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Family-owned and player-focused since 1946, Pearl's legacy of drum craftsmanship grew from humble beginnings at the dawn of the rock-n-roll era into the largest full-spectrum percussion manufacturer in the world. Early innovations in hybrid shells, the studio-standard MLX Maple shell, and legendary drumming icons like Dennis Chambers, Tommy Lee, Jeff Porcaro, and Chad Smith helped carve a place for Pearl in music history as a true pioneer in percussive tonality.
Today, Pearl's commitment to quality and service to the drummer live on through the industry's most comprehensive offering in drum set, marching, concert, and hand percussion and accessories. Backed by the "Buy it Once, Play it for Life" promise, Pearl has the right equipment options to make your percussive voice heard. With nearly 70 years of drum building advancement to our name, Pearl is truly dedicated to being the Best Reason to Play Drums.
Pearl got its start in 1946, hand-making drums to meet Japan's growing interest in music and music education-percussion in particular. Soon, demand outside of Japan skyrocketed, and Pearl has been crafting world-class drum kits and hardware to meet the needs of the modern drummer ever since. The Pearl product lineup includes dependable cymbal stands and rugged kick pedals, as well as first-rate birch drum kits and shell packs.


text: I'm not a big believer in ghosts, etc. That being said, I firmly believe that unless it can be proven to not exist, anything is possible. And as pets stated, we have seen and experienced some weird stuff on our haunted vacations! I love the picture and to me, it doesn't really look like a reflection of light. I agree with Ally - it does look like a woman in a long white dress! Awesome picture - thanks for sharing!

subset: commoncrawl


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Okay. So I needed to post up an update to my previous Char Grilled Artichoke post because I made this dish again the other night. Man it is a tasty recipe. I know that a lot of you have been reading that one and enjoying the results which is great. There are a few updates that I needed to throw down to take it to the next level.
The first update is in the prep of the choke. When taking out the fine hairs, I used a grapefruit spoon this time rather than a regular spoon. So much easier. Really cut down on the preparation time. So use that and then follow the prep as previously posted. Make sure you use the acidulated water and boil the chokes for about ten minutes.
At this point, I changed the recipe to use lime instead of lemon. In a big bowl, we tossed the choke halves with salt, pepper, the juice from 1 and 1/2 limes and a three count of olive oil. Cook them leaf side down on a hot grill and I poured the lime juice mixture left in the bowl onto the cooking chokes. When they are done, pile them on a platter leaf side down. To finish them, drizzle some high quality extra-virgin olive oil over the chokes. It is a small touch that made a big difference. Wow, these are really good.
I served these chokes up with the Grilled Dry Rubbed Pork Loin. The chokes went pretty well with this dish, but in the future I would serve them with something else. Perhaps a pork chop with grilled herbed potatoes or something. That sounds pretty good to me. Might have to make that sometime soon. Anybody interested in dinner?


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In some communities, you go to a party and it's all about the ice-cold beer. In others, it's about offering the most exquisite bourbon, vodka, or Scotch.
But in South Walton, it's all about the wine.
Two venues, Sandestin and
As all thoughts turn to wine, The Sun looked to area wine experts, specifically sommeliers, for some insight into what makes the grape so great.
'Like a great pair of jeans'
Brooke Gontarek, sommelier and restaurant manager at Santa Rosa Beach Club, has been certified at Level 1 since 2004 by the Court of Master Sommeliers.
Gontarek tested at the Breakers Hotel, but she said most of what she learned was from her experience working at Vin'tij Wine Boutique in
"That taught me the most about working with collectors, country clubs, hotels, and allowed me to meet and befriend farmers who happen to make amazing wines, as well as my circle of cork-dork friends," she said. "You have to believe in the wine and its message in order to love it, otherwise it's nothing more than a score from a magazine and a means to get tipsy."
For her, the most challenging aspect of achieving certification wasn't the tasting aspect, it was memorizing the names of the grapes that belong in the different villages and the wine laws.
Gontarek says the hallmark of a great wine is balance.
"Just like food — too much sauce can overpower a meal. The best wines are like the best dishes. Each flavor is balanced with the others and melds well. When you have too much of any one flavor the wines can still be really great but it get difficult to drink more than one glass," she said.
Her go-to wine for every day?
"I get this question every day. My answer is there is the wine that I would compare to a great pair of jeans — something you drink everyday and pairs with everything. This would be a great dry Rose, especially for this area that is hot and has such great fish," she said.
Her go-to wine for special occasions? "Then there is the wine that is like that sexy little dress that isn't appropriate for all occasions and takes two hours of prep time but makes you feel so sensual ... That wine to me would be a fabulous Brunello. There are few wines sexier or more seductive then a perfectly aged and decanted Brunello."
Gontarek has four wines that stand out as crème de la crème: Quilcede Creek from Washington State; La Pergole Torte from Radda, Chianti, Italy; Rouciallet Blanc, Rhone, France; and Jean-Marc Morey Chassagne Montrachet, Burgundy, France.
"These are tear-inspiring wines," she said. "You pair your food around them; not the other way around."
'Credentials are good' – but not everything
Kevin Moran of Crush Wine Bar in
His motivation in becoming a sommelier was to teach about, buy and sell wine.
The most challenging aspect in achieving certification for him were the laws, and remembering all the book information.
He is not done, however, as he plans to go higher in certification by eventually pursuing his certification as a Certified Wine Educator from the Society of Wine Educators. He will not pursue a higher level with the Court of Master Sommeliers, though.
"Credentials are good to have when you are looking for a new job or doing a press release," he said.
In everyday life, Moran manages Crush, and says he faces "the everyday challenge of predicting and avoiding human error on his part and his staff's."
If he were not a sommelier, Moran said he would want to be a chef.
"I first wanted to be a chef, then my attention turned to the front of the house operations, and then to wine," he said.
The hallmark of a great wine, in his opinion, is one that gains complexity the longer it is in the bottle.
His go-to wine for every day is either a pinot noir or chardonnay, and he said almost all the wine he drinks is taken with meals.
On special occasions, for him, it's gotta be champagne.
And his crème de la crème of wines: Romanee-Conti, which can sell for more than $1,000 per bottle.
In 12 years, a wine expert
Michael McIntosh, who lives in Sandestin, is a second-level sommelier who has held certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers for eight years. He is a salesman for Republic National Distributing Company and a consultant to many area restaurants.
McIntosh said he said he went for certification for the asset it would bring to his career.
"Accolades always make restaurant owners happier to work with and they trust your opinions," he said.
For him, the most challenging aspect of receiving certification was the intensive blind tasting of wines in order for his palate to grow.
He is now taking classes for certification as a Certified Specialist of Wine.
If he was not a sommelier, McIntosh said he would want to be a restaurant owner. Prior to this career, he owned and operated bars in
For McIntosh a good wine begins with the terroir, the impact the geography, geology and climate have on the grape.
"Terroir and a talented winemaker," he says, "must have both to be a classic."
His personal go-to wine for every day? "Maybe Louis Martini Sonoma Cabernet," which sells for between $14 and $58.
For special occasions? "Scarecrow," which can sell for up to $2,500 retail.
The crème de la crème of wines? "Harlan, Scarecrow, Quintessa and
Sommelier 101
According to an online definition of the term, a sommelier is defined as:
"A sommelier works in wine procurement, storage, cellar rotation, and offering expert service to wine consumers. A sommelier may also be responsible for the development of wine lists, delivery of wine service and training for other restaurant staff. Along with the culinary team, they pair and suggest wines to best complement each particular food menu item. Becoming a certified sommelier requires classes and an examination. The certification is offered by a range of educators, and a basic education may be attained for $800–$3,750 over the course of six months. The Court of Master Sommeliers, established in 1977, is the examining body for a variety of certifications. Since the Master Sommelier Diploma was introduced in 1969, 186 people from around the world had become Master Sommeliers by 2011."


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She was predeceased by her first husband of 31 years, Joseph D. Greene Sr., and her second husband of 29 years, James F. Rearden.
She was a member of First Baptist Church of Gray, where she was a member of the WMU and the Benevolent Committee. She also taught children's Sunday school.
She was employed in the clerical positions at Gray Drug Company and the Office of Probate Judge. She retired as secretary of Califf Middle School in Gray. She will be remembered for her spirited personality and witty sense of humor.
She is survived by her children, Joseph D. "Danny" Jr. and Kathie Greene, Ricky and Nancy Greene Nash, and Al and Patsy Greene; her grandchildren, Anna K. Greene, Joseph D. III and Ashley Greene, Graham W. Nash, Jeffrey M. Nash and Adam M. Greene; her great-grandchildren, Joseph D. Greene IV and Reynolds Lee Greene; and several nieces and nephews.
She is also survived by her stepchildren, Foy and Miriam Rearden, Bob and Lee Rearden Zittle, Allen and Cindi Rearden, and their families.
The family would like to express their gratitude to the home caregivers whom she dearly loved — Christy, Sharelle and Angel — and to the caring and dedicated staff of Gray Health & Rehabilitation.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to First Baptist Church, Gray, or the donor's favorite charity.
Hart's Mortuary and Crematory, Cherry Street, in Macon had charge of arrangements. Register online at www.hartsmort.com.


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Welcome to the Artist Daily forums. We are glad you are here, as there is so much to do around the site. This is a comprehensive site including both editorial content and user generated content. The site has forums, blogs, galleries, video and more features coming. These conversational forums are a place for you to share your artwork for critique and instruction, as well as a place to gather tips on materials and technique or simply learn about a new medium all together. There is also a dedicated member gallery for sharing your work and commenting on others' work. Or, you might be interested in reading our editorial blogs. Soon we will be incorporating more instructional content, events and groups to join.
If you have questions or need some help, you can find a lot of answers in the Community Help Forum. The first six posts are stickies that have a lot of information on how to use the site.
"Community Volunteers and Staff Contacts" -- just in case you'd like to know who works on the site and how to contact us.
"How to post images in the Media Gallery" -- a reference guide to learning how to upload your images to our Galleries. Please note the File size: Right now the limit is 100 kb for an upload, but there isn't a program that resizes these images automatically. However, you should know that each member is allotted only 10 MB of space right now on the site.
"So, what is tagging?" -- Tags are important search and find keywords to mark your images and posts, you can understand and learn more about using this tool here. Tagging is one of the cooler features on the site, but getting used to it takes a little time. When you tag, make sure that you put commas between the words and use single words instead of groups. For ex: "oil painting landscape flower church" won't work as a tag. But, "oil, painting, landscape, flower, church" is perfect.
"How to post images in the forums" -- similar to posting in the Galleries, but a few different things to note.
"Using the Private Message System" -- this is a way to connect with another member privately
The community guidelines would be good to get familiar with, too. If you need to get the legalize side of things, check out the "Terms of Use", which is related to all the Interweave websites.
Advertising: If you would like to advertise with American Artist, you can find more details here. We will remove any posts that are solicitous in nature in order to keep our forums instructional and educational.
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If you have questions, please feel free to post in the "Help" forum and either myself or a moderator will be there to help you as soon as we can.
Lastly, if you have some thoughts on ways to improve the site, please share your ideas in the "Feedback and Suggestion" Forum.
Thank you again for joining us and enjoy the site!
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Are the Jewish People Chosen?
We Also Recommend
The idea that the Jews are the "chosen people" and have a special relationship with God is ubiquitous in Jewish sources. However, the nature of this relationship is not without complication and ambiguity.
The notion of Jewish chosenness has its root in several biblical verses. One of the most prominent, Deuteronomy 7:6, says, "For you are a people consecrated to Adonai your God: of all the peoples on earth Adonai your God chose you to be God's treasured people." The next two verses provide the reason for this choice. God did not choose the Israelites because of their numbers; rather, God chose the Israelites and freed them from slavery because God loved them and because God had made promises to their ancestors, the biblical patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
This, of course, begs the question: why did God choose the patriarchs?
In the Bible, the choice of Abraham is assumed and no explanation for it is given. In Genesis 12, God appears to Abraham without any introduction, and commands him to leave his father's home. But a rabbinic source–embraced and embellished by the 12th-century philosopher Maimonides–asserts that it was in fact Abraham who found God. Abraham alone among his contemporaries established the falsehood of idolatry, affirming that there was only one God who ruled the earth. It was only after this that God appeared to Abraham.
The covenant between God and the freed Israelite slaves at Mount Sinai is central to the idea of chosenness. The covenant concretized Jewish chosenness by establishing that the Israelites would abide by the Torah in return for special divine protection. Though God chose the Jews for this purpose, an amazing rabbinic source claims that the Jews were, in fact, God's last choice.
God first offered the Torah to the children of Esau, the children of Ammon and Moab, and the children of Ishmael, but when they were told about the Torah's prohibitions against murder, adultery, and robbery, respectively, they turned down the offer. Only after going to every nation in the world did God finally offer the Torah to the Jews.
Did you like this article? MyJewishLearning is a not-for-profit organization.


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To The Editor:
Chris Pierson will be an excellent addition to our Waitsfield Select Board. He is always quick to help out his neighbors, from helping my parents sort out computer issues to digging ditches, stopping by to feed the cat, etc. Both Chris and his long-term companion, Bridget, have started their own very successful Valley businesses.
Chris started I-100 Internet in 1995 and sold it some years later. Chris is also the owner of Fuller House and landlord to a handful of Valley businesses. He has extensive knowledge of the challenges facing local Valley business, including the challenges our little Valley faces from global climate change.
Chris is a straightforward, creative and passionate problem solver who thinks out of the box and will work extremely hard to achieve win-win solutions to the many big (and expensive) issues facing our beloved town of Waitsfield.
Corinthia Richards


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Abigail (Abby) Alger is the Digital Director for an office in the federal government.
Previously, Abby was Director of Digital Communications for the Leadership Institute. Before coming to the Institute, Abby worked as a New Media Strategist for Terra Eclipse, a political web development firm in northern California, and as a Junior Associate for the David All Group, an online communications and branding firm in Washington, DC.
Abby graduated from Duke University with degrees in Public Policy and Classical Languages.


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Are you a current college student looking for a change? Have you completed that Associate's Degree and want to upgrade to the next degree level? If you answered yes to either of these questions then you should visit Hilbert at an event that is specifically designed for you.
During this event you will have the opportunity to:


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Strapless Drape Skirt Dress
Style # 216126
Elastic neckline, figure-accentuating self-tie at the waist and lovely drape make this bebe dress a flirty way to update your spring-to-summer wardrobe. Try yours with flat sandals and a crossbody bag for an instant day look.
- 100% polyester
- Center back to hem: 25" (64 cm)
- Jersey lining
- Dry clean
- Imported
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a US size S
Rated 0 out of 5
0-0 of 0


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Use the base to make the Toddler Story Tree into a room divider. 30" wide x 1" high x 30" deep. 14 lbs. FEDEX or UPS Ground. Made in USA. GreenGuard Certified. Lifetime Warranty.
- Ships UPS or FEDEX ground.
- GreenGuard certified.
- Made in USA.
- Lifetime Warranty
Minimum Suggested Age (months): 24
Maximum Suggested Age (months): 72
Maximum Suggested Weight: 100
Dimensions: 30"L x 30"W x 1"H
Weight: 14lbs.


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Vodafone's the big winner in our latest update
Find reviews of the latest Sony mobile phones with Android OS for £100 - £250.
Sony's Xperia Miro may be affordable, but its performance can disappoint.
A rugged Android phone that's not ugly or fat.
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British GENES on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES and Twitter @chrismpaton
Scotland's Greatest Story research service www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk and www.facebook.com/ScottishGenealogyResearch
Top stories concerning British Isles ancestral research from Irish born Scottish based professional family historian, author and tutor Chris Paton. Feel free to quote from this blog, but please credit British GENES if you do so. Should you wish to get in touch, contact me at christopherpaton @ tiscali.co.uk. Happy hunting!


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Robert and Anna find loved ones in Switzerland, Patrick has visions of Robin, and Dante, Lulu and Maxie move forward with the baby making.
Sabrina and Felix go to CoeCoe headquarters in New York to meet Lucy. Sabrina is nervous and gets even more so when Felix admits that he embellished his relationship with Lucy. In fact, he has never met her. He pumps her up anyway until Bree Flanders, senior VP of marketing, stops them from entering. Felix backs down but Sabrina won't be stopped. Bree admires their dedication and directs them to their department dedicated to charitable giving. Sabrina demands to talk to Lucy, the original force behind the ball. They explain the ball's history and Lucy's role in it. Bree can relate. She was once a hooker and safe sex was very important to her madam Renee. Bree knocks on Lucy's door and introduces Sabrina and Felix.
Patrick goes home and sees Robin by the fireplace. He snaps out of it when Mac enters with Emma. She runs off and Mac is worried about Patrick. He admits he saw Robin. Patrick is nervous about what could be wrong with him since he has not taken any drugs. The thing Mac has learned about loss is that once you think you have a handle on it, it blindsides you all over again. This is his first Christmas without Robin, so he has to cut himself some slack. Emma returns and asks Mac to stay but he has to visit Maxie. She is giving an amazing gift to someone and they all hope it works. Later, Emma and Patrick decorate the tree. Emma wants to hang Robin's stocking in case Santa forgets she is in heaven. Later, Patrick finds a gift in his stocking from Robin.
Ellie makes out with a Santa-clad Spinelli under some mistletoe at the hospital. He heads off to pediatrics while she goes to tend to Dante's sperm. Maxie and Olivia have been waiting outside the room where Dante and Lulu made the sperm donation and they are obviously flustered when they emerge. Maxie has something to say but is interrupted. Ellie gets the sample and tells Lulu she can head to pre-op for the egg extraction. Everyone is ecstatic and Maxie does not voice her concerns. Lulu and Dante leave and Olivia visits Ellie in the lab. She voices her concerns about a mix-up. Ellie assures her there will be no problems. Olivia turns and shrieks when she sees Spin holding a wolf-like pup. She freaks out about the vision, but the dog is actually real. Meanwhile, Maxie and Dante wait together while Lulu has her procedure. He thanks her again for making their dreams come true. Lulu is wheeled out and can feel it in her heart the in vitro is going to work. Later, a nurse brings the eggs to Ellie and she takes them in the lab. Olivia grabs the dog from Spin and refuses to return him until the eggs are fertilized. Mac finds Maxie and she tells him she is doing the right thing. Meanwhile, Lulu and Dante watch Ellie from outside the lab.
Anna pushes past Obrecht at the clinic to see Duke tied up on a gurney. Robert leaves to find Obrecht while Duke and Anna talk about what happened. She commends him on the messages he sent through the mislead memories. He thought she would have figured it out sooner when Faison was angered by false memories a few weeks ago. Anna wonders if it was Robin. She breaks the news that Robin is dead. They were told her body burned in an explosion, so they buried her without seeing her. Heather sent her to this very clinic to find Robin. Anna thought it was a mind game but the fact it led her to Faison's base is no coincidence. If Robin is alive, Duke assures her they will find him together.
Obrecht enters Robin's room and prepares a syringe while Robin begs for her life. She screams out and Robert runs through the halls at the sound. Obrecht restrains Robin but Robert throws open the doors before she injects her. He pulls Obrecht off Robin and she lunges at them with the needle. She stabs Robert in the chest and he drops to the ground. Obrecht tells Robin it is too late. Later, Anna and Duke throw open the door with a gasp.
Tomorrow's Port Charles spoilers for General Hospital:
Maxie is worried she's doing this for the wrong reason.
Lucy tells Sabrina and Felix to consider the ball paid for.
Liz thinks Sabrina would be better for Patrick than Britt
Patrick watches a video of Robin who is about to tell him something important.
Anna finds Robert.
**Please be aware we have a link-only policy.**
Please abide by the Soaps.com guidelines when posting and contact us if moderation is required. Don't forget about our General Hospital News Room, Comings and Goings, and General Hospital Spoilers!
Join Soaps.com on Twitter @soapoperafan, "like" Soaps.com on Facebook to dish on "General Hospital," all the other soap operas, "Dallas," "Glee," "Grey's Anatomy," "Vampire Diaries," "Revenge," "Pretty Little Liars," and "Venice The Series."
All screen shots courtesy of ABC.
- Hollie Deese


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adidas Predator Club Shin Guards
|Members of The League get 5% back when you spend $100! (see promotion details)
Product Details
Built with a thermoplastic shell and soft EVA cushioning, the adidas® Predator Club shin guards give you the confidence to charge into the fray. An ankle sock offers additional protection, and the hook-and-loop top strap ensures a personalized fit.
Get your new adidas® shin guards today from Sports Authority.
- 95% polypropylene, 5% thermoplastic gum injection molded
- Light, flexible shield for protection that doesn't impair performance
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The biggest point of confusion in Thursday's GOP congressional debate between Curtis Bostic and Mark Sanford was the format.
Moderator and satellite radio host David Webb wanted a free-flowing "Lincoln-Douglas" style exchange, but neither candidate seemed to grasp how it was supposed to work.
Among the highlights:
Elephant in the room
"I failed, and I failed very miserably." — Sanford discussing his Appalachian Trail hike and the public's low view of Congress.
"A compromised candidate is not what we need," — Bostic on picking a GOP choice to face Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch.
Home field advantage
Sanford, who has two sons at Porter-Gaud, where the debate was held.
Bostic played up his association with U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, his former Charleston County Council mate, at least three times. Scott is neutral so far.
Rick Perry moment
"His name will come back to me in a second." — Sanford drawing a blank in referencing a former House colleague who once taught constitutional law. He meant Tom Campbell of California.
Big Bird moment
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Arts — two of the D.C. agencies Bostic wants to eliminate.
Jimmy Stewart moment
Bostic continued to refer to his campaign as a "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" effort, a reference to the classic 1939 American political drama film.
Goldwater moment
Sanford concluded his remarks with a lengthy quote from the Republicans' 1964 presidential candidate, Barry Goldwater, a founder of the modern conservative movement.
Weirdest verb
Bostic said, "We approached this campaign with the idea that we can relationship our way into it."
Deja vu moment
The candidates were asked similar questions about deepening the Port of Charleston near the start and end of the forum.
Bostic's best dig
"What we need is not just a Mr. No," referencing Sanford's many unsuccessful vetoes as governor and anti-stances in Congress.
"It also takes more than saying yes," was Sanford's response in sticking to principles.
Robert Behre contributed to this report. Reach Schuyler Kropf at 937-5551.
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LONDON (AP) - The last native speaker of the Cromarty dialect has died, taking with him a way of speaking unique to a small seaside town at the tip of Scotland's Black Isle. The dialect includes archaic "thees" and "thous," a wealth of seafaring vocabulary, and an aspirate "h'' either added or subtracted to everyday words.
Here are half a dozen Cromarty phrases, compiled by Am Baile, the Scottish Highland Council's history and culture website.
Holl tol / Very drunk
Faomin for want / Desperate for tea
At's theer trouble? / What's your trouble?
Theer nae tae big fi a sclaffert yet! / You're not too big for a slap!
Ah wudna ken artil start. / I wouldn't know where to start.
Hiv thoo a roosky sazpence i thi pooch? / Can you lend me some money?
A'm fair sconfished wi hayreen; gie's fur brakwast lashins o am and heggs. / I'm so fed up with herring, give me plenty of ham and eggs for breakfast.
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Manchester United have confirmed that the Barnsley midfielder Paul Digby is at Old Trafford for a trial ahead of a possible permanent deal.
With Filipe Luis' move back to Atletico Madrid finally done and dusted, a deal for his replacement is also being finalised.
Premier League winners Chelsea are moving towards signing Brazilian left-back Alex Telles, currently of Galatasaray, according to reports on Tuesday.
With their second straight FA Cup silverware firming planted in the trophy case, does Arsenal have what it takes to
Juventus are looking to take Chelsea outcast Juan Cuadrado on loan, but the Blues are looking to offload him permanently.
Imagine if Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, Hades, Athena, Artemis, Aphrodite, Hermes, Dionysus, Demeter and Ares all occupied the same hall at


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Jerry Dale Tardif, 47 of Waitsfield, passed away at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston on August 20, 2013, in the comfort of his family.
Jerry was born December 11, 1965, to Sandra (Wallace) Tardif, who predeceased him on April 24, 2006.
In October 2008, he received a double lung transplant and he beat many odds and did things doctors said he probably never would. He continued to go hunting and fishing and would often do so with his best friend, Earl Stowe of Waterbury. He also joined karate at Villari's Studio of Self Defense in Barre. He was also an Emergency Medical Technician with Mad River Valley Ambulance Service (MRVAS), a membership he loved most of all. He also joined Northfield Ambulance for a short time.
He enjoyed playing cribbage with his fellow ambulance member Paula Livingston.
His family would like to thank MRVAS for all their support over the years and especially over the past few months. They would also like to thank Jerry's pulmonologist, Steve Catholis, who was great support before and after the transplant.
His family is comforted by the fact that although he was a transplant recipient, he was able to donate some of his organs and tissue to help others have a chance like someone gave him nearly five years ago.
Jerry is survived by his loving wife Tammy, whom he married on December 13, 2008, after a 21-year relationship. A daughter, Amanda Loffredo and her husband Andrew of Seymour CT, a son Bret Tardif and his fiance Danielle of Waitsfield, two stepdaughters, Natasha Marchant and her husband Russell of Richmond, and Hollee Williams and her husband Dan of Bolton and last but not least, his beloved dog, "Chance."
He also leaves behind three brothers, Kevin Deslongchamps of Candia, NH, "Bucky" Tardif of Island Pond and Darrell Tardif of Bristol, CT, and two sisters, Shelley Hughes and her companion Travis of Bristol and Jolene Tardif Bathalon and her companion Brian of Essex.
He was a proud grandfather to Kristiauna, Makenna, Jasmine, Garrett, Julie, Aiden and Myra.
He had 23 nieces and nephews and 5 great nieces and nephews, and many friends as well.
To send online condolences please visit www.perkinsparker.com and Facebook.
If you would like to donate, please make donations to MRVAS, 4177 Main Street, P.O. Box 305, Waitsfield, VT 05673 or the American Lung Association 372 Hurricane Lane, Suite 101, Williston, VT 05495 (www.lung.org).
A celebration will be held at MRVAS on Friday, August 30, 2013, from 6 to 9 p.m.


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Monday, December 12, 2011
Twice a week, Iris Bridwell travels from Eutawville to Trident Medical Center (TMC) in North Charleston, where she spends three hours receiving an infusion of magnesium, something her body has a hard time holding onto.
Without the treatments, 64-year-old Bridwell would be weak, fatigued and in pain. The reality that she must continue them for the rest of her life used to be difficult but no longer gets her down, at least not when she sees Claire Littlejohn, the hospitals music therapist. When Littlejohn comes in with her guitar and starts to sing Over the Rainbow or another favorite, the music transforms Bridwells treatments into a joyful experience.
It makes everybody happy that way, says Bridwell, who receives her treatments through Trident Cancer Center and notices the impact the music therapist has on the other patients there. She seems to touch everyone, and especially the ones who feel like they have no hope.
Music therapy has received extra publicity lately as a result of its role in helping U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona learn to walk and talk as she recovers from being shot in the head in January. Yet Trident is one of only a few hospitals in South Carolina to provide a board certified music therapist for its patients.
Littlejohn interned at the hospital while getting her degree in music therapy, then took over the program two and a half years ago. She does more than simply play songs. She uses music as a tool to meet the emotional, spiritual and physical needs of patients, and adjusts her approach and the style of music on each situation. It all depends on the person, and what they need in the moment, she says.
During her regular visits to the hospitals cancer center, she works with groups on self-expression, coping skills and relaxation techniques, while also offering a welcome diversion during treatments. Surveys she has taken indicate that her sessions reduce a patients pain by an average of 75 percent and anxiety by 73 percent.
Littlejohn also makes regular visits to the hospitals special care nursery, where she helps premature infants adjust to the new world by providing them with positive stimulation. Otherwise, she takes her carts of songbooks and instruments throughout the hospital to work with patients on a mostly individual basis, as referred by Tridents treatment teams.
She typically plays her guitar, but may bring her keyboard or drums. Her rain stick, helps with relaxation exercises, and the thunder tube is a hit with kids. The symbol of a music therapist used to be an octopus with instruments in each hand, she says. Patients are invited to join in the creative process by singing, playing or even songwriting.
When its the right moment, Littlejohn will take time with hospital staff as well.
I sing a lot of songs about the beach and other places, which can help relax them or give them an upbeat boost.--Claire Littlejohn, Music Therapist, Trident Medical Center
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© 2015 Trident Health.


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- Dora the Explorer (4)
- Go, Diego, Go! (1)
- Ni Hao, Kai-lan (1)
- Blue's Clues (3)
- Yo Gabba Gabba! (1)
- More Shows (2)
Let's go go go! Make a paper lantern for the lantern festival in Kai-lan's backyard. Choose your paper, decorate with stamps or Chinese characters and print it out!
Watch Ni Hao, Kai-lan only on Nick Jr.
Kai-lan would love to have you help set up for a Paper Lantern Festival in her backyard! First choose from colors and patterns of paper for your lantern by clicking with the mouse. Then using the mouse and dragging items, decorate the lantern with stamps, paint, and even Chinese characters! When you're done, the fireflies come and light up your lantern! You can print out your paper lantern and have your own Lantern Festival, or just give it to a friend!
Steer an ice coaster and help decorate a snow dragon--super!
Kids take a trip with Kai-lan and play "I Spy" along the way!
Master match-making skills with Princess Kai-lan!
Take a trip to China with Kai-lan and meet the baby panda!
Preschoolers puzzle out obstacles with the help of adventurous ants and Kai-lan
It's Panda-monium! Explore China with Kai-lan and get ready to meet baby panda!
Kai-lan and Tolee are spending time today playing with a baby panda!
An apple a day makes for colorful play!
It's raining coins! Help Hoho collect them all for Chinese New Year
It's dance party time! Click on DJ Hoho's colorful notes to get it going!
Kai-lan's favorite thing to do is hop in the water puddles. Will you help her?
Help Tolee collect Panda stuff as he bounces from one bamboo stalk to another
Rintoo & Hoho need help rowing their boat so they can win the Dragon Boat race!
Put kids' math powers into play--stop a scheming squid & save the day!
Kids create unique designs by adding groovy colors and glitter to spinning paper
It's stickermania! Create pics with the PAW Patrol pups & more Nick Jr. friends
Kids can color scenes and email their mini masterpieces to friends and family
Find the missing books from Story Castle and rescue the famous Don Quixote!
Kids can uncover countless surprises in this multi-world adventure game!
Where is Isa hiding? Follow the flowers to show Dora the way!
Kids can draw and sketch mini-masterpieces with this easy-to-use toolbox!
It's Doodle time! Can you help Blue guess what Doodle is drawing?
Coloring without crayons? You betcha.
These colorless critters need some color. Quick, click on a color!
Create and print your own masterpiece with this toolbox!
Build a custom bot with Plex!
Kids can paint their favorite color-by-computer pictures over & over again!
Kids use colors and patterns to paint new shells for the hermit crabs!
Come on down to Blue's Room for games galore with all Blue's friends
This hair-y game is lots of fun! Help Mr. Hairy find a wacky new disguise.


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Clifty Falls State Park
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Summit Lake State Park
Clifty Falls State Park is located near Madison with entrances off state roads 56 and 62. Within Clifty Canyon Nature Preserve the waterfalls change moods with the weather and the seasons our short water shed accounts for rapid changes in the amounts of water coming to our four falls that can range from roaring plunges, delicate bridal-veil mists or gleaming frozen titans. Winter and spring visits reveal them at their best. The rugged splendor of Clifty Canyon offers exciting year-round hiking and scenery. Just be sure to stay on the marked trails for the safest visit and as always in all state parks "take only pictures and leave only footprints!" Our historic Nature Center was once a saddle barn and is still a bridge and as such, it fittingly maintains our link with the past, when the CCC workers built it and so many of our parks structures. Clifty Inn and the Falls Restaurant in addition to the facilities many guest services also offers a breath taking view of Historical downtown Madison and the Ohio River while the hills of Kentucky form the backdrop for this southern vista.
Native forest and large rock outcrops line the upper part of Big Raccoon Creek. Cecil M. Harden Lake resulted from the damming of the creek for flood control. The lake also provides recreation, wildlife management and economic benefits. A variety of fish, flora and fauna can be viewed at the property. Nearby Historic Mansfield Roller Mill is a preserved, working example of industrialization in Indiana at the turn of the 20th century. This 1880s flour mill uses machinery from that time to show visitors how flour and cornmeal were processed from wheat and corn. It is an almost complete and unchanged example of flour mills from this time period. Come visit west central Indiana
Summit Lake is well-known for its good fishing, its restored prairie fields and the large variety of birds. Anglers find good fishing for largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, walleye, and channel catfish some that exceed 10 pounds. The good water quality and the scenic vistas add to the angler's experience. There are approximately 200 acres of restored prairie fields, some that are filled with flowers that peak in June and July each year. The birding opportunities are special. More than 250 species of birds have been spotted here because of the variety of habitats. Hikers will enjoy the four trails that border the lake as well as wind through the prairies, woodlands and wetlands. Our campground is all Class A with some sites located on the lake. In addition, we have a boat launch located in the campground. Come visit and enjoy.
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DETROIT (AP) - The SRT Viper is Chrysler's roar, a comeback car for a comeback company.
DETROIT (AP) - Mention Nissan to most car drivers and they think of the Altima. And not much else.
A place for everything and everything out of its place is the hapless life of a minivan.
NEW YORK (AP) - Hyundai Motor Co., realizing it isn't appealing to families as much as it could, has rolled out two new versions of the Santa Fe crossover SUV, including one that's stretched so it can seat up to seven people.
NEW YORK - General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet brand is trying to resuscitate sales of big sedans with a sleek, new version of the Impala.
NEW YORK (AP) - Ford Motor Co. is raising its forecast for U.S. auto sales this year, citing improving consumer confidence, employment, low interest rates and other factors.
When an athlete is at the top of his or her game, there is often little that can be done to improve performance, short of some bionic enhancement, which is usually fictional, or by steroids, which is dangerous and illegal.
Take a look at the Red Rock Soul at Kia Country, 1515 N. Main St., Manteca.
MIAMI (AP) - Alaska is a hot destination again and river voyages are enjoying a boost in popularity this year as the cruise industry works on luring back potential first-time passengers put off by the Costa Concordia tragedy.
All it took was a major minor overhaul and some star power to get the Chrysler 200 some recognition. The car became a battle hymn for Chrysler and Detroit when home-boy rapper Eminem drove a 200 sedan in last year's Super Bowl ad campaign. The "Born of Fire" message from the two-minute spot was, more or less, "Don't Mess With Detroit."
I've admired Volkswagen New Beetle since I drove the original in 1998 and was especially enamored by the cute styling and agile handling – Yes, I said cute! And the New Beetle is a happy car, after all, how many other cars had a bud vase built into dash and make you smile every time you drive it?
If bakeries and beer gardens are high on your list of vacation amenities, you couldn't do better than a visit to Solvang, the Danish-inspired theme community just a half-hour drive from Santa Barbara. Of course there is much more, but food is a great place to start.
The 2012 Grand Cherokee is the most awarded SUV of all time.
MIAMI (AP) - Cruise industry leaders on Tuesday gathered for their first annual convention since the Costa Concordia disaster, driving home their commitment to safety and expressing confidence that the resulting lull in business is only temporary.
TAOS, N.M. (AP) - In the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, at the edge of the Rio Grande Gorge and amid the seemingly endless fields of sage, nature has been a steadfast witness to a remarkable legacy of women and the arts in Taos.
Page 25 of 26
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Officials rescue three lost hikersMarch 10,2014Officials rescue
three lost hikers
SOMERSET Vermont State Police say three hikers were rescued Saturday night from the East Branch Trail in Somerset.
The rescue efforts began after police received a 911 call at about 4 p.m. Saturday from a hiker who said she got separated from her three companions. She said the three had not made it back to their meeting point at the Somerset Reservoir.
Police said the three lost hikers were all over the age of 70 and were not familiar with the densely wooded trail in the Green Mountain National Forest. Police added that the lost hikers did not have snowshoes and were also not equipped to be in the woods overnight.
Rescuers from the Wilmington Fire Department and Deerfield Valley Rescue located the hikers at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday and escorted them 2.5 miles down the trail, reaching the trailhead at about 10 p.m.
The hikers were not injured.MORE IN This Just InBy Kathleen Phalen Tomaselli Full StoryBennington College and Middlebury College both top a list for most entrepreneurial colleges in... Full StoryWas the response to an alleged assault at College of St. Full Story
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- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: On this day 1739, 'Richard Palmer' identified in prison at York Castle as the notorious outlaw DICK TURPIN; IN 1836, Battle of the Alamo begins near San Antonio de Bexar, Texas; 1896, the Tootsie Roll invented by LEO HIRSCHFELD.
- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: On this day in 1472, Orkney, Shetland islands put up as collateral by Norway to Scotland in lieu of dowry for MARGARET OF DENMARK on her marriage with JAMES III, king of Scotland; 1962, JOHN GLENN first American to orbit Earth.
- TOMORROW'S HEADLINES TODAY: City mayoral candidates debate campaign issues; Hartford, Conn., woman still missing; Neal Goswami reports attempts to legislate suicide; local woman loses 100 pounds through TOPS program.
- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: On this day in 1878, JOHN TUNSTALL murdered near Lincoln, New Mexico, by the outlaw JESSE EVANS; in 1930, ELM FARM OLLIE first cow to fly in aircraft, first to be milked airborne; 1955, nuke test WASP; '79, snow in Sahara.
- TOMORROW'S HEADLINES TODAY: Rutland Herald News Editor Alan J. Keays and staff writer Gordon Dritschilo discuss stories planned for the February 18, 2015, edition of the newspaper: Winter budgets maxed, legal marijuana, Springfield bank job, USPS slowdown
- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: On this day in 1249 AD, ANDRE of LONGJUMEAU is dispatched by LOUIS IX of France to meet the KHAGAN, ruler of the Mongol Empire; in 1804, during 1st Barbary War, STEPHEN DECATUR scuttles the pirate-held USS Philadelphia in Tripoli.


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Cusco Type-MZ 1.5-Way LSD BMW 525i / 530i E60 03-10
Model: LSD BM3 K15
Sale: $2,217.60
Product Info
Go To Product
Cuscos Type MZ Limited Slip Differential utilizes clutch discs to provide high initial torque. This is best suited for those who drift and drag race and require solid engagement. With forged internals housed in a chromoly case, this LSD is extremely durable and will serve you well in the most extreme conditions. The clutch discs in the Type MZ has radially cut grooves to allow for instant oil movement. This helps with improving durability and efficiency.
Each MZ clutch disc is also polished for even and consistent contact with the pressure rings. Cusco stresses the use of wear resistant parts like their incorporation of the "Oil Through System" by using high quality chrome molybdenium steel. The internal side gears and pinion gears used are precise forged parts that enable compact yet durable gears to cope with high horsepower applications. This, in turn, increases the internal oil capacity as well as the number of MZ clutch plates taking the load off each plate for further durability.
The Cusco Oil Through System enables stability in high performance LSDs. Cuscos unique Oil Through System enables better oil flow inside the LSD for better efficiency. The casing made from Cuscos unique technology allows the oil to flow from the wide end to the pressure rings and the MZ clutch plate for efficient lubrication.
Making the LSD more stable and durable! This was only possible with Cuscos unique technology in manufacturing chrome molybdenium steel casings and gears that enabled a higher level of durability and a better flow of oil due to the large oil openings.
Cusco recommends the following setups for the following drivetrains:
1 way LSD: Specially suited for front wheel drive cars and AWD front axle cars.Activates under acceleration, and acts as a true LSD when the throttle is off.
1.5 way LSD: Activates under acceleration with less under-steer under deceleration than on a 2 way LSD. Recommended for those who want to reduce under-steer.
2 way LSD: Recommended on rear wheel drive cars and AWD rear axle cars. Activates on both acceleration and deceleration. Recommended for those who prefer aggressive driving and big angle drifting.
Fits the following models:
03-10 BMW 525i
03-10 BMW 530i
About Manufacturer: Cusco
CUSCO has a brilliant record and history in the top categories of track racing, rallying, dirt trials and gymkhana. By staying continuously in touch with each cars potential and character, they can create settings for almost any car. From this experience in motorsports, they developed confidence in their CUSCO brand for street use. The CARROSSER competition products are developed one by one from their broad and long experience in competing in motorsports, and based on their extensive data and know-how. CUSCO responds to those who appreciate such matters, like driving a car or controlling its performance.


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|25 posts found
I did read that the ww2 mmofps Battleground Europe is going to have free to play content and are in a testing phase so its already possible to enjoy certain content for free unofficially. Gameplay is without item shops.
Once the 14-day trial runs out you have the option to continue playing for free for army ground troops.
Link for game Trial with extended free content: (no credit card needed)
Login or Register to never see this panel
I did found the official list for the free to play content and did find out how it works actually. After the official Trial did end you get a survey per mail about the game, they ask some question how you like this or that bla bla, and after you fill it out you can get access to the free to play content.
* Army Persona (British, French & German)
So you can also multicrew vehicles, tanks and so on with the f2p content...
Originally posted by spizz
Oh my god, they won't let you capture. Big Big Mistake. Now the ATG/AA gunners are going to complain there are EI all over the place hunting them down (not capturing the flag).
Big mistake. *runs off to wwiionline forums to tell them why*
Well it works. I just made a free trial with a bogus name/address and new email address, no credit card.
I've payed for this game for at least 50 months, I deserve to be little cheap now and then.
And as usual CRS buries this information on their website and doesn't advertise, or maybe they're waiting for the infantry graphical/animation upgrade patch before advertising; I was hoping it would be finished by now.
Novice Member
Joined: 9/03/05
Well this should make things interesting again.
I wonder if these restrictions are final or if something will change since someone said its in a testing phase. Wonder also why it doesnt get promoted on their mainpage but is so hidden. Maybe it is this grpahic patch you are talking about, it could explain it.
Not even the active players in the Forum section on this webpage write about....didnt find a thread about it at least.
Anyway, this f2p concept is really growing, isnt warhammer going f2p aswell or is already ?..at least this one here has no ingame shop.
Novice Member
Joined: 12/04/08
Nice to find out they're having limited gameplay free to play.
I enjoyed this game but cannot justify spending $18 a month on it, not to mention their payment model now is confusing as heck.
At least I won't have to waste $18 to find out if the game is the same it was a year ago.
Not a bad idea, might be a little late though. Might be a bit funny on the multicrew though, I'm not sure how many tankers are going to want a F2P guy in their tank. I know how well that works in other games, you get your perfect ambush spot and a newb gets impatient after 10 seconds of no action and takes the driver spot and drives off :P
I'd have rather they had AAA and ATG F2P and not tanks. I'd have gone for that, and those are the ones who could use the help anyway. Maybe then with lots of F2P people and ATGs (and no tanks) when the armor EWS goes off it's not only tanks that spawn to go off and meet the enemy head on, but get some ATGs spawning. Last I saw ATGs only came out once the tanks were all used up. Also the inf game is the weakest part for me. The lag, the warpiness, the kill delay, cap system, just over time ground me down, played Red Orchstra for my WWII inf fix.
It's not a bad idea, indeed. I just hope when (if) it becomes official they actually advertise it and give it a chance. There's a lot of people who would love to start playing (i.e. paying) again but don't due to the really low population. And when I say advertise I don't mean just on their website.
I agree. The tanks they would be able to use would be almost completely useless in the later tiers. I really don't see why anyone would go in them except for EI slaughtering and scouting. I think ATG would be a much better choice. Plus it could potentially cause problem when there's a newbie tank commander driving off to a friendly ambusher.. only to leave his engine on and get chewed out! Haha.
And AAA I think would increase the bomber population. Because let's face it, AAA is a lot of fun when there's stuff to shoot at. More AA = more bombers!
.. but I do think they can use both AAA/ATG as long as it's up to rank 2.
True, but I think there's plenty (a lot) of people who wouldn't mind playing just infantry.. Despite it's flaws, you gotta admit that it's a lot of fun when you're under a lot of enemy action. Pot shots at EI with the riflemen (when they're running across large open fields) is a so great.
Originally posted by Supergrass
I must admit, some of the best times I've had are with the speedly little tanks or ACs. In the huge cities I've run the vickers up and down the wide roads while in gunner postion (that's why you need the wide roads ;) ). As everyone thinks you're driving you get to mow them down while they try and cross. I've had 10 min runs doing that heh. NIce to have something you don't mind losing that much.
Oh I'm sure lots will like the free inf, that was just my personal feelings. I find they are the best on the big cities divided by rivers, that always makes for an hotly contested choke. Unfortunately those are far fewer than the regular cities. I'm really not sure how it's going to work out with the capping system though. 3-4 cappers vs 20 freebies... I can see some fustration cropping up. Well wish them luck anyway.
Novice Member
Joined: 10/14/08
I created a new sub last weekend just to take advantage of the freeplay. They had better tweek their predictor code before advertising the freeplay heavily. Otherwise folks will be leaving just as fast as they join.
Yeah but there's only so much you can do with that due to the way they are setup. As you know even standing still you get the one second kill lag. It's fair the way it's setup, but withtodays FPSer don't know how many of the more instant action and casual gameplayers the rats are aiming for will except it. Why inf gameplay isn't my favorite, especially once all the AO's, MSPs etc. concentrated it into a tighter core around the city.
I'm curious how they are going to avoid a ton of spy/griefer accounts....
Novice Member
Joined: 10/14/08
Wow, I can see why they're using FTP. Right now, USA primetime, there is one battle going on for Carignan. The rest of the front is empty. I'll admit things were hopping during the intermission (when you had unlimited spawn lists) but right now it's pretty dead. Maybe they should move the year up to '44 (so people can use the equipment they like) and call it good.
It's been dropping pretty constantly. I used to always try the free 'welcome back' weeks, but the pops got so low that if the one battle going on wasn't much good (ie. endpoint camping phase) there was nothing else to do. One of the drawback of AOs and only being able to do stuff on declared cities. I didn't bother with the last one or two freebies. Keeping a watch now though to see how the number might be.
Novice Member
Joined: 7/12/04
They are doing it wrong.
F2P is supposed to be an ala cart form of payment
you pay for the features/play that you want.
They can should give a little more with the current free form...like atg's and more infanty access options
but offer campaign upgrades for extra money.
Each campaign you can pay an extra $5 to get access to tanks 1 & 2, $5 more for rest of tank tiers
Same goes for Air. $5 for tier 1 and 2, $5 for rest
and $5 for access to all infantry atg/aa tiers
This way people pay just for thier style of play, heck if they decide to get everything they would have paid $25
and would start over each campaign.
That's a f2p model
they are offering too little for a f2p model right now.
Novice Member
Joined: 3/18/04
The meaning of life is attained by caring for the one you have created.
Papa for life!!!
Originally posted by Doxshund
Yea over here in the states... its a death sentence for a game, cause we dont do ftp cash shops. they come here then vanish from the radar. we are a subscription based market. The games like DDO and LOTRO do well cause you can play the whole game for free by just playing it and get all the content thats in the cash shop, by themselves. If they want to get full blown packages chalked full of content, its a one time fee like buying an expansion pack, not paying for it only to have it go away after a period of time. And the price of these packs is well within the budget of the normal gamer is this day and age with the economy the way it is.. or as i stated you can play the game as intended and get these packs through play as entended. Choice is yours.
This games already in the grave, has been for sometime hence they charge $2.00 more a month then the premium games on the market.. its frowned upon, and the game gets passed over.
Ive tried to get clan mates to play but when they get the sub cost, they pass it over with the comment " Aint paying that much for a mmo, especially one as old as this." Then we load up call of duty or battlefield badcompany 2 and go out together and have a good time.
Novice Member
Joined: 6/01/10
Imo, not bad move at all, but in wrong condition.
Turn with 18 bucks was already one big nonsense.
And, they will have huge adrenaline portion and feeling of fear, what they can't to gain from many other games. It is almost true fishing hook for long time..
Problem in that in WWIIOL is no Ai-transport system, but If they really wish rescue a game , they will find desire.
Because question is in priorities..imho.
I have add something yet..
In my opinion is wrong also to make f2p paratroopers ..Also to force f2p-infantry in squads. Their "squads" must be temporare battalions, that is formed in rear, where they revive and together move on ai-transports again to front.
I don't mean to come off as a tin-foil nut here, but I honestly feel this game is never going to pick up in players with those interested in subscribing. I think they should really consider this F2P thing seriously.
HC is still full of incompetants. No-tactics underachievers.
The HC blames the playerbase, says it's "herding cats", says they can't order other players around; but that's not the reason there is zero organization. The reason players don't listen to the HC is because after the 100th HC planned attack that fails you stop listening to these HC players and go do your own thing.
They have all been using horrible tactics since day one, 2001, and this hasn't changed.
Originally posted by Sartoriuss
Nobody wants that but you.


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December 21st, the winter solstice, is known by another name to locals in Fairbanks, AK: The Darkest Day of the Year. On this day, Fairbanks (and much of the rest of Alaska) is enveloped in darkness for all but about three to four hours in the middle of the day. To those who have never experienced this darkness it may seem extremely depressing but local Alaskans know how to enjoy themselves in the midst of all of the darkness. This year especially offers many outdoor spectacles in the form of the northern lights (A.K.A. the aurora borealis). The sun is nearing the end of its 11-‐year sunspot cycle that allows for the northern lights to be extremely active and extra beautiful this winter.
This is a photo of a rare orange color of aurora behind an Alaskan log cabin. It was taken on the darkest day of the year 12/21/12.
December 21st is a day of almost complete darkness, but it brings hope because it is also the day that Alaskans begin to gain daylight back. This year brings amazing displays of the aurora, so many Alaskans aren't complaining about the record cold temperatures and the darkness. We are just enjoying Mother Nature's light show!


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Nothing but grace
Joseph A. Komonchak December 25, 2013 - 9:31am
Wake up! For you God was made man! "Arise, you who sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ shall enlighten you" (Eph 5:14). For you, I say, God was made man. You would have been dead for eternity if he had not been born in time. You would never have been freed from sinful flesh if he had not taken on the likeness of sinful flesh (see Rm 8:3). Endless misery [miseria] would have possessed you if this mercy [misericordia] had not been accomplished. You would not have come back to life if he had not taken on your death. You would have faded away if he had not healed you. You would have perished if he had not come. ....
What greater grace of God could shine upon us than this: that, having an only Son, God should make Him a son of man and that in turn He should make a son of man a son of God. Look for some merit; look for a reason; look for the justice: and see whether you find anything but grace. (St. Augustine, Sermon 185, 1 and 3; PL 38, 998, 999)
Commenting Guidelines
rather routine
And Merry Christmas to you, too!
I wish we had live recordings of Augustine. How was his voice rising and falling with those phrases?
Fr. O'Leary, when a man is tired of Augustine, he is tired of life.
Fr. Komonchak, thanks for the beautiful quotation. Merry Christmas!
"rather routine" ??
Humbug, Joseph O'Leary!
I think you may need an attitude adjustment. It's Christmas, a time for good will to all.
I am not tired of Augustine, I just think the passage quoted is not Augustine at his best.
Just because Augustine was a genius does not mean we go "ooh" and "aah" after every paragraph of his vast oeuvre (the vastest in antiquity), particularly in the oral sermons taken down by a tachygraphy\ -- that is a way to dilute and bury Augustine's greatness.
Helen: "you may need an attitude adjustment" -- sounds like soft American totalitarianism...
On this holy day, it is forbidden to say anything that is not laudatory and enthusiastic. Falling a little short of that, I will only remark that if this passage had not been ascribed to Augustine, we probably would not be reading it, because it might never have been transmitted. I hope the first copy was not a palimpsest of a lost play of Sophocles.
Peace on earth!
Today we heard the beginning of John's gospel. For that reading alone it was worth going to the Mass of the day rather than last night. How I love going to Mass! Afterwards the world seems brighter, and then how can I not like a text that says that for us God was made man. How lucky we are!
(Idle curiosity: this "you", "you", "you", is it "me", "me", "me", or is it "us", "us", "us"? Is it singular or plural?)
I don't have Augustine's text, but it's singular in Eph. 5:14.
All those "you's" are in the singular in Augustine's text, and so are the imperatives in the second paragraph.
Maybe the problem the grinches see is the wooden translation. Don't blame Augustine.
jAK -- How are those short translations of Augustine that we want you to publish coming along?
Merry Christmas to all!
Yes, yes, Mr. Augustine, we're damnable sinners. We get that, okay? But we've just made it through Advent, and this is Christmas day. So give over for twenty-four hours, if you can, telling us what wretches we are. Relax, have a little plum pudding and half a measure of pure joy, just for today. Tomorrow will be soon enough to resume the sackcloth and guilt.
And are you so sure that's it all about us? Maybe God so loved the world that he would have flooded into it even if it had been mostly squirrels and buttercups (who would probably have treated him better, by the way). This obsession with human beings seems too narrow a view and, if I may say so, predisposes us to the very sinfulness you charge us with. Look up! The beasts of the field are praising him today.
—Grinchus parum invidiosus
An article at ThinkingFaith on that bit of John's gospel - "In the beginning ..." http://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20131223_2.htm
Augustine could write and too often he proved he was the wretch he claimed to be. He seduces us with "Fecisti nos ad te Domine.." etc., (you have made us for yourself O God)and misleads us with "force them to come In." and it is sinful to take pleasure in making love to one's spouse. So let me correct Augustine and rephrase his prayer:
O Donatists, my brothers the Lord is with you. Far be it from me to presume God will not save you if you do not subject yoursel to my church. What got into me that I petitioned Roman Generals to give all your churches to me and bishops who agree with me. O Pelagians how can I presume God is not with you. The power that you see in wo/man, I am sure you believe comes from God. I rather offer you my love. Not the Centurion's sword. I have to remind myself that Jesus commanded that we accept a person of peace and not demand a doctrinal consent. And Julian, my brother bishop, I understand that sometimes my Manachean past comes back to bite me. Let us get together, pray and learn from one another. I should be washing your feet not promoting your exile.
Peace, brothers let us not fight over the money of the wealthy and work night and day to spreak the Good News and Peace to all.
Augustine is both the greatest Christian theologian (after Aquinas, I feel bound to add, alas) and the father of the worst errors of Christianity. His crusade against the Donatists led him countenancing their torture. He is the father of the Inquisition. His sublime message of sola gratia was twinned with the monstrous doctrine of predestination that prevailed in the churches until recently. His vision of original sin inflicted a deep wound on the Western mind, particularly in his focalization of the Fall on human sexuality (he tells us over and over again that the first symptom of the Fall was Adam's inablity to control his erection). If Augustine had given a Christmas sermon along the lines of what Bill suggests, the entire history of Christianity would have been so much brighter.
What's next--Augustine/Petilian slash fiction?
Actually, that might be kind of hot...
I have no desire to defend the indefensible. But I would like to see textual references for some of the indictments offered here. Meanwhile, consider this:
In the year 2000 Peter Brown published a new edition of his classic biography of St. Augustine. He left his original text as it appeared in 1967 but added an eighty-page Epilogue in which he took account of new evidence (recently discovered letters and sermons) and new directions in Augustinian studies. In the meanwhile, Brown himself had published a book entitled Body and Society which was in good part devoted to discussing sexuality in early Christianity. This made him realize how little attention he had given to this theme in his biography of Augustine. One of the rediscovered sermons, on marriage, "confirmed," Brown now writes, "my impression that the pace of his [Augustine's] thought on sexuality was set by firm if courteous disagreement with other Christians and upholders of radical ascetic ideals, most notably with Jerome." He continues:
We must never read Augustine as if he were contemporary with ourselves. He was the contemporary of Jerome, who spoke of marriage as a tangled thornbush, good only to produce, in the firorm of children dedicated at an early age to the ascetic life, the "roses" of new virgins; of Gregory of Nyssa, whose gentle tone makes us forget the fact that he regarded sexuality with supreme loack of interest, as no more than an "animal" appendage to humankind's original "angelic nature; and of Ambrose, who, when faced by married candidates to the episcopate, expected his readers to agree without question that voluptas, sensuality alone, had driven Adam from Paradise. Seen against that background, Augustine's preaching and written works represent, if anything, a call to moderation. He wished for a greater recognition of the physical, sexual components of human nature, and was prepared to defend their legitimate expression (if in a disciplined manner) in marriage.
What I came to realize was that the very vehemence of Augustine's later defence of his views on sexuality and original sin, against Julian of Eclanum, was the direct result of that moderation. ... He had come envision, in a manner far more consequential than many of his Christian contemporaries, Adam and Eve as fully sexual beings, capable of intercourse in the Garden of Eden–a glorious intercourse, unriven by conflicting desires, without the shadow of sin upon it. ... For a man like Gregory of Nyssa, Adam and Eve had been "angelic" beings. Their sexuality had lain totally dormant in the depths of a Paradise,Garden of Eden, whose blazing glory admitted no comparison with the present, "animal" condition of humankind. Reading such works, I realized that Augustine had made yet another of his "long inner journeys." ... Sexuality had been created as a great good. Catholic Christians should acknowledge this fact and should be prepared to imagine what the intercourse of Adam and Eve in Paradise might have been like if they had not fallen. Such intercourse would have been an act of solemn delight, where two fully physical bodies followed the stirrings of their souls, "all in a wondrous pitch of perfect peace." It was only Adam's purely mental act of pride, followed by disobedience to God, that destroyed for ever a potential joyful harmony of body and soul. Sex was tragic for Augustine because it could have been so very different. ... For Augustine, the present worldwas always overshadowed by a great sadness. Married couples should walk, regretfully, through the recognizable ruins of a once perfect sexuality devastated by Adam's pride. ...
All this Brown takes from Augustine's writings on marriage and sexuality. When it came to preaching about it to married couples, he says, Augustine "was economical and deliberately banal. They should be careful. Ideally, they should not have sex except to conceive children," as stated in their Roman-law marriage contracts. "If they went "beyond the lines" of their contract, and had sex on other, forbidden occasions, they had reason to blush, but not to feel unduly gulty. Compared with the truly serious crimes of adultery and marital infidelity, this was the smallest of sins. It was a manifestation of human frailty, regularly atoned for by saying the Forgive us our trespasses in the Lord's Prayer and by giving alms to the beggars crouched around the portals of the church." Brown concludes:
On the issue of sexuality, we should be very careful not to "demonize" Augustine. To speak of him as the "evil genius of Europe," and to lay at his door alone the ills associated with the handling of sex in Christian circles up to our own time, is to take an easy way out–as if by abandoning Augustine we have freed ourselves, by magic, from a malaise whose tangled roots lie deep in our own history. We have made our own bed over long centuries. Augustine did not make it for us. Denunciations of Augustine usually misrepresent him and, in any case, they get us no further in the serious, slow task of remaking that bed. It is, indeed, an act of egregious cultural narcissism to believe that all our present discontents can be glimpsed in the distant mirror of one man's thought. Unlike theologians, historians, alas, must be burdened with a sense of the immensity of time and space. Aware of the slow and complex evolution of moral ideas over the centuries, and of the variety which these forms took on being set to work in regions and in socieities of which Augustine could not have dreamed, historians should have no part in so facile a Schuldfrage–so facile an exercise in blame-pinning.
"historians should have no part in so facile a Schuldfrage–so facile an exercise in blame-pinning."
A handy word, that facile.
Thank you for that wonderful excerpt from St. A., which I didn't discover until today (the 26th) the Christmas rush being what it is (by the way, the Germans have a wonderful word -- Weihnachtsrummel -- for all the fussing and fuming we tend to get caught up in this time of year, which has nothing essential to do with Christmas).
Thank you for that wonderful excerpt from St. A., which I didn't discover until today (the 26th) the Christmas rush being what it is (by the way, the Germans have a wonderful word -- Weihnachtsrummel -- for all the fussing and fuming we tend to get caught up in this time of year, which has nothing essential to do with Christmas).
Fr. O'Leary—
I'm generally partial to "curmudgeonliness," which is why I like reading your comments, but equating being told you could benefit from an attitude adjustment (which is quite gentle phrasing for us Philadelphians) with totalitarianism, soft or otherwise, strikes the wrong note. What I, unlike you and some others commenting here, found apropos about this particular piece is the emphasis on Grace as Gift. What message can be less routine, or more joyous, than that, especially on Christmas day!
This obsession with human beings seems too narrow a view
The "obsession" hardly belongs to Augustine, see for example: "For us men (and women) and for our salvation he came down from heaven". The idea that the focus on humanity is "too narrrow" is a very contemporary viewpoint, at least in the West. Is it because in modern life animals tend to be viewed as pets, and the farmer-nature ecology is forgotten? Or because, now that there are almost too many humans and the world is almost too small for our numbers, humans are viewed as less valuable and nature viewed as more valuable?
Many of our viewpoints are very contemporary, some still working themselves out at this moment. Much of the change involves widening the circle of those who are thought worthy of being included in God's love and our own care. Our care is bound to be limited, but God's love of us need suffer no decrease in extending to other creatures.
Those who believe in God the Creator generally believe that he created all, and that everything that came from him was good, however spoiled it may have later become. It seems like vanity to believe that in the vastness and splendor of time and space, all that really matters to him, all that he wishes to preserve, is the human race. But I suppose that if mildew could write the history of the world, mildew would be the centerpiece of it.
But I suppose that if mildew could write the history of the world, mildew would be the centerpiece of it.
It's not nothing that mildew can't.
In the quotation quoted from him, Brown is saying that all should not be pinned on Augustine. Correct. Augustine had a lot of company as far sexual distortions go. While it is laudable that he modified Jerome it is difficult to accept that as an excuse. With reference to violence against Christians who keeps Augustine company? The point with Augustine is his prodigious influence on the West. There is no one with more prestige. Because of that he has to be regarded critically. Too many take his work as gospel and that is the problem. "With the bonus comes the onus." Because of Augustine countless Christians have countenanced violence against "heretics." Even today.
No doubt theologians owe a lot to Augustine. He saved many of them from thinking. More of them should think more critically.
I don't really get why Augustine evokes such animus, because even while his influence is certainly outsize, compared to a lot of the church fathers (a proto-nazi like Ambrose, or a power broker like Cyril), he's Judege freaking Reinhold. Take what you can get.
(Granted, "nothing but grace" just makes me think of that Larry Bird/Michael Jordan McDonalds commercial).
It seems like vanity to believe that in the vastness and splendor of time and space, all that really matters to him, all that he wishes to preserve, is the human race.
I wouldn't word it quite that way, but okay.
I could tell you that Tradition tells us that, but it's not enough of an argument. I could tell you that the central place of humanity in the world is "obvious", but it's not an argument.
I think that Mark's answer is pretty good, actually.
Yes, we are central and dominant just now and have been for the last tiny slice of time's extent. And great knowledge and beauty have arisen from or through us. Maybe we are some sort of culmination. But everything that is alive today is the latest sprouting of life's tree and has its own special beauty, as did all lineages that have not survived.
One distinction we certainly have: we are uniquely perilous, having the ability and possibly even the will, more than any other creatures, to bring the whole house down upon our heads and theirs. That would establish our centrality forever, but no one will write the history of it.
Maybe God has intervened by his act of incarnation not only to save us but also to save the rest of his creation from us, as a master might retake control from a faltering steward.
It savors of whataboutery to bring in Jerome, regarded even in his own time as a crank though a great biblical scholar. I have no animus against Augustine, whom I deeply admire (De Trinitate, Confessiones and De Spiritu et Littera would head my list). But nonetheless Augustine, because of his stupendous influence, has cast a long shadow on our civilization. Ambrose was a proto-inquisitor (how can one not wince when one reads the protocol of his interrogation of two Arian bishops?) and the first clericalist, but Ambrose's influence is nothing beside Augustine's. Gregory of Nyssa was a married man, so his lack of interest in sex may be simply his acceptance of it -- I wonder if his commentary on the Song of Songs would shed light here. His influence in the Latin West was practically nil, and the same goes for Cyril of Alexandria, That Augustine tolerated torture of the Donatists is stated in W. H. C. Frend, The Donatist Church, the classical work on the subject.
One can blame Theodosius for the radically intolerant turn taken by Christianity, but it was backed by the leading churchmen. In fact it is hard to find a great theologian from that time on who did not justify executing heretics (Aquinas) or directly order or approve of individual killings (Calvin, Melanchthon, Thomas More).
But, of course, Peter Brown is notorious for his "whataboutery." Perhaps Augustine shouldn't have tried to defend the good of sexuality and of marriage, and just left it to Jerome and Gregory to shape subsequent Christian thought on the matters.
Augustine indeed defends the three goods of marriage, fides, proles, sacramentum, but he did not draw sufficiently on his anti Manichean ontology to counter the poisoning of sex as such. I applied the three goods of marriage to gay couples first in 1984 http://josephsoleary.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/06/the_flesh_and_t.html The good and great Augustine must be saved from the creepy apostle whose manicheanism returned to poison the world. Gregory of Nyssa shows no such morose attitudes to sex.
Maybe God has intervened by his act of incarnation not only to save us but also to save the rest of his creation from us, as a master might retake control from a faltering steward.
Indeed, what will people in the future have to build on if people in the present leave them in heritage a world damaged beyond repair? Unfortunately I do not see what the incarnation and the church have accomplished so far to protect the Creation.
I made a mistake in that article by coming up with the triad fides proles remedium concupiscentiae instead of fides proles sacramentum; in reality remedium concupiscentiae is a side effect of fides -- it means that the fidelityof the couple enables them to make their sexuality into an expression of love, not concupisence: http://www.cormacburke.or.ke/node/932
Brown is possibly reaction to Elaine Pagels's boook Adam, Eve and the Serpent which quotes horrendous utterances from St Jerome and then goes on to Augustine -- I think she'd agree with Brown that Augustine is of a much higher and more reflective order of discourse.
Pagels' name does not appear in the endnotes for these pages of Brown's Epilogue. In endnote 69, in illustration of what he calls "widespread modern notions on the subject," he refers to U. Ranke-Heinemann, Eunuchs for Heaven: the Catholic Church and Sexualiy, whose pages on Augustine Brown says are "a travesty of the thought and practice of Augustine."
The next endnote singles out an article by D. G. Hunter, "Augustine's Pessimism? A New Look at Augustine's Teaching on Sex, Marriage and Celibacy," Augustinian Studies 25 (1994) 153-77. Hunter is also the author of the entry on "Marriage" in the encyclopedia Augustine through the Ages, pp. 535-37. A lecture on the topic by Hunter is available online at: http://www.jknirp.com/aug3.htm
I do not see what the incarnation and the church have accomplished so far to protect the Creation.
God working in his usual unhurried way? If it took 13.6 billion (± 100 million) years from "let there be light" to "let us make humans in our image and likeness," maybe he still has the whole project in hand. It's only been a couple of thousand years. I grant you he's not getting a lot of help from us.
"The good and great Augustine must be saved from the creepy apostle whose manicheanism returned to poison the world"
Please cite the basis for these remarks. This is biased and without basis. So now you place Augustine over Paul. Where did this come from? The back to Jesus, counter Paul, movement. Paul is throughly consistent with Jesus. On the question of women the text was clearly tampered with. You have to re-look at the meaning of "flesh" in the writings of Paul The fact is without Paul (I'm sure God would have found another) there is no Christianity. Paul is the real deal. Augustine and the rest of should serve so well.
I am not referring to Paul. I confer the title "aposte" on Augustine in the broadest sense.
Though my previous bishop once remarked to me that "your friend St Augustine" was responsible for a lot of sex-connected grief, and then he added: "and even St Paul"....
I Cor 11 might be interpolated and the dour antI-feminist (and anti-Cretan) passages in the Pastorals are post-Pauline, and yes, as my link above insists, the "flesh" in Paul does not refer to sex. Nonetheless his ranting against sex and especially against gays is something that needs to be overcome and purged. Even the non-Pauline material is part of the Holy Scripture and it is not by accident that it is appended to Paul.
I once dared to ask a real-life Cretan what he thought of the Epistle to Titus and its declaration that all Cretans are liars and rogues, and he answered: "St Paul talked a good deal of nonsense." I think that that is a healthy Christian response to scriptural authorian bullying.
Shouldn't his beef be with Epimenides?
Paul did not write the Epistle to Titus, right. Secondly, this is so unlike Paul. I don't see Paul as a bully at all.
Sure we all "know" Paul did not write Titus (at least according to most exegetes; but see JND Kelly, and see Jerome Murphy-O'Connor on the authenticity of 2 Timothy); but my Cretan acquaintance was not aware of this. I approve him for resisting a bullying text, independent of who wrote it. The text cites Epimenides or whoever and then adds in its own authoritarian voice "this testimony is true!" The Church and Scripture never err without involving God up to the hilt (Numbers 34, 1 Samuel 15 etc.). Paul himself is a very big bully in Romans 1, as all gays know, and also in I Thess as all Jews know. We have a huge backlog of authoritarian error to deal with. The awful realization that Auschwitz was brewed up in the ghettos of the Papal States is something that radically alters our attitude to past cocksureness. I stood today in the first ghetto of all, the Venetian one, divided into three (Vecchio, Nova, Novissima); even the Novissima has very high buildings and very dark and narrow streets -- that atmosphere of imprisonment -- . But it was touching that Jewish boys still play there with their kippah caps.
Now there's a wild claim: "Auschwitz was brewed up in the ghettos of the Papal States"!
Cum nimis absurdum much, Father K?
About the Author
Rev. Joseph A. Komonchak, professor emeritus of the School of Theology and Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America, is a retired priest of the Archdiocese of New York.


text:
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|13 posts found
I need an MMO. Bear in mind, I have played a lot of them. Rift, Eq2, LOTRO, EVE, ect. I know that recently this game went F2P. F2P scares me. I just recently logged onto LOTRO for the hell of it and the nickel and dime tactics overwhelmed me plus it didn't seem to call out to me anymore. So, I need an MMO to engross myself with. Is STO a good game and is their F2P model bearable? I'm not really looking for critque as much as I'm asking if this a pleasurable way to kill time? BTW, I'm also considering The Secret World and need to decide between the two, if any people here know about the comparison.
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Apprentice Member
Joined: 12/21/12
Originally posted by BACONX
I tried to jump back into it. The character creation is one of the best I have seen in a game, but the game itself just gets a little repetitive.
The cash shop didn't seem too intrusive to me, I think they give you a lot of the content free.
currently playing: DDO, AOC, WoT, P101
Advanced Member
Joined: 10/07/07
OP, if you think LOTRO is cash shop heavy, you won't be happy with STO. The biggest difference though is while LOTRO charges for access to new content (modules), STO does not. STO may be F2P but it has has a robust cash shop that recieves frequent additions while the rest of the game takes backseat.
STO's F2P model is decent. The intro mission is quite fun (the middle of a Borg attack). STO's Trek universe is based on the New Trek (btw, new movie is due out in March). There is a lot of space and ground combat, Space combat is very limited though - it mostly boils down to circling an enemy and mashing one or more keys repeatedly. Ground combat is standard 1st-person shooter, with either you or your bridge crew (NPCs).
The game is grindy, with a lot of generic missions (kill 10 Klinks, deliever 10 supplies to planet-Z, beam down to colony Zeta and touch all the glowing consoles...rinse and repeat). There are only 2 factions to play (good=Feds, evil=Klingons). Your Federation character is the only real playable faction (Klingons were added for PVP and are still being developed into a fully playable faction years after launch). Feds start at level 1 and progress to 50 (which you can reach in a month easily). Klinks start at level 20(?), PVP a lot and have bad taste in music. :P
If you only plan to play casually and don't mind hitting end game within a month (and thereafter being really bored)...you may enjoy STO. As a F2P player you only get two character slots (so you can play both factions). Like any other game, you'll have the most fun while learning how to play and getting your feet wet in the blood of your enemies.
Based on reviews though, I'd recommend TSW. It is an rpg, has decent story content and challenging quests (requiring thinking not just button mashing like STO).
Elite Member
Joined: 6/10/09
Both are fun games. I would buy TSW and install and play STO too since there is no box fee.
Hard Core Member
Joined: 7/26/04
Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.
Originally posted by BACONX
A true old school MMO, that you won't burn throught in a month, try Vanguard.
Spotlight Poster
Joined: 9/28/06
Dyslexics of the world...UNTIE!
Originally posted by BACONX
The beauty of Lotro is that you can grind turbine points and not spend any money. There are guides on the net that help you grind turbine points pretty fast. I have STO and I also have all the bells and whistles where upgrades/perks go. With that being said, I have logged in a total of about 2 hours. I am a Star Trek fan, but the game does not give me that Star Trek feel. I hope you find something you like.
Advanced Member
Joined: 7/02/08
Originally posted by Silverdagger
I keep seeing this stated as fact, and usually without any proof, so that it's become a truism. It's hogwash. The free content in the Seasons dwarfs the items added in the cash shop.
To answer the OP, STO has one of the best F2P models in the industry. There are very few restrictions for free players. No restrictions to class, level, or missions - pretty much the entire game is available to you. Additionally, dilithium - a currency earned by playing the game - can be exchanged for Zen, which allows a player to purchase things from the cash shop without spending real money. As far as the cash shop goes, there isn't anything you really need from it.
From having played both, I don't think the cash shop in STO is as intrusive as the one in LOTRO.
As far as the game goes, I enjoy STO a lot. I love the space combat, and the missions are very well done, though I'd like to see more of them. I also think the Foundry is a great system for players to create content. The DOFF system is something different to the genre, which I also like. Same with the management of bridge officers.
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
Apprentice Member
Joined: 12/19/12
Originally posted by Rohn
Bear in mind the "best F2P model in the industry" in the quoted post is an opinion as well, not fact. Yes, there are very few restrictions to a free player. The flip side of that isthis is mostly due to very little in the way of episodic story content in STO. So in comparison to LoTRO, there is not much content that could be tiered into the F2P model.
Just my opinion here, STO is an ok game to kill some time in between other games. The artwork is beautifully done. If you don't mind button mashing the space bar and F key and (a lot! of) task repetition, you can find some value in STO. The Foundry gets mentioned a lot as a plus, but IMO it doesn't lend much to the game as most of the missions players create are garbage. You don't need to spend any real money on the game IMO. Nothing in the cash shop is what I would call a necessity.
STO is definitely worth a try. Give it a whirl and see how it goes.
I did Vanguard when it came out. Did not like the way it bugged up. Of course, this was years. I have always wanted vanguard to work but I have heard that it is desolate and for such a physically big world to have a low pop, bothers me (if it is true).
Joined: 3/19/06
Trolls will be ignored
STO is by far the most forgiving FTP model on the market. You can literally play from beginning to end game without spending a single dime. There is the lockboxes that you loot which you have to purchase keys for, but you don't have to buy them. I always just tossed those away. You don't even have to pay for the download.
Far as the game itself it is MUCH improved since it's disaterous launch. The space combat is very similiar to Starfleet Command and the ground combat is fun as well with the away teams. If you get bored, you can stop and come back later for your Star Trek fix. Highly recomended.
Currently Playing: Star Wars The Old Republic
Okay, I downloaded it and picked science officer in the federation. tutorial was okay, I'm slowly getting used to things. What is odd though, and maybe it is just me, but is it normal to disconnect from the server a lot?
Novice Member
Joined: 1/27/10
Originally posted by BACONX
In the beginning, disconnects were the norm. Then things got better. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I thought they had fixed it completely, but the last few weeks have been rough. Not sure why.
I want a mmorpg where people have gone through misery, have gone through school stuff and actually have had sex even. -sagil
Advanced Member
Joined: 8/11/08
All it takes for evil to succeed is for the good to stand by and do nothing
Originally posted by BACONX
This bit may prove more of a problem with sto than the cash shop as you'll burn through the 'content' within a month and that's with more than one character. After that you'll be grinding the same dozen instances over and over and over. You can grind dilithium and exchange that for c store coins if you wish. But the the games p2w, ideally if you want to be truly awesome in pvp you'll need to buy a liftime sub, play for long enough to get the vet rewards aswell as buying a c store ship, bridge officer, duty officer and initial race. Fortunately the only real reason to pvp(i think there are essentially 2 space and 2 ground matches) seems to be for the dilithium and you get that win or lose so it's one of those that has a p2w model without anything to really win at.
Forgot to add that you will also need to do a lot of grinding for the omega and romulan buffs then gear.


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Monday, April 29, 2013
Current and former employees came to the Lowe's on North Main Street recently to celebrate the retirement of store manager Steven Benton, third from right. His wife Peggy is second from right. Benton trained at the Summerville store nine years ago, then worked at other stores in the Charleston area, and has been managing the Summerville store for the last five years. Throughout his career he has worked in store management and opened the first Office Depot in the area, in West Ashley, in 1989.
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