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Online Passes: An Explanation & Solution
on 10.18.2011
Let's face it: Online Passes or practically
any other scheme
publishers come up with to try to curtail the used market are never going to be popular with gamers. No matter how small the incentive is or how miniscule the hassle of attaining it, there are going to be people who insist that any attempt by publishers to reclaim a part of the used market is wrong.
To be honest, a part of me agrees. However another part of me sees exactly what and why publishers are doing what they're doing, and that's the part that I'm going to explore.
The thing a lot of gamers are either ignorant of or choosing to ignore is that the games industry doesn't really have alternate revenue streams the way other entertainment does. I mean, think about it: Any profit the publisher wants to see from a game is entirely dependent on the game selling well. With the high turnover of titles, usually a game has about a two to four week window where the game is going to sell at a large volume, with all but the most insanely popular titles seeing a sharp dropoff in sales afterwards. Beyond that... If the publisher is lucky, the title might see a rerelease as a "Greatest Hits" or equivalent and maybe they might see some sales down the road as a downloadable title from the Playstation Network or Games on Demand. That's it.
Nothing is guaranteed to be there to supplement that game's initial release, and a myriad number of complications can come up to turn the release into a disaster. Releasing the game during the wrong week might see the game competing directly with another, very similar title. Or it might get released during the launch of a huge game and be completely overshadowed or outright ignored. With millions of dollars invested in the development and marketing of a title, it's easy to see why publishers could feel an incredible amount of stress to find another revenue stream any way they can.
Games are things which take years to make and often the fate of a studio, even a well-proven one, rests on just how well the game sells. It's sad to say, but we as gamers often hear about developers closing their doors, sending a group of suddenly-adrift employees looking for new jobs. Every sale counts to many studios, especially when they have to go to their publisher and ask for money to make their next game. When a single title performs far under the expectations for the budget, it's hard to blame the publisher for refusing funding for another title when all they can see is a multimillion dollar hole where their profits from the developer's last title should be.
Is it any wonder that they're looking for some way, any way to help them make an extra buck on the games they're funding? The budget for a triple-A title these days can reach the same sort of cost of movies, and video games are one of the few pieces of entertainment we consume which don't have multiple built-in stages of profitability.
Movies, for example, have many stages. First, the movie gets released on the big screen. Often, a title can earn back the entire budget of filming just through the profits of the theater release. Next, the movie gets released on Blu-Ray and DVD for the home release. If the movie didn't do well in theaters, it's still got a chance to be profitable. A few titles, like The Chronicles of Riddick, did poorly in theaters but still turned a good profit for their home release. Movies then have the licensing fees from being played on TV and streaming services like Netflix to help pad things out.
TV shows are also raking it in from multiple angles. A good TV show not only has the profits from advertisements on the day a new episode airs, but also the licensing fees and/or advertising profits from repeats. If watching a TV show on TV isn't your thing, you can always pick up the episodes from a streaming service, or just buy the year's season on DVD if you want to just watch it all in a marathon.
Books likewise have a few avenues for consumer consumption. You can get the book right when it comes out, if you don't mind shelling out the extra cash for the hardcover edition. Too rich for your blood? You know you can still pick up the paperback or get the title on your Kindle or Ipad for a little less. Reading not your thing? There's always the audiobook edition, most of which are read by professional actors.
We can't forget, of course, that all of the above also have a far longer shelf life in stores than any game. If I'm lucky, I might be able to track down a new copy of a game six months after release if I hunt for it and it was a big title, yet I can walk into a store and find a new copy of a five-year old movie, TV season, or book with considerable ease.
Part of the reason games are so expensive is that the technology required to make them is always changing, and that technology is at the heart of what's required to make the game. The tools developers were using a decade ago are completely different from the tools they use today, unlike an author writing a book or a director filming a TV show or movie. Every developer out there has to either constantly adapt and work on newer engines for their games, or license an engine from someone who
doing that work. Every game a studio develops has to be on the cutting edge, because that's what everyone else is doing.
Not to mention that the profit GameStop and other places make from used games is a little... lopsided, to use a kind word. I'm not going to say that I'm against the used market, because don't get me wrong: I'm not. Yet when GameStop posts sales data where the used market's profit comes very close to beating out the new market, it's easy to understand why publishers accuse GameStop of profit-mongering at the cost of the industry as a whole and why they would develop the Online Pass in the first place.
However, the problem is that publishers are taking an attitude of "Screw GameStop" with the Online Pass mentality, when they should really be working with GameStop on this one. GameStop has no reason to want a war with publishers. They're just a store dealing in games, and having to fight your suppliers isn't any good for either side. The problem is that publishers haven't really given GameStop or other stores any incentive to share the goods of the used market.
Photo by OrangeShooter
The solution is so staggeringly simple that I'm honestly shocked that publishers haven't reached out with this one, but I'll throw it out there anyway: Publishers, you
to talk to GameStop about selling them extra passes in bulk at a discount to put into their used copies of your games. Better yet, work with them and their network technicians so that they can print out a code to give to customers right at the register without having to worry about finding which drawer it's in. Just scan the thing and the code gets printed out on the receipt, no fuss or muss. You might want to put a reasonable delay on the things before GameStop is allowed to hand 'em out, but that one's obvious.
Now, publishers, I know you're raising your arms and blubbering on about how GameStop doesn't deserve any more of your hard-earned cash. I know you think doing this will be cannibalizing the market even further, but allow me to make a two billion, three hundred and ninety four million dollar counterpoint: Doing this means that instead of a used sale maybe translating into a purchase of an Online Pass from you,
used sale from GameStop translates into a bit of extra coin. Every. Single. One. Every time that copy of
Battlefield 4
Dead Space 3
comes in and goes back out, that's a bit of money in your pocket. You're getting a piece of the action for every used sale, just like you want.
This is a deal that benefits everyone. Publishers finally get to have a taste of the sweet, sweet used pie they've been after since day one. GameStop gets to advertise that even used copies of their games come with everything, including the content normally reserved for the people who purchase new copies. Even the people who pick up their games used benefit, since they actually get the content they would have missed out on, normally, and they get it all cheaper than the new copy that they can't justify buying for themselves. Everybody wins.
For better or worse, Online Passes aren't going anywhere. No matter how much we gamers might complain about them. I think at this point we can either roll with it or get out of gaming, because the good ol' days of being free of this sort of hassle disappeared the moment when consoles being online became the standard instead of the exception.
Even though I don't really have a problem with them, I do think Online Passes have a long way to go. Having to type in a 25 character alpha-numeric code on a d-pad kind of sucks, but next generation most consoles will probably have cameras capable of reading a barcode or something to make redeeming goodies like this a little easier on everyone. Also, the sooner publishers look into an authentication process which allows players to get single-player content locked behind a code while offline the better. I mean, yeah, check the code if the console ever does go online with the game, but you don't need to screw the people without internet access.
Initially I was against the concept of the Online Pass. I felt like it was just a cheap way for the developers to make a quick buck at the expense of the used market. Then I had a brainwave and realized that the things also act like DRM, and a pretty benevolent form of it at that. Pirates gonna pirate, of course, but they're not going to be playing any upcoming games online using the company's servers unless they shell out the cash for the privilege.
If you think of the Online Passes as DRM they're about as unobtrusive as entering a CD-Key was for computer games a decade ago, which is pretty reasonable. Compare the Online Pass we console gamers have to some of the stuff the PC crowd has had to put up with, and suddenly it doesn't look quite as evil and draconian. Right now, a lot of the flaming hate for them is simply a PR problem, and one a good marketing crew could have avoided by phrasing it as unobtrusive DRM instead of as a dig at GameStop. That's already out of the bag, but they could probably still do some damage control with that line of thought.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to key in a code so I can play the Catwoman section of
Batman: Arkham City
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Six years ago the Greater Altalamatox Public Library put its small and remote home city on the map when it spilt out of the ether and onto the shores of its lake.
It's a building with a lot of history. Once part of a prestigious campus, it was last owned by a club of gents with a shared passion for illegal spellcraft and dimensional exploration, who used it to hide their howling voids into the cosmos and also their pointy hats and anything else they didn't want their wives to find. They never did accomplish discovery of a new world- or never had the satisfaction of knowing they did- but did manage one highly impressive feat which was to tuck the Library sideways between dimensions when the police came 'round to investigate. This was about a hundred and ten years ago.
The gentlemen, after their prison terms ended, never succeeded in summoning back the building. To that end they'd have to have known where it lay nearest to this world, and to their distress they were witnesses to what would later be known as Gow-Tow's Theory of Dimensional Oozing: the stuff between dimensions slurps about a bit. In this case, floating an entire building nine and a half worlds away to Alté, where an eerily dead patch of space next to the lake (otherwise prime waterfront estate) had long been a point of interest since its colonization.
While portal tech got up to snuff, the building bobbed in the misty void, its disappearance nearly forgotten, for a century. It hung dangerously close to the alien dimension which leaks the strange physics fancifully known as magic into the Network. And as the sun does strange things to the cells of a tenacious sunbather, all this supernatural radiation began to change the library, into the Library.
Finally came the year Alté was important enough to merit some attention from the Bureau of Rogue Portals (BORP), which sent some experts around who did a lot of peering through instruments and chalking outlines and frowning, before yanking thousands of tons of looming, sprawling, three-story, ivy-encrusted stone building out of the air like a tissue from a box.
The second biggest surprise was finding people in it.
I said that club was dabbling in the do-it-yourself, make-your-own-personal-gateway-to-an-alien-world business? It's a totally insane occupation and also inevitably fruitless, as it works a bit like the game of Battleship, using an actual size playing piece in the actual size ocean.
Ah, but they got a hit.
Over a thousand years ago all the flighted dragons vanished from the Network. This was because they'd been tyrants and their masses of humanoid oppressed bit back one decade, and kept biting, and ripping, and tearing, and killing, until all their monstrous masters were dead or tripping over their own tails to flee. Their flightless dragonian cousins remain in the Network to this day, and both dragons and men have idly wondered where the ancient oppressors flapped off to so long ago.
It was Berenger. First discovered by the flighted dragons who fled there en masse and pulled the gateway down behind them. Discovered again many centuries later by humans, who have never been able to give a reasonable explanation of their origins. Neither party was too happy to find themselves mashed together again sharing this isolated world. Cue Berenger's long and colorful history of high fantasy racial warfare.
This time the sides would be more evenly matched, as Berenger is significantly more magically inclined than much of the Network. (Meaning the humans could now hurl giant fireballs too.) The Network didn't have a Middle Ages, or didn't flounder in it for centuries like certain places, but between the surplus of magic and the constant warfare, Berenger has been technologically jammed in what looks like thirteenth-century Europe turned living-fairytale to the present day.
The gentlemen never saw Berenger. In the basement of the tucked away library it was their clockwork which correctly applied the random coordinates and their homemade gateway (read: a brick wall) melted away into a square of brilliant blue sky and verdant fields to the shock and wonder of absolutely no-one.
It's supposed the doorway to Berenger had been open for a few weeks before attracting the concern of some locals who didn't like the look of the thing, plus some of their sheep had wandered through it, and so they sent for their friendly neighborhood knight. Who showed up and did what knights were kept around for: something both terribly brave and terribly stupid. He put his face through it. There was a room with benches on the other side. He pulled his face back, there was Berenger. Benches. Berenger. Oh, and the sheep. He left his mount with the shepherds and crept into the room-somehow-in-the-middle-of-a-field to herd them out.
His mount was later sold for a fetching price and the shepherds kept whatever was in its saddle bags in exchange for their lost livestock as Sir Benjamin the Lion-Eyed, and six sheep, were never seen in Berenger again.
The knight found himself on the wrong side of a poorly-crafted one-way portal without even an inkling what that was. But what it looked like was a miserable, damnable, empty wall where his life used to be. Of course he didn't fully comprehend this until months of wandering the giant sealed library satisfied him there was no way out. But he was to discover he was not alone.
After checking every window and door of every room and hall of the mysterious building to find they all opened into impenetrable white matter, horror and shock began to congeal into horror and tedium, and the knight began flipping through the books.
The library was in an awful state. It hadn't properly been used as such in years and was already run-down by the time the gentlemen had acquired it, and they'd only cleared a few rooms to conceal their portal-seeking trials (and late-night drinking). The leap between the dimensions had not been gentle either, apparently, as entire desks and shelves had been toppled, books avalanched over the floors, skidding trails through the dust and dirt.
On the fourth day, Ben's stomach was stating in no unclear terms it was going to kill him if he didn't find something to put in it. Despite a feeling of brotherhood with the sheep, the knight picked up his sword and stumbled off in search of mutton. Instead he found something astounding. There were the sheep alright... grazing on a large patch of grass and weeds growing out of a stone floor.
Walking hazily through the deep, cool, impossible grass Ben's foot met a book lying open, pages somewhat nibbled. He lifted it to his face, examining the grass sprouting thickly from its pages. He smiled in a half-crazy way at the weirdness of it all, parting the grass to read the text between the roots. A book of gardening. He attempted to turn the page.
Daffodils! Suddenly daffodils. The sheep voiced their displeasure as their thick grass turned to bright flowers. The next flip yielded alfalfa and the sheep grudgingly baa'd their apology before digging in. Ben raised his eyes widely as it occurred to him...
Soon he was giggling madly as he pulled thick carrots out of the damned floor, and peas, and radishes, and cucumbers, and an interesting melon he found on page 387. He'd gone bonkers, he knew it, but it silenced his stomach and tasted delicious. After gorging on greens he flipped the book back to 'Chapter 24: Even More Bluegrasses' for the sheep and somewhat giddily went to see if his hallucinations extended to the other books.
The first few dozen had him convinced otherwise until The Complete Book of Hummingbirds shot a complete hummingbird at his face with intent to take out an eyeball. Ben clapped the book shut to better swat the thing, but found the bird gone. Shaking the book heartily summoned a rainbow of crazed mini-birds which took off in a melee for parts unknown. He left Hummingbirds open for the sake of company. He was understanding. Maybe not believing, but understanding.
By nightfall (according to the large (cuckoo?) clock high in the central lobby, which he'd decided might as well stand in for time in this place where the windows and glass dome looked into foggy Nothing), he'd carried an armful of nicely hallucinogenic books to the room with the Nondescript Wall Which Used to be Home where he'd taken to sleeping.
One with tight, meticulous script emitted a nice glow, and several others sent nothing forward from their pages but were like watching through a lettered shop window at a scene beyond. Ben propped these against a bench and watched each page for a while, forests with shifting lights to city streets he barely recognized as such, with people and machines. People. He was terribly lonely already. Thank god he'd found at least three good books on beers of 'The Network' and was steadily educating himself. Some of the other titles he'd found just sounded like good reads. And after a few chapters of Kilbagen's 107 Brews of Thurmund'hl, they were.
It was not lost on Ben that if real live birds could come out of a book (the hummingbirds were spotted daily at work murdering each other over a patch of woods Ben had been letting grow in a corner), then so might human beings. He would search, and in the meantime he filled each day by righting bookshelves, perusing books, filling the shelves with titles arranged according to their observed properties, which he scrawled on slips of scrap paper peeking from their pages.
It wasn't two weeks in that a book spewed out something like a furless hound with a box of cutlery for a head, which had a go at taking chunks out of Ben's body before the knight was able to make a dive at its book and shut it. And then squash it firmly under a small statue. He carried his sword from then on, as well as some of the toys he'd found gleefully in a book (concerningly) titled Ancient Weapons and Warfare: a beautiful bow and quiver and some wicked daggers.
The joy of the miracle books was wearing thin after the fourth week alone. It was about then he found one of the sheeps' carcasses torn wide open with pieces fully up a shelf. This brought new waves of excitement and Ben spent the day relocating his living quarters to a more defendable position on the second floor. This was fortuitous as it introduced him to the fiction section where one morning (according to the clock, though come to think of it he might've got the AM and PM switched around by now) he would meet the first of the Librarians.
A figure had been watching him from the third floor. He'd never have noticed it if the hummingbirds hadn't first and made a fuss. It'd seemed human enough, but he was reluctant to call out to it lest he attract the attention of the Sheep-Splatterer or lest it be the Sheep-Splatterer.
His fears were laid to rest when he'd mounted the third floor, sword drawn, shield in hand, to find a tall woman coolly watching him down a long metal and wood rod she held against one shoulder. He grinned broadly and moved forward which apparently came off all wrong from a big man with a sword who hadn't cleaned up in almost a month, because she sent off a deafening burst of magic that shattered pieces of lantern down the stairs behind him and left smoke rising from her rod. She said she knew how to use the rod. He said he could see that. She asked who he was, he told her he was a friend if she was. She moved the rod off her shoulder and they continued introductions from a distance.
She was Rebecca Gallacker. She was the widow of a scientist and explorer and no stranger to the exotic, she said, but what she'd seen in the few days she'd been wandering this building was beyond her. She didn't know why the books did what they did but they did it for her as well, and when Ben dismissed it as some kind of magic she gave him a stern look and said there's no such thing. Then she wilted a bit. Okay, she admitted, maybe there might be. She called her rod a carbine and said she'd pulled it out of an illustration. Then she laughed madly and dropped into a chair. Ben chuckled in spite of himself and, ostentatiously leaving his sword stabbed into a potted plant, sat in a chair decently distant but close enough to converse.
Neither knew how they'd got there. Neither knew where this was, neither knew how this was. Rebecca said she'd been watching him for some time and had been cautious to announce her presence lest he not speak any language she knew and come at her violently and then she'd have to blow a hole through his face. He laughed and said he did have a shield, you know. She looked at him strangely. She asked him if he knew what a gun was. He said a book or two might've mentioned it. She suggested he was a long way from Coglas to not know what a gun was. He suggested she was a long way from Berenger not to recognize magic.
And then it began to hit them. Question after question... they were not from the same world. Ben thought she might be from a land across the Endless(?) Ocean but she said no, everywhere in the world has been charted, there is no Berenger, there is no magic, you look and talk like a fairytale knight, and damn if I couldn't go for a stiff drink. Either one of them was lying or there was at least one more world than either thought existed.
By the end of the day they'd decided there was nothing for it but to consolidate camps. They had dinner over a book of fire still trying to wrap their minds around the other and around their situation at large. Rebecca watched the knight drift into softly snoring sleep on a dusty old couch. She was forty two and he must've been only a couple years younger, with a mane of dark hair and a pleasant accent. He seemed likable enough and was obviously very, very happy to have someone around.
Rebecca blessed her insomnia because that night she shot the Sheep-Splatterer as it came oozing heavily down a distant aisle toward their fire. The gunshots scared the living hell out of her companion who in turn scared the hell out of her by tumbling off the couch baring inch long canines and bright golden eyes.
After the smoke cleared, he managed to coax her to take the bead off his forehead as slowly, amazingly, the long fur on his arms and face pulled back into his skin and his face flattened out and his eyes darkened. A spell, he said, just a spell, more of that magic stuff. He began to explain his moniker 'the Lion-Eyed' and his half-baked transformation powers given to him by fairies for a favor- but she shook her head looking ill at the word 'fairies' and so he trailed her as she carried off the fire book to inspect the monster's corpse. They could only figure it'd come from a book, but who knew which and where, so they got ropes around it and pulled it off to some far corner where they left it with the gardening book open to mushrooms.
The great mystery was how they'd each arrived here and how they would escape. While Ben could relate with certainty, if not quite a straight face, that he'd had a very nice lunch at a pub then chased several sheep through a hole in the air and found himself in a basement with a solid wall at his back, Rebecca could only say she'd woken atop a pile of books and couldn't recall anything prior. She wouldn't say, but she was obviously missing chunks of her recent memories and was perturbed by this.
Ben brought Rebecca to the basement wall for her appraisal. It's definitely a wall, was the best she had for him after listening to it, smacking it, and looking away and back again quickly. She suggested, mildly, that they could go get this book with a cannon, which she explained was kind of like her carbine but you could get your whole arm into it and it shot a metal ball bigger than Ben's fists together, and see if anything was behind it, but the knight went pale and so she said on second thought maybe they were just as well leaving it intact. So they passed on to where Rebecca had found herself.
There was the big pile of books. She even reenacted the scene for her companion, sprawling on the pile with a number of books atop her as if someone had tossed her there then scampered off halfway through burying her. There was nothing special about the pile and she'd had the foresight to not scuff up the dirty ground herself to search for tracks, but if anyone had planted her there they must have done so with an airlift: the floor had been perfectly velveted in dust. It was a mystery, she said, standing up and vanishing.
Ben's jaw dropped. Then he was shouting, plowing through the pile like a dog because as impossible as it was she'd just been submerged in three feet of books it seemed like the only thing to do and--
She'd fallen into the books.
She'd fallen into a book.
He began flipping open every cover he could reach, bindings beating against the floor, echoing back from the vast dome above. Intangible sparks flickered from one and a foghorn blew morosely from another but no Rebecca. Black books, old books, books with no covers, books with no names. Then his weathered hands parted two titles and what he saw beneath made him sit back and take it up carefully.
It was modestly sized, no taller than his hands, bound in brown leather and cloth. A green ribbon trailed from its spine. It was worn but beautiful, aged yet in good shape, had the smack of something like a journal, something that had been places and seen things and would not stand for retirement crammed between common books, books which hadn't been written in a grey mountain temple amongst children in orange, by lantern light in a desert with singing spires, and everywhere in-between. It was the second most overwhelmingly intriguing thing Ben had ever seen. He felt somewhat awkward touching it. He kicked a clear swath in the dust, lowered the book as if balancing a small animal on it, and opened it with a finger.
Rebecca stared down at him. She commented on his kneeling on the floor. He commented on her standing on his book. He smiled a gentle smile. Her book, rather.
So it was they discovered why Rebecca could not recall her recent past but knew who she was and could explain her life. She'd flipped through the book unbelievingly, and then she'd walked, grim faced, holding the thing before her like a gravestone angel, to a table, sat down, and shut her eyes.
Finally she said she was fine. Alright, so, evidence pointed to her being an... apparition. She was... a character in this novel. So was her late husband. Her friends. She'd thought those thoughts, she'd been those places. They were like a vivid dream to her, she understood now why her memories here in this place had seemed so much more real than her 'life': this was the first time she'd been a 'real person,' assuming this was the 'real world.' The world suddenly had a lot more quotation marks in it.
She met the knight's eyes. He was something. He honestly gave a damn. He was as unabashedly affable as a dog and relentlessly pleasant. He could be ridiculously goofy. He was very wise. He was worn but beautiful, aged but in good shape, and had the smack of someone who'd been places and fought dragons and then had the gallantry to go back, bandage them up, and admit he'd been wrong. His eyes did not reflect a work of fiction, nowhere in his face did she find the slightest sign he cared if she came from these pages or from some author's head or from Coglas or Berenger... in fact she'd been loved before and if those eyes weren't loudly insisting she was from heaven itself she'd be damned. She turned her head slightly and gave him a small, somewhat serious smile as if to say, really now. He laughed and shut his eyes sheepishly.
Their telepathy would only improve.
It seemed the Library had been used as a massive attic for some time. Shelves and reading alcoves dominated the three radiating wings, but behind the many doors which peppered the walls were study and storage rooms packed with the strangest junk, even to a pair who'd been trapped in an enchanted library for two months. For example, what seemed to be a staff room with an expensive table was otherwise completely and unsettlingly full of ugly statuettes of gnomes. Dubbed the 'Unholy Gnome Room,' it became square one in their new plan of meticulously scouring the side rooms for clues, friends, enemies, and at best, an escape.
Some days into this endeavor, and richer by several nice pillows, a small cooking grille, Palui Waters (which bubbled over like a spring when open), and a lifetime supply of ink and quills, they broke open a lock into the most eerie sub-hall yet.
It wouldn't have been so bad had the room any windows and therefore the pale illumination from the outside mist. But it didn't, so it was in a theatrical burst of candlelight that the black room was suddenly packed with skeletons. Ben and Rebecca took three synchronized steps backwards, and, after giving their hearts a chance to recover, peered back in from the doorway.
Wait... okay. It was like taxidermy or something, like a natural history museum's basement- a menagerie of mounted animal skeletons. Well, nothing was moving. They came back with lanterns and the books of light and fire to brighten the gloom. As usual they took turns teaching the other some ditty or singing idly together to lighten the mood, loomed over by empty skulls at the edges of the light, horrid shadows shivering up the walls in the firelight.
Thankfully this promised to be a quick one. Other than the oodles of long-dead animals, some of which neither recognized, there were only a few chests and closets shoved along the back wall to root through. They'd vowed to leave no stone unturned, so Ben started sorting through chests while Rebecca, who had a knack for lock-picking, sometimes with the aid of Ben's sword, set about on the closets.
She was in fact in the middle of hacking off a stubborn lock with said blade when between thwacks she heard something that put her heart in her throat. Not a foot away, within the wood of the closet, a voice. Several muffled words which meant nothing to either of them, then silence. Ben addressed the closet with a cautious hello which got no response. He shrugged and Rebecca took a final crack at the lock, hurling it into the floor with a racket, and together they pulled open the tall doors to reveal the very thing they had been relieved to have not found among the animals... a human skeleton.
But it seemed as surprised to see them. Immediately brightly golden smoke wisps wove together behind the eye sockets as the voice, a man's voice, yelped and stammered something again in rapid fashion. Ben and Becca's eyes swiveled to one another then back to the skeleton.
"What," Ben said out of the corner of his mouth to Rebecca, "in heaven's name do you think-"
"Brindle!" [*English] The light flared. "My goodness! I apologize- I thought I'd heard voices but I wasn't sure the words or even if... I was... it's been so long... I've had so many dreams." It tumbled over on itself. "I, oh... my, I seem to be some sort of wispy something...?"
Rebecca nodded. The mist snapped suddenly to sobriety, radiating an intense glow that lit the skull like a lantern. When the voice spoke it was in dead earnest and slightly out of breath. "My god. I have a voice. I have... a voice. You... you must listen to me. Please, please say you'll listen to me?"
"We're listening."
"You promise?"
Two nods.
The voice searched for words. "My name is Charles. Charles Arrhenius, I am- was- from Vadikov. Kreve? Quite some time ago, I fear. I have been... there are no words... I have been through something no man should have to experience."
"You're human?" Ben queried.
"Were?" Rebecca amended.
"I-- yes, yes, I was, certainly I was. I died, conventionally, some time ago. I am..." the man groaned, "immortal. Suffice it to say my body died with me in it, and when they found me they carried me away but I... I had no running blood, you see, no voice, I couldn't stop them, couldn't say or do anything, couldn't let them know I was still inside."
"They," the voice growl-sniffed, "strung me up like this, like a common classroom skeleton the blackguards." A sudden shudder. "No!" Charles laughed, "No, no, no, thank god they didn't bury me, thank god, thank god, thank god..." The mist twisted sheepishly. "I'm sorry, you'll be thinking me mad. Please, I haven't spoken to another soul in so long, I only remember being shut up one day, moved, then silence, damnable silence, for an eternity no sight or sound. After so long one sort of sleeps, or something like it. I'm afraid to ask how long it's been...?
Ben coughed. "Afraid we've been here some time ourselves. We don't know the date."
"Where is here?"
"It's a Library of some kind," Rebecca chimed in, "that's the sum of all we know. My name is Rebecca. This is Ben. If you're friendly then we're your friends. We haven't spoken with anyone else in a while either."
The mist swirled back and forth between the sockets like a dog running excitedly back and forth in the bed of a truck. "No matter, no matter! You have my undyin- I mean, my deepest, deepest gratitude for finding me, Lady Rebecca and Master Ben. And if you please, I'd do anything, anything, please don't-"
"Goodness, we wouldn't just leave you here," Rebecca said, "rest... assured."
"Bless you both, bless you... But this? A library, did you say?"
The pair glanced behind themselves at the scene of flickering skeletons.
"Methinks," Ben said, "we might relocate this conversation."
And so the three returned to Rebecca and Ben's camp with their disturbing new companion in tow, bones folded into a large basket, and the three spent the evening trying to come to some understandings.
The old skeleton told them this was the first he'd been able to speak or be seen since his 'death,' and certainly the first he'd been a bit of swirly wisp. Try as he might, he was unable to move much further than a centimeter from his skull which he assumed was his immortality bonds at work. With permission, Rebecca had put a finger just within an eye socket and found the mist to be mildly warm, like the heat from a person's skin a hair away, and Charles found her touch ticklish. Ben seemed very unsurprised by it all. He'd seen ghosts before in Berenger, he said, and Charles was obviously some such, bound within his remains.
Ultimately more concerning than their friend's metaphysical state was what he had to tell them about his origins. Kreve, he kept telling them, good lord, how can you have never heard of Kreve? The massive, the remote, the deucedly icy? Even the most backwater Networker must have at lea-- But here Ben and Rebecca cut him off. The Network? Over half the books here are about the Network, they told him, what do you know about it?
The skeleton would have blinked his eyes if he still had them. The Network? We're in the Network, how do you mean? This library, he said, if it was coming back to him properly, is on a closed-down campus outside of Brindle, one of the founding nations of the Network, a prestigious, bustling nation full of, of... He trailed off at their expressions. They directed his attention to one of the cloud-choked windows.
And does this Brindle look mostly like nondescript white matter, Ben wanted to know. Charles didn't know what to think of that. He also didn't know what to think of the enchanted books his companions flashed in front of him. He certainly didn't know what to think of Rebecca herself being some kind of bookly byproduct and had never heard of Berenger. The suspicion that Charles was not from 'the real world' either was laid to res-- settled, that is, when he was able to explain so much of what they'd been gathering about this Network place.
But if the Network was real and here and now... where was it?
Perfectly immobile and unwieldy, Charles couldn't accompany the pair on excursions, until, with permission and a screwdriver, Rebecca removed the skeleton's skull. They stowed his remaining remains under a heavy couch and from then on the loquacious haunted skull went everywhere with them.
Charles turned out to be an amusing fount of wry wit and peanut gallery commentary on whatever his friends were doing. Benjamin got a kick out of the old ghost's sense of humour and Rebecca enjoyed his stories, and both were grateful for the presence and guidance of someone much older and wiser than they, almost as grateful as Charles was to just be in their company.
These three go on to spend the next few years together in their odd prison, joined gradually by other Librarians such as Jackie the rigging rat, Alan the cowboy, and Vra'kriss the reformed (?) dark lord. The Library is hacked into circa 2006, and three years later opens as a functional public library to support itself. This is the point these characters appear at on dA.
There end up being around ten Librarians but these three remain the core of the group.
Rebecca is the Library's spine. She doesn't take crap, she doesn't back off, and she personally sees to all meetings with hardboiled business persons and officials who think they deserve a slice of the Library. She is also the smack-down if any of the Librarians are acting like idiots. She's totally regarded as the scarier of the two leading librarians. She is very calm and charming, actually, but if you make her draw her weapon she will damn well make you regret it.
Benjamin is the Library's heart. DAAW. But he is. Very often Becca's hellfire is not needed if Ben can settle a problem with humor and kind words and by generally radiating happy sunshine. Ben's the one the Librarians go to when they need a hug. He's also the one patrons go to when they need a hug. He's like this tireless cog of positive vibes turning at the center of the Library's little family. This is not to say that Ben doesn't have horribly dark moments like anyone, he's just relentlessly committed to being pleasant.
Charles is the Library's brains. He sees farther than either Ben or Becca and suggests solutions and alternative that wouldn't occur to them. If you need practical advice or a problem considered, you pay the old ghost a visit, if you can brave the sea of sarcasm. He is basically charting the Library's future and advises Becca and Ben on how to practically manage the business. On his own time, he's the Library's Webmaster and IS the Library's digital presence and voice.
(There is a teeny tiny highly convincing argument that Charles, as its first inhabitant and only true Network denizen, should in fact have legal ownership of the Library. He wants no part of that whatsoever and is perfectly happy with Ben owning the place. This has not stopped Ben and Becca leaving it to him in their will.)


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The bluegrass gospel music group, Pinetuckett, above, will be in concert at 6:30 p.m. today at Andrew Jackson State Park amphitheater. The concert is free with park admission. Admission to the park is $2 adults; $1.25 for South Carolina seniors and free for ages 15 and younger.
Organized in the early 1970s, Pine-tuckett plays a variety of traditional bluegrass and gospel music. The group performs across the Carolinas at festivals, churches and private parties.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Visiting International Faculty Program has recognized 16 of its visiting exchange teachers with 2009 International Educator of the Year awards.
Two Lancaster County School District teachers were honored with the awards.
Chosen from among more than 70 nominees in six states, these educators work every day to create opportunities for their students to explore other cultures and countries, master new languages, and discuss and contribute to solutions for global challenges.
Chris Catoe is in his first year at Buford Middle School and says he was nervous about starting school in a new place.
He had to deal with the prospect of bullies, while trying to make friends and concentrate on his work.
But since the start of school, the sixth-grader has excelled academically. He now speaks highly of his middle school experience.
"It was scary the first few days, but it's good now," Catoe said.
INDIAN LAND – A new sign now hangs at the Indian Land Volunteer Fire Department.
Constructed and painted by the Woodworker's Guild at Sun City Carolina Lakes, the 4.5-foot-wide and 3-foot-tall sign replaces the department's old sign, which had faded. The sign, which reads Indian Land Fire Department, Station 10, was presented to the department on April 30. It will be placed on the exterior of the building.
VAN WYCK – It felt almost like summer at Van Wyck's second annual Spring Fling on Saturday.
The event featured an inflatable bounce house for children, bean bag and basketball tosses, gem mining and rides on the Van Wyck Express, a mini-train, around the Van Wyck Community Center's walking track.
"That's the main thing she wanted to come for was to ride the train," said Van Wyck resident Pat Oglesby, who brought her 3-year-old granddaughter, Elizabeth, to the fling.
A Lancaster man was hurt when his neighbor broke into his house and attacked him early Wednesday morning.
According to a Lancaster County Sheriff's Office incident report, a Burke Duncan Road resident said he was awakened by someone knocking on his back door.
As he got up to answer the door, he heard the pounding getting louder, as if someone were trying to kick the door in.
The country's largest exchange program for teachers has given high honors to two educators in Lancaster.
Brooklyn Springs Elementary School's Mónica M. Díaz Jiménez is South Carolina's 2009 International Educator of the Year for the Visiting International Faculty (VIF) Program.
Verónica Raffin of North Elementary School won VIF's honorable mention this year.
Both Diaz and Raffin teach English as a Second Language, or ESL.
KERSHAW – A Kershaw man has died after he was involved in a motorcycle crash on April 26.
Michael Gary Holden, 41, 6373 N. Matson St., died May 8.
S.C. Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Jeff Gaskin said Holden was driving his 1996 Harley-Davidson motorcycle north on Country Club Drive in Kershaw about 8:15 p.m. April 26 when he ran off the right side of the road and hit a ditch.
Holden was not wearing a helmet, Gaskin said. He was airlifted to Palmetto Richland Hospital in Columbia.
Lancaster County Council has approved a new ambulance service to operate in the county.
The private ambulance service, called American TransMed Inc., was given the go-ahead to operate a franchise in the county on Monday. Council voted 6-1 in favor of the measure, with Councilman Cotton Cole dissenting.
Greg Kirby, president of American TransMed, and Emergency Medical Services Director Lanny Bernard answered questions from council.
INDIAN LAND – A new traffic light could soon help manage the surge in motorists on S.C. 160 in Indian Land.
The traffic light is being installed at the intersection of S.C. 160 and Rosemont Boulevard.
John McKay, maintenance engineer for the S.C. Department of Transportation, said installation is almost complete, and signs have already been ordered for the intersection.
The light was approved by SCDOT, but work is being completed by a developer.


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Christ's Haven For Children Looking for Development Director
Monday, June 23rd, 2014For 60 years Christ's Haven for Children, located in Keller, has provided group foster care for abused, neglected, and abandoned children. The agency is currently looking for a Development Director. This person must have a minimum of five years of fundraising experience including extensive experience in the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of major donors. They[…..]


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West Ham: We need Song's leadership qualities, says Allardyce
Manager Sam Allardyce was bitterly disappointed with his West Ham team's performance on Saturday as they were humiliated by Southampton.
Despite two decent performances in their last two league games against Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace, the Hammers were defeated 3-1 at the hands Ronald Koeman's Saints, who completely outplayed the hosts.
Allardyce said the effort his players produced was below par, and there were communication issues between them on the pitch.
"After what we've seen in the last two games, we just saw an under performance across the board today," said the manager.
"It's a massive blow to us, and a massive disappointment to everybody, particularly at home. Two home games, two defeats. It can't happen; the lads have got to take responsibility.
"We should have beaten Tottenham but didn't even come away with a point, and we could have scrapped a point today. As good as Southampton were, which there's no denying they was, up to the second, there was no shots or openings created."
The former Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle chief added defending from set-pieces also let the side down.
"It wasn't good enough," he said. "And to let them score all three of their goals from them is unacceptable. There wasn't anything from today I could be pleased about. It was a reality check from some of the players.
"Certainly the new players have now seen the ups and downs of what the Premier League could do to you if you're not 100%."
Away from the performance, Allardyce praised the owners for pulling off a transfer coup with the confirmation of Alex Song signing from Spanish giants FC Barcelona on a season long loan.
Allardyce said he was hopeful the former Arsenal man could bring some leadership to the team, which was what was lacking in the defeat to Southampton.
"I hope he can bring that as well as his quality play because certainly out on the pitch the lads are not opening their mouth enough," he said.
"They all talk about what they should do before the game, all talk in training; all talk in the dressing room, but when they go out on the pitch they all stop talking.
"Clearly the communication is zero. Somebody has got to get a grip and open their eyes and mouth. With (Song's) experience and qualities, having spoken to him, he looks like a bit of a leader to me, and he'll go out their and kick a few backsides on the field."
Despite Southampton dominating possession throughout, West Ham took the lead through a Mark Noble shot, with the aid of a deflection from Maya Yoshida, beating Fraser Forster.
However, it all went downhill from there thanks to an inspired performance by Morgan Schneiderlin. The Frenchman bagged the equaliser with a sweet left footed effort just before half time, before putting his side in front after an hour. Recent arrival, Graziano Pelle bagged his first Premier League goal which rounded off a comfortable 3-1 for the visitors.
After this derisory performance by the Boleyn Ground outfit, the Hammers will look to use the international break to improve on the training ground.
An away game against Hull City will be Allardyce next game, before returning to home soil to face last year's Premier League runners up Liverpool visit Upton Park.


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Toon 10m Bid For ANOTHER Frenchman!
Newcastle United have been looking at bringing Lille star Florian Thauvin to Tyneside.
The Magpies scouted the 20-year-old during his Bastia days last winter.
But after failing to settle in Lille the midfielder wants a move away from the Ligue 1 club.
Newcastle face stiff competition from Marseille who are thought to be Thauvin's preferred choice.
Lille value the player at more than the £10million fee that has been mooted today.
Source: Newcastle United Mad
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1992 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible 2dr Convertible
I'm an Aircraft Mechanic and this is similar to a cockpit so I feel right at home. Ride is rough but it's a sports car, what do you expect. 6 speed tranny is great.
the full review
1992 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible 2dr Convertible
I bought this car as 14 years old with
just under 36,000 miles. It looks and
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Red with Red interior, 6 speed and all
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the full review
1992 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible 2dr Convertible
I bought this 1992 beauty 6 months /
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the full review
1992 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible 2dr Convertible
Bought this in 1998 and it only had 4k
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guys garage and he had a 93 coupe for
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the full review
1992 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible 2dr Convertible
Have a 1992 Convertible with the
removable fiberglass top. This car has
been great overall. I am relatively
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the vette holds it's own. The tranny
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and is still on the original tranny).
Even with the tranny I still think this
car will last another 3 years easy.
the full review
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Military cutoff extensionSubmitted by barbara wood (not verified) on Tue, 10/18/2011 - 7:04am.
Our property is also 10 feet from this highway they plan to build. We will not be able to turn right out of our driveway!!! And what about all the children in our neighborhood??? They now ride their bikes on Putnam Drive and also on Mass Ave. We will be bothered by the sound, the fumes, and the large trucks going through our peaceful neighborhood. This is a terrible idea to put a 6 lane highway here in Ogden Park and beyond. »
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Live Music with Firefly Acoustic DuoMartha Clara VineyardsTuesday, March 11, 2014 from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM (PDT) |
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Event Details
Firefly consists of two experienced singer/guitarists, Steve Lake and Rob Wisotzky. Their sound features acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies consisting of classic acoustic covers as well as music from more recent artists. Free admission.
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Join the SF Public Utilities Commission and friends for a pedal-powered tour of the City's newest and upcoming green infrastructure installations. Cycle with the experts through San Francisco's beautiful urban watersheds while learning about innovative ways to keep stormwater out of our aging sewer system. We'll visit various technologies, including permeable pavement, raingardens, sidewalk landscaping, bioswales, and systems to recycle and re-use rainwater.
This ride is free and open to the public. Space is extremely limited– RSVP now to reserve your spot! If you can't make it after you sign up, please let us know so we can open up your spot to another rider.
When: Saturday, August 31, 10am - around 2pm
Starting Place: SFPUC Headquarters, 525 Golden Avenue @ Polk Street (nearest BART: Civic Center)
Ending Place: Soma Street Food Park - eat, drink, and geek out about Green Infrastructure!
Route: This will be a mostly flat ride of about 12 miles.
Cost: SF RESIDENT 0.00
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Dear Friends of Save Texas Schools,
Sign up today for the STS Conference in Austin on Friday, Feb. 20 and Saturday, Feb. 21. We need everyone contacting legislators about funding, testing and a new area for STS, community schools. This conference will give you the information and tools you need to have an impact in these crucial next months. Great speakers at both the Friday night dinner and Saturday morning workshops. The event is free with a $12 suggested donation for the Friday dinner and the Saturday workshops. Click here to register.
Budget Cuts
With the 2015 legislative session underway, the impacts of state budget cuts are still being felt in many classrooms. Some districts gained badly needed financial help from the 2013 legislature, but not all were so lucky. State District Judge John Dietz struck down the Texas' school finance system, declaring it unfair and inadequate, something our teachers, students, and parents are aware of every day. The state has appealed the ruling to the State Supreme Court, with a ruling not expected until late 2015, leaving us with one more session waiting for our legislature to do the right thing.
So where does that leave Save Texas Schools?
We plan to continue our message to legislators that Texas schools are underfunded and our students are overtested. With lots of talk ahead about privatizing public education through voucher programs, charter school expansion and other means, we're also supporting an alternative that is working in Texas and across the nation called "Community Schools." Click here to find out more.
Are we planning another huge Save Texas Schools rally?
Save Texas Schools has always been about mobilizing support for Texas public schools and influencing our legislators to do the right things for our kids, teachers and communities. We work closely with other education groups, and have seen important changes in laws affecting schools. This session, we need energy at the Capitol more than ever. So what's the plan?
- Rather than one huge rally, we're planning a statewide rally day with events in as many places as possible. The date is still being decided, but will likely be in March.
- We're planning four separate "lobby days" on weekdays to bring folks in from around the state to talk with legislative staffs about our education agenda.
- Later in the session, as legislators begin to meet on Saturday, we're going to do one or more "Rallies in the Capitol" as we've done in past sessions. These have been highly effective when key votes are approaching.
- We'll be out around the state from late January to April holding STS meetings and conferences to mobilize folks to communicate with their legislators. Regional conferences and meetings are being planned for Austin, DFW, El Paso, Houston, Mc Allen, and San Antonio, with other locations possible.
Save Texas Schools has been very active talking with legislators over the past months, but now we need to help you ramp up and get involved. Stay tuned for details!
Donate Today to Save Texas Schools!
Save Texas Schools needs your support to continue the fight for an excellent education for all Texas students. Please help with by making a donation today at http://savetxschools.org/get-involved/make-a-donation/
Thanks for everything you do for Texas schools and kids!
Allen Weeks
Chair, Save Texas Schools


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The four GOP presidential candidates had one last chance to state their case in front of the nation before Tuesday's primaries in Arizona and Michigan. Here are five things CNN learned from Wednesday night's Arizona Republican Presidential Debate.
read more
Bettendorf, Iowa (CNN) - Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum chided his GOP rivals Wednesday and urged them to be "careful" about their sharp-tongued foreign policy rhetoric. In a debate about national security issues la... Read Post
Mesa, Arizona (CNN) – On the eve of the final Republican presidential debate before primaries in Arizona and Michigan, as well as the 10 Super Tuesday states, a new survey indicates that Rick Santorum may be closing the gap with Mit... Read Post
(CNN) - Voting is underway in Michigan and Arizona Tuesday where the top four Republican presidential candidates, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul are competing to capture the state's delegates. It is largely a... Read Post


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Through the endoscope balloon dilation of ileocolonic strictures: prognostic factors, complications, and effectiveness
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About half of all Crohn's disease (CD) patients undergo surgery at some point, many because of strictures. An alternative possibility is to dilate strictures endoscopically. However, little is known about prognostic factors.
Patients and methods
Thirty-two patients with primary CD (n = 2), radiogenic strictures (n = 1), or postoperative strictures (27 because of CD; 2 after resection because of cancer), were planned to undergo colonoscopic dilatation of which 25 patients were dilated (10 men; 15 women; median age 48). Length of stenosis, diameter of stricture, balloon size, smoking status, ulcer in the stricture, passage postdilatation, hemoglobin level, complications, redilatation, and subsequent surgery were recorded. Only patients with at least 6 months follow up were included.
Five out of 32 patients had no stenosis, marked inflammation, or fistulas adjacent to the stricture. One patient each had a long stricture (8cm) or a filiform stenosis ruling out dilatation [technical success, 25/27 (92.6%)]. Among these 25 patients, 39 colonoscopies with 51 dilatations were performed. After a single dilatation, 52% were asymptomatic while 48% needed another intervention, half of them surgery. Bleeding without need for transfusion occurred in 3 out of 39 colonoscopies and one perforation required surgery. Significant prognostic factors were smoking and ulcers in the stricture (P < 0.05 each). Some ulcers led to intussusception requiring surgery in spite of good dilatation results.
Through the endoscope balloon stricture dilatation is a relatively safe and often effective treatment modality in ileocolonic strictures. The presence of ulcers in the stricture have a worse outcome as do smokers.
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- Brooker JC, Beckett CG, Saunders BP, Benson MJ (2003) Long-acting steroid injection after endoscopic dilation of anastomotic Crohn's strictures may improve the outcome: a retrospective case series. Endoscopy 35:333–337 CrossRef
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- Yamamoto T, Keighley MR (2000) Smoking and disease recurrence after operation for Crohn's disease. Br J Surg 87:398–404 CrossRef
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- Title
- Through the endoscope balloon dilation of ileocolonic strictures: prognostic factors, complications, and effectiveness
- Journal
International Journal of Colorectal Disease
Volume 23, Issue 7 , pp 689-696
- Cover Date
- 2008-07-01
- 10.1007/s00384-008-0461-9
- Print ISSN
- 0179-1958
- Online ISSN
- 1432-1262
- Publisher
- Springer-Verlag
- Additional Links
- Topics
- Keywords
- Hydrostatic dilation
- Smoking
- Crohn's disease
- Ulcer
- Intervention
- Industry Sectors
- Authors
- Jörg C. Hoffmann (1) (3)
- Frank Heller (1)
- Siegbert Faiss (1)
- Bernd von Lampe (1)
- Anton J. Kroesen (2)
- Ulrich Wahnschaffe (1)
- Jörg-Dieter Schulzke (1)
- Martin Zeitz (1)
- Christian Bojarski (1)
- Author Affiliations
- 1. Medizinische Klinik I mit Schwerpunkt Gastroenterologie, Infektiologie, Rheumatologie, Charité, Campus Benjamin Franklin, 12200, Berlin, Germany
- 3. Medizinische Klinik I mit Schwerpunkt Gastroenterologie, Diabetologie, Rheumatologie und Onkologie, St. Marien- und St. Annastiftskrankenhaus, Salzburger Straße 15, 67067, Ludwigshafen, Germany
- 2. Chirurgische Klinik I, Charité, Campus Benjamin Franklin, 12200, Berlin, Germany


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(KMOV) – A man faces charges after he allegedly broke into girlfriend's parents' home in Bridgeton and stole several items earlier this year.
Rodriguez Harris, 36, was charged Aug. 15 with second-degree burglary and felony stealing.
According to court documents, Harris broke into the home on March 31 and stole jewelry and cash from the parents' safe.
An investigation led police to Harris, who arrested him the same day he was charged. He was taken into custody on a $10,000 bond.


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I'd like to know how to find the first 3 digits and the number of digits of the prime number 2^1257787-1. I think I'm supposed to use logarithms.
First the leading 3 digits of are the same as those of , so we need only consider the latter.
Now: .
Now the in the exponent above just tells you how far the decimal point in the answer is to the left of the most significant digit, and the fractional part tells you what the digits are.


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That last class went a little better, though they left the room a mess. I'm straightening up the classroom after my class when hunger pangs hit. I've forgotten to bring my lunch so I call in my lunch order at the diner on the corner. Getting my coat on to go pick it up, I get a call from the office. The no-show parent that was supposed to be here at 11:00 has just arrived. I have to decide: eat lunch or meet parent? Gritting my teeth against the hunger, I head to the office.
I pull a student aside at the end of class to speak privately about something I've been noticing in class. A good student generally, lately she's been responding to me with the special tone of disdain teenagers usually save for their parents whenever I call on her. I gently point out that I've noticed her tone (you never use the word "attitude" with teenagers; trust me on this) has changed in class, and I wondered if anything was going on that I should know about. At first, she denies it, but then finally reveals that she's had some issues with the boy she is seated next to in class. Nothing serious, she claims, but she has heard him making fun of her and doesn't feel comfortable around him. As we talk about it more, it's clear how much this has been upsetting her. I agree to change his seat tomorrow, and we develop a signal for her to let me know if it's happening again. I also vow to speak to him and his advisor the following day. I encourage her to speak up sooner next time. By the time she leaves, she seems back to herself and even thanks me.
In the hallway I run into the Mr. Natural Actor from first period. I comment how good he is at cold reading, that he has a real knack for acting. "That's all I'm doing all day, Miss, is ACTING!" he says with a flourish. I laugh and marvel at how true that is for most of my students.
I'm dying to use the restroom, but I have a staff meeting that I'm now 5 minutes late for, after talking with my student after class. Why didn't anyone tell me bladder management was such a big part of teaching?


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81xxx power windows, power locks, cruise control, snug top shell, color matched grill, V6, OEM bed mat. Only selling because I need 4x4 where I'm moving too and im getting another tacoma (possible trade +cash). Its a great clean truck, no problems. Located in orange county, CA
14500 as is
13500 w/ out camper shell, bed mat and chrome grill put back on
I plan on buying the same body style and color so i'd keep the the shell and mat and wouldn't sell separately.
Thanks, Joe
pics were taking today, a bit dirty from big bear


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Crostini Too Hard
- t
- TommyJayDee Nov 11, 2010 04:32 PM
- 10
- Follow
I thought it would be a good idea to top Crostinis with dollops of lobster salad as an hors d'oeuvre for a cocktail party. However, after purchasing the Crostinis at Whole Foods and testing them at home, I discovered they are very hard.
My fear is that guests will also find them hard and messy to eat - the tenderness of the lobster salad and the hardness of the Crostini will probably not make a good combo.
Any tips on "softening" these things up prior to serving?
re: Nyleve
Oh yes... I agree with this. In fact, I use an indoor grill pan and simply grill each side a few seconds till I get a few grill marks on the bread then proceed with whatever I'm using for the topping.
re: TommyJayDee
Absolutely, thinly sliced bagels make quite good bruschetta for crostini, although we call them bagel chips here in NYC, and they're usually highly seasoned. I don't necessarily grill them, but you could, just toss them with a drizzle of olive oil and seasoning, herbs, and bake or grill til crunchy but not fully dry. You might want to mellow out the seasonings so they won't fight with the lobster. I used to slice them on a meat slicer, the professional deli meat slicer machine, but at home you can lay them flat and slice through, keeping your hand flat on the top of the bagel, into three slices. Too thin and they get too crispy, so a little thicker is better, crunchy with a slight chew.


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What does CEST mean in Ocean Science?
This page is about the meanings of the acronym/abbreviation/shorthand CEST in the Academic & Science field in general and in the Ocean Science terminology in particular.
Find a translation for CEST in other languages:
Select another language:
What does CEST mean?
- Cest(noun)
- a woman's girdle; a cestus
Discuss this CEST abbreviation with the community:
Use the citation below to add this abbreviation to your bibliography:
"CEST." Abbreviations.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2015. Web. 4 Mar. 2015. <http://www.abbreviations.com/term/349916>.
CEST also stands for:
- Campus Environmental Sustainability Team
- Central Europe Summer Time
- Central European Standard Time
- Coleman Enterprise Software Technology
- Condensing Extraction Steam Turbine
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Nearby & related abbreviations:
Alternative search:
- Search Coastal Environmental Science and Technology on Amazon
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No Description Available
Wear With
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May We Recommend?
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Ever since I saw one of these at last years St. Louis NRA convention I've been intrigued. I'm not a big fan of GSG firearms but did have one of their H&K MP5 clones and it was a decent gun. This one though I couldn't resist so when my dealer got 5 in I picked one up. Taking it apart for that initial cleaning and lubrication I fould the parts quality to be quite good, also the rifle disassembles easily. A bit heavy for field use this will just strictly be a fun gun. Although reanactors are snapping them up for obvious reasons. Being a WWII history buff this new STG44 will look good with my K98s and other German firearms. If it shoots half as good as my S&W M&P15-22 I'll be very happy with it. Anyone thinking about one of these they are now shipping without the pine boxes for about $100 less then I paid for this one.
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Very cool!
Absolutely gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!! Color me green with envy
I need a bigger safe. Honey where can I put another safe 😊
[QUOTE="rugerlover22"]I need a bigger safe. Honey where can I put another safe


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Cardiomyopathy in children. Cincinnati Children's Hospital website. Available at: http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/heart-encyclopedia/disease/cardiomyopathy.htm. Updated March 2013. Accessed November 3, 2014.
Erwin JP, Nishimura RA, et al. Dual chamber pacing for patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: a clinical perspective in 2000. Mayo Clin Proc. 2000;75:173-180.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The Cleveland Clinic website. Available at: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/disorders/hcm/default.aspx. Updated June 2013. Accessed November 3, 2014.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed. Updated May 19, 2014. Accessed November 3, 2014.
Maron BJ, Nishimura RA, McKenna WJ, et al. Assessment of permanent dual chamber pacing for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Circulation. 1999;99:2927-2933.
McCully RB, Nishimura RA, Tajik AJ, Schaff HV, Danielson GK. Extent of clinical improvement after surgical treatment of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Circulation. 1996;94:467-471.
Pediatric cardiomyopathies. The American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/CardiovascularConditionsofChildhood/Pediatric-Cardiomyopathies%5FUCM%5F312219%5FArticle.jsp. Updated September 3, 2014. Accessed November 3, 2014.
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*Good Value* Minerally, lightly appley and showing hints of ripe peaches in its aromas as it opens with airing, this moderately sweet, balanced offering is light on its feet, fresh and alive with a lovely Riesling texture and a long, fruity, stony aftertaste. It will deliver plenty of pleasure as a stand-alone aperitif, but this one would also make a delicious mate to twice-cooked pork at the local take-away or to teriyaki chicken. Pacific Rim is now the Riesling value leader. (9/ 2011)
Right on the borderline between dry and sweet, this richly fruity Riesling is packed with flavors of peach, apricot, pear, a hint of mint, and a streak of wet stone. There is a lot going on for such an inexpensive wine. #1 Best Buy on Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 Best Buys of 2011! (11/ 2011)
One of the San Francisco Chronicle's Top 100 Wines of 2011: "Under the eye of winemaker Nicolas Quillé , this Randall Grahm-founded label is proving the potential of Washington Riesling. Don't let the faux-exotic package and price deceive you; this blend from top Columbia Valley sites puts Pacific Rim fully back in the groove. Full of wet river stone, deep nectarine and green apple, it shows the magnitude of both fruit and acid that most Rieslings at this price lack."
Below is a listing of the wine review scores we frequently reference in our notes. While these sources remain an excellent source of information, we always recommend that you trust your own palate. Scores in these publications often represent the personal taste of an individual critic, which may not always coincide with your own. We have a huge team of excellent wine professionals that can match wines you've had in the past with new arrivals that meet your flavor profile.
The item you have chosen is not in stock in our retail stores or within our main warehouse.
2010 Domaine Carneros Brut Sparkling Wine $19.99
2006 Roederer Estate "L'Ermitage" Anderson Valley Brut $39.99
2010 Iron Horse "Wedding Cuvée" Green Valley of Russian River Valley Brut $29.99
2010 Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay $24.99
2009 Stony Hill Estate Napa Valley Chardonnay $39.99


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LAPD shoots, kills homeless man after attempting arrest
The LAPD finds itself in the center of the controversy over the use of force after shooting a homeless man on Skid Row, he died shortly afterward. The shooting, captured on video by a bystander, shows police attempting to subdue the man. Police claim the man attempted to grab an officer's gun, but witnesses claim the man was unarmed. Click here to watch: Not Safe For Work due to graphic images and language!
John Fund weighs in on the Net Neutrality issue.
Mike talks with National Review National Affairs Columnist John Fund on the issue of Net Neutrality. They discuss the views of the Right and the Left, and how President Obama has influenced the FCC in this matter.
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Comrades for Net Neutrality
"Net neutrality's goal is to empower the federal government to ration and apportion Internet bandwidth as it sees fit, and to thereby control the Internet's content," says Phil Kerpen, an anti-net-neutrality activist from the group American Commitment.
Melissa Harris Perry says Trayvon Martin should have beat George Zimmerman's butt!
Mike plays audio of a speech given by Professor Melissa Harris-Perry where she states that Trayvon Martin should have whipped George Zimmerman's butt for standing his ground. Mike comments that George Zimmerman only defended himself, and was found not guilty of any wrongdoing.
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Should we hate President Obama or just his actions and words?
Mike discusses the hatred between President Obama's policies, and hatred for President Obama himself. He states that none of us actually know Obama, and that there are many who also thinks he's a Muslim.
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Let's Just Kill 'Homeland Security'
When it's not making us take our shoes off, it's trampling our civil liberties and 'building' centers that don't exist. Enough already.
This dingbat is a college professor AND a TV host. Being a loony liberal means never having to say you're sorry…..-Mike
MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry expressed her hope that Trayvon Martin "whooped the sh*t out of' George Zimmerman in a speech at Cornell University on Monday.
Veteran's Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald lied about being in the Special Forces…and people are defending him?
Mike discusses the recent lie told by the new Secretary of Veteran Affairs, Robert McDonald that he was once a member of the Army's Special Forces. Mike shares his disbelief that people are actually calling and defending him.
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Dr. Keith Ablow thinks Chris Kyle would not have wanted his shooter to be found guilty of murder.
Mike talks with Dr. Keith Ablow about the recent verdict where Eddie Ray Routh was found guilty in the murders of Navy SEAL Sniper Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield. They discuss if Routh was mentally ill or not and what Kyle himself would have thought about the whole situation.
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Girls HS Basketball Teams Booted From Postseason For Playing To Lose
Click here to watch the videos of two girls high school basketball teams trying to lose. It's pathetic!
The US Government negotiated for Bowe Bergdahl, why not for Kayla Mueller?
Mike plays audio from an interviews with the family of Kayla Mueller, an American citizen killed by ISIS, The family states that they believe that ISIS would have ransomed Kayla, but the US government negotiating for Bowe Bergdahl ruined it. Mike asks why our government negotiated for Bergdahl, but refused for Kayla?
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How will "Vigilance" help if terrorists attack our malls?
Mike plays a clip from Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson where he describes how the Mall of America could be targeted by terrorists and he calls for people to be "vigilant." Mike asks how we're supposed to protect ourselves if weapons aren't allowed in malls?
Wesley J. Smith explains the reality of the case of a pediatrician refusing to see the child of a lesbian couple.
Mike talks with Discovery Institute Senior Fellow Wesley J. Smith about the case of a pediatrician refusing to see the 6 day old child of a lesbian couple because of her religious beliefs. They discuss how not becoming the child's pediatrician is completely different from not giving life saving treatment.
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Yes, Liberals Are Less Patriotic
The survey data are clear: There is a patriotism differential between the Right and the Left.


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Lightweight, warm, and breathable, our Polarfleece® jacket is just right fo...r cooler shooting days. When you're active in your jacket, it's good to know that this high-quality fleece won't pill and will last wash after wash for many years. read more
Thirty miles from London you will find Europe's largest sporting clay venue...—the 3,000- acre Bisley Shooting Ground. read more
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text: South Carolina Chapter Chapter contact:Meredith Holcomb, President Find us on Facebook Mission Statement The mission of the organization is to empower persons who are hearing impaired to function independently by promoting universal rights and optimal opportunities for such persons, from infancy through adulthood, to learn to use, maintain, and improve all aspects of their verbal communication, including their abilities to speak, speechread, use residual hearing and process both spoken and written language. 2014 Annual Conference & WorkshopSaturday, October 4, 2014 Location: Saluda Shoals Park - Environmental Education Center, Columbia, SC8am- Registration/Breakfast8:30am – Welcome9am-1pm – Guest Speaker: Patricia Roush, AuD, Director of Pediatric Audiology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill HospitalsTopic: Diagnosis and Management of Pediatric Hearing Loss and Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder1pm – lunch National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management The national resource center for the implementation and improvement of comprehensive and effective Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) systems.South Carolina resources can be found in the Directory of Services Other State Government Resources First Sound SC Dept of Health & Environmental Control's Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) program, 803-898-0708 SC Dept of Health & Environmental Control's Children's Rehabilitative Services (CRS)803-898-0788 (Central Office) BabyNetSouth Carolina's interagency early intervention program for birth to three years old. It is funded through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and managed through SC First Steps SC Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation (LLR) Search for a licensed Audiologist or Speech-Language Pathologist SC StatehouseFind your legislator Family Support Columbia, SCMarcella Forrest Rock Hill, SCCatherine O'GradyMelissa Burgess Spartanburg, SCKatherine WellsMichelle McDowell