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Bramble Berry carries an extensive selection of soap & body bases that you can customize with your own fragrance and colors. We carry rebatching soap bases, lip & perfume bases, liquid soap bases, and lotion bases. Be sure to not miss our newest addition to the Bramble Berry Line finished Cold Process soap. These soaps are made with our best selling fragrance and essential oils and are ready to use!
"Thank you for your prompt response. Bramble Berry has the best customer service of any company I know of. Pass the word!" -Rene
Sarah of Spicy Pinecone creates gorgeous cold process soap that demonstrate a wide range of techniques, colors and design elements. Her passion for bath and beauty is evident in each creation, which are beautifully presented and photographed. Sarah shares her soaping making on her YouTube channel, which has more than 80 fun and informative videos. Read on to […]
The post Chatting with Sarah of Spicy Pinecone appeared first on Soap Queen.


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Microsoft's official enterprise support blog for AD DS and more
On April 9, 1999 the first Windows 2000 Active Directory domain went online in Redmond Washington. Microsoft's first truly enterprise operating system had been born.
After 11 years and countless follow-up OS versions, Windows 2000 retired today and it is no longer supported. It will live on only in our memories… and as a steel space goat, hell bent on revenge.
If you still have Windows 2000 in your environment and just felt your left arm go numb while reading this, you might want to visit the Win2000 migration solution center: http://support.microsoft.com/win2000.
- Ned "what do I do with this old MCSE certification now?" Pyle
Sort of bitter sweet as most of us that read this blog cut our teeth on AD with Windows 2000...but the time has long come to move on. I think it will be much more dramatic once 2003 is retired as I still see a ton of 2003 boxes (not nearly as many 2000 boxes anymore).
I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the NT MCSE. Let's kill/retire those certs too :)

subset: commoncrawl


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Campaigns apply tech tools to ground game
FAIRFAX, Va. The red and blue T-shirts that Mitt Romney campaign volunteers wear in Virginia feature a digital code that voters can zap with their smart phones to learn more about the Republican presidential hopeful.
The volunteer "data captains" who staff President Barack Obama's 30 re-election offices in Florida process reams of material generated by local phone banks that will be mined by the campaign's organizing teams.
The presidential ground game has gone high tech, marrying old-school organizing work with innovative digital tools.
Four years after the 2008 Obama campaign revolutionized the use of the Internet for fundraising and communication with supporters, both the Obama and Romney teams are using digital technology to streamline the labor intensive work of mobilizing voters in battleground states such as Virginia and Florida that are expected to decide the outcome of the contest.
The efforts range from the relatively straightforward - both campaigns have mobile "apps" to engage volunteers - to the more ambitious, like the Obama team's new Dashboard platform designed to help volunteers connect with the campaign both online and in the field.
The ground game is just one piece of a presidential campaign's multi-pronged effort to identify voters and get them to the polls, along with staples such as events, direct mail and television and radio advertising. And technology can't fully replace the phone banking and door knocking that ultimately make a ground game successful.
Republicans once had the edge on Democrats when it came to micro targeting, with former President George W. Bush's political advisers taking the lead on identifying voters through their activities, television viewing habits and magazine subscriptions. Such techniques helped Bush narrowly defeat Democrat John Kerry in 2004 despite an ambitious field organizing program waged by labor unions and others supporting Kerry's candidacy. Labor unions are expected to help with Obama's field operation this time, and some Republican-leaning independent groups say they, too, will invest in ground game efforts to help Romney.
The tech-forward Obama team far outpaced John McCain's campaign in the use of technology in 2008, and Republicans continued to lag in subsequent years during Michael Steele's tenure as head of the Republican National Committee. But this year, the Obama and Romney campaigns are both actively pursuing ways digital technology can help them streamline the often cumbersome process of executing a field program and build their databases more quickly to identify and mobilize supporters.
"In a very close election like this one is expected to be, turnout makes a difference and that means the ground game might make a difference," said Chris Arterton, a professor of political management at George Washington University. "We are clearly also in a transition period where people are figuring out how to use digital mobilization and marry that to real, in-person contact, and whether it can be used as an effective weapon."
So far, the Obama campaign is far ahead of the Romney team in applying technology to field organizing - from robust state-by-state Facebook pages and Twitter feeds to the Dashboard tool unveiled by the campaign last month.


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Sci-fi greats tackle imagination
JOE HALDEMAN, author of sci-fi classics such as "The Forever War"
"I'd say imagination is what you get for free — and if you don't have it, you can't 'purchase' it with any currency.
"I suppose that brain scientists can locate some place or process that's the locus of imagination — but then again, I wonder. No one ever suffered a head injury and said, 'Oh, no! There goes my imagination!'
"Imagination seems to be a characteristic that eludes qualification. ertainly there's a random factor to it, but just as certainly, there's a quality of distinction. You could write an abstract poem that used a random number generator to 'choose' its vocabulary (I've done that, in fact), but telling a good poem from a bad one made that way is discrimination — the opposite of randomness.
"I shouldn't try to improve on what Ernest Hemingway said about imagination — that 'it is the one thing beside honesty that a good writer must have. The more he learns from experience, the more he can imagine. If he gets so he can imagine truly enough people will think that the things he relates all really happened and that he is just reporting."
JON LOMBERG, space artist and journalist, and former principal artistic collaborator with the late Carl Sagan
Imagination ...
is looking at a dot in the sky and seeing it as another world
is looking at the world and seeing it as just a dot in the sky
is the reciprocal of memory
is rotating an 8 ball to make an ∞ ball
is seeing a garden in the galaxy
is seeing a galaxy in a garden


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Anti-oxidant package puppy food made in the USA.< read all 1 reviews
With the poisonous pet food and toy scare in the last couple of years, I was understandable concerned about buying the safest and best dog food when I got my new puppy. Making the best choice for her food consumption was not the easiest, I was new to the pet-mom scene and didn't have a clue which brands were reputable. In addition, Petco and Pet Smart have aisles filled with food options, making the elimination process all the more daunting.
After a good thirty minutes of wandering the aisles comparing labels, brands, endorsements and discussing the pros and cons of each type with the store employees, I decided on Nutro Natural Choice Ultra Puppy Food. Here's why:
· It's made in the USA. I don't have to worry about poisonous and questionable imported contents.
· All natural ingredients include brown rice, rice bran, lamb meal, chicken male, sunflower oil, salmon meal, cranberry, oatmeal, marigold extract and fish oil. I liked that each of these items provides optimum nutrition and antioxidant protection.
· Taste guaranteed! Obviously, I haven't tasted this dry food, but the list of ingredients certainly contains elements (salmon, chicken, fish oil) that I would consume myself! Plus, my bulldog seems to have no issue gobbling this stuff up (literally inhaling it).
· It's packed with vitamins & minerals (vitamins A, B, C, E, zinc, copper, and beta carotene) all of which are meant to keep your dog healthy, but also make their coat shiny and full.
· The packaging – The food bag comes in three different sizes making it easy to grab a small 4.5 lb bag for a road trip, a 17.5lb for a kennel stay, or a 35lb bag which won't run out quickly and cause me to make multiple trips to the store.
· The Nutro Ultra line also offers adult, senior, and large breed food options. This made the transition extremely easy from puppy to adult food. The ingredients are essentially the same, with more caloric intake. She had no reaction to the switch and seemed as full and satisfied with the adult food as ever.
Overall, Nutro Ultra is a great brand that I trust and has kept my dog healthy and satisfied. It is a bit more expensive than other brands, but worth every penny.
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Natural Ingredients: Chicken meal, brown rice, rice bran, lamb meal, poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, natural source of linoleic acid), sunflower oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, source of linoleic acid), flaxseed (natural source of alpha linolenic acid), natural flavors, beet pulp, alfalfa (natural source of chlorophyll), salmon meal (natural source of DHA), oatmeal, tomato pomace (natural source of lycopene), fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, natural source of DHA), cranberry, dried egg product, kelp (natural source of iodine), taurine, bacillus licheniformis fermentation extract, bacillus subtilis fermentation extract, l-carnitine, glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate, garlic (natural source of selenium), marigold extract (natural source of lutein), lycopene.
Vitamins & Minerals: Potassium chloride, vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, zinc proteinate, choline chloride, ferrous sulfate, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), biotin, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, niacin (vitamin B3), calcium iodate, calcium pantothenate (source of vitamin B5), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), copper proteinate, sodium selenite, vitamin D3 supplement, beta carotene, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), folic acid.
Guaranteed Analysis: Crude protein (min.) 30%, crude fat (min.) 15%, crude ...


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A-Z of West Midlands Football
Posted: June 15, 2014|
ST ANDREW'S has been the home of Birmingham City football club since 1906.
The first game there took place on Boxing Day of that year when a crowd of 32,000 saw Blues held to a goalless draw by Middlesbrough.
Over the years, the ground itself has been changed and added to considerably, especially after it was hammered by German war planes during World War Two.
A record crowd of 66,844 packed into the stadium to see a 5th round FA Cup tie between Blues and Everton in February 1939.
Today St Andrew's can house 29,409 spectators, all seated, while the playing area measures 115 yards x 75 yards (105m x 68m).
The Arsenal v Sheffield Wednesday encounter of March 1907 was the first Cup tie staged at St Andrew's; two FA Amateur Cup semi-finals have been played there plus no less than nine FA Cup semi-finals including the Aston Villa v. WBA clash in 1957 when Villa won 1-0.
The last semi-final saw Leicester City beat Sheffield United 2-0 in 1961.
England have played two internationals on Blues' ground – drawing 1-1 with Scotland in 1922 and beating Wales 2-1 in 1941.
St Andrew's stands 123m above sea level – the sixth highest football ground in England. HRH the Prince of Wales paid a visit there in the summer of 1980, followed by Mohammed Ali 1984.
BAKARY SAKO was born in Ivry Sur Seine, Paris in April 1988 and played for two major clubs in France – Chateauroux and St Etienne – scoring 26 goals in 192 appearances in the French League and Cup competitions before joining Wolves in 2012.
Over the last two seasons the midfielder has played in 93 games for the Wanderers, helping them win the League One Championship last term when he netted some important goals in a total of nine.
He has represented Mali at Under 17 and senior levels and collected ten Under 21 caps for France (2009-10).
MAT SADLER played in 35 competitive games as a defender (mainly left-back) for Birmingham City in three seasons with the club: 2001-04.
Born in the city in February 1985, he was capped by England at youth team level during his time at St Andrew's and following a loan spell with Northampton Town, he went on to play, in turn, for Watford, Stockport County, Shrewsbury Town, Walsall and Crawley Town.
Mat scored one goal in 52 outings for the Saddlers in season 2011-12.
ARTIM SAKIRI was the first Macedonian footballer to play for West Bromwich Albion, signed by manager Gary Megson in July 2003 for £70,000 from CSKA Sofia.
Born in September 1973, Artim, a hard-working midfielder, played for FK Vardar and Halmstad BK (Sweden), Tennis Borussia Berlin (Germany), HIT Gorica (Slovenia), NK Korotan, FC Inter Turku and FC Vadaz (both in Finland) and Melatyaspor (Turkey) before spending four years in Bulgaria with CSKA.
He scored once (a stunner versus Burnley) in 33 appearances for the Baggies before having a loan spell with the Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua (on loan) prior to a brief encounter with Burnley in July 2005 (released after two days because of an expired work permit).
He went on to play for FK Shkendija (Macedonia), Besa Kavage (Albania) and FC Qarabag (Azerbaijan) and was capped 72 times by Macedonia. He retired in 2011 with 245 club appearances to his name (42 goals scored), and in season 2012-13 Sakiri moved into football management with FK Skendija.


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Shinnston, West Virginia Bed & Breakfasts - Come home to Granny's, to the slam of the screen door, to the tantalizing aromas of baking (usually bread), to the wonderful woodwork. Delicious low-fat, low cholesterol homemade food. Special dietary needs accommodated.
Shinnston, West Virginia Bed & Breakfasts - Low fat and Special Diet needs are our forte. English muffin bread fresh from the oven is one of our specialties. Gluten intolerance is no problem for us. Located 6 miles west of I-79 and just 50 feet from a 16 mile + rail-trail. 1 private bath.
, United States Hiking & Trekking - Hi if your interested in a getaway in the mountains of west virgina, I can take you on an outdoor advinture that you will not forget.I can take you hiking, fishing,rock climbing,caving, and camping. I can do 1,3,7,or 10 day trips. Email me for info.
Mountaineer Country, West Virginia Vacations - Travel guide to Mountaineer Country, West Virginia accommodations and vacation packages. Visit Mountaineer Country, West Virginia for getaways and adventure travel. Plan your Mountaineer Country, West Virginia vacation today.


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Gear Review
Keanon Logo on Rhino
Great glasses, however, don't lose the insert logo on the sides of the glasses.(they seem to pop out once in a while ) Kaenon will not offer a replacement. They do however offer to replace the whole frame for $ 120.00 + $10.00 shipping. FYI
View More Details on Kaenon Rhino Sunglasses - Polarized


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The Spruce Point Inn Resort & Spa features contemporary two- and three-bedroom Townhouses with views of the woodlands and landscaped grounds. These unique Boothbay accommodations feature private entrances and parking for up to four vehicles per Townhouse. Enter to a foyer that leads to a half bath, individual guest bedroom(s), and Master bedroom on the first floor. Each bedroom offers a bit of separation and has a private shower bath and an LCD flat-screen television. The three-bedroom units have a Master bedroom with private porch and wood-burning fireplace. On the second floor of the Townhouse, enjoy a full kitchen with washer / dryer, dining area, living room with vaulted ceiling and wood-burning fire place, LCD flat screen television, sofa bed, and French doors leading to a private deck. The Townhouses provide the perfect arrangements for a family gathering, two or three couples traveling together, or an extended stay with space to spread out or for guests who may join you at your summer retreat by the shore. The Townhouses are recently updated with a fresh coastal palette and furnishings. These units are not air conditioned but fans and window A/C units are available upon request.
Townhouses have the following amenities:
- Two stories, large living room with fireplace, full kitchen, omplimentary wireless internet, bell-service, Keurig coffee maker, Poland Spring water, porches with Adirondack or rocking chairs, non-smoking, 40 inch flat screen television, newspaper, private bath, luxurious bath amenities, bath robes, plush-top beds with triple sheeting, refrigerator, IPOD docking station, radio/alarm, iron and ironing board, upscale coastal cottage furnishings, historic photography, and artwork by local artists.
2 Bedroom
1,050 square feet. The two-bedroom townhouse features a master King bedroom with private porch and bath and a second bedroom with queen bed or two twin beds and bath. There is an additional half-bath in the foyer. A great choice for a small family or couples traveling together or an extended-family getaway. There is a pull out sofa in the upstairs living room.
Check availability
3 Bedroom
1,250 square feet. The three-bedroom townhouse features a master King bedroom with fireplace, porch, and private bath, a second bedroom with queen bed and private bath, and third bedroom with a queen bed. There is an additional half-bath in the foyer. A great choice for a large family, couples traveling together or an extended-family getaway. There is a pull out sofa in the upstairs living room.
Check availability
Resort Map
"We would give top notch to everything! Your staff was awesome, breakfast buffet was the best we had ever had, Shawn the boat captain was great giving us a private tour of the Burnt Island Lighthouse and Isaiah was kind and helpful with the kayak information. The accommodation was immaculate. The grounds beautiful. Love the individual Keurig coffee machines and Poland Spring waters."
Rachel Zerfass - Indianapolis, Indiana


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Eliseo V. Gomez, age 83, of Sweetwater, passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013 at his residence.
A rosary will be held Friday, Aug. 9, 2013, at 7 p.m. at Cate-Spencer & Trent Funeral Chapel, recited by Lupe Medellin.
Holy Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013 at 10 a.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, with Rev. Charles Okonkwo officiating. Burial will follow at Sweetwater Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Cate-Spencer & Trent Funeral Home.


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Can't blame it all on Coop
With the talent assembled by management, Astros manager was not going to take team to playoffs
CORPUS CHRISTI - After 149 games of wondering when it would happen, the Houston Astros used their current seven-game losing streak as cause to finally relieve Cecil Cooper of his managerial duties. As expected as this firing has been, it almost goes without saying that Coop's fate isn't completely on him.
When Coop took over in mid-2007 for Phil Garner, he was handed a below-average team that he did the best he could with. As his time in Houston wore on, he was given older and more disjointed teams. You can't actually believe that a team sporting Mike Hampton, Russ Ortiz, Pudge Rodriguez, Geoff Blum, Kaz Matsui in the starting lineup and a shaky bullpen will be able to compete for an entire 162-game schedule. In 1999? Absolutely. But in 2009?
No way, Jose (Cruz). Cooper and the Astros never stood a chance.
This season was Cooper's worst season in terms of the level of talent he was given. Cecil Cooper has no control over the players he's given, the team's ability or willingness to spend money on free agents or big trades and he certainly can't decide when it's time to bring up a Bud Norris or Felipe Paulino. All of those decisions, and errors, are directly in the laps of Drayton McLane and Ed Wade.
Now here's where Cooper faulted as manager, thus earning his current unemployment status:
Among the many vital ingredients to a winning culture, chemistry is among the biggest. As a former player himself, it seemed like Cooper would understand that. But his constant public criticisms of his star players, his inability to competently run a baseball game and his sullen attitude towards, well, everyone it seems, were chief reasons why this 2009 Astros team made losing look awful.
Was it fair that Cooper was given a mediocre team with the mandate of 'win or else'? No, but that's why being a manager is no easy task. He miraculously had this team one game out of first place in the Central at 50-46 after a late-July sweep of the Cardinals. They're 20-39 since that time. The clubhouse is dead and the team's two star players have talked more about retirement and life after baseball than about finishing 2009 on a winning note. That's a problem and a big one. He lost his clubhouse and, thus, became completely irrelevant. Once you lose your guys, there's no getting them back.
It's been no secret all season that the players didn't harbor much respect for Cooper and because of that, they not only gave up on him, they gave up on the season. The baffling part of all of this is that the Astros waited until the season was completely and utterly lost before making the move. It's not like this problem came up last month. I'm not saying the Astros would've done any better or that Dave Clark would've made a difference, but players like Clark. He was a good skipper here in Corpus Christi and earned a lot of accolades for the job he did here. I have no idea if he'll make a good manager or if his presence will allow the Astros to end things on a different note this year, but it was crystal clear that a change needed to be made and that this was a good start.
The next big change will be arming whoever the next permanent manager will be, Clark or someone else, with the tools to win. At least give the guy a fighting chance. Here's hoping that 2010 is truly a fresh start.
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Friday Five: Radney Foster
One of our favorite Texans, Radney Foster, turns 53 today. Numerous country artists, including Sara Evans, The Mavericks, and Brooks & Dunn have recorded songs that Foster has written or co-written over the years. Here are five of my favorites.
Whether it's Foster's 1998 original with Abra Moore or The Kinleys's 2000 recording, this giddy and infectious song puts a smile on my face. Keith Urban's version is arguably the weakest of the three, but his take on "I'm In," as well as his fine cover of "Raining on Sunday," have certainly earned Foster a decent amount of mailbox money over the past decade.
4. Dixie Chicks – "Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)"
This song, which Foster wrote for his young son to listen to when the two were separated, beats any other lullaby out there. Put it on "repeat" in your kid's room and maybe you'll be able to avoid reading Goodnight Moon five times a night.
3. Rosie Flores – "Bring It On"
Foster and the Rockabilly Filly make a great songwriting pair; and they sound good together too on this duet from Flores' 1999 record Dance Hall Dreams.
2. New Grass Revival – "Love Someone Like Me"
Foster and Holly Dunn wrote this one, which appears on Dunn's 1987 album, Cornerstone, but you can't beat this version from John Cowan and crew, released in 1986.
1. Pam Tillis – "I've Seen Enough to Know"
This Foster/Tillis cut can be found on Tillis' Put Yourself in My Place, a fantastic album featuring songwriters like Harlan Howard and modern classics like "Maybe It Was Memphis." Over 20 years later, it remains one of my favorite Tillis songs, as it tells the story of a pair, awkward as "a couple of left-footed dancers," who are slowly becoming something more as "signs of a real love" start to appear between them.
6 Comments
Good songs especially "Godspeed" and "I'm In". I like Urban's version of the latter better than the Kinley's but the best version I've heard is by Radney's co-writer Georgia Middleman. Unfortunately, she hasn't recorded it. Right now she's touring as a Blue Sky Rider with Gary Burr and Kenny Loggins.
Other Radney favorites:
"Half of My Mistakes" written with Bobby Houck
"Nobody Wins" with Kim Richey
"Just Call Me Lonesome" with George Dukas
Excellent choice for a Friday Five! From his Foster & Lloyd period I like Leavin in Your Eyes and Texas in 1880, although I'm not sure what role he had in writing those two. Nobody Wins, Raining on Sunday, Godspeed, and I'm In are favorites also. He's written some fine songs.
Great picks! Especially love "Godspeed" and "I've Seen Enough to Know." Also a big fan of Evans' "A Real Fine Place to Start" and Foster's hit "Nobody Wins." All great tunes.
Radney is a joy to behold live he is a amazing writer but does not get his due as a performer. Just call me lonesome is a classic.
Now that Kim Richey has moved back to Nashville after living in England for a few years, I wish she and Radney would get back together and cook up another Del Rio Texas style album!
I once got a CD of his called "Another Way to Go"–or something like that. I ordered it and put it on in the car. Every song seemed to have some cascading, blaring "hook." After about the sixth song with another manipulative crescendo of crappola, it became so unbearable that I was overcome with an uncontrollable urge to pop the disc out of the player and fling it out the window like a frisbee at 70 mph! That's the last Radney Foster CD I ever bought.
But "Del Rio, Texas" was a good album. I'll grant you that.
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|117 posts found
Advanced Member
Joined: 3/10/04
Be Brief, Be Bright... Be Gone.
Originally posted by Sagasaint
No. It just means they may prefer that particular game. The ones that said no, maybe they just didn't like that game.
Quit worrying about other players in a game and just play.
Login or Register to never see this panel
Apprentice Member
Joined: 6/25/11
I don't always play MMOs, but when I do, I play sandboxes
the point Im tring to make here is that articles like the one in the OP cannot, and should not be used as a gauge to measure what the population favours for their gaming model of choice.
many f2pers didnt choose anything. or to be more specific, they chose between playing f2p or not playing anything at all (mmo related, I mean)
trying to make a leap of logic and infer from the numbers in the article that more people prefers f2p over p2p is wrong and false. thats not the choice that many of them were presented.
Advanced Member
Joined: 3/10/04
Be Brief, Be Bright... Be Gone.
Originally posted by Sagasaint
I'm sure many are presented a choice like that, but we have no numbers to state how significant they are.
The opposite, that people prefer p2p over f2p, is also false and has even less evidence.
edit - all we can state currently is that there are more f2p players than p2p. Anything related to their motivation for playing that particular game and/or payment plan is sheer speculation.
Quit worrying about other players in a game and just play.
Novice Member
Joined: 9/13/04
Everything has it's time and its place, know yours?
Originally posted by danwest58
Let me get this straight, if 20 or so million play a free to play game and at least half spend more than the $15 a month on whatever they buy in the cash shop (and most do so you wowkids know), I'd say that beats borecraft easily. Now if all 20 million people decide to pay the $15 or more, I'd say you would be in the crapper with your "used to be 12 million subs" junk. People love to throw random numbers out there; just like I did.
What the OP meant was that free to play has a much larger piece of that "pie"; and no, not cake you dumb-founded kids. Which you morons can't seem to grasp. If you think Borecraft has a large piece, you truly are delusional. If I wanted to be realistic and throw another number out there, I'd say that free to play own 90% of the market. Doubt it? Then where are all of these worthy pay to play titles hmmm? I know, your magic 8 ball ran out of batteries.. (Not directed at you, Dan). That was said in general.
It doesn't matter how long you subbed, wasted your money or your parent's money on pay to play games, free to play has paved ways and will continue to do so. It does not take an intelligent person to see this throughout the years, it's just takes an intelligent one to admit it. I'd throw some more numbers out, but I'm sure you would have a better time finding Waldo. And honestly, I don't hop on the newest "Bandwagon" gigs, I leave that for the ones that have the need to think they "are" someone for doing so. As the Brits tend to say, Ta Ta for now. :)
Apprentice Member
Joined: 6/25/11
I don't always play MMOs, but when I do, I play sandboxes
Originally posted by VengeSunsoar
cant say I agree with this
at all
you call it speculation, I call it educated guess based on VERY realistic arguments
but I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree. good discussion nonetheless.
Novice Member
Joined: 5/20/12
f2p=nickel and dimed?
pay $60 to pre-order the latest over-hyped game. spend $12-15 per mo to actually play said game. when new expansion comes out pay $35-45 to play said expansion. sure it isn't exactly nickel and dimeing but it amounts to the same thing. you're paying to much and getting too little. remember when this model first came out and we were told that the monthly fee was to pay for future expansions? then when the expansions came out we were told that the the monthly fees were really only paying for the servers, for GM's and other such bs.
none of the f2p games that i play is it true that you must spend irl $$$ to "win". there is this thing called microtransaction, where one person spends irl $$ and another buys item from first player with in game gold. in fact by the time you actually start to really need said items is when you can afford to buy the items without having to buy gold from gold sellers. idiots who buy from gold sellers are lazy sobs who want op toons at low levels so they can "rule" low level pvp areana (lol).
as many have pointed out, f2p isn't the second coming either. it is far too easy for f2p to shift into p2w mode. and in large part the shelf life of a f2p game is largely dependant on how long the devs hold out on shifting into that mode.
oh, and for those of you who say that it's the 90% for f2p players getting a free ride off the 10%. look, simply put, i'd be playing a game with a sub if i could afford to, but i can't. i can afford to pay about 20 avery 2-3 months, and that's it. $12-15 per mo is simply out of the question. i'm certain that this doesn't put me in the 10%, but it also means that i'm not in the 90%. and i'm certain that i'm not the only person in this boat, so the "freeloaders" living off the largess of the "rich" doesn't exactly hold true. while i don't have a whole lot of money i do have a lot of time. i use that time to earn in game gold, and spend that gold on items that i couldn't other wise get with what little money I can put into the game.
there are good games that just happen to be f2p, just like there are crappy games that happen to be p2p. just because a game uses a particular payment model doesn't automatically make it good or bad.
Elite Member
Joined: 1/13/10
Currently playing EVE, SMITE, ArcheAge, and Combat Arms
Originally posted by shadow9d9
As some many of today's MMO gamers have not played Asheron's Call, if that was released today - same game, updated graphics - it would probably wow the crap out of a lot of people. However, I wonder how many of the people who have a preference for paying a subscription it would appeal to as it lacks the trinity, an auction house and other features that many of them consider necessary for an MMO.
I would not mind in game advertising, it does not break gaming ethos. - Scot
Elite Member
Joined: 12/24/04
If you really want to gauge the popularity of "F2P" count only the people who are paying to play. The rest contribute nothing but warm bodies to the equation.
"Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause" ~Victor Hugo
Hard Core Member
Joined: 6/09/04
Your tears make my gun work better.
Originally posted by Jerek_
Exactly. The F2P crowd moves along like a swarm of locusts ruining game after game. If I had the ability, I would make a game and use the subscription model just to avoid that type of crowd. Unfortunately I have neither the skill nor the cash to do such a venture.
I completely disagree that subscriptions will go away. There will always be people willing to subscribe. The F2P games I have played usually have horrid CS, terrible conetent updates and a general cookie cutter junk feel to them. The only exception s that come to mind is Planetside 2, and The Secret World. PS2 is so inbalanced that I can't be bothered to play it, and TSW puts me to sleep. However, I digress.
Subscriptions aren't going anywhere, they may not be as popular as they once were, but they won't be leaving. IMO
If you want a new idea, go read an old book.
Elite Member
Joined: 1/13/10
Currently playing EVE, SMITE, ArcheAge, and Combat Arms
Originally posted by zymurgeist
Are you suggesting they are playing games they don't enjoy?
I would not mind in game advertising, it does not break gaming ethos. - Scot
Elite Member
Joined: 1/13/10
Currently playing EVE, SMITE, ArcheAge, and Combat Arms
Originally posted by Hatefull
I think you're spot on. If anything, subscription as an option in F2P games may even become more popular over time.
I would not mind in game advertising, it does not break gaming ethos. - Scot
Hard Core Member
Joined: 6/09/04
Your tears make my gun work better.
Originally posted by Loktofeit
You are mis-quoting me. I don't support subscription as an option to F2P though that is a likely possibility, I mean stand alone subscription models. To be clear, I absolutely disagree with the OP.
If you want a new idea, go read an old book.
Elite Member
Joined: 12/24/04
Originally posted by Loktofeit
I'm suggesting they play games they do not and will not pay for. All they prove is many people like anything that is free not the popularity of a game.
"Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause" ~Victor Hugo
Novice Member
Joined: 9/18/11
I think subscription models will simply become F2P with Freemium subscription.
Pure F2P always scares me b/c of the mandatory cash shop.
I feel that B2P or TERA's F2P are the best options.
"As you read these words, a release is seven days or less away or has just happened within the last seven days— those are now the only two states you'll find the world of Tyria."...Guild Wars 2
Apprentice Member
Joined: 11/13/12
The only alternative to the traditional subscription model I would be willing to try would be a model where:
I don't play cash shop games out if principle, and I know there's a crowd out there that thinks alike. I am not willing to pay for items, nor am I willing to pay for pay-to-win features such as faster progression or powerful equipment.
The problem I see with B2P-only games, then, is that unless they're sandboxes that focus on player-created content or something similar, there isn't a way of maintaining people's interest in the game when they run out of content. Because you know, when players only pay you the box price and nothing else, you don't have much motivation to continue pumping out new, quality content, nor do you have the finance to support it.
I am willing to pay for content, and I rarely look at the price a game is going to cost me. If a game is good, I'd be willing to pay up to, say, 50 dollars a month for it's subscription. But I am not willing to play a cash-shop game, at all, because I am not the game-hopper type that plays one MMO for a month and moves to another. I want longetivity in my game experience, I want there to be motivation for me to spend years on the game, and this is something buy-to-play does not tend to support, and something free-to-play very rarely supports because devs of these games tend to sell items and P2W services instead of actual content.
To conclude, I'll say that sure, "F2P" might become even more dominant in the future, but there are players who do not find the model acceptable, and there are games which the model simply does not suit. Hence I'm quite sure there will always be subscription games out there, even if only in the small minority.
Advanced Member
Joined: 3/30/07
Originally posted by Kuviski
It isn't the principle for me to avoid cash shop games. The quality tends to be lower and the games often shove the cash shop in your face until you get sick of it. It is just like dealing with ads on the internet. A few are okay, but the quantity and distraction became too much, so I installed an ad blocker.
I will admit to buying items in cash shop games. I think it is fine when the items only involve increased progression rate. If you've played Warframe, you know almost all of the weapons are available through grinding, or you can pay a small amount of money to unlock them. Even that model has its flaws, though. EA proved that if you charge too much for progression-boosting items, people will see the blatant greed.
Advanced Member
Joined: 8/11/09
This has to be like the 100th time ive said this. P2P is not dying. Half assed wow clones are. For example if an upcoming mmo turns out to be THE MESSIAH and gets wow like pruchase numbers and it has sub it will retain those numbers. ITS NOT THE MODEL. ITS THE GAME. If GW2 was truly amazing (wow killer) and had a sub you would see millions upon millions of players.
When a game such as AoC, Aion, VG, ect ect. Go F2P its just another way of saying "we failed copying wow or failed pushing a half finshed game and we are trying to recover" If Swtor was truly amazing and kept 2 mil plus active players it would have stayed sub. P2P is by far the easiest to develop for. You make a game, your players pay a sub per month and they GET IT ALL. You dont have to worry about cash shop balancing or different accoutn statuses (free > Elite > Premium). I will always be a HUGE advocate for P2P as its the most BALANCED model.
Playing: War Thunder, World of Warcraft, and Grim Dawn
Apprentice Member
Joined: 4/27/13
Why does it have to be one or the other? Why can't a game offer a F2P option and a sub option? Some people like subbing. Others don't want to pay the sub, but would rather spend their money on al a carte content. Why is everything on these forums so damn polarizing? Sandbox vs Themepark. Sub vs F2P. Open world PVP vs Instanced. Why can't we have a little of coumn A and a little of columb B? Oh, that would get in the way of MMORPG.com forum PVP. Nevermind.
Novice Member
Joined: 11/14/12
Sounds to me like a whiny free loader to me.
Elite Member
Joined: 12/21/07
Originally posted by DSWBeef
"Dying" is always subject to interpretatinon. Here are facts.
The P2P-only MMO market is losing players recently. The revenue share of F2P MMOs (that may have a sub option) has increased, and now is more than twice as big as P2P-only MMOs.
So P2P is in decline. Dying ... is a matter of interpretation.


text:
Routine morning, then shots and unthinkable terror
On this morning, Hochsprung didn't think twice about confronting the gunman. She died attempting to overtake Lanza, who was armed with two handguns and a .223-caliber Bushmaster rifle, his primary weapon.
Sherlach also rushed to defend her students.
"Mary felt like she was doing God's work, working with children," her son-in-law Eric Schwartz told the South Jersey Times. She, too, was killed.
In a classroom, teacher Kaitlin Roig heard the shots and barricaded her 15 students into a tiny bathroom, sitting one of them on top of the toilet. She pulled a bookshelf across the door and locked it. She told the kids to be "absolutely quiet."
"I said, `There are bad guys out there now. We need to wait for the good guys,'" she told ABC News.
"The kids were being so good," she said. "They asked, `Can we go see if anyone is out there?' `I just want Christmas. I don't want to die. I just want to have Christmas.' I said, `You're going to have Christmas and Hanukkah.'"
One student claimed to know karate. "It's OK. I'll lead the way out," the student said.
In the school library, clerk Maryann Jacob was working with a group of 18 fourth-graders when she heard the commotion.
"We locked all our doors and then started hearing shooting," she said.
At first, she herded the children into a classroom within the library, but "when we realized the (classroom) door wouldn't lock, we had to crawl across the room into a storage room."
There, they locked the door and barricaded it with filing cabinet. There happened to be materials for coloring, "so we set them up with paper and crayons."
In the gym, crying students huddled in a corner. One of them was 10-year-old Philip Makris.
"He said he heard a lot of loud noises and then screaming," said his mother, Melissa Makris. "Then the gym teachers immediately gathered the children in a corner and kept them safe."
Another girl who was in the gym recalled hearing "like, seven loud booms."
"The gym teacher told us to go in a corner, so we all huddled and I kept hearing these booming noises," the girl, who was not identified by name, told NBC News. "We all started - well, we didn't scream. We started crying, so all the gym teachers told us to go into the office where no one could find us."
An 8-year-old boy described how a teacher saved him.
"I saw some of the bullets going past the hall that I was right next to, and then a teacher pulled me into her classroom," said the boy, who was not identified by CBSNews.com.
Robert Licata said his 6-year-old son was in class when the gunman burst in and shot the teacher. "That's when my son grabbed a bunch of his friends and ran out the door," he said. "He was very brave. He waited for his friends."
He said the shooter didn't utter a word.
"The shooting appears to have stopped," the dispatcher radioed at 9:38 a.m., according to the Post. "There is silence at this time. The school is in lockdown."


text:
Narrow your search
In an Empire state of mind? Wear this highly detailed Anovos "Star Wars" costume to relive all your favorite Battle of Hoth moments from "The Empire Strikes Back." No AT-AT required.
Amid a rising tide of rapes and sexual assaults in India, three engineering students devise an electrified undergarment they hope will help protect women from attack.
Transform every snow day into your own Battle of Hoth by wearing this highly detailed replica Imperial costume from Anovos.
From "Star Wars" to Portal, Etsy literally has you covered with bras for nearly every geek obsession.
A prototype bra from Microsoft researchers uses sensors to follow the wearer's mood with a goal of helping prevent stress-related eating.
For "Star Wars" fans who fancy unusual musical instruments and desire a little extra chest support, this "Star Wars" theremin bra should do the trick.
The latest attempt at a quick fat fix comes in the form of slinky undergarments made from a fabric infused with vitamin E and caffeine.
Sometimes, it's cathartic to return to the place of your demise. Anthony Weiner very much hopes so, as he comes back to Twitter with a new feed in his hunger for higher things.
A man is arrested in Alabama after allegedly telling police he's been "double-texting" since he was 15. That is, texting on two phones simultaneously.
The 500px photo app is reportedly removed from the App Store, allegedly because its photo-sharing capabilities mean that you might search for and find naked bodies.


text:
The Last Original Wife
The Last Original Wife (Hardcover)
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The "New York Times"-bestselling author dissects a successful marriage in this heartfelt tale full of her infectious wit, irresistible charm, and sultry Southern atmosphere.
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Bestselling author DOROTHEA BENTON FRANK was born and raised on Sullivans Island, South Carolina. She and her husband divide their time between South Carolina and New Jersey. Please visit her website at www.dotfrank.com and join her on Facebook.
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My name is jnr well that's what I go by...I am pretty friendly >_> more than likely if you are reading this you don't know me...so it's best you talk to me before you jump to conclusions or assume things. Thank you and have a nice day ;~} Also i'm a male >:)
- a little Panamanian
- and a little African American
I Want To Remember The Abused, Abandoned And Murdered Children
I Want My Wife To Swallow Stranger's CumWhy? Why would you want your wife to do such a thing?… [more]
You People Make Me Sick >:( HOW DARE YOUR GROUP PICTURE BE A DEAD BABY ANGEL >:( Who would shoot an Arrow in a BABY!!!! For shame.... *… [more]
I Want To Leave A Message To My Unborn SonTo My Unborn Son: Stuff I Won't Have The Balls To Say B.M To my unconceived (or born without my knowledge in a foreign land) son, presumably christened Digory or Eustace by your English mother, but your secret name -- which I whispered t… [more]
I Do Not Like People to See Me CryMakes Me Feel Like Less Of A Man. Like I said...it makes me feel like less of a man...I'm 20...i'm already struggling with who I want to be,where I wanna go, and this and that...being so sensitive a… [more]
I worry about Nomac sometimes :(Sometimes I worry about that child....*shakes head like older wise soulful black woman*… [more]
I can't be seducedNope...simply can't I'm too emotionally strong..my will power is too strong...I can't bend.… [more]
Tired of depending on people.I'm really getting tired of having to depend on people for things, depending on family to get me to places, depending on co-workers I don't like to get a paycheck, depending on a girl for companionship her with all her wishy washy moods. I know it's probably all my fault though, if I had done everything I was suppose to do when it was the right time to do it I would probably be in a much better place in my life right now honestly, I don't know how much longer I can go on self loathing and feeling sorry for myself...Sometimes I feel like once I get on my own two feet I want to just leave and never look back, I know it sounds wrong or cold or something, but I think I Would prefer to just tell … [more]
I am watching Anon's Argue...It's basically like two people yelling angrily in a crowd at each other....and they are both on opposite ends of a giant stadium.… [more]
Geez it sucks when someone forgets you -.- I hate being promised something....only for the promise to be forgotten and overwritten by the thought of another...*Sigh* it sucks -___-I think if your going to do something for somebody then DO IT and DO NOT FORGET....don't get their hopes up and crush them when they realized you forgot about it completely...I Guess I don't even know what i'm annoyed about...I haven't been important to you in months....hell I can't even keep a consistent conversation with you....And your friends probably dislike me cause I am connected to you in some way -__- Cause they have heard more bad about me than all the good that I did....But Like i said it sucks p_o I gue… [more]
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34 Holiday Ideas for Gifts in a Jar
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Calendar Page Envelope
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Calender Paper Envelope by Anonymous
When I want to give a gift certificate to someone, I make an envelope out of calendar pictures/pages. I start by trimming the rough edges. Then I decide on the orientation of the picture, which is the outside of the envelope. Then I fold the side edges about 1/3 to 1/2 inch. Then I fold the page into three parts. One part (the lip or opening) is smaller than the rest. I cut a "V" shape out of the side folds at the folds (4 all together). Then I cut off the side flaps on the top and bottom folded parts leaving the center flaps on. The bottom third of the page is glued with stick glue or tape to the side flaps remaining in the center part. Then it's done.
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barry 2047654
Dec 30, 2013
if you cannot picture it, get an envelope you like the shape of and open it up and use as a template.
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Aug 23, 2011
A picture or two would have been very helpful as I am having a very hard time picturing the cuts on the flaps and the subsequent folding.
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Aug 16, 2010
I am doing this with computer paper for my home made greeting cards.This is a nice idea to add to it. Thanks:)
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Creative tensions and soft landings: Wang Yizhou explains China's foreign policy agendaPosted: December 17, 2013 Filed under: Academic debates, China's foreign relations, China-ASEAN, China-Japan, China-US | Tags: Carnegie-Tsinghua Center, China-Japan, China-North Korea relations, China-US relations, China-Vietnam, China-Vietnam relations, Chinese foreign policy, Chinese foreign policy scholars, Chinese strategy, creative tensions, 王逸舟, New kind of great power relations, north korea, Paul Haenle, peripheral diplomacy, PRC foreign policy, Sino-American relations, Sino-Japanese relations, Sino-Vietnamese relations, south china sea, Wang Yizhou, Xi Jinping foreign policy 4 Comments
Peking University Professor Wang Yizhou, one of China's top foreign policy scholars, did an interview for the excellent new Carnegie-Tsinghua podcast last month (Part 1 and Part 2), covering a very broad sweep of China's emerging foreign policy, regional strategy, territorial disputes, global role, and bilateral relations with the US.
His main points are noted below, starting with regional strategy and China's maritime territorial disputes. I've just done this as an exercise to try to better grasp the significance of what Wang says; for most people it's probably better to just go listen to the podcast. The italicized blockquote bits are a mix of direct quotes and paraphrasing.
Xi's task: a "soft landing" for the South China Sea dispute
Dai Xu Thought?Posted: August 29, 2013 Filed under: Academic debates, China-Vietnam, Fake PLA generals?, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PLA & PLAN | Tags: Dai Xu, People's Tribune, PLA hardliners, PLA hawks, PRC foreign policy, Sino-Vietnamese relations, south china sea, spratly islands, 戴旭, 人民论坛 1 Comment
In case i dont make it clear enough, a lot of what I write is speculative, my aim is to try understand these things as best I can, and I would really appreciate any alternative explanations, identification of shortcomings, points of disagreement, criticisms, biases identified, etc etc.
I am sure some of the interpretations I come up will turn out to be mistaken and/or incomplete, and although I hope some turn out to be right, it's far from the end of the world if i've got it all wrong. It will be still have been worth the effort just to eliminate all those mistaken lines of thinking.
One idea i've been getting closer to ruling out is that Dai Xu and Luo Yuan aren't serious PLA strategic thinkers. I think they are both propagandists and strategists. One sign is their publication in genuine journals like World Economics and Politics 《世界经济与政治》 (published by CASS), Contemporary International Relations 《现代国际关系》 (published by the MSS-affiliated CICIR), Contemporary World 《当代世界》 (CCP International Department), World Outlook 《国际展望》 (Shanghai Institute of International Relations), and Teaching and Research 《教育于研究》 (Renmin University).[1]
While they are nominated as propaganda experts,[2] they could still spend the bulk of their time in the world of thought rather than propaganda. Even Dai Xu, whose gigantic mass media output suggests he could probably spare little time for academic work,[3] stated in 2009 that he does both internal and external work — that is, both thought 思想 and propaganda 宣传.
The difference between the two, as he said in his lecture to the PLAAF Political Academy in Shanghai, is that "in thought, anything goes, but propaganda has discipline". This was, he said, the most important lesson he learned at the academy, his alma mater. There may be a large degree of crossover between Dai Xu Thought, and Dai Xu Propaganda — they may in fact be the same, except that the latter is presented and attenuated according to propaganda imperatives.
What follows, then, is something long overdue given the amount of attention i have focused on the propaganda side of Dai Xu and Luo Yuan's work: a partial translation of an essay that i think may come close to representing what Dai Xu really thinks, as a strategist, on the South China Sea issue. It might not be pure thought…if there was such a thing, probably the only place it could reliably be identified would be in internal-circulation articles. But People's Tribune Frontiers 《人民论坛.学术前沿》 appears a reputable (though recently-founded) CCP journal produced by the People's Daily group, without any attempt at mass appeal, suggesting the audience would be mainly Party members and scholars, and perhaps soldiers and policymakers too.[4] In other words, it could conceivably be part of the "internal work" that Dai says he does — Dai Xu Thought.
The article is titled ' "Attacking the Enemy before It is Fully Prepared": A Petition for Changing South China Sea Strategy ("兵半渡可击":南海战略万言书)', and is freely available via a Hainan-based website called 'Maritime Domain Online' (海疆在线) that i suspect is run by the Hainan Maritime Security and Cooperation Institute that Dai Xu directs.
As the title suggests, Dai makes specific policy suggestions, based on a contention that China has a rapidly-closing "window of opportunity" to "resolve" the South China Sea issue, and should therefore act sooner rather than later. Notably, however, one of these suggestions is to call for the total demilitarization of the South China Sea's disputed areas. He advocates "intensifying economic exploitation" but also "welcoming cooperation". He argues China should rally round the nine-dash line and avoid any involvement of UNCLOS, but he also seems to advocate negotiations. Dai's calls for military preparations and willingness to use force to back up the assertive actions he suggests, but his emphasis is on deterrence and willpower.
Big thanks to Xu Shaomin for suggesting the article.
Here is the abstract, followed by a translation of the section in which Dai makes his policy suggestions with some thoughts on those policies appended, and finally a brief consideration of some implications for the explanations i've recently offered for the public activities of PLA "hawks" like Dai.
"Attacking the Enemy before It is Fully Prepared": A Petition for Changing South China Sea Strategy
By Dai Xu
People's Tribune [Academic] Frontiers 《人民论坛--学术前沿》
ABSTRACT: An indisputable fact is that China is facing unprecedented challenges presented by the South China Sea issue. The said issue has been internationalized, and will soon become a focus of international politics. The South China Sea is of great significance for China's development and security. With the development of this issue, Vietnam will rise to be China's major concern. To successfully resolve this issue, China needs to devise a "protracted war" strategy; use the current crisis as an opportunity for a shift in military strategy; set up an interdepartmental coordination committee; and materially change its current South China Sea policy.
Specific suggestions to resolve the South China Sea issue
|(translator's thoughts)
|(1.) Institute determination to resolve the issue, and commence joint preparations in all areas. At present America is not ready and has not properly armed those small countries, and external powers like Japan have not substantively entered the dispute. China must seize and occupy the strategic heights of the future, and cannot let it become the Yellow Sea again.
The idea of (1) gets to the heart of the paper's debatable but nonetheless logically defensible premise: namely, that China has a 5-10 year "window of opportunity" while the US is bogged down in the Middle East.
I don't really understand this Yellow Sea reference.
|(2.) Unite thinking, resolutely stick to the nine-dash line. The nine-dash line is the legal basis for China's ownership of the Spratlys, and we absolutely cannot renounce it. We cannot make UNCLOS the main note of negotiations.
The strong defence in of the nine-dashed line as "legal basis" of China's claim in (2), and associated rejection of UNCLOS, is somewhat surprising, considering that elsewhere Dai is quite keen on transparency and clarity of intentions. Why not clarify the claim?[5] China could continue to claim all the land features within the nine-dash line, and actually be in accordance with UNCLOS. China's real reason for not clarifying may be that it would entail enforcement under Chinese law, which the CCP may not be keen to commit to at this point. If so, could this particular argument of Dai's be aimed at maintaining morale, while avoiding that sort of dangerous bind?
|(3.) On the level of unified thinking, eliminate fear of America. Surveying US-Russian relations one can see that America respects strength. Russia halted the US [Cold War] strategic attack in Southeast Asia, and stopped the expansion of NATO beyond Ukraine and Georgia. We cannot say that [Deng/Jiang's doctrine of] "lying low 韬光养晦" is incorrect, but China is unaware of how to "loot a burning house 趁火打劫". China must have an awareness of global strategic games. China should participate in South American affairs, the scramble for Arctic resources, Middle East affairs, African affairs, and force the US to encircle us all around the world, "saving Zhao by besieging Wei 围魏救赵", thus reducing the pressure on our doorstep. Increase cooperation with Russia, cooperate on the Kurils issue to draw Japan northward, and weaken US military allies.
The idea of causing headaches for the US around the world to relieve the pressure on China's periphery, as set out in (3), employs a coherent (if somewhat unhealthy when viewed from outside) strategic logic.
I'm not going to pretend to know what's best for China, but the multi-departmental group mentioned in (4) also seems to make sense.
|(4.) Establish a multi-departmental South China Sea coordination small group. The group would be jointly composed from the military, academia, State Oceanic Administration, Hainan Provincial Government, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It should change the situation of the MFA being under stress from dealing with the complicated South China Sea situation alone. It should coordinate all the departments relevant to the South China Sea.
(4) contains a clear argument for reducing the MFA's power in South China Sea policymaking, via an indirect but unmistakable criticism of both the prominence of the Foreign Ministry's role, and the job it is doing. Dai's apparent perception of the MFA as dominating South China Sea policy is in stark contrast to various foreign analysts who have written of the weakness of the MFA, fragmentation in China's foreign policymaking, especially on maritime disputes.
|(5.) Major adjustment must be made to South China Sea policy, prioritizing [economic] exploitation [6]. Since diplomacy being unable to resolve the issue, and our country is unwilling to go to war lightly, all that remains is to greatly intensify economic exploitation. Our country's South China Sea policy should be adjusted to: sovereignty is ours, intensifying exploitation, welcoming cooperation, not fearing controversy, striking against provocation. Exploitation is central. In order to reduce the concerns of the international community, China's exploitation should proceed with the primary objective of serving the world. For example, constructing an international shipping depot, and an international tourism and sightseeing spot. To this end, a South China Sea Special Zone should be established, as a maritime screen that also performs the functions of economic national defense 经济国防.
Dai's Hainan connections keep stacking up. It seems likely that he is to some extent speaking on behalf of the Hainan Provincial Government, especially with the strong advocacy of economic development projects in (5).
How novel is "economic national defense 经济国防", meaning economic activities for national defense purposes, in the Chinese context and more broadly?
|(6.) Call on all countries' militaries to withdraw from the South China Sea. Because Vietnam and the Philippines' garrisoning of troops has affected regional shipping security, China should call for all countries to pull out their militaries simultaneously. This way, China can claim the moral high ground.
Dai in (5) describes China being "unwilling" to go to war lightly as a "situation" that has left massive resource exploitation as the only option — which sounds like a (grudging?) admission that direct military action is off the policy table. Then in (6) he actually advocates the pullout of all military forces from the area, apparently including China's.
|(7.) Prepare properly for war [with Vietnam]. China should, at the appropriate time, adjust its strategic focus, and conduct far-sighted and realistic research on the South China Sea. Make every kind of war preparation in the South China Sea area, especially for war-fighting 作战 against Vietnam. As soon as conflict commences, Vietnam's facilities must be totally destroyed, and its ports blockaded.
Dai is very harsh and provocative regarding Vietnam, for example in (7). What is Dai's problem with Vietnam? Or could it be Hainan's problem with Vietnam?
Enacting strategic containment of Vietnam is beneficial to the long-term stability of the South China Sea region, and also to improving our country's overall security situation.
Implications for 'Propaganda, Not Policy'
While some of these arguments may be attenuated from Dai's mass media statements, he really does appear to be attempting to pushing for policy change in the South China Sea, which at a glance spells trouble for the 'Propaganda, Not Policy' explanation i've been proposing. Yet, contrary to what some angry military enthusiasts assume, the Propaganda Not Policy argument does not necessarily imply Dai Xu doesn't mean what he says. He may mean most or all of what he says publicly, but he only says it if and when it accords with the priorities of his superiors in the military propaganda system.
Alternatively, considering the likely target audience of the People's Tribune Frontiers, an article such as this could be aimed at the masses of cadres, officers and possibly soldiers. David Cohen discussed in the most recent China Brief how the constitutionalism debate could be intended to rally cadres to be vigilant and toe the line. It's plausible that this has a similar intent.
What's different about this is that it has been published in a forum for genuine scholarly debate over policy, rather than a mass medium. Perhaps all that is certain about this possible piece of Dai Xu Thought, is that he was attempting to influence the Party and academic policy debate within China. Whether the ultimate aim of that was to institute the specific policy actions, or to shift the mindset of the readers — such as by raising the vigilance of cadres and perhaps soldiers — is unclear to me. What do you think? What are the other possibilities that i'm overlooking?
[1] Other notable titles that Luo and/or Dai have been published in include Party & Government Forum 《党政干部文摘》 (Shanghai and Central Party School versions), World Affairs 《世界知识》 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Contemporary Military Digest 《当代军事文摘》 (PLA Publishing House), Aerospace Knowledge 《航空知识》 (China Aviation Society). Found using CNKI database.
[2] I'm going to leave out the "external" from the "external propaganda expert" title, as it risks confusing the issue. Military external propaganda, as noted here, is not just about foreigners, and in fact may be overwhelmingly domestically directed, even as it serves international goals of public opinion warfare.
[3] Unless he has a team of ghost writers…?! His book publishing, however, has indeed slowed down in recent years.
[4] Can anyone enlighten me as to the People's Tribune (Frontiers) target readership and/or purposes?
[5] Sovereignty over merely the largest two or three of the Spratlys — those with fresh water and therefore at least arguably inhabitable — would generate exclusive economic rights covering most of the area within the nine-dash line.
[6] 开发, aka "development".
"Evacuate all Chinese people from Japan": warning shots in the East China Sea, or just media war?Posted: January 15, 2013 Filed under: China-Japan, Diaoyu, Global Times, PRC News Portals | Tags: CCTV, Chinese media, Chinese public opinion, Diaoyu, Global Times, Huanqiu, media effects, PLA Air Force, PRC foreign policy, Senkaku, Sino-Japanese relations Leave a comment
[Updated 16 Jan 3.45pm BST]
On Tuesday afternoon the Chinese online media, led by Huanqiu Wang (Global Times Net), started reporting, "Japan official explicitly states for first time that warning shots will be fired at Chinese planes".
HQW's reporter Wang Huan 王欢 quoted the Asahi Shimbun website quoting Defense Minister Onodera, when asked about warning shots, replying that "any country would make this response if its airspace was intruded upon".
Onodera's comment may well have been coaxed out of him by reporters looking for a juicy headline, as it comes across as a contradiction of Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga's comment last week as reported by CNS (the other Xinhua) as reported by CNS that there were no plans for firing warning shots.
According to the Chinese internet media headlines that have relayed the story, Suga "denied" 否认 plans to fire warning shots, but now Onodera has "explicitly confirmed" 明确表态 that they will occur.
The news that Japan "will fire warning shots" was still the top splash on HQW's website more than 12 hours later:
Whether Onodera's statement has been reported accurately or not, the result is that the Diaoyu ball game now rests with the PRC, and the party-state is playing on a big-time court with a packed house looking on.
Xi Jinping: a hardline nationalist in control of China?Posted: December 14, 2012 Filed under: China's foreign relations, China-Japan, CMS (China Maritime Surveillance), Diaoyu | Tags: 18th CCP Congress, China leadership transition, China Maritime Surveillance, Chinese foreign policy, Chinese nationalism, CMS, Diaoyu Islands, great revival, Hu Jintao, PRC foreign policy, PRC maritime law enforcement, PRC-Japan, Senkaku, taoguang yanghui, western media, Xi Jinping, Xi Jinping foreign policy, Xi Jinping nationalism 8 Comments
Last week the New York Times ran a story on how Ling Jihua's attempt to cover up his son's death in that Ferrari crash may have severely weakened Hu Jintao's position during this year's CCP leadership transition.
It might just be me and my island-centricness, but this story certainly didn't seem to be following the inverted-pyramid rule, for only those readers who persisted to the very last paragraph (or read the Sinocism China Newsletter) would have learned that:
By September, party insiders said, Mr. Hu was so strained by the Ling affair and the leadership negotiations that he seemed resigned to yielding power. As Mr. Hu's influence faded, Mr. Xi began taking charge of military affairs, including a group coordinating China's response to the escalating row with Japan over disputed islands.
Given both the vital role Ling had played in managing the logistics of the General Secretary's day-to-day activities, and the likely emotional toll of the death of a close associate's son, this idea of a Human Jintao feeling the pinch is logical enough.
Although the Times' sources say Ling's replacement as CCP General Office Director, Li Zhanshu, arrived in July, the public announcement of Ling's reassignment from the post was only made on September 1. Then Noda reached his agreement with the Kurihara family to make the purchase on September 4. Could all this explain Xi Jinping's lack of a public appearance between September 2 and September 12? If i were gearing up to take over as CCP General Secretary in a few months' time and then found myself taking charge of the country's response to a rapidly-escalating crisis, i'd have trouble finding time for photo ops.
Consensus at the top? China's opportunism on Diaoyu and Scarborough ShoalPosted: November 28, 2012 Filed under: Academic debates, China-ASEAN, China-Malaysia, CMS (China Maritime Surveillance), Diaoyu, FLEC & Ministry of Agriculture | Tags: 1988 Spratly Battle, anti-Japanese protest, ASEAN and South China Sea, China-ASEAN, Chinese foreign policy, Chinese public opinion, COC, Code of Conduct, Diaoyu Islands, escalation, 钓鱼岛, Johnson South Reef Skirmish, nationalism card, PRC foreign policy, PRC maritime law enforcement, PRC-Japan, reactive assertiveness, Scarborough Shoal 黄岩岛, south china sea, uses of public opinion 2 Comments
In last week's Sinica Podcast, M. Taylor Fravel discussed the March 1988 Sino-Vietnamese battle in the Spratly Islands, recounting how the PLAN Commander was moved from his post afterwards as a result of his unauthorized decision to open fire on the Vietnamese Navy.
This could make the 1988 battle appear as a historical example of uncoordination in the PRC's behaviour towards the outside world — a rogue commander taking foreign policy into his own hands. However, the decision to send the Navy in to establish a presence on unoccupied reefs in the Spratlys was a centralized, high-level one.
Today, the Chinese Navy is better equipped and better trained, so the chances of something similar happening are small. The unwavering non-involvement of the PLAN in China's maritime territorial disputes, even as tensions have risen to boiling point, is a testament to the navy's professionalization, and a site of consensus among China's policymakers. The US Department of Defense in 2011 presciently pinpointed (see p.60) the increasing use of non-military law enforcement agencies to press China's claims in disputed waters as an important component of PRC policy. Since then, this approach has become ever-more salient.
China's maritime law enforcement fleets have long been seen as a source of policy disorganization, both within China and abroad; back in 2002, for example, the Hainan Provincial NPC delegation tabled a motion to establish a unified maritime law-enforcement fleet.
But in the podcast Fravel drew attention to how this year the China Maritime Surveillance and Fisheries Law Enforcement fleets have actually coordinated rather well, both with each other and with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in advancing China's maritime claims.
"The headline speaks to the Chinese people's heart!": Zhong Sheng on Diaoyu patrols, gets a Phoenix twistPosted: October 10, 2012 Filed under: Comment threads, Diaoyu, People's Daily, PRC News Portals | Tags: China Fisheries Law Enforcement Command, China Maritime Surveillance, China-Philippines, China-Philippines relations, Chinese foreign policy, Chinese internet, Chinese internet companies, Chinese media, CMS, 环球时报, Diaoyu, Diaoyu Islands, 钟声, FLEC, Global Times, Huanqiu Shibao, iFeng, media sensationalism, People's Daily, phoenix, Phoenix New Media Group, PRC foreign policy, PRC media, Renmin Ribao, Senkaku, Senkaku Islands, sensationalism, Sino-Japanese relations, Zhong Sheng, 人民日报 2 Comments
Monday's "Zhong Sheng" article in the Renmin Ribao set out to tell the world that the People's Republic's fisheries and surveillance ships are going to continue their patrols around the Diaoyu Islands.
The basic point was simple (official English translation):
Not only will the ship fleet of the Chinese Fishery Administration continue to stand its ground, but the Chinese Marine Surveillance ships will also stand their ground.
Beginning October 1, Chinese government boats have entered the 12nm territorial zone twice (on October 2 and 3) and patrolled in the 12nm "contiguous zone" every day since then. Zhong Sheng offered an explanation of sorts for the timing:
China needs to stand its ground in this manner. Otherwise, China's territorial sovereignty and legitimate right and interest could never be truly maintained, and Chinese people wouldn't be able to celebrate the festive season securely and happily.
So the patrols recorded each day from October 1 to 7 were probably aimed in part at giving China's holidaying families a sense that their government taking the requisite action to protect the homeland during National Day Golden Week. The Japanese media were of course crucial to the effectiveness of this.(†)
"Zhong Sheng" repeatedly claimed that the patrols were regularized and would not go away, but in so doing, effectively admitted that China had changed the status quo on the waters out there: "Japan is not accustomed to this . . . Japan must learn to adapt to these regular actions of China." In fact, the writer(s) even went one step further in this direction, nominating the specific date for one significant change in PRC policy:
The Chinese Fishery Administration has normalized the fishery-protection patrol in the waters near the Diaoyu Islands and its subsidiary islands since as early as 2010.


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First list for Assembly polls will be announced between March 22 and 28: Digvijay
Indicating that the Congress is getting ready for the poll, the in-charge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh Digvijay Singh on Thursday said the first list of candidates for the Assembly elections in the State would be announced between March 22 and 28.
The AICC leader said the list of candidates short-listed here would be submitted to the screening committee at the high command-level before finalising the names. Stating that the party would not waste much time in the alliance talks, Mr. Singh maintained that he was on a mission to prepare a preliminary list of candidates, those of the aspirants filtered at the State level, and also to get the party prepared for the elections by finalising the campaign schedules.
A senior Congress leader not wanting to be named said the issue of alliance with the TRS is high on Mr. Singh's agenda during his three-day stay here. Party sources said Mr. Singh would hold talks with K. Keshava Rao, who heads the TRS committee on alliances, and TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao on a probable alliance.
Mr. Singh had the preparatory talks with presidents of two new Pradesh Congress Committees of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh -- Ponnala Lakshmaiah and N. Raghuveera Reddy respectively -- working president of TPCC N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and party observers -- R.C. Kuntia and Thirunavukkarasu, both secretaries of AICC.
Several Telangana Congress leaders, including Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and Rajagopal Reddy, MLAs from Ranga Reddy district, Konda Murali and Konda Surekha called on Mr. Singh at a star hotel where he is staying. Mrs. Surekha denied reports that she is switching over to the TDP.
Keywords: AICC, Digvijay Singh, Telangana, Seemandhra, Congress, Lok Sabha elections 2014


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Project: STAY WARM
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Re: Project: STAY WARM
Sounds like fun!
I've spent a lot of time outdoors working and playing. The trick for me, especially if I need hands that work, is to over layer my core.
Consider more thermal underwear, progressive layers, fit a hooded sweatshirt in there so you can close the gap between your head and body. The idea is to overheat your core so your extremities stay warmer.
You can always remove layers but if you get the right balance to your activity, you can maintain some cooling through your hands(as excess heat escapes through them), to allow using them without too cumbersome a pair of gloves.
You may find a good balance of warm working hands with little covering them.
Just be sure to watch your bodies thermostat, peel layers and or head gear to prevent sweating. Good luck!
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DMV to Internet-less New Yorkers: Get in Line
By Jared Chausow
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By Elizabeth Flock
City Hid Facts From Feds About Rikers
By Albert Samaha
Flood Wall Street Gets Pepper Sprayed and Arrested
By Anna Merlan
By Jon Campbell
Report Sheds Light on Anti-Muslim Bias
By Jon Campbell
Rikers Island Lawsuits Over Diabetic Care
By Albert Samaha
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A surfer from California recently collected his 15 minutes of fame when he rode his board for the 10,407th consecutive day. During those 28 years, Dale Webster never took a vacation. To keep his mornings free, he worked exclusively at low-paying night jobs. He surfed on the day his daughter was born and the day he passed kidney stones. His eyes now have scar tissue because he has gazed into the sun for so long, and he's literally afraid to stop surfing for even 24 hours. I nominate him to be both your role model and anti-role model, Taurus. It's a perfect time to commit yourself with fierce passion to a long-term dream, but only if you promise not to let your devotion degenerate into manic obsession.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I lead a group called the Prayer Warriors. We petition God on behalf of people who need help in summoning divine intervention. Here's the prayer we'll be saying for your tribe in the coming months. Dear God: We beseech you to give a big, beautiful home to all Geminis who want one. If they aren't allowed to have that for karmic reasons, please grant them a comfortable apartment with no obnoxious roommates. If You can't manage that, bless them with a trailer that's free of mildew. If that's impossible, bestow on them a tent that doesn't leak and a cheap place to pitch it. If that's too much to ask, let them have their own tree house in a forest that's not too dark and scary. And if all that's out of the question, please at least help them feel at home in the world wherever they are.
Fresh! Hot! Succulent! Listen to Rob's Expanded Audio Horoscopes at either 1-900-950-7700 ($1.99 per minute) or through his shiny new RealAudio feature. Click for more info.
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CANCER (June 21-July 22): Antibiotics have been miracle drugs for over 60 years, but their potency is fading as bacteria evolve to become resistant to them. This has led some British doctors to revive a medieval approach to healingplacing maggots in open wounds. Seriously. The creepy creatures are fast and effective in cleansing infections. I'd like this to serve as your operative metaphor in the coming weeks, Cancerian. As you strive to mend old psychic lesions, call on the wisdom of the pasteven if it involves a cure that makes you a bit uneasy.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The puzzle is not as difficult as you imagine. In fact, it has only seven piecesfar fewer than you've assumed. Perhaps you got thrown off by its simplicity; it does have a superficial resemblance to a more complicated puzzle from your past. The ironic thing is that you'll never figure it out it as long as you're so serious and stressed about it. To create the conditions that will lead to a solution, relax, have as much fun as possible, and assume that the puzzle will soon solve itself.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Most American children don't want to grow up to be president any more. The practice of politics is boring and sickening, they tell pollsters. There's too much pressure and too much arguing involved. Despite this trend, I predict that in the coming weeks, a disproportionately large percentage of Virgo youngsters will fantasize about someday becoming president of the United States. I further predict that one of these kids will ultimately be elected commander in chief in 2044. As for you Virgo adults, I believe that no matter what country you live in, events in the coming days will awaken your dormant reserves of ambition and authority.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The time a rodeo cowboy has to stay on a bucking bronco to qualify: eight seconds. The time a lion tamer holds his head in a lion's mouth: seven seconds. The time it takes for a skydiver's parachute to open: six seconds. The time it takes for thunder to travel a mile: five seconds. The time it will take, sometime in the coming week, for divine intervention to reveal a galvanizing vision of your possible future: 10 seconds. The time it may take for you to fully understand the meaning of the vision: four months.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai wrote that "The soul is a search; the soul is a dance of searches for whatever is lost." Let that be your guiding thought in the coming weeks, Scorpio. The astrological omens suggest that it's high time for you to go looking for a missing treasure. The best way to ensure that you find it is to feed and praise and give free rein to the part of you that you call your soul.
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Stench rankles Escondido club neighbors
DeLaurentis said Friday he was at home Friday and watched as a truck spread the manure behind his house which sits near what used to be the 7th green.
"It smelled so bad it brought tears to my eyes," he said.
His wife, a registered nurse, told him he had to move out of the house right away for the sake of his health. They left Friday night and stayed with friends until returning Sunday.
Mesplay, the air quality inspector, said he could think of no reason to put the manure on the course. "It's odd because the water has been off for about a year. My take on it is it looks like an intentional nuisance."
Laura Lee Parker, who lives along the 17th fairway and watched as trucks dumped chunks of manure all over the area Friday, said she thinks the motive is obvious.
"It's just to cause us irritation. Why else?," Parker said. "We know it's not for fertilizer because you have to water."


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Jury finds Apple and Samsung both guilty of patent violations
A California jury found that Samsung copied some of Apple's smartphone features. The panel also concluded that Apple illegally used one of Samsung's patents in creating the iPhone 4 and 5.
Samsung vs. Apple trial still without verdict
California jurors have ended the day without reaching a verdict and will continue deliberating in a legal fight between Apple and Samsung over smartphone technology.
Apple vs. SamsungComment
Tsukayama interview March 31, 2014
The Mac turns 30 years old on Friday!
Look around. Many of the gadgets you see drew inspiration from the original Mac computer.
iPhone anniversary: Thursday marks 7 years since Apple introduced device
It was seven years ago Thursday that Steve Jobs stood on a stage in San Francisco and told his ardent followers that he was introducing what he called a "revolutionary product that changes everything."
Apple TV vs. Roku vs. Chromecast: Which is the best for you?
Streaming video devices such as Roku, Apple TV and Google's Chromecast project video from Netflix, YouTube and other services onto the big-screen TV. Suddenly, the computer seems inadequate.
New iPad Mini goes on sale in Apple Store online
Apple discreetly began selling the new iPad mini, complete with a retina display and enhanced processor, Tuesday morning on its website.
iPad Air goes on sale, Kraft removes dyes
The iPad Air hit Apple stores on Friday. The fifth-generation iPad was unveiled last month. Also, Kraft is removing artificial yellow dye from its kid-friendly boxes. And Walmart is starting the holiday shopping early.
Steve Jobs' Calif. home gets historic designation
The Silicon Valley home where Apple co-founder Steve Jobs grew up and built some of his first computers is now on the city's list of historic properties.
iPad Air is faster, slimmer and goes on sale in November
Apple Inc. is refreshing its iPad lineup in hopes of reclaiming lost ground in the tablet market and slashing the prices of its Mac computers to intensify the pressure on the beleaguered makers of PCs running Microsoft's Windows.
5th generation Apple iPad likely to be unveiled Oct. 22
Apple is likely to roll out the 5th generation of the iPad next week, Mashable reports.
Apple, pumpkin picking in Virginia and Maryland
ABC7 has put together a list of awesome Autumn hot spots for apple and pumpkin picking. And for your driving convenience, they're in order from shortest to longest distances. Pumpkins, apples and leaf peeping - the fun begins NOW!
Pickin' Tips: Before you hit the road...
Before you jump in the car to hit those pumpkin patches and apple orchards, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Gold iPhone 5s sold for top dollar on eBay, Craigslist
The gold iPhone 5s has proven to be one of the most highly sought after piece of technology in recent memory, and the scarcity of the device is apparently cause for people to pay top dollar for one.
Apple iOS 7 features take time to find in new update
The new Apple iOS 7 does have several functional improvements, but those could take time to stumble upon. The good news is that even if you never discover them, you can still use your device the way you did before.
Obama administration vetoes Apple import banComment
Tsukayama interview August 5, 2013
Apple conspired to raise e-book prices, judge saysComment
The judge at a New York civil anti-trust trial has found that the California company conspired with publishers to raise electronic book prices.
iOS 7 released: Apple unveils new operating system, Mac Pro, iTunes radioComment
Apple announced a digital radio service, new MacBook Air laptops and updates to its OSX and iOS operating systems Monday.
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60-Year-Old Albatross Raising Chick
A Laysan albatross at least six decades into her life has stumped federal biologists by raising another chick.
U.S. Geological Survey and Fish and Wildlife Service scientists said the chick turned up in a February survey at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Pacific Islands.
The bird, also known as Wisdom, "has sported and worn out 5 bird bands since she was first banded by USGS scientist Chandler Robbins in 1956 as she incubated an egg," says a statement.
"Just the idea of a bird 60 years old or more still bearing young is amazing," Bruce Peterjohn of the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Md., told USA Today.
Only one other wild bird is known to have lived to 61. Peterjohn said that Wisdom will tie that bird's record if she lives another year.
"Most Laysan albatrosses live to 30 or 40, just to make it to 60 is pretty incredible."
U.S. and Canadian scientists have banded about 64.5 million birds since 1920 and recovered bands from about 4.5 million of them.
According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, 19 of 21 albatross species are threatened with extinction, including the Laysan albatross, largely from pollution and predation by rats and other pests that prey on their young.
Although albatrosses mate for life, "I suspect she has gone through a few mates," Peterjohn told USA Today. He said that the chick found in February is still healthy and will likely stay on Midway until June or July.
"Albatrosses are indeed among the longest-lived birds in the world. Researchers had speculated that they could live this long, but what is really remarkable is that they not only can live this long, but still successfully reproduce. Particularly for a female which typically bears more of the reproductive cost than a male," wildlife biologist Lindsay Young of Pacific Rim Conservation in Honolulu told USA Today.
"It is also amazing that we know the age of this bird because of banding efforts that went on decades ago, and that the same individual was found almost 60 years later amongst literally millions of other birds breeding on the island."
"It really is a needle in a haystack. It makes you wonder how many other birds live this long, but we just don't get to find out either because we don't actively monitor them, or because we can't find the older individuals," said Young.
Image Caption: A Laysan albatross named Wisdom, is at least 60 years old and was spotted in February 2011 raising a chick at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Pacific Islands. The bird has sported and worn out 5 bird bands since she was first banded by U.S. Geological Survey scientist Chandler Robbins in 1956 as she incubated an egg. Robbins estimated Wisdom to be at least 5 years old then since this is the earliest age at which these birds breed, though they more typically breed at 8 or 9 after an involved courtship lasting several years. This means, of course, that Wisdom is more likely to be in her early sixties. Credit: John Klavitter, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
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PIERRE, S.D. – (DRG News) A man wanted by Wyoming authorities for questioning was taken into custody in South Dakota yesterday. The South Dakota Department of Public Safety says a South Dakota Highway Patrol trooper spotted a vehicle near Rapid City about 9:45 a.m. being driven by a man who authorities wanted to question about a homicide in Wyoming. The subject fled and troopers chased the vehicle east on Interstate 90. The DPS says the pursuit reached speeds near 120 mph at times. Authorities were able to successfully deploy tire-deflation spikes west of Chamberlain in Lyman County. The man was taken into custody and was taken to the Brule County Jail. Wyoming authorities requested that the man's name be withheld and no further information is being released on the incident. The Jones and Lyman County Sheriff's Offices assisted with the pursuit and apprehension of the man yesterday.
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It's hard not to wonder if this is a bridal fashion show or a film festival red carpetIs someone getting married and no one told us? 'Cause there are some major white gowns with humongous trains walking the red carpet at Cannes.When Eva Longoria Parker stepped out in a cascading Emilio Pucci gown last week, we thought that the train was a great re carpet stealing trick. But then there was another one. And another one. And another one. Trains upon trains. Gowns in shades of white with long, long trains. Some colored gowns with trains.The message is clear: If you want to steal the show, whether it be on a red carpet, at your wedding, or for a special occasion, wear a gown that trails behind you!Take a look at some of the celebrity red carpet dresses and then look at some of our style solutions to include this fashion trend in your glamor evening wardrobe.Published on May 19, 2010
More On: Eva Longoria Parker
Kim Kardashion wears Mara Hoffman, her clothing line launches next week
"Kim Kardashian is launching her bebe-Kardashian clothing line next week, but rocking Mara Hoffman this weekWe have to admit that "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" is one our favorite shows to veg out by, so we're kind of curious to see what Kim's new clothing line will look like after it previews next week at New York Fashion Week.In the mean time, Kim wore designer Mara Hoffman's mini-sweetheart dress over the weekend for pre-super bowl festivities with beau Reggie Bush in Miami."Published on February 09, 2010
bebe-Kardashian Kris Kardashian, Drew Barrymore, Eva Longoria Parker, Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez, Kardashian, Katy Perry, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Kim Kardashian, Lauren Conrad, Mara Hoffman, Megan Fox, Reggie Bush, Rihanna, Whitney Port and Ginnifer Goodwin


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Clough Ltd
Company Profile for Clough Ltd (CLO)
Clough Limited is an integrated engineering and construction company which offers contract services in Australia and internationally, including Asia, the South Pacific and the Middle East. The Company also provides specialist onshore and offshore construction fleets for drilling rigs and petroleum construction projects.
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Clough Ltd
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Phone: 61-8-9281-9281
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Surviving a life-changing event such as a stroke often begins a journey of adjustment, not just for the survivor but for family members, friends and caregivers.
Adirondack Health will host a Stroke Support Group meeting on Wednesday, May 21 in the 1st Floor Conference Room at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake from 3-4:30 p.m. There are many physical and emotional changes that can result from a stroke, and a support group can play a vital role in recovery for survivors and family members.
AMC's Stroke Support Group offers encouragement, education and socialization through:
- An opportunity to learn about stroke treatments, prognosis and advancements
- Information about community resources
- A networking connection for care
- Lessening the sense of stigma often associated with strokes
- Positive solutions to common problems and issues
- Hope for survivors, families and caregivers
To attend the Stroke Support Group meeting at AMC on May 21 from 3-4:30 p.m., please contact Lea Bedore, Speech/Language Pathologist at (518) 897-2251.