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Because I can't be your personal cook at Penn, I thought this would come in handy.
Love always,
Brenda (not the one who barks)
My very first cookbook, the vegetarian epicure, a gift from a dear college friend, her going away gift as I packed my bags to head north, my grand adventure, my new life. I loved to cook although I was neither very good nor very experienced, but she knew that I adored this cookbook and offered me something that she was sure would stay with me forever.
I carefully, very carefully turn back the front cover of my vegetarian epicure and reread this dedication – I have heard many times that offering a book to someone without a dedication is bad luck. The cover is faded, the pages brittle and torn, a book opened, perused, used and loved for close upon 30 years. Pages are stained, the pages upon which are printed my favorite recipes, bits of paper stick out between pages on which are penciled notes, calculations, measurements. This gem of a cookbook contains recipes I make over and over again, recipes loved by husband, sons, dishes even eaten by my persnickety, vegetable-hating son: spanakopita, eggplant tomato casserole, as well as comfort food classics, macaroni and cheese, popovers, stuffed manicotti, cheese soufflé.
I handle the book delicately now, gently, like a newborn babe, like a broken heart; I open the book and memories flood through me, memories of the 2 Brendas (yes, one who barks, but only when inspired) and Beth, Lyn and Jackie, Pat, Becky and Rhett, those two years sitting in the hot hot sun of Florida, years spent hanging out in the Theater Department between classes, late nights drinking coffee and eating hot buttermilk biscuits at that all-night barbeque joint, days spent dreaming of something else, someplace far away. Post-dorm days cooking in the shared apartment, cooking from this cherished cookbook for cherished friends.
A Happy Birthday loan
Happy Birthday * Happy Cooking
Your bro
2 – 1 – 81
I packed up my suitcases and moved north to a bigger, brighter, more cosmopolitan city, an Ivy League school, to dreams of changing who I was, where I thought I could go. This perfect gift from my older brother, my advisor, my guide in all things culinary (among other things), the vegetarian epicure book 2, added recipe upon recipe to my repertoire, dishes made with joy and pleasure over the years as I moved from city to city, country to country, as I married my Frenchman and raised 2 sons: dal and pilau, pea soup, fluffy risen biscuits, luscious cheese and tomato pie. This book, too, is torn and faded, split in two, but loved immeasurably, kept in the kitchen and near my heart, not pushed off into some dark corner or carton nor left forgotten, lost among so many others, on the hallway shelf stacked with my many, so many, cookbooks.
The years have flown by, sometimes racing at top speed leaving little time to do what we want, some years dragging slowly, painfully by yet these cookbooks, my very first, the two cookbooks that were with me, my companions, from the very start of my journey through time and space, along the road of life, the vegetarian epicure books one and two by Anna Thomas, are two jewels among my most treasured belongings, objects dear that are the first to be boxed and packed when another move is upon us. Along the road they have been joined by many friends: Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen, the first cookbook JP and I bought together as young husband and wife, a book we cooked together from in those earliest days, sharing kitchen space and our love for this fabulous cuisine, my wonderful Cake Bible and King Arthur's Baking Companion, Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson standing elbow to British elbow alongside The French Chef and Françoise Bernard. Cookbook upon cookbook, French, American, English, Italian, Jewish, dessert, fish, spice, meat, pasta, they are all there, each one begging to be tugged off the shelf whenever I pass in the hallway or pause, running my fingers across their spines like a lover caressing the soft skin of a most beloved. The old, the battered, books pilfered from my mother's kitchen cabinet over the long years I've been away, 60's cookbooks and pamphlets and recipes ripped out of magazines taken surreptitiously and snuck through the house and into my waiting suitcase, have found their way back to France where they stand proudly next to my own purchases and gifts from friends and loved ones, each so overjoyed to be pulled out of the darkness and brought back to life, sharing their secrets and retro recipes in my European kitchen.
And one more has been added. One winter day with nothing to do, JP took pity on my poor, crumbling vegetarian epicures and, closing himself off in his office, in secret, searched on line for someone who could take my much-loved babies and revive them, clean and rebound, a special surprise for me. After much research he came to the conclusion that it was not worth the cost and instead, out of the pure, love-driven goodness of his heart, made the decision to order for me Anna Thomas' newest version, The New Vegetarian Epicure, wonderful as always both he and she!
In the mood to make bread, have the house fill with the rich, savory odor of a fresh-baked loaf, slice into a light, fluffy, yeasty treat, I turned to my New Vegetarian Epicure for inspiration. One of the reasons that I love her books so is that each and every one of her delightful, intriguing, creative recipes is perfect and completely fail-proof! I have total and absolute confidence in Anna Thomas! When I found a recipe for Parmesan Focaccia I knew that this was the bread for me! And my family, my men, adore Parmesan and use it more often than salt. I knew that this bread would be loved! I added dried and fresh herbs – next time I will add even more – and took the traditional flat focaccia idea and twisted it all around to make a braided loaf. And it was perfect! A gorgeous bread, light and fluffy and perfectly baked with a deep golden crust to give that delightful crunch. The flavor was tremendous, so full of Parmesan flavor with just a hint of herbs. Fabulous! And this bread was so loved by my men, it was swallowed down in record time!
I, of course, braided, twisted and turned this Herbed Parmesan Loaf with Natashya, who is Living in the Kitchen With Puppies, in mind. She is hosting this month's Bread Baking Day and has chosen the theme Twisted Breads. Now we will not make a comment associating Natashya with Twisted, no, I love her too much, but I am bringing this wonderful, fragrant, flavorful twisted, braided bread to her house to share for BBD #30. Perfect!
And I am also sending a loaf to Susan of Wild Yeast for this week's Yeastspotting, which I love and have woefully neglected lately!
As many of you know, I have entered a short story in the Independent on Sunday/Bradt Travel-Writing Competition, my first official writing competition and I want to share my story with you. Return to Paris is simply a day spent in wintry, icy, white Paris, a marvelous, special, romantic day in a city that reinvented herself for one day for two lovers. If you like my story, please vote for it by clicking on the stars – the last and fifth star, of course, where it says "rate this entry". I thank you very much and hope you enjoy it.
Adapted from The New Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas
2 ¼ tsps active dry yeast
1 ¼ cups (300 ml) warm water (body temperature or just slightly warmer)
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs fruity green olive oil
¼ tsp chopped dried thyme
¼ tsp chopped dried rosemary
1 Tbs or more chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 ½ cups (500 g) flour, or less
1 heaping cup finely (2 7/8 oz, 80 g) freshly grated Parmesan or Grana Padana cheese
Large pinch of coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Place the dried yeast and the sugar in a large mixing bowl and add the warm water. Allow to sit and activate for 10 to 15 minutes until it foams. Stir in the salt, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the dried and fresh herbs as well as about 2/3 of the Parmesan cheese and about a cup of the flour, enough to make a thick, smooth paste when stirred well with a wooden spoon.
When smooth and thick, continue to stir in flour, half cup by half cup, until the dough becomes too stiff for the spoon. Turn it out onto a floured work surface (using the remaining flour you had measured out) and knead gently, adding flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking, for 6 to10 minutes (as long as you can bear it!). The dough should be smooth and elastic.
Lightly grease a large bowl and put the dough in the bowl turning so the dough is lightly coated with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap then a clean kitchen towel and leave to rise until doubled in size, about an hour.
Line a baking sheet with parchment or oven paper. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface, punch it down and divide it into 3 equally sized pieces. Gently roll each piece of dough between your hands until you have a long snake the length of your baking sheet (like making play-do snakes). Lay the three snakes side by side on the baking sheet and braid, starting from the center and working towards one end then turning the baking sheet and finish, braiding from the center down. Tuck the ends underneath.
Cover once again (loosely) with the plastic wrap then the kitchen towel and allow to rise a second time for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C)
Brush the outside of the dough, gently so as not to pull the dough, with the rest of the olive oil then sprinkle liberally the rest of the grated Parmesan all over the top. Sprinkle with the coarse salt and give a generous grinding of black pepper.
Bake for about 35 minutes until the top is a deep golden brown – it will not be shiny and it sounds hollow when the bottom is tapped.
Let it cool on a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
This can be made into a traditional focaccia by simply patting the dough into a large, flat circle of a diameter of about 14 – 16 inches across, then slashed a few times once the top has been brushed with olive oil and topped with the Parmesan, salt and pepper.
Olive, Sun-Dried Tomato & Pine Nut Focaccia
Simple Focaccia


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Women, Minorities— And Lawyers—Scarce on Corporate Boards
While supporting diversity in theory, public company directors lag in recruiting diverse candidates to their boards
Women and minorities are making very slow progress in gaining seats on public company boards--and lawyers are scarce on those boards, too.
Originally appeared in print as Women, minorities— and lawyers—scarce on corporate boards
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subset: commoncrawl


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yeah, he must have known you'd already have that lighter, you goddamn red
yeah, he must have known you'd already have that lighter, you goddamn red
Brad McNamara @bbuzzmc
Will say this once and then nothing else. Defamation laws quite clear in Aus.be careful.
Always a good idea with work mates to get in the habit of tasteless souvenir giving when you get back from OS. We do it at work. Makes for a good laugh
Best I've ha so far is a set of toothpicks and Hors D'ouerves forks from Dubai which had little wooden camels on the top decorating them. My very own Mandela/ de Clerque salt and pepper shakers from SA a high light too.
WWCC - Loyaulte Mi Lie
"People make me happy.. not places.. people"
"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life." - Samuel Johnson
"Hope is the fuel of progress and fear is the prison in which you put yourself" - Tony Benn
#408. Sixty three not out forever.
They fret when I'm gone. It's understandable.
Bradley Wiggins - To destroy the field as easily as that is some effort.
That NZ rowing pair look amazing, could be the stand out performance of the games if they win as easily in the final.
Yanks have this bloke called Phelps who swims ok.
Sun Yang should definitely get more attention than he does as he won gold in 400m, silver in 200m and is an unbackable favourite in the 1500m - phenomenal achievement if he wins the latter
GB rowing squad and GB cycling squad.
USA swim team.
Cricket Web's 2013/14 Premier League Tipping Champion
- As featured in The Independent.
"The PFA does not represent players when they have broken the law and been convicted on non-football matters."
- Gordon Taylor in 2009 following Marlon King's release after a prison sentence for sexual assault & ABH
Parmi | #1 draft pick | Jake King is **** | Big Bash League tipping champion of the universeCome and Paint Turtle
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Activist Post
Sci-Fi short R'ha was created by one young German student using open source 3D modeling and animation software called Blender. It is one of many increasingly well-done independent shorts that exhibit near-Hollywood quality production value, all thanks to people leveraging technology locally to do for themselves what once was a financial and human capital intensive enterprise monopolized by a handful of studios.
The Singularity Hub reported in their article "The Democratization Of Filmmaking — Riveting Sci-Fi Short Film R'ha Created By A Single Person," that:
Digital filmmaking is transforming Hollywood, no doubt, but for independent filmmakers, it is nothing short of a revolution. Case in point: 22-year-old German student Kaleb Lechowski. After seven months of writing, designing, and editing as well as reporting his progress on his blog, Kaleb recently posted his short sci-fi film R'ha on Vimeo. The six-minute film, which does not include a single human being, was completed as part of his first-year studies in digital film design in Berlin.The article would also state:
As more software tools become available to the masses and people passionate about film invest their time into capturing their visions, we are sure to see an increasingly number of short digital films of Hollywood-level scope with a single individual in the credits.
R'ha [short movie] from Kaleb Lechowski on Vimeo.
Along with technology like 3D printing, CNC machining, and local institutions like hackerspaces, community gardens - open source software and hardware is lowering the costs of doing everything from design and engineering, to news and entertainment. Regardless of whether you are a science fiction fan, or like Kaleb Lechowski's artistic vision, the implications of his work are impressive and can be applied to whatever it is you do happen to like. In fact, alternative independent dramas, comedies, and news production are already common features on video-sharing websites - and now special effects-intensive science fiction is also beginning to get a fair representation.
While software giants, record companies, and Hollywood studios continue their assault on Internet freedom through draconian legislation like SOPA, ACTA, and PIPA, and as they continue hounding activists like Aaron Swartz literally to his death, solutions for undermining and circumventing this legislation - like the recently reported PirateBox - give us ways to continue sharing. Additionally, high-quality shorts like R'ha made possible with improved open source tools, illustrate that in the very near future open source entertainment will simply begin replacing big-business all together.
The day will come when the urge to share proprietary "intellectual property" will no longer be appealing, even if it was encouraged by big-business.
Tony Cartalucci's articles have appeared on many alternative media websites, including his own at Land Destroyer Report, Alternative Thai News Network and LocalOrg. Read other contributed articles by Tony Cartalucci here.
This article may be re-posted in full with attribution.
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Closed Captioned
Meet your instructor, Chris Bylsma, and learn the theory behind the cornerstone of seaming: the horizontal seam before Chris shows you how to master it.
Chris dissects and demonstrates more advanced horizontal seams including ribbing, cables and step shoulder seams.
Tackle side seams, which allow you to knit sweaters and other garments flat, work pieces one at a time, customize sizes between the front and back and add shaping.
Stripes, garter stitches and sleeves might seem challenging, but this lesson will show you how to create perfectly matching edges
Learn the theory behind combination seams and how to attach stitches that don't naturally line up.
Don't let sleeves create unwanted bulk on your sweaters! Learn how to attach even the most tricky sleeves.
Cuffs and live stitches may seem like obstacles, but this lesson will teach you how to work with unusual seams and finish your garment like a professional.
�I would recommend this class to all knitters. A very practical class with great explanations. The visual aid drawings that Chris uses really help to explain the �what� and �why� of what is going on with the stitches. Love that the lessons are short and concise.�
- foreverkn54263


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UFC on FX 7's Ben Rothwell: 'I'm a gringo, but I'm trained by Brazilians' | News
"It's been an extremely hard road, a hard training camp for me," he told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps). "There have been some obstacles to test me, to say the least. It's been a test, both mentally and physically. But here I am. I'm going to fight Saturday, and I made it through these trials. And that's it. I made it here, and I'm standing here with you."
The injuries, which forced him out of a planned August bout with Travis Browne, came at a terrible time for the former IFL and Affliction fighter. After winning 13 straight fights from 2005 to 2007, Rothwell went just 2-3 afterward, and it included UFC losses to Cain Velasquez and Mark Hunt.
But he regrouped, showed off a slimmed-down physique, and then scored a "Knockout of the Night" performance over favorite Brendan Schaub at UFC 145. But that fight was nine months ago, and that momentum now seems long ago. On Saturday, there's the threat of ring rust, and Rothwell is obviously fighting in hostile territory by facing a veteran Brazilian fighter. Additionally, Rothwell's primary coaches couldn't make the trip to Sao Paulo with him.
That's reason enough to doubt his chances on Saturday, but Rothwell has a saving grace: coaches Luiz Claudio and Thiago Veiga. Both are Brazilian, and both have put Rothwell at ease this week after months of uncertainty.
"I don't want to get into details, but it's been both (physical and personal problems)," he said. "I'm recovering from the injury, things with my body. I've had other things going on. I have some coaches here helping me, but my main two coaches weren't able to make it with me out here, so I've just had some hard things to deal with.
"But I love Brazil. Brazil changed my life. I guess [Brazilian fans] don't know that. They don't realize how much my coaches from here have come here and are helping me. ... I'm a gringo, but I'm trained by Brazilians, and they've taken really good care of me. I've got Brazil on my back in a sense."


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Set the table with this turtle-themed meal set and watch your little nature-lover savor a healthy meal or snack. Scootin' Turtle will be smiling when your child uses the kid-size utensils and joins "the clean plate club"! The double-sided pond-themed placemat makes it fun and easy to set the table with a turtle-shaped plate and bowl, and sparkly shaky cup. BPA and PVC free.
Dimensions: 4.75" x 20" x 12.5" Packaged
Recommended Ages: 3+ yearsShipping Note: This item ships via FedEx Ground within contiguous United States only. Cannot be shipped to AK/HI, PO boxes, US territories, or APO/FPO addresses.


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Augason Farms Freeze Dried Corn and Peas Pail - 10 lbs.
- $ 119 98 119.98
- Shipping
- Free shipping
- Enter ZIP Code for shipping options
- Estimated arrival
About this item
Augason Farms Freeze-dried Corn and Peas are hand picked and freeze-dried at the peak of sweetness. These perfect pieces of yellow corn have all the texture and fluffiness of popcorn, without kernels to get stuck in your teeth. The peas are vacuum freeze-dried, a process that concentrates the fresh product taste, natural color, and texture.
Augason Farms is the place to go for all your food storage needs. Family owned and operated for 40 years, they believe that good taste is a tradition worth preserving. Not only do they prepare their products with the highest quality ingredients, their tried and true recipes have withstood the test of time making a great addition to daily meals. Buy in bulk and save without the worry of food spoiling. When you choose Augason Farms you are not only receiving food you can count on, you're getting delicious peace of mind.
View nutrition information here. (PDF)
- 168 Servings in each pail
- High in fiber, this blend promotes healthy digestion while providing other essential vitamins and minerals
- Durable airtight pail keeps food fresh and water out in case of flooding
- Oxygen absorbers and re-sealable pail ensure maximum shelf life
- Convenient carrying handle
- Shelf Life: 30 years unopened, 1 year opened
- Best when stored in a cool dry place at temperatures between 55° and 70°F (ideal humidity is 15%)
Assembled Country
Assembled Size
12.5 x 12.5 x 17.5
Component Country


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Having problem after you bought a product? You can find driver, manual download, and FAQ on ASUS Customer Service website. To provide you the best service ASUS provides you different ways to make a contact with us as well.
Message Center
*Actual performance may vary depending on applications, usage, environment and other factors.*Content availability varies by country and coverage areas and is subject to change.*ASUS will not be responsible for customer induced damage to the product, or to user-added materials applied to the product.
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©ASUSTeK Computer Inc. All rights reserved.


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Time Warner TWC TV app now available for iPhone and iPod touch, no longer iPad only
Time Warner has just updated its TWC TV app and it is now fully compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch. Since its launch back in March 2011, it has been an iPad only app, but not any longer. If you are a Time Warner Cable subscriber, you can now watch live TV, manage your DVR and change channels on your set-top box on your iPhone and iPod touch.
If you are a Time Warner Cable video subscriber, the FREE TWC TV app turns your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch into another TV screen and lets you watch selected live cable channels while in your home, through your wireless home network. Watch Bravo from your bedroom, take Food Network with you to the kitchen or catch up on CNBC news from the breakfast table.
- Interactive program guide (IPG) – up to 7 days of listings. View detailed show descriptions including box art. Option to display "HD only" or "favorites only" by creating a favorite channel list.
- Search – search for programming by title or episode name and filter results by genre
- Set-top box tuning – tap on a network logo or "watch on TV" button within the program description to tune compatible set-top boxes directly to the channel
- DVR management – schedule one-time and series recordings on compatible DVRs directly from the IPG. Tap on the "DVR" button to see a list of all upcoming recordings and make changes or cancel recordings
Have something to say about this story? Leave a comment! Need help with something else? Ask in our forums!
Reader comments
Time Warner TWC TV app now available for iPhone and iPod touch, no longer iPad only
David, there is a tweak on BigBoss' repo called FakeTimeWarner that allows the Time Warner app to work. I've installed itand it works like a charm.
Flat doesn't work right on my 4S. won't connect to my dvr, won't let me see the guide. it streams but i dont' care about that. I just want to be able to remotely set my dvr if i'm not at home. i looked at the reviews of the ipad app and apparently this is an old issue. So i'd bet it won't get fixed. xbox is supposed to work with with espn on time warner more then a year ago and time warner still hasn't made it work right.
This seems to be a step in the right direction, but why can I not watch anything anywhere? If I want to watch from my iPad/iPhone, why am I required to be on my home network? Since I am paying for the cable service, why could I not just watch from another wifi network or my cellular carrier?
because it has to do with content holders rights to stream over the internet. the only reason twc can offer this is because it is only available on your home network it is not being streamed across the internet, it is streamed only to your home.
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Now that facial approximation models have been released for the remains found in Cana last year, the Carroll County Sheriff's Office hopes it will lead to the identity of the person.
On April 1, 2012, human skeletal remains were discovered in Cana after the Carroll County Sheriff's Office got a call to respond to Timber Road, where a man picking up trash discovered the remains while clearing a wood line on a piece of property. The remains were taken to the Medical Examiner's Office in Roanoke for further investigation. Those remains are believed to belong to a male between the ages of 25 to 35 of mixed ethnicity (possibly Hispanic), who was approximately 5 feet, 7 inches tall.
On January 16, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke released the facial approximations of four deceased individuals whose bodies were found in separate areas of western Virginia between 1986 and 2012, including the remains found in Carroll County last year. Currently, the medical examiner's office has 220 sets of remains for unidentified individuals who died in Virginia, some dating back to the 1970s.
"We hope that by presenting the facial approximations to the public someone will recognize one of these individuals as his or her long lost loved one," said Chief Medical Examiner Leah Bush, MS, MD. "We're working with sheriff's offices in Alleghany, Carroll, Lee and Pittsylvania counties to help identify these remains, and we encourage anyone with any information on these individuals to contact us."
Forensic anthropologists and artists with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Forensic Anthropology Services and Forensic Imaging Unit constructed the facial approximations. Photographs of the facial approximations have been entered into the case files of the National Missing and Unidentified Persons Systems, a web-based computer search engine for matching missing and unidentified persons.
With so many remains still unidentified in Virginia, Gardner said the Carroll County Sheriff's Office was extremely fortunate to have been included in the unveiling of the four facial approximations. He said the Cana body were included in those approximations because the skeletal remains were so well preserved.
"For us, they recovered enough to go on to make one. Sometimes they are scattered out, but ours was reasonably intact and they had no trouble. There was enough to work with," Gardner said. "I was surprised ours was chosen right off the bat, but we were excited, especially with as many as there are."
While Gardner said his department didn't really learn anything new about the remains at the press conference, he is hopeful the facial approximations will jog someone's memory or lead someone to recognize the missing person.
"I agree with what they are doing to get it out to the public. I think press will help us more than anything as far as finding out who it is," Gardner said. "Ours is a little difficult because it occurred several years ago, but somebody might have an idea or thought to let us know what's going on. We want to know who it is. At the press conference, they said the purpose of doing this is to try to bring closure on cases for the families."
Additionally, the Carroll County Sheriff's Office has released new images of items found on the body in Cana last April. Images include a belt buckle, a patch off a pair of jeans, and a Sketchers' boot.
"Those were things we recovered at the scene and we thought somebody might recognize those, somebody might have recognized somebody that had a belt buckle like that at some time, for instance," Gardner said.
Photographs of the facial approximations are also available online at www.vdh.virginia.gov/medexam/missingperson.htm. Anyone with information or questions about these individuals should call the Western District Office of the Chief Medical Examiner at (540) 561-6615.


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|80 posts found
Apprentice Member
Joined: 11/03/12
Have you guys seen Pathfinder Online (PFO) from Goblinworks? Little surprised it hasn't come up in the forums.
Login or Register to never see this panel
Elite Member
Joined: 1/13/10
Currently playing EVE, SMITE, ArcheAge, and Combat Arms
Originally posted by jpnz
Can you link to where you are getting that from? I don't think I've met a single dev that fits that description. Is this an assumption stated as fact, or did you actually read that somewhere? If so, please share it.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
Originally posted by jpnz
By "developer" do you mean Smedley and his attempt to grab attention for EQ Next by using the "S" word? Yeah, savvy marketters know that in our community discussions sandbox = good and themepark = bad...so they say... stuff.
Originally posted by Calerxes
I agree with you. If we discard the semantics and just think of enjoyable MMOs worth playing many hours in, we usually think of games with a mixture of the two flavours--with our own personal likes and dislikes thrown in but the games at either extreme tend to be not so fun.
I played Vanguard too and was equally impressed--the diplomacy thing alone was a great innovation--but then I was seduced a few months after that by a very themeparky MMO with lore that I found irresistible: LOTRO. I ain't proud of that
Vanguard was the more creative of the two by a country mile but I only played it for about 3 months and stayed in LOTRO for 2 years. But then I've also been known to wear socks with sandals on occasion.
Some of the artificial constraints placed on MMOs--e.g. no ffa PVP with full looting are in fact, better than the opposite. Being camped and ganked repeatedly by much better equipped and trained (higher level or whatever) players while you try to mine is just annoying. Only the most extreme, niche MMOs will allow it.
Prohibitting that can be characterized as sliding toward themeparkyness, as I did above to make a point, but it's also a restriction that produces a more enjoyable game.
While I wait for that relalistic, complex, world simulator with cutting edge graphics (where I'll be a dragon riding sorcerer / banker) that will, somehow, also have a great storyline and lore, I enjoy playing MMOs with a good, well-thought out mixture of sandbox and themepark elements that turn my crank.
Originally posted by Quizzical
It takes awhile for new technologies and systems to be used in current development cycles. I am a developer but not for video games so I won't pretend to understand the all the math required for this. But it does sound like that no one really understands the true benefit of it. To me it sounds like you are expecting to get performance gain when many models are on screen or at different distances by switching the models to ones with lower or higher polygon counts(depending on distance).
I have to wonder if it is really necessary though.. sounds like a cool edgecase feature if you want a game that is really pushing the boundaries of a system and you want to squeeze as many models in as possible. But computer systems get more powerful everyday... so that takes care of that issue for the most part ( except for consoles where this might be necessary) So diffculty in implementing this will slow down production and all for a performance boost that isn't really necessary anyway...
Originally posted by Iselin
Actually I'm from the school of thought that thinks like you do I prefer PVP , Full loot the whole nine. But I was just saying that sandbox doesn't have to be a scary word for the carebears ( the majority ) and if a game is going to be successful it does have to somewhat cater to them otherwise it just won't have the numbers and will be a very small niche game ( nothing wrong with that but most studios don't shoot for that these days).
Even a game considered niche like EVE online still has non sandbox features in about 10% of the game so that carebears can live happily in the high sec space while the more adventurous types can go out and experience 90% of the game but at a risk of course.
Also you are correct and sandbox is what you make of it. I remember on some FFA pvp servers I've played in the past you had guilds that protected the noobs from greifers and acted as guards in places where there were none. Effectively a "safe-zone" in a sandbox.
Novice Member
Joined: 10/05/03
Gaming should be about fun, not gender equality.
I get the sense that the OP does not know what is behind making an MMORPG. It is a very complex piece of software which requires many experienced developers, from UI developers to physics engine developers. Then you need testers, 3D graphic artists and so on.
All of this costs money, alot of money, so a small budget wont be able to afford that and then you get expected end results such as Darkfall and Mortal Online. MMORPG development is not an art project where you can just have a good idea and talent, you need money to hire people to implement that as well.
That being said, I do agree that a ThemePark requires more money because the difference between a ThemePark and sandbox is that the developer has to develop tons of content for a ThemePark where as in a sandbox a developer creates a world for the players to create the content. However to create that world, which works well, is so much tougher than a developer created content so I dont see a sandbox costing much less than a ThemePark to developer, unless you hire a bunch of voice actors and such.
Originally posted by BeefMach1ne
Yeah that's very cool when that happens.
Of all bloody places, I saw that also in WOW.
I played on an RP PVP server (Emerald Dream) on the Alliance side. There was this one fairly large guild that used to protect the area around Menethil Harbour. They added some authenticity and extra fun to that area since both the Alliance and Horde knew Menethil was a good place to go find some PVP. My own guild had a "quick response" team to do something similar but we went wherever we were needed.
Originally posted by Apraxis
The term for that isn't "sandbox", "themepark", "AAA", "indie", or any other term commonly used to describe games that actually exist. Perhaps a better term would be "impractical". Guild Wars 2 is probably about as close as is practical to get to what you're after, and I wouldn't think of that as a sandbox.
The basic question is how to keep players interested for an extended period of time. The typical theme park answer is that they'll throw so much content at you that, even if no particular piece of content keeps you busy for very long, there's so much of it that it will take weeks or months to get through it all. Well, not all theme parks do that; some try to say "you'll need to do massive amounts of grinding for every little bit of content", but those are bad games.
The typical sandbox answer is that they won't have massive amounts of content, but the content that they do have will be complex and have a lot of depth to it. If a little bit of content goes a long way, then modest amounts of content can keep a player interested for a long time.
What you're asking for is theme park brute force quantities of sandbox complexity. Rather than needing either a large number of decent programmers or a small number of really good ones, you'd need a very large number of exceptionally good ones. The reasons why that's not likely to happen in the real world should be obvious.
Originally posted by Quizzical
Methinks the answer is to encourage devs to create well designed, but SMALL, MMOs that focus on several important features, and then expand outwards once they have an established base, rather than start out with a huge Triple A MMO that aims at catching everyone at once, and floundering as people find out that the game doesn't do any particular group of features very well, and start leaving.
Unfortunately, considering the massive number of people I've seen on this forum clamoring for a Triple A Sandbox and expecting the game to be an instant hit, I think patience is the one thing no MMO player, regardless of their tastes, has anymore.
Originally posted by BeefMach1ne
Tessellation is the big headline feature of DirectX 11. Everything else that DirectX 11 offers and DirectX 10 didn't is just minor tinkering around the edges. If you're not going to make extensive use of tessellation, then there's not that much of a point in using DirectX 11 at all.
And it's a huge deal. Tessellation is arguably the biggest shift in computer graphics since the shift from 2D to 3D. You could argue for programmable shaders being more important, but I'd argue that the most important thing you can do with programmable shaders is tessellation.
It's not just another new feature. It's a major paradigm shift. Traditionally, you had to tell the computer where every single vertex of every single model goes. If you want to animate it, you have to tell it what to do for every single vertex of every single frame of animation.
Tessellation says you don't have to do that. If you want to draw a sphere, you don't have to manually break it into a bunch of vertices and tell the computer where each vertex goes. You write some shaders that tell the computer how to draw a sphere, and then after that, you can just tell it to draw a sphere and it will do it. You still have to tell it where the sphere goes and how it's oriented, but it's much easier to do that once than to have to do it separately for every single vertex of the sphere.
And furthermore, the video card can draw a sphere and make it look like a sphere. The video card needs explicit vertex locations because that's how rasterization works, but tessellation lets the video card figure out where the vertices should go on its own. The video card can have not just one low polygon model and one high polygon model, but hundreds of different models that it comes up with on its own. A surface that "should" appear smooth will appear smooth, no matter how far you zoom in. And the transition from one model to another happens invisibly, so the surface looks solid and smooth as you zoom in and out and the video card is constantly switching from one model to another.
I haven't done this yet, but I'm pretty sure that tessellation will make animation vastly easier, too. Rather than having to figure out what to do with every single vertex of every single model, you can break a model into a smaller number of rigid surfaces and only have to keep track of what happens to each surface. That could easily reduce the amount of stuff that you have to track by an order of magnitude.
Here, let me give you two pictures. First, a high tessellation one:
And then a low tessellation one:
You can click on the picture to see it much larger.
The latter is low enough tessellation that that the jump from one model to the next is obvious and looks bad. But the only reason to set the tessellation degree that low is for testing purposes. Even on my AMD E-350-based laptop/netbook with Radeon HD 6310 integrated graphics, the sensible thing to do is to turn the tessellation degree a lot higher, as even low end integrated graphics has plenty of power to handle it.
They're basically the same scene. The door frames were a pain, because I had to specify exactly where everything went. The walls and ceiling were pretty easy, though. The walls are cylinders and the ceilings are cones. There's actually two separate cylinders for the walls, so that it can be a different color on the inside from the outside. The ceilings do the same thing, though you can't see the indoor ceiling. But to draw a cylinder, I just have to tell it where to place it (x, y, z coordinates of the center), how to orient it (a single 3 x 3 orthogonal matrix), how big to make the cylinder (x, y, z axes), which side the door goes on, how wide the door is, and some texture and lighting information. A cone is simpler, as it's basically the same thing except that I skip the door.
And from that little bit of information, the video card can generate hundreds of vertex models to make it look perfectly smooth up close without bringing much of a performance hit when it's far away.
Originally posted by Yamota
UI developers plural? Physics developers plural? I think you're the one who doesn't understand what goes into making an MMORPG. You might have multiple people each spend a little bit of time making various portions of the UI, but if you've got multiple employees who do nothing but work in the UI, you're doing it wrong.
There are some things that, if you want to make an AAA MMORPG, you hire several employees to work on full time for years. But there are also some things that you have one person work on for a few hours and then it's done.
Have you ever tried to program a game? I have; see my screenshots above.
Elite Member
Joined: 4/29/10
Originally posted by Quizzical
You had me until this load of crap. I hate to break it to you but architecting and programming sandbox games is not harder for programmers.
Novice Member
Joined: 3/12/06
throw as many stones as you want and pray when your turn comes I have ascended
It was a well thought out and well presented argument and it seems true. That said I am only going by my gut and I cannot imagine that the general themepark formula will retain it's popularity if faced with competition from better, deeper sandbox games than are currently available. Infact I think themepark games are already becoming more sandboxy. Wow adding the plots of land and farming in MoP is a good indication of this but there are more promising signs.
Now if and when (and my gut tells me that it's only a matter of time) a very popular sandbox game comes along the whole game will change. If someone was faced with the hypothetical question posed in the original post which was a choice between spending big money on a themepark project or a sandbox project and they looked at eve onlines continued success and the trend of failing themepark games the question isn't as easily solved as the op makes out. Now if and when more popular sandbox games come along, sandboxs as answers to the question will be made even easier. In addition to having successful models to make an initial funding bet, having higher quality competition raises the standards required for new projects aswell which means more manhours which can mean bigger budgets. That's what I mean by the whole game will change if and when more popular sandbox games come along and again, I think it's just a matter of time.
Novice Member
Joined: 3/12/06
throw as many stones as you want and pray when your turn comes I have ascended
Originally posted by FrodoFragins
That is a good point although when I look at it I think of singleplayer games. Common sense tells me a themepark game like neverwinter nights would be a hell of alot easier than something like the elder scrolls. Now I'm aware it's not exactly the same thing and I don't know what most programmers can do but based on that reasoning I wouldn't rule it out and certainly wouldn't call it a load of crap.
Novice Member
Joined: 8/17/09
"A very special kind of stupidity"
Originally posted by Iselin
The dishonest idea that "everybody can be the King" is one of the most pernicious effects of the massively instanced themepark games. I constantly run into people in the EVE forum who are futilely raging against the very idea that to be called Ultimate Badass Warrior, they'll actually have to put the time and effort, endure the inevitable losses while learning and actually have the talent to be the Ultimate Badass Warrior.
They're so used to having NPCs suck up to them for killing 10 rats -> boars -> wolves -> bears -> trolls -> demons -> dragons -> lich-kings -> superdoubledragons -> hyperdemons -> fuck knows what, that the idea that they can't achieve Ultimate Badass Warriorhood by smooshing enough sprites leaves them confused, enraged and discouraged. They think it's a problem with EVE that there's no way that they can get an offical "Ultimate Badass Warrior" title, rather than their expectation that they should be told that they're special for killing exactly the same 10 hyperdemons as everyone else.
Give me liberty or give me lasers
Originally posted by Malcanis
They're fantasy worlds where people go, first and foremost, for entertainment. In that sense they're not all that different from books, movies and single player games. I personally have played enough of them where we all more or less killed the same things that didn't stay dead, got the same rank and the same loot, that I want to take my chances in one where I didn't get to kill the dragon that almost destroyed this village. I've heard the stories, seen the destruction, I even know someone who was there... but that dragon is dead and that event won't happen again. Mind you, I sure as hell want to be the one who does participate in some other equally fun event somewhere else. I'm OK with uniqueness... but only if I have a good chance to get mine too.
It's actually more dishonest to believe that everyone does not want to be the main character who has interesting shit happen to him, kills the dragon and gets the girl. This is what developers cater to. You may be a part-time warehouse worker at Wallmart in RL, but here you're the main man. It's just human nature to fantasize a heroic alternate life for yourself. I'm not a psychologist but I'm sure that matters more to some than others--it may even be related to their RL status. But I'm also sure it matters to everyone at least a bit.
MMOs can be more or less an acurate simulation of RL status with its symbols and social ranking. But the more realistic you make it, the larger the portion of your player base that will be dissatisfied with their status... Some will be motivated by this and work harder at it to take your stuff, but a lot will just say "fuck it" and go try to be the main man somewhere else... some place where all the NPCs will suck up to them and make them feel special... and that's how you get instanced personal stories.
It's all well and good to want an MMO where you gain your unique status as Ultimate Badass Warrior through real talent at figuring out the game system, the quick reflexes to go with it, the unlimited amount of play time and the foresight to get "early access" to the game. You'll be a happy camper sitting at the top of the heap...and you'll wonder why others aren't having as much fun as you and are leaving the game. You'll probably even call them names like "noobs", "carebears", "content locust"... but they won't hear you because they're in a thempark somewhere else killing the dragon and getting the girl.
I mean, why the fuck would anyone stick around a fantasy where they're "the loser" with all the other fantasies they could be at?
Advanced Member
Joined: 11/28/07
I've seen oither posters here make the same point in a few sentences..
And actually, at the end, I find myself wondering what I just read.
Okay, MMORPG's are hard to make, and some are harder than others. Having a bigger budget doesn't always ensure success, and success is relative to the 'bang for your buck'.
Until we get a big budget company making a sandbox game, you can't really comment on whether having a bigger budget matters. No matter how much thought you put into it. It's just theorycraft.
It's still new technology and very successful engines are built without having this tech in mind ( Possibly hope for the new Unreal?) Develeopment is obviously focused on Xbox 360, Wii, PS3 generation of consoles still. Maybe with the next gen Xbox and Playstation we will see some console dx11 support and a shift in the way developement is done. If it is really as big of a revolution as you say it is it will take time before it really gets adopted. It still begs the question though do we really NEED this right now in gaming.
If im a publisher all I see is $$$ wasted on increased production time for a feature most gamers wouldn't notice... who cares if that can on the ground stays smooth while your running past it? ( Not me taking here but the publishers). Just many other factors that will make progress for this go a lot slower than you anticipate but programmers not being smart enough to do it is most likely not the real choking point.
Advanced Member
Joined: 4/30/09
Why sandboxes tend to be small budget indie games?
Because big companies don't have the foresight to want to make something that's niche and lasts.
Big gaming companies, like big oil or big investment firm, has to justify their year to year balance, which in turn tends to not allow a lot of room for long term and unproven projects. Themepark with the backing of a major franchise is a safe bet to making early money.


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Monday 18th November 2013
Gareth Lockrane's "Grooveyard" Unplugged Plays "THE STRUT" feat. Gareth Lockrane (Flutes), Alex Garnett (SAX), Ross Stanley (HAMMOND KEY B), Dave Whitford (Bass). Tim Giles (DRUMS)
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The Ashe County Board of Commissioners met for their bi-monthly meeting at 3:30 Monday to approve a resolution to help grow Ashe County's economy and to hear an update from the Appalachian District Health Department.
The first item on the agenda was a resolution to make Ashe County a "certified entrepreneurial community," which the commissioners approved with a 5-0 vote.
According to the resolution, Ashe County will participate in the Certified Entrepreneurial Community Program in partnership with the Advantage West Economic Development Group.
While speaking on behalf of the Certified Entrepreneurial Community Program, Chris Robinson, dean of Wilkes Community College's Ashe and Alleghany campuses, said Advantage West will launch a "community assessment."
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The board of commissioners were also presented with an annual update from the Appalachian district Health Department.
According to Beth Lovette, health director of the Appalachian District, High Country Health Care will close in 30-60 days after Nov. 29.
Lovette said High Country Health Care has been purchased by a company based in Sparta and no jobs will be lost. According to Lovette, the company that purchased High Country Health Care wasn't the highest bidder, but had an "good record."
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Food and lodging has been busy over the past year preparing for the implementation of the FDA Food Code which took effect on Sept. 1, 2012. According to a document released by the Appalachian district Health Department, "this is the most intensive change to the food service regulations in N.C. since 1976."
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Also during the meeting, the board of commissioners appointed Jennifer L. Miller and Kevin Nichols to the Ashe County Parks & Recreations Advisory Board, adopted the 2013 Holiday Schedule, and approved the 2012 County Register of Deeds Records Retention & Disposition Schedule.


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Review: Seidio Innocell External Battery Pack for iPhone 3G
The Seidio Innocell External Battery Pack for iPhone 3G is the latest accessory to try an mitigate the lack of a user-changeable battery. Unlike cases that strap on to your iPhone, or dongles that plug in to the bottom, the Seidio Innocell, available for $39.95 from the iMore Store, tries to find a compromise between the capacity and convenience: a good bit of power in a form factor that's fairly small and unobtrusive.
How does it do? Find out after the break!
What's in the Box
The Seidio Innocell External Battery Pack for iPhone 3G is no frills in terms of both price and accoutrements. What you get is a small, light bit of plastic with a dock plug that looks pretty much like the bottom third of the iPhone. It would be nice if it included a USB or AC adapter plug. However, since unlike some other solutions, the Seidio Innocell actually contains a dock input of its own, allowing for seamless charging with existing iPhone cables, it's an understandable cost saving message.
Even the device itself is bare-bones: it's got a light to show when it's charging (red), when it's charged (green), and when it's giving over that charge to your iPhone (blue). In a bonus bit of design good-thinking, the Seidio Innocell includes a built-in speaker channel to make sure sound isn't distorted if you want to use your iPhone while you're recharging it.
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Simplicity, thy name is Seidio Innocell. Just plug the unit into the bottom of your iPhone and it begins to charge. That's it.
Because Seidio took pains to make the Innocell look cosmetically like the iPhone -- it's literally made like an extension of the device itself, faux chrome-trim included -- it's easier to use it with your iPhone on-the-go than something like the RichardSolo. The trade-off is lower capacity, of course, with the small, inexpensive Seidio Innocell providing just enough juice to recharge your iPhone 50%.
In my tests, however, the Seidio slightly over-performed. From less than a quarter left, the Seidio re-charged my iPhone to just below full. Since it's my understanding that the final 15% is the most charge-intensive, the performance was impressive.
Final Thoughts
It's light to the point of feeling a un-real (what you want in a carry-around), re-charges your iPhone 50% plus (what might not be enough for hard-core conference/event goers), and does a pretty good job of walking the middle ground between case and dongle.
The one complaint I have is the lack of a dock-lock. While the design and fit is excellent, if I have to use it on-the-go, I want the security of knowing it's not detaching unless I detach it.
- Simple and easy to use
- Over-performed in my tests
- Uses standard dock port to charge
- Low price-point
- May not provide enough charge for super-users
- Should lock to dock connector
TiPb Rating
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Reader comments
Review: Seidio Innocell External Battery Pack for iPhone 3G
the mophie charger is way better. doubles ur battery life and fits like a slim cover. this thing looks like it'll snap off or something. the mophie charger is way more expensive tho. around a bill, but i say u always get what u pay for. check out vid reviews of the mophie charger on youtube. plenty of people out there love it.
I like the look of this battery pack, and the fact that it is light, however I believe that most people would want something that could double the life of your iPhone. Also, if I am not mistaken, there are battery attachments similiar to this one which are compatible not only with the iPhone 3G, but also with the 2G, the iPod, and the Touch.
We have tested this battery pack out in some drop tests to see if it compromises the screen or phone at all. We found that it severely compromised the dock connector and rendered some of the phones useless. As long as you don't drop your phone, it is asthetically good looking and will give you that extra boost on the go
I picked up an external battery called the Primo at Phonesuit. It works great as a backup when I'm running low on iPhone power. The price is low at $35. This is one of the smallest backups I've seen.Here is the link: iPhone Battery Pack.


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News Posts
Animal Drawing: Q&A with Diorama Artist Steve Quinn
by AMNH on
When night falls on Thursdays at the Museum, a group of people carrying sketchpads and charcoal enters the doors and heads to the animal halls. For over 30 years, Stephen C. Quinn, an artist in the Museum's Exhibition Department and an expert on dioramas, has led a special evening course on Animal Drawingthat teaches students the art of drawing nature using the Museum's famous dioramas and displays. This spring's session will begin on Thursday, March 15. Below, Quinn answers a few questions about the course.
1.5 Million Watch Whales and Dolphins Play
by AMNH on
In early January, the Museum posted a Science Bulletin showing humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins apparently at play in the wild. Off the coast of Hawaii, whales repeatedly lifted dolphins from the ocean and let them slide down their heads back into the water. If you haven't already, watch the viral video below, which recently reached 1.5 million views on YouTube.
Science Bulletins is a production of the National Center for Science Literacy, Education, and Technology (NCSLET), part of the Department of Education at the Museum. Click here to learn more.
Curious Collections: Identifying a Rare Bird
by AMNH on
Ornithologists generally discover new species by collecting them in the wild. But early in the 20th century, Museum ornithologist James P. Chapin found one on a hat.
In 1913, Chapin, while serving as an assistant to German taxidermist and photographer Herbert Lang on what would become known as the Lang-Chapin Expedition to the Belgian Congo, came upon a native of the Ituri forest wearing a headdress with a distinctive feather. To the young naturalist, it suggested a pheasant or peacock, a strange possibility since these birds were native to Asia. Curious, he took it.
Photographing a Coral Wall's Inhabitants
by AMNH on
Curator John Sparks is blogging weekly about the upcoming exhibition, Creatures of Light, which opens on Saturday, March 31.
One of the amazing things about working on an exhibition is having the chance to incorporate our own research—sometimes, very recent research.
Within the past year, including just last December, my colleague, Museum Research Associate David Gruber (CUNY), and I have gone on multiple expeditions to the Cayman Islands and the Exumas, Bahamas, to photograph a coral wall and its inhabitants at night using special lights and filters to capture biofluorescence.
The phenomenon of biofluorescence results from the absorption of electromagnetic radiation at one wavelength by an organism, followed immediately by its re-emission at a longer, lower-energy wavelength. With special cameras, we captured brilliant red, green, and orange fluorescing corals, anemones, mollusks, marine worms, and a myriad of fishes, including sharks and rays.
Global Weekends: The African-American Musical
by AMNH on
Gospel, jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, soul music, and hip-hop are the result of an ever-evolving African-American musical journey that has produced unique musical forms and traditions. The Museum will celebrate this legacy on Saturday, February 18, with the Global Weekends program The African-American Musical Mosaic, which will include performances by the Harlem Quartet, First Corinthian Baptist Church Choir, Charles Mack, Sandra Reaves-Phillips, and a special collaboration between Darryl "DMC" McDaniels of the hip-hop group Run-DMC and the IMPACT Repertory Theatre choir. In this video, DMC shares what performing at the Museum's event means to him.
For more information about the program, click here.


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At least now when Tito has a cracked skull or Rampage sexually assaults someone, it can be part of a storyline.
At least now when Tito has a cracked skull or Rampage sexually assaults someone, it can be part of a storyline.
Big Hairy American Winning Machine
Its a good avenue for making money so it looks to me like both Tito and Page are getting paid without needing the UFC. TNA is more hardcore version of WWE without all the bs melodrama. TNA only has a few stars that are actually good on the mic but they usually excel with the wrestling like WCW.
I stopped watching wrestling when Lesnar and Goldberg left WWE.
Last edited by roaddawg; 08-02-2013 at 03:11 PM.
Anderson Silva:
Best Fighter on the planet.
This guys are past their fighting prime so why not go to wrestling they still get great TV exposure and they get paid. Win Win for them.
TNA is in pretty bad shape in alot of ways, including financially right now and it is just getting a really bad reputation at the moment(they cut alot of talent, talent has asked for their release, they released a wrestler who was paralyzed in a TNA match, top executives have been fired and quit etc) and last night, the show Tito debuted on, a massive amount of the arena was tarped off because they can't sell tickets, they're cancelling shows and it's kind of a chaotic mess. Money issues are in large part due to having some really expensive guys like Hogan and Sting on their roster(and they haven't been shown to move the ratings needle to warrant the paydays), plus they've taken their Thursday night show on the road, which has cost a fortune, by adding Rampage and Tito(whom I think Viacom may be paying), it is just really silly for all involved.
Now, King Mo is a different story because he's motivated about becoming a pro wrestler and has actually committed to training and learning how to bump etc. Still, consider that training for MMA has a high probability of getting injured, in pro wrestling training, there is no doubt, YOU WILL get injured, so for these MMA guys who are just in wrestling for a while, they aren't going to put their body through anything close to what would be required to be a pro wrestler, so they're just kind of like expensive props. Tito is so beat up, that learning to wrestle is an impossibility and Rampage doesn't have the drive to go through the rigors of learning pro wrestling. It'd be dumb for BFC to let them actually wrestle as well, because there's a huge chance they could get hurt, which would kibosh the PPV.
TNA is known as TNAwful alot of the time by wrestling fans, for their ridiculous and nonsensical booking, bringing in an extremely limited Tito is just another drop in the bucket. TNA has alot of awesome wrestling talent(Roode, Styles, Joe, Daniels), but watching Rampage last night just shows how limited he is in the ring(and that's not a shot on him, he's just not trained) and altogether, this is just going to be goofy and potentially embarrassing for all involved.
The only thing that would've been worse was if it'd have been Ken. I understand the cross-promotion and synergy intended here, but I like keeping my MMA and wrestling separate. Pass.
I just lost a lot of respect and hope for BFC
I thought this was awsome.
Cheese on toast but dudes gotta eat.
This a bad idea on all accounts. Its bad for Bellator to have their PPV main event also be involved in a "worked" wrestling match, its a bad idea for TNA to put so much stock in two guys that have no clue what to do in pro wrestling and its a bad idea for Tito and Rampage to be milking both companies of a spot an up coming star could be filling. TNA lives for the swerve, they will die by it. Hopefully they dont take Bellator with them.
Believe in Chimichanga's
So ridiculous. HAHAHA!
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Kuraburi : Thai Restaurants
When searching for the best Thai food on the island the best source will be a Thai national. Thais are very particular and demanding when it comes to good tasting food and the established restaurants on the island have survived because they serve up quality Thai food.
Thai dishes are mostly served family style and all is shared by those at the table.


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In December, the U.S. health officials announced that this year's influenza season had started early and they predicted it would hit the United States hard. Unfortunately, as reports from around the country make clear, they were right.
The flu began spreading on the East Coast by early November and soon worked its way west across the country. On January 9, New York City Health Commissioner Thomas A. Farley asked residents with flu symptoms to call their primary doctor first before traveling to the city's already crowded emergency rooms. Then Boston declared a public health emergency because physicians there were reporting a ten-fold increase in the number of flu cases, compared to last year's much milder flu season.
Public health officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasized that the outbreak has not yet peaked and that anyone who was not yet vaccinated could still benefit from getting this season's flu shot.
This year's vaccine is considered well-matched against the flu because it contains both the H3N2 strain that is predominant this year, as well as the H1N1 strain that has been circulating in smaller numbers.
The last time the flu season started this early was in the winter of 2003-2004.
Interestingly, the type of flu that predominated then is the same one that is hitting us now, the H3N2 strain. Health officials estimate that this strain causes more severe illness because young people in particular have had less exposure to it. They also note that the flu hit before many people had a chance to get vaccinated.
Other than vaccination, the best defense against catching the flu is to wash your hands regularly (or use a hand sanitizer), cover your cough and
The 5 Best Ways to Avoid Catching and Spreading the Flu Virus:
1. Cover Your Mouth and Nose to Stop the Flu but not with your hand! You should sneeze into a tissue or paper towel, but if you don't have those with you, you should sneeze into the crook of your elbow.
2. Prevent Flu: Soap Away Germs! Scrubbing germy hands is one of the top tips for preventing spread of the flu. Use soap and warm water, rub your hands together for 15 to 20 seconds, at least.
3. Don't Be Touchy: Keep Your Hands Off Your Face. Rubbing your eyes, nose, or mouth is a sure-fire way to get the flu. These are bad habits for many people but they are the main way a virus gets into your system, via the oral and respiratory nasal route.
4. Good Health Beats the Flu: The Power of Healthy Habits. When you're in good health, your immune system is stronger. So keep yourself in top health this flu season -- and throughout next year! They best ways to do this are to eat your vegetables, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep and reduce stress.
5. If you are sick, STAY AT HOME! This way you will avoid spreading this highly contagious virus to co-workers, customers or people in hospitals and nursing homes.


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Araneta MR, Mascola L, et al. HIV transmission through donor artificial insemination. JAMA. 1995 Mar 15;273(11):854-858.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, 2010.
2010;59(No. RR-12):1-110.
A guide to primary care of people with HIV/AIDS. National Institute of Health and Human Services website. Available at: http://hab.hrsa.gov/deliverhivaidscare/files/primary2004ed.pdf. Accessed May 15, 2013.
HIV and AIDS. American Academy of Family Physicians website. Available at:
http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/hiv-and-aids.html. Updated December 2010. Accessed May 15, 2013.
HIV/AIDS. Center for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/index.html. Accessed May 15, 2013.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV transmitted from a living organ donor—New York City, 2009. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2011 Mar 18;60(10):297-301.
HIV/AIDS. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease website. Available at: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/HIVAIDS/Understanding/Pages/whatAreHIVAIDS.aspx. Accessed May 15, 2013.
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
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Late Thursday afternoon, a young woman's white and orange kitten decided to play hide and seek inside the engine block of one of our customer's vehicles that was parked in front of the building on Main Street. She said she had just gotten the cat from a home where he was abused. Needless to say, the search was on to try to recover the scared critter before the vehicle was cranked over or he got spooked and darted into traffic.
The group, which consisted of Myrtle Edmond, Jim Stephens, Francine Locke Bray, the young woman and myself, decided that it would be best if we placed the SUV in neutral and let it coast down the hill towards (2nd Street????), make the corner and park the vehicle on the side street before extreme attempts were made.
The move was made successful with Jim steering the vehicle and the rest of us following on all sides to make sure the kitten didn't dart away and us miss it. Passersby began to take notice of the group of individuals nursing the vehicle and slowed as they passed.
With the vehicle in park we decided to try and scare him out by blowing the horn. Nothing. It was on to step two. With the emergency break applied, the cat owner and myself crawled underneath the SUV to try to see if we could located the kitten while Jim and Francine looked above. While this was taking place, two young men pulled up in front of the vehicle and offered to help us. They too crawled under the vehicle and after several minutes determined the cat must have managed to get out without being seen. We thanked them for their help and they left.
Becoming discouraged, the woman who owned the cat thanked us for our help and began to walk away. Before she left we took down her address so, if found, we could return her cat. We also attempted to get a phone number but she said she didn't have one and left rather quickly. After a few more moments of looking, Jim, Francine and I decided the cat either got out and was gone or was really hiding inside the engine block and we were not going to get him to come out.
Starting the engine no noises were heard and no furry little body came rocketing out. We said our goodbyes and parted.
On Friday morning, Jim came into the newspaper office and said you are not going to believe this, I have something for you.
He then went on to tell me that after making it home, about 8 miles outside of Antlers, they looked again and found nothing. Then this morning, before starting his vehicle, he opened the hood and there was the little orange kitten curled up onto of the motor trying to stay warm.
"I didn't have anything to put him in, I wasn't prepared to find him so I put him inside the vehicle and went to find something he could ride in," said Jim. "When I came back I couldn't find him inside the vehicle. He had disappeared again."
Making his way to town, Jim stopped at the location of his new restaurant (the old NAPA building on the corner of High and Main Street) and told his contractors, James and Keith Atwood, what had been going on. James and Keith then began to look through the vehicle as well and low and behold saw a poofy tuff of fur poking out from underneath one of the seats. After about 30 minutes of maneuvering and quick thinking, the Atwood's had rescued our mystery cat.
Now it was my turn to finish the story with a happy ending, or so I thought. Jim had brought me the kitten and I was prepared to take him home to the woman. Trying to locate the residence I began to have some difficulties so I stopped and picked up a good friend of mine from Van Meters Furniture in Antlers. Michelle and I began to look for the address. When we finally found it, it was to a vacant lot.
Asking around the neighborhood, no one had seen the cat before or knew the female I was talking about. The cat's owner was no where to be found. But this story does have a happy ending. One of the residents said to leave it at her house and her daughter would take care of the cat. The mystery of the missing cat had been solved.
[1] mailto:email@example.com
[2] http://www.theantlersamerican.com/sites/default/files/kitty.jpg


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One of two men wanted by the Aiken County Sheriff's Office for attempted murder turned himself in to lawmen on Wednesday.
Torveese Devylle Kirkland, 25, of Abney Road in Monetta, was charged with attempted murder and placed in the Aiken County detention enter, according to Capt. Eric Abdullah.
Authorities are still searching for 32-year-old Jemmell Jermaine Morris, of Williams Street in Ridge Spring, who is wanted for attempted murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He should be considered armed and extremely dangerous, police said.
The two allegedly were involved in a shooting at a home on Trojan Road in Monetta on June 23, Abdullah said. Officers arrived at the scene and found no one in the home; however, they found evidence that someone had forced their way into the home.
Abdullah said the 26-year-old victim had arrived at Aiken Regional Medical Centers with a gunshot wound to the stomach. A motive for the shooting is not known.
Morris is described as a black male, 6-feet-1-inch tall and weighing 173 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information on Morris' whereabouts is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 803-648-6811 or CrimeStoppers of the Midlands at 888-CRIME-SC.
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The eyes are a huge problem area for many people. The key is to moisturize and clean them properly. I have a couple of tips that will brighten and tighten your tired eyes!
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English Faculty
Professor Gary Fincke holds a Ph.D. from Kent State University. A prolific and award-winning author of poetry and prose, he teaches creative writing courses in poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and directs the Susquehanna University Writers' Institute.
Professor Laurence Roth has a Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles. He teaches courses in American literature, American-Jewish literature, Jewish studies and 20th-century ethnic American literatures. He is the author of a book on American Jewish detective fiction and is the coordinator of the university's Jewish studies program.
Associate Professor Tom Bailey earned a Ph.D. in English literature from the State University of New York at Binghamton. He teaches creative writing and has published three books: a novel, a book on the teaching of fiction writing and a collection of short fiction.
Associate Professor Susan R. Bowers earned her Ph.D. at the University of Oregon. A former journalist, she has published on American poetry and contemporary fiction. Her courses include modern and contemporary British, Irish and American literature, and women's literature.
Associate Professor Andrew Hubbell, department head, earned his Ph.D. at the University of Maryland, College Park. He teaches courses in 19th-century British literature, environmental literature, travel literature, narrative theory in novels and film, the Romance Novel, urban culture and literature, and rhetoric and composition. He has published on William Wordsworth, Percy Shelley, John Milton and the cultural history of the picnic.
Associate Professor Karen Mura earned a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin and is a former assistant editor of the Middle English Dictionary. The department's medievalist and paleographer, she also teaches courses in women's writing, the history of the English language and contemporary world literature.
Associate Professor Rachana Sachdev holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. She teaches courses on issues of race, gender, sexuality and immigration in 20th-century American, 17th-century British and American, and ethnic literatures.
Associate Professor Amy Winans earned her Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University. The department's expert on American literature before the 20th century, she teaches courses in American and ethnic literatures.
Assistant Professor Karla Kelsey recently completed her Ph.D. in creative writing and literary studies at the University of Denver. She has published poetry and poetry translations.
Assistant Professor Glen Retief, a native of South Africa, obtained a Ph.D. from Florida State University. He teaches advanced courses in memoir, personal essay and travel writing, introductory courses in creative nonfiction, occasional fiction workshops, and literature courses. He publishes essays and fiction, and his memoir, The Jack Bank, is forthcoming from St. Martin's Press.
Assistant Professor Randy Robertson holds a Ph.D. from Washington University, an M.A. from the University of Chicago and a B.A. from the University of Virginia. He teaches courses on 17th- and 18th-century literature, the novel, the history of the book, travel writing and the Enlightenment. He is the author of a book on censorship in 17th-century Britain.
Assistant Professor Betsy L. Verhoeven received her Ph.D. from the University of Denver. She is the coordinator of writing and thinking, and teaches composition and rhetoric, including the first-year Writing and Thinking class and upper-division courses in the rhetoric of popular culture, American identity and environmentalism. Scholarly interests include writing in the disciplines and the history of rhetoric, especially the newspaper rhetoric of women and laboring classes during the American Revolution.
Assistant Professor Catherine Zobal Dent earned her Ph.D. in English language and literature from Binghamton University with a concentration in fiction. Her current scholarship projects include her novel, Dina, a second collection of stories and a creative nonfiction book about long-distance hiking. She teaches a range of writing courses.
Assistant Professor Silas Dent Zobal earned his Ph.D. in English language and literature from Binghamton University with a concentration in fiction. His current scholarship projects include two novels, work which was supported by a 2008 Creative Writing Fellowship in Fiction from the National Endowment for the Arts. He teaches fiction, writing and literature courses.