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1383 S. Zeeb Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
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Editorial Director:
David Kiley
Business & Membership Affairs Director:
David Kiley
MIS Director:
Kevin Bryant
We at EncoreMichigan.com strongly encourage our readers to open a dialogue with us regarding the editorial content on this site, our business policies and practices, and other related issues and concerns.
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EncoreMichigan.com is Web-based publication focused on Michigan's professional theater industry. Established in 2008, it is the state's premier source for free, up-to-the-minute news and information about this often-ignored segment of the arts community.
Designed as a one-stop shop for consumers, industry professionals and others with an interest in the performing arts, EncoreMichigan.com is updated daily and packed with informative interviews, insightful reviews, comprehensive show listings, thoughtful commentary, audition notices, original podcasts, special offers and much, much more.
Original content is created by a dedicated team of veteran freelance journalists and theater professionals. In addition to material created exclusively for EncoreMichigan.com, links are also provided to reviews and stories of interest that appear in other local and national publications. Together, this makes EncoreMichigan.com the most complete source for professional theater news in Michigan.
EncoreMichigan.com also produces:
EncoreMichigan.com was created in 2008 by Livonia, Michigan-based Pride Source Media Group and originator Donald V. Calamia, PSMG's highly-regarded theater and arts editor. The company was acquired by Ann Arbor-based New Roads Media in March 2015. The Editor-in-Chief of EncoreMichigan, as of March 13, 2015, is David Kiley.
David Kiley has been a journalist and editor for thirty years, working and writing for such media outlets as USA Today, Businessweek, AOL, The HuffingtonPost, Adweek and Advertising Age.
In addition to journalism, Kiley has worked in the advertising industry for The Lowe Group, Fallon Worldwide and Doner, creating marketing and social media strategy for clients such as Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, Coca-Cola, Mazda, Nabisco Brands, The Washington DC Auto Show and other major brands.
Kiley is the author of two books: Getting The Bugs Out--The Rise, Fall and Comeback of Volkswagen in America 2001; BMW-Inside The Most Admired Car Company in the World (2004). He is co-author of Writing The War: Chronicles of a World War Two Correspondent (release in Oct. 2015). He is also President Emeritus of the International Motor Press Association.
A graduate of Fordham University and a native of Westfield, NJ, Kiley is a life-long devotee of the theater, and in recent years has appeared in productions at The Encore Theater in Dexter, MI and The Michigan League Dinner Theater. He lives in Ann Arbor.
As a theater and education major at Mercy College of Detroit, Donald V. Calamia learned an important life-lesson: A career as a professional actor in Detroit in the mid-1970s was not all it was cracked up to be!
However, life as a theater executive proved otherwise.
After serving stints as public relations director, box office manager, administrative director and producer with two local professional theater companies in the mid-to-late 70s, Calamia co-founded Crossroads Productions, Ltd., a nationally recognized, award-winning touring educational theater company, and served as its executive director for 14 years. When fate took him down yet another path in 1993, it was decided to go out on a high note, and the company quietly lowered the curtain for the last time.
In the meantime, Calamia found an outlet for his journalistic talents: From late 1979 through August 1982 he worked as a freelance writer for the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers for which he wrote feature stories and served as a theater critic. He has also written or co-authored a half dozen professionally-produced plays that address such issues as divorce, AIDS and substance abuse. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, they played to tens of thousands of young people all across Michigan.
Besides his current work as editorial director of EncoreMichigan.com, Calamia also serves as theater and arts editor for Pride Source Media Group, publishers of Between The Lines, for which he created The Wilde Awards, a "must attend" annual event that honors the work produced by Michigan's professional theater companies. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Theatre Critics Association.
Martin F. Kohn is former chief drama critic for the Detroit Free Press and has taught journalism at Michigan State University. He received the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award for music journalism and was a critic fellow at the O'Neill Theater Center, His work has appeared in American Theatre, Back Stage, the Best Plays Theater Yearbook, Dramatics, Entertainment Weekly, Humanities, Parenting, Parents and USA Today.
While growing up in Brighton, Michigan, Jenn McKee appeared as a maid in Agatha Christie's "The Hollow" and as one of the Major General's many daughters in Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance." She then decided to spare the world from her, ahem, "acting" and pursue writing about theater instead. She wrote her first theater reviews for The Michigan Daily while a student at U-M, and continued to write freelance arts articles for local newspapers while earning an MA in English at University of Georgia, and then an MFA in creative writing at Penn State University. She's published a poem (that's right, one) and a handful of short stories in literary journals, and one of her stories, "Under the Influence," was selected by Joyce Carol Oates for inclusion in the anthology, "Best New American Voices 2003." Currently, she's the staff theater critic/arts writer for AnnArbor.com, and she lives in Farmington with her lovely husband Joe and daughter Lily.
Sue Merrell has been a reporter, editor and entertainment writer for almost 40 years, working for newspapers in Texas, South Carolina, Illinois and Michigan. In 2009 she retired from The Grand Rapids Press where she served as fulltime theater critic since 2000. While continuing to review select theater productions, Sue devotes most of her time to writing books including a memoir, "Laughing for a Living," and two mysteries: "Great News Town" and "One Shoe Off." She's currently working on her third book in the Jordan Daily News mystery series, "Full Moon Friday," which will be released in 2014. http://suemerrellbooks.com
Bridgette Redman has been reviewing for more than 20 years. She started out as a book reviewer, moved on to restaurants and has been reviewing theater for nearly 10 years. A journalism graduate from Michigan State University, she was a 2007 Fellow of the NEA Arts Journalism Institute in Theater and Musical Theater. She reviews theater for the Lansing State Journal and Encore Michigan. For 16 years she was a textbook editor and writer for a non-profit hospitality association. She is a past blogger of Flyover: Art in the American Outback, at ArtsJournal. She was the founding publisher of BookHelpWeb and former category lead for the book, newspaper and magazine section of Epinions.com. She taught drama for four years to grades K-3 at a Montessori school and now assistant directs plays at Waverly Community Schools, where a play she wrote was produced in 2010.
Judith Cookis Rubens is former theater critic for The Oakland Press. Now based in West Michigan, she has reviewed theater, dance and dining throughout Illinois and Michigan. She earned her journalism degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and started her career covering politics, crime and education for suburban Chicago newspapers. A wanna-be dancer-turned-critic, she studied ballet and jazz at Chicago's Lou Conte Dance Studio. Her freelance work has appeared in The Detroit News, the Detroit Free Press, AOL, Metro Parent Magazine, and many other print and online publications. She won a Society of Professional Journalists award for arts criticism in 2003.


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16th March 2015
16-year-old jailed for stabbing gay man to death
6:02 PM — A teenager has been jailed, after being convicted over the robbery and murder of a gay man.
1st March 2015
Russell Tovey opens up about horrific knife attack 10
3:16 PM — Looking star Russell Tovey has opened up about being stabbed in the head as a teenager.
31st July 2014
US: Trans teen stabbed on Washington D.C. train
4:56 PM — A 15-year-old transgender girl was stabbed by a man on board a Washington D.C. train on Wednesday afternoon, according to Transit Police.
26th July 2014
US: Florida man stabbed during gay hookup in cemetery 22
12:18 PM — A Florida man was stabbed five times during sex, while hooking up with a man in a cemetery.
20th May 2014
UK: Teen gets 14 years for stabbing gay man in chest 56
1:09 PM — A teenager has been jailed for stabbing a gay man in the chest, piercing his heart in the process.
13th May 2014
Gay Flybe pilot stabbed to death by partner, court told
4:16 PM — The partner of a former RAF pilot, who worked for the airline Flybe, denies murdering the victim.
24th April 2014
UK: Man who dressed as bunny jailed for stabbing ex's new boyfriend 5
6:33 PM — A man who dressed up in a bunny costume in order to stab his ex's new boyfriend in the neck and tried to incapacitate him with chloroform has been jailed.
10th April 2014
UK: Teen on trial for attempted murder denies stabbing gay man in chest
1:18 PM — A teenager on trial for the attempted murder of a 35-year-old gay man denies he is homophobic and says cocaine makes him "stupid not aggressive".
4th April 2014
Scotland: Man who murdered wife said she was a 'cheating lesbian whore' 5
10:50 AM — A husband who stabbed his wife to death after discovering she had an affair with another woman has been found guilty of murder.
10th March 2014
Swedish anti-homophobia campaigner in 'critical condition' after 'Nazi' stabbing 7
12:57 PM — A Swedish anti-homophobia campaigner is said to be in critical condition following a stabbing during an assault by right-wing activists over the weekend.
12th November 2013
Police admit charging wrong man over 'possible anti-gay' stabbing in Chester
12:06 PM — Police have admitted they charged the "wrong man" over a suspected homophobic stabbing on the City Walls in Chester last month, but have now arrested another suspect.
27th October 2013
Graham Norton describes how he revisited the place he was once stabbed and left for dead in London 4
9:06 AM — Graham Norton, in a recent interview, revealed how he revisited the place where he was once stabbed and left for dead following a mugging in London.
25th October 2013
Police arrest man over 'possible anti-gay' stabbing in Chester
10:10 AM — A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a stabbing in Chester earlier this week, which detectives suspect may have been a homophobic attack.
23rd October 2013
Police say stabbing in Cheshire could have been an anti-gay hate crime
1:07 PM — Detectives investigating a stabbing in Chester which left a man seriously ill in hospital suspect he may have been the victim of an anti-gay hate crime.
18th September 2013
New York officials condemn alleged anti-gay stabbing as 'horrific'
5:26 PM — Officials in New York City have condemned an anti-gay hate crime where a man was stabbed to death because a suspect allegedly thought he was gay.
17th September 2013
US: New York man accused of stabbing 69-year-old to death because he thought he was gay 7
2:27 PM — A 22-year-old New York man accused of stabbing to death a 69-year-old man because he thought he was gay, has been charged with second degree murder.
21st June 2013
Lesbian woman stabbed after being kicked out of McDonald's for having sex in a bathroom 36
11:35 PM — Two women in the US state of Pennsylvania were attacked and beaten by a group of people, after they were caught having sex in a McDonald's bathroom.
16th March 2013
Canada: Lawyer says bisexuality shouldn't have been a factor in client's murder conviction 8
1:40 PM — A lawyer in Canada is appealing the murder conviction of a bisexual man who killed a male friend who sexually assaulted him. The judge convicting him said he could not have committed a crime of passion since sexual contact with men should have been "normal" for him.
18th November 2012
US: 'Hate filled' killer of gay war veteran denied parole, still an 'extreme danger' 2
6:43 AM — The killer of a gay man in Staten Island, New York, has been denied parole after 23 years in jail, after it was deemed by a parole board that his "brutal, merciless and hate-filled actions" make him unfit for society.
12th April 2012
Teenager's sentence altered after anti-gay stabbing 60
9:05 AM — A London teenager who stabbed a gay man in the chest and leg has had his sentence changed from an indefinite period to a nine-year term due to his age.

subset: commoncrawl


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Non-deterministic digital content can be generated frequently and automatically. The content can then be delivered to another device using local and remote communication channels. One type of digital content is access code for accessing a host (which, in many cases, is located in the home or office of a user). There is no need for the user to remember any number or perform any special operations. In one embodiment of the present invention, the host contains information or devices that the user wishes to access remotely using a portable unit. Either the host or portable unit (the originator) generates non-deterministic access codes at regular time intervals (e.g., once a day) using a random number generator. The non-deterministic codes are delivered to the counterpart (host or portable unit) of the originator using local communication. Because the user is likely to visit his/her home or office frequently, the codes can be updated frequently. When the user is far away from the host, he/she can use the codes stored in the portable unit to access the host.
1. A communication system comprising:
a set of communication devices comprising at least a first and a second communication device, the first communication device having a wide area interface, the second communication device having a radio frequency receiver, each of the first and the second communication devices having a local interface that can communicate in a distance substantially shorter than that of the wide area interface;
one of the first and the second communication devices generating a non-deterministic digital content and delivering using the local interfaces of the first and the second communication devices the non-deterministic digital content to another of the first and the second communication devices;
a remote site located remotely from the first and the second communication devices, the remote site having a wide area interface that can receive the non-deterministic digital content and a first set of digital data from the wide area interface of the first communication device, subsequently the remote site transmitting radio frequency signal encoded with a second set of digital data, the second set of digital data comprising at least the non-deterministic digital content and the first set of digital data; and
the second communication device receiving the radio frequency signal using the radio frequency receiver and recovering the first set of digital data and non-deterministic digital content, the second communication device using the non-deterministic digital content to verify that the first set of digital data is sent by the first communication device.
2. The communication system of
3. The communication system of
4. The communication system of
5. The communication system of
6. The communication system of
7. The communication system of
8. The communication system of
9. The communication system of
10. The communication system of
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/836,397 filed Apr. 17, 2001, which claims the benefit of the following U.S. Provisional Applications: Ser. No. 60/200,260 filed Apr. 28, 2000; Ser. No. 60/242,892 filed Oct. 24, 2000; and Ser. No. 60/246,337 filed Nov. 7, 2000. All these patent applications are incorporated herein by reference.
This invention relates to data communication, and more specifically to a system and method to communicate locally using a local communication link and remotely via a wide-area network.
Data communication is becoming an important part of daily life. One of the most notable examples is the Internet, from which people receive electronic mail and visit web pages. Another example is in telephone communication. Many homes now own cordless phones that use digital spread spectrum technology to communicate digitized voice information between a cordless phone and a base station. Cellular phones also advanced from analog mode to digital operation. Recently, engineers envision that computers, home entertainment products, and home appliances will be linked together using a home-based local area network. Devices connected to this network may communicate with the outside world via the Internet. All these development rely on advances in digital data communication.
As more and more devices communicate digitally and more information is delivered through various networks, it is important to develop better ways to handle communication between all the devices. An important requirement is to increase the security of data communication. One of the most commonly used security measures is password. Passwords are very easy to use and convenient because no special equipment is required. However, it is known that systems relying on passwords are insecure. On the other hand, if a security measure is very cumbersome, people will not use it. Consequently, it is desirable to develop a simple to use way to enhance secure communicate between digital devices.
The present invention involves a system that can automatically and frequently generate non-deterministic digital content. The content can be delivered using local and remote communication channels.
In one embodiment, the digital content is access codes to access a host (which, in many cases, is located in the home or office of a user). There is no need for the user to remember any number or perform any special operations. In one embodiment of the present invention, the host contains information or devices that the user wishes to access remotely using a portable unit. Either the host or portable unit (the originator) generates non-deterministic access codes at regular time intervals (e.g., once a day) using a random number generator. The non-deterministic codes are delivered to the counterpart (host or portable unit) of the originator using local communication. Because the user is likely to visit his/her home or office frequently, the codes can be updated frequently. When the user is far away from the host, he/she can use the codes stored in the portable unit to access the host.
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to access codes. In general, digital content (e.g., algorithm, numbers, commands, video and audio data) can be generated in a non-deterministic manner. The digital content can be shared between a host and an associated portable unit using both local and remote communication links.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention are described by the following detailed description of the embodiments together with the accompanying drawings.
The present invention comprises a novel data communication method and system using local and remote communication. The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. Description of specific applications is provided only as examples. Various modifications to the preferred embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
The operation of system 100 is shown in
In one embodiment, the originator and/or the recipients contain memory to store the digital content.
It should be noted that the digital content may undergo a transformation in the host and/or associated portable access unit, as long as all the associated devices recognize the transformation. The word "transformation" means manipulation of the original content in accordance with certain algorithm. As an example, assuming that the digital content generated by an originator and received by a recipient is a number "12", both the originator and recipient may attach another number (e.g., "ab") to the digital content. The final number "ab12" is a transformation of the original digital content. During remote communication, the number "ab12" may be used instead of the original digital content. As another example, the content may be shifted (e.g., alphanumeric characters are shifted by two, so that "1" becomes "3" and "2" becomes "4"). The shifting may also follow a look-up-table. Other more complicated changes may also be used.
In order to present a concrete description of how system 100 can be used, a secure remote access system is described in detail. In this application, the above-mentioned non-deterministic digital content is an important component for a user to remotely gain access to a host. In a simple case, the non-deterministic digital content is a randomly generated number. In a more complex case, the non-deterministic digital content can be a randomly selected algorithm.
Access section 132 contains a wide-area interface 140 for communicating with wide-area network 110. Access section 132 also contains a local interface 142 for short distance local communication (i.e., within a domain) with associated portable access units. Access section 132 contains a processing unit 144 (containing processor, RAM, ROM, etc.) that can perform data processing functions. Access section 132 also contains a memory 146 for storing non-deterministic digital content. If the remote apparatus is determined to be an authorized apparatus (e.g., one of its associated portable access units), processing unit 144 issues a command to wide-area interface 140 to allow device section 134 to communicate with the remote apparatus. Because the workload of processing unit 144 is light and the size of the digital content is typically small, there may not be a need to have a separate processing unit and memory to implement the present invention, i.e., processing unit 144 and memory 146 may be shared with other parts of host 130 (e.g., device 136).
There are various ways to remotely identify authorized apparatuses using the digital content. For example, a digital code (called herein the "access code") can be used. Thus, if the access code received from a remote apparatus matches the digital content stored in memory 146, the apparatus is considered authorized. Alternatively, the digital content may consists of an algorithm designed for the purpose of authenticating a remote apparatus to host 130. If it is determined that both the host and the apparatus contain the same algorithm (e.g., by comparing the result of computation based on a randomly selected input), the apparatus is considered authorized. As explained in detail below, the present invention allows the digital content to change frequently (e.g., once a day) and automatically. There is no need for a user to remember a code (e.g., password) or perform any extra operation. As a result, the security of the system can be improved.
The above operations (matching and comparing) can be performed by processing unit 144. Thus, unit 144 functions as a comparator.
After an authorized apparatus is identified, the apparatus can send commands to device 136 ordering it to perform certain functions. In one embodiment of the present invention, these commands may be transformed. In the present invention, the transformation may be changed frequently. The transformation algorithm can be stored in memory 146.
In one embodiment of the present invention, each device in the host is associated with a distinct digital content. In this case, memory 198 is used to store a table of digital contents and their corresponding device identification numbers.
The operation of the present invention is now described. In order to access the device section of a host remotely via the wide-area network, the host must verify that the portable access unit has the correct digital content. In this part of the disclosure, a method (shown as a flow chart 200 in
Portable access unit 180 and host 130 may also authenticate themselves using conventional authentication methods (e.g., deterministic passwords). Thus, when an alien portable access unit enters the domain associated with host 130, it will not be able to exchange digital content with host 130.
In the present invention, portable access unit 180 is preferably an apparatus normally carried by the owner of host 130. For example, if portable access unit 180 is a cellular phone, the owner normally carries it to his/her car, house, and office. Local interfaces 142 and 186 are designed for short distance communication (inside a domain). Thus, when host 130 receives the digital content, it is highly likely that the digital content comes from an authorized source. As a result, it may be acceptable to use a less secure access mechanism (e.g., a regular password that does not change frequently). Note that the same apparatus can be the portable access unit of more than one host. Thus, the cellular phone can be the portable access unit of a house and a car. Another advantage of the present invention is that the digital contents change frequently, and are transferred automatically between a portable access unit and its associated host(s) at predetermined times.
In one embodiment of the present invention, portable access unit 180 generates a digital content for each device in device section 134 of host 130. In
When portable access unit 180 is outside of the domain, it communicates with host 130 via wide-area network 110 using wide area interface 188. In one embodiment of the present invention, unit 180 delivers the access code to host 130.
In the above-described embodiment of
As a further embodiment of portable access unit, the wide-area interface is built into the regular structure section. As an example, a conventional cellular telephone can be the regular structure section of the portable access unit of the present invention. Many cellular telephones contain an Internet access component. This component can be used as the wide-area interface of the present invention. In this way, the cost of the portable access unit can be reduced.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a portable memory card (such as smart card or memory card) can be used to carry the non-deterministic digital content.
In some cases, an owner of the host and portable access unit may want to change the digital content after a successful remote access session. One advantage of this arrangement is that a potential intruder cannot spy on the digital content during a remote access session, and use the same content to access the host soon after the owner finishes the access session. In this embodiment, both the host and its associated portable access unit contain an algorithm. This algorithm is used to transform the digital content to another content. As a result, the digital content can be changed automatically with each successful access. This algorithm may also be non-deterministic, and can be generated using the method of the present invention.
An embodiment of the present invention using a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag system 300 is shown in
Interrogator 304 contains an exciter 322 that can provide power to rectifier and power circuit 312 of tag 302 when tag 302 is proximately located to interrogator 304. Interrogator 304 contains a transceiver 324 that can communicate digital information with tag 302. Interrogator 304 contains a processing system 326 and a local area network (LAN) interface 328. LAN interface 328 connects interrogator 304 to a company computer system 334. Processing system 326 controls the communication between interrogator 304 and tag 302 and between interrogator 304 and computer system 334. Computer system 334 contains servers 336 and databases 338. Employees of the company can remotely access computer system 334 through a wide area interface 340. In the present invention, a random number generator 330 is used to generate a random access identification value when interrogator 334 senses that a tag (such as tag 302) is nearby. This access value is transmitted to tag 302 and stored in memory 316. The value is also stored in databases 338. The holder of tag 302 can travel with the tag, and the new access identification value can be used by the holder to remotely access computer system 334. For example, if the holder wishes to access computer 334 at home, the home computer will have a device that can read the access identification value stored in memory 316. This value will be used by the home computer to convince computer system 334 that the home computer is used by an authorized employee of the company. In this embodiment of the invention, tag 302 contains a PC interface 319 for easy interface with a personal computer (PC). Examples of PC interface 319 are USB port and IEEE 1394 ("Firewire") port. One characteristic of these ports is that power is supplied by the PC. Thus, tag 302 does not need to have an independent power source.
It should be noted that random number generator 330 may reside in interrogator 334 or computer system 334. In some cases, it is also desirable to combine a password system with the access identification value to further improve the security of the present invention.
A simple broadcasting system that uses access codes to send commands is now described. A portable access unit (such as a cellular phone 266 and a memory card 268) first establishes non-deterministic access codes locally using the above-described method. The user then carries the portable access unit to other places (e.g., his/her office). If a memory card is used, the user may insert the memory card 268 in a card interface 272, which is connected to a computer 274. Computer 274 can communicate with broadcast station 252 using Internet 258. If a cellular phone is used, the user can use his/her cellular phone 266 (which is Internet enabled) to establish communication with broadcast station 252.
Each host needs to register with broadcast station 252, and a host identification is assigned to the host. This identification is transferred to the associated portable access units of the host using local communication.
In operation, the user enters a command (e.g., turn on a device) and a device identification (e.g., "12345" for a heater) to cellular phone 266 or computer 274. Cellular phone 266 or computer 274 retrieves the access code, and delivers the access code, device identification, host identification and command to broadcast station 252. Broadcast station 252 encodes these data (i.e., access code, device ID and command) into radio frequency signals, and broadcast the signals to surrounding areas. The host identified by the identification will authenticate the access code. The host will execute the command after verified that the command is sent by its owner.
The invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. Various modification and changes may be made thereunto without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the invention. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense; the invention is limited only by the provided claims.
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Season Finales of DEXTER & HOMELAND Break Viewership Records
The season finales of DEXTER and HOMELAND last night outperformed their record breaking ratings from last week, to deliver both series' highest-rated nights ever.
Breaking last week's record, the DEXTER season seven finale now ranks as the highest-rated episode ever for a SHOWTIME original series. DEXTER delivered 2.75 million viewers at 9 p.m., and garnered the best total night delivery ever for a SHOWTIME series with 3.43 million total viewers for the night. Sunday's finale was up 14 percent from the season seven premiere (vs. 2.4 million) and up 23 percent versus the season 6 finale (vs. 2.2 million, 12/18/11). For the night, the finale was up 26 percent from the season six finale (vs. 2.7 million). Season-to-date, the seventh season of DEXTER is averaging 6.1 million total weekly viewers across platforms, its highest rated season ever, and up 12 percent above its prior season through the same time frame.
With its highest-rated night ever, HOMELAND's season two finale delivered 2.7 million viewers for the night, surpassing last week's total (2.6 million) as the best total night delivery ever for the series and up 31 percent from its season 2 premiere night (vs. 2.1 million). At 10 p.m. the finale garnered 2.3 million viewers, up 32 percent versus the season two premiere (vs. 1.7 million). Season-to-date, the second season of HOMELAND is averaging 5.9 million total weekly viewers across platforms, up 37 percent above its freshman season and now ranks as the network's second highest rated series.
About Author
- CNBC to Air THE MAKING OF DIG, the USA Network Event Series, 3/1
- NBC to Air One-Hour Season Finale of CHRISTINA MILIAN TURNED UP, 3/1
- NBC Universo to Present ROMEO SANTOS DESDE VINA Concert Exclusive, 3/1
- Kelly Clarkson to Visit CBS SUNDAY MORNING, 3/1
- VIDEO: Clark Gregg Teases New AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Season Using Emojis
- Dakota Johnson to Host SNL Tonight; Alabama Shakes to Perform
- NBC Sports to Air Coverage of U.S. GRAND PRIX FROM PARK CITY
- Discovery Family to Premiere New Episodes of TRANSFORMERS RESCUE BOTS, Today
- Telemundo to Present FUTBOL ESTELAR: LEON VS SANTOS, Today
- Telemundo to Give Viewers Sneak Peek at Upcoming Programming on LO NUEVO, Today


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When illegal collectors began stripping the Mananga Mountain of its indigenous cycads and lilies, the Mpumalanga Parks Board decided to step in and stop the depletion of these critically endangered plants.
Two plants in particular seemed popular with collectors the Lebombo Cycad (Encephalartos lebomboensis) and the Swazi Lily (Adenium swazicum). Both plant species are endemic to the Mananga Mountain range in the south-eastern corner of Mpumalanga, bordering Mozambique and Swaziland.
"We realised we would have to include the local community in our plans to conserve the rare plants," says Tommie Steyn, head of the Plant and Conservation Propagation Unit Wildlife Services, Mpumalanga Parks Board.
"They knew they could make money from illegal collectors so we needed to motivate them to work with us, but still give them the opportunity to earn something from it."
With funding from the Development Bank of South Africa, the Mlambo Cycad Nursery Project was established and four members of the community selected to work in it.
"We taught them to propagate plants from seeds harvested from wild populations, as well as nursery hygiene, maintenance, development and management," says Steyn.
"Once the community members developed those skills, we taught them financial management and marketing techniques so they could market the plants."
"We needed the locals to take ownership of the resource," says Steyn.
"By propagating and making seedlings available to the public and the community, they derive an income from their efforts and, at the same time, prevent the extinction of the species."
Seeds were originally harvested from plants growing on the mountain and have been propagated for the past four years. From each batch, new seedlings are kept aside to be replanted in depleted areas in the wild.
Steyn and the Mpumalanga Parks Board knew that if the project was to succeed in the long term, an intensive education programme was required. Schools in the area were included in a broad awareness campaign where children were taught why they need to protect these rare plants. Cultivation blocks were set up at the schools and the youngsters are encouraged to grow and care for the plants. An annual donation of plants is made to the schools and the Parks Board plans to buy back seeds once the plants have matured.
The youngsters were encouraged to collect tins for the Spirit of Africa marketing initiative, where cycad seedlings are planted in the brightly painted tins and offered for sale to the public.
"Now, for the first time, the public can legally obtain cycads when they buy them from our nursery," says Steyn.
The nursery currently trades with other nurseries and the Kruger National Park recently ordered 1000 cycad seedlings, hoping to make this an annual purchase.
"The project has created an awareness about the endangered plants," says Steyn. " The local community has elected a representative who serves as chairman of the nursery management committee, and the project has proved to be financially self-sustainable with the potential to improve its financial capacity by exploring new markets." Southside Media


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Predator of the world's largest macaw key to its survival
Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com
March 13, 2008
Living in Brazil's Pantanal the Hyacinth Macaw requires a very specific home: a pre-existing hole in the Manduvi tree. Such trees are in short supply. The tree must be mature (at least 60 years old) in order to provide a hole large enough for the nesting macaws. In addition, seventeen other species of birds will use such holes, as will a variety of mammals and honey bees. Making it even more difficult, the manduvi tree is not highly prevalent: an earlier study found that it made up only 6 percent of the vegetation in the Pantanal.
Hyancinth macaws in the Pantanal. Photo by Rhett A. Butler
Ironically, this is the same toucan which has been shown to be the main predator of Hyacinth Macaw eggs. The macaws lose nearly a quarter of their eggs to predators, including Purplish Jays, White-eared Possums, and Coatis, yet the Toco Toucan eats over half of the eggs lost to prey animals each year. The toucan can swallow such eggs whole, leaving no evidence of its entry; in addition, at times, the toucan will kill macaw nestlings.
The Hyacinth Macaw is listed as endangered by the IUCN. The main driving forces are not predation, but human-related. Illegal trapping and habitat loss are the two largest factors in the macaw's decline. In the pet-trade the macaw can fetch several thousand US dollars. Cattle ranching, which is prevalent in the Pantanal, is also destructive, since the cattle will eat Manduvi seeds before they have a chance to germinate. Finally, the Hyacinth Macaw's selectivity regarding nests has not made its long-term conservation any easier.
The scientists who work on the paper urge this new research to be taken into account in future conservation plans, for without its greatest predator the Hyacinth Macaw would have no place to live.
Marco Aurelio Pizo, Camila I. Donatti, Neiva Maria R. Guedes, Mauro Galetti (2008). Conservation puzzle: Endangered hyacinth macaw depends on its nest predator for reproduction. Biological Conservation 141 (3008) 792-796.


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Donovan McNabb blames Washington Redskins for Robert Griffin III media circus
Robert Griffin III has become one of the media's favorite punching bags this season. After vowing to be ready for the start of the 2013 season, Griffin has been terrible. He has held onto the ball too long, failed to make accurate throws and not been a legitimate threat to scramble. According to Donovan McNabb,…Read More


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In context of the time Punk's promo had more impact on wrestling than Austin's did hands down. Austin's promo was your typical promo directed at a single wrestler to out-talk that wrestler. Was it funny? Yes. Was it different? Sure Did it change the direction of the company and the way story lines were written? Not really. Punk's promo however delivered on all fronts in this PG era of lame programming. Just giving Punk the chance to do the promo was a fresh escape from the "All hail John Cena" attitude the company was going which also took the spotlight off their golden boy and gave an unexpected superstar a chance to show what he could do. Punk's promo was also more real in spirit because it had truth behind it (whether or not it was actually scripted). Not to say SCSA did't have attitude, it did, however devoid of emotion as Punk produced. Also look at what happened in WWE after Punk's promo. Cena lost the title IMO the best match he has competed in, unique story lines emerge with the belt leaving the company (which should have lasted longer IMO) and cha few in the front office (Mr. MacMahn stepping down as COO), Punks epic title run, etc. Punk created a hell of a lot of more change in the business during the time of his promo then SCSO did. Oh yeah Punk sold a few more t-shirts too.
I have to go with Punk.
SCSA was on his way to the top with or without his 3:16 promo. People loved him and his attitude irregardless. The 3:16 comment was made to made to Jake Roberts and his new found Christianity and turned into a nice hook and T-shirt.
Punk's shoot, on the other hand, was a shot in the arm to the whole WWE. Things had become stagnant and to see someone break down that imaginary wall between being a "wrestler" and being a "person" with all the real emotion behind it - it was something special to say the least and catapulted him to the top of the World for being the one to speak out and have a real voice and be true to himself (it naturally helped that he has solid skills in the ring as well).


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- 3rd September 2010 #1
BSNL Launches Unlimited Broadband Plan at Rs. 499
Bsnl has launched truly unlimited broadband plan for Rs 499 per month. What do you guys think about this new move?
Last edited by Admin; 12th July 2014 at 11:07 AM.
- 3rd September 2010 #2
- Join Date
- Aug 2007
- Posts
- 15,272
]The new promotional broadband plan offer will be available upto 30th November.
not listed so far, in Bsnl.Karnataka site.
wait for festival offers Dasara and Diwali ( Deepavali )
- 3rd September 2010 #3
- 3rd September 2010 #4
- Join Date
- Dec 2008
- Posts
- 375
What is the difference? 499 + 180 ( rental) = 689 + taxes, right? may be beneficial as a home 500c user not aware.
- 3rd September 2010 #5
- Join Date
- Aug 2010
- Posts
- 25
AAAAH again this shitty speed of 256Kbps crap.
I am in India now.earlier when i was abroad i enjoyed blazing speeds of 24Mbps and now I feel like moving on a bull-cart.GAWD!Please ask BSNL to upgrade the speed atleast ask them to get around 5-10Mbps speed and unlimited.
- 3rd September 2010 #6
I know many users who are waiting for an unlimited plan for less than Rs. 500 due to budget problems. You can get an 8 Mbps connection for Rs. 2500. The more you are willing to pay, higher will be your speed.
This may help
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.
- 3rd September 2010 #7
- Join Date
- Aug 2010
- Posts
- 25
thanks meetdilip but i want to know a particular reason that why there is so much scarcity of bandwidth in India?I mean even in African countries you wont see ISPs having any scheme like LIMITED USAGE.
I am not going against India but.India is a developing nation and if u take example with anyother county like for say China they provide you 4Mbps unlimited for 700INR*/month and without any FUP or limitation.
Why do we have Limited Usage plans in India and whats the government getting from it?
India has many competitors in every field say mobile networks or broadband facilities but still we cannot get something which we need severely for a fair price?
- 3rd September 2010 #8
You are right. It is high time for private players to do something on this issue. BSNL as usual will follow.
- 3rd September 2010 #9
- Join Date
- Aug 2010
- Posts
- 25
Well afaik private players always have some hidden cost inside their plans or they have this weird(*) sign which means conditions apply and when u scroll down the page to know what it means then you get to know what all false games the can play to fool their customers.
Thinking for several days I (myself) came on 2 points which could be the reason that Indian ISPs are not providing Unlimited usage with high bandwidth for a cheap price.
1.Indian government is scared if,its made cheap then every Indian will download each and everything on hard drive and will never spend any penny on optical media.
2.Indian ISPs are not well equipped or trained to provide their customers with high bandwidth and UL usage may be they dont have enough severs to take care of.
Could be any reason you guys are more talented and experienced with this thing.You guys must be having a good or exact answer.
- 4th September 2010 #10
- Join Date
- Apr 2009
- Posts
- 137
Piracy may be also one reason.We use everything pirated here; from OS to games.Also DVDrip movies etc.If higher bandwidth at unlimited is achieved,piracy will go heavy.
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Cebu Pacific Catering Services, Inc. (CPCS) is a joint venture between MacroAsia Corporation (MAC) (40%), Cathay Pacific Catering Services of Hong Kong (40%) and MGO Pacific Resources Corporation (20%). It started its operations in October 1996 as MAC's first in-flight catering business undertaking. CPCS is currently the lone full-service airline catering company at Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
CPCS has a two-storey kitchen facility designed and developed by Cathay Pacific Catering Services H.K.. The facility is situated in the Mactan Economic Zone, Lapu-Lapu City, adjacent to MCIA in Mactan, Cebu. It has the capacity to produce approximately 3,000 meals a day and is currently serving at an average of almost 1,300 meals per day. Among its clients are Philippine Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Asiana Airlines, Korean Air and Zest Air.
2012 Performance
The Company continued to be profitable in 2012, but recorded a 10% decrease in net earnings compared to 2011. This decline is mainly because of the stoppage of Qatar Airways' operation in Cebu. The airline ceased flying to Cebu starting on the 2nd quarter of 2012. Like the other companies, CPCS also had to contend with the mandatory increases in wages, resulting into higher labor cost, and the appreciation of Philippine Peso versus US Dollar that impacted on its dollar revenues.
The Company was also recognized by Cathay Pacific through a Hygiene Award, a recognition of CPCS' consistent compliance with the airline's food safety and hygiene standards.
20123 – Forecast
CPCS, the only in-flight catering company that operates in Mactan Cebu International Airport will continue to offer the best food quality at a competitive price not only to its current domestic and foreign airline clients but also to those charter flights that flies to the island of Cebu. An increased in its revenue as well as its net earnings is expected in year 2013 as it expects to service new airline clients (mostly charter flights), in addition to its current portfolio.
1st Avenue Extension, Block B6 MEZ
Lapu-Lapu City 6015 Philippines
Tel. Nos. +63 32 340-8858
Fax Nos. +63 32 340-5358


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- June Real Estate Guide
James G. "Jim" Ramey, 86, of LaFontaine, died at 6:15 a.m., Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012, at Miller's Merry Manor East in Wabash.
He was born Aug. 15, 1926, in Grundy, Va., to Wyatt and Lucy (Stiltner) Ramey.
Jim married Bonnie Pefley on June 24, 1970 in Wabash. He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving in the 19th field artillery. He worked for 18 years in the coal mines of Virginia, and then worked at Fisher Body in Marion for 27 years, retiring in 1988. He attended Grace Fellowship Church and enjoyed wood working.
He is survived by his wife, Bonnie Ramey of LaFontaine; six children, James D. Ramey of Bryan, Ohio, Robert G. (Tammy) Ramey and Sue (Ben) Metzger both of Columbia City, Indiana, Brad (Debbie) Hall of Wabash, Linda (Robert) Sopher of Pella, Iowa, and Judy Green of North Manchester; eight grandchildren, Destiny (Harry) Boggs of Huntington, Deborah (Deryl) Fairchild of Roanoke, Indiana, R.J. Ramey and Adem Ramey both of Columbia City, Scott (Carrie) Green of North Manchester, Shawnae (David) Lambert of Pella, Alyssa Wheeler of Greensburg, Indiana, and Adam (Jade) Hall of Wabash, 13 great-grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; and a brother, Irvin Ramey of Grundy (Nancy) Virginia. He was preceded in death by seven brothers, two sisters, and one great-great grandson.
Funeral services were held today at Grandstaff-Hentgen Funeral Service, 1241 Manchester Avenue, Wabash, at 10 a.m. with Rev. Bill Bowling and Rev. Rick Harrison officiating.
Burial will be in Memorial Lawns Cemetery, Wabash.
Preferred memorial is Grace Fellowship Church.
The memorial guest book for Jim may be signed at www.grandstaff-hentgen.com.


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Wednesday, May 26, 2010
43 comments:
Lovely fabric and colours Kim, I love scrappy and white together, so fresh...ReplyDelete
Yummy wee quilt Kim, love it.ReplyDelete
hugs Deb
Very pretty! I always love scrappy, and the sashing added to the split nine patches make a lovely quilt! :0)ReplyDelete
There's definitely something to be said for simple and sweet - I love it, Kim!ReplyDelete
That is cute, Kim. Scrappy and simple have my vote.ReplyDelete
Very pretty quilt! I believe there must always be a bit of red (or a lot) in a quilt. And it is always nice to use some stash...ReplyDelete
I love the crinkle look too! Wonderful finish!!ReplyDelete
Kim I really, really like it! So fresh and happy!ReplyDelete
Great quilt, Kim. Thanks for sharing. Have a fun week-end.ReplyDelete
Simple, but effective - it's lovely.ReplyDelete
Looks like an easy design to sew. Your colors are soft & aged looking. Looks yummy with all the quilting......and it's done. That's the best thing of all.ReplyDelete
Beautiful quilt Kim! It will make someone warm and happy.ReplyDelete
Just finished quilting my Hope Valley quilt tonight. On to the binding tomorrow.
I love the quilt. That is a great pattern. I made one like that a few years ago. One of my favorite quilts.ReplyDelete
Hi Kim. It tickles me what you said - "waiting for another LITTLE ONE to come along". And then you say the binding is "MAKE LIFE". You just make me smile.ReplyDelete
The quilt is just adorable - scrappy made happy!!
Hope your weekend is filled with smiles.
Blessings to you.
I really love scrappy quilts and yours are so wonderful.ReplyDelete
It turned out great! Love the scraps you used!! :)ReplyDelete
the quilt looks wonderful!ReplyDelete
love that you used what you had to make this quilt, we all need to do more of that.
congrats on another completed quilt!
Hi Kim... Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment. In discovering my blog, I have discovered yours! I love it!ReplyDelete
Beautiful quilt and lovely colored fabrics, it looks very warm and homey.ReplyDelete
Your quilt is delightful! So bright and cheery!ReplyDelete
I love this quilt! I've made one similar only with the blocks in a random pattern, and without sashing. I like yours much better! xReplyDelete
I love that quilt. It looks so warm and cozy. Nice job!! You know I love the red little squares I see in there.ReplyDelete
Lovely fabrics and your quilting is so great! I admire folks who can FMQ. You have such an eye for putting fabrics together. XOReplyDelete
Here I am! I told you I would stop by and take a peek at what was going on over here at Stillmeadow! :0)ReplyDelete
I love this little scrap quilt! Very cozy and inviting, just right for a cuddle quilt! You did a super job with using your scraps. I am liking the idea of making more scrap quilts. It is a bit of each quilt you ever made and so fun to see it all come together.
Do you have a little one coming?? or is the for the ready just in case?
I see a peek of your kitchen hiding under the quilt. It looks very homey! :0)
Knock, Knock!...ReplyDelete
Thank you for naming my quilt!~It's perfect! Have you noticed all the lovely things that folks are saying about your name for it?!?! :)
Just wanted to thank you and let you know. XO
Very fresh and pretty, Kim! I just love a scrappy quilt with a neutral background! Hope all is well with you and Tom!ReplyDelete
I absolutly love this quilt and it looks like something I could even make!!!!!!!!ReplyDelete
i stumbled on your quilt today and i just love this!! it is adorableReplyDelete
I love it, Kim! I sure could have used your help last night when sewing the quilt for my grandson! The needle thread kept breaking...skipped stitches etc Errr!ReplyDelete
I love scrap quilt, I love how yours turned out. It's so sweet.ReplyDelete
Stunning, absolutely stunning.ReplyDelete
How cool! Love this.ReplyDelete
Kim, I love your quilt. It is simple and yet so pretty, just the way I like my quilts too. Thanks for sharing the link to the tutorial.ReplyDelete
This is adorable and a great way to use up scraps and charms (and you know how much I love charms)!ReplyDelete
Kim... I am missing your posts! You must be busy quilting!ReplyDelete
It doesn't get any better than that -- fast and cute. It's adorable!ReplyDelete
Love this quilt and the free motion quilting is my favorite!ReplyDelete
I am a scrappy addict, this is a really nice, clean looking scrap quilt. Odd how the colors we fall in love with seem to come our way in the most limited amounts. Thank you for sharing! - Mary, Saint Paul, MNReplyDelete
Ohhhhh just love this quilt!ReplyDelete
Hey!! Knock, Knock!!!! Time for a new post here....came over to check on you!!!ReplyDelete
OMG I adore this quilt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ReplyDelete
Hi Kim, just wondering how you are getting on, miss you! TraceyReplyDelete
I just love how it's all crinkly and snuggly looking. Very cute quilt.ReplyDelete


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Macrovision's anti-piracy technology, designed to stop bootleggers from copying video tapes and discs, is already being used by several Hollywood studios. Now the company has patented a way to foil its own technology (WO 97/15142).
There is method in this madness. Several companies make black boxes to get round anti-piracy technology. If Macrovision patents circuitry to do the same thing, it can sue these companies for infringing its patents.
Macrovision's anti-piracy system records spurious pulses close to the real pulses that synchronise the pictures. These fool the control circuit of a video into making a poor copy. Black boxes use either the synch pulse, or other signals controlling the colour, as markers so that they can find the spurious pulses and strip them out. Macrovision's patent explains how to do this, and claims a monopoly on the circuitry.
To continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content.


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Today I spotted Baukjen wearing The Boxy Jumper and The Perfect Leggings. I couldn't resist persuading her to take part in the "Today I'm Wearing" series as this effortless style is perfect for days like today when we're all feeling the cold. Baukjen completed the look with her fabulous new Ugg boots (making me slightly jealous!) and with her red hair, she looks just amazing.
Baukjen, you have been papped!
Have a nice day,
Ania X


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Bolsa Mercado to Change From Grocery Store to Grocerant
Bolsa Mercado is growing from a grocery store to a grocerant.Now customers can sip a glass of wine or drink a beer while shopping or dining in the market. The new designation also allows the space to host private parties and chef dinners. Will you miss your dinners for two?Full Story


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News Quiz
By Daily News staff
1. Which national campaigner came to Fort Myers?
a. Vice President Joe Biden
b. GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney
c. GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan
2. Which national political figure came to Naples?
a. Vice President Joe Biden
b. GOP House Speaker John Boehner
c. Democratic strategist James Carville
3. What funny pet term is the object of a copyright lawsuit against a local kennel?
a. Puppy Love
b. Wigglebutt
c. Central Bark
4. The stone crab feel at Everglades City got a what last weekend?
a. blessing
b. new theme song
c. gift of new traps and nets
5. The ouster of three Florida Supreme Court justices is now favored by:
a. three judges who want their jobs
b. a small political action group
c. the Republican Party of Florida6. Edison State College and Champions for Learning have launched a program for scholarships for seniors at which local high school?
a. Estero
b. Naples
c. Golden Gate
7. One of those "Taste of'' events is set for today at:
a. Coconut Point
b. JetBlue Park
c. Marco Island
8. The Ochopee Post Office, the country's smallest, was to be painted what color to promote health awareness?
a. light blue
b. pink
c. bright yellow
9. Marjorie Rubacky has been named the 2012 outstanding citizen of:
a. Naples
b. Bonita Springs
c. Golden Gate
10. Which local family fun place may be turned into a car dealership?
a. Chuck E. Cheese
b. Dairy Queen in Naples
c. King Richard'sAnswers: 1.a 2.b 3.b 4.a 5.c 6.c 7.a 8.b 9.b 10.c
Subscribe to the Naples Daily News
Need Help? Call us at 1-888-878-6842.
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Dragon Tide Review: Bringing Old in Old School
By Vincent Haoson (Vincenthaoson), OnRPG Journalist
During the heyday of old consoles, role playing games were just pixilated sprites. Those boxy looking characters you played was your portal to another world, slaying monsters, using spells and saving the day.Now, with the invention of the next gen consoles, we get to experience games that have surpassed our imaginations and the old pixilated chaps are soon forgotten.Dragon Tide, a browser game that uses that same system we grew to love and reminds us of the good ol' days of RPGs.However, it seems that the good ol' days should have been left in the past.
Where It Begins
Your character is a hero in a world where dragons have taken over. Dragon Tide, as the name suggests revolves around your journey to become stronger so that you can rid of the world of the menace of the dragons. Sounds good right? The game does have a certain flair for storytelling. The brief history of the game does bring the mood of your goal and your quest in the game however this is the only place where the game really makes you feel like part of the story.
Right off the bat, Dragon Tide is a game that is not visually spectacular. You get a little sprite that symbolizes your character. The sprite you have doesn't change regardless of the race and career class you choose, so that's another minus point for the game.Aside from the map you don't get any other visuals in the game. So it's really a letdown that the only graphics you see are a pixilated character, which reminds you of the 8-bit, characters of old school RPGs.
Gameplay and Controls
There's nothing revolutionary in the gameplay of Dragon Tide. It has all the elements of an RPG game however in Dragon Tide everything is done in a slower pace than a lot of us would like.You control your character by clicking on the directional buttons found on the game's interface. Your character moves inch by inch per click so it takes ages for you to get where you want to go to.The inventory and even attacks are also done by clicking on the links that are found in your main page.
While the controls do provide you a little nostalgia for the old RPGs, the games controls are very inconvenient. The response time between clicking the direction you want your character to move to the actual movement of your character is delayed.
Job Classes and Races
Dragon Tide follows the standards when it comes to its Job classes and character races. You have the standard races such as the dwarves and elves and the job classes you can find in most RPGs and MMOs.That would mean that there is nothing new going on in Dragon Tide. What you have is the same old races and the same old job class that online games have in spades. So it would really make you think twice in playing the game.
Mobile Playing
I would say that this is the only feature the game has that would set it above the other browser games available on the market.Being able to play the game while you're on the go is something that browser games don't really look into, especially those that have the same game system as Dragon Tide. I've tried playing the game with my PSP and it runs the same way as it runs on a computer.As I continued playing the game, it felt as if Dragon Tide is more suited for mobile playing. Of course the gameplay does not really improve when you play it on a mobile device, it just feels right. I was actually able to spend more time playing Dragon Tide in my PSP rather than my computer.Mobile playing however is not really exclusive for Dragon Tide as other games such as Travian are available as well, so it's not really an achievement that you can play the game on a mobile device.
Updates Still Being Done
The other thing that keeps the game running is the game updates. It is surprising to see that Dragon Tide has a steady stream of updates.Though it might not be too much, the constant updates show that the game is not dead. You have something to look forward to every month.
Dragon Tide is a game that is definitely at a disadvantage against other browser games of the same theme. Visually the game definitely lacks a lot of things, from the pixilated images to the lack of anything graphic in the interface. When it comes to the gameplay and controls, the game has nothing new to add to the genre. What you have is a game that takes time to play and majority of it would be due to the delay in-between actions which really defeats the purpose of the game being an RPG.
The game only has the mobile device compatibility and the steady stream of updates going for it, and this really doesn't make the game more appealing. Once the novelty of being able to play an old school RPG wears off, what is left is a bitter taste of time wasted and the question, why did you even bother.There are definitely more games out there that are worth your time. Though I must say that the game is not the worst I've played,it really is near the bottom of the ladder.
- It has a decent storyline
- There are a variety of races that you can use
- You get to see your character moving
- You can play the game on mobile devices.
- Game graphics is old
- It takes ages for you to control your character
- Game interface is dull.


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In the wake of WWE's Over the Limit pay-per-view, a new Intercontinental champion has been crowned, four other champions continue to hold onto their titles and John Laurinaitis remains employed.
Sunday night's show delivered an evening of quality entertainment and good in-ring performances. On a non-major PPV event, WWE delivered a product that surpassed the expectations of many.


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Discover the fundamentals of screencasting and elearning, and compare the most popular tools, including Captivate, Articulate Studio, Articulate Storyline, Lectora, and Camtasia.
Demonstrates the powerful screen recording capabilities of Camtasia Studio, including how to set up, record, edit, and share a professional looking screencast.
"I'm completely blown away by the quality and quantity of training you offer. I feel like Neo in The Matrix when they would insert a training program and within a few minutes he could say, "I know jiujitsu!"" —Zolla M.
more from our members »


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, Namibia Articles - one of Namibia's least accessible regions holds some of Africa's most famous examples of rock art in the landmarks of Damaraland.
, Namibia Articles - "Skeleton Coast", an evocative name for Namibia's bleak and savagely inhospitable northern seaboard.
, Namibia Articles - One of the world's pre-eminent wildlife areas, present day Etosha National Park covers approximately 23175 square kilometres of land.
, Namibia Articles - One of the world's largest national parks, Namib-Naukluft Park encompasses encompasses 4 main conservation areas.
, Namibia Articles - the north-eastern panhandle between Botswana, Angola and Zambia.
, Namibia Articles - The Namib Desert stretches almost 2,000km from the Orange River on the southern border with South Africa.
, Namibia Articles - Namibia boasts 20 National Parks and protected areas, with a population under 2 million.
Namibia Vacations - Travel guide to Namibia accommodations and vacation packages. Visit Namibia for getaways and adventure travel. Plan your Namibia vacation today.


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31 Awesome Pics Of Celebrities Then Vs Now
Surfing the web I came across an awesome collection of celebrity pictures when they were children. It is always cool to see how people look when they were younger, especially celebrities. All were pretty much normal looking kids, except for Demi Moore, she looked so different!
Check out these 31 Awesome Pics Of Celebrities Then Vs Now:
Bon Jovi
Brad Pitt
Lady Gaga
Jim Carrey
Britney Spears
Demi Moore
Alice Cooper
George Clooney
Angelina Jolie
Cameron Diaz


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Welcome to 1to1 Media — a multimedia resourcefor CRM and Customer Experience Professionals.
Children learn best when they are at play. By acting out various roles and tasks, children absorb the lessons behind their activities, all while having fun and interacting with their peers. Of course, while companies certainly don't want employees goofing off on the job, playing pretend may just be the key to successful service training, as well.
For companies across industries, simulated training exercises have become a way to engage service professionals while allowing these employees to hone their abilities, learn new skills, and adjust to the constantly changing support environment. These methods now foster learning journeys, offering professionals the opportunity to evolve alongside their businesses so they remain invested in their company's future.
"People tend to learn a lot by doing on the job," says Rommin Adl, executive vice president at BTS. However, entrusting employees to learn as they do opens these learners up to mistakes that may inevitably reduce employee engagement because they haven't done the task before.
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The South African government has announced that talks are under way concerning the possibility of re-erecting a 150-kilometre stretch of fence along the Mozambique-South Africa border in the Kruger National Park.
On Monday, government spokesperson Mandla Mathebula told the SAPA news agency that South African National Parks was in discussion with the departments of the environment and public works on the logistics of putting back the fence.
The review of fencing is in response to the continuing problem of rhino poaching.
On 11 January two Mozambicans, suspected of poaching rhinoceros, were shot dead inside South Africa's Kruger National Park in a shoot-out with game rangers.
It is suspected that the two were part of a gang responsible for the slaughter of eight rhinos on 10 January. After finding the dehorned rhino carcasses, the rangers set out on the trail of the poachers.
Since 2009, South Africa has lost 911 rhinos to poachers. These are the known deaths. Other rhino carcasses may have gone undiscovered. Last week eleven rhinos were found dead and de-horned.
The poachers are after the rhino's horn, which is highly valuable due to its use in traditional medicines in Asia. The medicines are fraudulent, since rhino horn has no curative power whatever. The horn is made of keratin - the same protein found in human hair and fingernails.
The head of South African National Parks, David Mabunda, told a briefing on 15 January that the reinstallation or repair of the fence would cost 250 million rand. The proposal is to electrify the fence, but not to a level that would be lethal.
In 1975 the apartheid regime in South Africa put up a lethal electric fence along the border with Mozambique. However, the voltage was reduced after the unbanning of the African National Congress in 1990, and since the end of apartheid much of the fence has either been removed or knocked down by elephants.


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Hillsborough Commission reviews its budget
Mitch E. Perry
WMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday | Listen to this entire show:
As Floridaâs House members were learning the ramifications of the worst economic environment since the Great Depression, Hillsborough County Commissioners were getting a local take on the dire picture.
The Board did get some relatively good news from Chris Lancamera is ddirector of finance with the Clerk of the Board. She told the Board that they donât have to worry about the safety of the portfolio, but she said she wasnât as optimistic about interest earnings, especially after the fed cut its target interest rate on Tuesday between zero and a quarter percentage point.
Mike Merrill is utilities and commerce administrator with the county. He told the Board that the entire market is seized up with concerns about risk, and until the issue of transparency is addressed, that fear of risk isnât going away.
County Budget Director Eric Johnson also sounded measured in saying that Hillsborough County should be in decent shape all things considered, but does expect the county to have less revenues in a year.
When asked by Commissioner Kevin Beckner at what point might the county need to dip into its reserve fund as monies from the state dry up, Johnson said his department will be reviewing that possibility regularly.
A big federal economic stimulus bill is expected to be passed early next. After President-elect Obama met with most of the Governors in Philadelphia recently, many of them expressed excitement that they had "shovel ready" projects ready to go if they receive such funding.
Commissioner Al Higgenbotham expressed disappointment that the county itself doesnât have infrastructure projects ready to roll. And Higgenbotham said he wanted to have more, not less transparency with the public in terms of workshops to let everybody know what will be in store in terms of potential reductions of services because of the struggling economy.comments powered by Disqus


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General Practice Residency Certificate Program
Curriculum and Clinical Experiences
Residents will gain confidence in treating a wide variety of patients through actually caring for them under the guidance of a diverse and well-qualified faculty. Approximately 92% of program time is spent engaged in hands-on clinical care and education, with 8% in didactic and interdisciplinary conferences. A large majority of clinical care (85%) is delivered for ambulatory outpatients, with 15% or less for hospital inpatients and operating room care.
Clinical Dental Experiences: Clinical experiences are provided in all phases of general dentistry except orthodontics. Strengths of the clinical program are in diagnostic, restorative, prosthodontic and oral surgical areas. An additional clinical experience is provided in maxillofacial prosthetics for the head and neck cancer patient. Residents will gain significant experience in use of nitrous-oxide/oxygen analgesia and use of anxiolytic agents. The resident is afforded the opportunity to meet the oral health needs for ambulatory patients of all ages, from children at the Health Department to older adults at the VAMC, under the tutelage of on-site dental educators at all facilities. Outpatient UNC Hospitals Dental Clinic strives to provide residents with:
- Graduated responsibility in order to develop increased efficiency in dental practice.
- Experience in the care of medically complex patients throughout a complete care "episode."
- Education in efforts to provide a safe and positive patient experience in the practice.
- Exposure to the operations of a hospital dental practice with complex patients, many of whom have urgent needs.
- Experience using dental information technology.
Dental Team Members and Four-handed Dentistry: Clinical sites are staffed to allow one dental assistant per resident. Sites also have dental hygienists to support active recall systems and allow the resident to interact with the dental hygiene member of the dental team by providing periodic oral exams on hygiene patients. The Durham VAMC has an in-house laboratory with three full-time dental laboratory technicians. UNC Hospitals uses commercial laboratories to support prosthodontic case needs.
Operating Room Experiences: Comprehensive dental care and dental extraction cases are completed at UNC Hospitals by the residents working side-by-side with GPR faculty. UNC Hospitals General Dentistry/Oral Medicine service runs an active OR case load averaging 24 cases per month. Patients with physical and mental disabilities such as mental retardation, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and dental phobias comprise the bulk of comprehensive care cases. Dental extraction and pre-prosthetic surgery patients are often being prepared for radiation therapy for head and neck cancer or for organ transplantation.
Interdisciplinary Team and Medically-Complex Care: UNC Hospitals has an active interdisciplinary consultation system where residents are called upon to provide their dental expertise in addressing dental consult requests from surgical, medical and psychiatric services. Residents also participate in the weekly Head and Neck Tumor Conference. Residents gain significant experience with management of patients with medically complex conditions such as hemophilia and other bleeding disorders, end-stage organ failure (e.g. liver, kidney, heart, lung), oral and pharyngeal cancers, HIV/AIDS, systemic lupus, sickle cell anemia, and other rare disorders. At the Durham VAMC, patients often have hypertension, coronary vascular disease, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, post-traumatic stress disorder, end-stage organ disease and cancer.
On-call Emergency Dental Care: As a service to the community, residents provide after-hours and weekend emergency dental coverage for UNC Hospitals, averaging one out of every three-four days on first or second call. Call duty is taken by beeper from home, provided the resident is able to arrive at the hospital within 20 minutes. Trained staff dental assistants assist with on-call care delivered in the outpatient clinic. UNC Hospitals attending dentists are also available for consultation as needed.
GPR Didactic Curriculum: All residents meet on Friday afternoons in Chapel Hill from 2:00 to 5:00 pm for Didactic Conference. The curriculum is composed of a series of seminars and lectures by faculty experts from the dental and medical schools, and resident literature reviews. Residents also participate in the School of Dentistry's Interdisciplinary Case Conference for Graduate Students/Residents.
Chief Residency at UNC Hospitals (2nd year): Residents serve as Chief Resident during the second year of the program. This provides an opportunity to participate in hospital clinic and program administration, clinical instruction of student externs and junior residents, and additional Operating Room dental care delivery. Past residents interested in academic careers, have authored publications in the dental literature, ranging from case reports, to technique papers, review articles, and original research publications.
Last Modified: 10/06/2014


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Political ad blitz dominates airwaves
September 13, 2012 at 6:12 pm in Grand Forks Herald
Kim Simonsen's advice for his advertising clients in the run-up to a contested election: Don't bother trying to get a word in edgewise.
"They know it's not going to do any good," the media director of Fargo's H2M advertising agency said. "They know they're going to get knocked off." Continue Reading


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City utility rates rise: Water and sewer up 3 percent
September 26, 2013 at 1:55 am in The Jamestown Sun
Jamestown residents will see an increase of between $1.50 and $2 on their monthly utility bills after the first of the year.
The Jamestown City Council approved increases of 3 percent for water and sewer utilities and 5 percent for sanitation and solid waste during a special meeting Wednesday.
Continue Reading


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Among Oscar voters, if you're white, it's all right, provided you're also male and aging.
A new survey by the Los Angeles Times on the eve of this year's Oscar broadcast has confirmed an open secret in the film industry. Unlike the United States and its movie-going public, the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are overwhelming while, male and older.
The newspaper said that through interviews, reviews of résumés and publications, it has confirmed the identities of 89 percent of the academy's 5,765 members. While many individuals have been proud to highlight their participation, the academy itself has kept its full roster under wraps.
No wonder. The Times found that 94 percent of Oscar voters are white, almost 77 percent are male, and just 14 percent are younger than 50. The story can be read here.
Among other statistics, the newspaper reported that only one of the academy's 15 branches is less than 90 percent white _ actors, at 88 percent. The executives and writers are each 98 percent white. Only one of the academy's 43 governors – public relations executive Cheryl Boone Isaacs – is a person of color.
"I don't know the stats, but I'm not surprised," said NJN movie critic Miriam Rinn.
Academy awards, or even nominations, often play crucial roles in the financial success of a production, and certainly can make careers. Over the years, a strong body of evidence supports the concept that the academy's demographics determine who and what type of production makes it in the industry.
But the academy's demographics have hampered the Oscars. Television viewership plunged to an all-time low in 2008, when "No Country for Old Men" took Best Picture. It bounced back a bit the following year, when the winner, Bombay-set "Slumdog Millionaire" caught the imaginations of more viewers. Last year's expansion of the category to 10 nominees also worked to boost viewership.
With nine nominees this year, some in the industry suggest its ostensible appeal to middle-aged males led to the inclusion of what the Huffington Post called "perhaps the most surprising nomination," a pretentious capitlaization on 9/11. "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" grabbed a spot over a raft of more accomplished and popular contenders such as "Bridesmaids," "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," "Drive" and "Take Shelter."
"You'd have to turn somewhere other than the nine best-picture nominees for proof that 2011 was more than merely an adequate year for movies," said Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe.
Like others, he pointed to changes in the voting formula requiring that movies get a percentage of first-place votes to remain in the running for an Oscar nomination. That hurts a female-oriented comedy like "Bridesmaids" or a violent noir like "Drive," since they are unlikely to be a first choice of many academy members.
In 83 years, African-Americans have won less than 4 percent of the acting awards, although that might change this year. The Best picture nominees include "The Help." Overcoming a pallid, safe script, the ensemble cast provided strong work, including Viola Davis, nominated for best actress, and Octavia Spencer, best supporting actress.
Some in the industry defend the academy's make-up as reflective of the industry as a whole, and particularly those who have persevered and succeeded in Hollywood.
But that in itself is a remarkable commentary on the closed doors of an industry based largely in Los Angeles, a city whose population is 47.7 percent Hispanic, 13.7 percent Asian and 8.7 percent African-American, according to the 2010 Census.


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5.0 Mustang & Super FordsFeatured Vehicles
1987 Ford Mustang - Fast Times
This GT Was Built By High School Students. What Are You Waiting For?
Horse Sense: In addition to instructor Todd Collins, those who helped oversee the Mustang's build include Tony Collins, Brent Daniel, Michael Lampley, David Carroll, Ronnie Christian, Curtis Krueger, William Depriest, and Mickey Harris. "This was a true community effort with numerous contributions," Todd says.
If you took a poll from 5.0&SF staffers about their high school lives, you will get vastly different answers. Editor Turner says he was a B-/C+ student. "I really gave my best effort at chasing girls," he says, "with the same sort of mixed results." Really? Turner's dad taught shop class at his school, so naturally he wanted nothing to do with that. Though he started dreaming of Mustangs around 7th grade, he didn't get serious about making that dream come true till after high school. Tech Editor Jones says he did well enough to graduate. In KJ's day, the legal drinking age was 18, so he partook in plenty of extracurricular activities including as he puts it, "cars, cars, girls, cars, music, drinking, having fun, more girls, and more cars."
As for your author, my family moved several times while I was in high school, so I was unable to plant myself into a school long enough to get any formal automotive training. I "missed" a lot of classes, played a lot of basketball, and failed miserably at girl-chasing. I was however, able to garner a couple of autobody courses at one high school, along with the same as part of a half-day program at a community college while finishing my scholastic career at Palmer High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Of the three of us, Tech Editor Jones has proven he has what it takes to build a Mustang. If it was up to Turner, he would be too busy detailing parts for the car to get done. If a car's build were up to me, I would simply take forever trying.
Editor Turner and I should start sending our project Mustangs to East Hickman High School in Lyles, Tennessee. The Mustang you see here was built by students in the school's Automotive Technology class.
Under the tutelage of instructor Todd Collins, the students at first wanted to simply build a street-legal sleeper, but that plan was shelved for the chance to compete on the show Drag Race High aired on Speed Channel. The car's plans went from street sleeper to the audacious strip brawler seen here. East Hickman's GT was scheduled to battle the Chevy Monza of Fairview High School.
Before doing battle, the students had plenty of work to do. To get started, they stripped the LX to its bare bones, commencing from scratch. Through community effort and volunteer overseers, students performed the bodywork, the paint, all the mechanical, and the rollcage. "This is a true kids' car," Todd says. The car's color, Sikkens Eagle Eye blue, is a custom hue exclusive to East Hickman High School. The color was even mixed there at the school. Mickey Harris finished off the paint with custom airbrushing.
To make sure that Monza had zero chance of victory, BES Racing was called on for a built 434ci Windsor using top-shelf components. As insurance, the students employed an Edelbrock nitrous kit, tuned for optimum power and reliability by Induction Solutions' Steve Johnson, to guarantee the Monza a nice view of the Fox taillights. Backing the juiced Windsor is a Wayne Transmissions Powerglide with a PTC converter and 176 Pro Tree valvebody.
Since the car started life as a four-banger, the students went straight past a built 8.8, opting for a Chris Alston's Chassisworks Fab9 rearend setup, including upper and lower control arms--just like KJ's T-top coupe. Once the rear suspension is done doing its job, Aerospace Components' brakes at all four corners brings everything to a halt.
Speaking of stopping, East Hickman students didn't have to worry about stopping the Fairview Monza on the day of the show's taping; it wasn't ready. Steve and I promise we had nothing to do with the Monza's unfinished state. No matter--East Hickman's GT was ready to go. The end result of the students' work is 5.50s in the eighth-mile and 8.60s in the quarter. We give the East Hickman High School students an A+. Great job.


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The Federal Government will Become America's Model Employer for the 21st Century.
Recruit, Retain and Honor a World-Class Workforce to Serve the American People.
Find out more about Federal compensation throughout your career and around the world.
Staffing to align with your agency's mission
Review the new 2014 Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Handbook
Answering your questions about Healthcare and Insurance
Congress approved a cost of living increase for Federal retirees.
Manage your retirement online.
Human Resources and Security Specialists should use this tool to determine the correct investigation level for any covered position within the U.S. Federal Government.
OPM's Human Resources Solutions organization can help your agency answer this critically important question.
Developing senior leaders in the U.S. Government through Leadership for a Democratic Society, Custom Programs and Interagency Courses.
Visit this federal site to search for our regulatory notices, proposed and final rules.
See the latest tweets on our Twitter feed, like our Facebook pages, watch our YouTube videos, and page through our Flickr photos.
Blue-collar employees are paid under the Federal Wage System (FWS). FWS positions are craft, trade, and laboring positions and include several different pay plans (WS, WG, WL, etc.). FWS positions are paid on an hourly basis. For current FWS rates, please visit http://www.opm.gov/oca/wage/Wagesch.asp and select a state and county for the corresponding wage schedule.
Some agencies have statutory authority to administer their own pay systems. Employees within these agencies may be paid under separate pay systems (e.g., pay bands) with separate pay plan codes. For instance, the YA pay plan is used only by the Department of Defense for positions classified under the National Security Personnel System (NSPS). The VN pay plan is specific to nursing positions within the Department of Veteran Affairs. Because of variations in independent personnel systems across the Federal Government, it is recommended applicants contact the hiring agency directly to obtain definitive information about pay plans other than the GS.
To apply for a job, there are four basic steps:
1. Create an account
Note: Visit USAJOBS' Resource Center for more information on Getting Started
Please note that you do not need to create a "My Account" to search for jobs, but you must create an account to apply for jobs online.
2. Search jobs
3. Apply for jobs
4. Manage Your Career
Under the 5 CFR 213.3102(u) Schedule A appointing authority regulations, an agency may make a temporary appointment when:
When a vacancy is open to "all sources", it means anyone may apply. While there are no restrictions on the groups of candidates who may apply to these types of announcements, in most cases, U.S. citizenship is required. In rare cases, agencies may hire certain non-citizens when there are no qualified U.S. citizens available, unless the appointment is prohibited by statute. In addition, Congress frequently restricts agencies' ability to hire non-citizens into the excepted service as well, through appropriations provisions.
"Status applicants" refers to those individuals who are current or former Federal civilian employees who hold or held non-temporary appointments in the competitive service, not the excepted service.
NOTE: Certain veterans eligible under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) may also apply and be considered under vacancy announcements limited to status candidates. For information on VEOA eligibility, please visit: http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp#Veterans_Employment_Opprtunities_Act_of_1998.
Reinstatement eligibility refers to the ability for those individuals who previously held a career or career-conditional appointment to apply for jobs in the competitive Federal service open to status applicants. There is no time limit on reinstatement eligibility for those who either have veterans' preference, or acquired career tenure by completing 3 years of substantially continuous creditable service. For more information on reinstatement, please visit: www.usajobs.opm.gov/ei2.asp.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued final regulations pertaining to the Schedule A Hiring Authority for the appointment of intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities. This final rule removes the requirement for a certification of job readiness. To learn more, refer to http://chcoc.gov/transmittals/TransmittalDetails.aspx?TransmittalID=5333.
Generally, applicants for most Federal jobs must be (1) at least 18 years old, or (2) at least 16 years old and:
• Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or
• Have completed a formal vocational training program; or
• Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or
• Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.
Some positions, like those in law enforcement have a maximum entry age and the age may vary from agency to agency but generally falls within the range 34 yrs to 37 yrs. Please review the job opportunity announcement or call the agency directly to find out specific information about the job of interest to you. What does status candidate means?
The Office of Management and Budget has mandated that agencies are responsible for evaluating and providing status to applicants at four points which are:
Application Received
Application Assessed
Applicant Referred or Not Referred to Selection Official
Applicant Selected or Not Selected
Although each agency is different, generally, you will hear from the hiring agency in about 15-30 days after the job opportunity announcement (JOA) closes. If you have not heard from the agency, you should contact the agency that posted the JOA to inquire about the status of your application. You may also go to "My Account" to view your application history.
The contact information for each announcement is listed in the lower portion of the JOA and also on the floating menu on the right hand side of the JOA. If the JOA has closed and no longer appears on the USAJOBS® website, you can contact the human resources office of the hiring agency for additional information and assistance or feel free to click on Contact Us.
For blue-collar employees, basic pay is set under the Federal Wage System (FWS). There are 132 appropriated fund and 125 non-appropriated fund local wage areas. For current FWS rates, please visit http://www.opm.gov/oca/wage/Wagesch.asp and select a state and county for the corresponding wage schedule.
White-collar and blue-collar employees in certain occupations and/or geographic areas may receive special rates. Special rates are higher rates of pay than GS and locality rates.
Some agencies have statutory authority to administer their own pay systems. Employees in these agencies are compensated through alternative pay systems established by their employing agency.
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