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Dotty for Dúnedain
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Queen's Gambit: 1. Queen's Gambit
"I understand you play the game of chess."
It was not a question. The Steward looked politely at his Queen. Lady Arwen's face was smooth and motionless as a mask, with only her mouth changing, turning into a suggestion of a smile, wan and distant.
She had only been in the city for a short time and he had barely spoken to her. There were so many new and wonderful things now - a King had returned to Gondor and the White Tree blossomed again and the Eastern sky was a cool, cloudless blue - that somehow an Elven Queen seemed almost unexceptional. Whenever he encountered her, they exchanged polite formalities and she smiled softly, looking as though she were recollecting some ancient sadness. For some reason, he felt a wistful longing for his lady in such occasions, his mind wondering more acutely about how many days would pass until they met again.
"It is a game I enjoy playing, lady," he answered calmly. They were in the Queen's chambers, which had lain unused for long and whose mustiness was currently being dispelled by several ladies who had been made Maids of Honour to the Queen. At the moment, a young woman was painstakingly mending a faded old tapestry and another was at a cloth-swaddled side table, repainting a vase with the stern concentration of a master craftsman. Both had only muttered courteously when he had entered, answering the Queen's summons, and both had immediately returned to their work, looking somewhat annoyed at the interruption. Faramir felt, for some reason, vaguely proud of their dedication. Arwen herself was sitting at the main table, a book open in front of her, the apparatus of a scribe spread on the tabletop.
"Do sit down," she said, gesturing languidly towards the opposite chair. As the Steward sat at his appointed place, she began to calmly store her pens and inkwells in her writing box. "I hope I am not interfering with your duties, my Lord Steward?" she asked as she cleaned the nib of a goose quill before placing it neatly inside the cherry wood box.
"By no means, lady."
"That is reassuring," she said, snapping the lid of a metal inkwell. "I have been busying myself with this, as you can see, but a pastime is good on occasion, do you not agree?"
"I find them quite restful sometimes, lady."
She started gathering her papers with slow precision. "But if we are to entertain ourselves together - assuming you are of like mind, of course - I do think we should be less formal." Her translucent eyes were livelier than Faramir had ever seen them before. "I confess I am not quite used to being addressed as a Queen. In private, Arwen should suffice."
He felt some inexplicable discomfort, as though his chair had turned into cold rock. "Then we are both equally unused to our new titles. If I am to call you Arwen, then you must call me Faramir."
She smiled, a smile that did not reach her eyes. "If that is settled, will you play some chess with me?"
"It would be my pleasure, la---" He halted, his face assuming a contrite expression, before he smiled politely and carried on. "Arwen. I would be delighted."
"No more than I, I assure you." She turned to the woman - a girl no more than a score of years, Faramir could see now - who was working on the tapestry. "Turien, would you be so kind as to bring me my chess set?"
"Certainly, lady," the girl answered, though underneath the propriety, Faramir could detect a note of displeasure at being interrupted. He wondered if the Queen could feel it as well. Turien vanished into an inner chamber and Arwen turned back to him.
"I am quite fond of the game myself, and of this set, which was given to me. But of course, there were always more pressing matters..." Her voice trailed off. For a moment, their gazes were locked together and a fleeting understanding passed between them. Then the moment was
over and she averted her eyes, her face unreadable once more. Turien re-emerged from the inner chamber and slid up to her with a square box in her hands. Arwen took it adroitly and placed it nonchalantly on the table, pushing her other things aside.
When she opened it, he could not help but feel a little disappointed. Both board and pieces were plain and straightforward, made of dark and light wood. He supposed he had expected an Elven chess set to be more elaborate, somehow, more fanciful. He wondered secretly if that was what he had expected from an Elven Queen, too.
"You can have the Whites," she said evenly, placing the board in the middle of the table and beginning to arrange the black pieces on her side.
"I insist," she interrupted, cutting his protestations short. "I prefer the Blacks myself."
"Very well," he said. "Be it as you wish." He leaned forward to take
the Whites from the box and place them in the appropriate squares on
the board.
The double rows of pieces now stood facing each other, two disciplined armies ready to engage.
"Are you ready?" she asked, her fingers entwined, resting on her sliver of table.
He nodded civilly.
"Then let us have the Whites' opening."
He started with a straightforward central opening, moving his King's pawn two squares forward. Then he sat back to study his opponent, his mind beginning to grow dim to his surroundings. Arwen looked at the board for a moment, then her hand moved slowly, almost tiredly, towards her King's Rider, finally placing the horse-shaped piece in front of her Captain's pawn.
Then she smiled, another wan and distant smile - yet this time it reached her piercing eyes.
He had always liked the board. There was magic of a sort in its squares, in the metamorphosis of a humble pawn into a mighty Queen. There were pits and ladders and whirlwinds, all manner of traps and alliances confined within those small borders. When he was very young, he had first taken a glimpse at the mysteries of the board and had spent countless hours absorbing its secrets, looking at the images in dog-eared books as a traveller might look at the map of a distant land, full of promise and wonder. He had played countless games in his head, sometimes finding a consolation of sorts in those unfading pieces, the comforting abstraction of a chess problem. What should the Blacks do against a Four Pawns Attack? How can the Whites pin the black Rider?
Arwen, who was at the moment his adversary, to be ruthlessly treated as such, knew the board, and he felt a vague indignation, as one might feel upon finding an intruder in some personal, private place. For years now he had gone mostly unchallenged, not only because the importance of the things outside the board vastly outstripped that of the things within, but also because his victories were quick, easy and crushing. Right now, he was neither Steward nor plain Faramir, but the defender of the White King, pondering stratagems and moves, and he realised with the clarity of experience that this game would be neither quick nor easy.
Arwen kept her smile through each of her moves, looking like a tired lady who remains at the table out of sheer politeness. On the board, however, there was neither courtesy nor fatigue and her strategy shifted with the stealth of a cutpurse. A provocation into a trap in the central squares. A discreet taking of one of his Pawns, followed by a loss of one of her own, quiet like a pair of forgotten deaths. A fierce advance of her Rider, engaging his own, drawing up a line of Pawns like heavy pikemen. His mind moved on coolly, full of the empty calm that always came when he confronted the challenges of the board. The opening is to be played as though reading from a book, but the middle must be played as though by a conjurer. The master player is a strategist, not a tactician, for the tactician threatens, but the strategist threatens to threaten.
He moved his Queen's Captain into the fray, methodically considering moves and counter-moves in his mind, assessing them with the thorough calm of a scholar going over a pile of books. He was dimly aware of a ringing sound in the distance, like a peacock's cry, and of the ruffle of fabric somewhere inside the chamber. The pieces danced, going through the pitiless motions of the board. Arwen moved a Rider fiercely forward and his own was forced to retreat. Two lines of Pawns moved on like two armies who can do nothing but advance towards their doom. She forsook the heat of battle and forwarded a Captain, an oblique move, a spider spinning a web in a dark corner. He moved his Queen like a champion into a knot of Pawns and made another capture. She looked at him as he exiled her Pawn from the board mercilessly. Her smile deepened into something that was almost predatory as she moved her Rider to threaten his Queen.
"Are you feeling comfortable?"
"I beg your pardon?"
She carried on calmly as he tore his eyes away from his endangered Queen. "We have been playing for some time now. Would you like some refreshments, perhaps? A break?"
"Oh. It is most kind of you to ask, but there is nothing I require." He felt a dryness to his throat as he spoke. "Though, now that you have mentioned it, a drink would not be amiss, if there is a pitcher of water around."
"One can be fetched," Arwen said, and turned towards the window. "Ancaliel, would you do us the courtesy of fetching a pitcher of water and two cups? The Lord Steward and I wish to keep our heads clear and I am feeling a little thirsty myself."
Faramir followed Arwen's gaze and saw the two Maids had abandoned their tasks and had dragged their chairs next to the table. One of them - the vase-painter, he noticed - was getting up silently, one hand gathering up the folds of her skirts. Behind her companion's head, a golden sun hung in the sky like a threatening sword, burnishing the window panes. He smiled politely at the sitting girl and she lowered her eyes as in embarrassment. He had not noticed them, these two spectators of their game. Had he been so absorbed in the board? So concerned with ranks and files he had not noticed anything beyond that terrain of light and dark squares? He supposed so - it was a cool realisation, one that made him neither proud nor displeased.
"After all," the Queen went on, her tone almost melancholic, "we have been playing for nearly two hours now." One white hand fingered the sleeve of her dark blue gown.
"They say time is a fleeting commodity. Do you wish us to adjourn this match?"
She looked at him, her eyes still and unblinking. "Adjourn?" She repeated the word as though she were trying to remember its meaning. "I do apologise - it was inconsiderate of me to presume you would have the entire afternoon free. If you have other matters to attend to...."
Suddenly, he yearned to return to the game. It was not simply a matter of taking it to the end - now he felt he would be somehow cheated if they stopped. He did not understand why, only that the feeling was there, inescapable as a pebble inside a shoe.
"No, I apologise," he said, collected. "I did not wish to imply that I would like to stop."
Behind him there was a rustle of skirts and Ancaliel approached with a tray in her hands. In the summer light, the pewter and glass shone like polished silver.
"Place that on the table, please," Arwen said to the Maid, "and we'll help ourselves." She took one of the cups, filled it with water from the pitcher and slid it alongside the board. "There you go." She filled her own cup leisurely while he found himself wondering if it was customary for either Queens or high-born Elves to tip their own pitchers, and realising he knew the habits of neither.
"I seem to have misunderstood you," she said, before taking a sip from her cup. The water in his own cup was as cool and sharp as melted ice. "It appears neither of us wishes to stop," she added, placing her cup near the board; it towered over the forest of pieces.
"Then let us resume." She entwined her fingers once more, blankly awaiting his move.
He looked at the board, forgetting the eager eyes of their unexpected spectators, the oceanic glint of the sun on the water. In the board, his Queen was awaiting deliverance from the Black Rider that would move through his pawns and Captain like a ghost. He took his threatened piece and made it retreat, allowing the Blacks to push forward a Pawn.
There was much to be said about Pawns. They are the soul of the game, long-forgotten players said in the books. Each of them a Queen in potency. Each of them increasing in strength as the number of pieces diminishes. They moved ever forward, almost as though they were drowning men and the opposite side of the board were a shoreline in the middle distance. The humble Pawn could mate a King. Now one of Arwen's Pawns threatened not a King but a White Rider and he moved it back, retreating once again. He awaited her next move, considering her strategy; she was threatening to threaten, her vanguard hinting at an army amassing behind. She was making the Whites react rather than act, forcing him to cede rank after rank. Had she not opened with a provocation, attempting to push his Pawns forward? He had been too cautious, backing from a trap only to almost fall into another.
She pushed another Pawn forward and he felt a certain satisfaction in having deciphered part of her strategy. Or maybe was that part of it too - another Black deception hiding the truth behind the faceless soldiers of the board. He looked at her with the brevity of politeness and saw her face was still withdrawn, her chin resting pensively on one hand, her expression that of someone who is listening to a monotonous conversation and imagining herself someplace else. He wondered if that was another part of it - a chess face, another of the veils of the game, shimmering deceitful like thin ice.
Chess was a game of chance as much as of skill, his mind considered, somewhere in the distance, a chance taken on the blinking of an adversary, the trembling of a hand upon a piece. He was good at it not only because of skill in reading and considering and dissecting positions and moves, but also because the chances he took upon his opponent rarely went amiss. He was seldom wrong about the players behind the pieces, not because he read their minds, but because gestures, habits, sighs, were as tell-tale as lines of fire branded upon the board. He looked at hands holding Pawns and fingers drumming on the sides of tables and he knew that this one dreaded the loss of the Queen, and that one played Castles and Captains, and that other one enjoyed castling and decoys. He did not think of his father, for the only thing he wished to do with that bright bauble of pain was to keep it locked and unseen, but even his father's game yielded its clues through its overloading, intricate layers.
Arwen's game and manner, however, were no more readable than a blank page, a winter sky barren of colour. He had a feeling, quickly dismissed, that he was not playing against a flesh-and-blood adversary at all, but that the Queen was only a painted statue, looking at the board with wistful glazed eyes while the Black pieces moved forward by some mysterious clockwork, betraying nothing of their shifting strategies but their single-mindedness, moving forward, ever forward, into whatever breach.
He could see the life of his adversary, however, in the blinking of her eyes, the blue of a vein beating underneath white skin. He took a chance, because chances had to be taken, and moved a Pawn forward to capture one of hers. She looked at him serenely as he took the piece from the board and placed it alongside its brethren in their captivity. Then she resumed her study of the board, her face uncaring, unconcerned, the sun casting an eerie silver sheen upon her black hair. He awaited her next move with a player's subdued eagerness, wanting to know if his subtle gambit would pay off, if his reading of her came near the mark. She would, he supposed, move another piece to threaten his, battering at the defences on his King's side. The Castle would leave her vulnerable to his Rider, a Pawn provide weak weaponry against a few of his own. She would, his bet went, move her Rider to force the retreat of his Captain, driving his pieces further down the board. He suppressed a bitter smile when her hand moved forward to the Black piece, the Rider pushed forward. He let time trickle away a little before he moved his Captain out of harm's way, thinking as he awaited her move of what he should do to deflect her next attack, to push up the board towards the distant, unmoving Black King. She had let her Queen's side open even as she forced him to move his pieces to defend his battered King's side.
Her hand left its place upon the table once more and instead of another suggestion of threat, she moved her untouched Queen in a slash across the board, placing it in front of his own. She was proposing an exchange of Queens; and, almost as an afterthought, she had taken another of his Pawns.
He was going to lose. There was a moment in chess when you realised that; for him, that moment had never come often. For a single, solitary second, it was like an icy pit in his stomach. Then he took it and refined it, like a craftsman, voiding it of its holy terror. He was going to lose if he carried on like this. Now his realisation was pigeonholed, powerless like a painting inside a frame. He could consider it coolly.
Arwen's face hovered above the board like a slender moon. He tried once more to read it, to detect some hint, some clue, in the white above the Black Queen. He suspected he saw a deepening in her smile, a gleam buried in her pale eyes. He studied her expression furtively for as long as politeness allowed. There was something of an edge to her aloofness, like the glint of steel seen through a veil. He could discern her ruthlessness, her willingness to sacrifice whatever pieces to get his King. It was a necessary trait in chess. Those who compared the game to war were mistaken, the denizens of peace. In chess, only victory mattered. No price was too great, no sacrifice was too unbearable for the destruction of your adversary. It was a genteel and bloodless battle, but one fought without mercy or humanity.
And he enjoyed it. In those sixty-four squares, there was an almost secretive delight to the utter ruin of an adversary, like the predatory satisfaction of a cat playing with a mouse. Ignoring her Queen, he moved a Rider forward. He had to play not to uncover her strategy, but to vanquish it. As he looked up from the board, his eyes caught Arwen's for a moment, and her smile seemed to deepen fractionally, as though in anticipation.
In the next few moves, their Riders engaged in a whirlwind duel, facing each other across the board, playing hide and seek amidst forests of pawns. She was trying to make a double threat to his Queen, risking her Rider in front of his Captain. There was to be an inevitable sacrifice there. White Queen, Black Rider, White Captain, Black Queen, locked together in a mortal embrace in the depths of the board. It was Arwen's turn. She would strike at him with one of her pieces and doing so, she would lose it. She had no other path, and neither did he, as though every move upon the board had been written in some hidden book, long ago.
"It is rather hot in here, is it not?" the Queen said, facing the Steward from the other side of the table.
"Yes, quite," Faramir answered. He had undone his surcoat's top buttons, he noticed with some surprise. In the sweltering summers of Minas Tirith, he had rarely found heat unpleasant.
"Turien, would you kindly open a window for us?" Arwen refilled her cup as she spoke. The two Maids had continued watching the game and Ancaliel sat sheepishly on her chair, as though embarrassed for having abandoned her task so thoroughly. Beyond her the afternoon was the colour of fire. When Turien opened the window, the air remained as still as water forgotten in a basin.
"If you want to take your surcoat off," Arwen said offhandedly as she finished drinking, "feel free to do so."
Faramir felt a surge of embarrassment.
"Forgive me, I was distracted," he said hurriedly, "I did not wish to---"
"Appear impolite? By no means. I was sincere."
"Truthfully? Then I am glad for your offer." He slipped the black surcoat off carefully. He had never expected to be in his shirtsleeves in front of a Queen, as he had never expected to play a game of chess with one.
"Ancaliel, put his Lordship's surcoat on that chair over there," Arwen said, taking her cup once more. The girl rose silently to obey her mistress. As Faramir gave her the garment, the embroidered White Tree flared briefly in the light.
"Ready to continue, my friend?" Arwen was looking at him over the board once more, a hint of genteel eagerness on her face.
"I await your move," he said, allowing himself a brief smile.
When it came, the blow was swift and fell upon his Queen. Arwen moved her own Queen forward without the faintest trace of emotion or interest, as though she were merely adjusting her piece. Black toppled White coolly and the captive Queen joined her now-useless subjects in the exile outside the board. A Queen for a Queen; it seemed to be fair somehow, even if it was a brutal sort of fairness. He could afford to draw out the moment a little, to let Arwen wonder about who would avenge the fallen White Queen, who would smite down the Black Queen now that her mission was finished. It was said chess was like life, and it was true - the brief, bitter life of insects, born to breed and die in a day. He moved his Rider and the Black Queen was vanquished.
The other pieces engaged in battle again, the lines redrawn, refined. The more pieces one lost, the more powerful the remainder grew. All over the board, there were skirmishes, power plays sending ripples over the black and white squares. Their Riders duelled again, challenging each other from opposite sides of the board. Her other Rider remained still, guarding one of his Pawns like a merciless jailer.
"Check," she said smoothly after moving her Rider to hang over his King like a naked sword, while at the same time threatening his Castle.
Faramir was curiously unworried, looking blankly at his opponent. Anxiety was the reason behind many defeats, though that was a lesson not easily learned. In the past, his King had not often been put in check; but a check meant very little if it were not mate, the difference between a spark and a fire. He steered his King out of harm's way and made it threaten her Rider, the attacker now under siege. Away from that fight, his own Rider had been nearing the Black King, motionless and inscrutable behind his Pawns and his Captain. An unpleasant memory, still fresh and malevolent like poison, stirred in his mind; he suppressed it, for he did not wish to think of such things. Lying on his lap, his right hand twitched very briefly and then lay still again; he never noticed it.
It was a game of inevitable moves again. He could not protect his Castle, she could not halt the advance of his Rider. She took the White piece and he moved forward, towards her King.
"Check." As always when he played chess, his voice was devoid of satisfaction. When he had first learned the rules of chess, knowing of its surface but not of its essence, reading that one must always seek the moves that smote, he had assumed checking would be akin to other golden accomplishments of childhood, a feeling of fulfilment whose uncluttered delight he was yet to learn the adult world lacked. But when he had, eventually, first managed to put his opponent in check, he had realised not only its true importance, but also the lack of pride it offered. It was only a particular move upon the board. It might smite, but did not kill.
Arwen showed no emotion. She had seen it coming, no doubt, had prepared nets and whirlwinds of stratagems anticipating it. She looked at the board for a while, unblinking, then pushed her King forward in a mirror of his own move. The fates of the board, as always, had a sense of irony.
Time trickled by as Faramir contemplated the pieces. Time always slowed down as the number of pieces upon the board diminished, minutes swelling as dewdrops fattening on a twig. The world became limp, bled of colour, reduced to the implacable logic of Black and White. It was the land of the endgame, that kingdom of the cuckoo where Paws became Queens, a captured piece tipped a hard-fought balance, battles that were thought irrevocably lost were suddenly won.
He decided against saving his Rider and instead got rid of the affront of a passed Pawn aspiring at Queendom. The battle intensified, each ritual, polite move the unflinching blow of a subtle blade. Rider to Pawn. King to Rider. Rider to Rider. Captain to Rider. The board was a floating world, the eyot of advantage buffeted by its rocking waters. Strategies were conceived and used and discarded.
He saw Arwen's victory loom in the distance like one of her motionless Castles. She was trying to carve it upon the board with her Captain and her Castles and her monstrous regiment of Pawns and he was opposing her, resisting, seeking out her King, the two of them locked in the eternal and ruthless duel of the board. With each captured piece the end drew nearer. Quaint names from old books flashed through his mind, moves called things as curious and poetic as The Humble Servant Who Slays the King, Captain's Sacrifice, The Wind and the Fire.
This was it, he realised dully. This was the end. In the almost deserted board, the remainder of the Blacks faced the remainder of the Whites, locked in a mortal embrace. The Black King hid behind a pair of unmovable Pawns. And the White King had only a Captain for its defence, a Black Pawn and a Castle approaching fast. He knew what would happen next, as accurately as though he had just witnessed the moves. She could not checkmate his King. He could not reach hers, or put his own out of danger. She pushed forward her Castle, and the game was over, his King surrounded, undefeated but unable to move.
"Ah. We appeared to have reached a deadlock," Arwen said, looking uncurious at the board. She steepled her fingers underneath her chin and looked at the Steward. "I believe it is time to declare a draw."
"It appears to be the only possible course of action," he answered, taking one last look at the stalemated King, as though he were hoping against hope that the knot would disentangle itself. He raised his eyes towards his Queen. "I must thank you for a most excellent match. It was a great pleasure." His manner was solemn and polite.
"No, I am the one in your indebtedness," Arwen said courteously. "You were most kind for taking the time from your duties."
"There was no time taken, merely a welcome break. But now I must resume them." He rose from his chair and glanced towards the window, where the afternoon sun hung, the light dizzying him. He felt curiously weightless. Turien and Ancaliel were still sitting on their chairs, beginning to stir, seemingly reeling from the match. They both avoided his eyes and stood up, discreetly retreating to their initial places and abandoned tasks. For one glorious moment that afternoon they had seen a glimpse of all the board could be; Faramir did not begrudge them that wonder, even if it came at the momentary expense of their duties.
"Certainly. We all must." She cast an eye towards her Maids. "Turien, bring his Lordship his surcoat." Turien, walking back towards her corner of the room, halted and obeyed silently. Faramir took the proffered garment and slipped it on, feeling it heavy in the day's heat. Arwen had pulled the chess box towards her and was diligently returning the pieces to their places, King and Pawns lying side by side.
"And I must take my leave," Faramir said, fastening his buttons hurriedly. His mind was spinning beneath his collected demeanour, replaying the match as always, bitterly complaining about mistakes and lost chances.
Rider to Rider. His fingers halted over a button. No, he was not imagining it. He replayed the moves in his mind, seeing it all with a renewed clarity.
"My lady?"
"I must insist that you call me Arwen," she said evenly.
"Very well. Arwen." He paused. "Rider to Rider."
She continued putting the pieces in the box. When she spoke, her voice was emotionless. "Yes?"
He hesitated for a moment, then decided it was impossible to go back. "You held my Pawn with your Rider for a long time. When you moved it, you took my Rider."
Her hands stopped and she looked at him, smiling. "The taking of pieces is hardly uncommon in chess, my friend."
"Not when it gives oneself the disadvantage," he said smoothly.
She raised one eyebrow fractionally. Her hand was holding one of her former Riders. "Indeed?"
The Steward felt a blush threatening to creep over his face. He struggled to maintain his confident demeanour and ploughed on. "When you took my Rider, you placed your Rider in reach of my Captain."
"Sacrifices are sometimes inevitable." There was the faintest hint of bitterness to her voice.
"That is true, but this sacrifice was hardly of the kind."
She looked back at the pieces again, resuming her task.
"I am not certain I understand your accusation," she said.
He was not certain he understood it himself. What was he saying? That she had cheated to give herself a disadvantage? No, what she had done had not been deceitful, merely strange. He knew not why she had done it, only that she had let the game drag into a stalemate when she could have made him resign. A subtle motion, but one he was quite certain of.
"It is no accusation," he said hurriedly. "It is merely..." His voice trailed off.
She looked back at him, her face blank once more, her eyes inquisitive.
"The King has been in the city today," she said. "Seeing how the rebuilding of what the Enemy destroyed is proceeding."
"Yes, he informed me."
She nodded slightly and her hands snapped the box shut.
"The world is... different now." Her voice sounded like a melancholic sigh. "There is much to do. So very much."
"There is, indeed," he said gravely.
One of her fingers was tracing patterns on the box's lid.
"And we need loyal friends in this new world. We all need loyal friends."
Her pale gaze focused on him again, the flare of a lighthouse signalling to a ship. Full of an unspoken explanation.
"I see," he said softly.
"Do we understand each other, then?" she asked with a thin smile.
"Yes. Yes, I believe we do."
"I am glad to hear it." Her smile deepened. "I hope you will join me in a game again."
"It would be my pleasure."
"The next time you can have the Whites again, and the advantage of a Pawn."
As she looked at him, he was acutely aware of her authority, as evident as a single tree in an empty field. It was as though he could almost touch the weight of her wisdom and years, look through a keyhole at the glimmer of something ancient, a bright and remote eidolon. Then he spoke, and the moment was over.
"As you wish," he said.
"But Black will win in twenty moves," she added causally.
"I'm afraid that that is a wish I will have to avoid granting," he answered with undisguised good-humour.
When they next played it was, as Arwen had promised, with Faramir having the advantage of a Pawn; Black did win, but in twenty-eight moves.
Author's Notes:
Well, I told you Faramir would take his clothes off, and he did. Mind… please say your goodbyes to the gutter. And it seems our Queen has a trick or two up her sleeves, does it not? The rationale behind Arwen's actions is right there in the text, but I wanted to - deliberately - keep it somewhat mysterious. In case anyone cares, the Alekhine Defence I mentioned in the summary is Arwen's first move. The chess moves in this fic are loosely based in various Judith Polgar matches, particularly her match against Alexei Shirov in 1994; the chess problems Faramir considers are also real - minus the notation, that is, because Forsyth and Middle-Earth don't mix. And I know that the Queen's Gambit is never used in the board itself, but I think it is an appropriate title, considering what takes place outside the board.
A Note on the word Rider: My choice not to use the designation "Knight" is entirely due to chess-related reasons rather than the absence of such a word in the canon. I am well aware that there are knights in Middle-Earth (the first example that springs to my mind is the Knights of Dol Amroth). However, I think there are very
good reasons for this word not to be used in ME chess.
Historically (and I know the history of chess is controversial, but this is accurate as far as I am aware), what we call a Knight began life as a depiction of a war animal, period (eg, an elephant). It is generally thought that the Arabs introduced chess to Europe, and at that time the piece was called a war horse (in fact in my birth country the piece is called simply a Horse).
Therefore, historically, the name of the piece has been focused on the animal ridden rather than the position of the putative rider. The reasons why it's called a Knight in the English-speaking world could not be transferred easily to ME (for instance, in our world the printing press precedes the standardisation of chess rules in Europe, in 1475).
As such, I felt I could not call the piece in question a Knight, because for the vast majority of its history, the piece was not to be understood as representing a man-at-arms (which is the essential meaning of the word "knight"), but rather as a mount, such as an elephant or a horse.
Why then, did I choose Rider rather than Horse, given that there are a lot more real-life precedents for the former? Because, quite frankly, it would sound silly ("so, tell me again, how does the horse-shaped piece moves?") and because I felt Rider would be less confusing for Anglosphere readers.
Disclaimer: This fic contains the following paraphrases or direct citations of chess-related quotes:
"The opening is to be played as though reading from a book, but the middle must be played as though by a conjurer." - adapted from Spielmann
"The master player is a strategist, not a tactician, for the tactician threatens, but the strategist threatens to threaten." - adapted from Salman Rushdie's short story Courter, used to describe his character former GM Mecir. I don't know if Rushdie is in turn using someone else's words; if he is and someone knows the original author, please inform me and I will correct the attribution immediately
"They [the Pawns] are the soul of the game." - an almost direct quote from Philidor
"Each of them [each Pawn] a Queen in potency." - paraphrased from Mason
"Each of them [each Pawn] increasing in strength as the number of pieces diminishes." - paraphrased from Capablanca
"chess was like life" - an almost direct quote from Boris Spassky
"one must always seek the moves that smote" - evidently Faramir has been following Purdy's advice
This fic also contains paraphrases or citations taken from the following books:
"that kindgom of the cuckoo" - from Clive Barker's Weaveworld
"The board was a floating world" - taken from the title of Kazuo Ishiguro's book An Artist of the Floating World
"The Humble Servant Who Slays The King" - title of a chess move in Amy Tan's book The Joy-Luck Club
"monstrous regiment of Pawns" comes from the title of Knox's book, recently appropriated (and subverted) by Terry Pratchett in Monstrous Regiment.
I believe that is all. If someone can find another quote in the story, please inform me and I will add it to the disclaimer.
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Ørnevegen –Eagle Road – is the name given to the steepest stretch of road up the mountain side from Geiranger towards Eidsdal on riksveg 63.
The roa...
Ørnevegen – Ørnesvingen
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Shakes & Fidget
Shakes & Fidget Overview
Shakes & Fidget is a popular German web comic that parodies World of Warcraft and other fantasy MMORPGs. Now fans can explore a simple browser RPG based on the Shakes & Fidget concept. The game uses a pretty standard script found in games like Gladiatus and Tanoth where players complete quests and 'work' by waiting for timers to complete. The unique, humorous art style helps the game stand out, and competitive arena battles between players act as the main gameplay hook. There are three classes and eight races available, but players are free to change their race and appearance provided they pay a small fee.
Warrior - They are into heavy metal and carry the biggest weapons.
Scout - Prefer shooting pointy things from a safe distance.
Mage – Mumble incomprehensible, but quite destructive spells.
Human - Like you and me; known for dependable every-day heroism.
Orc - Brutal, violent and always forget about Mother's Day.
Elf - Frolic around trees, have pointy ears and are pretty swift.
Dark Elf - Hate everybody because they are so sleep deprived.
Dwarf - Behind their gruff exterior, dwarves are sturdy and hard drinking.
Goblin - Little buggers who are also great scrapbookers.
Gnome - Small, pesky and have a tedious sense of humor.
Demon - Enjoy fine dining and long walks on the beach.
Shakes & Fidget Screenshots
Shakes & Fidget Featured Video
Shakes & Fidget Full Review
By, Jaime Skelton
World of Warcraft players may be familiar with Shakes & Fidget, a German web comic that Blizzard sent a cease-and-desist letter to in May 2010 because of similarities to the game and the fan-based comic. Though the web comic is currently offline, Shakes & Fidget The Game is still alive. Published by Playa Games GmbH, the browser-based game bears some strong similarities to Tanoth, but with some enhancements that make Shakes & Fidget a little more attractive.
Humor with a Pinch of Salt
It's a safe bet that a game based off a web-comic, with a fan-base for a game known for infusing humor, will itself be humorous. Shakes & Fidget quickly proves that true in its character creation process, which offers eight races (Human, Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Orcs, Dark Elves, Trolls, and Demons) and three classes (Warrior, Mage, and Scout) – or, as you can derive from the character creation, whether your character likes heavy metal, mumbling incomprehensibly, or shooting "pointy things."
Although, as a 2D comic-game, character customization is limited to a simple portrait, there's dozens of options when selecting your character's "look." Several hair styles, colors, facial expressions, eyes, all can be selected in addition to race and gender. While you'll never see your character touting that lucky thimble on their finger, you can create a character that sufficiently expresses your personality.
Get Ye Flask
Adventurers will inevitably make their first stop in the tavern. The tavern is where you can meet quest givers (who rotate and change each time you do a quest), as well as have a drink and gamble in a game of cups. A single quest giver will be available on each visit, but will offer the player three quest options. Each quest has a differing reward; while all will reward coin and experience, some reward more of one than another, and some will also offer items as rewards. Each quest also has a different time requirement on it; this is the time that an adventurer has to "wait" while the adventure takes place before entering combat. Once the timer expires, players will enter in a single fight with an enemy, and earn their reward (unless they fail, which is a problem I never came across). Dungeons are also available, with a new dungeon unlocking once every ten levels through a quest. These are far more difficult, but more rewarding to complete.
Like other browser-based games, Shakes & Fidget uses an energy system, called "Thirst for Adventure." A little of this gets used each time you go on a quest, and can only be restored by waiting until the next day, or by paying a Mushroom (the cash-shop currency) to the tavern keep. A nice touch for the newbie, though: for the first few levels, your Thirst will restore itself quickly, allowing you to go on more adventures before hitting the recharge time.
Work and Play
So what is there to do besides quest? Shakes & Fidget offers two standard options: the arena and working. Players can fight each other once every ten minutes in the Arena, either by entering in a player's name or accepting the random selection offered when entering. Combat is automatic, and you have no idea what you're going up against. Unlike other PvP arenas in browser-based games, in which you gain honor and gold when you win but not when you lose, you will run the risk of losing several gold if you fail to defeat your opponent.
Players in guilds can also go on wars against other guilds, at their guild leader's commands. Work, on the other hand, is a great way to fill up time while not playing and while waiting for your Thirst to recharge. You must select the hours you'll work, and if you interrupt that work, you'll gain nothing, even if you've worked several hours already.
A Little Flavor
One thing that Shakes & Fidget excels at is offering that kind of fun little "flavor" that can keep a game from being boring. A good part of this comes from the game's graphics, drawn in the same style as the web-comics. The splash screens for quests are rotated, and show both a flair for the dramatic and a sometimes canny humor. Even the shop-keeps are not exempt from this, showing up in pajamas and looking exhausted and grumpy at late night.
Quest text, too, shows that kind of pun-filled, snarky flavor that World of Warcraft players are certainly familiar with. Although players will eventually run out of the random selections of quest names and catchy descriptions, it's still good for a laugh or at least a smile from time to time. It's also important to note that this is a translated version of the game for English players, and nothing is lost in the translation.
Final Verdict: Good
Shakes & Fidget follows a pretty traditional browser-based MMO formula, and that is its greatest weakness. Given the web comic's history, capability for humor, and the game that encouraged its creation, there's much more that could be done with the title than slap graphics and humor on the engine. Nonetheless, what appeal Shakes & Fidget does offer makes this one of the better of its kind, and definitely worth taking a day or two to try at the least – and possibly leaving you hooked for longer.


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1.800.622.6549 (LA only)
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Baptist Doctrine Study
The Ways of God: How God Reveals Himself Before a Watching World by Henry T. Blackaby and Roy T. Edgemon is a 6-session Bible study for adults that gives believers greater insight into God's nature and provides guidance for aligning their lives with His ways. God's ways are different from our ways. So if we want God to work through us, we first need to understand His nature and His ways. This careful study of His sovereignty, love, holiness, and other aspects of His nature presents clear statements about the relationship between God's ways and the impact this understanding will have on a believer's life. For more information visit www.LifeWay.com
Additional Resource:
Download Dr. Ogea's PowerPoint
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Mailing Address: P.O. Box 311 * Alexandria, LA 71309-0311
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Easy handling and lightweight. Slightly larger than the BBW, the BLW also has a mid-lockback design, ridges at the top for added gripping and also has a lanyard hole for easy attachment.
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Jersey City residents march to raise awareness for violence against women on Nov. 25
Wednesday, November 28, 2012 9:54 AM
Inappropriate photo? Alert us.
More than 30 people marched to commemorate the International Day for the elimination of violence against women on Sunday, Nov. 25. Photos courtesy of NJ Action 21.
Related articles
- Activists march through Jersey City to raise awareness about violence against women November 28, 2012, 4:03 PM


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Around the Forty Acres you will find a variety of food options from quick bites to fine dining and everything in between. At The University of Texas at Austin, it's all food for thought.
Residential Dining Venues
The Division of Housing and Food Service (DHFS) serves a variety of tastes in relaxing and convenient locations across campus, including the Jester City Limits Food Court, Market and Dining Hall, Kinsolving Market and Dining Hall, Cypress Bend Café and the Littlefield Patio Café. DHFS promotes nutritional education, internships and student management opportunities while serving up local, seasonal and farm direct ingredients.
University Unions
The University Unions offer a variety of convenient food options in both the Texas Union and the new Student Activity Center (opening in 2011). The Texas Union is also home to the famous Cactus Cafe and Bar.
AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center
Enjoy fine dining, meet a friend for a casual lunch or savor a cup of coffee in the beautiful surroundings at Gabriel's Café, One Twenty 5 Café and The Carillon, all in one of Austin's newest hotels, the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center.
The Blanton Museum Café
The Edgar A. Smith Building provides a relaxing setting for The Blanton Café, which offers a variety of hot and cold sandwiches, gourmet flat bread pizzas, fresh-tossed salads, signature desserts and salads.
O's Campus Café
O's Campus Café operates five campus locations that serve breakfast, lunch and snacks. O's also offers a catering service for private parties and meetings and boxed lunches and breakfasts that can be ordered online.
Red McCombs Red Zone Food Court
The Red McCombs Red Zone Food Court, on the north side of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, is a great place to meet, eat or just hang out. With nearly 18,000 square feet of space, there's plenty of seating and free wireless Internet access along with great food and drink choices.
Texas Espresso Café
At the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center, the Texas Espresso Café features a variety of coffees, lattes, espressos and other beverages along with fresh baked items, sandwiches, salads and more.
Under the Oaks Café
At the Thompson Conference Center, the Under the Oaks Café features a variety of breakfast and lunch items at a convenient east campus location near the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum.
Still More
There are more food and coffee venues to be found around campus, including the Art Building Courtyard (Double Dave's Pizza, University Coffee Company), Perry-Castañeda Library (Prufrock's Java City) and Townes Hall Atrium (George's Café, Texas Coffee Traders).
There are also many places near campus that you can reach by foot or bike.


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50% Off Tires
Save 50% off 2 tires with the purchase of 2 tires at regular price when scheduled for installation on PepBoys.com and installation is completed between 3/22/15 and 3/28/15. Cannot be combined with any other offer, coupon or rebate, except manufacturer's rebate. Valid on select in stock tires only, those tires for which discount is available will be identified in search results, all other tires and special order tires are excluded from this offer. Requires purchase of road hazard warranty and tire installation package which include valve stems or TPMS reseal kit and balancing.
Apply Online or at Your Nearest Pep Boys


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RX-V365 5.1-channel AV Receiver
High-value AV Receiver offers 1080p-compatible HDMI (2 in/1 out), iPod and Bluetooth audio compatibility, Compressed Music Enhancer, and CINEMA DSP.
RX-V365 5.1-channel AV Receiver
High-value AV Receiver offers 1080p-compatible HDMI (2 in/1 out), iPod and Bluetooth audio compatibility, Compressed Music Enhancer, and CINEMA DSP.
Advanced Features
- Four SCENE buttons offering easy operation (with 13 preset SCENE template)
- iPod compatibility via optional YDS-11 Universal Dock
- Bluetooth (A2DP) compatibility with optional Yamaha Bluetooth® Wireless Audio Receiver YBA-10
- Front panel mini jack input for connecting portable audio player
- 9 selectable subwoofer crossover frequencies
- Subwoofer phase select / Subwoofer out
- Initial Volume Setting and Maximum Volume Setting
- 40-station preset tuning / Auto preset tuning
- Speaker A or B selection
- Preset remote unit
High Sound Quality
- 5-channel 500W powerful surround sound (100W x 5)
- 192 kHz/24-bit DACs for all channels
- High dynamic power, low-impedance drive capability
- Separate audio cable required when using HDMI cable for video
High Picture Quality
- 1080p-compatible HDMI switching (2 in/1 out) including 1080p/24Hz
- Supports Deep Color (30/36 bit) pass through and x.v.Color pass through
Surround Realism
- CINEMA DSP with 8 DSP programs
- Compressed Music Enhancer
- Night Listening Enhancer (Cinema/Music) and SILENT CINEMA
- Audio Delay for adjusting Lip-Sync (0-160ms)
The Bluetooth® logo indicates that the product is equipped to use the optional YBA-10 Bluetooth® Wireless Audio Receiver that lets you connect the dock to the receiver and supports A2DP audio streaming. With the optional YBA-10 Bluetooth dock, you can enjoy music wirelessly from Bluetooth enabled mobile phones, portable devices, or personal computers.
(view the Specifications of each product for Bluetooth® dock compatibility)
Made for iPod (Docking Station)
The Made for iPod logo indicates that the product is equipped to use an optional Yamaha Universal iPod Dock that lets you connect your iPod to this product. With the optional dock you can listen to your music and operate the iPod via the product's remote control while at the same time charging the battery on your iPod. Depending on your product's specifications, some will allow you to use the On-Screen Display feature on your video monitor to navigate your music. Some products can even allow you to view your photos and movies from your iPod on your video monitor (view the Specifications of each product for iPod playback compatibility)...
Dolby Pro Logic II
Dolby Pro Logic II is an improved technique used to decode vast numbers of existing Dolby Surround sources. This technology enables a discrete 5-channel playback with 2 front left and right channels, 1 center channel, and 2 surround left and right channels instead of only 1 surround channel for conventional Pro Logic technology. There are three modes available: "Music mode" for music sources, "Movie mode" for movie sources and "Game mode" for game sources.
Dolby, Pro Logic, and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.
The basic DTS 5.1 channel sound format. Uses a higher data rate than Dolby Digital.
HDMI® (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is the first and only industry supported, uncompressed, all digital audio/video interface. With the ability to deliver crystal clear, all digital audio and video via a single cable, HDMI® dramatically simplifies cabling and helps provide consumers with the highest quality home theater experience. HDMI® can provide an interface between most audio/video sources, such as a set-top box, Blu-ray Disc™ player, DVD player or AV receiver and a video monitor, such as a high definition television (HDTV) over a single cable. Depending on the model of product, HDMI® can support standard, enhanced or high definition video, plus multichannel digital audio on a single cable. It can support all currently available compressed audio formats (such as Dolby® Digital and DTS) and most newer HDMI® devices can support lossless digital audio formats like Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. (View the specifications of each product for details on HDMI® compatibility.)
6 Ch Ext Input
6 additional input jacks for discrete multi-channel input. Front (Left, Center, Right), Rear (Surround Left & Right) and Subwoofer
CINEMA DSP Digital
Conventional multichannel audio reproduction systems base their sound on Dolby® Digital and DTS Digital Surround™ decoding, using matrix and steering technologies to create surround sound effects. Yamaha CINEMA DSP Digital™ is much more advanced; actually creating independent sound fields that envelop you in an unmatched surround sound experience. With dialogue, music and effects located in separate sound fields, you will hear sound with directionality, smooth movement, exceptional clarity and presence.
SILENT CINEMA makes it possible to hear large-scale surround sound through ordinary headphones! This is a variation of CINEMA DSP technology that Yamaha developed to let you listen in private to movies and other multi-channel sources for hours without listening fatigue.
Compressed Music Enhancer
Yamaha employs sophisticated digital signal processing with exclusive algorithms to enable playback that improves the performance of compressed music formats, including MP3 and WMA. With the Compressed Music Enhancer, highs and especially lows are richer and smoother, bringing music back to life to be as close to the original as possible.
With the press of a single button, anyone in the home can enjoy the performance of a Yamaha AV receiver. SCENE buttons found on the front panel, the middle of the remote control and on the AV Controller App are the key to simple receiver operation. For example, pressing the TV SCENE button will turn on the receiver, switch to the TV input and recall your selected DSP surround mode. One button is all it takes. While the receiver is preset with typical listening SCENEs, it is simple to customize a SCENE button for one touch recall of your favorite listening settings.
View Products that use SCENE – A NEW LEVEL OF OPERATING EASE
Audio & Video
|RMS Output Power (1kHz)
|500W (1kHz)
|High Sound Quality
|Dolby Digital EX / Dolby Pro Logic IIx
|Dolby Digital / Dolby Pro Logic II
|Selectable Subwoofer Crossover
|DTS-ES Discrete 6.1
|DTS Digital Surround
|Advanced Connections
|HDMI (In/Out)
|(2 / 1) audio pass-thru
|Component Video (In/Out)
|(3 / 1)
|A/V Inputs (S-Video)
|4 (Composite)
|Digital Inputs/Outputs [O: Optical, C: Coaxial]
|Front A/V with Digital Input
|Multi-Channel Decoder Inputs
|Front Mini Input for Portables
|Advanced Features
|iPod Compatibility
|Yes (Audio Only (With Optional YDS-11)
|Bluetooth Compatibility
|Yes (With Optional YBA-10)
|Compressed Music Enhancer
|Night Listening Enhancer
|Learning Remote Capability
|High Sound Quality
|D/A Conversion
|192 kHz / 24 bit
|Surround Realism
|Surround Programs
|Custom Features
|Speaker A, B or A + B
|Product Dimensions (W x H x D)
|17-1/8" x 5-15/16" x 12-1/2"
|Product Weight (lbs.)
|Shipping Dimensions (W x H x D)
|21-1/2" x 9" x 16"
|Shipping Weight (lbs.)
- RX-V365 Blu-ray/DVD Component Video & Optical Audio Hookup Diagram [English / 252KB]
- RX-V365 Game Console Hookup Diagram for Component Video/Analog Audio [English / 188KB]
- RX-V365 HDMI to Blu-Ray/DVD Player Hook-up Diagram [English / 222KB]
- RX-V365 HDMI to Cable/Satellite Box Hook-up Diagram [English / 192KB]
- RX-V365 Owners Manual [English / 1.1MB]
- RX-V365 VCR Hookup Diagram [English / 212KB]
- More Downloads
Can I pair (connect) Bluetooth headphones to the YBA-10 (Bluetooth wireless audio receiver)?
I want to connect a turntable to my receiver, but my receiver does not have a phono input. What can I do?
I have an older TV that does not have HDMI connections, so I have the component (red, blue, and green) cables running from my receiver to the TV.
Online Help
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®by PowerReviews
Best Uses
- Was this a gift?:
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Best Uses
Comments about Yamaha rx-v365_black__u:
Love this AV Receiver . To see movies , is awesome .
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Best Uses
Comments about Yamaha rx-v365_black__u:
Love this AV Receiver . To see movies , is awesome .
- Was this a gift?:
- No
- Accurate Controls
- Good Power Output
- Great Sound Quality
- Could Streamline Menu
Best Uses
- Home Theater
- Larger Rooms
- Multiple Rooms / Whole House
- Smaller Rooms
Comments about Yamaha rx-v365_black__u:
Worked terrific for the few years I had it. Amazing sound, never had any errors, breaks; never skipped a beat. Was THE integral part in my home theater setup, and could really crank out my music with unreal clarity. Especially liked the banana clip hookups for my front speakers.
Loved it so much I bought another Yamaha to replace it (RX-V773).
- Was this a gift?:
- No


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View Citroën Berlingo Multispace MPV photos from the What Car? review and road test.


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Summary Report for:
15-1199.02 - Computer Systems Engineers/Architects
Design and develop solutions to complex applications problems, system administration issues, or network concerns. Perform systems management and integration functions.
Sample of reported job titles: Electronic Data Interchange System Developer (EDI System Developer), System Architect, Systems Engineer
Tasks | Tools & Technology | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Work Activities | Work Context | Job Zone | Education | Credentials | Interests | Work Styles | Work Values | Related Occupations | Wages & Employment | Job Openings
- Communicate with staff or clients to understand specific system requirements.
- Provide advice on project costs, design concepts, or design changes.
- Document design specifications, installation instructions, and other system-related information.
- Verify stability, interoperability, portability, security, or scalability of system architecture.
- Collaborate with engineers or software developers to select appropriate design solutions or ensure the compatibility of system components.
- Evaluate current or emerging technologies to consider factors such as cost, portability, compatibility, or usability.
- Provide technical guidance or support for the development or troubleshooting of systems.
- Identify system data, hardware, or software components required to meet user needs.
- Provide guidelines for implementing secure systems to customers or installation teams.
- Monitor system operation to detect potential problems.
Tools & Technology
Tools used in this occupation:
|Computer servers — Blade servers; Web servers
|Graphics or video accelerator cards — Graphics display cards
|High capacity removable media drives — Mass storage devices
|Mobile phones — Smartphones
|Notebook computers — Laptop computers
Technology used in this occupation:
|Data base management system software — IBM Infosphere Information Server; IBM InfoSphere software; Microsoft SQL Server; MySQL software
|Development environment software — C; IONA Orbix; Microsoft Visual Basic; ToadSoft Toad
|Object or component oriented development software — C++; ILOG Rules software; Practical extraction and reporting language Perl; Spring
|Operating system software — Linux; Microsoft Windows; Sun Microsystem Solaris Security Toolkit; UNIX
|Web platform development software — Grails *; Groovy *; JavaScript; Ruby on Rails *
* Software developed by a government agency and/or distributed as freeware or shareware.
|Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
|Engineering and Technology — Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
|English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
|Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
|Telecommunications — Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
|Design — Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
|Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
|Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
|Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
|Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
|Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
|Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
|Operations Analysis — Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
|Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
|Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
|Systems Evaluation — Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
|Systems Analysis — Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
|Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
|Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
|Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
|Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
|Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
|Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
|Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
|Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
|Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
|Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
|Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Work Activities
|Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
|Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
|Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
|Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
|Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
|Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
|Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
|Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
|Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
|Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Work Context
|Electronic Mail — 100% responded "Every day."
|Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 87% responded "Every day."
|Face-to-Face Discussions — 70% responded "Every day."
|Spend Time Sitting — 77% responded "Continually or almost continually."
|Telephone — 74% responded "Every day."
|Work With Work Group or Team — 57% responded "Extremely important."
|Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 50% responded "Extremely important."
|Freedom to Make Decisions — 48% responded "Some freedom."
|Structured versus Unstructured Work — 65% responded "Some freedom."
|Duration of Typical Work Week — 52% responded "More than 40 hours."
Job Zone
|Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
|Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
|Related Experience
|A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
|Job Training
|Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
|Job Zone Examples
|Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include accountants, sales managers, database administrators, teachers, chemists, art directors, and cost estimators.
|SVP Range
|(7.0 to < 8.0)
Percentage of Respondents
|Education Level Required
|Bachelor's degree
|Post-secondary certificate
|Some college, no degree
Interest code: IRC
|Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
|Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
|Conventional — Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Work Styles
|Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
|Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
|Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
|Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
|Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
|Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
|Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
|Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
|Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
|Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Work Values
|Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
|Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
|Recognition — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Related Occupations
|Computer and Information Systems Managers
|Logistics Engineers
|Computer Systems Analysts
|Information Security Analysts
|Software Developers, Applications
|Software Developers, Systems Software Bright Outlook Green
|Computer Network Architects
|Software Quality Assurance Engineers and Testers
|Web Administrators
|Computer Hardware Engineers
Wages & Employment Trends
Median wages data collected from Computer Occupations, All Other.
Employment data collected from Computer Occupations, All Other.
Industry data collected from Computer Occupations, All Other.
|Median wages (2014)
|$40.10 hourly, $83,410 annual
|State wages
|Employment (2012)
|206,000 employees
|Projected growth (2012-2022)
|Slower than average (3% to 7%)
|Projected job openings (2012-2022)
|State trends
|Top industries (2012)
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2014 wage data and 2012-2022 employment projections . "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2012-2022). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.


text:
16 Feb 2011 5:52 PM #1
[CLOSED]Ext.util.Event and fire bug?
[CLOSED]Ext.util.Event and fire bug?
The fire method in Ext.util.Event adds an additional object to the event arguments. Is this intended or a bug?
new Ext.Button({ text:'Hello World', renderTo:Ext.getBody(), listeners:{ click:function(){ console.log(arguments); } } });
[Object { initialConfig={...}, text="Hello World", more...}, Object { browserEvent=, button=0, more...}]
[Object { initialConfig={...}, text="Hello World", more...}, Object { browserEvent=, type="click", more...}, Object {}]
if (listener.o) { args.push(listener.o); }
17 Feb 2011 3:16 AM #2
This is useful for passing on any data to the listeners. By adding it to the options object when you set up the listener, you can access them easily. Also it allows you to do specific behavior in your listeners based on the options you used to set them up (like buffer, delay etc).
17 Feb 2011 3:41 AM #3
I see the benefit of passing the listener object to the handler function inside the same listener. Since the listener.o is added by default means that EVERY fireEvent call in the framework will have this extra argument. Unless this is carefully re-factored in the framework it will case hard to find bugs when using/slicing the javascript arguments variable.
I noticed this because I have implemented a custom Ext.Direct provider for our Ext4Yii framework. The provider broke since the listener.o was not expected as an arguments item.
I fixed it using array.pop() in our provider.
Thank you for reporting this bug. We will make it our priority to review this report.
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text:
The Doors' Ray Manzarek Dead At 74
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
The Doors' co-founder and keyboardist Ray Manzarek died on Monday, May 20th in Rosenheim, Germany at the RoMed Clinic following a long battle with with bile duct cancer. He was 74. Manzarek was surrounded by his wife Dorothy and his brothers Rick and James Manczarek. Manzarek is survived by Dorothy, their son Pablo, his wife Sharmin, and their three children Noah, Apollo, and Camille. Funeral arrangements are pending. An official statement posted on TheDoors.com stated: "The family asks that their privacy be respected at this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, please make a memoriam donation in Ray Manzarek's name at www.standup2cancer.org."
Doors guitarist Robby Krieger said in a statement: "I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate Ray Manzarek today. I'm just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life and I will always miss him."
Doors drummer John Densmore said in a statement: "There was no keyboard player on the planet more appropriate to support Jim Morrison's words. Ray, I felt totally in sync with you musically. It was like we were of one mind, holding down the foundation for Robby and Jim to float on top of. I will miss my musical brother."
Ray Manzarek was born Raymond Daniel Manczarek, Jr. on February 12th, 1939 on the South Side of Chicago and was of Polish decent. In 1962 he moved to Southern California to study at the Department of Cinematography at UCLA, where he first met fellow student and future partner Jim Morrison, along with his wife of 45 years, Dorothy Fujikawa. Together with Morrison, Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore, the quartet formed the Doors in 1965 and between 1967 and 1971 released six studio albums -- The Doors (1967); Strange Days (1967); Waiting For The Sun (1968); The Soft Parade (1969); Morrison Hotel (1970); and L.A. Woman (1971) -- before Jim Morrison's death on July 3rd, 1971 in Paris.
Manzarek changed the face of rock keyboard playing, with his early signature sound being a combination of a Vox Continental organ -- and later a Gibson G-101 Kalamazoo combo organ -- with his left hand playing the basslines on a Fender Rhodes electric piano "bass unit," which featured only the keyboard's lowest notes. Although the Doors eventually added a studio bassist to their sessions, Manzarek handled the bass duties via his keyboards for the band's live appearances with Morrison.
Following Morrison's death, the Doors soldiered on with Manzarek and Krieger taking over vocal duties on the band's 1971 set, Other Voices, and its follow-up, 1972's Full Circle. Following that, Krieger and Densmore split to form the Butts Band. After a short-lived mid-'70s collaboration with Iggy Pop, Manzarek formed Nite City with future Blondie bassist Nigel Harrison, and produced and collaborated with the likes of Philip Glass, Echo & The Bunnymen, X, and poet Michael McClure, among many others.
In 1978 Manzarek, Krieger, and Densmore reunited to compose and record music to Morrison's poetry for the An American Prayer album. Manzarek collaborated frequently with Robby Krieger. In 2002 the pair began touring as the Doors Of The 21st Century, which went through various name changes -- including Riders On The Storm -- until the pair settled on Manzarek-Krieger or Ray Manzarek & Robby Krieger of The Doors, following a bitter five-year battle against John Densmore and the Morrison estate over the use of the band's name.
In 1998, Manzarek published his memoir, Light My Fire: My Life With The Doors. He followed the autobiography in 2001 with The Poet In Exile, which supposes what would've happened had Jim Morrison faked his death -- as many fans believe. In 2006 he published his second novel, the Civil War-based, Snake Moon.
The Doors' stats remain among the most impressive of the rock era, selling over 100 million albums worldwide, and receiving 19 Gold, 14 Platinum, and five multi-Platinum albums in the U.S. alone.
Photo Courtesy of PRPhotos.com
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Looking dope but i really still don't like that they call these movies part of the james bond series. I mean ever since Craig got the role the whole theme and feel of the movies changed so much, it's just not the same, which isn't necessarily bad tho
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i liked the bond that was before this nigga
Yeah that's true Pierce Brosnan pretty beast but Sean Connery was the best Bond hands down tho.
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Latin, the language of the Romans, was originally spoken only in the small region of Central Italy known as Latium. It might well have been displaced by geographically more widespread Italian tongues such as Oscan and Umbrian, but Roman conquests made it the received speech of the peninsula, and ultimately of most wealthy or educated people all over a vast empire.
Writing began in the 7th century BC, when the Latin alphabet was devised as an adaptation of the Greek letters used by the Romans Etruscan neighbours. The earliest known written Latin is on the Lapis Niger, an inscriped block of stone, found in the Forum Romanum, that probably dates from the early 6th century BC. There is no way of establishing how many Romans became literate, but written records, orders and transactions were vital to the efficient running of the Empire, while poems, plays, political and philosophical reflections, letters, prayers and graffiti provided outlets for vivid self-expression that often bring the Romans very close to us.
Commemorative inscriptions and some official decrees appeard on stone or bronze, but a variety of materials were available for other purposes. A wooden tablet with a coating of wax was particularly useful for temporary personal memoranda and school work; the metal or wooden stylus that scratched letters into the wax had a flat top that could be employed for corrections or to erase all the written content so that the tablet could be used again. However, occasion this unstable medium also seems to have served for quite important documents.
Letters and other personal statement could be written with pen and ink on thin sheets of wood. Pens were made of metal, or sharpened reeds of feathers; Roman ink, variously mixing soot, resin and cuttlefish ink, was surprisingly black and durable, as surviving documents have shown. Those who could afford it bought a much less cumbersome, paper-like material made from the papyrus reed (an Egyptian invention from which the word paper is actually derived). This was also used for Roman books, which took the form of long papyrus scrolls. A book, or part-book, was called a volumen, or roll (the origin of the English word volume); the reader held it in both hands, simultaneously rolling and unrolling it so that the text was progressively revealed. Under the Empire, parchment and and vellum (made from hides) were also used as writing surfaces, and the book with pages, or codex, began to be made, but surprisingly it never replaced the much clumsier roll.
Roman interest in books only became intense under the influence of Greek culture in the 2nd century BC, when libraries were part of the booty brought back from the East by Sulla and other successful generals. An influx of well-educated Greek slaves facilitated the development of the book trade in Rome, where something resembling mass production was achieved by booksellers whose slaves wrote out copies of texts dictated by one of their number. The influence of ardent collectors such as Cicero helped to create a fashion for possessing a private library, and booksellers flourished in the capital and ultimately in most parts of the Empire, advertising the latest authors on the pillars outside their shops. The first public library in Rome was founded during the reign of Augustus by the retired politician-poet Gaius Asinius Pollio, and within a century there were over 20, some of which allowed members to take out books for private reading. Authors were paid an outright fee for their works, and even the most famous were unable to live on their literary income. Martial for example, complained that in spite of being read even on the Danube and in Britain, his work brought him little profit. The bookseller-publisher could not afford to be generous, since there was no copyright law and consequently he could never acquire exclusive rights to any publication. As soon as he put a work on sale, a rival bookseller could acquire a copy, put his own scribes to work on it, and publish his own edition. Impecunious authors were therefore dependent on the generosity of one or more patrons and as Martial lamented, there was not a Maecenas in every generation.
Source: Nathaniel Harris : History Of Ancient Rome


text:
The Nokia Belle FP2 - v1.0.0 plugin release supports theme creation for Nokia 603, 700, 701 and 808 PureView devices that have the latest Nokia Belle FP2 software.
To install the Nokia Belle FP2 theme plugin in Carbide.ui:
- Install and launch the latest version of Carbide.ui (4.3)
- Click on the Manage plugins icon, as shown below:
- The Plugin Manager dialog will show the "Nokia Belle FP2 V1.0.0" plugin. Select the "Install" link in the plugin description
- Select "Nokia Belle FP2 v1.0.0" from the dropdown as shown below:
What's New?
- Nokia Belle FP2 specific elements were added:
- New application icons – DLNA play and Nokia Music
- Song progress cursor in Music Player
- Cut, copy and paste icons in Notes application, that appears when we select the text
- "Go to Music Store" toolbar icon in Song List screen of Music Player application
- "Genres" icon in Music Player application
- Corrected wrong preview elements (includes both text and graphics) and updated preview screens as per the latest platform software.
- Names of the graphics/icons updated as per the latest platform software.
Note for theme designers
- Keypad themes (for both normal and QWERTY keypads) are not supported in Nokia Belle FP2. You should design your themes to work well with the default colours and look & feel of the keypad. Refer to Preview screens in theme tool plugin for the default theme.
Known Issues
- Theming not supported for Home screen widgets.
- Call and Search toolbar button in home screen are not themable.
- "New event" toolbar icon in calendar application is not themable.
- Battery and wireless indicator icons in status pane
- Maps icon in application settings screen.
- "New alarm" toolbar icon in clock application.
- Large brightness indicator icon in slider settings screen.
- Theming not supported for small and tiny icons
- Theming not supported for following applications:
- Message Reader
- FM Radio
- Recorder
- Quick office
- Gallery
- Traveller
- Office Mobile
- Store
- Public Transport
- Broadcast
- Communicator
- Social
- Video
- Voice Recorder
- Other third party applications.
- Themeing not supported for following icons/graphics
- Speech icon
- Map icon in application settings screen
- Tick icon in screensaver settings screen
- Call image in theme settings screen.
- New paired device icon in Bluetooth connectivity settings screen.
- Cancel icon in new alarm screen in clock application. Notes for Nokia Store publishers
Nokia Store does not differentiate between themes for Nokia Belle FP1 and for Nokia Belle FP2 devices (there is no unique catalogue for Nokia Belle FP2). This may result in problems because Nokia Belle themes are not completely compatible between feature packs (e.g. Option menu background, popup/info banner, qwerty key pad can differ in Nokia 603 and 808 Pureview).
In order to work around this issue, we recommend:
- Select the supported phone models carefully (for both Nokia Belle FP1 and Nokia Belle FP2) before publishing the theme. Indicate phone model number along with supported themes theme when submitting.
- The theme name should indicate clearly whether the theme is made for Belle FP1 or Belle FP2. This could be done, for example, by appending FP2 to the theme name.
You can use the the Nokia phone specification link to determine the feature packs to device mapping: http://www.developer.nokia.com/Devic...s/?filter1=all
If you have any trouble in plugin installation or for any other Carbide.UI tool support/queries, please feel free to write to us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Thank you all for the great support and feedback you've given us (the Carbide.UI team) over many years to help build this wonderful tool!


text:
Game Questions & Answers (Q&A) service lets you ask questions about video games for game consoles or PC games. So ask your Cosmic Kingdoms question for iPad and get answers from real gamers or answer questions and share your insights and experience with the rest of the gaming community.
Boxshot / Details
- Developer: Com2uS
- Publisher: Com2uS
- Genre: Strategy
- Release Date: Jun 1, 2012
- ESRB: Not Set
- Other Platforms
Stuck on this game? Set a specific, clearly defined question and let others answer your question or view answers to previously asked questions. If you think you are an Cosmic Kingdoms expert then please try to help others with their questions.
Weapon on ships
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From: Jed
Total 1 Answers
Posted On: 07-06-2012
Posted On: 07-06-2012
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text:
The secrets behind the McDonald's best-selling Shamrock Shake have been revealed. Strangely, the bright green minty treat dates back to the 1970, and its story is based around a charitable act.
The Shamrock Shake was developed in 1970, according to McDonald's. However, according to reports on Delish.com, Harold Rosen, who owned a McDonald's in Connecticut, claims he invented the popular holiday drink in 1966.
The McDonalds website says, "It all began with a little girl, a football team, and a visionary doctor."
The Philadelphia Eagles tight end Fred Hill's daughter was diagnosed with leukemia and began treatment. The Hill family were camping out in waiting rooms in hospitals and saw other families doing the same. They realized that many families travelling long distances to visit their sick family members had nowhere to stay and could not afford hotel rooms. The Hill family did something about it.
Hill and his team decided to raise some funds. The team's general manager, Jim Murray, called a friend in McDonald's advertising and suggested the team on the next promotional push. It just happened to be St. Patrick's Day.
Rogers Merchandising in Chicago created the shake. James Byrne, the executive artist at the firm, used a family recipe for the shake.
The Shamrock Shake raised enough money to buy a four-story house which was the first Ronald McDonald House Charity.
Imagine, the Shamrock Shake now has 21,500 fans on Facebook and is second in popularity only to the McRib, and that sandwich had a "Simpsons" episode dedicated to it!
Here's a hilarious ad for the Shamrock Shake from 1983:
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As you get older, the number of cells (neurons) in your brain decreases with age and your memory becomes less efficient. Around the age of 40, we begin noticing changes in our mental abilities. Our memory is not as 'sharp' as it used to be. Our reactions begin to slow down and many of us find ourselves starting to forget things.
To reduce mental deterioration, you should keep your brain active throughout your life, no matter how old you are. There are many things you can do to help keep yourself mentally fit as you age.
There has been much discussion about the benefits of a recent scientific theory called NEUROBICS, which are simple exercises for the brain, based on neuroscience research. The theory is that you can 'build up' your brain by making different associations that will cause the brain cells to become more active. Neurobics are designed to produce natural brain nutrients, called neurotrophins, that prevent memory loss and increase mental fitness by stimulating nerve cells in various parts of the brain so that different nerve pathways and connections get activated. And, when the cells are more active, they appear more resilient to the assaults of old age. In other words, neurobic exercises are activities that can help slow the aging process.
Neurobic exercises use your five physical senses and your emotional sense in unexpected ways and encourage you to change your everyday routines. They can be done at any time, anywhere.
You can easily change routine activities into neurobic activities:
• Walk backwards to the kitchen or bathroom.
• Get dressed for work or shower with your eyes closed.
• Brush your teeth or write a note using your non-dominant hand.
• Try combing, brushing and styling your hair with your non-dominant hand.
• Eat meals with your non-dominant hand.
• Turn all pictures, calendars or clocks on your desk upside down for a day.
• Take a completely new route to work.
• Learn sign language.
• Close your eyes when buying fresh fruits and vegetables, relying only on your spatial reasoning, memory and sense of smell and/or touch.
• Walk somewhere instead of driving.
• Fill a bowl or plate with coins of various denominations. Try to determine what they are by feel alone. Or, use only your sense of touch to identify a collection of items such as paper clips, fasteners, nails and screws without looking at them.
• At your desk, relocate your computer mouse, phone, wastebasket, files, etc.
• Wear your watch on your other wrist.
• Use your other hand to do tasks such as dialing, faxing, writing, typing or stapling.
• Use your fingers to learn Braille for controlling the elevator door.
• Read out loud; it uses a different part of the brain than if you read silently to yourself.
• In the super-market or other stores, change your usual route through the aisles.
• Eat your meal in silence, using only visual cues to communicate.
• Identify the food on your plate only by smell, taste and touch. A food's flavor includes its texture, aroma, temperature, spiciness and even sound.
• At dinner-time, have every-one switch seats.
• Make a family video and then play it with different background music (scary, romantic, etc.). Notice how it changes your feelings about what you're watching.
• Start a new hobby like fishing. It requires you to "think like a fish", pay attention to the time of day, the feel of the water, and the types of insects around you.
• Crossword puzzles and logic riddles help stimulate your brain.
• Plant a garden. This involves all your senses. It stimulates your brain's planning and spatial abilities as you decide which plants to put where, consider the direction of the sun, and how much water is needed. Besides the increased brain activity, the end result will include fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers and a beautiful yard.
• Besides doing non-routine activities, a well-balanced and nutritious diet and regular physical exercise can help enhance the anti-aging process. •
Avoid activities which can adversely affect your brain health such as:
• Excess alcohol or drug use
• Smoking, which lowers the amount of oxygen that the brain receives
• Certain combinations of medications that can alter your attention span and memory
• Stress, which releases hormones that can damage brain cells
• Do some smart thinking and try something new as often as possible. You can help slow the aging process by keeping your brain active and doing something other than what your everyday experience would normally provide.
This information is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician. Implementation of any health-related advice should be undertaken in consultation with your physician, particularly if you have an existing condition, are currently receiving medical treatment, or are taking any kind of medication.