text:
Announcement: Rocket Spanish Review (updated for 2015)
Is Rocket Spanish Any Good?
If you're looking for reviews of Rocket Languages Spanish then I'm pretty sure you have a few questions you'd like answers to. Is Rocket Spanish any good? Does Rocket Spanish work? How does Rocket Spanish compare to the other on-line Spanish courses. Where can I buy Rocket Spanish, how much does it cost and is there a way to get a discount? If these are some of the things you'd like to know then you'll be glad to hear that you've come to the right place.
Those are the very same questions that I wanted answers to when I was doing my own research into Rocket Spanish Premium. The review of the popular Rocket Spanish course I have put together below will answer all of these questions for you plus a few more. It will hopefully save you some of the 'leg work' that I had to do when researching on-line Spanish courses for myself. My aim is that this article will help you to decide if the Rocket Languages Spanish course is really worth your time and money!
Rocket Languages Spanish Review – Table of Contents
Since this review of the Rocket Spanish course is quite a long and detailed one (just over 5000 words) you may find the table of contents below useful. If you are in a hurry you will find it particularly useful as you can quickly skip to the specific information you are looking for by clicking on any of the quick links provided below.
-Is Rocket Spanish Premium Any Good?- Introduction (above)
-First Things First – What Exactly is Rocket Languages Spanish?
-Where Did Rocket Languages Spanish Come From?
-Rocket Spanish Premium Explained – Contents and Features of the Course
-Does Rocket Spanish Really Work – Are People Successful With This Course?
-How Does Rocket Spanish Compare To Other Online Spanish Courses?
-Rocket Spanish Vs Rosetta Stone
-Rocket Spanish Vs Pimsleur
-Rocket Spanish Vs Fluenz
-Rocket Spanish Customer Reviews -What Other Users of The Course Have to Say
-Rocket Spanish – Bad Reviews and Things to Watch Out For
-Rocket Spanish Scam?
-Buying Advice – How to Buy Safely and Get a Discount
-Is Rocket Spanish Worth It? – My Advice
First Things First – What Exactly is Rocket Spanish?
Well here's the quick explanation – basically, what you get for your money with this course is lifetime access to the Rocket Spanish Premium online Spanish language learning centre. This online learning centre is a very modern, clean looking, well designed and easy to navigate membership website where members can log in from any computer anywhere in the world to access all manner of Spanish language learning material in the form of audio, audio visual and written content and lessons.
A large proportion of the content of the course is also fully downloadable. For example there are numerous audio files that can be downloaded and stored on a CD or MP3 player. There are also many transcripts of the various lessons from the course available to download and print so that you can keep working on your Spanish learning even when you are nowhere near your computer.
Where Did Rocket Spanish Come From?
Having been established in 2004 by two friends Mark Ling and Jason Oxenham Rocket Spanish has been around for just over ten years now. Mark and Jason both had experienced the more traditional language teaching courses and books that were available at bookshops and universities. They felt that there must be an easier and more effective way of learning a language.
They set about developing a better way of learning Spanish and with the help of their native Spanish speaking friend Mauricio Evlampieff and an expert in Spanish languages Amy Waterman the Rocket Spanish Premium language learning course was born. The main element of the course was a series of fully downloadable interactive audio lessons. It's aim was to not only have you reading and writing Spanish, but speaking Spanish, being able to understand Spanish when it was spoken to you and also to significantly reduce the amount of time it took to learn the language.
The course rapidly became very popular online, so much so that it soon led to the development of other Rocket Languages courses based on the same learning methods. Rocket Spanish Premium has been continually developed and updated over the years. A number of other languages have also been added to the Rocket Languages family of courses to the point where the company boasts of having over 1000,000 online registered users of their language courses.
Rocket Spanish Explained – Contents and Features of the Course
The Rocket Spanish Premium Course is packed full of features. There are many different kinds of lessons to choose from all of which can be accessed from an online account (which you get access to when you buy the course). When you log in to this account you will arrive at your 'dashboard' which is essentially the home page of the site from which you can access all of the learning material.
The site has been well designed and has a very simple layout that makes it easy to navigate with the main learning sections or modules being easily accessed from tabs across the top of the page and all the other sections are easily found through tabs down the left hand sidebar of the page. Some of the main features of the course are outlined below.
- Interactive Audio: These lessons are where you will learn the most. Each interactive audio lesson is broken down into three modules – 'conversation', 'practice' and 'my level'. For the conversation module you will be taken through a short Spanish conversation which will be broken down into individual words and phrases where you are prompted to repeat the words and phrases out loud. For the 'practice' part of each lesson you get to record yourself speaking some Spanish words and phrases and compare your recording to a native Spanish speaker for correctness. With the 'my level' module you are tested on what you have learned and given a score which you can then work towards improving.
- Language and Culture: Again this section of the course consists of three modules – 'language', 'culture' and 'my level'. The language module deals with all the Spanish language fundamentals such as pronunciation, verbs, adjectives, gender and all that sort of stuff. The culture module gives you information about Spanish speaking countries and some of their customs and also a little bit of history. The 'my level' module allows you to test yourself on what you have learned in this section in the same way as for the interactive audio lessons.
- Games: There are two types of interactive game included with the course. Each of these two types of game has two versions so you get four games in total – Mega Cards Beginners, Mega Cards Advanced, Phrase Master and Word Master. The Mega Card games are interactive memory games and the Phrase and Word Master games put you under pressure to construct various Spanish words and phrases before the time runs out! These games are basically designed to test your knowledge of the written word and also test and improve your vocabulary.
- Survival Kit: The survival kit is a series of vocabulary sessions with interactive audio lessons each of which focus on a specific Spanish language vocabulary set. For example there are vocabulary lessons based around days of the week, body parts, city life, colours, clothes and countries of the world.
- My Dashboard: This area of the course is kind of your home page or starting point. Here you will find a check list of ten different features of the course that you are encouraged to try out at the beginning in order to fully familiarise yourself with the course. There is also a 'course recommendations' feature here where lessons are suggested to you based on what level you are at and what parts of the course you have already completed.
- My Assessments: Testing yourself as you go along is a great way to keep track of your progress when learning a new language. The 'My Assessments' section of the course allows you to do just this by selecting from a number of quizzes based on the material covered in the various lessons throughout the course.
- My Badges: If you are someone who struggles to stay motivated you may find this feature of the course useful. Basically you are awarded points for every lesson that you complete and when you reach a certain number of points you are awarded a badge. There is a whole series of badges which logically range from novice at the beginning all the way up to Spanish speaking guru when you become advanced. Working towadrs achieving your next badge can be a great way to keep motivated and if you are competitive you can also compare your points score on a daily basis to other users of the course who are displayed on a leaderboard.
- My Forum: In this area of the online course you can interact with other learners. You can read questions and comments posted by other users and you can also ask for help by posting a question about something you are struggling with. There are a huge number of people using this forum with wide ranging levels of Spanish so you can learn quite a bit just by reading through the forum posts.
- My Toolbox: This feature of the course has four different sections. The 'Advanced Learning Techniques Section' has a large selection of articles which help you to discover what type of learning suits you best and how to make the best use of the course based on the type of learner that you are. There's a 'My Vocab' section where you can record and store your own vocabulary list. There's a useful Phrase Finder tool where you can type in an English word or phrase and have it translated for you. If you like to make and keep notes as you learn new things there's a 'My Notes' tool where you can store any notes that you make.
Does Rocket Spanish Really Work – Are People Successful With This Course?
With a fairly 'catchy' name like 'Rocket Spanish' which would seem to suggest that you'll be learning the language at rocket speed you might be wondering (like I was) if the adverts for this course are all exaggeration and hype or if there's actually some real value to be found here. With claims from the company's website that this course could cut your learning time in half and enable you to "become a confident Spanish speaker in an amazingly short space of time" I decided to enrol in the course and find out for myself if Rocket Languages Spanish would live up to expectations.
So, does Rocket Spanish work? Well, my answer to that question would be a simple yes! I won't give you a blow by blow account of my complete learning experience as this review is already getting quite long, but below I have outlined the main reasons why I feel that Rocket Spanish Premium worked so well for me.
Here's why Rocket Spanish worked for me:
- • The methods of teaching the language were completely different to the less than enjoyable methods of learning a language I had experienced previously. I learned German as a foreign language at high school. Learning Spanish using this online course was a doddle by comparison.
- • I found the course to be well structured following a logical progression through the basics and then on to the more advanced stuff such as grammar etc. In fact the course website itself is very user friendly and easy to navigate (in my opinion anyway).
- • By downloading most of the audio lessons to CDs I in fact managed to learn an awful lot of Spanish on my daily drive to work – particularly in the mornings when I was fresh at the start of the day (not so much in the evenings though!).
- • The fact that you get lifetime access to the course has been really useful. If 'life' gets in the way of my learning for a period of time there's no problem – I can just pick up where I left off at any time.
How Does Rocket Spanish Compare To Other Online Spanish Courses?
With the digital age we live in becoming more advanced all the time it is no wonder that we are turning to online courses to do our learning more and more. This is certainly true of learning the Spanish language as online Spanish courses are increasing in number and becoming more popular all the time.
With so many Spanish courses available to us on the internet how then do we choose the right one to do our learning with. The answer is simple – we do a little research into as many courses as we can and then pick the one we feel to be the best quality and value.
When I did my own research I found that the most popular online Spanish courses were Rocket Languages Spanish, Rosetta Stone, Primsular and Fluenz (there are many more too but these are the popular ones). I have written some brief comparisons between Rocket Spanish Premium and the other courses which you may find helpful and will give you an idea of how I arrived at my own decision.
Rocket Spanish Vs Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone and Rocket Languages Spanish are similar in a number of ways – they are both based on an online platform, they both use interactive audio/visual lessons, they both have downloadable material, both have interactive games and a number of other similar features. Features aside though that's where the similarities end!
The Rosetta Stone course is based on the principal of language immersion. The course is designed to 'immerse' you in the Spanish language as much as possible. Basically what this means is that you won't find a single word of English spoken or written anywhere in the course lessons.
Part of a typical Rosetta Stone lesson for example would be where you are presented with four pictures and a Spanish phrase. You learn by associating the correct phrase with the relevant picture which is always very obvious. So, with Rocket Spanish you get lots of English explanations of words, phrases, grammar etc with Rosetta Stone you get none!
A feature of the Rosetta Stone course which Rocket Spanish Premium does not have is that you get live scheduled lessons with an actual Spanish tutor (via webcam). The scheduled lessons are usually 50 mins long and you could be one-on-one with the tutor or in a group depending on what time you log in for a lesson.
Some people might like the idea of having a live teacher to interact with but again they will not speak a single word of English to you! By comparison Rocket Spanish has shorter lessons (usually around 20 mins) which are pre-recorded and have lots of easy to follow English translations and instructions.
This next difference between the two courses will be a 'deal breaker' for many people. Of course I'm talking about the price here. At the time of writing the Rocket Spanish Premium Course will cost you just under $90 (if you avail of the discount). To enroll in the Rosetta Stone online Spanish course will however set you back just over $220 and that's only for a twelve month subscription. With Rocket Languages Spanish you get lifetime access to the course.
Many people claim to have achieved fluency in Spanish using Rosetta Stone which some might say makes it better than Rocket Spanish. My own research however has found that this is very unlikely. Benny Lewis say's in his review of Rosetta Stone over at fluentin3months.com:
So, just like Rocket Languages Spanish you will need to 'go further' than Rosetta Stone to achieve fluency in Spanish if that is your eventual goal. For me, the much higher price and the fact that there was no English translations/explanations of the lessons meant that Rosetta Stone was quickly knocked off my list of Spanish Courses worth trying!
Rocket Spanish Vs Pimsleur
The Pimsleur Method is a fairly well established and well known audio language learning technique that has been around for quite a while – in fact it was one of the earliest audio language learning courses on the market way back when cassette tapes were the norm. In order to keep up with the competition however the course has since evolved to include a combined software/online element which is known as Primsleur Unlimited.
Primsleur Unlimited Spanish is quite similar to Rocket Spanish Premiumin many ways. It has many of the same (or similar) features – downloadable audio lessons, reading lessons, interactive games, flash cards, cultural lessons etc. And like Rocket Spanish Pimsleur Unlimited Spanish also has three levels.
From the point of view of how the Spanish language is actually taught there are some differences between the two courses. The main difference is that the Pimsleur Unlimited course rely's rather heavily on it's audio lessons whereas Rocket Languages Spanish is much more interactive with it's core lessons being audio visual.
Another difference between these courses is that when you purchase Pimsleur Unlimited Spanish you are sent a DVD data disc with the software application on it which must be ran on your computer. It requires a minimum of 1GB of RAM and a minimum of 10GB of free disc space. Rocket Spanish can be used entirely online without downloading or installing anything to your computer.
One of the first things many people look at when they are researching a product is the price. So, how do these courses compare on price? Well, Pimsleur works out to be more expensive than Rocket Spanish Premium – but not by much! The list price for Pimsleur Unlimeted Spanish level 1 is $150 but it seems that they regularly run promotions where you can avail of the course for just under $120. Rocket Languages Spanish can be purchased for just under $90.
The 'deal breaker' for me with Pimsleur Spanish was the fact that you could only use the course on a computer which had the required DVD software installed on it. With Rocket Spanish however you can login and access the course from any computer anywhere (as long as there's an internet connection of course). The lower price and slightly better features (in my opinion) also swayed my decision towards Rocket Spanish Premium.
Rocket Spanish Vs Fluenz
Although Fluenz Spanish is also a highly interactive course it is quite different to Rocket Languages Spanish. The key difference is in the way that the Spanish lessons are delivered. Where Rocket Spanish could be described as mostly an interactive audio course Fluenz Spanish would be best described as an interactive video course.
For the entire Fluenz Spanish course you will have one of the course founders as a tutor to guide you through the various 'sessions' of the course. On a series of pre recorded video lessons the tutor will take you through various Spanish conversations. These Spanish conversations are very well broken down, explained and translated into English by the tutor. Rocket Spanish Premium has this in common with Fleunz – all lessons are very well explained in English.
Another difference between Fluenz Spanish and Rocket Languages Spanish is in the structure of the lessons. Fluenz is taught in 'sessions' which typically take around 2 hours each to complete. Rocket Spanish has a very different structure with the course lessons rarely taking longer than 20 minutes.
Just like Rocket Spanish the Fluenz Spanish course is very user friendly. When I tried the demo I could quickly see how easy this course was to navigate through. This ease of navigation is accomplished mostly by the fact that the course structure is so well designed but also in part as a result of there simply being less to navigate through!
When you compare the features of these two courses you will soon see that Fluenz Spanish has little else outside of the course sessions whereas Rocket Spanish is packed full of extra features outside of it's core lessons. You won't find things like flash cards, interactive games or voice recording software in Fleunz Spanish.
Similar to Rocket Spanish Fluenz Spanish has a number of different levels. A difference here though is that Rocket Spanish has 3 levels whereas Fluenz Spanish actually has 5 levels. To compare prices, level one of Rocket Spanish will cost you just under $90. Level one of Fluenz will cost you $177.
My opinion of Fluenz Spanish is that it is an excellent course – easily proven by the many positive reviews I read. If I had not gone for Rocket Spanish I would have chosen Fluenz. My main misgiving with the Fluenz Spanish course was the length of the lessons. Sitting down to study Spanish for two hours at a time is something that I would rarely be able to find the time to do.
With shorter lessons, extra features and of course a lower price I felt that Rocket Spanish was just better value overall and definitely a better fit for me personally.
Rocket Spanish Customer Reviews -What Other Users of The Course Have to Say
Before deciding to invest our hard earned cash in any kind of product or service we all like to be as sure as we can be that that particular product or service is of good quality and will meet our needs exactly. One great way to help us make our decision is to find out what the experience of people who have already used that product or service has been.
Well, that's exactly what I did before I chose Rocket Spanish. The excerpts below are taken from some of the customer reviews I found which helped me to make my decision about Rocket Spanish.
• One user of the Rocket Spanish course named Nabil who posted a youtube video review says this about the course:
This is a common point made by many users of Rocket Spanish and has also been my own experience – basically the course is very user friendly.
• A member over at Yahoo Answers named Deepti had this to say of her experience with Rocket Spanish:
Deepti makes a great point here – by downloading some of the course audio files you can take your Spanish learning with you anywhere. If you like the idea of learning some Spanish during your daily commute or whilst out for your morning jog then you'll find it useful to know that the Rocket Spanish course has the features which will allow you to do this.
• Deepti goes on to say:
Now this part of Deepti's comment I really have to agree with. For me, being able to read the words being spoken on the audio and then speak them back out loud myself was what I liked most about the course. It's kind of like throwing mud at a wall – if you can see it, hear it and do it pretty much all at the same time then an awful lot more of that 'mud' is going to stick!
• A rather interesting point made by the reviewers over at No1reviews.com is that:
The above comment was made by the reviewer when comparing Rocket Spanish to some other similar courses. The reviewer was making the point that in the Rocket Spanish course there is a very strong emphasis on actually speaking Spanish as you learn it which for most people I guess is a lot more important than the reading and writing aspect of the language.
Rocket Spanish – Bad Reviews and Things to Watch Out For
If you've already gone through a few Rocket Spanish Reviews you might have noticed that there is very little to be found in the way of bad reviews of Rocket Spanish or negativity towards the course. There are however a few things about the course that I feel you should know that other reviewers rarely mention.
• A member over at forumchitchat.com who has used all three levels of Rocket Spanish Says:
I Guess there's two things that can be taken from the comment above. One is that Rocket Spanish is good for complete beginners. The other is that if you already have a basic or intermediate level of Spanish then a more advanced level of the course or other course might serve you better.
• The following quote is taken from a Review by H. Gordon from over at yourlanguageplace.com:
Gordon makes the point here that Rocket Spanish will not get you to complete fluency in the Spanish Language. From my own knowledge of the course I would have to agree – the course will certainly get you a long way towards fluency but if that is your ultimate goal you need to know that you will have to go 'beyond Rocket Spanish' to get there.
Rocket Spanish Scam?
What's all this then about a Rocket Spanish scam? Well, let me assure you that there is no scam. Rocket Languages is a well established (founded in 2004), trustworthy and properly registered company with two physical addresses that you can actually go to and phone numbers that you can actually call up.
Rocket Languages USA: 8721 Santa Monica Blvd #1229, Los Angeles, CA 90069-4057, USA | Phone: +1-310-601-4958
Rocket Languages Asia/Pacific: 2-1008 Ferry Road, Woolston, Christchurch 8023, New Zealand | Phone: +64-3-384-6350
So why then, you might ask, do you see the occasional Rocket Spanish scam warning when you do a google search for 'Rocket Spanish' or 'Rocket Spanish Reviews'? Let me explain why. The image below is typical of the type of thing you might sometimes find – a website that is advertising in some way that Rocket Spanish is a scam.
What you will usually find if you actually click on a search result like that shown above is that there will be no mention of a scam at all on the site you arrive at. What you will often find however is a very biased review of the Rocket Spanish course which tells you that you should go immediately and buy the course.
So basically dishonest online marketers use the headline 'Rocket Spanish Scam' in order to get you to click through to their website in the hope that they will make some money if you buy the course after clicking their affiliate link – there is no scam!
Buy Rocket Spanish – How to Buy Safely and Get a Discount
If you are going to buy the Rocket Spanish Course then make sure to read through the few pointers that I have given below.
• There's only one place you can buy Rocket Spanish from and that's the official Rocket Languages website. The current price of Rocket Spanish Premium is $99.95 (discounted from $149.95). If you see Rocket Spanish for sale anywhere other than the official Rocket Languages website or for any price other than that stated above then do be careful as it is likely that you will be interacting with a fraudulent website.
• Rocket Languages use a company called Clickbank to Process their orders. Clickbank is one of the largest, most well established and secure retailers of digital products on the internet. I myself have bought many products (certainly more than twenty and mostly ebooks) over the last few years from various companies online who used Clickbank to process their orders and have never had a problem with them. You can buy products through Clickbank and know with 100% certainty that your credit card details and personal information are safe. All products sold through Clickbank are also covered by a genuine 60 day money back guarantee which is also good to know.
• You can currently save $10 by signing up for the free trial. This is something that is not advertised anywhere on the Rocket Spanish website. If you head over to the Official Rocket Spanish site and fill out the form for the free trial (by submitting your name and email) you will be given immediate access to the course. What you should find is a small banner add at the top of 'your dashboard' which will be offering you the course for an 'early bird' price of $89.95 ($10 cheaper than the regular $99.95). They will also send you a welcome email with the same offer. So simply by signing up for the free trial you'll be saving $10 off the regular price!
Is Rocket Spanish Worth It? – My Advice
If you've read this far down this review then I hope you found the information here useful. So, is Rocket Spanish worth your time and money – well, that's for you to decide! For me personally, I feel that the Rocket Spanish course was well worth my time and money – I would happily recommend the course to a friend!
The best piece of advice I could give to anyone thinking about investing in Rocket Spanish is to go and try the free trial. By giving the trial a go you'll get to find out if the course is right for you (or not) and also learn a good deal of Spanish to boot! The Link I have provided below will take you to the official Rocket Languages website where you can find out more about Rocket Spanish and sign up for the free trial if you wish.
CLICK HERE to Start Learning Spanish Right Away and Try Rocket Spanish For Free (by Signing Up for Your Free Trial)


text:
Wed, Aug 18, 10 at 20:12
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by sprouts_honor Cleveland, z5/6ish (My Page) on Wed, Aug 18, 10 at 22:28
Impressive. How tall was the cutting you rooted? My Negronne is getting tall and I was thinking of taking the leader out of it next season but am not sure if I can get it to root like newer growth. Jennifer |
Jennifer it was growing as a sucker in parent trees pot several inches tall when i dug it out. The parent tree is hard to see in the other thread "my figs in yard" its in the second picture down first 30 gallon pot behind the gate. Martin |
- Posted by vaplantman 7b - Newport News (My Page) on Sat, Aug 21, 10 at 18:28
Martin, Your VdB looks great! I'm very jealous. I have a much smaller Vdb (2 years old) but it was VERY productive this year for its size. I have a pic of it on my blog below if you are interested. Keep up the great growing. Dave |
Here is a link that might be useful: .09 Acres
Hi Vaplantman, you will forget you say jealous next season with your Vdb . With a little care you will see how nice size yours will be next season in your climate. ; ) By the way i visit your site - nice and thanks. Martin |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Fig Forum
Information about Posting
- You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account.
- Please review our Rules of Play before posting.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use.
- We have a strict no-advertising policy!
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
Learn more about in-text links on this page here

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Biggie and Tupac: Too Youth-y for Print?
By Christopher Bateman
The big news in hip-hop today looked like it could have been pulled straight out of the 1990s.
Fox Searchlight added to the hype surrounding Notorious, its biopic about Christopher Wallace (better known as Biggie Smalls or the Notorious B.I.G.), by releasing the first photos of Jamal Woolard (shown here) as the legendary rapper. And in an interesting coincidence of timing, the Los Angeles Times broke a major report—reinforcing the long-held suspicions of many—that Biggie and Sean "Diddy" Combs were "behind" the 1994 assault on Tupac Shakur that sparked a blood feud. That feud eventually claimed the lives of Shakur and Wallace, the two most influential rappers of their generation.
Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter Chuck Philips writes that, according to F.B.I. records obtained by the Times, the two men responsible for coordinating the attack were manager Jimmy "Henchman" Rosemund and promoter James Sabatino, acting with the approval of Combs and B.I.G. (Combs issued a statement today calling the story "a lie.")The way the Times published the story is noteworthy in and of itself: it was an online exclusive. Tupac is nothing less than an object of worship for lots of people I know, so why not print such a big scoop in the print edition? I put that question to Philips and his editor, Mark Duvoisin, who informed me that there are legions of print readers who couldn't care less about hip-hop, and even take umbrage when precious column inches are devoted to it. (Philips says he has received angry complaints along these lines on more than one occasion.) Today's article about the 1994 Quad Records assault, they explained, gave the paper an opportunity to use the web to try targeting a major investigative story toward a particular demographic: under-40 readers. Duvoisin is quick to point out that, like other news organizations, the Times has lots of exclusive blog content. But he says this was likely the first long investigative piece that the Times has run online only. "This story could find its audience much more easily and readily and on the website than it could in the paper," he says. Philips, for his part, was happy to have unlimited space to give the story "texture and detail."
So should we expect to see the L.A. Times using the Web to deliver MTV News to youngsters while freeing up the paper for PBS NewsHour? Duvoisin says they'll "probably" continue to experiment with investigative Web exclusives, adding that he's "curious to see whether [this article] has the same impact as a printed story would in terms of attracting attention from the authorities … whether it stimulates any action on the part of the law-enforcement authorities.
"If that happens," he adds, "I think we'll probably update it and adapt it for the paper."


text:
Causes and Cures for Common Warts
Apr 14, 2003Oh no, it's a wart! You don't just find them on the faces of dirty old witches and you don't get them from kissing frogs or toads.
Arbor Day
Apr 28, 2003Did you know there's a day dedicated to trees? It's called Arbor Day and we celebrate it every year on the last Friday in April.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Book Review
Apr 28, 2003Before Walt Disney was even born, Lewis Carrol created the amazing fantasy world of Alice in Wonderland we have all grown to love.
Love and Other Four-Letter Words
Apr 06, 2003When your parents split up, your crush thinks you're a dork and your best friend is self-absorbed, you end up just a tad bitter.
Quiz! Which Wrestling Freak Are You?
Apr 07, 2003If you were a freak from the wrestling world, who would you be? Triple H? The Rock? Take Kidzworld's Wrestling Quiz and find out.
How Do I Get the Perfect Body?
Apr 24, 2003We've all wished for thinner thighs, bigger boobs or flatter stomachs. Now, learn how you can start feelin' better about your bod!
Elite Interactive :: Trading Cards
Apr 07, 2003The next generation of trading cards has arrived! The interactive sports cards from Elite IC serve up music, mayhem and more.
NBA LEGO Sets
Apr 22, 2003The world's best building blocks have teamed up with the NBA to create a b-ball game that's cooler than an Iverson crossover move.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Eternal Duelists Soul 'A' :: GBA Game Cheats
Apr 02, 2003Want Yu-Gi-Oh! video game cheat codes for the Gameboy Advance? We have all the Yu-Gi-Oh! cheat codes you'll need to win!
Quiz! How Much Do You Know About B2K?
Apr 11, 2003How much do you know about B2K? You're only a true fan if you can pass Kidzworld's B2K Trivia Quiz without a bump, bump, bump!


text:
We are so confident that you won't find a better rate that we offer a 100% Best Rate guarantee. If you find exactly the same deal online for less we will match the lower price plus we will give you a promotion code for 3% which can be used online against your next booking with otel.com.
* Promotion codes cannot be used alongside the Loyalty 5 credits please make sure your claim meets the criteria outlined below.


text:
On 17.01.2013 12:57, hermann meyer wrote:
I don't know the origin of the drum loop,
but that UMG all of a sudden heard about this video (there's only been
9 views),
somehow recognized the short loop that's used in it from material that
they have copyrighted, and then closed it down (only in germany),
and all within a time frame of two hours, sounds very unlikely to me.
Linux-audio-dev mailing list
LINUX® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the USA and other countries.
Linuxaudio.org logo copyright Thorsten Wilms © 2006.
Hosting provided by the Virginia Tech Department of Music and DISIS.


text:
President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney participate in the second presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Related Stories
Updated: November 18, 2012 7:02AM
Tuesday's debate was President Barack Obama's to win.
Or lose.
After a performance in the first debate that was universally panned, there were just two possible outcomes for Obama on Tuesday: further damage to his campaign or the beginning of a recovery.
Tuesday was a reset for Obama.
The president came out strong, with a powerful and detailed vision for the future. He spoke clearly and forcefully to a room full of 82 undecided voters in New York and the nation.
From the start, Obama was in command, putting Gov. Mitt Romney on the defensive, calling out Romney's mischaracterizations of the governor's long-standing policies and revealing the hollowness of Romney's tax plan.
Unlike in the first debate, Obama refused to let Romney's shifting statements about his tax plan, about coal, about the federal government's rescue of the auto industry stand unchallenged.
Two weeks ago, we urged voters to look past style and focus on substance in these presidential debates. That was before the first debate when Obama won on substance but Romney clearly won the debate. We now see the power of style.
Romney emerged the winner because he appeared to embody the qualities you want in a president — decisiveness, energy and toughness. He exuded confidence, telling voters he's the guy to follow.
In contrast, Obama was listless and didn't fight back, reinforcing a nagging fear that he's letting the Republicans in Congress bully him and that he lacks a plan for the next four years.
On Tuesday, Obama turned that around.
The town-hall format was tailor-made for a focus on charm, charisma and the ability to connect — leadership qualities that are arguably as important as a candidate's command of the issues. The real winners have both.
Obama was strongest when he made clear that Romney's plan to lower tax rates for all cannot possibly be revenue neutral, that inevitably it will lead to a greater deficit or tax increases for everyone but the wealthiest. Romney says he'll make up for the lost revenue by ending deductions and loopholes and promised not to reduce the tax burden for the wealthy.
But when asked specifically how he'd pull that off, Romney was vague. That's on purpose: there aren't enough deductions and credits to even come close.
Romney's strongest moments came when he spoke about the poor state of the economy over the last four years. A voter who picked Obama four years ago said he wasn't sure what Obama had done to earn his vote. Romney spoke of high unemployment, a growing budget deficit and a failure to institute a plan to reform Social Security and Medicare.
"He has tried but his policies don't work," Romney said. "He's great as a speaker but he has a record."
In turn, Obama laid out the pledges he has kept — middle class and small business tax cuts, ending the war in Iraq, saving the auto industry, Wall Street reform.
He drew the sharpest contrast here, saying Romney would keep his commitments as well.
Romney pledged not to raise taxes, "so he won't ask for a dime from millionaires and billionaires so we can invest in education." Ditto for repealing Obamacare, rolling back Wall Street reforms, undermining Medicare and trying to drill our way to energy independence. "This is not the kind of leadership you'll need."
The Onion, the satirical newspaper, offered up a spot-on tweet Tuesday: "Obama Excited to Participate in First Debate."
It wasn't exactly a do-over but it was certainly a restart.


text:
Got super employees, great plants, been after this goal for 30 years. This is our time! I finally feel blessed
because people respect my advice. Go to a big box store and consumers are turned off by waiting, waiting, and more waiting for help that doesn't know what the heck they are talking about. No guilt here! It's my time, I worked for it, found super employees, best suppliers, and thank everone that made my dream come true. |
Follow-Up Postings:
Maybe you'll even have a chance now to get the dogs washed. |
Congrats, have a great spring!!! Sounds like you deserve it! deb |
- Posted by hitexplanter 8 a TX ,USA (My Page) on Sat, Mar 22, 08 at 8:04
What did you do to find your super employees? How do you retain them? Cogratulations and I am so happy to see someone in the biz that really has it GOIN ON. I would love to hear your recipe for hitting the "Sweet Spot." I would think others would too. May the blessing of all your hard work continue to rain down upon like April showers setting the stage for your May flowers. Happy Growing David |
- Posted by watergal z6/7 Westminster, MD (firstname.lastname@example.com) on Sun, Mar 23, 08 at 7:23
I'm very happy for you. I remember some posts a while back where you were very discouraged. Glad things are looking up! |
- Posted by gonativegal Zone5a (My Page) on Sun, Mar 23, 08 at 19:15
Dear Muddy, Congratulations - you deserve it. This is a tough business and you're still doing it the right way. The only thing I buy at the box stores is pine bark mulch. All the rest of my business, for plants, shrubs, trees, equipment and everything else goes to independants like you. Happy Easter to you to! |
My husband and I operate a small nursery with 3 part time employees. Finding good help isn't easy. We've had thiefs, people who like to stand behind the counter and do nothing, and others that didn't show up regularly. One gal hurt her back dragging a hose and was on L&I for a while. My two regular part timers really seem to care that our business does well. They were both good customers and approached me about working part time. Money wasn't an issue to them. They're in their late fifties and early sixties and one of the gals works like a whirlwind, is a plant addict,and has infectuous enthusiasm. Everyday I get compliments on her. I make sure I pass on the comments to her. I have finally learned to delegate more. I always thought that I had to plant most of our mixed containers because they were somehow better. Wrong! She's much faster than me and they're fabulous. She's so good that I give her weekends off! She says she hopes to work for me another 12 years. Still gotta find another part timer. One gal came in the other day and wanted a job. I checked her out in our states online court records. She had several criminal charges against her. I might go to our High School and ask the agriculture teacher if she has a good student that would work weekends. In the past I've had mothers come in and ask if I'd hire their high school child. That worked out but those kids are gone now. Our area has more affordable land than a lot of the country and more people are retiring here. Almost everyday we see someone new. We've sold more fruit trees than ever and a lot of larger speciman plants. Our bigger plants with the exception of Arboritaes are often half the price of Home Depots. I have the feeling that more people want to support a small family owned business these days. |
- Posted by hitexplanter 8 a TX ,USA (My Page) on Wed, Mar 26, 08 at 7:31
I have seen in the past some of the best workers have come from being the best customers. I will keep this in mind as I go thru the season. I am trying to hire a temp til memorial day. May be longer term but have only got the owners committed to this thus far. I am getting too old to do all the physical lifting of heavy bags of mulch and potting soils so I am looking for some one to do a lot more of this during the busiest days and to help with loads of plants as they come in. I would love to be growing more as a part of the biz but am scattered in too many directions to see this happen as much as I want yet. I thank you for your rely and continue to wish you all the success you desire this year and for many more to come!! Happy Growing David |
Maybe a typo but particularly since you are in the business note that it's spelled specimen and not speciman. The latter spelling (and hawthorne) appear repeatedly in posts here, so apparently quite a few people think that is how it is spelled - or are making the same typing mistake. Speciman and hawthorne both get red underlines on this computer. Don't know what is providing the spell-checking here. The site? The browser? |
I wish my microsoft internet explorer would have a spelling check under tools or better yet red line typo's. This site doesn't assist in spelling as far as I know. Any spelling fixes are appreciated. |
I'm not enough of a geek to know where it's coming from. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Professional Gardener Forum
Information about Posting
- You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account.
- Please review our Rules of Play before posting.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use.
- We have a strict no-advertising policy!
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
Learn more about in-text links on this page here


text:
Sun, Feb 10, 13 at 12:32
Hi there. This is growing in a thicket of privet and hawthorn. It has a two-inch-wide woody stem and several long (15-foot) branches coming off the base. It's acting almost like a vine, but that could be just extreme legginess because of the competition. Leaves are reminiscent of privet, but I'm almost certain it's not another privet. Can you ID this? |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by jasperdale z10Ca (My Page) on Sun, Feb 10, 13 at 12:57
It looks like Lonicera japonica. The tip of it has buds on it, so when they open take another picture and post it. |
Lonicera japonica would be my first guess too. I think the flowers are quite beautiful, but it can be a 'weed'. |
it's a periwinkle, invasive, but not hard to cut back, gives off bluish purple flowers, when I was a kid we would pop off the flower and suck the sweet nectar out of the back end:) , Periwinkle, a common name for a number of gastropod molluscs in the family Littorinidae, common perwinkle is Littorina littorea, if you were going for a fairy garden it would be a great addition, grew great in the massive shade of my grapefruit tree. |
i see what your saying hmm |
Yes, the periwinkle is invasive...I have *lots* of it. It does have its uses, though. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the California Gardening Forum
Information about Posting
- You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account.
- Please review our Rules of Play before posting.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use.
- We have a strict no-advertising policy!
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
Learn more about in-text links on this page here


text:
Due to customer demand, JCSP has recently expanded it's recruitment and business development services.
In order to reflect this, we're having a bit of a re-design on the website.
Every aspect of the business is continuing to run as normal during this time, so if you have a specific recruitment need, a vacancy to advertise, are looking for your ideal role or simply have a question or query you'd like us to answer, please get in touch and we'll be happy to help you.
Office: 01429 890039 Mobile: 07837 822615
Holding page by Rysoft Creative Studios


text:
Your account | Today's news index | Weather | Traffic | Movies | Restaurants | Today's events | ||||||||
Monday, November 08, 2004 - Page updated at 10:30 A.M. Club nights where being "plus" is a positive are full-size fun By Pamela Sitt
Melissa Habeck, a vivacious plus-size Seattleite, found that bars in Belltown and Pioneer Square just didn't fit right. They weren't comfortable, and they didn't make her feel fabulous. So she did what any smart shopper would do she kept looking. Her Goldilocks moment came when she discovered Abundance Northwest. Sold. "I think the vibe is different from the Seattle bar scene," said Habeck, 33. "I mean, it's cliquey like anything else, but I guess we all have one common bond." Abundance Northwest is celebrating one year of throwing what it calls size-positive club nights, where BBW (big beautiful women) and BHM (big handsome men) come together to mingle, drink and dance. It's not unlike adolescence in a way, what with the hormones and the uncertainty, the lessons in self-acceptance and the insider acronyms. Which is fitting, one supposes, because it took some growing pains to get here. "After I got divorced, I felt like I would never meet anybody who would want to go out with me [because] I was so large," said Susan James, 42, who started Abundance Northwest last December with friend Tina Walker. Another partner, Luke Hensen, took over ownership of the group in June. "It wasn't until I discovered the size-acceptance community that I realized I shouldn't let my weight cause me to not get out there and have fun, and not use that as an excuse." Nearly everyone, regardless of size, has experienced a weekend when he or she feels too fat to go out. Abundance Northwest's goal is to quash this notion, and it appears to be working. At favorite locations like Chihuahua's Mexican Restaurant and Cantina in Auburn and Eli's 104th Avenue Roadhouse in Kent chosen for their proximity to cities both north and south up to 100 people typically gather once or twice a month to dance under strobe lights to Nelly and Jay-Z. Some travel from as far as Portland and Vancouver, B.C., to attend. "They dance a lot and have a good time," said Juan Flores, owner of Chihuahua's. "I get to know the regulars, and I see a lot of new faces as well. It's growing and growing, I think. ... We get phone calls from all over, asking directions on how to get here."
"We know there's a lot of hip plus-size people out there, and that's who we wanted to attract the fun crowd that wants to go out and dance and wear club clothes," she said. "We kind of wanted to get away from the stigma of having it at a community center or Elks club." Habeck, who on a recent night at Chihuahua's was wearing pink capri pants, a black top and ribboned shoes "It's my 'Greased Lightning' outfit" is encouraged by plus-size women who put the same effort into their appearance as anyone else. "I'm proud of women truly taking care of themselves and defying the stereotype of being frumpy and not caring," she said. Not everyone here starts out that way. But more often than not, each successive visit yields a tiny transformation. You can see it in the details: a dab of makeup here, a fitted skirt there, a willingness to smile for the camera. "I think it's knowing you're going to have some event to go to every couple of weeks. You start pulling things together," James said. "I hope to think they feel better about themselves." Nightclubs dedicated solely to larger-size patrons are thriving in other cities including Moxie in Los Angeles and Goddesses in New York and the trend is applauded by the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. "Fifty-five percent of the nation is now above the NIH's [National Institutes of Health] standards" for body mass, said Debra Perkins, vice president of the Los Angeles chapter of the NAAFA. And the health risks of obesity are well known. Yet, Perkins points out, regardless of why someone is overweight or what health issues he or she may have, "With so many people considered legally fat, a lot of people feel like they don't deserve a life. ... This gets them out of the house and lets them see that there's no shame in being a larger person." Abundance is the only organization in the Northwest to offer regular events in a nightclub atmosphere. At $8 a head, the cover charge generates just enough to pay for a disc jockey, bouncers and "my bar tab," James jokes. The crowd ranges in age from late 20s to mid-40s, and women usually outnumber men by a ratio of 60-to-40 unlike the typical Seattle bar scene, which tends to be overrun with testosterone. Many say they prefer plus-size events to bars where "all the skinny women get all the men," according to Teri Wangler, 31, of Kent. Some haven't stepped foot in a "regular" nightclub in years. "It's just comfort in numbers. You go to a regular club and get ostracized a little bit," said Bill Kaminski, 36, of Portland. "Personally, I feel OK. I can go out and ham it up and get people laughing, but for a lot of people, that is a problem." People of all sizes are welcome at Abundance events regulars often bring friends along and organizers are careful to avoid any potential discrimination against those who are smaller. "That's something I'm really aware of. We talk about the fact that you can't be size-accepting unless you're accepting of all sizes," James said. "We don't feel like we need to be sequestered, like we're delicate flowers that can't be around regular people." Wangler, who discovered Abundance Northwest about six months ago, likens the group to a big family. Indeed, its members meet frequently for dinner or organize picnics during the summer. "I've made so many new friends," James said. "The biggest thing is just having a social group to do stuff with." Toni Frick, 31, had trouble meeting people when she moved to Lynnwood from Wisconsin. She saw Seattle as "not friendly." She credits Abundance Northwest for reviving her social life. "It brought me out of my shell. I don't feel self-conscious here. I lost my shyness," Frick said. "I'm going out to regular bars now, and it's not so different anymore. I felt like all eyes were on me. ... Now I don't feel that way." It has had a similar effect on Katrina Walton, 41, of Kent. "I wouldn't make eye contact with people," she said. "And now I'm one of the worst flirts in the world." Pamela Sitt: 206-464-2376 or firstname.lastname@example.com Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company
seattletimes.com home
Home delivery
| Contact us
| Search archive
| Site map
| Low-graphic
| NWsource
| Advertising info
| The Seattle Times Company


text:
Bad Boy Mowers and the Kansas City Royals - Mow 'Em Down Inning
Sign up below for your chance to win a Bad Boy Mowers Push Mower from Bad Boy Mowers and the Kansas City Royals!
Anytime a Kansas City Royals Pitcher throws a perfect 2nd inning (strikes out all 3 batters) we will randomly draw a name from the giveaway entries to receive a Bad Boy Mowers Push Mower. Giveaway begins 5/1/2014 and ends 9/30/2014. See Official Rules for details.


text:
TITUSVILLE – A new federal government study says synthetic drugs like K2 and Spice sent more than eleven-thousand people to emergency rooms in 2010, most of them teenagers and young adults. The drugs mimic a marijuana-style high, but can have much more serious side effects.
Titusville Police Chief Gary Thomas says drugs like K2 were originally developed in the pharmaceutical industry as a substitute for medical marijuana.
"Well, they found out that the side effects were too dangerous, so they shelved it. Wouldn't you know, 50 years later, somebody drags it off the shelf, some grad student, and it's the next big thing."
Last October, Brandon Rice, a 14-year-old boy from Pittsburgh, died after smoking K2. The synthetic pot apparently caused a chemical burn in his lungs. The drug has been linked to a handful of deaths across the country in recent years.
"If you see your child with a bag of potpourri on his dresser and he's not normally a potpourri kind of guy, it could be K2."
Chief Thomas says parents should pay attention to warning signs that their kids may be using drugs.
"A change of friends, a change of attitude, grades falling, extreme paranoia, listlessness."
According to the federal government's Drug Abuse Warning Network, children ages 12 to 17 made up a third of emergency visits linked to synthetic marijuana. Thirty-five-percent were young adults 18 to 35.
More stories at www.palive365.com.


text:
Olivier Wevers' wit shines in new Whim W'him choreography
Whim W'him choreographer, Olivier Wevers' wit is on display in a hilarious pair of new pieces from the company, although a third, more serious dance falls short.
Anyone who has seen much of Olivier Wevers' choreography knows that he has a quick wit and the latest outing of his company Whim W'Him shows off that wit in spades. Two of the three dances on the program are, in Wevers' own words, "quirky comedy," and one of them is so uproariously funny that belly laughs reverberated throughout Intiman Theatre at Friday's opening night.
"Flower Festival" is Wevers' wacky take on one of the most delightful pas de deux in the classical ballet repertoire, but he has upended virtually every aspect of it. His point of departure is "The Flower Festival in Genzano pas de deux," which is drawn from a full-length work that August Bournonville created for the Royal Danish Ballet in 1858. Designed to evoke the Danes' 19th century love of Italy, the ballet showcased Bournonville's distinctive style of flashing feet and youthful exuberance. Nowadays only the pas de deux, or duet, is performed, usually at ballet galas and special performances.
Although Wevers has retained the structure of the pas de deux — intro, slow section, individual variations, and a coda — the similarity ends there. Instead of a charming love duet between a young man and woman, Wevers' "Flower Festival," which could just as easily be called "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better," is a dance-off, or more specifically a clothes-off, between two young men on a set brightly lit to resemble a boxing ring.
Lucien Postlewaite and Andrew Bartee, both of Pacific Northwest Ballet, enter the ring clad in business suits and ties. Soon, they take their places on shiny steel chairs at opposite ends of the ring and the dance-off begins. Bartee removes his shoes to reveal bright pink socks, then leaps to the center and begins a macho series of jumps and turns. He swaggers back to his chair, at which point Postlewaite, not to be outdone, whips off his shoes and begins his own testosterone-driven variation in turquoise socks.
Taking turns taunting each other, Bartee and Postlewaite gradually strip down to undershirts and boxing shorts, entwining each other in their ties, jackets, and pants as they remove the articles of clothing one by one.
Rather than end "Flower Festival" with a pose, Wevers has the lights go down as Bartee and Postlewaite are still struggling, turning each other by an outstretched leg in an endless circle of one chasing the other. It's a clever and appropriate conclusion to a delightful romp that had the audience on its feet almost before the stage went to black.
Postlewaite and Bartee have settled into an easy alliance as dance partners and while Postlewaite, a principal at PNB, has sometimes overshadowed Bartee, a member of the corps, that was not the case in "Flower Festival." If anything, on Friday night Bartee seemed to take to the muscle flexing with even more gusto than Postlewaite, surely a sign of Bartee's increasing confidence as a dancer.
The other comic work on the program, a solo entitled "La Langue de L'Amour," revealed a sly, sexy side of former PNB dancer Chalnessa Eames that PNB's repertoire never gave her a chance to show off. Dressed in a filmy short pink dress, pointe shoes and pixie haircut wig, Eames bounced out on stage to the joyful strains of the Allegro section of Scarlatti's "Sonata in D Major."
For the next 15 minutes or so, she played with and to the audience, blowing kisses, offering come-hither looks, and at one moment pointing to a stunned Batkhurel Bold (PNB prinicipal dancer sitting in the audience) as a spotlight turned on him and stayed there for the rest of the piece. Eames has a beautiful line and even with flexed feet and arms akimbo, she manages to look elegant. Wevers created "La Langue" specifically for Eames and the combination of his witty steps and her sparkling personality make for a charming and accessible gambol.
With "thrOwn," the third and final new work on the program, Wevers broke the comic mood — with mixed results. It's a weighty ballet that asks the question "What is just punishment?" and although Wevers intends for each one of us to answer for ourselves, the narrative is sufficiently unclear and the emotion too muted to fully engage us. Although the program notes suggest a through-story, "thrOwn's" three sections are in fact an odd mixture of story and abstract ballet. Even having read the notes, it was sometimes difficult to follow the story of an adulterous woman and her death by stoning, interspersed with simulations of various forms of capital punishment.
Like what you just read? Support high quality local journalism. Become a member of Crosscut today!


text:
Hero Envy - Geek Week 2011 - AstroTrainSpotting - Re-Cut
Problems viewing videos?
Download latest Windows Media Player
If you can't see the video click pic above to view on You-Tube
Reckless Sidekick Productions went back into the vaults and re-edited episode 17 & 18 to create one half hour film. They also added and removed elements to make it a stronger experience. The audiences at the Boston Improv loved it, so we decided to put it up here for your viewing. Enjoy!!
You can also download the Windows Media File --HERE


text:
Duel on Balmorra
this wiki
Redirected from Duel for Balmorra
- "Not yet. You don't understand, you've destroyed everything. You've..."
- ―Darth Lachris' dying words
The Duel for Balmorra was a decisive battle that ensured the success of liberation of Balmorra from Imperial occupation.
On route to rescue the imprisoned former President of Balmorra, resistance fighter Zenith and Jedi Master Barsen'thor were confronted by Balmorra's Sith governor, Darth Lachris. Zenith rushed into attack the Sith Lord who deflected his blaster bolts with ease, she responded by attacking with Force lightning which was deflected by the Barsen'thor.
Darth Lachris was eventually defeated, and moments from death professed cryptic words grieving of her failure, and at the Jedi's destruction of something bigger.
With Darth Lachris dead, the citizens of Sobrik rose against the Imperial occupiers and the government-in-exile returned from exile and Tai Cordan took over as President.
- Star Wars: The Old Republic (First appearance)


text:
Ana played a starring role in the Micromax Indian Aces' 26-25 victory over the Manila Mavericks, as they improved their Coca-Cola IPTL record to five wins and two defeats and stayed top of the standings.
Ana took to the court for the fifth and final set, against Belgian Kirsten Flipkens, with her team trailing 23-19.
Nothing short of a 6-2 win would have been sufficient and after the pair split the first four games, it looked like the Mavericks would secure their second successive victory over the Aces, having lost to them at home in the Philippines.
The Micromax Indian Aces were defeated 25-20 by the Manila Mavericks in their final match in Singapore during the Coca-Cola IPTL.
Ana won the second set of the match, 6-2 over Belgian Kirsten Flipkens, but a pair of 6-2 victories for the Mavericks in the doubles sets proved decisive, despite Gael Monfils' late rally - at one stage the score was 21-19, but Jo-Wilfried Tsonga came back to force a tiebreak, and clinch overall victory.
The Aces head to their home city of Delhi tomorrow, for three nights of action in front of sold-out crowds.
Ana lost 6-4 to world No.1 Serena Williams as the Micromax Indian Aces suffered their first loss of the IPTL season against home side the DBS Singapore Slammers.
Playing the first set, Ana lost to the 18-time Grand Slam champion just two weeks after beating her 6-4, 6-4 in an exhibition match in Denmark.
The Aces, who had won all four of their previous matches and sit comfortable atop the league standings, hit back by winning sets two and three, before the Slammers took the last two sets.
Ana scored a swift revenge victory over Kristina Mladenovic as the Micromax Indian Aces defeated the musafir.com U.A.E. Royals 30-11 on the first day of the Coca-Cola IPTL in Singapore.
Ana won the opening set of the match 6-2 as the Aces scored the most comprehensive victory of any team so far in the competition. Just two days ago Mladenovic had triumphed over Ana, 6-4 in Manila.
Like Ana, the Indian team was dominant throughout: they won all five sets to cement their position at the top of the standings, and maintain their 100% record in the event.
Ana lost 6-4 to world No.67 Kristina Mladenovic but her Micromax Indian Aces defeated the musafir.com U.A.E. Royals 28-20. The Aces end the Manila swing of the IPTL with a perfect 3-0 win-loss record and consequently top the table.
Playing the first set of the five-set tie, Ana made a slow start against the Frenchwoman. She won the opening game but her timing was a little off and in this rapid-fire format one can quickly fall behind after just a handful of mistakes.
Ana's Micromax Indian Aces defeated home team the Manila Mavericks 24-15 to maintain their 100% start to the Coca-Cola IPTL Presented by Qatar Airways.
For the second night in a row, Ana clinched victory on a "Happiness Power Point": a ruthless forehand return winner set up her winning point against world No.2 Maria Sharapova. Ana won an intense encounter 6-3 in the final set of the night in front of a packed and highly-charged crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Ana made a flawless start to the Coca-Cola IPTL Presented by Qatar Airways as she defeated Daniela Hantuchova 6-0. Her Micromax Indian Aces team defeated the Singapore Slammers 26-16 in the very first match in the competition"s history.
Ana clinched victory by calling a "Happiness Power Point" while receiving at 40-30 down: she won the point, which counts double, and so sealed the win.
Ana and her teammates will take on home side the Manila Mavericks tomorrow at 7.30pm local time; Ana is expected to face world No.2 Maria Sharapova.
The first edition of the Coca Cola International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) gets underway in Manila tomorrow. Ana is representing the Micromax Indian Aces in the new team competition.
On Friday Ana is expected to take on the Singaore Slammer's Serena Williams or Daniela Hantuchova in the women's singles set: each match comprises five sets: women's singles, men's singles, men's doubles, mixed doubles and legend's doubles.
Ana has signed one of her Wimbledon dresses and donated it to a male cancer charity, Cahonas Scotland.
At present, the only way to acquire a signed dress of Ana's is through charity auctions, or by winning a competition here on her website.
The auction is currently live on eBay. If you are interesting in bidding, click here to visit the auction listing.
Ana has entered the Brisbane International during Week One of the 2015 season. The combined event, with $1million prize money on offer for the women, takes place in Australia during January 4-11.
Fellow former world No.1s Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka have also entered, along with home favourite Samantha Stosur.
Ana has competed in Brisbane three times before, reaching the semi-finals in 2010.


text:
Theatre: Upcoming Events
24-Hour Theatre Challenge
Friday, January 23 and Saturday, January 24
The fun begins on Friday at 6:00pm
CFA Theatre
Visit our FACEBOOK page for more information.
Agnes of God
February 18 at 11:00am
February 18-21 at 7:30pm
February 22 at 2:00pm
CFA Theatre
April 9-11 at 7:30pm
April 11 and 12 at 2:00pm
CFA Brodbeck Concert Hall
- For more information on this year's shows, visit our Current Season page.
- For tickets to events, contact the University Box Office.
- For a full listing of university arts and entertainment events, see the Event Calendar.


text:
Ick. I bought a sample of this in my search for a grown up gourmand. This didn't smell gourmand to me at all. The aoud is overpowering at first, and then turns into a woodsy/smokey scent. I never smelled the notes such as sugar, marzipan, and honey, which is what made me so interested in this perfume. After a couple of hours all I could smell is a very simple, basic sandalwood scent.
I disliked the scent until all I could smell was sandalwood, so it's hardly worth $225 for a bottle.
Here's a more sophisticated gourmand for those who like that genre.
I was not always a fan. For quite some time I've simultaneously enjoyed, & been unable to tolerate, Aoud Gourmet. The aoud can be a bit too much at times, but I wore this out on a chilly night at the theater recently, and it was perfect. I cannot imagine wearing this at any other time of the year than fall & winter. It's like a big warm fuzzy bear hug (slightly animalic.) It's a matter (for me anyway) of figuring out *when* it works and when it doesn't.
Delectable perfume, very similar to ByKilian BtB, just sweeter, rather the "child" of BtB and Loukhoum. Sharp honeyed scent, I love it.Word of caution: try it before bying, as it smelled unpleasant on a oilier-skined friend of mine.
Makes me raise an eyebrow for sure. It smells like potato pancakes cooking and oud incense being burned in the kitchen at the same time. At first this greasy food/sharp resin partnership put me off, but the second time I sampled it I thought it was really unique, although too expensive for me to ever purchase a bottle for something I'd rarely wear.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No
A very light gourmand, sort of a honey sweet version of KM Loukhoum. It actually is a sweeter version of LUSH's Sultana, at least on the skin. I can't judge the lasting power as nothing lasts on me, but I will have to try it on my jacket, or something. The honey is very prominent, with an undertone of vanilla and a light powder. Very pretty and a great alternative for summer when you don't want to wear the heavier gourmands!
Wow, this reeks. This is my first time trying a fragrance with aoud and will probably be my last. I sampled this off Luckyscent due to the yummy-sounding gourmand notes (my fragrance genre of choice), but the burst of aoud upon application is much too much to tolerate. Simultaneously musty and sharp, and nearly headache-inducing. Funeral home amplified by a thousand.
I am pretty new to Aoud's and I think this one is just too much for my liking. I love gourmands, but even the sugar, honey etc in this arent enough to make me want to buy or wear it. The aoud is very pronounced and overbearing at the start, it obviously softens over time and the honey and spices come and peek their head out. But I still dont think I can wear this. In fact I cant even imagine what type of woman could wear this. The cedar is constantly in the background of this too, giving it a faint medicinal quality.
UPDATE: After a couple hours of wearing this the honey becomes a more prominent member of this scent and it's actually growing on me, I can't stop sniffing myself. A very warm seductive smell! That mediciney-cedar thing has gone too.
Excellent, sophisticated, adult gourmand. I definitely get the aoud, woods, and delicious food notes. The far drydown reminds me of a vintage Caron. Notes (from Luckyscent): sugar, marzipan, honey, spice, patchouli, cedar, cypriol, amber, sandalwood, cashmeran, musks


text:
Target, which is holding its annual meeting today, announced a 20 percent increase in its quarterly stock dividend.
Target Corp. investors had good reason to smile Wednesday.
The Minneapolis-based retailer boosted its quarterly dividend by 20 percent to 36 cents a share amid signs that economy has begun to stumble again.
The announcement came ahead of the company's annual shareholders meeting on Wednesday in Chicago, where CEO Gregg Steinhafel touted the company's strategy of providing stylish, yet affordable, home goods and accessories.
"We continue to build on what we do well," he said.
But the Commerce Department reported Wednesday that May retail sales fell 0.2 percent, the second consecutive month of declines, as limited wage growth and higher unemployment curtail consumer spending. As a result, economists at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Credit Suisse all reduced their growth projections for the year.
"The consumer is pulling back," said Michael Brown, an economist at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte, N.C. "There isn't a lot of job creation. We will continue to see softer numbers."
That spells bad news for major retailers like Target, which has until now, enjoyed a strong start to 2012.
Target's sales at stores open for at least a year rose 5.3 percent in the first quarter. Since January, Target stock has jumped about 20 percent to Wednesday's close of $58.05.
But Target has had to work for its numbers and not necessarily rely on an economic recovery for growth. The company has spent heavily to remodel its stores, improve its website, and boost traffic through initiatives like its 5 percent Redcard discount program and P-Fresh grocery format.
"I would just tell you that Target found its game," Steinhafel said during a recent conference call. "We're just doing a lot of things very well in our stores right now."
In addition, Target recently launched the well-received the Shops of Target, a collection of exclusive merchandise from five boutique shops around the country. Next month, Target plans to open its smaller format CityTarget stores in San Francisco, Seattle, and Chicago.
Despite its good performance in the first quarter, Target executives say they are still cautious about the rest of 2012 because of the weak economy.
"We've got a lot of wood left to chop here in the year before we get to the end," CFO John Mulligan recently told analysts.
Bloomberg News and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Thomas Lee 612-673-4113


text:
Customized Sleeve for iPad Air
Overall rating based on 50 reviews
Jenna Wilush – Verified Buyer
Customizing options for the sleeve were very accurate to how it actually turned out in person. I chose a bold red border, and that's exactly what I received. The sleeve feels great quality and very durable. The best part of the sleeve though is the inside. It is SO soft that it's perfect for putting your new ipad in for protection. I was pleasantly surprised with my purchase and think it was definitely worth the price. When I received my product, there was even a personally written note in response to the comment I left when placing my order. Their customer service is wonderful and if I needed to, I would have taken advantage of the live chatting they offer to ask any questions. Overall, I would without a doubt order from them again!
Vanessa – Verified Buyer
I've had a chance to use my iPad sleeve for about three months now and I can definitely say that I'm happy with it. I had to call them to specify that it was for an iPad Air because I didn't see that option in the selections on the website. Maybe they changed that? Anyway, they were super-friendly and super-helpful on the phone. It shipped out way quicker than I expected which was a pleasant surprise. I carry a lot of crap around in my bag and I never worry about whether the case is protective enough to do its job. Fits snug with the smartcover on. Glad I went with the vertical style so that I can charge it while it's still in the sleeve. Would highly recommend.
Thomas Porter – Verified Buyer
Perfect size, quality materials, very pleased.
Lee C Johnson – Verified Buyer
I was pretty sure I would love my new iPad sleeve from reading the other reviews about it. And I wasn't disappointed! The quality of the fabrics couldn't be improved. It is well designed and well-made. It has a nice, snug fit. There is no chance my iPad Air with a Smart Cover on it could slip out, yet it is easy to slide in and remove it. I am 100% satisfied with this product! Thank you Rickshaw Bags!


text:
Food, glorious food. If you find yourself thinking about what you'll cook for dinner before you've even got out of bed in the morning, you'll love our recipe-finding app suggestions.
Forget running up and down the stairs to check the recipe you found on the computer. When it's on your phone, it's right in front of you, exactly when you need it. And who needs to leaf through a pile of batter-splattered cookbooks when you can get your phone to read the recipe out to you?
From the delicious to the bizarre, you can find endless cookery ideas on your phone.
Jamie Oliver 20 minute meals for Android and iPhone
You might have caught Jamie's 20-Minute meals series on TV. With over 60 recipes to try, this app makes it easier to create healthy meals really quickly. And to make sure you've got everything you need, the app also lets you create a shopping list with all the ingredients organised by supermarket aisle. Is there anything he hasn't thought of?
Epicurious for Android and iPhone (free)
From the 28,000 recipes on the Epicurious app, you're bound to find one that you'll like. Search by ingredient, theme, and even get a 'Recipe of the Day' widget to add to your homescreen. While it's unbeatable for its choice of creations, you might get frustrated with the American ingredients and measurements. But one thing's for sure, you'll never be short of inspiration.
The Waitrose app for iPhone (free)
Learn from the best with mouthwatering recipes from Delia Smith and Heston Blumenthal. Updated every week based on what's in season, you can easily create a shopping list based on the dishes you want to make. It also goes the extra mile by providing nutrition information for each recipe – so if you're watching your weight or on a special diet, you don't need to spend hours with a calculator and all your packaging.


text:
Hotels in North Male Atoll
From luxury resorts to small design hotels and cozy inns, there are an infinite number of great places to stay in the world, including hotels in North Male Atoll. Browse our travel guide and get Travel + Leisure's picks for the best North Male Atoll hotels—all-inclusive resorts, design hotels, remote lodges, vacation rentals, and more. Our international team of editors and writers handpicks the top North Male Atoll hotels, helping travelers discover the most popular places to stay in North Male Atoll, and the most memorable.
Whether a boutique hotel with luxury amenities, a wilderness lodge, a cool rental home, or a country inn fit for your budget, Travel + Leisure highlights the best of the best. From affordable beach resorts and cozy inns to high-tech hotels and kid-friendly all-inclusive resorts, these North Male Atoll hotel listings will help you find just the right place to spend the night during your visit. Below find Travel + Leisure's top spots for where to stay in North Male Atoll.
1 - 3 of 3 Results
Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa
PRICE RANGE:Located on a private coral island in the North Malé Atoll, the Four Seasons Resort at Kuda Huraa has 96 bungalows and suites, some built on the whi... More -
Gili Lankanfushi
PRICE RANGE:Formerly Soneva Gili by Six Senses On the private island of Lankanfushi in the North Malé Atoll, the Soneva Gili resort is situated on one of the ... More -
Huvafen Fushi
PRICE RANGE:Drawing A-list visitors like George Clooney and Kate Moss, the Huvafen Fushi resort is situated on its own lagoon in the North Malé Atoll. A number... More
Explore hotels in Maldives for more options.
1 - 3 of 3 Results


text:
Game of Thrones Recap: "Ghosts of Harrenhal"
Season 2 Episode 5 recap where we ride out on the "Sea Bitch"
"Anyone can be killed"
– Arya
The promos for Season 2 of "Game of Thrones" say "WAR IS COMING". Well as we are at the midway point of this season I can say with certainty that I wish war waits a little bit and doesn't come so soon. There is just too much plot and too many characters that I enjoy that I can really hold off longer for war to come and kill a vast majority of these people. Sadly, just as war was coming for "King" Renly Baratheon, his smoke monster nephew (?) slipped into his tent and gets him from behind.
Renly had just agreed to terms with Cat Stark to form an allegiance with Robb Stark to form the Robert/Ned 2.0, which apparently everyone wants to go back to. Robb would remain "King" of the North, Renly would get the Iron Throne, and all would be right with the world. Of course nothing ever goes as planned in Westeros and Renly bites it before any of this can happen. His 7-foot female bodyguard, Brienne freaks out and slaughters two guards who attempt to pin the death on her, and then runs off with Lady Stark. Even in the Seven Kingdoms no one is going to buy "the smoke monster killed him" defense. In the woods on the way back to her son's forces, Brienne swears undying allegiance to Cat, which is cool and all, but this chick needs to relax with the blood oaths. We don't know her exact back story yet, but you can bet it has some attachment issues in there and maybe she should consider therapy instead of risking her life for every noble in Westeros.
Meanwhile, the one who benefits most from Renly dying is his older brother Stannis. Renly's forces plead allegiance to him creating the biggest merger since AOL and Time Warner. Loras and his sister Anne Boleyn Margary flee back to the safety of home vowing to fight another day. Davos tries to tell Stannis about Melisandre giving birth to the smoke monster but Stannis will have none of it. Instead, Davos is able to warm him that the men think his mind is being controlled and so Stannis agrees to sit Melisandre on the sidelines for the invasion of King's Landing. Yeah, I'm sure she's going to go along with that. In reality, the viewers have no idea how far and wide her powers stretch. She just popped a baby smoke monster out of her lady parts last week, perhaps she CAN read and control minds, and you know, a lot more?
At King's Landing, Tyrion is just plugging away gaining the upper hand on his sister and nephew. He understands that the city is about to be attacked and wants to know what the plans to defend the city are. Lord Tywin and his forces, when not getting dominated by Robb, are out near Harrenhal and not able to protect the capital. Boy King Joffrey's big plan is to protect the city using napalm "wild fire" on any hostile forces. It burns through everything except the special pots it comes in. The Targaryen's had used this substance for years to mimic the fire of the dragons, and so it's no surprise Joffrey wants to use it considering his affinity for Targaryen décor already throughout this season. Cersei looks like a mother doped out on Percocet's who knows she can't control her demon spawn anymore and would rather drift into Neverland than tell him this "wild fire" idea is shit.
Bronn makes a genius point that catapulting this stuff is going to do more damage to King's Landing than to the enemy forces. Tyrion decides to confiscate all the "wild fire" for himself for reasons unknown to us. This confirms a few things: [1] Joffrey is still an idiot who will probably burn his own city to the ground [2] Joffrey is the second coming of "The Mad King" [3] Tyrion has a plan for this napalm and it's probably going to be awesome.
At the Iron Islands, Theon can't get no R.E.S.P.C.T. His shipmates tell him to piss off, his ships name is the "Sea Bitch", and his sister gets 30 ships to his creaky one. But his first mate tries to help saying Theon needs to prove himself to the men. Theon orders that they are going to disregard their order to raid easy target shipping towns and go after a better military target closer to Winterfell that will draw their forces further away from home and leave them further susceptible to attack. I want to believe this is bad news for Winterfell, but Theon is not a proven leader or strategist. He thinks with his penis and wants to please his daddy, but in this case I think he's going to end up in trouble. If he is not pulling a double cross on his father/sister combo in the next few episodes then he's going to get got.
At Harrenhal, Arya finds out the person she saved a few weeks backs is actually a magic genie. He then promises her three deaths of her choosing for saving his life. How convenient because she was just reciting people she wanted to die last week! For her first death she choose the guy torturing everyone with the rats. Poor choice, Arya. You have a golden opportunity to take out some high level Lannister's! Lord Tywin already told that guy he can't torture anyone anymore. Perhaps she was just testing the waters with her first death wish, not certain if it was real or not. But that's like getting a genie and wishing for 2 #2's from McDonald's. You could have said "The Mountain" at the very least.
In Qarth, while her hoard is casing the place for stuff to steal, Daenerys is mulling over an offer of marriage from Daxos. He's got money, ships, and while he was already married for love once, that is now over and he just wants to marry for power. How modern of him! He also points out to Dany that Jorah is clearly in love with her (DUH!) and then Jorah goes right ahead and protests that she doesn't need to get married and only needs one rickety ship to take back the throne. Apparently there are just loads of supporters waiting in Westeros for her return. Funny the show hasn't showed ONE person who gives a EFF about Dany west of the narrow sea. I call bullshit, Jorah.
North of the Wall, the Night Watch spot a grouping of wildlings setting up camp in the distance. A former ranger turncoat who knows all the Night Watch tricks and such is leading them. The group splits into a smaller guerrilla force going off to kill them, and Jon Snow finally breaks free of bitch duty to join with them. One criticism of the show has to be that the writers have yet to stress the importance of the Night Watch and the Wall. If they are defeated North of the Wall or fail to stop the wildlings or White Walkers from breaking through, than everyone in the South is in TROUBLE. The stakes need to rise up there and soon because I really want to be more terrified of this Winter that's coming.
Random Thoughts:
- Really sad Renly had to die so early. Besides Qarth and Tyrion he seemed to be the only character enjoying himself. Game of Thrones is a dark evil place sometimes and Renly brought some light to the party. Of course his overconfidence was his un-doing, but it's still a shame he had to go so early. Even Tyrion isn't having as much fun now that he has a J-O-B and all.
- Speaking of the Tyrion, he decides to stroll through downtown King's Landing and hear what the people are saying. Not really good things. They are on the verge of revolt against Joffrey and his mother and think the half-man is pulling all the strings. The people are not as dumb as we think.
- So is the smoke monster a one shot deal or can that thing be re-loaded and shot out again? Can Stannis make a whole army of those things? Is it loyal to Stannis or the Melisandre? These are the questions keeping me up at night!
- The Dragons were back! And they can spit some hot fire now. They need to heat their food to eat it.
- Cat escaped The Stormlands with Ned's bones in tow. At least she prioritized her luggage.
- Mags doesn't want to just be "a" Queen, she wants to be "the" Queen. Oh that's boss.
- The episode reminded us that Sam is still in love with the daughter/wife from the village. Not going to happen, bud.
- Odds that Daxos big vault are empty? 3 to 1.
- Dany gets invited to some creepy "House of the Undying" event. Um, cool. See you guys there.
- Missing this week: Joffrey, Melisandre, The Hound, Robb, King Slayer, Sansa
- King Slayer Watch – still chained? Haven't seen him in several weeks. Kind of miss that guy.
- Sex scene count – 0. Not even a side boob or anything. Dark times, very dark times, indeed.
Here is a preview of next week's episode


text:
Wah wah!
I've always been shorter than my mates, but you work out ways around it, and its not even an issue at all
Spam spam can you do the spam spam? la la la la spam spam
It was good being your parent and all, and you turned out to be one of the best members here dude
I hope you come back
I mean no.
Maybe...I dont know.
What was the question?
Good tutorial


text:
Pre-professional Science B.A.
Home » Academics » Suomi College of Arts & Sciences » Pre-professional Science B.A.
Please enter a search term to begin your search. |
The Pre-professional program is designed to prepare students for admission into health care programs requiring an extensive background in science. Examples of these programs include pre-medicine, pre-dental, pre-veterinary medicine, pre-pharmacy, pre-physical therapy, pre-occupational therapy, pre-chiropractic, and pre-optometry. The core requirements include those science courses generally common to all professional schools, including general chemistry, general physics, mathematics, and extensive biology. You will spend your first semeester researching the particular requirements for your program of study at various schools and develop a four-year plan that will necessarily include taking organic chemistry at another institution of higher learning. Your science curriculum will be supplemented and complemented by a variety of courses in other areas, such as psychology, sociology, communication, human relations and diversity, ethics, and government. As a Pre-professional major, you will develop broadly based problem-solving skills, strong critical thinking skills, and the ability to communicate effectively. Working in small groups, you will be able to conduct and analyze scientific research. Your broad science background, combined with your General Education core, will give you the breadth and variety of courses professional schools are requiring of their entering students. You should be prepared to apply to the professional program of your choice when you complete this program. B.A. in Pre-professional Science Degree Requirements for more information please contact:Jason Oyadomari, Assistant Professor, Science 906.487.7381 orSuomi College of Arts & Sciences 906.487.7513 |


text:
Young's Literal Translation (YLT) | New International Version (NIV) |
8 and God doth commend His own love to us, that, in our being still sinners, Christ did die for us; | 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. |
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain. (Young's Literal Translation - The Bible Online) | Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |


text:
Here is some pseudo XML.
<joke style="jocular, but with a purpose">There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says "Morning, boys. How's the water?" And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes "What the hell is water?" (From David Foster Wallace, novelist, speaking at Kenyon College, 2005.)</joke>
The water in the healthcare IT pond is the slow and asynchronous adoption of new technology. We know that small healthcare organizations are slow to adopt new technologies and large organizations adopt new technologies slowly.
The ARRA money and a certification program for EHRs can make a bump in the adoption curve. However, we know that not all providers are eligible, not all hospitals are eligible and not all generators of important clinical data (such as labs) are rewarded by the incentive program. We know that not all those that are eligible will take advantage of the incentives.
We expect that the incentive-bump will create a ripple of adoption of interoperable HIT. We hope the ripple will be a good-sized wave. The wave will ultimately reach those not directly incented in the program, as they find it in their interest to interoperate with those that adopted because of the incentives. The same ripple wave will ultimately bring along those who chose not to pursue the incentives in the first two years.
So what's the big deal? Slow adoption of technology is as obvious as, um, water.
The big deal is interoperability. Compound adoption curves apply. If 2/3 of the HCOs in the country have reached a certain level adoption the probability of intereopration for any given transfer of information is 4/9=44%.
Changes to standards are rolled out by vendors and self-developers in release cycles, and most release cycles take about three years to reach 90% roll-out. With those parameters after one year 11% of sites could interoperate on the new standards. The number is actually a lot lower because the vendors will release new versions of their product at different times.
These numbers could improve as more clients by remotely hosted EHRs and if vendors release interoperability changes at the same time for all clients for a fee included in the maintenance or subscription fees. These improvements could occur over time but that is a long-term consideration.
The big question is what happens to interoperability among EHR users that are on different versions of the standard? Many of the readers of this blog will remember a time when Internet email clients only supported plain text. Nowadays most email clients support HTML. This change did not happen by everyone switching over from plain-text to HTML mail clients. It happened through new readers being developed that sent both plain text and HTML. Old clients read the plain text continued to write plain text. A new client, when receiving a message from another new client was able to display the decorated text in its full glory. However it could still understand and display text from old clients. My recollection is that the period of transition from the point where < 10% of Internet email users had new clients until the point where > 90% did probably took more than 10 years. It might have taken longer except that the vast majority of current email users started during the transition period, thereby getting new email clients to start. Early users of hand-held email devices benefited from the "dual-mode" because the devices were made simpler by not having to support HTML.
It must be the same in healthcare as it was for email clients. New releases of software that embody new standards must not shut down interoperation with other older releases of software.
Category: Healthcare Providers Interoperability Vertical Industries Tags: ARRA, EHR, EMR, Healthcare Interoperability, Healthcare Providers, Meaningful Use


text:
Our 10 favorite things about the new Idealist
Our re-launch brings with it tons of improvements. Here are some staff favorites:
1. Enriched User Profile & Connections. Idealist has always been a community of people who want to make a better world. Now we are giving you more space to share who you are and what keeps you up at night, so that you can connect with people like you.
2. Everyone Can Post! Until now, only organizations could post listings, but we know that individuals can have a powerful impact too. Sometimes the beginnings of an idea or a loose collective of people working together are the ones most in need of resources and visibility. Now everyone can post listings: recruit volunteers, post a description of a program you run, or invite people to an event.
3. Improved Search. Finding the right opportunity in the right place that fits with your interests, skills, and availability is never easy. Now you can refine the search results right on the same page with keywords and filters (like a job's salary range or a volunteer opportunity's time commitment).
4. Bookmarks. One of our most commonly requested features was a way to save your favorite listings. Now, you can bookmark the jobs you've applied to, the organization pages that interest you, or events you're interested in attending. Wherever you are on the site, you'll have one click access to all your bookmarked listings.
5. Save Your Searches. When you're searching for jobs or volunteer opportunities, you often run the same search again and again. Save time with easy access to your frequently used searches, and get them emailed to you as alerts if you want.
6. Sharing & Recommending. When you see something you like on Idealist, you can share it with all your connections or privately recommend it to a specific person.
7. Info Centers. We've consolidated and edited our resource centers to bring you the most pertinent and up-to-date information about all the topics that can help you move from intention to action. Check out our new and improved resources for volunteering, nonprofit careers, and nonprofit organizations.
8. Org-to-org Connections. We're often asked, "How do I know if an organization is legitimate?" Now you can make more informed decisions about your involvement. In addition to seeing individuals connected to an organization, you can also see its relationships to other organizations, including funders, local partners, and affiliates.
9. Baking from Scratch. Idealist was originally built in 1995. When it comes to coding and improving a website, there are tools and tricks available now that we simply couldn't take advantage of on our 15-year-old platform. So we started fresh, and we'll be able to adapt more quickly from here on out.
10. Design. We cleaned it all up, aiming to make the user experience more intuitive and consistent, and more accessible to users with disabilities.
Have fun exploring, and if you have questions or ideas, please let us know.