loves to be the best he can in track, I think that says a lot about his character and maturity."
As a sophomore, Willman won the Region 7-4A title in the long jump with a leap of 20 feet, 8 1/2 inches and qualified for the Class 4A state meet in that event plus the 400-meter dash and the triple jump. Entering his first meet of this past season, he didn't have much reason to think he'd shine early in his comeback. But he long jumped the same distance with which he'd won the region title two years prior.
"My first practices were horrible, scary horrible," he said, noting his average jump in workouts after the injury was around 17 feet. "I hadn't jumped like that. All I did was stationary things. It was all a mental thing. ... I just remembered from (my sophomore year) and that helped."
At this year's Class 4A Sectional B meet — the qualifying gateway from region to state — Willman surpassed all competitors with a jump of 23-6 despite being seeded last going into the event based on his region performance. He finished fifth in the Class 4A state meet with a jump of 22-9. He also competed in the 100-meter dash and 4x100 relay at state.
Brewer said the long jump win at the sectional meet was an eyebrow-raising performance that revved up Willman's recruiting profile.
"Let's face it, he didn't do track last year and wasn't being recruited by anybody," Brewer said. "He's not on anybody's radar. Then all of the sudden, he jumps 23 feet and we have college coaches asking, 'Who is this Willman kid?' It was crazy."
Willman also was considering Samford University in suburban Birmingham, Ala., but listed a few reasons for why he chose Shorter.
One is that the school is entering the final season of its transition from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics to the NCAA's Division II, in which Shorter will compete during the 2014-2015 school year. The Hawks competed in the National Christian College Athletic Association this past season and finished eighth at the national outdoor championship. Shorter's women's team finished second in the national outdoor championship and won the NCCAA national indoor title.
Scott Byrd is Shorter's director of track and field, but he is just one of many who could play a role in the development of Willman, who said he'll start primarily as a long jump competitor but could add events in future seasons.
"They have eight track coaches. That's new to me, having only three at the most," he said. "I'm going to have a jumping coach and a sprinting coach now. And the facilities are top notch. I was shocked when I first went down and thought it was amazing."
Brewer said Willman's high school athletics career and the hardship of his injury have built maturity.
"College recruiters are looking for fits," Brewer said. "Shorter obviously needed a long jumper, and it gets one who has great grades and can jump 23 feet. The sky is the limit for Jonathan."


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Afrojack Radio
Following the success of Tiësto, Armin Van Buuren, and Fedde Le Grand, Nick Van de Wall aka Afrojack is the latest DJ, producer, and remixer to break through from the burgeoning Dutch dance music scene. Born in Spijkenisse in 1988, he began playing the piano at age five, but after getting his hands on a copy of music sequencing program Fruity Loops, he started to play around with samples and create his own songs. After discovering the Rotterdam club scene, he began performing short DJ sets before traveling to Crete to hone his craft, playing at various clubs over a five-month period. Returning to his native Holland, he signed to the independent Digidance label and released his debut single, "Afrojack: In Your Face," before forming his own record company, Wall Recordings, scoring club hits with "Math" and "Do My Dance." Following performances at dance festivals Tomorrowland and Sensation, and a collaboration on David Guetta's One Love album, ("Toyfriend"), he was invited to remix the likes of Madonna's "Revolver" and Lady Gaga's "Alejandro." In 2010, he teamed up with electro-pop vocalist Eva Simons on his first U.K. Top 40 hit, "Take Over Control," and also released a rarities album, Lost and Found, featuring nine previously unreleased tracks, in the same year. ~ Jon O'BrienPortions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation.
© 2014 Rovi Corporation.


text:
From Glassdoor:
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text:
Chick Corea
Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever. Along with Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner and Keith Jarrett, he has been described as one of the major jazz piano voices to emerge in the post–John Coltrane era.
Corea continued to pursue other collaborations and to explore various musical styles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He is also known for promoting and fundraising for a number of social issues, such as eradicating social illiteracy.
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"I am a firm exponent and adherent of any cause which extends the hand of salvation to the living in time of distress; which, instead of waiting until a man is down, prevents him from sinking." - Melvin Swig
In 1977, Melvin M. Swig established the Mae and Benjamin Swig Chair in Judaic Studies in an homage to his parents. Not only was this the first endowed endowed chair or Jewish Studies program at the University of San Francisco, but Swig and USF had actually broken historical ground on a global scale: it was the first Jewish Studies chair and program at a Catholic university worldwide.1
The first individual to hold the chair was Rabbi David Davis, renowned at the time for teaching a course in USF's Department of Theology & Religious Studies called "Jesus the Jew." In 1997 the History Department's Andrew Heinze took over the program. In 2007, Aaron Hahn Tapper became the third person to hold the chair.One year later, in August 2008, Hahn Tapper re-launched the program as the Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice, the first formal academic program of its kind in the United States. Including a new university minor in Jewish Studies and Social Justice, the program engages students in both theoretical and practical applications of what it means to be a Jewish social justice activist. On campus, the program offers a wide range of Jewish Studies courses, as well as annual intensive Hebrew language summer program called Ulpan San Francisco, which was founded under Heinze's leadership in 1997. The program also extends beyond the university to the larger Bay Area community, offering educational programs focusing on social justice issues, such as an annual Social Justice Lecture.Notes[1]http://www.archive.org/stream/melvinmswigjew00swigrich/melvinmswigjew00swigrich_djvu.txt


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Safety Tips
Safety tip sheets-Reproduced from NFPA's Fire Prevention website, http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information. ©2011 NFPA.
NFPA offers safety tip sheets on a variety of fire and life safety topics. Download, print and share these tip sheets to spread the word about fire safety. Note: All sheets are in PDF format.
Manufactured homes (880k)
If buying or renting a manufactured home is in your future, make sure you keep fire safety in mind.
Microwave oven safety (960k)
By following a few simple safety tips, you can prevent painful burns and possible fires.
Home safety for people with disabilities (670k)
It's important to take precautions to provide adequate fire safety for everyone.
Campus (1 MB)
The number of reported fires dormitories increased 34% from 3,200 in 1980 to 4,290 in 2006.
Candles (792k)
Candles may be pretty to look at but they are a cause of home fires and home fire deaths.]
Carbon Monoxide (612k)
Often called the silent killer, carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels burn incompletely.
Clothes dryer
The leading cause of home clothes dryer and washer fires is failure to clean them.
Cooking fires are the #1 cause of home fires and home fire injuries.
Escape planning
Fire can spread rapidly through your home, leaving you as little as two minutes to escape safely once the alarm sounds.
The most common dangers associated with portable generators are carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, electrical shock or electrocution, and fire hazards.
Heating (634k)
Half (49%) of all home heating fires occur in December, January and February.
High-rise apartments & condominiums (584k)
People living in a high-rise apartment or condominium building need to think ahead and be prepared in the event of a fire.
Scald prevention
A scald injury can happen at any age. Hot liquids from bath water, hot coffee and even microwaved soup can cause devastating injuries.
The place where we feel safest — at home — is where most smoking-materials structure fires, deaths, and injuries occur.
Thanksgiving safety (868k)
The kitchen is the heart of the home, especially at Thanksgiving.


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The Linux Softsynth Roundup
Stefan Nitschke's RTSynth is one of my favorite softsynths. It is another excellent example of the patcher synth. A main canvas is presented, iconic modules are deposited and connected together on the canvas, and right-clicking on a module opens a dialog for editing its parameters. RTSynth is the only softsynth represented here that creates its sounds via physical modelling.
Physical modelling synthesis is capable of extremely realistic sounds. Some of RTSynth's patches are quite convincing. The examples on the RTSynth home page show off some amazing acoustic and electric guitar sounds in full arrangements with bass, drums and keyboards. RTSynth is a multi-timbral softsynth, complete with drumkits and effects processing, and the demos really showcase its capabilities as a single-solution softsynth.
RTSynth is ALSA- and JACK-aware. It is fully MIDI-capable under ALSA and the older OSS/Free kernel sound modules. On systems lacking the ALSA drivers, it is still possible to connect RTSynth to external processes, such as a concurrently running MIDI sequencer via the UNIX mechanism known as a named pipe. A named pipe provides an easy method of interprocess communication for programs that may have no other way to share data. Using RTSynth as an example, here's how you set up a named pipe.
First, create the pipe with the mkfifo utility:
mkfifo $HOME/tmp/midififo
Next, prepare RTSynth for receiving data from the pipe:
RTSynth < $HOME/tmp/midififoFinally, you must indicate the named pipe as the preferred output device for the driving application. In the following example, I've used Simon Kagedal's clavier virtual keyboard:
clavier -o $HOME/tmp/midififoNow you can play RTSynth directly from the virtual keyboard. You also can use a normal, unnamed pipe to route the output from a process into RTSynth using this type of command:
cat foo | RTSynthThese connectivity strategies are particularly effective in the absence of MIDI hardware and/or the ALSA virmidi driver.
Nick Copeland is perhaps best known for his SLab hard-disk recording system, but he also has given us the Bristol Synthesizer Emulator. This softsynth provides GUIs and synthesis engines for emulations of the Mini Moog, Moog Voyager, Sequential Circuits Prophet-5, Roland Juno-6 and Yamaha DX7 synthesizers. It also provides graphic interfaces and engines for the Hammond B3 and Vox Continental organs and the Fender Rhodes electric piano. Bristol even emulates a generic mixing board and the Yamaha Pro10 digital mixer, but they were not tested for this review.
As shown in Figure 6, the GUIs are nicely drawn, but they are more than mere eye candy. Nick has emulated the controls and functions found on the original synths as much as possible; however, not all of a particular synth's features may be implemented yet, and Nick notes that some emulations (notably the DX7) still need some work. Meanwhile, all those switches and knobs and wheels can be flipped, twirled and rotated in real time with smooth response and fast parameter updates. Bristol accomplishes a rather daunting task by providing not only the look-alike graphics for its variety of synthesizers and keyboards but the sound-alike synthesis engines as well.
Running Bristol with ./startBristol -v -h lists the runtime options to give the synth a wide degree of performance customization. For example, I started Bristol with ./startBristol -alsa -seq -bufsize 2048 -voices 6, which launches Bristol in its default Mini Moog mode, declares ALSA as the driver source, registers Bristol with the ALSA sequencer, sets the sound-card buffer size (the default value is 1,024, but Nick recommends 2,048 for my SBLive) and restricts the polyphony to six voices (Bristol's default polyphony is 16 voices). Incidentally, Bristol can be run in multiple instances with simultaneous control, effectively letting you layer synths exactly like we did in the old days.
I would need much more space to describe each of Bristol's interfaces adequately. The example I've placed at www.linux-sound.org/sounds demonstrates only the Mini Moog emulation, but it should give you an idea of what you can expect from this synth engine—some old-school synthesizer fun.
Similis sum folio de quo ludunt venti.
Is there a distribution that integrates all this?
I've been using Dyne:Bolic, which is very very nice, especially the Pure:Dyne flavor.
Is there a distro of that sort (not necessarily a live CD) that integrates all the components described above? Meaning, RT kernel with jack, alsa, etc' fully integrated and working properly, all the synths, good MIDI support, wide driver base and high performance on a standard PC.
Kind regards,
A very interesting and usefull article.
Thanks a lot
Wow! I had no idea!
Absolutely amazing article! I had no idea Linux could do this! Thanks for introducing me to these! More articles like this please!
Linux has become a key foundation for supporting today's rapidly growing IT environments. Linux is being used to deploy business applications and databases, trading on its reputation as a low-cost operating environment. For many IT organizations, Linux is a mainstay for deploying Web servers and has evolved from handling basic file, print, and utility workloads to running mission-critical applications and databases, physically, virtually, and in the cloud. As Linux grows in importance in terms of value to the business, managing Linux environments to high standards of service quality — availability, security, and performance — becomes an essential requirement for business success.
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Social Justice Resource Center
What is the mission statment of the SJRC?
The SJRC is an inclusive hub of innovative justice-minded thinking, collaboration and action on Northeastern's campus that aspires to contribute to the common good.
What does the SJRC do?
- We provide a visible presence committed to social justice on Northeastern's campus.
- We provide support to Northeastern student groups focused on social justice causes.
- We build the capacity of all students to think critically and respond effectively to social challenges.
- We provide a space for dialogue, collaboration and reflection between students, faculty and staff.
- We provide resources to the NU community about social justice theory, leaders and movements.
What are the focus areas?
Our goal is to build three core competencies:
- Critical Thinking. Become more aware of yourself, your neighbor, our society and the world.
- Collaboration. Learn life skills that are pathways to human progress and individual success.
- Collective Action. Engage around issues that promote equality and fairness in Boston and beyond.
To learn more please email us at: firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
"Louisiana Film History: The First 100 Years in Poster
"Swamp Women" 1956, shot in St. Tammany, is among the posters on exhibit throughout the festival
"Opening reception, Friday at 5:30 p.m. and presentation Saturday at 5:30 p.m."
In the OFFstage Gallery, SLT lobby
SOLA: Louisiana Water Stories
By acclaimed National Geographic Expeditions Council "Oceans 8" filmmaker Jon Bowermaster."
Sunday Nov. 10, 4 p.m.
T-Galop: A Louisiana Horse Story
Directed by Conni Castille
"Question and answer session with filmmaker after the screening"
Friday Nov. 9, 7pm
A Warehouse on Tchoupitoulas
Directed by Jessy Williamson
Northshore premier of a new film about the legendary bands and fans of The Warehouse. Q&A with filmmaker."
Saturday Nov. 9, 7 pm
"Black Indians of New Orleans"
Directed by Maurice Martinez
"Film shot in the 1970s on the Mardi Gras or "Masking" Indian tradition"
Sunday Nov. 10, 3:30pm
Northshore premier: "A Warehouse on Tchoupitoulas"
After two sold out showings at the New Orleans Film Festival, PFF2 is excited to present an encore screening of the documentary that looks at The Warehouse, a legendary live music venue that opened in 1970 with the Grateful Dead and Fleetwood Mac. A question and answer session with St. Tammany director Jessy Williamson will follow the screening. The documentary uses photographs, memorabilia and 8 mm archival film to explore the bands and fans that filled the Warehouse for more than a decade.
Tickets are available for purchase through Nov. 8, 4 p.m. for pick up at Lowry-Dunham, Case & Vivien, 2100 First St., Slidell.
The Ticket Office will open Friday, Nov. 8, 4 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 10, 1 p.m. at Slidell Little Theatre. 2024 Nellie Drive off Interstate 10 at the Fremaux Exit in Slidell.
Avoid the lines: To make a reservations, email email@example.com
or call 985-326-6822 by 10 a.m. each day of the festival and your tickets or passes will be available at the WILL CALL desk.
Supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administered by the St. Tammany Commission on Cultural Affairs.


text:
Chief of stunts
Date: July 22, 2009
by: Heidi Kurpiela | A&E Editor
Craig Clarke is moving so fast his fellow stuntmen can't keep him in their sights. Even in a bright-orange uniform, Clarke is a blur.
He's stringing electrical cords, setting up construction cones and coordinating explosions with a weathered pyrotechnician famous for decades of Siesta Key fireworks displays.
He's inspecting high-speed camera cars and ATVs and talking hand-to-hand combat with a guy about half his age.
"Safety is paramount," he says. "There's a lot of preplanning that goes on with stunts that people don't realize. From the second we're contracted, we're planning the stunt. It's a good thing I'm a multi-tasker."
Clarke, a Sarasota native, is setting up for "High Octane," a networking mixer and stunt exhibition sponsored by the Sarasota County Film & Entertainment Office. The event, which was held June 17, at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, attracted a cross-section of the community — from local filmmakers and theatergoers to curious sixth-graders and wannabe stuntmen.
Though it's no Los Angeles, Sarasota's film-and-television sector is surprisingly dynamic.
Clarke, 48, is married to his job, a reality that he says keeps him single and busy. A Gulf Gate resident, Clarke is out of town at least once a week working production gigs across the United States and Canada.
He has many titles, among them: fire-rescue safety chief for Extreme Stunt & Driving Team, in Winterhaven; president of Cameron Security Services; president of Clarke Camera Cars; and chief of Track Rescue Motorsports, a fire-rescue- and safety operation that tours motor-sporting events all over the country, which Clarke started in 1982.
For every title, he has a business card and corresponding e-mail address. When you work in the entertainment industry, you have to be accessible at all times. Film producers are fickle and production companies are busy, so when someone calls, Clarke answers on the first ring.
"Basically, I sleep with my phone," Clarke says.
Clarke, a state-certified firefighter and emergency technician, has worked in film-and-theater production since he was a student tech director at Riverview High School.
He specializes in driving camera cars — custom high-speed vehicles mounted with video cameras and outfitted with generators, trailers, roll cages and computer monitors — which capture everything from leisurely driving scenes to high-speed car chases. Clarke started the company several years ago, after noticing the Florida motorsports industry lacked skilled camera-car drivers.
In 2001, he started driving for Hollywood stuntman Grady Bishop, whose film-and-television credits include, "2 Fast 2 Furious," Miami Vice," "America's Most Wanted," "Mad Men," "Lincoln Heights" and "Talladega Nights."
"Grady's the one with the resume," Clarke says.
Many of the sets Clarke has worked on are low-budget, independent films or commercials. And when he does land a high-profile assignment, he doesn't spend a lot of time hobnobbing with the actors. In fact, Clarke's most memorable celebrity meet-and-greets have happened at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, where he has worked as a stage hand for years.
The consummate professional, Clarke would rather talk about stunts, not stars.
He recently shot a chase scene outside Winston-Salem, N.C., that required him to pull a 14-foot-wide trailer towing a taxicab through the Blue Ridge Mountains — in the dark.
"You have to be partially crazy to do this job," he says laughing.
With only six inches of clearance on either side of the trailer, Clarke had all he could do to maneuver the truck. With each harrowing turn, his rig came nail-bitingly close to clipping street signs.
"And lucky," adds the weathered pyrotechnician, waiting patiently in the background to discuss explosions with Clarke.
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Have you seen Tiny Tim?
Tiny Tim, a 2-year-old Chihuahua, has gone missing from his foster home.
Temple plans community outreach
Temple Sinai will expand its presence in the Lakewood Ranch area this fall with programs and opportunities for socializing and learning.
Fifty-year reunion offers payback
When Lakewood Ranch resident Thomas Newman returned to his alma mater for a 50th reunion, he took home more than memories.


text:
Parents and students are likely preparing for a new school year by shopping for the perfect back pack, the right tennis shoes and coolest locker mates.
The heads of Blount's three school systems, however, are looking at a year where one of their biggest challenges is likely to be keeping parents encouraged and informed in a changing educational environment.
Students who started as freshmen in the 2009-10 academic year begin their second year under the higher requirements for graduation and higher expectations of the Tennessee Diploma Project. The TDP is intended to better prepare students to compete for jobs or to excel in college. The requirements mean students who are now beginning their sophomore year must earn more credits in core curriculum in order to graduate. Added to the Tennessee Diploma Project are new ways to measure teacher and school effectiveness, adopted in a special session last January as part of the state's efforts to qualify for federal Race to the Top funds.
In other words, an "A" is not what it used to be and proficiency is being measured by a tougher standard, for both teachers, schools and students.
In light of this, school directors in Blount County are stressing that principals and assistant principals - rookies and the veterans alike - must show leadership and the ability to communicate both with students and parents.
"We'll have to do a good job of articulating to parents and the community why these new changes are a good thing for our students and their futures," Blount County schools director Rob Britt said. "We want our students to be prepared to meet challenges of the 21st century."
Maryville City Schools director Stephanie Thompson said with the new standards, new tests were administered this spring.
"Because of these new standards and tests, we are going to find more of our students are going to drop in their performance levels from where they had been performing in years past," she said. "Parents may get response back from the TCAP tests and find their student went from 'Advanced' to 'Proficient.'"
Alcoa City Schools Tom Shamblin said principals don't want parents to be surprised if the results come back with scores lower than they used to be. "We are kind of expecting a drop in scores, so we're educating the public and asking them not to panic," he said. "It will just take time to fill those gaps student have, and it won't happen over night. It will be a challenging process, but we think our staff is up to it."
The administrative teams at the three Alcoa City Schools remained the same for the new year. In the Maryville and Blount County school systems, several new assistant principals and principals will be on hand for the new school year.
At Maryville Intermediate School, Kevin Myers is taking Jan Click's place as principal. Myers was a technology teacher at Maryville Middle School. Click is retired but will work part-time in the Central Office on Race to the Top initiatives to mentor teachers and train potential teacher leaders and principals.
At Maryville High School, Maelea Galyon is a new assistant principal. Galyon was a teacher at the school.
At Maryville Middle School, Keith Wilson, formerly an assistant principal at Bearden Middle School, will be assistant principal. He replaces Steve Dockery who retired.
At John Sevier Elementary, Ginny Boles is a new assistant principal. Boles had been a teacher at John Sevier Elementary.
In Blount County, Britt said several changes will be seen throughout the system.
At Eagleton Elementary School, Debbie Garren is the new principal. She formerly split time as an assistant principal for Carpenters Elementary School and at Eagleton Elementary. Suzanne Graves is the new assistant principal at Carpenter's and Eagleton Elementary schools.
At Friendsville Elementary School, Stan Painter is the new principal. He was assistant principal at Mary Blount Elementary. Taking his place at Mary Blount Elementary is Dr. Jessie Robinette who was principal at Heritage Middle School.
At Heritage Middle School, Dr. Steve Moser is the new principal. He was principal at the alternative school at the Everett Learning Opportunities Center. New principal at Everett is Danny Galyon.
At Heritage High School, Colleen Mattison and Tim Stafford are new assistant principals. Mattison was a teacher, and Stafford was with the Knox County Schools system. They are replacing Jon Robinette, who took a teaching job with Seymour, and Jim Spears, who retired.
The three schools directors said the administrators at each school will be held to higher standards and face more pressure, just like the students.
"Exceptional leadership is imperative to moving a school forward and advancing student achievement," Britt said.
Britt said there is no question there is a much higher degree of accountability on teachers and principals than ever. "In terms of how we prepare them for that, we've initiated a principal's Leadership Academy where we give ongoing, monthly professional development to principals to help support them in their leadership practice at the schools," he said.
Britt said the principals Leadership Academy is funded through Title II funds. "The principals are the ones we are asking to lead. We need to continue to grow our leaders so they can continue to grow our schools," he said. "We basically have organized this into monthly half-day seminar-type sessions where we cover the whole gamut of issues."
Thompson said the Maryville system is a site-based management concept that puts a lot of responsibility on principals.
"We put lot of responsibility on our principals and, because of that responsibility, they have be good leaders," she said.
Thompson said the administration has been preparing for more than two years for the new standards.
"We've been in the process of training administrative and teaching staff for two years, and they have been spending a great deal of time looking at old standards and new standards and finding activities and plugging those in where there were gaps and holes because our textbooks were behind where the new standards are," Thompson said. "We'll look at test scores to see where gaps are in teaching or the way curriculum is lined up with standards. We also have our online assessments to benchmark where our students are performing."
Shamblin praised the leadership of the administrators in the three Alcoa schools. "They don't sit around and wait for me to give them direction," he said. "They look for new and innovative ways to do things, which is good. We're making progress in the areas that need to be improved."
Shamblin said principals and teachers alike feel the pressure of preparing students to measure up to new standards. "With new standards and new accountability for teachers, where test scores are a part of their evaluation, there is pressure on teachers like never before," he said.
After state lawmakers passed legislation last January in preparation to compete for federal Race to the Top funds, new ways of evaluating teacher performance were put in place. Tennessee was one of two states to receive $500 million in federal Race to the Top education funds over four years.
Forty states and the District of Columbia submitted proposals for Race to the Top funding in January. The Department of Education rated each state based on its ability to adopt challenging standards that prepare students for college and their careers, adequately measure student achievement and inform faculty of the best way to improve teaching methods, recruit and retain the best teachers, and turn around the lowest performing schools.
The Department of Education awarded additional points to applications that highlighted effective management of student data, emphasis on science and math education, and strong partnerships with universities and private firms. Tennessee and Delaware were the only two states to be awarded funding in the first round of the application process.
Britt said Blount County Schools got just shy of $490,000 a year -approximately $1.9 million total over four years. Britt said the plan they submitted focused on the greatest needs the system had and how the money could be used to help students achieve more. "It came out to three major things - formative assessments, technology and professional development," he said.
Thompson said Maryville City Schools also got a little under $500,000 in total Race to the Top funds, $498,779 divided over four years. The money will be used for mentoring school leaders, formative benchmark assessments and professional development and mentoring of teachers.
Alcoa City Schools are to receive $220,000 in Race to the Top funds over four years.
Besides a tight budget, school directors were asked what their biggest challenge is likely to be for the new year.
Thompson said preparing for Coulter Grove Intermediate School to open in 2012 will be one of the biggest challenges. "In preparation for opening that new school, we'll be working on zone lines since we'll have two intermediate schools. We will be working to prepare staff and figure out which schools they'll go to," she said.
The Maryville City Schools director said that in addition to adding more duel credit and advanced placement courses at the high school, the biggest challenge for this year again will be funding. "We had a difficult time preparing the budget for 2010-11, and we'll have the same challenges for the 2011-12 school year," she said.
Shamblin said the new teacher evaluation standards will be a challenge for the teachers and principals. "I'm afraid morale may be affected," he said. "We understand they're working hard," he said. "I don't want educators to think we're not good any more. They are good. They're outstanding."
Britt said one of biggest challenges is communicating how things have changed and how the education environment has changed in terms of the new, rigorous standards and the more difficult assessments. Britt said administrators must also communicate that this is a good thing for the students, although some may see it as negative.
"We'll have to do a good job of articulating to parents and the community why these new changes encapsulated in the Tennessee Diploma Project are a good thing for our students and their futures," he said. "That is the important thing. We want our students to be prepared to meet challenges of the 21st century."