text:
Allister Coetzee confirmed on Sunday that Stormers No 8 Nizaam Carr has torn his ACL and has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign.
The Stormers have already lost Schalk Burger, Duane Vermeulen and Nick Koster for extensive periods due to injury. They brought in Canadian loose forward Jebb Sinclair during the week to bolster their back-row ranks, but suffered another blow during Saturday's game against the Cheetahs when Carr went down with a serious knee injury.
After the game, Coetzee said that he expected Carr's lay-off to be a lengthy one. It was confirmed following further tests on Sunday that Carr has sustained serious damage and will miss the rest of the season.
Coetzee added that he may have to promote one of the Vodacom Cup forwards for next week's clash against the Waratahs. There is also the possibility that a forward from outside of the region may be recruited.
Coetzee did say he was impressed with the way Sinclair performed when asked to replace Carr during Saturday's match.
Sinclair only arrived in South Africa on Wednesday, and has had minimal time to adapt to the Stormers' structures.


text:
Prices shown in currencies other than USA Dollars are estimates based on current exchange rates. We will charge your credit card in USA Dollars on the day your order is shipped, and the conversion to your local currency will be done at the prevailing rate by your credit card issuer.
Shipments outside the USA are declared as "bike parts" for customs purposes and will include the actual amount paid for merchandise and shipping. Jenson USA will not mark your parcel as a "gift", declare a value lower than the actual price paid, or otherwise prepare false customs information.
Tell a friend! We'll send your friends the page and your message.
Note: You and your friend's email addresses are only used once as a referral. We will not collect or store the email addresses.
Thrust off that jump and into your next trick with the Sombrio Thrust Jersey! The Sombrio Thrust Jersey features a freeride specific fit that includes a ¾ sleeve, mesh back and underarm, poly rib cuff, and wicking treatment in order to keep you cool and unrestricted whether you are gliding through the air or ascending a steep pitch.
- Freeride Fit
- ¾ sleeve
- Mesh back and underarm
- Poly rib cuff
- Flatlock stitching
- Wicking treatment
Jenson USA ships worldwide, including APO/FPO addresses. For a quote, simply add the items you are interested in to your shopping cart and look for the "Shipping Options" box. You don't have to login or create an account to see shipping charges.
Some manufacturers restrict where we can ship their products. If this item has shipping restrictions, they are listed below. If you'd like to buy an item that we cannot ship to your preferred address, we can accept your foreign credit card and ship to a USA address for you.
Get free shipping with your $50 purchase today when you choose Standard Shipping at checkout. Please note this offer is only available to physical shipping addresses in the 48 continental United States (no PO Boxes), and oversize charges still apply on some heavy/large items
Get free Standard Shipping with your $50 purchase today! Just choose Standard Shipping during checkout.
Please note this offer is only available to physical shipping addresses in the 48 continental United States (no PO Boxes), and oversize charges still apply on some heavy/large items.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The New Bern Bears want to get rid of the perception that they can only field and pitch.
The softball team wants to score runs.
With the current lineup and roster assembled, junior centerfielder Kiera Carpenter doesn't think it will be an issue.
"Last year, we were thinking about getting the big hits," Carpenter said. "Now, we've settled down and are realizing that everything is not about home runs. Base hits can win ballgames and it will for us this year."
The improvement at the plate started with more hitting drills and work over the offseason.
Many times last season, the Bears were unable to come through with clutch base hits. The focus of the offense will be simple – just advance the baserunner.
"I think we will have a decent season ahead of us if we all stay focused," Carpenter said. "We are focusing and keeping our head down (on the ball). We are not a home-run hitting team, but we can get base hits."
First-year coach Sara Harrison takes over, but is not completely new to her players. Harrison, a former West Craven softball player, has been a teacher at
"I've taught just about all the girls in class, and I've gotten to know them,"
More than 30 girls came to tryouts, and 12 made varsity. Another 15 will be on junior varsity – a good dilemma to have to push for competition.
"That means the softball program is growing, and that several girls are challenged to perform better because they know there are other girls that could move up to varsity,"
The Bears can also pitch and play defense. They allowed one earned run in the two games.
"I'm impressed with how everybody has meshed together," said junior Kristen Daughtridge, a three-year starting pitcher. "It's felt like we've all been playing together for a while."
Seniors Mary Lyons and Aliyah Martin, along with Taylor Niemotka, Bella Cacciotti, Kelsey Crawford and Kayla Dellapia will see plenty of time in the field.
Lexi Smith and Hannah Colflesh made the squad as freshmen.
Daughtridge, Lyons and Dellapia will handle the pitching duties.
"I feel like a lot of the girls are experienced because they've been playing throughout the summer," Daughtridge said. "I feel confident having them behind me."
After missing the postseason last year,
The Bears open the season at home against West Craven on Monday.
"All of them are positive and excited about the new coaching staff and the changes,"
Adam Thompson can be reached at 252-635-5669 or at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow Adam on Twitter @Adam_matic.


text:
who we are and what we do.
If you would like to find out about the data products we have on offer please click on the PDF below.
Want to read the latest data news?
Click here to read our latest newsletter.
If you would like to contact us, please complete the form below.


text:
- Aktivitas belajar
- Aktivitas Luar Ruang & Petualangan - Aktivitas air
- Aktivitas Luar Ruang & Petualangan - Aktivitas darat
- Aktivitas Luar Ruang & Petualangan - Aktivitas udara
- Belanja
- Ekoturisme / Perjalanan Hijau
- Eksplorasi Budaya
- Golf
- Kapal Layar dan Pesiar
- Meditasi
- Mengemudi sendiri
- Pariwisata Medis
- Pernikahan & Bulan Madu
- Spa dan Kesehatan
Search Activity
Contact Details
69 Chonnivest, Prachacheun Road, Jatujak Bangkok 10900 Thailand
Tel: +66 2556 1223 , +668 1354 2475
website: www.naturetrekth.com
fax: +66 2556 1224
Kategori : Meditasi, Trekking / Hiking, Bersepeda gunung, Arung Jeram, Berkayak & Berkano Di Sungai atau Danau, Selam scuba
Submit inquiries and request for more information for this :
Explore the natural world around us with a trip from The Nature Trek Company Traveling for natural loving people. We lead you all over to both domestic inbound and outbound. We offer you such flexible and reasonable package tours or you may even manage your own. Your impression from our services is the first priority of Nature Trek Company. We have never stopped exploring new and excited routes for challenging explorers. Moreover, The Nature Trek is famous in giving nature knowledge. Our guides have very high skill about nature and also camping. Unforgettable trips are prepared and waiting for you. Nature Trek is a registered tour operator and travel agency in Thailand. It has established since 1992, the travel agent license number is 11/5244. Our head office is in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. We provide a wide range of services in the travel industry.
Our objective is to develop and promote the ecotourism for inbound, outbound and domestic markets in order to create the sustainable future for tourism industry.
As a tour operator, we organize trips for outbound, inbound and domestic markets, both individuals and groups. For outbound customers, we are very specialize in organizing the trips to unspoiled tourist destinations such as Kashmir, Sikkim, Maldives, Tibet, Shangri-La, Juizhaigou, Kunming, New Zealand, etc.
For inbound and domestic markets, we offer the Eco-tour programs around Thailand such as nature trekking programs, bicycling programs, diving programs, rafting & canoeing programs as well as health tour programs.
As a travel planner / organizer, we are assisting for any travel related affairs such as hotel reservations, air ticket reservations, train reservations, bus reservations, car rental reservations and all kinds of transportation and accommodations arrangement. We are also preparing the itinerary for your trip.
Operating time : Daily
The closest destination to this result :
See & Do in Bangkok :


text:
EventList powered by schlu.net
Sponsor Message
Become a Sponsor
This multimedia session led by KDHX DJ Andy Coco of The Rhythm Section, explores the invention of the soul-jazz genre, its influence, and its contemporary resurgence. With live music from The Provels.
The Discovery...
KDHX is now curating a Saturday brunch series at the Stage with live music from local musicians and delicious, locally-sourced food and drinks from the Magnolia Café.
Brunch at the Stage takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m....
Please be our guest for this event at the only Official Pride St Louis Kick Off Party. Enjoy a complimentary bar featuring Pinnacle Vodka, Cruzan Rum, Sauza Tequlia, Jagermeister and Jagermeister Spice, Red Bull, select beers from...
If you have questions or need to contact KDHX, visit our answers portal at answers.kdhx.org.
Remember me


text:
Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
Recipe adapted from: Baby Center
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too)
Salt and pepper
1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (could also use olive oil or canola oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional – doesn't really add heat, just adds more flavor)
4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds
Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.
*You can also sprinkle more red pepper flakes on top if you want more heat.
Looking for more Honey recipes? Here are some of our favorites:
-Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
-Honey Lime Fresh Fruit Salad
-Honey Lime Grilled Chicken
-Parmesan Honey Pork Roast
-Homemade Cinnamon Honey Butter


text: Front Back Remote View larger Kenwood KDC-BT652U CD receiver (Factory refurbished) Item #: 613BT652U 48 Reviews This item is no longer available. Original Price: $109.99 Shop all Car Stereos Need help? 1.888.955.6000 Email Chat Ask an expert advisor No pressure, no commission — just lots of good advice from our highly trained staff.


text:
Etro - Sandalo
Thread: SOTD Wednesday, December 27th
This morning will be Code, while this evening will most likely be Le Male.
Etro - Sandalo
Live Jazz - Yves St Laurent
Hmmm... I have jury duty today so I'm thinking something light (either that or bathe in Antaeus, layered with Kouros, so I am promptly dismissed).
I will probably blind-try my new testers of Blenheim Bouquet or AG Eau de Sud at first light. If I hate them, I'll scrub 'em off and go for my precious little sample of Cartier Eau de Concentree.
Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
~ Robert Brault
That's right, it IS summer in Australia now... Do you ever find Live Jazz, "foody", like salsa and salad and pico de gallo? I just got this one for Christmas and it seems that way to me...Originally Posted by Joy
Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
~ Robert Brault
Guerlain Anisia Bella
Boucheron pour homme Fraicheur
"Wovon man nicht lesen kann, darüber muss man schreiben."
Guerlain - Derby
decant sales:
Crystal Flacon
Dior Homme
"It is the mark of a brave man to admit defeat, cut his loss and move on." - David Ogilvy
J.F. - Floris
Davidoff's Zino
Caron L'Anarchiste
:::::: Visit My Blog: La gardenia nell'occhiello ::::::
I'm wearing Oscar today.
Top note: Peach, Galbanum, Gardenia, Bergamot
Middle note: Rose, Honey, Orris, Cyclamen
Base note: Cedar, Sandal, Moss, Benzoin
I've trademarked the color bleu
Burberry for Men
L'Homme Sage by Divine
"We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force." Ayn Rand...
"The essence of fascism is to make laws forbidding everything and then enforce them selectively against your enemies."
Daily Wardrobe
Art of Shaving - Sandalwood
Terre d'Hermes
Burberry London
Cristobal pour Homme - Balenciaga
Dunhill '34
In rotation: Greenbriar (new), Silver Mountain Water, Dunhill for Men (1934), Acqua di Parma Colonia, Habit Rouge EDC, Ho Hang, B*Men, Agua Brava
Divine L'homme de Couer
SOTE: MCM Success
Last edited by wicozani; 28th December 2006 at 02:36 AM.
Series 3 Incense
Comme des Garçons (2002)
Scent Intense
Costume National (2002)
As with wicozani, Homme de Coeur today.
De gustibus non est disputandum
Hammam Bouquet
Aston Martin Vanquish S, a massive estate, Heidi Klum and her friend Nuala, sensual pleasures satiated in multiples of three. Hammam's up to speed with all of it.
Last edited by pluran; 27th December 2006 at 03:21 PM.
Floris of London - Eau de Santal Extreme
"Perfume is the dream that carries me."
There is always the sky to look at
Azzaro CHROME
Current Top 5
1. Creed Aventus
2. A*Men Pure Malt
3. L'instant Extreme
4. Nasomatto Duro
5. CDG - Kyoto
Dior Homme today.
"A great perfume is a work of art, it can lift our days, haunt our nights and create the milestones of our memories. Fragrance is liquid emotion. And that never goes out of fashion. " MICHAEL EDWARDS
I changed my mind at the last second and blind-sprayed Tam Dao. This turned out to be a most appropriate choice! It's cold and blustery here today, and it wrapped me in its light and fragrant warmth like a cashmere blanket.Originally Posted by Scentsibility
I could not imagine it offending anyone either. I've decided I'm a sandalwood fan and want to try them ALL!
Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
~ Robert Brault
CK be
"Wait...is David Bowie really God?" - Penelope Garcia
trying out my tester of secret melange-mpg today
Geo. F. Trumpers - Spanish Leather Cologne.
Versace - The Dreamer
Pierre Cardin PH EDT and stick deodorant
Dior's Higher. What a gass this old thing is! I picked it up shortly after it was released and haven't worn it for at least a couple of years because of the "cologne guy" factor it has.
Smells like an old friend of a fragrance though. Ahhh, the good old days.
That girl, that bottle, that mattress and me.
I went with Chanel pour Monsieur today.
Nihil Obstat Ben
My Wardrobe
Opus 1870
My Wardrobe: http://www.basenotes.net/wardrobe/5235
Original Vetiver by Creed
I can't say Live Jazz has ever had that kind of an effect on me, but I think it could do with the high humidity of where I live (the Northern Territory); instead I feel like I'm a walking fresh juice bar.Originally Posted by Scentsibility
In fact, yesterday while wearing Live Jazz I was at the juice bar trying to order a drink that would allow me to 'taste' my spell I ended up asking for a crushed ice smoothie with lemon, grapefruit, and some generic tropical mix, which wasn't that dissimilar from LJ on my skin
Terre d'Hermes
Terre D'Hermes
SOTE: Chanel Allure Sport, going out for some Hump Day cocktails with some friends .
"Wait...is David Bowie really God?" - Penelope Garcia
My SotD is Youth Dew Amber Nude.
DH is wearing Dior Homme.
"Of the five senses, the sense of smell is incontestably the one that best conveys a sense of immortality."
Salvador Dali
Caron PUH in day
Heritage at night
Top 10 (not in order): Dunhill 1934, Dunhill Edition, Terre d'Hermes, Rive Gauche, Habit Rouge, Guerlain Vetiver, Knize Ten, Bois du Portugal, Vintage Tabarome, Green Irish Tweed
Summer Rotation: GIT, Aventus, Erolfa, Vetiver 1948, Guerlain Vetiver, Malle VE, Terre d'Hermes, Bvlgari PH, Bvlgari Acqua, Habit Rouge EDC and Sport, ADP Colonia Assoluta, Chanel PMC, Dunhill Edition, Eau Sauvage, TF Azure Lime
Vetiver Extraordinaire...
Rochas Lui
Yr good bud,
"Why spend life seeking that which does not satisfy? Why remain a slave, when freedom waits? Let your life shine; illumine the world with your truth!"
My Wardrobe
My Reviews
Fiat justitia ruat cælum.
Let justice be done, even if the sky should fall.
Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus
Qui nihil potest sperare, desperet nihil.
Let him who can hope for nothing despair of nothing.
Male irato ferrum committitur.
It is an evil thing to arm an angry man.


text:
College Dudes 24 / 7 packed full of horny guys – both straight and gay – who love getting naked and playing in front of the camera. Watch these guys sucking one another's bones and getting them hard. And if you like big cocks – and who doesn't – College Dudes 24 / 7 has some horny guys featuring some mighty big dicks. All of the content is original and shot exclusively for the site and a lot of the guys have their own blogs so you can keep up with their antics. There's even a bloopers and out take section for a bit more. You're going to love watching these horny college guys pounding one another's ass. And boy, can these guys shoot!
Click Here to Watch Them Now!


text:
Prices shown in currencies other than USA Dollars are estimates based on current exchange rates. We will charge your credit card in USA Dollars on the day your order is shipped, and the conversion to your local currency will be done at the prevailing rate by your credit card issuer.
Shipments outside the USA are declared as "bike parts" for customs purposes and will include the actual amount paid for merchandise and shipping. Jenson USA will not mark your parcel as a "gift", declare a value lower than the actual price paid, or otherwise prepare false customs information.
Tell a friend! We'll send your friends the page and your message.
Note: You and your friend's email addresses are only used once as a referral. We will not collect or store the email addresses.
Dimension Cruiser/Comfort Pedal
Features and Information
|Item Specifications
|Material (Spindle)
|Pedal Type
|Unit of Sale
|448 g
|Intended Use
|Pedal Spindle Thread
Reviewed by 4 customers
Sort by
Best Uses
Comments about Dimension Cruiser Pedal w/ Slip Grip/Re:
I switched out my clip pedal for these. I was hoping for something with excellent grip. I purchased a sticky approach shoe to go with them. While they are better than metal alone the rubber pads didn't grip my shoes as well as I'd hoped. They're great on the flat or the road but I'm using them for my entry level mountain bike races and sometimes my feet slip. On the plus side I hit a small rock on a fast corner, it stopped my momentum enough that I started to flip forward. I was able to catch myself which wouldn't have happened with the clip ins. The pedal held up without breaking. When considering what to purchase I thought a composite pedal wouldn't have that kind of strength so I went with these. Smash proof is a good thing.(Yeah I know that inside pedal should have been up,but I'm a beginner!)
Best Uses
Comments about Dimension Cruiser Pedal w/ Slip Grip/Re:
I built a custom trike that I wanted to add some style to but stay simple. Simple and budget minded. These pedals definately hit both these points and have delivered better than hoped performance at a glad to see price point.
Using them on every Cruizer I build!
Comments about Dimension Cruiser Pedal w/ Slip Grip/Re:
Well, I was glad to upgrade my stock crank Petals, and these from Jenson USA fits my needs. Low Price and good quality and looks great on my bike.I would recommend it to anyone who wants to upgrade their existing ones. Though I'm not overly concern about the weight of the petals. Main thing is that it wont break down the road.
Comments about Dimension Cruiser Pedal w/ Slip Grip/Re:
They grip my running shoes perfectly, without having the "teeth biting" feel of a cage design with spikes. They match my rebuilt bike perfectly, and feel great.
Jenson USA ships worldwide, including APO/FPO addresses. For a quote, simply add the items you are interested in to your shopping cart and look for the "Shipping Options" box. You don't have to login or create an account to see shipping charges.
Some manufacturers restrict where we can ship their products. If this item has shipping restrictions, they are listed below. If you'd like to buy an item that we cannot ship to your preferred address, we can accept your foreign credit card and ship to a USA address for you.
Get free shipping with your $50 purchase today when you choose Standard Shipping at checkout. Please note this offer is only available to physical shipping addresses in the 48 continental United States (no PO Boxes), and oversize charges still apply on some heavy/large items
Get free Standard Shipping with your $50 purchase today! Just choose Standard Shipping during checkout.
Please note this offer is only available to physical shipping addresses in the 48 continental United States (no PO Boxes), and oversize charges still apply on some heavy/large items.


text:
Results 21 to 25 of 100
Thread: 13 Children, 26 Letters
July 12th, 2012 10:33 AM #21
Jakarta Willow (initials - Jessica Winters)
Hester Mercy (favourite book character - Hester Shaw from Mortal Engines)
Agnes Bianca (inspiration - Mother Teresa, a.k.a. Agnes Bojaxhiu)
Dakota Rae (favourite actress - Dakota Blue Richards)
Niall Quinn & Cormac Evan
Isaac Vaughan & Zoe Lorraine
Primrose Kayla & Georgia Faith
Samuel Xavier, Thomas Yardley & Ulysses OlsenMY NAME LIST:
Vote for your favourites!!
July 12th, 2012 04:16 PM #23Senior Member
- Join Date
- May 2012
- Location
- Can't wait to leave, Oklahoma
- Posts
- 310
Ella Frances (Ella of Frell, favorite book character)
Clara Louise (My initials)
Shawn Anderson (Person who inspires me)
Jeremy Michael (Jeremy Jordan, favorite actor)
Zachary David and Owen Nicholas (B/B twins)
Irene Victoria, Quinn Hannah, and Ryan Ulysses (G/G/B triplets)
Xander William and Penelope Beth (B/G twins)
Ysabel Grace and Tempest Kay (G/G twins)Catherine, an actress, dancer, singer, brainiac with a guilty pleasure of names.
Current favorites: Lilliana Joy, Marley Sophia, Isabella Diane, Gabrielle Jolie, Charlotte Amelia, Callista Berlin, Hope Adrienne, Isis Amelie, Austen Elisabeth, Jetta Blue; Wesley Owen, Benson Chase, Matthew Keaton, Brandon Kyle, Carson Gabriel, Elias Marshall, Anderson Cade, Xander Hale, Josiah Henry, Spencer Steven
July 12th, 2012 04:28 PM #25Member
- Join Date
- Jul 2012
- Posts
- 44
Third rule: You can go in any order you want, but you must follow these guidelines:
A single child named after someone who inspires you: Pearl Justine
A single child named after your favorite actor/actress: Heath Taylor
A single child named after a favorite book character: Lena Mare
A single child with your initials (first & middle initials or first & last initials): Silas Edwin
Three set of twins; one B/B & one B/G & one G/G
B/B: Beau Frederick, Callum Grey
B/G: David Nathaniel, Iona Xanthe
G/G: Anita Kay, Olive Quincy
A set of triplets
Rilla Tamsin, Una Yael, Willa Vivian
July 17th, 2012 05:07 AM #27Senior Member
- Join Date
- Jul 2012
- Posts
- 941
A single child named after someone who inspires you - Gabriel Quinn
A single child named after your favorite actor/actress - Meryl Ophelia
A single child named after a favorite book character - Holden Tobias
A single child with your initials (first & middle initials or first & last initials) - Irina Kate
Three set of twins:
B/B: Silas Eliot & Jonah Ulysses
B/G: Luka Noel & Xenia Dae
G/G: Viviana Yelena & Zora Cecilia
A set of triplets: Alora Beth, Fiona Rae & Willow Polina
July 22nd, 2012 01:57 AM #29Member
- Join Date
- Jun 2010
- Posts
- 82
Boy: Albus Quentin -- (favorite book character: Albus Dumbledore)
Boy: Tristan Jared -- (favorite actor: Jared Tristan Padalecki)
Girl: Lucy Kathryn -- (inspirational person: a little girl who is fighting cancer)
Girl: Schuyler Verity -- (my first and last initials)
Boy/Girl twins: Helios Zane & Persephone Urania
Girl/Girl twins: Gwendolyn Nerys & Bronwyn Owena
Boy/Boy twins: Ethan Yardley & William Xavier
Boy/Boy/Girl triplets: Cullen Malcolm, Ian Ross, & Fiona Darby


text:
Infamous 2 Wiki Guide
Edit Page Last Edit: 2 years 11 months ago
The first Infamous concluded with a dark prophecy: Electrically supercharged Cole MacGrath is the only one who can take on "The Beast" when it shows up sometime in the future. Well, the future is now, and a towering lava man, having razed Empire City, is leaving a trail of burning rubble across the nation -- and its heading to Cole's new digs in New Marais. Your task in Infamous 2 is to keep the beast off of your back. To make this easier we've provided a walkthrough for each mission, maps to powerups like Blast Shards and much more.
From Around The Web
You must be logged in to post a comment.blog comments powered by Disqus
Top Wiki Contributors
Edits: 1,259
Edits: 119
Edits: 79
Edits: 51
Wiki Help
Need assistance with editing this wiki? Check out these resources:
Expand Navigation


text:
After 60 years, car lover is reunited with the coupe that got away
Dan Bates / The Herald
Jim Watson, 86, peers from the passenger compartment of his 1933 Ford Coupe. Watson sold the car 60 years ago when he needed money for a family home, but he always hoped he'd get it back one day.
Jim Watson
Jim Watson�s 1933 Ford Coupe in earlier days.
Dan Bates / The Herald
Jim rebuilt the 1933 coupe�s engine (at right), and the grille and hood are ready to go back on the car.
Dan Bates / The Herald
Jim Watson approaches a stop sign in a replica 1927 Model T roadster that he built himself. When he was younger, he worked for an auto-wrecking company; he made money on the side by repairing and selling beat-up cars.
Dan Bates / The Herald
At 86, Jim Watson is happy to have the 1933 Ford Coupe back in his own garage.
Dan Bates / The Herald
Jim and Pat Watson and Buttons, their 4-year-old Yorkshire-poodle mix, sit in the replica 1927 Model T Ford roadster Jim built using parts recycled from a Studebaker, an Oldsmobile, a Chevrolet, a Dodge and a Cadillac, along with custom parts he fashioned from scratch.
Dan Bates / The Herald
Hair blowing in the wind, Jim Watson shifts gears along a country road in a replica 1927 Model T roadster he built.
Dan Bates / The Herald
Jim Watson, 86, peers from the passenger compartment of his 1933 Ford Coupe, which he is restoring. Watson sold the car 60 years ago when he needed money for a family home, but he always hoped he�d get it back one day.
Oh, man, he loved that car.
In his youth, Jim Watson bought and fixed up a 1933 Ford Coupe.
He drove it cross-country after he got drafted into the U.S. Army. He took his girlfriend, Patricia, on dates in the coupe before they married.
When it was time to buy a house and have a family, Watson knew he had to sell his beloved Ford.
He always hoped to get it back.
He retired about 25 years ago. He always tried to persuade Wayne Caldwell — who bought the car from him in 1954 — to sell it back.
Then, in 1999, the coupe was stolen from a garage in Seattle.
The coupe finally resurfaced in 2013, when it showed up in Stanwood. It had been sold so many times since the theft that the new owner didn't know it'd been stolen.
Snohomish County Auto Theft Task Force detectives got the car back to Caldwell.
A few months ago, Caldwell called Watson. He was ready to sell.
"He said, 'You got first crack at it,' and he's a man of his word," said Watson, who turns 87 in July.
Rob Matter, Watson's son-in-law and a car buff, offered to buy it for him. The price was about $10,000.
"(He) said whatever it takes, we'll get it done, which was very nice," Watson said.
He paid $35 in 1947
The coupe was built during the Great Depression.
Watson first bought the car in 1947 — when a quarter could buy more than a gallon of gas. He's pretty sure he was the second owner. He paid about $35, but put a lot of work into the 14-year-old car after that.
Watson installed hydraulic brakes. A friend lowered the roofline and added a steel top. Watson built a new engine.
After Watson was drafted, he drove the coupe to Fort Lee, Virginia, and then back to Seattle before he shipped out to Korea.
In those days, one drove mostly two-lane roads to get cross-country, he said.
Watson was pulled from the infantry shortly after basic training. A doctor noticed he had flat feet.
So he put in a request to become a diesel mechanic. Instead, the Army made him an office machine repairman. He learned to fix typewriters.
"They never give you what you want," he said.
Watson got to the troop replacement depot in Incheon, Korea. The officer who interviewed him saw he had machine repair credentials. The depot had plenty of typewriters.
"He says, 'We could sure use you here unless you really want to go on up to the front lines,' " Watson said.
"I said, 'Well, where do I park my gear?' "
Watson served 15 months in Korea. He saw some of the countryside on Jeep trips, salvaging typewriter parts.
Before and after the service, he worked for an auto-wrecking company in Seattle. He made a little money on the side buying beat-up cars and fixing them up to sell. In the 1950s, he worked as a manager for the company's site in south Everett.
After they married, the Watsons needed money for a down payment on a house in Edmonds, where they raised four kids.
Watson sold the coupe to Caldwell, who raced it at the drag strip in Arlington.
Caldwell, who lives in Sequim, got the coupe back from the cops last year, and it needed some work.
Caldwell knew only one man he trusted to do the restoration. But that man couldn't start until 2015.
Caldwell didn't want to wait. He thought of Watson.
"I decided there was only one person I wanted to give it back to, and Jim wanted it," he said. "It couldn't have went to a better guy. I really think a lot of Jim."
Earlier this year, Caldwell brought the coupe over on a covered trailer to Watson's house in Clearview. Watson's grandkids snapped pictures of the two men talking.
"It was so nice of him to deliver the car, too, on top of selling it back to me," Watson said.
He'll restore it to glory
Now the coupe is disassembled in Watson's garage. Some parts will go back on the frame. Some will be replaced.
Watson plans to get the coupe ready to drive and maybe take it to car shows.
"It's got all the go-fast goodies," he said.
A part of the floor is missing, so he has to find another piece to weld on. Caldwell found him a firewall to put in, too.
Some of the body panels will need to be replaced because of rust-outs. Replacement parts wait in bubble wrap. More are ordered.
"It won't be an every-day driver," Watson said. "I'd like to have it like it was."
The car still is the same combination of regency blue and midnight blue that Watson painted it around the time he got out of the Army. He's undecided on keeping that color.
Caldwell had put in a thick, plastic, blue-tinted windshield and windows. Those will probably go. Watson likes the plain glass better.
The coupe didn't have windshield wipers when he owned it as a young man.
In those days, he'd rub the windshield down with a Bull Durham loose tobacco bag, he said. The tobacco residue would help the rain bounce off the glass.
Tinkering keeps him young
The Watsons' kids often heard him talk about the car as they were growing up.
"It's the only car we ever heard about, pretty much," said daughter Becky Matter, 59, whose husband, Rob, made the purchase.
Rob Matter also has an early 1930s Ford Model A. Watson chopped the roof and made it into a hot rod.
Matter and Watson painted it Seahawks colors and call it "The Hawk Rod."
"Since we were little kids, he's talked about this car, the Roadster that got away," she said. "It's just amazing that it came back around."
One of her sisters was so excited, she cried.
Becky Matter looked at her dad in his garage.
"This is what keeps you young," she told him.
A love passed down
In January, Jim and Patricia Watson celebrated 60 years of marriage.
They have four kids, eight grandkids, four great-grandkids and a Yorkshire-poodle mix named Buttons. They watch TV, and sometimes go to the casino for an hour or two.
One of the kids in the family just bought a sprint car to race at the Skagit Speedway near Mount Vernon.
Every few weeks, Patricia Watson has manicure dates with daughter Jan Schemenauer.
"I was down there the other day, and it is so hard to believe that 60 years ago, Dad was courting Mom in that car," Schemenauer said. Meanwhile, Watson tinkers away in his garage.
Outside, in the driveway, great-grandson Ryder Stevens, 2, rides by on a miniature toy John Deere tractor.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; email@example.com.
Share your comments: Log in using your HeraldNet account or your Facebook, Twitter or Disqus profile. Comments that violate the rules are subject to removal. Please see our terms of use. Please note that you must verify your email address for your comments to appear.
You are logged in using your HeraldNet ID. Click here to update your profile. | Log out.
Our new comment system is not supported in IE 7. Please upgrade your browser here.


text:
Managerial Marketing (MMTG)
35011 Marketing Tools (3)
Topics include the analytical, financial, statistical, communications, and decision-making skills and development of the technical competencies needed to succeed as a marketing professional in small-sized firms. Prerequisites: MIS 24053 and MKTG 25010 and managerial marketing (MMTG) majors.This course may be used to satisfy the writing-intensive requirement with approval of major department.
35021 Research for Marketing Decisions (3)
Focuses on the effective collection, organization, evaluation and use of data pertaining to marketing decision making. Data analysis, interpretation and presentation methods suited for a small-sized firm are emphasized. Prerequisites: MMTG 35011.
35023 Customer Analysis (3)
Addresses the methods marketers use to appraise the value of customer groups. Segmentation, target marketing, selected theories of consumer and buyer behavior, and database organization and analysis methods are covered. Prerequisites: MMTG 35011.
35024 Hands-on Technology Enhancement Laboratory (1)
Laboratory designed to expand student's abilities with spreadsheets, statistical packages and presentation software. Prerequisites: minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA; and MIS 24053 or COMT 11000; and MKTG 25010 or BMRT 21050; and managerial marketing (MMTG) major.
35026 Decision-Making Skill Enhancement Laboratory (1)
Laboratory designed to expand students' data interpretation, decision-making and creative problem-solving skills. Prerequisites: MMTG 35011.
45020 Competitive Market Analysis (3)
Focuses on establishing and maintaining competitive positions in markets through product and pricing strategies driven by industry and competitive analysis. Methods for assessing market potential and forecasting are explored. Prerequisites: MMTG 35021 and 35023.
45026 Personal Selling Methods and Practices Laboratory (1)
Laboratory provides an overview of selling methods and practices. Students will engage in one-on-one role playing and other simulated selling scenarios. Prerequisites: MMTG 35021 and 35023.
45030 Channel Management (3)
Addresses the management of suppliers and customers related to the buying and selling of goods and services. Topics include channel relationships and functions, distribution, cost management, exporting and negotiations. Prerequisites: MMTG 35021 and 35023.
45039 Promotion Management (3)
Covers the promotional tools and their role in communicating with customers. Emphasis is on the selection, budgeting and implementation of promotional tools for smaller-sized enterprises. Prerequisites: MMTG 45020 and 45030.
45040 Integrated Marketing Strategy (3)
This is the capstone course for managerial marketing majors. Emphasis is on the integration of marketing concepts and decision-making methods and skills to derive sound marketing decisions. Prerequisite: MKTG 45020.


text: TZ Case Pink Beauty Collection AB63 Small Make-Up Kit Beauty Case has been discontinued by TZ Case and is no longer available. Our product experts have helped us select these available replacements below. You can also explore other items in the Dry Boxes category yourself to try and find the perfect replacement for you!


text:
Since 1984, everyone at Nidecker has had one common goal : to push the technological envelope of snowboarding. Our design team works closely with our professional riders and technology partners to develop state-of-the-art composite materials and design innovations. Our single-minded pursuit of excellence has allowed us to revolutionize snowboarding…over…and over…and over again. Join us on the cutting edge.
Nidecker's latest liners, segmented in 3 levels, provide snowboarding's most comfortable, warmest and best performance-driver fit, right out of the box.permalink


text:
When I found a little booklet titled "Presented with the Compliments of B.F. Avery & Sons…" in a box of oversized Smyth County Chancery Court papers, my first thought was how to, if possible, reunite it with the court case of which it was originally part. The booklet was part notebook, calendar, and company catalog, a common advertising tool. When I opened the front cover, I saw on its reverse side a picture of a log building with the caption, "B.F. Avery's First Plow Factory, at Clarksville, Mecklenburgh (sic) Co., Va." Then I wondered how I missed the connection between B.F. Avery and Clarksville. Was Clarksville really the starting point for one of America's most famous farm implement companies? The temptation to chase down stories that may be unrelated to the work at hand, or go down a rabbit trail, is a great danger in the archivist's line of work.
After a little digging – on my own time – I found that the answer is yes and no. When Benjamin Franklin Avery (born 1801) set sail from New York City in 1825 on a boat headed for Virginia, he left behind his legal career and prominent family in upstate New York, according to Luther D. Thomas's 2003 book B.F. Avery and Sons: Pioneer Plow Makers. His plan was to start a manufacturing operation to make plows. … read more »


text:
Your basket
» Checkout
Subtotal: £0
Carneddau Mountains from Pencerrig, c.1776 (oil on paper on canvas)
Artist: Jones, Thomas (1743-1803)
Nationality: Welsh
Medium: oil on paper on canvas
Date: 18th (C18th)
Dimensions: 29.5x51 cms
Price List
Please choose your type of usage before adding to your basket.
One time — one edition — non-exclusive rights
|One Language
|All Languages
|Book – Inside
|Book – Cover
|Book – Inside (Educational)
|Book – Cover (Educational)
|One Language
|All Languages
|Newspaper – Inside
|Newspaper – Cover
|One Language
|All Languages
|Magazines/Brochures – Inside
|Magazines/Brochures – Cover
Extended Run
For extended print-runs, the following charges apply.
One campaign - one year. Newspaper/brochures/direct mail.
|One Language
|All Languages
|Quarter page
|Half page
|Full page
|One Language
|All Languages
|Editorial/Commercial Homepage
Paper Products
|One Language
|All Languages
|Greetings Cards/Notecards (one year)
|Calendars/Posters/Gift Wraps/Prints (two years)
|Covers — CD/DVDs (10,000 copies)
* Please select a date and time.
Categories Places Land & Sea Welsh


text:
DKNY HOME Leading Consumer Brand Goes Ecommerce Read more
JILDOR Retail Success Online AND in Stores Read more
LORÉAL Product Catalog Site Powers B2B Marketing Success Read more
SURFSTITCH Online Retail Hit Leads to Store Opening Read more
DIAMONDS.COM Web-Only Retailer Builds Glittering Ebusiness Read more
(866) 431-6669 (212) 334-3390
Need Powerful Online Business Solutions?
Founded in 1998, ECommerce Partners is a full-service, ecommerce and interactive agency headquartered in New York City. Best known for our unique process methodology, we combine Internet expertise, creative talent, and business know-how to help clients across a variety of industries achieve rapid, measurable online marketing results.
True to our motto, "We build businesses, not just websites," we provide large and mid-sized companies with a full range of Internet marketing, website design and ecommerce solutions geared to maximize online revenues. More
Leveraging our advanced, methodical approach to web design and online marketing, we drive targeted traffic to your site, increase conversion and strengthen customer loyalty while enhancing your ecommerce productivity and reducing operating costs.
Whether you are building a new e-business, seeking to overhaul your existing ecommerce website or looking to advertise on the net, we are the top e-commerce provider for your company. Our web agency will work with your firm to understand your specific business-requirements and provide you with a professional, customized, scalable solution to service your customers and delight you.
Sam Acala
Stage Stores
Watch the Video
"Black Friday was spectacular, estimated 150,000 visitors and over 4,000 transactions."
Susan White
White + Warren
Watch the Video
"Our relationship has continued to grow over time in pace with our revenues."


text:
Great news, animal advocates! Yesterday U.S. Reps. Tom Marino (R-PA), Jim McGovern (D-MA), John Campbell (R-CA) and Jim Moran (D-VA) reintroduced the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act, an ASPCA-supported bill to strengthen our federal laws against animal fighting.
While it's already a federal crime to actively participate in an animal fight, it's the spectators who drive the enterprise and make it profitable. This bill would make it a federal offense to attend an organized animal fight and impose additional penalties for bringing a child to a fight.
The Senate passed this bill in the previous Congress, but even with over half the House in support, Congress was unable to pass a final bill. Reintroducing this bill in the early days of the new Congress gives us an opportunity to build on the momentum from the last Congress and help finally close the federal loophole for animal fighting spectators.
Ask your own House representative to support this important humane legislation! Visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center right now to quickly email your U.S. rep in Washington and urge him or her to cosponsor the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act.
Please let's put an end to dog fighting (and fighting of any sort between animals) - that'll automatically put an end to spectators. People who watch this type of violence need to be punished sufficiently so they'll stop!
The sicko's who perpetuate this and call it entertainment need to be removed from the face of this planet. I, for one, will be happy to oblige. There will not be the wasting of tax payer money on trials. They will just die and be disposed of in an inhumane fashion. The 'sword' will show no mercy.....
Please put a stop to this!! Put them away as if they've hurt a child, because our pets should be treated like our child!! They show love, trust n unconditional love!!
Stop the fighting and save these babies!!!
Please stand behind this bill and make all who contribute to this horrible and cruel practice accountable! This is the only way it will end!
If I could legislate penalties for anyone who owned or watched any kind of animal or bird fighting they would be penalized the same as what they were being charged with.Throw them in a ring with pit bulls.This new law would be retroactive.
Anyone who participates in or attends is a sick f--k! There are also some porn sites that advertise where men go and watch women and me being bound and gaged and sexual abused. Attendees can participate and take pictures. All of these people need lined up in front of a firing squad and put out of their misery!
Please help stopping those responsible for dog fighting.Punish all who participate in or watch animal fighting.
Please support this important humane legislation!!!!


text:
News from WTOP
News from the AP
Mike Causey
Shows & Panels
Shows & Panels
- Agency of the Month
- Business of Government Hour
- The CFO Agenda: Delivering value from financial transparency and audit efforts in the public and private sector
- Cloud-Driven Data Insights in Government
- CXO Surveys
- Disaster Resilience for America
- Federal News Countdown
- Government Perspectives on Mobility and the Cloud
- Reducing Risk in the Cloud
- Reimagining the Next Generation of Government
Shows & Panels
- AFCEA Answers
- American Readiness: Renewable Power and Efficiency Technologies
- Ask the CIO
- The Business Case for Cloud Computing in Government
- Cloud-Driven Data Insights in Government
- Connecting the Dots: Digital Authentication in Government
- Cybersecurity Game Changer: Real-Time Event Processing in Government
- Data-Centric Approaches to Government in the Cloud
- Delivering the Digital Government Mission
- Federal Executive Forum
- Federal News Radio's National Cyber Security Awareness Month Special Panel Discussion
- Federal Tech Talk
- The Future of Government Data Centers
- Government Perspectives on Mobility and the Cloud
- Industrialized, Interoperable and Insight-driven Federal Health Panel
- Innovation and Tech Superiority through Acquisition Reform
- Mitigating Insider Threats in Virtual & Cloud Environments
- Moving Agency Applications to the Cloud with PaaS
- Reducing Risk in the Cloud
- Security in the Age of Targeted Attacks
- Air Traffic Management Transformation Report
- The Business of Cloud
- Cloud First Report
- Data Driven Cloud Series
- Disaster Resilience for America
- General Dynamics IT Enterprise Center
- Gov Cloud Minute
- Government in Technology Series
- Homeland Security Cybersecurity Market Report
- The Intersection: Where Technology Meets Transformation
- Modern Mission Critical Series
- National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
- The New IP for Federal IT
- The Social Platform Solution for the Department of Veterans Affairs
- Technology Insights
- The Cyber Security Report
- The Next Generation Cyber Security Experts
Shows & Panels
- Cloud-Driven Data Insights in Government
- Disaster Resilience for America
- F-35 Lightning II Program
- Government Perspectives on Mobility and the Cloud
- On DoD
- Pentagon Solutions
- Reducing Risk in the Cloud
- Reimagining the Next Generation of Government
- Transforming Business Operations at the Defense Department
Congress revises DoD's sequestration starting point
Wednesday - 1/9/2013, 5:19am EST
Having been granted a brief reprieve from automatic budget cuts, Pentagon planners are crunching a new set of numbers.
The deal Congress and the White House struck last week created a two month delay in the cuts that were due to take place on Jan. 2. Up until New Year's Eve, DoD had calculated that two separate budget cutting mechanisms in the sequestration law would have reduced its budget by $62 billion this year. Now, DoD estimates the cuts only will amount to $45 billion.
"It's smaller because they changed the law," Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale told an audience at the Brookings Institution Monday. "They changed some of the caps and reduced the size of the sequestration during the negotiations."
Shorter time frame to make cuts
But Hale said there's obvious bad news too. If sequestration really does kick in this time, DoD and other agencies will be dealing with the cuts in a more compressed time frame, with only seven months remaining in the fiscal year.
Robert Hale, comptroller, Department of Defense
And in DoD, the cuts will be further concentrated in fewer areas. Personnel costs would be exempt from the reductions. Also, DoD still would attempt to protect funding for the war in Afghanistan, Pentagon spokesman George Little told reporters Tuesday.
"This is very serious business. Even though we may be able to still carry out the fight in Afghanistan and protect some programs, overall, our mission as a department could be devastated at least for a short period of time. That's not a prospect we relish," he said. "We've had the debt ceiling fight, we've had continuing resolutions, we have the prospect of sequester. This is not the right way to run a railroad."
Both Little and Hale complained this week not just about the prospect of cuts, but about the overall lack of budget stability and certainty in the government over the past few years.
"I could try to be artful and diplomatic, but I'll boil it down to this: at this stage, it's a mess," Little said. "We need to avoid the fiscal cliff. It's time for Congress to avert sequestration once and for all. This is not about cells in an Excel spreadsheet. This is about the defense of the United States, the people who serve in the United States military, and our civilian personnel who carry out missions in support of the defense of this nation."
Budget request delayed?
DoD and other agencies still are operating under a continuing resolution since Congress never enacted full-year appropriations bills for 2013. At the same time, agencies are preparing their budgets for 2014 in an environment that includes a lot of doubt about the future with more rounds of fiscal negotiations still ahead.
George Little, acting assistant secretary of defense for public affairs
In part because of that uncertainty, Hale said the Obama administration budget proposal that would normally be released in early February almost certainly will arrive later than usual.
"I think it's almost inevitable there will be some delay, I just don't know what," he said. "Normally, we would be transmitting data to OMB right now and we're not ready to do that. It will be OMB's call as to what delay occurs. We will start to look at alternatives in attempts to be as ready as we can when we get top-line guidance."
Even if sequestration is averted, many analysts expect DoD to come in for further budget cuts at some level. Hale said almost any alternative would be preferable to sequestration, with would deny the Pentagon the authority to decide which programs and budget accounts to cut.
But if DoD has some say in what to cut, Hale signaled that acquisition programs would probably take a disproportionate hit.
"We will try to do it in a balanced manager, but I think there's a long history and good reason why early in a draw down, the cuts tend to be heavily on the investment portion of the budget," he said. "That's because it takes us a while to make force level decisions and to gradually draw down the size of our forces. To be allowed to do that, we have to not be under sequestration and we've also got to get the U.S. Congress to agree, and they've got some misgivings about the force level reductions we've already proposed, let alone ones that might come in the future. So we've got our work cut out for us."
Planning efforts underway
Congress already said no to several of DoD's proposed budget reductions in the defense authorization bill it passed last month, for example, turning back a downsizing of the reserve component of the Air Force.
"I'm concerned generally that the Congress votes for lower defense budgets and then says we can't do the things we need to do to achieve them," Hale said. "They prohibited, for example, any retirement of Navy ships, which we need to do. They turned down many of our requests to slow down the growth of retiree healthcare. I believe we'll need to continue to work with them to make changes of that sort and more if we're going to make further reductions in the defense topline. It is a challenge."
Little said with the latest sequestration deadline less than two months away, the Pentagon is undergoing intensive planning efforts, although it's still telling its managers not to expect sequestration, and not to take any actions like slowing down contracts in anticipation of the cuts. And for now, it has no immediate plans to issue furlough notices to civilian employees.
"We're going to do right by our employees and do what we have to do to follow the law," he said. "No decisions have been made yet, but we're actively consulting with OMB to see what actions we need to take in advance of the deadline. We hope to avoid it, but we need to be ready."
Sequestration worse than thought, Pentagon frets
DoD begins planning for sequestration cuts


text:
Search for Games:
Play New Baby Hazel Games!
A fun math/puzzle based game, fill all the pots with water to complete each level.
Read directions in-game.
Strategy & RPG Games, Create your own fantasy character for these incredible mythic stories! Sometimes other action adventure games will give you a nasty, brutish character to control. That's why at GirlGames, we give you the chance to make your own character in our role-playing games. Adopt a winning strategy for every occasion and play to succeed in all of our exciting adventure and strategy games. All of the characters are special here because they were made by you, for you!
Welcome to Girl Games, the largest free game site made just for girl gamers! This is the place to play free Puzzles games in popular categories such as Board Games, Cards Games, Chain Reaction Games, Drawing Games, Jigsaw Games, Mahjong Games, Matching Games, Memory Games, Misc Puzzles Games, Quest Games, Quiz Games, Searching Games, Strategy & RPG Games, Word Games, and much more!
You'll always find the cool games at Girl Games, we have all the best games from game developers like i-dressup, girlsgogames and cartoon doll emporium so you will never get bored! This month we have some amazing games like Royal Story , Family Barn and Toto in the Frozen Land. New games are added every Thursday, so check back for all the latest free games online!


text:
Apparently, this is my 1000th post. It's been about seven years since I started this blog.
Currently Playing
I'm currently playing The Old Republic the most, and have joined a small raiding guild. I still have subscriptions to WoW and The Secret World, but I haven't really played them in a while. WoW I will go back to in Pandaria, but I'm not really sure about joining a guild or raiding. I probably will end up joining a guild, but we'll see.
In the The Old Republic, I'm playing an Imperial Agent Sniper, and also leveling a Sith Inquisitor Sorceror on the side.
For The Secret World, I dunno. I went Illuminati because they had good rifle decks, but the Illuminati are starting to annoy me. Their Hollywood or Corporate-speak is rather grating. I wish I had rolled Templar.
Trends in MMOs
Of course, the big trend in MMOs over the last seven years has been the move to Free-2-Play.
However, I wonder if this is just part of a larger trend to ... reduce a player's commitment to the MMO, might be the best way of putting it. To make it easier to play and join the game, to drop in and out. To smooth away all inconveniences that might stop someone from playing, or cause them to quit. Going F2P, making the game easier, avoiding conflicts in loot and resource gathering.
I'm not sure how well this trend is working out though. To me, an MMO is kind of like the bar in Cheers. A place where you sign in, and you see the same faces in the community, and everybody knows your name. But lately, it seems like that feeling has been disappearing. That rather than a community, it is an anonymous crowd.
To go back to the Extended/Transient division, it feels like games are becoming more and more Transient. Which is good, I suppose, as Transient players are the large majority. And yet to me it feels like the Extended aspects are what gave the game weight, what made it worth subscribing to for months on end.
The other big trend, which is annoying me, is loading screens. Whatever happened to seamless continents?
I hope you've enjoyed the last thousand posts. Hopefully there will be a thousand more, and in less than seven years. (Though I really wouldn't bet on the "less than seven years" part.) I've enjoyed reading your comments and emails, and the blogs of other players.
I'm also thinking about starting another blog. This would be about real life stuff I find interesting, like programming, politics, books, etc. I've been thinking about this for a while now, but am procrastinating because I cannot think of a decent name for the new blog.
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
A Thousand Posts
Apparently, this is my 1000th post. It's been about seven years since I started this blog.
15 comments:
- typhoonandrew said...
Congratulations, 1K posts is a huge achievement.
I have a inkling that the consumers are changing style of what games they are interested in; its almost like the gamer's flavour has shifted to where its less about old school dnd players who use a game, to twitch gamers with short attention spans - yet deep immersion is written on the boxes. I dont know; ya'know.
- 11:25 PM, September 04, 2012
- Snoopy381 said...
Always enjoy the posts, and already looking forward to the next 1000! Take it easy.
- 11:31 PM, September 04, 2012
- Liore said...
"... an MMO is kind of like the bar in Cheers."
Congratulations on the 1000 posts!
- 2:13 AM, September 05, 2012
- Shintar said...
One thousand posts! Amazing! Big congratulations.
And I agree that games are becoming more transient, but we can still make our own fun by deciding to commit to them anyway.
- 5:12 AM, September 05, 2012
- sleepysam said...
It's good reading - congrats.
- 6:09 AM, September 05, 2012
- Anonymous said...
I have always enjoyed your blog. It tends to make me think about things and if nothing else it opens up other perspectives.
- 8:34 AM, September 05, 2012
- spinksville said...
Congrats! And I thought you might enjoy hanging out with a raid guild in SWTOR, will be interested to hear how you find those raids.
- 11:29 AM, September 05, 2012
- Michael Baker said...
Rohan, if you give us a clue as to what politics you would be discussing on the new blog, we may be able to help with a name. For instance, which is more important to you: Freedom? or Equality?
- 5:54 PM, September 05, 2012
- Rohan said...
Actually, right now, I want to write more about programming. I just want to write about non-game stuff. But the topic is so general, that coming up with a decent name is hard.
- 10:26 PM, September 05, 2012
- Michael Baker said...
Rohan's Programming Blog? Nice, simple, elegant - just like programming should be.
Alternatively, Ones and Zeros.
What sort of programming are you currently doing?
- 11:15 PM, September 05, 2012
- Rohan said...
See, that's the thing, I don't want it to be just about programming. Sometimes, I'd like to write about something else.
I'm a Java business programmer doing financial type software. Pretty boring and less advanced compared to most of the programming blogs out there.
- 11:21 PM, September 05, 2012
- Michael Baker said...
LOL, get some attitude about you, Rohan. Call it Rohan's Unified Theory of Everything and then start to lay the smack down.
On an unrelated note, do you know how many geeks it takes to ruin a joke?
Firstly, it's nerd, not geek. Secondly, it's a riddle, not a joke. Now, proceed.
- 1:41 AM, September 06, 2012
- armagon said...
While I can't really remember when I started following this blog I've always enjoyed your posts, so rock on :)
- 3:19 PM, September 06, 2012
- Anonymous said...
I think you nailed why I won't be going back to WoW in this post. The DnD aspect is all but gone.
grats on 1k!
- 7:36 PM, September 09, 2012
- Joseph Skyrim said...
Gotta admit I'm a newcomer to your blog but it's good to know you've kept on trucking for 7 years and 1000 posts. Keep up the good work and congrats! ^_^
- 5:12 PM, September 11, 2012


text:
NORFOLK (AP) -- Captain James T. Kirk will be on hand when the USS Enterprise is officially retired.
A publicist for William Shatner tells the Daily Press that the actor will attend the aircraft carrier's inactivation ceremony on Saturday at Naval Station Norfolk. Shatner is scheduled to perform Friday in Newport News.
Shatner played Kirk, who led the starship Enterprise in the 'Star Trek' television series and several movies.
The world's first-nuclear powered aircraft carrier hosted another crew member of its fictional counterpart in 1983. George Takei was aboard the Enterprise when it ran aground on a sandbar while returning to Alameda, Calif., from a deployment. Takei played Lt. Cmdr. Sulu.
The Enterprise returned to Norfolk from its final deployment earlier this month. Saturday's inactivation will be its last public ceremony.
Information from: Daily Press, http://www.dailypress.com


text:
Binswanger's Disease Center - Lake Charles, LA
Lake Charles Neurologist Doctors for Binswanger's Disease
Type of Physician: Neurologist
What is a Neurologist?
A certification by the Board of Psychiatry & Neurology; practitioners focus on the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease or impaired function of the brain, spinal cord, muscles and nervous system, as well as the blood vessels that relate to these structures. The neurologist is often the primary physician but also serves as a consultant to other physicians and may render all levels of care, including the continuing care of outpatients and/or inpatients. The neurologist will often perform and interpret tests that relate to the nervous system or muscles.
Specialty: Neurology
Common Name:
Neurologist Doctors in Lake Charles *
Imperial Calcasieu Medical Grp
Neurology Associates
Neurology Associates
Neurology Associates
Manguesh G Velingker MD
Lourdes Neurology Center
Lourdes Neurology Center
Lourdes Neurology Center
Donald C Harper MD
Fabian Lugo MD
Lourdes Neurology Center
Lourdes Neurology Center
James N Domingue MD
Comprehensive Neurologics Sleep
Wael Alabdulkarim MD
Southwest Neuroscience Center
Southwest Neuroscience Center
Southwest Neuroscience Center
Southwest Neuroscience Center
Southwest Neuroscience Center
Alexandria Neurology Center
Alexandria Neurology Center
Cenla Neurology
Neurology Medical Clinic
Neurology & Sleep Center
Timothy F Himel MD
Neuro-Rehabilitation Center
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Binswanger's Disease
What is Binswanger's Disease?
Binswanger's disease (BD), also called subcortical vascular dementia, is a type of dementia caused by widespread, microscopic areas of damage to the deep layers of white matter in the brain. The damage is ...
Other Related Binswanger's Disease Articles
Emergency Contact for Lake Charles
Nearby Lake Charles Hospitals *
Christus St Patrick Hospital
Dubuis Hospital
Extended Care Of Southwest LA
Lake Charles Memorial Hospital
W O Moss Regional Medical Ctr
Women & Children's Hospital
Cornerstone Hosp-SW Louisiana
West Calcasieu-Cameron Hospital
Dequincy Memorial Hospital
Allen Parish Hospital
South Cameron Memorial Hospital
Jennings American Legion Hosp
Baptist Orange Hospital
*Provider Directory Terms of Use:
The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval.


text:
Notify Me! The product you are searching for is out of stock. If you wish us to notify you when the product is in stock please submit your name and email.
|The Vans Slip On Youth Shoe goes on really easy and features a lightly padded collar for added comfort, and the classic checkerboard pattern throughtout the canvas upper and the Vans Waffle pattern outsole.


text:
On Saturday, June 26, 2010, there was a point at approximately the 40-mile mark of the 37th running of the Western States 100 where I almost had to pinch myself. I was running easily along an exquisite stretch of single-track trail with Geoff Roes and Kilian Jornet—arguably the two best 100-mile mountain racers in the world—that allowed us occasional glimpses into an almost Black-Canyon-of-the-Gunnison-esque precipice. The effort was comfortable but edging towards the first creeping sensations of fatigue, and we were about to embark on the initial big drop into Western's storied "Canyons"—a series of three descents and climbs: Deadwood, El Dorado and Volcano—where the race almost always experiences a definitive shifting or establishment of positions. Best of all, I was feeling calm, confident and ready to roll on a classic section of trail in an event that, in my mind, has always represented the ultimate in ultra racing competition. Life was pretty damn good.
It seems that Western States has the capability of evoking that type of emotion and excitement no matter what aspect of the event is being played out. While there are certainly a few organizational and staging critiques that I could make, the event largely lives up to its billing as the de facto national championship in our niche little sport. The top athletes show up, the ultra-geeks get excited and tweet and blog ecstatically, and it seems everyone approaches the task at hand—running 100 miles in a day—with an uniquely special sense of duty and resolve. I know I did.
After my last (failed) attempt at the 100-mile distance at the Leadville 100 in August 2009, I learned that it is important never to trivialize the 100-mile distance by playing cavalierly with its demands. As a result, I went into this year's WS100 with a strict aim of focusing on nothing but competing as best I could—even when Pearl Izumi laudably put up a couple grand for a new course record very late in the media-buzz game, I simply stuck to my intentions of only trying to win the race. I figured, considering this year's remarkably talented and deep field, simply winning would require a course record anyway.
The Big Four
Shortly before 4 a.m. Saturday morning, I woke, ate two tortillas with Nutella, picked up my bib number and timing ankle chip and made my way to the starting line with only minutes to spare. I was legitimately nervous, but the good kind—I knew I was prepared and was simply as excited as everyone else to see just how the day would unfold amongst the top contenders.
|Geoff Roes slightly ahead of Anton Krupicka at the top of Emigrant Pass, around the mile 4 mark.
From the very beginning, the alleged "Big Four" (Hal, Geoff, Kilian and myself) asserted ourselves as the legit contenders everyone had predicted us to be. The first four miles of the course immediately climbs about 2,500 feet relatively steeply on ski-slope catwalk and short sections of single track to Emigrant Pass at the top of the Squaw Valley Ski Area.
As expected, Kilian jumped out to a quick lead, but was quickly followed and eventually apprehended by Hal. I fell in casually next to Geoff a few meters back and just focused on finding a comfortable, last-all-day rhythm. At the first aid station (maybe a mile below the summit of the pass), Kilian stopped briefly for a drink of water, which allowed Hal, Geoff and I to catch up. We essentially ran single file to the top of the pass. Kilian was again in front and running every step of a short, very steep section of trail, but gaining only a small amount on Geoff and me, who were power-hiking. I'm all for running very steep terrain, but over the years, I've realized that enforcing such a requirement during a 100-mile race isn't always the best idea.
Geoff and I crested the Escarpment in 42 minutes and, looking over my shoulder, I took in the spectacular views of a fog-laden Squaw Valley, a shimmering Lake Tahoe and perfect alpine glow on all of the surrounding peaks. It was truly a glorious morning. Heading down the single-track into the Granite Chief Wilderness, I held back from letting out a loud whoop; I didn't want to come off as cocky so early in the race.
Almost immediately, we began the much-talked-about section of snow running. The next five miles or so were defined by hip-deep snowpack, non-snow footing that consisted mostly of high-flowing streams and run-off, and very little trail. I'm very comfortable on this kind of mixed, technical terrain, so it was actually a lot of fun trotting along easily behind Kilian and Geoff. Geoff commented on how it was nice to have the poor footing as an early mental diversion and I agreed. I could run all day on that type of stuff and never get bored. The three of us worked together to spot the yellow flags marking the course and before long we were on a double-track that ended in a gate (which I spontaneously vaulted—lots of energy early in the morning!), where we turned left onto the so-called "Snow Route"—a gradually descending double-track that eventually dumped us out onto a wide, graveled forest service road.


text:
Great Live Moments - Branford Marsalis
June 30, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.Add new comment | Filed under: ballad, bassist, branford marsalis, burnout, chicago jazz festival, drummer jeff, Great Live Moments, jazz quartet, jeff tain watts, kenny kirkland, Listening Post, pianist, revis, square park, tain, washington square, washington square park, wbgo
In 1998, Branford Marsalis was the host of JazzSet. He was also the leader of an amazing jazz quartet. In August of that year, they played a concert at Washington Square Park in New York. WBGO was there to capture the performance.
I remember seeing this band at the Chicago Jazz Festival, just a few weeks after this recording. Branford, along with bassist Eric Revis, drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, and the late pianist Kenny Kirkland had the unique ability to pin you to your seat for more than an hour. The music was relentless, whether it was some burnout tune or a ballad. Kenny Kirkland's "Mr. J.C." is a great example of the former. Enjoy the blistering solos from Kenny and Branford. Click here to listen.
Festival Day Three- For all of the Senses
June 29, 2008. Posted by Amy Niles.Add new comment | Filed under: FIJM, Jazz Alive
"Bonjour/ Hello"
That's what people say when you first meet them here in Montreal. They don't assume that you understand them, they welcome you in. And in the rare case that someone does not speak English, they are apologetic for it. As if the onus to communicate is on them, not on you.
Yesterday was filled with fresh smells and beautiful images at the Jean Talon Market. A place that is off most tourist's radar screen, but a must see if you are trying to get the flavor of this city. The famous Quebec strawberries ( a clown walking around even offered us a sample!), we met the woman who owns the cows that make the milk for the cheese that she was hoping that we would sample. The person who grilled the sausages wanted to tell us about the process that was used to make them. Go with an appetite- every stall had not only a beautiful display of produce and wares, but also samples to taste- berries, and plums and nectarines. Even little cups of jams and juices. And each offering is a work of art- maybe a flower placed in the center of a basket of berries, or a sprig of parsley brightening up a mound of mushrooms. You taste with all of your senses at the Jean Talon Market. I came back with figs and berries for the most wonderful midnight snack as I prepared for another much anticipated night of music.
Coral Egan is a very popular local singer. Her two sold out nights are a testament to the love that this town has for its home grown talent. One of the interesting things that I have noticed about the Montreal artists is that they aren't pigeonholed into one genre or instrument. Coral sings the blues, and standards, and rock. I could picture her singing in a smoky Canadian club, or an outdoor beach jam in Malibu. She plays her set barefoot, with her toned body swaying on the piano bench or enveloping her guitar. Her backup singer did her turn on all of the instruments too. And of course she slipped in and out of English and French. You may not like it all, but the sum of her parts made for one captivating evening.
It was an honor to be present watching Brad Mehldau and Hank Jones perform together. The sheer genious of the producers of this event to create such a magical evening has to be commended- and the audience owes them a debt of gratitude for the opporuntity to witness these artists together. Who led? Who's style won out? I can't say. It was pure harmony. I will let Becca and Michael talk about the jazz aspects, but for me- the fortunate listener, it was an evening that will stay with me for a long time.
This is why I come to Montreal. Gee- I have said that about so many things this trip!
Back to Back Brad Mehldau in Montreal
June 29, 2008. Posted by Becca Pulliam.Add new comment | Filed under: FIJM, Jazz Alive
Four hours of Brad Mehldau here on June 28, 2008, were magnificent! first with Larry Grenadier on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums, the other at two pianos with Hank Jones. A great trio stretch was "Samba e Amor" by Chico Buarque with a beautiful left hand piano solo, an untitled new piece, "We See" by Monk, and "Baby Plays Around" by Elvis Costello, an anthem of regret. All music, almost no talk, applause between pieces seemed never to end. There were two encores. That concert began at 6 and went past 8. Ninety minutes later, Brad came back with Hank Jones.
The pianists were born about fifty years apart. As a high school student, Brad had seen Hank at Bradley's club in New York, and been inspired. Tonight, they played together for the first time. After three pieces they switched pianos (Their benches went with them, in a clever piece of stagecraft). Even on the other's piano, they sounded like themselves -- Hank a little warmer, Brad a little brighter -- on "Anthropology," "There Is No Greater Love," "Lullaby of Birdland" and "The Very Thought of You."
I love Hank's underpinnings, like his two-handed paddle, and his concentration. By the way, he's turning 90 later this summer. Brad drums on notes, fast and precise. His hands mirror one another, effortlessly. Though he can throw an elbow (Jones is back straight, arms at sides), they were both as economical as dancers, and partnering each other tonight. I hope this concert was recorded.
Click here for Monk's "Work" performed by the Brad Mehldau Trio.
The Montreal audience and the staging are essentials in this package. Don't have a photo yet, working on a little audio sample, and in the meantime, here's something from the farmers' market that Amy & I went to yesterday. Think of New York's new venue, Le Poisson Rouge.


text:
February 14, 2008
Scholarships.com Staff
In a bold move reflective of the volatile loan market, Michigan announced its decision to temporarily suspend the state-run Michigan Alternative Student Loan (MI-Loan) program. Alternative loans, otherwise known as private student loans, are often used by students to supplement federal Pell Grants and government loans.
Those who are ineligible for government aid or who don't receive enough of it often look to alternative loans for additional funding assistance. According to the Associated Press, about 8,500 loans totaling $68 million were offered through the MI-Loan program last year. As of Friday evening, these loans will no longer be available to students.
In their notice, the Michigan Higher Education Student Loan Authority stated that "There is not sufficient available capital to continue making MI-Loans." With student lenders facing the effects of a major mortgage crisis as well as subsidy cuts from the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, the pressure is on to make a profit. Numerous student lenders have already announced their plans to cut loan benefits and tighten eligibility requirements. Some have even closed their doors completely.
Michigan students eligible for MI-Loans (students attending Michigan colleges or universities) can still look to other lenders for assistance. In fact, JPMorgan Chase & Company is even decreasing their loan rates and fees. Once funding becomes available-- if funding becomes available--MI-Loans will again be an option.
To diminish their reliance on loans, affected students can also apply for Michigan scholarships. By conducting a free college scholarship search at Scholarships.com, students from each state will have access to information about more than 2.7 million college scholarships and grants worth 19 billion.
February 13, 2008
Whoever said it's a dog eat dog world must not have met the Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show bunch. As the well-behaved dogs trotted across the stage in perfect sync with their owners, it's a wonder the negative phrase was ever associated with pups.
At the end, the multicolored beagle named Uno managed to take home the prize for this year's Best in Show. Standing only 15 inches high, Uno rose to the occasion and proceeded to be the first of his breed to win the title since 1939. As I watched last night's event next to my dog, I increasingly questioned my pet's behavior. Is alternately biting each leg, the tail and my pillows really satisfying?
Obviously, not all dogs can strut the runway, but that doesn't stop owners across the nation from falling in love with them. Not only are dogs a man's (and woman's) best friend, but they can now help you pay for college. If you're a lover of dogs, check out the scholarships below for some financial aid options. For additional scholarship opportunities, you may conduct a free college scholarship search at Scholarships.com.
Florida Institute of Animal Arts Scholarship
This $5,000 scholarship can help students interested in attending the Florida Institute of Animal Arts in completing their education. If you want to learn a thing or two about dog grooming, check this school out.
Dog Writers Association of America
The Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) is sponsoring a junior's essay scholarship award for students between the ages of 18 and 22. By writing about their experiences with dogs, students can win a $500 to $1,000 scholarship.
The Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSD) Scholarship
Low income individuals with disabilities can use this scholarship to acquire and train an assistant dog. Awards are largely based on financial need.
American Kennel Club Veterinary Student Scholarship
The American Kennel Club currently offers $145,000 in scholarships to eligible veterinary school students each year. Applicants are judged on academic achievement, need and activities with purebred dogs or related research.
February 12, 2008
The lawsuit filed last Friday against Wheaton College officials again brings into question the policies at numerous colleges providing study-abroad programs. Though largely advertised as the opportunity of a lifetime—a way to expand the mind and experience outside cultures—the impartiality of study-abroad policies at certain schools has become increasingly dubious.
The most recent allegation in a string of study-abroad investigations is that of Mr. James P. Brady, the father of a Wheaton College alumna who studied abroad in South Africa. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, Mr. James P. Brady is suing the school for overcharging his daughter for her study abroad travels. Had his daughter studied at the South African college herself, the stay would have cost her roughly $17,000. Instead, Wheaton College asked the family to pay the tuition of regular undergraduate students residing at Wheaton.
Paying the South African tuition would have allowed Mr. Brady's daughter to save money in college--nearly $4,500. According to Brady, the school did not even provide additional services in exchange for Wheaton tuition and other costs. Though she did not stay at the school, his daughter was charged the full price of an education at Wheaton, including room and board. The school denied accusations of unfair billing practices stating that trip costs were clearly established beforehand.
This lawsuit is yet another blotch in the study-abroad records of colleges across the nation. Earlier this year, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo sent out numerous subpoenas to schools whose study abroad offices were suspected of unfair business practices.
Months before that, an article from The New York Times told the story of a Columbia student angry with his school for having denied him credit transfers for his work at Oxford. After traveling with an outside study abroad program, the student was upset to find that his credits would not be accepted by Columbia. While his peers received credit for their work at lesser academically-recognized schools, the classes he completed at one of the most prestigious universities in the world would not fulfill his graduation requirements at Columbia.
The study abroad investigation continues to haunt schools across the nation. For some, the accusations are a second blow following last year's findings of illegal incentive-based relations between student lenders and financial aid officials. With a general search for unfair policies within the study abroad industry still in progress, the problems of colleges are far from over.
February 11, 2008
Do you like chicken? Are you a high school senior? Then don't waste another moment; apply for the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Colonel Scholarship today! Don't worry vegetarians; you can still apply. The KFC Colonel doesn't discriminate against taste buds (though mentioning your love for KFC delicacies can't hurt your application).
To assist high school seniors with financial need and an entrepreneurial drive, KFC is offering numerous college scholarships. Selected seniors may receive up to $20,000 for their college education. If you're interested, you better hurry: the deadline is right around the corner.
1. More than 50 scholarships worth up to $20,000
1. Applicant must be a High School Senior
February 6, 2008
There is plenty of room for college students to make a difference in the election, and many are taking it upon themselves to do just that. It is projected that political interests, registration and voting numbers for youth across the nation will be at an all-time high during the 2008 election.
According to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, less than 50 percent of eligible voters between the ages of 18 and 29 cast their ballots in the national election of 2004. At 68, the percentage of voters ages 30 and over who did so was, unsurprisingly, greater. This year, things are expected to change.
Presidential candidates are counting on young voters for support, and they have been putting in extra effort to address their interests. To remind college students and recent grads to vote, candidates have been sending out text messages, speaking at college campuses, offering campaign internships and promoting themselves on popular student websites such as MySpace and Facebook.
While it's still a bit early for P.Diddy and his MTV Rock the Vote campaign, loyal supporters always get a head start. With locals fighting over each other to hand out presidential "pompflets" and campus supporters scrambling to student dormsteps wearing big grins excess energy, the competition has barely begun.
February 5, 2008
On February 4th, President Bush unveiled his much criticized national budget to a frustrated Congress. Members of both parties found fault with the president for his proposal to increase funding for the military at the expense of Medicare. According to the Los Angeles Times, President Bush's proposal could slow the growth of Medicare programs by nearly $208 billion over the next five years.
The budget for the Department of Education, on the other hand, was received with mixed reviews. A firm advocate of scientific research, the president proposed that funds for physical-science research, much of which would go to colleges and universities, increase in the upcoming year.
While physical scientists cheered in one corner, medical researchers jeered in the other. Once again, The National Institute of Health (NIH), the primary government agency responsible for health-related research, was upset with the president's funding proposal.
After his decision to veto a bill that would increase NIH funding in November, the president's budget did not come as much of a surprise. Upon hearing last year's proposal, Bush claimed that Congress was, "acting like a teenager with a new credit card." Ironically, if Bush's budget is approved, skyrocketing national debt is expected. The current U.S. debt could more than double over the next two years if Congress chooses to accept the budget. More likely, the proposal will be stalled until President Bush leaves office.
February 4, 2008
The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) wants to spread awareness about fire safety, and if scholarships can make that happen, they're willing to try.
The AFSA Scholarship Contest is unlike many traditional scholarship essay contests. That's because instead of writing essays, applicants will have to read them. That's right, to apply, students will have to go online and read an essay about sprinklers and fire safety. After they finish, they will be prompted to complete a ten-question quiz on what they have just read. Luckily, looking back is allowed. Those who answer incorrectly will even have the chance to fix their errors. You literally can't go wrong with this scholarship.Prize:1. Ten $2,000 scholarship prizes
1. Applicants must be high school seniors studying in the U.S. 2. Applicants must be enrolled in a college, university or a trade school by the 2008 fall semester 3. Only one entry per student is permitted
April 11, 2008
Required Material:
1. Completed online exam 2. Contact information
Further details, including information about applying for the award and contacting the scholarship provider, can be found by conducting a free college scholarship search. Once a student has completed the search, this scholarship will appear in their scholarship list, provided the student is eligible.
February 1, 2008
Complaints about skyrocketing tuitions at four-year colleges and universities have been reverberated around the nation for quite some time—especially within the past year. Less attention has been paid to the financial difficulties at community colleges.
Even though four-year schools offer less expensive classes, they also possess fewer funds to offer students additional help in affording an education. Many universities have alumni who donate thousands, sometimes millions to their beloved alma maters. Some have accumulated endowments in excess of $1 billion. Such is rarely the case for community colleges.
According to an article published by the Associated Press, the financing problem is further compounded by the fact that community colleges are in dire need of funding for graduation rate improvement. While few four-year colleges and universities can brag about the high number of students who receive diplomas after enrolling, especially as far as undergraduate programs are concerned, rates are particularly poor at community colleges. These schools enroll 6.6 million students who seek credits or degrees (and a few more million who don't), but many students don't accomplish their graduation or transfer goals before leaving.
The results of a Cal State Sacramento Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy study that tracked 520,407 community college students over a six-year period showed that only 24 percent of those seeking to graduate or earn a degree were able to do so in six years.
Community colleges find themselves in a difficult situation because they need funds to get students in and ones to get them out, with a degree. These schools receive financial aid based on the student population, so they go out of their way to make enrollment easy. Once students are in, including ones with outside jobs and those who registered late, they have trouble completing their education.
January 31, 2008
Each year, I heard complaints about the textbook policies of my old college economics teacher. He wrote the only textbook required for class and re-released it—in a nearly identical format—annually. As a result, previous students couldn't make money by reselling their old books, and new students couldn't buy used books at a discounted price.
If the House passes its proposed textbook bill, universities might be forced to curb this type of practice. The new bill would make it mandatory for colleges to release course supply information in catalogs thereby giving students the chance to consider class costs before signing up and the time to search for cheaper resources.
Publishers would also have to play a part in decreasing the supply prices. The bill proposed that publishers be forced to minimize textbook costs by cutting down on attached CDs and workbooks. They would also have to publicize the wholesale costs of books and to make known the previous versions costs. If the new versions were revised, the revisions would have to be summarized. With this information, students would be better equipped to decide whether a new textbook version was worth the price.
The book addendum, a part of the House's new version of the Higher Education Act, was not a part of the corresponding version already approved by the Senate. If the House passes this bill, Senators will again have to approve the changes.
January 30, 2008
Students who sign up for classes don't always know what they're getting into. Boring teachers aside, the work may be both overwhelming and useless. If that's the case, it may be time to get out before it's too late. Here are some things to remember before making the final decision.
Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst Dropping classes may be the best way to avoid unnecessary work or burnout, but it sure is a pain. It takes time, sometimes money, and it nearly always causes stress. That's why it's best to ask around before choosing classes. Find out if any of your friends have taken the class. Is it difficult? Is it interesting? Is the teacher effective in helping students develop critical skills?
Most importantly, figure out if the class coincides with your future goals and current interests. During high school, I signed up for an accounting class thinking it would provide me with practical insight into the business world. Though business was not in my future, I thought that everyone could benefit from some business basics. After a few weeks of scribbling numbers into a never-ending stream of credit and debit columns, I raised my hand and asked the teacher if this class would prepare me for something other than accounting. Turns out, it wouldn't. It's too bad I didn't know that sooner.
Give Yourself a Reality Check Difficulty is a commonly cited reason for dropping classes, and it's a perfectly good reason. It's important to be realistic about your abilities and your schedule. When a class is just adding to your already full workload, rethink it. Being able to drop a class doesn't make you a quitter; it makes you a realistic and mature decision maker, one that values their sanity and health.
Consider Class Importance Before dropping a class, be sure that you can afford to do so. If you're in college, dropping a class may put you below full-time status subsequently decreasing your eligibility for a full financial aid package (both scholarships and federal student aid).
Dropping required college classes may also be troublesome. When students decide to get rid of a requisite, they may be forced to take on a heavier workload in future semesters. A heavier workload may in turn lead to scheduling difficulties caused by core courses that overlap in time.
Sometimes, a class may simply be unavoidable. Once again, be realistic when you judge. If you think you can do without the class, let it go. If you know that dropping the class will only lead to future troubles, just grin and bear it for a while.
Be Cost Conscious If you're in high school, dropping a class will probably save you money (unless you're paying for AP classes ). Once you graduate high school, it's a different story. Most colleges and universities fine students who drop their classes too late into the semester. That's why it's important for students to be aware of the costs involved in taking on classes and dropping them. If you plan to drop a class, do so before the fee deadline. If you're worried about the costs of taking on additional classes, stick with the basics and take enrichment courses once you can afford them.
Copyright © 1998 - 2015 Scholarships.com, LLC
Scholarships.comTM All Rights Reserved
Scholarships.com, LLC, Publisher


text:
It's amazing how the more things change, the more they remain the same. On the one hand, we have Java, with it's basis in object-oriented theory, automatic memory management, dependency on a runtime, and a robust library that abstracts the system it runs on. And on the other hand, we have Microsoft.NET, with it's basis in object-oriented theory, automatic memory management, dependency on a runtime, and a robust library that abstracts the system it runs on.
You'd think with all these two kids have in common, they would get along better. No such luck.
Getting Java to talk to Microsoft.NET is only slightly more fun than being on the receiving end of a root canal. One book I picked up recently was all about interoperability using Web Services. Web Services! Not that there is anything wrong with Web Services in general, but I why do I need a web server, WSDL, and the overhead of two-way XML serialization if I just want a list of the processes on my local system (something Java cannot do natively).
Maybe you've tried something like passing data to a process using standard-input and standard-output. It's limited, but it works. You still need something like SOAP or XStream if you want to work with objects, and at least you don't have the overhead of a full blown web server. But it's still not simple. Or maybe you've tried using sockets. Same thing, but without incurring the overhead of starting and stopping a process every time you need to do something that is windows-ey. Still, it can get complicated.
You are probably thinking, "There must be a better way." And that would make sense, because you took the time to read the title of this article, correct? I am here to tell you - there is a better way.
Microsoft's Component Object Model (COM)
Microsoft spent decades developing this technology called COM. It stands for Component Object Model. "Wait a second," you say. "Isn't COM dead? Doesn't .NET make it obsolete?" You might think so, but look how long .NET has been around. And Microsoft Office is still written in unmanaged C++. Consider also that all the .NET libraries for Microsoft Office are thin wrappers around the COM libraries that Office exposes. COM is embedded deeply in Windows, it is mature, stable, and it's not going anywhere.
Microsoft.NET has excellent support for COM interoperability. You can create and consume managed COM libraries using VB.NET, C#, or C++/CLI. It's almost trivial to do so in VB.NET, for example. You just set a few properties, build the project, and you've got a COM-callable DLL.
Groovy and Scriptom
Groovy, for those who aren't already familiar with it, is a very cool dynamic language that is designed specifically to run on the Java JVM. The syntax is based on Java, and everything gets compiled to Java bytecode, so it's very easy for us Java programmers to work with. Groovy is a lot more expressive than Java, so you can typically get things done in about half the lines of code. And I've found I can read through Groovy code a lot faster.
Scriptom is Groovy module that lets you consume COM objects.
Create a COM-Accessible VB.NET Library
Step 1. Create a New Project
Open Visual Studio and create a new VB class library project called MyFips140Crypto.
Step 2. Add the Code
Rename Class1 to SHA and add the following code:
Step 3. Enable COM
To enable COM support, open the project properties and click the Assembly Info button. Fill in the dialog any way you want, but make sure that Make assembly COM-Visible is checked.
Step 4. Give It a Strong Name
What is a "strong name," you ask? Well, it is some sort of Microsoft security cryptographic digital signature thingy. Why do you care? In most cases, you won't. The important thing to remember is that you won't be able to successfully register the library later without this.
Lucky for us, Microsoft has made this step relatively easy. From the project properties page, you can have Visual Studio create a new strong name key file for you. You can optionally protect the key file with a password.
Once the strong name key file is associated with your project, you generally don't have to worry about it again.
Step 5. Build It
Build the project.
Step 6. Register It
Open Visual Studio 2005 Command Prompt. It is one of the tools that comes standard with Visual Studio. Navigate to the folder where your compiled DLL is going to reside, and type in the following command:
If you have been lucky enough to get everything right so far, you'll get a confirmation message telling you that the assembly was registered successfully. Congratulations!
Okay, that was tough. There are a couple of not-so-obvious steps involved in creating even a simple COM-enabled .NET library. Fortunately, once you know all the steps, it is pretty much just following the same recipe. And once you have set up a .NET project this way, it is easy to add another class.
You might expect that for the Groovy portion of this project, there is a similar type of overhead incurred. You'd be wrong though. With Groovy, it is more like scripting. Here is all the code you need to compute the SHA-1 hash of an arbitrary string:
There you have it. A FIPS 140-1 approved SHA-1 implementation in about 20 lines of code. Enjoy!
I don't know where this part is going...
So think about this for a second. This code is converting a Java String to a COM String supporting unicode. The COM String is converted to a .NET-compatible String. .NET converts the String to an array of bytes and passes it to a standard .NET Framework object that then calls the Microsoft CryptoAPI to generate a 160-bit hash code. The result is passed back from the CryptoAPI into .NET and converted to a COM array. That array is passed back to Groovy as a SafeArray, which is converted to a Java byte array.
And all you had to do was write a couple of lines of code on each end.