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Hardware cells inside of an IC device, such as in a processor circuit, for characterization that replace functional flip-flops that capture inputs or drive outputs in the device. The cells are circuits that are used, in conjunction with a software method, to generate test programs for testing exact I/O transitions for timing measurements at various operating conditions.
1. An integrated circuit, comprising:
an embedded core, containing inputs and outputs, for processing digital signals;
logic, operably connected to the embedded core; and
a plurality of characterization cells, operably connected to the logic and the embedded core for allowing creation of timing transitions that are used for timing measurements of the inputs and outputs of the embedded core, wherein at least one characterization cell within the plurality of characterization cells comprises:
a functional boundary flip-flop that is a first flip-flop sampling input from a clock domain having an input operatively connected to receive functional data and having an output that outputs the functional data;
a capture flip-flop, having a data input operatively connected to the output of the functional boundary flip-flop, that captures a falling edge of a clock cycle;
a shift flip-flop, having a data input operatively connected to the output of the capture flip-flop, and having a shift data input connected to a previous characterization cell in a shift register;
a circuit element operatively connected to the capture flip-flop, that determines when the rising edge an internal multiplying clock is synchronized to a rising edge of an external clock; and
a synchronizer, operatively connected to the internal clock, having output slip between the circuit element and another characterization cell in the plurality of characterization cells.
2. The integrated circuit of
3. The integrated circuit of
4. The integrated circuit of claim of
a first shift register, formed by circuit elements within the plurality of characterization cells, for creating a timing transition on one of said inputs and outputs.
5. The integrated circuit of claim of
a controller, operatively connected to the plurality of the characterization cells, that generates a test program of timing requirements for said inputs and outputs and controls said plurality of characterization cells to carry out the test program.
This application is a Continuation of and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. �120 to U.S. patent Ser. No. 11/215,433 filed Aug. 30, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,348,797.
The present invention relates to hardware cell additions to an Integrated Circuit (IC) device for characterization that verifies the I/O timing of the device on all split lot materials and operating conditions.
The Functional testing of any device, digital or analog, includes the steps of functional verification and characterization. In the design of a new integrated circuit (IC) such as a computer processor, functional characterization is performed on Primary Input and Output logic in the chip itself in order to verify the timing. Modern, complex IC devices are designed to contain one or more embedded core data processors for processing digital signals such as computer instructions from internal or external software. The core is operatively communicates with memory, peripherals, and other circuitry in the IC. An embedded core of an IC also has many input and output terminals, many of which are not directly accessible by the external pins of the IC. Thus, there is no direct access to these I/Os for characterization and testing.
Two types of tests, scan vector test and application vector test, are used to verify function parameters of a device. The scan vector test, also called a structural test, used in scan chain and boundary scan configurations, is used to search for defects and verify logical or physical failures within a circuit. Application vector testing is used to verify that a circuit is functional, the circuit is correctly controlled by primary inputs, and that the expected protocols and behaviors are observed in the primary outputs and primary inputs. When an IC is designed, the logic paths and functions are characterized according to design protocols to make sure the chip works correctly. Vector patterns are used to send instructions into the chip's inputs in order to create outputs.
Logic that is built into a an integrated circuit (IC) in order to facilitate characterization and testing of the chip is called �Design for Test� (DFT). DFTs for functional testing are a necessary step to perform on a new processor design to insure that the logical functions designed in the processor perform properly. Characterization determines timings of the device to define exactly the way the actual manufactured device works. Characterization is verifying the input/output (I/O) timing of the IC on all split lot materials and operating conditions. Usually characterization is performed, by using complex functional tests of the device. DFT logic facilitates this process.
An inherent problem with convention methods for characterization is that up to thousands of I/Os must be characterized in an integrated circuit. In prior methods, characterization of a device was performed using very complex functional test vectors that were generated by design engineers. The functional test vectors create exact I/O transitions for timing measurements at all process corners and operating conditions, such as voltages and temperatures. Further, test engineers must create millions of complex and long functional test vectors, in order to generate the required protocol transitions at the I/Os of the IC, expending months worth of time de-bugging and operating the vectors, which can cause significant time delays to bring a new IC device to market.
The disadvantages of the prior characterization hardware and methods are overcome with preferred and alternative exemplary embodiments of the present invention that relate to hardware �cells� that a hardware designer uses to replace the traditional functional flip-flops in an IC device that capture inputs or drive outputs. The input and output characterization cells of the present invention are used for the characterization phase of testing an IC. The data sheet for a new processor design provides the timing relationships or the patterns of waveforms of the behaviors of the protocols for each I/O, and each IC may have numerous input and output specifications that must be verified prior to mass production of the IC.
The present invention includes a hardware addition inside the device or processor and external software that a test engineer can use to automatically generate a test program using the hardware addition. The associated software methods that efficiently generate test-programs for testing a required Input/Output (I/O) timing in the processor using the preferred characterization cells. The present invention can reduce the characterization time for a new processor design from months and years of an engineering team down to weeks of time from a single engineer.
For a better understanding of the nature of the present invention, its features and advantages, the subsequent detailed description is presented in connection with accompanying drawings in which:
The exemplary embodiments for functional cells include hardware and methods used for characterization of a processing device, such as an integrated circuit (IC). An embedded core of an IC contains or is connected to many input and output (I/O) terminals. Characterization of an IC requires testing and verifying required I/O timing compliance by creating exact I/O transitions for timing measurements at various temperature and voltage conditions on each I/O of the IC.
To illustrate the general features of the exemplary embodiment,
If several FFs are driving a single output with some type of combinational cloud, then the preferred software will identify the FFs and provide the test engineer a list to choose the FF in which to create a condition in order to measure its timing. Using the present invention, the operator or test engineer can use a specification data sheet for the IC design with the preferred software to create a pattern automatically for the tester to drive the IC using the exemplary characterization cells that have replaced the functional boundary FFs. In the IC, the tester creates all the transitions that are required for all the timing measurements of the IC.
The characterization cell will generate a timing transition rise or fall or a repetitive signal at the output for measuring Outputs timing+Inputs setup and hold of all the I/Os of the IC. After the transition is generated by an Output Characterization cell, the signal can be tested and measured in any manner desired in order to test the Output timing. The characterization cells generate the transition within the IC itself, instead of using functional vectors, to verify certain timings or transitions from a data sheet. The characterization cells correspond to functional vectors so that a transition can be generated in the device in the exact I/O desired. The characterization cells provide controllability and observability with every internal functional boundary FF in an IC. A shift register is created with logic elements (E.g. flip-flops) in the characterization cells that are connected with a common shift clock. By using the shift register, the test engineer can create any transition on any output that is desired or capture any change of input that is desired.
Since exemplary characterization cell 42 does not capture a falling-edge of external clock 50, the cell 42 does not capture functional input 46 in real-time. The shift FF 52 captures functional data at any feasible time period desired after functional FF 44 captures functional input data 46 by the rising edge of the clock input 50.
The accompanying timing diagrams in
The metastable recovery time is a state of a functional FF that has entered an uncertainty state when input data changes in a forbidden window around the rising edge of the clock. If the data changes together with the rising edge of the clock, it may cause FF 66 to enter a metastable state. Once a FF is in a metastable state, the data is neither a logic zero nor a logic one and the voltage could jump to either logic value or oscillate in between, causing errors in the unstable FF and downstream FFs to occur. The falling edge Capture FF 70 captures data after the functional FF 66 captures functional input data on the rising edge of the clock input. By adding a Capture FF 70 to control the capturing of functional data at the falling edge of a clock input, the pulse width of the clock input can be changed so that the test engineer will know whether the correct data was captured at the falling edge and that functional FF 66 did not enter into a metastable state.
In the circuit diagram below the flow arrow in
In the waveforms diagrams shown below characterization cell 110 in
Characterization cell 110 captures functional data 106 of one functional cycle in which the PLL clock 142 rises together with the external clock 112. In order to ensure the capture of the correct rising edge of the PLL clock cycle that corresponds to a rising edge of the external clock cycle, characterization cell 110 is designed to contain additional circuitry and functional flops Lock FF 134, Clock FF 138, and PLL Fall FF 136. Clock FF 138 receives a clock input directly from external clock 112 and PLL Fall FF 136 receives a clock input from PLL 114 clock signal 142. PLL Fall FF 136 outputs data on the falling edge of the PLL clock signal in order to reset the Clock FF 138 that is set on the rising edge of the external clock signal and input into the Lock FF 34. Lock FF is also operably connected to synchronizer 140. Lock FF 34 will sample a high logic value �1� only after both the internal clock 142 AND external clock 112 risen, and then will lock on that value. This lock signal will set the SE input of FF 124 to lock on the last value captured on the falling edge of clock 142. then the Shift FF 126 can be used to sample and shift the value from FF 124.
The purpose of synchronizing clock signals from two different clock domains is to protect the downstream logic in the circuit or device in case the first FF in the new clock domain enters a metastable state. Synchronizer 140 receives clock signals from the internal PLL clock 114 (shown at line 142) into each internal flop and can receive data in reset/data line 144. The reset from the Synchronizer 140 is synchronized to the PLL 114.
Synchronizer 140 is based on a level synchronizer design that uses FF 146 and FF 148 in series without any intervening combinatorial circuitry in order to have FF 146 exit a metastable state and have its output settle prior to sampling by FF 148. Synchronizer 140 is an edge-detecting type synchronizer circuit that adds FF 150 to the output of the synchronizer FFs 146, 148. The output of FF 150 is inverted and combined with an NAND gate 151 to the output of the synchronizer FF 148. This synchronizer configuration will reset the Lock FF 134 before the rising edge of the external clock. The output from synchronizer 140 is split between Lock FF 134 and a line 152 that transmits to other exemplary characterization cells in the device that are similar to cell 110 and have an internal PLL clock 114 and are in the same clock domain or protocol of interest. Since the synchronizer depth is 3, then for a PLL that is used for multiplying the external clock by less than 4 (e.g., 2, 3), the Synchronizer 140 should be replaced by a simple circuit operating on the external and/or internal clocks. For example: the second FF in the synchronizer 148 can be a Rising-edge triggered FF, thus it synchronizes in 1 cycle less.
Using the Clock FF 138, PLL Fall FF 136, and Lock FF 134, the characterization cell 110 can determine the rising edge of the internal clock 142 cycle that rises together with the external clock 112 in order to sample functional input 106 at the correct timing. The Lock FF 134 locks on a high value (�1�) right after the falling edge that the capture FF 124 captured the data from the Functional FF 120, and then the Shift FF 126 can capture and shift the data from the Capture FF 120 to a primary output for analysis. The design of exemplary characterization cell 110 assumes that the PLL 114 compensates for the Clock-Tree Insertion Delay (using PLL feedback from the end of the Clock-Tree).
Finally, synchronizer 178 is made up of a first FF 180, second FF 182 and One Clock FF 184 serially connected with combined data output to the shift enabler of capture FF 166. Synchronizer 178 is based on a level synchronizer design that uses FF 180 and FF 182 in series without any intervening combinatorial circuitry in order to have FF 180 exit a metastable state and have its output settle prior to sampling by FF 182. This design ensures that the Test Enable input data is synchronized to the internal clock from PLL 164. Synchronizer 178 is an edge-detecting type synchronizer that adds FF 184 to the output of the synchronizer FFs 180 and 182. The output of FF 182 is inverted and combined with an NAND gate to the output of the synchronizer FF 184. This synchronizer configuration will detect the rising edge of the internal clock signal from PLL 164 to synchronizer 178 and will generate a clockwide, active-high pulse. The signal from the NAND gate will enable the Capture FF 166 to sample the data from the Functional FF 158 for 1 internal cycle only.
Alternative exemplary characterization cell 208, below the transition arrow in
In exemplary output cell 208, an edge-detecting synchronizer 240 is implemented, which is driven by internal PLL 206 (shown for purposes of illustration as clock input 244) and receives input on data line 242 including characterization update enabler data. Synchronizer 240 is based on the level synchronizer design of FF 246 and FF 248 serially connected without any intervening combinatorial circuitry, followed by FF 250 added to the output of the FFs 246 and 248. The output of FF 250 is inverted and combined in AND gate 251, after which it is split between the sample enabler of Capture FF 226 and other exemplary characterization cells 249 in the IC under test that are similar to cell 208 having an internal PLL clock and are in the same clock domain or protocol of interest.
Referring to
Output characterization cell 252 is set into a Characterization test mode by input 272, and after setting the Shift FF 262 to the required value, the external clock 258 will rise in order to capture the data from the Shift FF 262 into the Functional FF 260, thus causing the required transition at the Functional Data output 256 which will propagate to the Primary output of the IC.
In the design of the shift register for input and output characterization cells operating on external clock only, the register chain of FFs in the register for output cells can be separated from the register chain of FFs for input cells. If the register chain and clock used for output characterization cells is separated from a register chain and clock that is used for input cells, then the Shift FF in the output cells using the exemplary output cell designs of the alternative embodiments may be a FF without a shift enable control. Further, if all exemplary output cells provide toggle data capability, then they may be used for an SSO (Simultaneously Switching Outputs) test of the outputs voltage drop.
For each new IC design, the protocol data sheet will provide a protocol list of the timing relationships or the patterns of waveforms of the behaviors of the IC's I/Os. In a lab, when a test engineer is ready to verify a protocol of a new IC chip design from a data sheet, he or she can run controller software on the gate level of the IC design, and the software will identify all of the drivers of the specific output in question or of concern. Using the software, characterization cells can be selected as particular sources to trigger the output or cause the transition desired. The software generates tests to generate the timing transitions in the FFs of the exact cell or cells of interest and automatically create a test program for the testing engineer. The testing engineer can then run the test program using the characterization cells and instantly verify the I/O timing and compare to the data sheet protocols.
If the characterization analysis is to performed on outputs S267 and not input, then the process begins in step S282 by using a specific software or STA for every primary output to identify all of the start point FFs. Next, a transition vector is generated S284 for every output as called-for in the data sheet. In this step S284, all other output FFs are set to a constant value that will not prevent the propagation of the transition from the tested FF to the primary output. In an output characterization measuring a time difference between two or more signals, with any polarity rise/fall, the initial required value will be shifted in to all of the output characterization cells.
In an IC using the exemplary characterization cells, since most of the core is not part of the test, thus causing less internal IR drop, then to emulate functional core operation, there are two options. First, use BISTs (Built In Self Test) to exercise the core logic during characterization mode. Second, perform the tests with a lower core voltage by the calculated worst-case IR drop.
There are numerous advantages for using the characterization cells of the present invention. As stated previously, the time required for characterizing an IC design can be reduced from months by a team of test engineers down to weeks by a single test engineer. Further, the exemplary cells have no impact on clock delay since no gating is inserted into the circuitry. The cells do not cause data delay because there is no impact on the data path to the input FFs or from the output FFs.
One skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be practiced by other than the described embodiments, which are presented for purposes of illustration and not limitation, and the present invention is limited only by the claims that follow.
Patent Citations
Referenced by
Original Image


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Find your favourite film, music and television star galleries on MSN Entertainment
The latest celebrity photos, news, videos and hot gossip from around the world
- Pop princesses, then and now
Would you recognise your favourite starlet from when they started out in the business?
- Keanu Reeves is 50. Here are 25 of the quirkiest facts about him you should know
Amaze your friends with your Keanu trivia as you sing him happy birthday!
- The Shawshank Redemption stars: where are they now?
We celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Shawshank Redemption's release by revisiting the cast of the movie
- Nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence and other celebrities leaked online
Jennifer Lawrence, as well as other celebrities, has been targeted in a hacking scandal
caught on camera
quotes of the week
- Stars who've beaten cancer
As Hugh Jackman reveals his latest cancer scare, we look at other stars who've faced and survived the disease
- Intimate red carpet moments
Cute couples on the red carpet, including Kaley Cuoco, Adam Levine, Angelina Jolie and Kim Kardashian
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After the MTV Music Video Awards ceremony, the stars hit the parties
Jay-Z and Beyoncé are putting all split rumors to rest… with these pictures. The two decided to take a break from their busy tour schedule to have some... More Jay-Z and Beyoncé are putting all split rumors to rest… with these pictures. The two decided to take a break from their busy tour schedule to have some one-on-one time at a Kanye West concert.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Why is the ninth month called September?
late 13c., a shortening of Middle English ydropsy, from Old French idropsie, from Latin hydropsis, from Greek hydrops (genitive hydropos) "dropsy," from hydor "water" (see water (n.1)).
dropsy drop·sy (drŏp'sē)
Edema. No longer in technical use.
mentioned only in Luke 14:2. The man afflicted with it was cured by Christ on the Sabbath.


text:
Letters to the editor
Thanks to West Kelowna fire
My Name is Connie Wiebe and we had a dryer fire and thanks to the quick actions of the West Kelowna fire department and the Kelowna fore department we came away with minimal amount of damage.
This is the second time The fire department has come to my rescue the other was when my husband had a heart attack I am ever so grateful to these men as they are the best and true Heroes in my eyes. They go above and beyond to make the experience not too scary.
They set us up with Emergency Social Services. Now the restoration people are wonderful too, Stutters has also come to my rescue a few times and have always been fabulous to work with and the insurance company was great to what could have been a horrible experience thanks to all these people including the whole staff at the Best Western was made out to be so much more bearable.
Thank you to all. There is know way I can thank you so I hope you all get to read this.
Thanks from myself and my family
Sincerely Connie Wiebe
Read more Letters to the editor
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for these and other issues.
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MRA provides programs and services to assist retailers in operating their retail stores. Through membership in the Association, retailers have the advantage of group buying to assist them in lowering their costs for the services. In addition, MRA is the… See More
Maryland is soliciting support from retailers to post the anti-fraud posters below to assist in SNAP benefit fraud. This fraud by recipients and unscrupulous vendors in the SNAP program hurts Marylanders that are in need of assistance for their nutritional needs. Please consider posting… Read More
From Anne Arundel Police Department is the Alert on distraction theft in Hillcrest Heights, MD. The theft of two Neal Lane Diamond rings occured yesterday afternoon. Kay Jewelers – District Heights – Distraction Theft
Newly released sales tax collections figures for the month of May show a jump of 5.42% for the month of May. The food and beverage category led the way with over $5.7 million in increased sales tax collections. Restaurants accounted for most of this… Read More
Tax Free Weekend for qualified ENERY STAR appliances will begin on Saturday, February 15, end on Monday, February 17. During this weekend, the 6% sales tax will not be charged on qualified ENERGY STAR air conditioners, clothes washers, furnaces, heat pumps, boilers, solar water… Read More
Read the latest interviews and articles involving MRA by clicking on "News Links" above.
September 14, 2014 at the BWI Marriott
September 14, 7 – 9 p.m. at the BWI Marriot.
September 14, 1 p.m., BWI Marriott


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Classifieds Rules, Usage Agreement, and FAQ
A Supporting membership is required to post items for sale in the classifieds
New posts to classifieds threads will only bump the thread once every 24 hours. Posts made before 24 hours since the last bump, will not bump the thread.
FS: Spector NS-2A w/ Brass Nut, Active EMG's, HAZ copy & hard case!!!
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Professor Tim Davis to present 'The NCAA in Crisis: The Crossroads of Intercollegiate Sports' at Oregon Law Review Symposium on April 11
April 1st, 2014 | Research | Comments Off
Oregon Law Review's spring symposium, The NCAA in Crisis: the Crossroads of Intercollegiate Sports, will provide a forum for a comprehensive inquiry into questions regarding the current state of NCAA regulations and enforcement, and an analysis of Ed O'Bannon v. NCAA and its potential implications on amateurism, anti-trust law, the gaming industry, and possible legislature involvement. Through this inquiry, Oregon Law Review hopes to formulate and analyze possible solutions to the NCAA's current issue: how does the NCAA amend its regulatory and enforcement mechanisms to create a more efficient, effective, and fair organization? Continue reading »


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Mtn. Ridge pummels Perry behind Miiller's 5 touchdowns
Originally published: Sep 26, 2013 - 12:00 am
Too much Zach Miiller. A few Perry fumbles. One kick from Kimberly Acosta.
All that spelled defeat Thursday night for Perry High as visiting Mountain Ridge journeyed to the East Valley and whacked the host Pumas, 45-26, in a Division I contest.
Mountain Ridge (2-3) welcomed back senior tailback Miiller to a full night's duty and was glad to have him. Miiller missed the second game of the season with a concussion and played sparingly last week in a 15-7 loss to Highland. He made up for lost playing time by rushing unofficially for 322 yards on 22 carries and five touchdowns. Miiller scored on runs of 8, 42, 1, 56 and 79 in a game Mountain Ridge never trailed in. Miiller opened the season with 100-yard rushing performance against Cesar Chavez.
"We got him back last week after the concussion and tonight he showed what he could do," Mountain Ridge coach Bobby Green said. "He has the power to run inside and the speed to break it outside."
Mountain Ridge struck first after the first of two costly first-half Perry turnovers. The Mountain Lions started at the Perry 14 on their second possession after Perry quarterback Austin Nightingale fumbled. Two plays later Miiller scampered 8 yards for his first TD and Logan Besore added the first of his four extra points for a 7-0 lead.
Perry tied the game briefly on the first play of the second quarter. The Pumas capitalized on a Mountain Ridge fumble with Nightingale knotting the score with a 6-yard TD run at the 11:53 mark. Miiller (5-foot-8, 180) made that lead vanish quickly, performing a Houdini on a 42-yard TD run. He somehow escpaped a huge mass of bodies a few yards up field and then ran from that pack the final 25 or 30 yards to make it 14-7 with 10:24 left before the half.
Miiller's third TD a minute later followed Perry's second fumble of the half. It was recovered by Mountain Ridge's Jake Skadeland, who returned the fumble 25 yards to the Perruy 1 setting up the score that made it 21-7.
Mountain Ridge senior quarterback Robert Limmer, one of four quarterbacks to pilot the Mountain Lions this season due to injury and the like, tossed the team's first TD pass of the season -- a 56-yard catch and run to senior wideout Austin Cottrell. Mountain Ridge took a 28-10 lead to intermission.
Perry (2-3), which lost Nightingale to a leg injury late in the first half, scored 10 points in the third period to pull within 35-20. Mitchell Albrect's second field goal of the night and a well-executed boot-leg pass from backup quarterback Alec Monte to tight end Lane Veach gave Perry hope with one second left in the third period.
Miiller, however, extinguished that hope by busting loose for a 79-yard TD on the first play of the final period. Mountain Ridge's 42nd point was an extra point kicked by the team's smallest player -- 4-foot-11 Acosta. Her PAT wasn't a boomer, but had the height and a couple yards to spare for her contribution for the game.
Miiiler's 56-yard socring run midway through the third period stung Perry as it attempte to rally. The Pumas opened the second half driving to the Mountain Ridge 10 and settled for a field goal. They took nearly seven minutes off the clock to get three points. Miiller's 56-yard TD came 90 seconds later and was one of only five plays Mountain Ridge ran in the quarter.
"Their running back is a good one," Perry coach Preston Jones said. "Turnovers hurt us like they did last week. Good football teams don't turn it over like we did."
- Dave Zorn - Saturday June 14Host of the Friday Night Wrap-Up Show, Dave Zorn, joins the show to talk about why he is leaving.
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- June 14, 2014 - Hour: 2In this hour Jim and Craig talk to Chuck Schmidt and Dave Zorn.
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- June 7, 2014 - Hour: 2In this hour Cole Tucker, Casey Benson and Blake Jackson join the show.
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I'm so amused because when Steven Spielberg was making Jurassic Park he's like 'I want 10 ft' velociraptors and everyone else is like 'Steven no, they weren't that big' and he's just like 'well damn imma put them in the movie anyway' and then during filming some random palaeontologists found actual 10 ft velociraptor skeletons and Spielberg was probably like 'told ya so'
I don't want anything from you, at all. I just want to be the person you choose to sit next to in a room full with all the people you have known.
Be with someone who makes you better.


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One-Year Anniversary Of Nevada Online Poker Reveals Successes, Challenges And Goals For Future
Card Player Chats With Company That Launched First
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the first hand of real-money online poker in Nevada.
On the morning of April 30, Ultimate Poker, an offshoot of Station Casinos, launched real-money online poker in the Silver State. Its first hand was the first ever in a U.S. jurisdiction that licenses and regulates the Internet gambling industry.
It was a long time coming.
Nevada said OK to online poker in the summer of 2011, and regulators drafted rules, which were adopted in December 2011, for the fledgling industry in the following months. For many, pretty much all of 2012 and some of 2013 was spent trying to guess which site would be the first to the market. Ultimate Poker was the victor.
Since Ultimate Poker's launch, products from the World Series of Poker, under the Caesars umbrella of ownership, and South Point Casino (Real Gaming) have hit Nevada cyberspace.
According to PokerScout, Ultimate Poker's traffic in Nevada has been declining over the past six months, while the WSOP has been more or less holding steady since it debuted in September. Real Gaming's traffic has been almost non-existent since its February launch.
Traffic for Ultimate Poker has dropped from an average of 150 cash game players online at any given time to just about 60, over the course of the past six months. The WSOP's site has gone from around 110 to less than 100, during that time span. Numbers for both sites should increase during the summer, as thousands of poker players head to Las Vegas to compete for bracelets or participate in the side action that surrounds the live tournaments.
Tobin Prior, CEO of Ultimate Gaming, told Card Player that the market size in the jurisdictions where online poker is regulated has been below expectation. In addition to Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware have fledgling web betting industries. Nevada's is only poker, while the other two also have other forms of casino games on the Internet.
"Nevada obviously is pretty interesting in that it was the pioneer for online gaming," Prior said. "It took a pretty conservative approach in a number of regards. Firstly, they went with online poker only, and went with the kind of regime where you needed to get your product fully compliant in the labs before they would permit you to go through a field trial situation."
It took until July for Ultimate Poker to have its full-fledged product approved.
Market Size
In the time between the initial launch and the end of March 2014, Nevada's online poker industry has grown to more than $900,000 a month. That's the money the three sites rake in from players. A total of $9.426 million in online gaming revenue was realized from April 30, 2013 to Mar. 31, 2014.
The state benefits by being able to tax revenues generated from online gaming action.
While that figure has been less than what was hoped for, the past 12 months have been crucial for setting up a successful future for Internet poker not only in Nevada, but for the rest of the country. Other states—such as California and Pennsylvania—that are discussing possible legalization have obviously taken a hard look at how things have gone so far in Nevada.
"I think the big noteworthy achievements in Nevada [was that] going first had a lot of risk; a lot of people were watching to see if things worked, so it was really important it did work—that you could geo-locate people, that you could determine their age, that you could operate a regulatory compliant online gaming operation in the state," Prior said.
"So those were the biggest achievements: that the regulations could be implemented and that technology could work, so you could run it in a fashion that the regulators wanted."
If you forget the numbers for a minute and just consider that there hasn't been any scandal related to online poker in Nevada, the first year has been an overwhelming success for not only the firms, but also the state. The regulations worked.
Payment Processing Issues
Though, in order to make online poker work, as has been proven by the smaller-than-expected market size, there is a need to constantly tweak things and make it easier for players to get money on and off the site.
That's arguably more important than the overall aesthetics of a site.
Before Nevada going live with regulated online poker, the industry operated in a legal gray area, with the only way to play real money poker being through an offshore operator. That history has plagued the regulated industry so far in Nevada when it comes to payment processing.
"One of the biggest things we didn't anticipate that we would have quite this much trouble on was the payment processing," Prior said. "One assumed that when online gambling legalized most of the banks and credit card companies were going to embrace that legitimate activity and support transactions. But we still have a large issue with them not processing charges."
"People are used to using a Visa card, for example, and when they experience problems with it they don't suspect that there's a Visa issue there but instead a problem with legitimate sites. And of course many can still process Visa transactions on unregulated sites."
In other words, the financial institutions have been slow to recognize the new legality of web gaming in select states. The consensus is that they will eventually relax their restrictions.
There really is no bigger headache for players than having trouble depositing onto a site. And if you combine that with all the checkpoints needed to make sure a player is of legal age to play, within the physical borders of Nevada, and who they say they are, the work needed to be done prior to playing a single hand has proven to be a roadblock for the new industry taking off.
"It's a lot more onerous for the customer than what they have been used to," Prior said. "That definitely has an impact on the size of the market. It's also difficult to move people who are playing on unregulated sites off those sites to a regulated gaming environment. That has been an interesting challenge. Implementing all the new technologies and guiding customers through it has been a learning curve for the consumer in the market and us."
State officials have been looking at the issue as well, in addition to trying to figure out ways to increase the potential pool of customers that can access the online poker sites. In the first year of Nevada online poker, the Silver State has already inked a deal to eventually partner up with Delaware, allowing residents in both states to spend with sites in either jurisdiction.
Job Creation In Nevada
One of the reasons why Nevada legalized online poker in the first place was to help the state's economy. Gaming of course is a dominant player in Nevada, and it's responsible for jobs for many residents. Online poker was seen as a way to add highly-skilled jobs to the workforce.
"The reality is that jobs have been created," Prior said. "We have grown in Nevada to over 60 full-time employees. There is very real and meaningful job creation. It is an entirely new business. These are not jobs that we have taken out of our other operations."
And so far, there has been no indication that online poker has in any way taken away from brick-and-mortar visitation and spending. In fact, many casinos agree that, if done right, online gaming can create a synergy between the two spheres. Year one hasn't revealed the full extent of this, but if Ultimate Poker can be used as an example, the fact that customers have been utilizing the option to deposit at a Station Casino location, online poker has brought people into a physical casino, and that alone can be positive for the property.
Though it has been a slow process, Nevada has laid the groundwork to be an online gambling hub in the United States, as Gov. Brian Sandoval outlined just a few years ago.
Dozens of firms have been licensed to offer online poker in Nevada, and as time goes on more are expected to test the waters. That means more jobs for the state and possibly an increase in live poker tables as well. The online poker boom during the 2000s increased the popularity in the game, one that spilled over into "real life" as well.
The year 2013 marked the first time since 2007 that poker revenues increased in Nevada.
Revamping the Software
Prior called the process of developing upgrades to his company's software, getting them tested by the labs and then approved by Nevada regulators "time consuming."
But it's necessary, he said.
"It's important to improve our product in line with what consumers expect and want. It's one of the prime areas of focus for us right now," he said. "A lot of the technologies that we pioneered [in Nevada] are getting better by the day."
The company has been working on "refining" its technology and always focusing on making its product more attractive to gamblers. In the coming weeks, the firm will release another version of its software, likely providing players with a game that is closer to what they are used to.
However, some of the upgrades are as simple as increasing the options for poker players. When Ultimate Poker launched, limit Texas hold'em and no-limit Texas hold'em ring games ranging from $0.01-$0.02 to $10-$20 were the only cash games available.
Of course, year one isn't the only time during which big changes will be made to online poker sites in Nevada. It is obviously a perpetual process, one that will be ongoing as long as there is an online gambling industry within the Silver State. Growth is the name of the game.
Prior added that the value of all the work done by the customer to get their age, identity and location checked "will come with time." In other words, there should be a time in the future when online gamblers realize the importance of all these efforts to make the games, and their funds, safe and secure and eventually ditch unregulated sites for good.
Federal Online Poker Bill Drawing Slim
One of the key developments in the first year of Nevada online poker is the industry's further realization that a federal bill authorizing the activity is almost surely not going to happen. The odds are basically astronomical, and the firms, as well as the state, have adjusted to this reality.
Prior said that the chances of a federal online poker bill are "pretty remote." Prior pointed out that only about four percent of the entire population of the United States lives where online poker is legal and regulated, so while very unlikely, a federal bill is of course preferable.
Revenues below expectations so far make a nationwide network seem even sexier, but that is not in the cards for the industry. "We will follow whatever route to market that we can," Prior said. "If it goes state-by-state, then we'll pursue that. If it goes federal, we'll go along with that."
Even though the federal government is unlikely to act in any way on the online poker issue, past decisions by lawmakers on Capitol Hill are still impacting the industry—namely through the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). That law has made payment processing to this day difficult, even for the regulated U.S. sites, and most of the work right now is to figure out ways to undo online poker's past.
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For Tiffany, owner of "Fit To The T" Fitness Company, working out is a joy. She's been an athlete her entire life, starting as a cheerleader and advancing through several fitness-certification programs. As a licensed Zumba instructor and expert-level certified personal trainer, she mints new fitness lovers on the regular. "I believe in a total, complete healthy lifestyle," she explains, "meaning fulfillment in all aspects of one's life—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual." To secure these holistic benefits, she personalizes fitness programs to fit the individual. All the while, she shows unconditional support, adopting a nurturing tactic that inspires clients to prevail against setbacks and make healthier choices, such as getting a good night's rest and being the first person to get the worms in the morning.
Buster Brown and Joe Lederer share more than a half-century of bicycling experience, and they've created a space that views biking as a community rather than just a commodity. To that end, Bixby Bicycles & Accessories's 4,300 square foot space offers not just bikes and accessories, but classes and repairs. This bicycle haven features mountain, road, and kid's bikes for sale as well as accessories such as gear, apparel, and safety equipment. Amidst the rows of brand new bikes there's also a tune-up station where bikes of all makes can get a wash, tune-up, and repair. On top of all that, Bixby Bicycles holds group rides and bike classes that focus on everything from riding to tips on repairing and maintaining your own bike. Bixby Bicycles offers a 20% discount to seniors and military personnel.
The instructors of Ballroom Blitz hold more than 10 years of experience in leading classes and hosting social dances at their independent studio. Welcoming both singles and couples into the hardwood-floored studio, they teach beginner, intermediate, and advanced lessons in multiple forms of ballroom and social dance, such as the foxtrot, rumba, cha-cha, and east coast swing.
Established: 2013
Handicap Accessible: Yes
Staff Size: 2?10 people
Parking: Parking lot
Reservations/Appointments: Recommended
Most popular offering: Martial Arts Lessons
Pro Tip: Please let us know if your child has any specific needs when calling to make your appointment.


text:
Yo Teabaggers,
Welcome back for episode 70. We have super special guest BadMotherLicker joining us in Crinbots absence this week you can find Licker on @megaspaceninja on twitter. He joins in the fun to chat with us about;
And much more.
Yo Teabaggers,
Welcome back for episode 70. We have super special guest BadMotherLicker joining us in Crinbots absence this week you can find Licker on @megaspaceninja on twitter. He joins in the fun to chat with us about;
And much more.
Hey listeners,
Back to basics this week with our original duo The Quim Ninja and eremenko representing TBoD, Crinbot couldn't make the show this week but the two of us still managed to go long as usual on the following topics;
our 'we called the dog…' game this week is The Firm,
and finally,
Right click and hit 'save link as' to download
Thanks as always for listening if you have something to say about the topics discussed hit us up on twitter or comment below.
- eremenko
Good morrow friends, and welcome back to the TBoD podcast!
This week, we have mostly been talking about the Gamescom expo, with the old familiar tangents thrown in too.
Listen, enjoy, comment, subscribe etc. in the usual places: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or comment below.
This week Quim and I were lucky enough to be joined by the lovely Pete from White Paper games. After a Q&A session about Pete's work in the industry and in particular on the studios debut title 'Ether One' Pete was kind enough to stick around and discuss some of this weeks big news including;
To mark the re-release of one of our favourite games of all time, The Last of Us Remastered, we thought we woult re-post one of our favourite podcasts that we recorded almost a year ago. So here it is, featuring Cruel Legacey, The Wach and Cartoon Robinson – Here is our TLoU Castpocolypse!
The Last of Us Part 2 Castpocolypse now -Right click and save as to download here
'sup baggers, we're back apologies for the delay but we do have a rather special show for you today.
We are joined by three brilliant guests this week David Weeks aka @DestinyAuthor, SpiemanW from @The8bitbeards and last but by no means least @JustinBryce from the Drunken Halo podcast.
This week we're talking Destiny and all Destiny.
Sit back relax and have a listen to our impressions from the beta.
- eremenko
Hey all,
We were super stoked to have the wonderful Tara "Skunkie" Bellafiore of Punklabs fame join us for this episode. We spend the majority of the episode gaining insight into the life and work of an indie developer but we also manage to cover some news;
Popular YouTubers in cash for vids shock,
We had a great time with this one so I hope you all enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording it.
- eremenko
Barbershop Duet (right click and hit 'save link as' to download)
Bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum
try getting that one out of your head.
Quim and Menko are once again a twosome for this weeks episode, joined in brief cameos by This is Reklaw and BadMotherLicker. The focus this week is in shooters with the following up for discussion;
Cliffy B's Bluesteak,
updates to Titanfall and BF 4,
all rounded out with a discussion about Violence in games
with comments from Ken Levine.
- eremenko
Hey all,
Apologies for the delay this week, I am useless.
This week we cover;
A few listener questions and,
and our 'we called the dog….' section covers the gorgeous 'Long Dark'
Crinbot was once again absent so no song …. sorry.
Right click and hit 'save link as' to download
We're short a member again this week, Crinbot's absence means we have no song either so apologies for that. We do have the usual content for your listening pleasure so without further ado the stuff we cover;
Kingdom under fire and the new 'Blueside' engine,
…. and finally the WOW player who hit 90 as neither horde nor alliance.
as always thanks for listening and com-like-a-scribe.
– eremenko
Hello Teabaggers,
We are firing on all pistons this week and have plenty to cover. Among other things we talk about the rebranding of Xbox, the always controversial Phil Fish and his recent comments on YouTube revenue. Dean Hall has set up his new games company and he wants it to be the Valve of the South Pacific.
We also have a chuckle about Sunset Overdrive's little dig at Assassins Creed Unity's lack of female character, then talk about the importance of representation and choice in games. We also wax lyrical over whether YouTube will replace the website as the main source of gaming news. If so we are buggered
Burrows of Passion – To download just right click here and Save as
Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,
We have a special E3 cast in store today brought to you by two out of three of our regular hosts. The topics up for discussion this week are'
Hope you enjoy the show, let us know your thoughts on the top showings and give us a run down of who you would award what in the following categories;
Best graphics
Most surprising
Best trailer
Best gameplay
Best show
Most exciting
Most disappointing
Upset not to see
Best in show
Howdy baggers,
The regular TBoD aural assault is here for your listening pleasure.
This week we talk;
and our 'we called the dog..' section is about a website this week,
got spare money to spend? buy this…..
Enjoy mother funsters….
Tribute <right click and hit 'save as' to download.>
Ok folks, welcome back to another episode of the TBoD Podcast, our lively debate this week consists of the following stories;
Dice promise to look after BF 4,
this old article sparks some discussion,
Hey guys,
Undead labs were kind enough to provide us with a steam key for the latest DLC for the epic Zombie survival game State of Decay, I threw together a quick review featuring gameplay footage from my playthough of the game.
Check it out here or over on our YouTube channel.
Special thanks to The Wach for helping us to secure this review copy.
You can see The Wach's review in print over on PGCR
Another week, another installment on the TBoD podcast.
The topics on the smörgåsbord for discussion this week are;
Will Ubi win E3 for the second year running?
Dinner, Dinner, Dinner, Dinner …. BATMAN,
Middle Witcher, Assassin of Mordor,
Google/YouTube is feeling Twitchy,
IFightBears Lumberjack-em-up Fist of Awesome comes to mac and pc,
and our Indie game of the week is "Total Chaos".
As always thanks for tuning in, if you like what you hear leave us a comment or a review on iTunes, if you have a burning question that you need answering in a meandering tangenty fashion by all means give us a shout on Twitter, Facebook or leave a comment here on the blog.
With an Open Hand < — Right click and choose "save as" to download
- eremenko
We're back again to talk the latest gaming news.
This week: starting out with the XBone Zone, we look at the unbundling of Kinect, as well as the Netflix and Hulu Gold requirement being lifted, and Games with Gold – officially no longer shit! Moving on, we talk new Halo news.
Our Indie game this week is beautiful looking The Forest, go check it out.
Right-click here and select 'Save As' to download
As ever, get in touch on Twitter, Facebook, or leave a comment below.
Well met adventurers!,
We have a veritable feast in store for you this week.
In this show we cover: an addition for Naughty Dog following their recent departures; could Titanfall be coming to PS4?; Steven Spielberg's Halo series may not be as exclusive as we once thought; we get a bit weighty with our thoughts on sexism in gaming and society, thanks to this article; the obligatory Destiny circle-jerk continues, and further; plus, an exciting reveal from Sony on the real purpose of the DS4's lightbar.
Our indie game this week is Stoked!, currently on Kickstarter. Head over and give it a look.
As ever, leave us your thoughts either below, or on Twitter/Facebook.
Right-click here and choose 'Save as' to download
Howdy Gamers,
In this very special episode we traverse space and time and discuss the latest Destiny gameplay footage, the Star Wars cast announcement and Mass Effect new and old.
We also talk about an indie game called Chip from game developer not far from us, it's a cool puzzler its on Steam/iOS/Android now!
Or rather has been going off the scale since The Amazing Spiderman 2 game was announced by Activision and Beenox. Not only is it a follow-up to a fairly good movie tie-in, but appeared to provide a huge throwback to the one title that made Spidey games huge: Spiderman 2 which was launched wayyy back in yesteryear for the O.G. XBOX, PS2, and other consoles of that time. For a movie tie-in this game set a new precedent for superhero games, and even made it to XBOX's Platinum hits, which is no small feat for a traditionally shitty movie based game.
Spiderman 2 was the first in the long series of titles modeled after our friendly neighborhood web-head, which offered a free-roaming New York to go about fighting petty crimes, and baddies in a GTA style environment of quasi-freedom. It was even voiced by Toby Macguire – the Peter Parker we're all doing our best to forget. Especially the Emo-Jazzcat version in Spiderman 3. There were other additions to the series with this style of freedom based gameplay that were NOT based on a movie release, most notably for me as a drooling spider-fan: Spiderman: Web of Shadows.
Getting back to this day in age, as soon as this game was announced I knew it must be mine, and so it is. So True Believers: Is this game worth your money and time? Let's swing into The Amazing Spiderman 2 and you be the judge. (And no, I will not apologize for ANY corny Spidey jokes in this post.)
One feature which perked my interest with this game was the re-vamped web-sling mechanic. In application it is very reminiscent of Spiderman 2's more realistic version of web-slinging. Unlike the previous Amazing Spiderman game you can't magically "Sky-Sling" high above the skyscrapers, and must rely on buildings that are in-range and relative to your altitude. Much like Spiderman 2, each trigger corresponds to it's respective web-shooter while traversing Manhattan. This made for some clumsy, noobish and embarrassing web-slinging at first as I wrapped my head around the new hotness, and to the artificial onlookers on the sidewalk it must have appeared that Spidey was black-out drunk.
Admittedly after a good 6-7 hours of gameplay I still find myself over-shooting a turn while chasing a getaway car, or slamming into the side of a building as I attempt to live up to the Parker hype. Trust me, it's fun learning how to web sling, and after a fairly early unlock you gain the web-boost ability which helps you use speed and accuracy to launch yourself into the air, or use a webline to vault gaps in the skyline rather than helplessly fall to the street. Use caution when boosting however, I discovered a game-breaking bug which clipped me into a water-tower after which I was stuck in a perpetual free-fall and had to restart the checkpoint to free myself. (Beenox: OOPS!)
The free-roaming aspects are similar, but not a re-hash of the repetitive mini-crimes which happen in previous titles. Added to the mix in this installment is building fires, bomb threats, and newer more challenging revamps on assisting pinned down cops, and other classic items like Break & Enters, public disturbances, etc. In Amazing Spiderman 2 however they have introduced a new character element called Hero or Menace. If you fail, or neglect crimes in progress they will expire and push you toward the menace side during which J Jonah Jameson will give you an earful on the Daily Bugle News Network.
The more of a bumbling menace you become, the more attention you attract from Oscorp's law enforcement task-force. A high-tech patrol of robot baddies, and armed thugs on goblin gliders funded by local philanthropist and (crime kingpin) Wilson Fisk. Yes: The Kingpin is in this game. I haven't completed the campaign yet, because I'm a huge explore/stop and smell the roses type of gamer with titles like this.
The story so far is pretty good, the round-up of Spiderman's rogues gallery is satisfying and I haven't encountered them all. On the list so far is Kingpin, Black Cat, The Shocker, Electro, Kraven The Hunter (who starts off as a mentor who practically wants to adopt Spiderman instead of kill him and send him to a taxidermist…), Harry Osborn/Green Goblin, and likely others. Through mini missions outside the main plot, I learned the Police are hunting down the classic Hammerhead villain, and a gruesome serial killer who leaves the initials CK written in blood at each scene. The media has dubbed him "The Carnage Killer." hmmm I wonder who he could be.
For the details obsessed people like myself there's cool locations for you to vist such as Aunt May's house where you can replay unlocked missions, change your unlocked costumes, but sadly can't sit down and eat her famous wheat-cakes. The unlockable costumes in this game are actually more than cosmetic this time as they each have their own traits which you can level up. I found that rather cool instead of just a new costume with no functional benefits in gameplay.
Another awesome location is a comic store owned by none other than Stan Lee. Again Stan-The-Man lends his voice to the movie series, and has some great lines. At the comic shop you can read entire digital versions of comics you unlock by finding "hidden" comic pages throughout the city, figurines, concept art, and you'll also find an arcade machine where you can play a b-list "horde mode" or battle royale against waves of thugs.
All in all the story is a strong mix of elements from the original classic comics, and the Ultimate Universe. Voice acting is a little…campy but hey, what can you expect. The plot supposedly takes place in the aftermath of the 2nd film, but has it's confusing parts such as a chance meeting with Max Dillon (AKA Electro) which is seemingly for the first time. Oh well. I was too busy beating the snot out of petty thugs to really care about one interaction with a poorly designed Jamie Fox lookalike with a comb-over.
Combat is faster, and more fluid than the last title, but the stealth missions can get frustrating due to some jittery controls at first. It didn't take me long to figure out how best to approach these indoor scenarios and they are an improvement over ASM 1. But be prepared for some true WTF moments as you learn the webs…er ropes.
They've added sequences where you play as Peter Parker, using his Daily Bugle press-pass to get into places and interview/gather intel on characters, etc. The Mass Effect style dialogue selection is a nice touch, but the silly dialogue in some instances make you scratch your head, like for instance when asking heatscore questions to Wilson Fisk about "What his problem is with Spiderman." or "I heard your Oscorp taskforce was corrupt!"
All in all, it's a good game for die-hards like-myself to jump into and swing around in superhero bliss. If you go into this game expecting an award winning stupendous Walloping Webshooter of a game… Don't. It's one of those titles that is what it is. A Spiderman Game. Love it or hate it however, you'll still have some fun. A side-note for Beenox though… By wielding the franchise they have been granted the power to create some seriously Spectacular experiences in the future. But of course: With great power, comes great responsibility.
Thanks for reading, and be sure to check back often for more great gaming goodness right here, at Teabag or Die.
Howdy chaps and chapesses,
Here we are again. Another week older, but probably not any wiser; you be the judge.
This week we talk:
XBONE price drops
Virtuix Omni secures funding
Playstation Plus free games for May
New Watch Dogs gameplay video
Civilization: Beyond Earth – wowzers…
Four player narrative coop announced for AC: Unity
Minecraft real-world application awesomeness
More departures from Naughty Dog
Our Indie game this week was Franchise Hockey Manager (chosen by Crinbot, obviously)
As ever, get in touch on Facebook, Twitter, or comment below.
Sup' bitches,
We're back again for another week of epic gaming lolz. This week:
Virtual insanity/reality returns with more news from Occulus. More here. And yet more here.
Continued nonsense from Call of Doody.
Nice words from a Titanfall dev.
And the PS4 gets a long-overdue update.
Hello boys and girls,
Welcome to another edition of the TBoD podcast, the topics up for discussion from our likely lads this week are;
Xbox updates,
Howdy chaps and chapesses,
TBoD return the normal schedule this week with more news from the gamesphere from the past 7 days or so.
We firstly bash Xbox for erroneous reasons; the Game with Gold this month is indeed Hitman: Absolution. Apologies to Microsoft…
We touch on our thoughts around the more broad points from Gagnon30's recent post.
Disney buys Maker Studios; and
Amazon Fire TV, among others
The indie game this week is the truly excellent Gang Beasts
As ever, get your lugs (English for 'ears') around our dulcet tones, and give us your thoughts on Twitter, Facebook, or the comments section below.
Hey folks,
The crew reunite after a split to take in the sights and "experiences" of Amsterdam to talk through the latest news in gaming.
This week, we couldn't really talk about anything other than the Facebook/Oculus union.
Have a listen, and give us your thoughts on Twitter, Facebook, or the comments section below.
Hello Tea Pots,
Welcome to another freshly poured cup of the Teabag or Die podcast. This week the boys discuss;
Microsoft admits to failings in the PR department,
TLoU movie (again),
and this weeks "we called the dog…" title is 'This is my War'
right click and hit save as to download
have a deeks, let us know what you think and keep in touch in all the usual ways.
- eremenko
Welcome back to the stage of victory….. or something less dramatic.
The TBoD guys are back with their regularly scheduled programming, the topics on the bill for discussion this week are;
The Last of Us is getting the movie treatment,
Infamous: second son is set to be a big seller,
Microsoft reduce the price of the Xbox one in a new Titanfall bundle,
Path of Exile is showing devs how FTP should be done,
Duna duna duna duna duna duna duna duna BATMAN!
This weeks Indie game is 10 second Ninja
We had some technical difficulties this week so there have been some audio cuts, apologies for that.
As always let us know what you think of the stories discussed this week via the usual portals.
right click and hit save as to download
Thanks for listening,
- eremenko
UPDATE: – Audio has been cleaned up slightly, no cuts in the latest version so re-download latst version.
Hey teabaggers.
We've been a little busy this week what with one thing or another and thus we have taken a break from the regularly scheduled podcast but we didn't want to leave y'all hanging so we popped out a little special for your listening pleasure.
In this special we talk about the beginnings, the ever changing nature and the potential future of the Massively Multiplayer Online gaming scene. We also recorded a very special intro just for the cast, stay tuned at the end for the blooper reel.
Hopefully you will find this as interesting and entertaining as our regularly scheduled programming. Let us know what you thing about the topics discussed in the comments below.
Right click and choose 'save as' to download
Wassup fools!?!
TBoD is back. After a week off due to illness (both mental and physical) and a celebration of new life we have returned for your listening (dis) pleasure. We do our best to catch up on two weeks worth of exciting gaming news including;
Evolve – a 4vs1 shooter from the team behind the awesome L4D,
BF4 – Resuming the stream of DLC coming out from Dice/EA and the implications on the buggy game itself,
Uncharted territory for Seth Gordon, the front runner to bring Drakes adventures to the big screen,
Titanfall – We couldn't ignore the Xbox/PC exclusive this week of all weeks,
Sonic Boom - The return of the blue blur with a new look,
Destiny – Is the pressure going to get to Bungie as Activision/Blizzard announce expectations,
Elder Scrolls Online – Cause we can.
As always we have our regular segment "we called the dog…" in which eremenko talks about SpaceBase df-9
As always likecomscribe, hit us up on twitter, facebook etc keep an eye out for our streams and stay safe kids.
- menko
A Klaus Call <—– right click and choose save as to download
Welcome to another edition of the TBoD podcast.
Hot off the press, onto our lips, and into your ears this week::
The greatest battle evaaaarrrr, and the aftermath.
DayZ updates.
Nintendo boss halves salary.
Elder Scrolls Online will not require PS+.
EA ruin some more stuff.
Octodad gets even more hilariously ridiculous?
Wolf Among Us episode 2 teaser released.
Our indie game is The Vanishing of Ethan Carter; a beautiful-looking Horror Fiction.
Right-click here then Save As to download
Enjoy and leave a comment if you like.


text:
Westbound service on the Long Island Rail Road has been restored between Jamaica and Penn Station after signal problems in one of Amtrak's East River tunnels caused a suspension.
Scattered delays remain systemwide due to signal problems on the Queens side of the tunnels.
The 4:40PM train from Penn due Long Beach at 5:37PM, is canceled due to signal issues on the Queens side of the East River tunnels. Customers will be accommodated by the 5:00PM train from Penn due Long Beach at 5:55PM.
KMSP-TV11358 Viking DriveEden Prairie, MN 55344
Phone: (952) 944-9999Fax: (952) 942-0455


text:
StyleCaster Media Group
has been acquired by .
Find out more about this story.
Women Celebrity Hairstyles
Credit: © Sara De Boer / Retna
Rachel McAdams
Aug 4 2005
Delicate fishtail braids add texture and interest to Rachel McAdams' fun pinned up 'do.
Styling Tip
Step 1: Take a one-inch section of dry hair in front and divide in half.
Step 2: From the outside of the left section, take a half-inch section of hair, cross it over the top of the left section and add it to the section on the right side.
Step 3: From the outside of the right section, take a half-inch section, cross it over the top of the right section and add it to the section on the left side. Repeat until you reach the end of the hair and then continue with next braid. Pin length back.


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Corsican vendetta knife with floral detail
che la mia ferita sia mortale
"may my wound be deadly"
(Source: anti-romanticismo, via msfackitall)
Yo te amo y tu solo me aprecias
Neural tube defect.
(via impureevil)
(Source: heroindod, via pedaltothecrustmetal)
Annibal Bartlet. Book of Secrets. 1657.
Woodcut diagrams, symbols and illustrations of alchemical processes. 17th century France via the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
(via pedaltothecrustmetal)
(Source: tengo-que-dejartee-ir, via salirsedelsurko)
It really doesn't matter how big or how small they are, all cats are fucking adorable morons.
(Source: ForGIFs.com)
These little fruits are holding him down
(Source: koyaniyako, via wasted-young-dreams)
631 people so far are not Rick.
Turns out everyone else on tumblr is Rick
My friend on facebook is called Rick and I wanna tell him he is one in a million so we need to get this to a million notes!!!
So much unrickness
(via ryanvallejo)


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Ceslovas Cesnakevicius
Digital manipulations by Ceslovas Cesnakevicius.
Digital manipulations by Ceslovas Cesnakevicius.
Vancouver-based (close enough) Ben Tour is killing it right now! If you are in the Toronto area, head on over to the Meta Gallery (107-37 Mill St.) – Ben's Electric Orphans show is up from Jan 9 – Feb 15!
Paintings of wildlife and "wildlives" by Sage Vaughn.
Guilherme Dietrich's sketchbook pages.
Paper cutout work from Mayuko Fujino.
Abstract paintings by Robert Hardgrave. Kinda like Picasso, Dali, and Kandinsky rolled into one!
I was recently asked by my friend Bob Kronbauer to be a regular contributor over on his new site, Club Mumble. Bob is the talented guy behind the Little Giants series which I mentioned before and I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of his latest project.
To give you an idea of the Club Mumble roster, let me just rattle off a few names: Michael Leon, Thomas Campbell, Don Pendleton, Angela Boatwright, Geoff McFetridge, Andrew Pommier, Kevin Lyons, Todd Bratrud… you get the idea, this list is no joke. If you're into the art/skate scene you'll want to bookmark it immediately.
Interesting collage work from Richard Russell. No photoshop here, just found imagery, bees wax and lots of experimenting. I never thought to continue loading the same sheet of paper back into an inkjet printer! Brilliant! Thanks to Shelley (guest blogger over at A Print a Day)!


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The Latest Issue of Word Up!
The Word Up newsletter is chock-full of great resources for parents and educators. Browse the current issue below, or dig into the newsletter archive.
In Focus: Back to School
While summer is winding down, anticipation of the new school year is revving up. We've gathered some of our best articles and tips to help you have the best year yet.
Just for Teachers: Top 10 Resources on Back to School
Get ready for a great school year! Discover establishing an effective 90-minute reading block, building parent engagement, and more.
See tips >
Back to School: Tips for Special Education Teachers
Along with new smiling faces, a new school year brings special education teachers new IEPs, new co-teaching arrangements, new assessments to give, and more. In order to help you be as effective as you can with your new students, we've put together our Top 10 list of back-to-school tips that we hope will make managing your special education program a little easier.
See tips >
Building Strong Parent-Educator Relationships
Let's face it: You can't go it alone. Teachers need parents, and parents need teachers. Learn how to reach out in a way that creates a productive environment for all. Included are specific suggestions on ways to reach out to Hispanic students and families and a guide for parents that outlines who's who at your child's school.
See article >
Reading (and Scaffolding) Expository Texts
As your new students come into your classroom this fall, you may find they require extra support when reading expository texts. Their unique structure and style differs from other sorts of reading, so teaching students about signal words and organization can help. This article provides several suggestions for doing both!
See article >
Books & Authors
Rimshots: Our Video Interview with Charles R. Smith, Jr.
As a child, Charles R. Smith, Jr. spent a lot of time reading books and poetry and playing basketball; but during his stint on the high school yearbook committee, he fell in love with photography and decided that he wanted to be a professional photographer. Today Smith combines his experiences in these three areas — writing, photography, and sports — in his work with children's books. Of the distinctive niche he fills with his books, Smith notes, "I want to show students, particularly boys, that there are many ways to pursue their interests, no matter what they may be."
Watch interview >
Short Stories
These short stories have plenty of intrigue to keep students engaged, and teachers can use them to teach literary devices including plot, characterization, foreshadowing, and irony. In addition, these stories have content that will provide for rich discussion about society, morals, ethics, and values.
See Biographies booklist >
Books and Beyond
From a teacher blog about young adult literature, to a Spotify playlist featuring the favorite tunes of a young adult fiction writer, to a graphic novel that began life as classic literature, to a Tumblr campaign promoting diverse books, educators, publishers, authors, and illustrators are all tuning into teen readers. The efforts come at an important time. A recent survey by Common Sense Media shows that — particularly for teens — pleasure reading is on a steady decline. But survey results also show that when children and teens are engaged in reading for pleasure early on, they remain strong readers well into their teens and beyond. Here's how you can bring back the joy of reading.
See article from NEA Today >
Teaching & Learning
Featured Strategy: Semantic Feature Analysis
This strategy engages students in reading assignments by asking them to relate selected vocabulary to key features of the text. A matrix helps students discover how one set of things is related to one another. Teachers can adapt this strategy to create an ice-breaker activity for those first few awkward days of school!
See strategy >
CommonLit: Engaging Texts, Timeless Themes
CommonLit is a new collection of thematically organized, leveled texts for middle school students. CommonLit offers hundreds of short texts to supplement what you already teach. Texts are categorized into 14 timeless themes that offer rich opportunities for close reading and discussion — themes like identity, power and greed, resilience, and prejudice and discrimination.
See resource >
Related article
Building a Reading Resource >
8 Apps for Digital Portfolios
Digital portfolios allow students and teachers to collect student work in a variety of media: text, photos, slideshows, audio and video. One great benefit: it's easy to add comments and share the work through the school year with peers and parents. Are you interested in the idea, but don't know where to start? Take a look at these recommended apps and website services (all are free or low-cost).
Browse apps >
News, Research and Reports
Adolescent Literacy Fact Sheet
The majority of students are leaving high school without the reading and writing skills needed to succeed in college and a career. Many of the more than 700,000 students who leave U.S. high schools each year without a diploma have low literacy skills.(Alliance for Excellent Education, June 2014)
Download fact sheet >
What a Common Core Lesson Sounds Like in a 10th-Grade English Class
Today, English teacher, Nicole Matassa, is working on this Common Core Standard — analyze how complex characters develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters and advance the plot or develop the theme. She's holding a reusable grocery bag filled with random stuff from her apartment — a stapler, a bottle of sunscreen, old-school headphones her students barely recognize. The students are about halfway through reading the play "A Raisin In The Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry. Matassa makes her way around the room, and someone from each group reaches into the bag. Student Sara Berrocal pulls out a box of crayons, perfume and a bottle of hot pink nail polish. The girls in her group quickly match each object with a character. Mama Younger is nail polish. Ruth is the perfume.
Listen to story from NPR >
Building a Better Online Reader
When Ziming Liu, a professor at San Jose State University whose research centers on digital reading and the use of e-books, conducted a review of studies that compared print and digital reading experiences, supplementing their conclusions with his own research, he found that several things had changed. On screen, people tended to browse and scan, to look for keywords, and to read in a less linear, more selective fashion. On the page, they tended to concentrate more on following the text. Skimming, Liu concluded, had become the new reading: the more we read online, the more likely we were to move quickly, without stopping to ponder any one thought.
See article >


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Monday, Lubbock National Bank released the city's economic index for May.
It currently sits at 135 which is more than an 8% increase from this time last year.
A rising index means a growing and expanding local economy.
According to the index, auto sales were up by 12% compared to May of 2012 and housing construction went up by 45%.
Lubbock's unemployment rate has decreased slightly compared to this time last year.
Copyright 2013 KCBD. All rights reserved.
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recipe ideas for veggies
HI all,
am totally new to this low carbing and to be honest dreading it as I am a carb addict. I'd love for any suggestions on recipes ...I am naughty and do eat fish ..also I am based in bonny Scotland so we defo don't have access to some of the low carb products in the US...any help would be fab xxx
Also check the recipe and suggestions forum. There are often vegetable recipes posted or meat with vegetable recipes that you can just omit the meat in.
I mostly eat fresh veggies, very often just steamed with some butter or cheese sauce and I eat lots of salads.
Raw vegetables and the skin of the vegetables are the best for you.
I don't know if you eat soy or any faux meats, but I use a lot of them as well. And I eat beans a couple of times per week.
Oven roasted veggies really bring out the flavor in some things, like sweet potatoes, cabbage, brussels sprouts, etc.
I hope this helps. If you search thru this forum also, there are a few veggie recipes posted.
p.s. Welcome to the forum.
Raw veggies like zucchini, carrots, dips that are raw like raw cashew blended with organic olive oil and fresh garlic .... or make a advocado spread with chopped cilantro and red onion and a lil lime juice .....you can make advocado
lettuce wraps .... or how about raw zucchini spirals with chopped tomatoes and fresh basil a lil olive oil and a bit of raw garlic on top .... eating raw at least part of your day is very healthy. :)
I have found that turnips sliced and fried in coconut oil make a great substitute for potatoes. Surprisingly they do not soak up a lot of oil. These have become my goto veggie when I am craving carbs.
Konjac noodles are low net carbs and you can make a low carb coconut Thai soup with konjac noodles .... roasted seaweed snacks are low carb and great for a salty snack wasabi flavoured is spicy .... almond milk is low carb and so are some coconut milk in cans .... eating a salad before a meal will fill you up and either making your own dressing or buying Annie's brand is a healthier choice than some of those other dressings with too many ingredients that you can barely pronounce or even guess what it is Lol :)
Homemade kale chips are a great snack while being low carb and low calorie. This recipe calls for olive oil but you can substitute it with coconut oil if you'd like! I also don't put nearly as much salt as the recipe says..I kinda just put a bit in my palm and sprinkle it throughout: Crispy Kale Chips Recipe : Melissa d'Arabian : Recipes : Food Network
Quorn chicken pieces are great in a bowl with some single cream and a handful of brussel sprouts. Add salt, pepper, herbs - Microwave for 4 to 5 minutes and you have a lovely creamy 'chicken' dish :)
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Officer Shana Chanbers is presented the 2010 C.O. of the Year Award by her father. Retired East. St. Louis Police Chief Isador Chambers.
Officer Shana Chambers
Bruce Morrison, Correctional Officer of the Year
Nominated by: Sgt. Nancy Sutherlin
Very rarely do you find an officer of C/O Chambers' quality and dedication. She is the kind of officer every supervisor wants on their shift. She is extremely self motivated and does not have to be prompted to complete tasks assigned to her. No matter what the job entails, C/O Chambers will complete it without complaining and often comes up with solutions or innovations to help her do the job more efficiently.
She is very observant and has been instrumental in finding contraband before it is introduced into the facility. On several occasions she has discovered detainees smoking in the Female Recovery Room and has taken the time to thoroughly search them and the room until she has located the contraband and the detainee responsible for bringing it in.
Continue reading "2010 Correctional Officer of the Year – Shana Chambers" »


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From Social Networks: What Maslow Misses | Psychology Today – via @mslogophiliac
"Humans are social animals for good reason. Without collaboration, there is no survival. It was not possible to defeat a Woolley Mammoth, build a secure structure, or care for children while hunting without a team effort. It's more true now than then. Our reliance on each other grows as societies became more complex, interconnected, and specialized. Connection is a prerequisite for survival, physically and emotionally."
This statement, which I found on Harold Jarche 's blog, applies to evaluation as much as it applies to the example provided by Psychology Today.
Evaluation is a collaborative effort; a team effort, a social effort. Without the collaboration, evaluation lacks much. I'm not sure that survival is dependent on evaluation and collaborative effort; perhaps. The evaluator may know all about evaluation and yet not be able to solve the problem presented by the client because the evaluator doesn't know about the topic needing to be evaluated. The evaluator may know about something similar to and different from what the client needs and yet, not know about the specific problem. Let me give you an example.
I've done a lot of evaluation in the natural resources area and as a result, I've learned much about various natural resource topics, including horticulture, plant science, crop science, marine science. I do not know much about potatoes. A while back, a colleague called me and asked if I could/would serve as the evaluator on a ZEBRA CHIP project. Before I said, Sure, I asked about ZEBRA CHIP. Apparently, it is a potato disease transmitted by bacteria carrying psyllid that is causing much economic devastation among growers. It shows up best when the potatoes are made into chips (hence the name). It looks like this: . To me, it isn't particularly stripped like the animal which offers its name, yet it doesn't look like potato chips I'm used to seeing. I"m told that there is an unpleasant flavor to the chips as well. I knew a lot about growing things, not about potatoes, even though I've worked with potato growers before, just not about this disease.
So, I said sure, only to discover that I have 11 lines in which to write a cogent evaluation section for the work that Extension will be doing (if the grant is funded). If the grant is funded, it will be a five year effort. A continuation actually, which brings me full circle–a collaboration of multiple universities, multiple disciplines, multiple investigators. So what could I say cogently in 11 lines? I suggested that perhaps looking at intention and confidence would be appropriate because we (remember, I said, "Sure") would not be able to measure actual behavior change. And to overcome the psyllids and eradicate this problem (not unlike the spotted wing drosophila which is affecting the soft fruits of the NW, specifically blueberries), we would need to get as close to behavior change as possible once the teaching has occurred. How can social media be used here? Good question–something to explore. At what level of Maslow's hierarchy is this collaboration? Survival, sure. Somehow I don't think Maslow was focused on economic survival.
Within the last 24 hours I've had two experiences that remind me of how tenuous our connection is to others.
Wikipedia says the phrase of "dog days" refers to the sultry (read: HOT) days of summer, typically July and August in the northern hemisphere. In Oregon, it is definitely August. It was 100.4 yesterday; 96 the day before. I didn't sleep well, even with fans and cool evenings (low 60s). This is the hottest summer I've experienced in the 16 years I've been in Oregon–there were 10 days of hot weather in May, June, and July; and now so far in August. The Dog days are also when the star Sirius can be seen (assuming there is no cloud cover, a common phenomenon in Oregon–if not the winter rainy season, then summer thunderstorms.) Dog days were thought to be when "the Sea boiled, the Wine turned sour, Dogs grew mad, and all other creatures became languid; causing to man (sic), among other diseases, burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies." according to Brady's Clavis Calendaria, 1813 (A Compendious Analysis of the Calendar; Illustrated with Ecclesiastica, Historical, and Classical Anecdotes 2 volumes). Read the rest of this entry »
What? So what? Now what?
Sounds like an evaluation problem.
King and Stevahn (in press) tells us the first query requires thoughtful observation of a situation; the second query a discussion of possible options and implications of those options, and the third query calls for the creation of a list of potential next steps.
Yet these are the key words for "adaptive action" (If you haven't looked at the web site, I suggest you do.) One quote that is reflective of adaptive action is, "Adaptive Action reveals how we can be proactive in managing today and influencing tomorrow."( David W. Jamieson, University of St. Thomas). Adaptive action can help you
Evaluation is a proactive (usually) activity (oh, I know that sometimes evaluation is flying by the seat of your pants and is totally reactive). People are now recognizing that evaluation will benefit them, their programs, and their organizations and that it isn't personal (although that fear is still out there).
Although the site is directed towards leadership in organizations, the key questions are evaluative. You can't determine "what" without evidence (data); you can't determine "so what" unless you have a plan (logic model), and you can't think about "now what" unless you have an outcome that you can move toward. These questions are evaluative in contemporary times because there are no simple problems any more. (Panarchy approaches similar situations using a similar model .) Complex situations are facing program people and evaluators all the time. Using adaptive action may help. Panarchy may help (the book is called Panarchy by Gunderson and Hollings .)
Just think of adaptive action as another model of evaluation.
Many of you have numerous lists for summer reading (NY Times, NPR, Goodreads, Amazon, others…). My question is what are you reading to further your knowledge about evaluation? Perhaps you are; perhaps you're not. So I'm going to give you one more list …yes, it is evaluative.
If you want something light: Regression to the Mean by Ernest R. House. It is a novel. It is about evaluation. It explains what evaluators do from a political perspective.
If you want something qualitative: Qualitative Data Analysis by Matthew B. Miles, A. Michael Huberman, and Johnny Saldana. It is the new 3rd edition which Sage (the publisher) commissioned. A good thing, too, as both Miles and Huberman are no longer able to do a revision. My new go-to book.
If you want something on needs assessment: Bridging the Gap Between Asset/Capacity Building and Needs Assessment by James W. Altschuld. Most needs assessments start with what is lacking (i.e., needed); this proposes that an assessment start with what is present (assets) and build from there, and in the process, meeting needs.
If you want something on higher education: College (Un)bound by Jeff Selingo. The state of higher education and some viable alternatives by a contributing editor at the Chronicle of Higher Education. Yes, it is evaluative.
Most of these I've mentioned before. I've read the above. I recommend them.
Recently I came across some old note of mine, from some meeting several years ago. I though it would be useful in my writing so I saved it; actually there were two notes that were similar in content. They both relate to blogging, although at the time I didn't know I would be blogging.
I lump them all under the title of taking a stand, although stance would probably be more descriptive.
The notes are these:
The US has been a country for 238 years. A long time. Perhaps it is an opportunity to reflect on what are the rights, privileges, and obligations of citizenship. Perhaps it is just another holiday. Perhaps it is just a time for blueberry pie and peach ice cream. Perhaps it is a…fill in the blank.
I'm not feeling particularly patriotic. I am feeling very evaluative. Recently I viewed a map indicating that on a US passport an individual could travel to 172 different countries. The only country passports which were more powerful (i.e., able to visit more countries) were UK, Finland and Sweden. I wonder to where (what country) can't I travel on my US passport? That question requires evidence. That is evaluative. I value my US passport. My girls and I travel with them even though driver's license would be easier. (Being able to fly to Paris at a Read the rest of this entry »
Recently, I received the following comment: "In today's world it's virtually impossible to keep up with facebook, twitter, news, tv, movies email, texts, etc."
It was in response to a blog post about making a difference. How do you know? Given that most of what was suggested happens in the virtual world, the play on words is interesting. How is it impossible–because there is too much information? because you are too distracted by the virtual part of all the information and get lost? because virtuality it is not clearly understood? because of something else? I personally find I can get lost when I spend all day on line (virtual). It isn't real, actually. I have no sense of what is happening and what isn't happening. Even with the feeds from news lines, I find I have to double check my facts. Yet even as I say this, the virtual is expanding (go here). I have heard about Web 2.0; hadn't heard about IoE (Internet of Everything)…the CEO of Cisco (John Chambers) stated that the IoE depends on the architecture, the systems integration. Is virtual the way of the world? It certainly isn't the future any more; it is now. I have to ask, though, what about people…Given that much evaluation is now being done with the use of virtual tools, are we really understanding what difference is being made? Or are there just connections?
The individual continued with the comment by saying, "Keep up your small voice. Some are listening." Those "listening" are certainly reflected in the number of comments I received on the posts about making a difference in the last two days (over 45). This may certainly be a way of engaging; I know it is outreaching. It is only my small voice; it is rewarding to know that some are listening/reading. Even if they only stay a short while.
My two cents. (my small voice).
Had a comment a while back on analyzing survey data…hmm…that is a quandary as most surveys are done on line (see Survey monkey, among others).
If you want to reach a large audience (because your population from which you sampled is large), you will probably use an on-line survey. The on-line survey companies will tabulate the data for you. Can't guarantee that the tabulations you get will be what you want, or will tell you want you want to know. Typically (in my experience), you can get an Excel file which can be imported into a soft ware program and you can run your own analyses, separate from the on line analyses. Read the rest of this entry »
To quote Annie Leonard, the word sustainability "gets thrown around all the time now and it's not always clear what is intended." She goes on to talk about the UN World Commission on Environment and Development definition of sustainable development as "…meeting the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." That is a good definition, I think. Yet it is missing something which (according to Leonard) are equity and justice. Robert Gilman defines sustainability as "…equity over time". She says (and I agree), quoting the Center for Sustainable Communities, that sustainability "consider(s) the whole instead of the specific. Sustainability emphasizes relationships rather than pieces in isolation."
Now, given that evaluation to be effective must look at the whole (here is a good example of when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts); and
given that evaluation works to find out information that will benefit both the current and future generations; and
given that evaluation works to determine what difference was made in people's lives, it seems to me that there is a relationship here that needs to be acknowledged.
A colleague of mine works in youth development and loves the job. My colleague has to determine the value of the program; the program needs to be evaluated. Yet, if the work is only for the program (i.e., the pieces in isolation) not the whole, what good is it that my colleague loves the job? The relationship between the youth involved and the bigger picture is truly more than can probably be captured in any evaluation. Still, the evaluation needs to be planned to consider that, even if the resources are limited (that is the "probably" above).
So yes, evaluation has something to learn from sustainability. Certainly sustainability can learn from evaluation (and economics, and equity, and ecology…).
I've been, once again, getting comments about making a difference. I thought I'd post some of those comments (I've copied and pasted comments so the spelling is as it appears in the original text):
…every blog post makes a difference in a way or in another. You can answer at your questions just seeing how many comments are here, how many people are interested in answering you. I think you are a good person, and everything said by a good person is always a life's lesson to keep in mind. Thank you for every helpful information, good job!
It may be a temporary difference – i.e. limited on the time, but of course that at least for some seconds your writing are touching the life's of all your readers.
I think the best measure of the effectiveness of a blog are the number of shares it gets, as people that found something useful in it tend to want to share with others.
…I have written quite a bit about this topic and challenge that bloggers face and the bottom line is that you really can't measure the value. Sure I think asking for responses like you did might help you see a bit of it, but the reality is 99.9% of people will never comment. As such, we as bloggers have to remember that each pageview is a real person who was on our site and who was impacted by what we wrote!
My question: are blogs engaging readers or are they only outreach, even if the blog is read?
P.S. I also got a lot of comments about my analytics post…for next time.
Leonard, A. (2011). Story of Stuff. NY: Free Press. (good book–worth the read)
Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. (1987). NY: UN World Commission on Environment and Development. http://www.un-documents.net/our-common-future.pdf
Gilman, R., Director, Context Institute.
Center for Sustainable Communities is quoted in a variety of places: http://sustainablesonoma.org/keyconcepts/sustainability.html; http://isocs-sustainability.wikispaces.com, among others.


text: Share this news story Blkmarket Membership have also booked Marcel Dettmann, Ben Klock and Nick Höppner tonight in Brooklyn. New York's Blkmarket Membership and ReSolute will team up for a July 4th day party tomorrow. As is often the case for both promoters, the event will take place at a secret location, which in this case means a limited-capacity rooftop spot somewhere in Brooklyn. Deep house specialists Dixon and Âme of Berlin's Innervisions label will headline with a five-hour back-to-back set. Local support will come from ReSolute's Elon, who's fresh off a tour of Europe, and Taimur Agha from Blkmarket. RSVP to find out the location. Along with tomorrow's July 4th bash, Blkmarket will host a Ostgut Ton showcase in Brooklyn tonight, featuring Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann and Nick Höppner. Klock and Dettmann are confirmed to play together for what is sure to be a wide-ranging display of all things techno, while label manager Höppner, who recently mixed Panorama Bar 04, will likely offer up a more house-oriented selection with his DJ set. Once again, attendees will need to RSVP via email. A limited amount of tickets to both events can still be found here on RA. Jul 03 Blkmarket Membership presents Ostgut Ton Night, TBA -.. Jul 04 Blkmarket & Resolute presents Dixon & Ame on July 4th,.. Promoter: Blkmarket Membership